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In July 1943 the German army launched what was to be its last major
offensive on Soviet soil. Codenamed Operation Citadel, the attack
had initially been scheduled to commence in May but was postponed
by Hitler on a number of occasions to allow the divisions in the
East to be reinforced and to ensure that the new Panther tanks
could be deployed. In the fifth book on the Panther in this series
Dennis Oliver examines the first vehicles that left the assembly
plants to go into service against the Red Army as part of Operation
Citadel and the units that arrived in the late summer and early
autumn of 1943. In addition to archive photographs and
painstakingly researched, exquisitely presented colour
illustrations, a large part of this book showcases available model
kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of
beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales.
Technical details as well as modifications introduced during
production and in the field are also examined, providing everything
the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of the
Panther tanks that fought in the East in 1943.
When the Allied armies landed on the Normandy beaches on 6 June
1944 the backbone of the armoured reaction force awaiting them was
made up of 758 Pzkpfw IV tanks, a number which represents almost
half the fully-tracked vehicles available for the defence of the
West. The first models of these tanks had entered service in
November 1937 and although replacements had been considered, the
original design was continually up-gunned and up-armoured. Perhaps
lacking the glamour of the Panther and Tiger, the most recent
variant, the Pzkpfw IV ausf H, was at least the equal of the best
British and American tanks. Drawing on official documentation and
unit histories Dennis Oliver investigates the formations that
operated these deservedly famous vehicles and uses archive photos
and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the
markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the Pzkpfw IV tanks
that served on the Western Front during the critical summer of
1944. A key section of his book displays available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic vehicles.
The Pzkpfw Ill was the most effective tank available to the German
army in North Africa during the battles of 1941. It outnumbered all
the other types in service with the Afrikakorps at that time and
when compared to the Pzkpfw I and Pzkpfw II designs it was a
potent, modern weapons system. Although less heavily armoured than
its British opponents it was sturdy and reliable and its main
armament was the equal of any enemy anti-tank gun it was called
upon to face. This volume of the TankCraft series, the first of two
parts, examines the story of the tank's North African service
beginning with the arrival of Panzer-Regiment 5 in Tripoli and
ending with the advance to El Alamein in late 1942. Dennis Oliver
uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations
to examine the Pzkpfw Ill and the Panzer units that took part in
the early battles in North Africa. A key section of his book
displays available model kits and aftermarket products,
complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted
models in various scales. Technical details as well as
modifications introduced during production and in the field are
also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to recreate
an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
By the first weeks of 1945 the Eastern Front had been pushed back
to the Carpathian mountain passes in the south and Warsaw on the
Vistula River in the centre while in the north the German army was
fighting in East Prussia. The Wehrmacht's armoured and mobile
formations were now employed exclusively as fire brigades, rushed
from one crisis to the next as the Red Army pushed inexorably
westward. Critical to the German defence were the army's heavy
Panzer battalions whose Tiger tanks, with their 8.8cm guns, were
almost invincible on the open plains of central Europe. In his
latest book in the TankCraft series Dennis Oliver uses archive
photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine
the Tiger tanks and units of the German Army and Waffen-SS heavy
Panzer battalions that struggled to resist the onslaught of Soviet
armour during the last days of the conflict which culminated in the
battle for Berlin. A key section of his book displays available
model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of
beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales.
Technical details as well as modifications introduced during
production and in the field are also examined providing everything
the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these
historic tanks.
Experience in the Polish and French campaigns had convinced the
German high command of the value of fast-moving, armed
reconnaissance vehicles. But it was realised that many of the early
designs were too lightly-armed and development of a heavy
eight-wheeled prototype resulted in the Sdkfz 234 series of
armoured cars, the first of which entered service in late 1943.
Built by the firm of Bussing-NAG, these sturdy and reliable
vehicles were gradually up-armed and served in the infantry support
role and eventually as tank killers, largely as the result of
Hitler's desperation to arm as many vehicles as possible with
anti-tank weapons. Drawing on official documentation and unit
histories Dennis investigates the formations that operated these
vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively researched colour
illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical
aspects of the Sdkfz 234/2, 234/3 and 234/4 armoured cars that
served on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the last months of the
war. A key section of his book displays available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic vehicles.
The Sdkfz 251 halftrack was one of the most versatile armoured
vehicles produced by either side in the Second World War. Designed
by the firm of Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, or Hanomag, production
ran to over 15,000 vehicles and it was eventually built as
twenty-three separate variants serving as not only a personnel
carrier, but also a command vehicle, mobile rocket launcher,
armoured ambulance and bridge-layer. In his first book in the
LandCraft series Dennis Oliver examines the Sdkfz 251 variants
armed with the 7.5cm gun, initially used as an infantry support and
reconnaissance halftrack and later as a tank killer as the result
of Hitler's desperation to arm as many vehicles as possible with
anti-tank weapons. Drawing on official documentation and unit
histories Dennis investigates the formations that operated these
deservedly famous vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively
researched colour illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage
and technical aspects of the Sdkfz 251/9 and 251/22 halftracks that
served on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the last months of the
war. A key section of his book displays available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
The Pzkpfw III tank was the mainstay of the Panzer divisions during
the Blitzkrieg era and made up the bulk of the armoured force sent
to North Africa. Although less heavily armoured than many of its
opponents it was sturdy and reliable and its main armament was the
equal of any enemy weapon it was called upon to face. Operating in
one of the most inhospitable environments on earth the Pzkpfw III
was at the forefront of the dramatic advances of 1941 and the
defensive efforts of the following year, all undertaken in the
incredible vastness of the Libyan desert. This volume of the
TankCraft series concludes the story of the tank's North African
service, examining the models that took part in the campaign
beginning with the retreat from El Alamein and ending with the
surrender of the last Axis forces in Tunisia in May 1943. Using
archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to
examine the Pzkpfw III and the units that operated this deservedly
famous armoured vehicle during the final battles in North Africa. A
key section of his book displays available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
When at Hitler's insistence the first Tiger I tanks went into
action in Tunisia in December 1942 they rapidly gained a formidable
fighting reputation despite their lack of reliability and the small
number deployed. With its heavy armour and 88mm gun, it outclassed
all the Allied tanks then in service and forced the Allies to
accelerate the introduction of improved anti-tank guns and tanks
that could match the Tiger in terms of firepower and protection. In
this, his second volume in the TankCraft series on the Tiger,
Dennis Oliver uses archive photos and extensively researched colour
illustrations to examine the Tiger tanks and German army units that
first took them into combat in North Africa and then operated them
as they fell back through Sicily and Italy between 1943 and 1945. A
large part of the book showcases available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of the tanks that made such an
immediate impact on the southern front during the Second World War.
The Allied invasions of Sicily and the Italian mainland had been
met with tenacious resistance by the Germans but the defence
consisted for the most part of armoured units that were little
different to those the British had faced in North Africa. But in
early 1944, with the landings at Anzio and Nettuno and the attempt
to bypass the German defensive line, the Wehrmacht's high command
began shipping heavier and more powerful tanks to the Southern
Front including an increasing number Tigers and Panthers. The
initial models of the latter had gone into combat for the first
time in July 1943 and it was planned that every Panzer regiment
would eventually contain a battalion of these impressive vehicles.
Drawing on official documentation and unit histories Dennis Oliver
investigates the formations that operated these deservedly famous
vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively researched colour
illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical
aspects of the Pzkpfw V tanks that wee an integral part of the
German defence of the Italian peninsula. A key section of his book
displays available model kits and aftermarket products,
complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted
models in various scales. Technical details as well as
modifications introduced during production and in the field are
also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to recreate
an accurate representation of these historic vehicles.
With production in excess of 55,000 the Sherman tank was eventually
in service with most Allied armies of the Second World War and by
the time of the Normandy landings was the mainstay of Britain's
armoured battalions. In his second book in the TankCraft series,
Dennis Oliver uses wartime photos and extensively researched,
exquisitely presented colour illustrations to cover the Sherman
tanks used by the units of the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal
Marines during the fighting in northern France. As with all the
books in the TankCraft series, a large part of this work showcases
available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a
gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various
scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced
during production and in the field are also explained as is the
complex system of markings employed by British armoured regiments.
This book will give the modeller all the information and knowledge
required to recreate an authentic miniature representation of the
tanks that fought from the beaches of Normandy, through the battles
for Caen and on to killing fields of Falaise.
By 1944 the German army was on the defensive on all fronts and
Allied bombing was putting increasing pressure on the nation's
industrial output. Since the earliest days of the war the Germans
had experimented with mounting anti-tank weapons on obsolete
chassis and one of the most successful of these would prove to be
the Jagdpanzer 38, more often referred to today as the Hetzer.
Small and unimposing the Hetzer's appearance belied its
effectiveness. Armed with the powerful 7.5cm L/48 gun, the same
weapon fitted to the Jadgpanzer IV, the Hetzer featured armour
sloped armour plates of up to 60mm thickness and was capable of a
top speed of 42 kilometres per hour. Almost 3,000 examples were
assembled and its low cost and ease of production meant that it was
Germany's most important tank killer of the late war period. In his
latest book in the TankCraft series Dennis Oliver uses archive
photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine
the Hetzer tank destroyers and the units of the German Army and
Waffen-SS that operated them during the last months of the Second
World war. A key section of his book displays available model kits
and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
During the summer of 1944 a series of massive Soviet offensives
threatened to destroy the entire German army on the Eastern Front.
As the Wehrmacht scrambled to hold what ground it could many
formations simply disappeared and the available armoured units were
used to plug the gaps in the frontline. One of the most important
elements of the defence was the newly raised IV.SS-Panzerkorps
which contained the veteran Totenkopf and Wiking divisions.
Although both were well equipped their real striking power lay in
the battalion of Pzkpfw V Panther tanks with which each was
outfitted, perhaps the most effective armoured fighting vehicle
produced by Germany during the Second World War. In Dennis Oliver's
latest volume in the TankCraft series he uses archive photos and
extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the Panther
battalions of these famous units that fought to hold back the
Soviet advance during the last months of 1944\. A key section of
his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products,
complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted
models in various scales. Technical details as well as
modifications introduced during production and in the field are
also examined providing everything the modeller needs to recreate
an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
The Sherman tank served with most Allied armies during the Second
World War and it is justly famous for the role it played in the
Normandy landings and the subsequent drive into Germany. But the
part played by the British commonwealth armoured units in the
Italian campaign is less well known and in his latest volume in the
TankCraft series Dennis Oliver uses wartime photos, extensively
researched text and highly-detailed colour illustrations to cover
the Sherman tanks of the Canadian, New Zealand and South African
armies that battled their way up the Italian peninsula. Although it
was often out-gunned by its opponents the Sherman's ability to
handle the worst terrain and its mechanical reliability ensured
that it was at the forefront of every battle and contributed
greatly to the final Allied victory. Examined in this book are both
the 75mm armed version and the potent tank killer referred to toady
as the Firefly, as well as a number of little-known field
modifications. A large part of this work showcases available model
kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of
beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales.
Technical details as well as modifications introduced during
production and in the field are also examined, providing everything
the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these
historic vehicles.
Death Ride of the Panzers is a unique guide to the Nazi tanks,
vehicles, and crews of World War II. It features never-before-seen
photographs from the US National Archives and the author's personal
collection, annotated artist renderings, and detailed explanations
and historical context for each collection of images. Readers will
also be able to trace the combat histories of these subjects
through orders of battle, maps and organizational diagrams, vehicle
allocation charts, and unit biographies. The forensic approach for
which Dennis Oliver is known creates a broad, comprehensive record
of German soldiers and hardware from early 1944 to the end of the
conflict in 1945. Death Ride of the Panzers provides the context
and chronology necessary for the general reader and the primary
sources and hardware specifics that appeal to the expert, making
this book perfect for the readers with historical interest,
modelers, and WWII buffs alike.
Combining the destructive firepower of the 88mm gun with the
outstanding mobility of the Panther series, the Jagdpanther is
quite probably the best-known tank destroyer of the Second World
War. In the vehicle's first action on 30 July 1944, three
Jagdpanthers managed to destroy eleven British tanks in a vicious
two minute firefight near the village of Les Loges in Normandy,
cementing the Jagdpanther's reputation as a potent tank killer. In
his fifth book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses
contemporary photographs and meticulously researched, superbly
presented colour and monochrome illustrations to tell the story of
these heavy self-propelled anti-tank guns and the units which
operated them in the German defence of the Western Front. As with
all the books in the TankCraft series, a large part of this work
showcases available model kits and aftermarket products,
complemented by a gallery of expertly constructed and painted
models. Technical details as well as modifications introduced
during production and in the field are also explained giving the
modeller all the information and knowledge required.
Combining the destructive firepower of the 75mm gun with the
mobility of the Pzkpfw IV medium tank , the Jagdpanzer IV was quite
possibly the most effective tank destroyer of the Second World War.
From early 1944 these vehicles were allocated to the anti-tank
battalions of Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions and saw action
in Normandy, the Ardennes and the final battles in Germany . In his
latest book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses
contemporary photographs and meticulously researched, superbly
presented colour and monochrome illustrations to tell the story of
these self-propelled anti-tank guns and the units which operated
them in the German defence of the Western Front. As with all the
books in the TankCraft series, a large part of this work showcases
available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a
gallery of expertly constructed and painted models. Technical
details as well as modifications introduced during production and
in the field are also explained giving the modeller all the
information and knowledge required.
Designed with the hard lessons of the North African campaign in
mind, including the adoption of a dual-purpose gun capable of
firing high-explosive and anti-tank rounds, the Cromwell was one of
the most successful of the British cruiser tanks produced during
the Second World War. The lack of heavy armour was made up for by
the tank's high speed provided by a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine. The
Centaur was externally almost identical to the Cromwell, the major
difference being the installation of the less powerful Liberty
engine. While the Centaur equipped the Royal Marines during the
Normandy battles, the Cromwell served until the end of the war and
formed the basis for the Comet. In his fifth book in the TankCraft
series, author and illustrator Dennis Oliver uses official wartime
photographs and comprehensively researched, exquisitely presented
colour profiles to tell the story of the penultimate British
cruiser tank. In common with all the titles from the TankCraft
series, the large full-colour section features available model kits
and accessories as well as aftermarket products. In addition to the
colour profiles there is a gallery of expertly constructed and
painted models. A separate section explains technical details and
modifications made during production and in the field, giving the
modeller all the information required to recreate an authentic
replica of one of the tanks that served from the Normandy beaches
to the final battles in Germany.
In spite of the relatively small numbers involved, the Tiger I and
Tiger II tanks of the German Army and Waffen-SS heavy Panzer
formations played a central role in resisting the Allied invasion
of France in the summer of 1944\. British and American tank crews
found to their dismay that the Tigers could survive numerous hits
while a single round from one of their 88mm guns was enough to
penetrate the strongest armour. In his latest book in the TankCraft
series Dennis Oliver uses archive photographs and painstakingly
researched, exquisitely presented colour illustrations to examine
the part these powerful tanks played in the Normandy battles and
also the units that operated them. As with previous titles, a large
part of this book showcases available model kits and aftermarket
products and accessories, complemented by a gallery of skillfully
constructed and painted models. Descriptions of technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also provided giving the modeller all the information and
knowledge required to recreate authentic miniature representations
of the Panthers that fought in the fields and hedgerows of Normandy
during the summer of 1944.
In late 1944 and 1945 the Panther tank played an important role in
Germany's desperate efforts to stem the Allied advance on the
Western Front. The Panther, perhaps the best armoured vehicle
produced by Germany during the Second World War, was a key element
in the Wehrmacht's defensive tactics, in rearguard actions and
counter-attacks, and it took a prominent part in the last German
offensive of the war, in the Ardennes during the Battle of the
Bulge. So it is an ideal subject for Dennis Oliver's latest volume
in the TankCraft series. He uses archive photos and extensively
researched colour illustrations to examine the Panther tanks and
units of the German army and Waffen-SS panzer battalions that
struggled to resist the Allied onslaught. A key section of his book
displays available model kits and aftermarket products,
complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted
models in various scales. Technical details as well as
modifications introduced during production and in the field are
also examined providing everything the modeller needs to recreate
an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
Designed as a heavily armoured tank which could accompany infantry
formations, the Churchill's ability to cross rough ground and climb
seemingly unassailable hills became legendary. The tank first saw
action in 1942 and the basic design was constantly re-worked and
upgunned, culminating in the Mark VII version which was capable of
taking on the heaviest German tanks. In his fourth book in the
TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses archive photographs and
thoroughly researched, vividly presented colour profiles to tell
the story of these iconic British tanks. As readers have come to
expect from the TankCraft series, the large full colour section of
this book features available model kits and accessories as well as
aftermarket products. In addition to the colour profiles there is a
gallery of expertly constructed and painted models. A separate
section explains technical details and production modifications
giving the modeller all the information and knowledge required to
recreate an authentic reproduction of one of the tanks that
contributed so much to the British effort in the battles for
Normandy.
Panzer III: German Army Light Tank, Operation Barbarossa, 1941\.
TankCraft 27\. The Pzkpfw III tank was the mainstay of the Panzer
divisions during the Blitzkrieg era, which could fairly be said to
have ended with the Germans' failure to take Moscow in the winter
of 1941\. Although less heavily armoured than many of its opponents
and somewhat outgunned by the latest Soviet types, the Pzkpfw III
was at the forefront of the advances made over almost impossible
distances during the summer and autumn and provided the core of the
armoured reserve that fought the defensive battles of the winter
months. In Dennis Oliver's latest volume in the TankCraft series he
uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations
to examine the Pzkpfw III and the units that operated this
deservedly famous armoured vehicle along a 1,000-mile front during
the battles of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the
Soviet Union. A key section of his book displays available model
kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of
beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales.
Technical details as well as modifications introduced during
production and in the field are also examined, providing everything
the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these
historic tanks.
In this heavily illustrated volume in the TankCraft series Dennis
Oliver focuses on the Achilles - the British variant of the
American M10 - which was one of the most important Allied tank
destroyers of the Second World War. It played a key role in the
armoured battles fought on the Western Front, in particular in
France, the Low Countries, Germany and Italy. Built on an adapted
Sherman chassis, with sloped armour, an open-topped turret and
powerful 17-pounder gun, it was designed to counter the threat
posed by the formidable panzers deployed by the German army towards
the end of the conflict, in particular the Panther and Tiger tanks.
The book covers the design and operational history of the Achilles
in close detail, using rare archive photographs and meticulously
researched colour illustrations, as well as a detailed,
authoritative text. A key section displays available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic armoured
fighting vehicles.
Tiger tanks were among the most-feared fighting vehicles of the
Second World War and they gained almost legendary status, yet they
never fulfilled their potential because they were not produced in
sufficient numbers and the tide the war had turned against the
German army by the time they were introduced. Often they were
deployed in difficult circumstances and in defensive battles,
struggling against the odds. Nowhere was this more true than in
western Europe during the Allied advance across France and into
Germany, and it is the Tigers of this phase of the war that Dennis
Oliver portrays in his third volume on the Tiger in the TankCraft
series. He uses archive photos and extensively researched colour
illustrations to examine the Tiger tanks and units of the German
Army and Waffen-SS heavy panzer battalions that struggled to resist
the onslaught of Allied armour and air attacks during the last days
of the conflict. A key section of his book displays available model
kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of
beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales.
Technical details as well as modifications introduced during
production and in the field are also examined providing everything
the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these
historic tanks.
In the last years of the Second World War the Sturmgesch tz III
(StuG III) and Sturmgesch tz IV (StuG IV) played a vital role as
assault guns during the German army's struggle to block the Allied
advance on the Western Front. As the Wehrmacht's tank forces
declined, these armoured vehicles were thrown into every defensive
operation. They are not as well known as the Tigers and Panthers,
but German resistance would have been much weaker without them.
They were also among the most frequently encountered German
armoured vehicles on the battlefields, which is why they are such a
fascinating subject for Dennis Oliver in this volume in the
TankCraft series He uses archive photos and extensively researched
colour illustrations to examine the StuG III and StuG IV deployed
by the German army and the Waffen-SS during these doomed campaigns.
A key section of his book displays available model kits and
aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully
constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details
as well as modifications introduced during production and in the
field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to
recreate an accurate representation of these historic armoured
vehicles.
In July 1944, with the Eastern Front crumbling and the first cracks
appearing in the Normandy defences, Hitler ordered the creation of
a new type of unit based on the ad-hoc Kampfgruppen which the
Germans used so successfully throughout the war. Hastily assembled
and short-lived these independent Panzer brigades nevertheless
served on both fronts in some of the fiercest fighting of the
conflict. The real striking power of the initial units would a
battalion equipped with the Pzkpfw V Panther, perhaps the most
effective armoured vehicle produced by Germany during the Second
World War. In Dennis Oliver's latest volume in the TankCraft series
he uses archive photos and extensively researched colour
illustrations to examine the Panther battalions of the Panzer
brigades that fought to hold back the Allied advance during the
last months of 1944\. A key section of his book displays available
model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of
beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales.
Technical details as well as modifications introduced during
production and in the field are also examined providing everything
the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these
historic tanks.
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