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A new study of tank warfare used in the Soviet offensive of
Operation Bagration, which destroyed Army Group Center. Operation
Bagration, the 1944 summer campaign on the Russian Front, has been
called "Hitler's Greatest Defeat." The operation involved
substantial tank and armored vehicles on both sides but the German
forces were severely hampered by the transfer of dozens of Panzer
divisions to France to repel an expected Allied invasion. Forced to
make hard decisions, German tank forces in the central Belarus
sector were weak compared to the heavy concentration of Panzers in
northern Ukraine. The Red Army exploited this vulnerability,
crushing Army Group Center, and pushing beyond the Soviet frontier
into Poland and East Prussia. With this crucial victory secured,
the Red Army conducted successive offensives beyond the Carpathian
Mountains, arriving at the Vistula river in Poland, and forcing
Romania to switch sides. The Red Army had embarked on a major tank
modernization after the Kursk battles of 1943 and as a result,
Operation Bagration saw the first widespread use of T-34-85 and
IS-2 tanks as well as self-propelled guns. Germany's Panther tank
finally reached technical maturity in the summer of 1944 but small
numbers weakened its battlefield impact, while other innovations
such as the Tiger II heavy tank failed to leave their mark. Using
new photos and a fascinating selection of color illustrations
explaining the camouflage and markings of these tanks, this book
describes how the tanks and AFVs on both sides contributed to the
eventual defeat of Army Group Center.
A new analysis of the technology and tanks that faced off against
each other on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, during the very
height of the Cold War. From the 1960s onwards, there was a
generational shift in tank design and warfare with the advent of
CBR (chemical, biological, radiological) protection and a move away
from HEAT ammunition to APFSDS. This shift confronted the growing
threat of guided anti-tank missiles and saw the introduction of
composite armor. Soviet heavy tanks and tank destroyer/assault guns
became obsolete, giving way to the technological might of the T-62
and T-64, while NATO forces employed the Chieftain, AMX-30, Leopard
I, and M60, plus the initial attempt at a common US-German tank,
the MBT-70. Using detailed illustrations and contemporary
photographs, this companion volume to NVG 301, Tanks at the Iron
Curtain 1946-60 focuses on key battle tanks and their technology to
give a comprehensive overall picture of how tanks developed during
modern times.
An expert account of the development, role, and capabilities of the
S-300 and S-400 air defence missile systems, key strategic weapons
in Putin's Russia. Few modern missile systems have had such
significance as the S-300 family. Highly regarded technically,
Russia's most powerful air-defense systems have been a major
strategic asset to the country, exported to major powers around the
world, and are a key weapon in many international hotspots and in
recent wars. In this book, professional missile systems analyst
Steve Zaloga uses his specialist knowledge to assess and analyse
them in detail. He explains that the S-300 is, in fact, three
systems: the S-300P, designed as a replacement for older Soviet
strategic SAM systems, the S-300V, developed to defend against
Pershing ballistic missiles, and the S-300F, designed for ship
defense. He also considers the supplementary S-350 system and the
new-generation S-400 system, deployed in Syria and sold to both
China and Turkey. An assessment of the latest S-500 system,
designed to counter ballistic missiles and hypersonic cruise
missiles, is also provided. Packed with detailed colour artwork and
new photos, this book explains the considerable evolution of the
S-300 family, perhaps the world's most famous strategic SAM, over
the last three decades.
A new history and analysis of the German and Soviet tank forces
that battled on eastern German soil in the final months of World
War II. The final months of World War II on the Eastern Front saw
the Wehrmacht fighting with exhausted armoured divisions, albeit
now armed with the most advanced and heaviest tanks of the war, to
slow the Soviet advance. The Red Army meanwhile was rolling
relentlessly westwards, with its own highly developed tank forces
now equipped with T34/85s and the huge IS-2 heavy tanks, intent on
taking Berlin and as much German territory as possible. This book
is a history and analysis of the state of these two mighty armoured
forces, as their battles decided the fate of Germany. It covers
their initial encounters on the German frontier in 1944 (East
Prussia), the fighting of the Oder-Vistula offensive in January
1945 and describes the condition of the German tank forces and
their Hungarian allies as they were beaten back. It also considers
the huge impact of The Red Army and other significant Allied forces
such as those from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania on the
outcome of victory in the war.
A study of the Soviet and NATO armored forces that faced each other
off in Central Europe in the early Cold War, and how their
technology, tactics, and doctrine were all rapidly developed. For
45 years, the most disputed point in the World was the dividing
line between East and West in Europe; here the use and development
of tanks was key. In this fully illustrated study, author Steve
Zaloga, describes how Soviet and NATO tanks were deployed in the
early years of the Cold War, and how a generation of tanks such as
the Soviet T-44/T-54 and IS-3, British Centurion, US Army M26/M46
Pershing (all developed during World War II) saw extensive service
after the war had ended. Initial post-war generation tanks
including the Soviet T-54A, T-10 heavy tank, British late-model
Centurions, Conqueror, US Army M41, M47, M48 and the French AMX-13
are examined in detail alongside the most important technical
trends of the era: the development of shaped-charge anti-tank
projectiles, the influence of anti-tank missiles, and the
introduction of chemical/nuclear protection and night fighting
equipment. The book also considers the influence of post-war
doctrine and tactics on tank technology and the effect of regional
conflicts such as the 1950 Korean War, the war in Indo-China, and
the 1956 Mid East War on tank warfare.
The crossing of the river Rhine marked the beginning of the end of
the Third Reich, but the Wehrmacht would fight ferociously on its
home soil until the fall of Berlin. The Battle of Germany saw the
most advanced tanks of the Allies pitted against the remnants of
the once-formidable Panzerwaffe, now exhausted and lacking many of
the essentials of armored warfare, but equipped with the biggest
and most powerful tanks they would ever field. In these last months
the Allies were now equipped with the most advanced Shermans such
as the M4A3E8, as well as some of the types that would go on to
have successful postwar careers such as the Pershing, Comet, and
Chaffee. In contrast the Panzer forces had pinned their hopes on
small numbers of monstrous types such as the Jagdtiger and Tiger
II, as well as the workhorse Sturmgeschutz and Panzer IVs and Vs.
But with German forces crumbling, the Panzerwaffe lacked trained
crews, replacement vehicles and fuel, while the Allies'
well-supported tank forces advanced through Germany in spectacular
combined-arms fashion. Packed with information on tank numbers,
types, and comparative performance, this book sheds new light on
the two sides' tanks, organization, and doctrine, and explains how
the ultimate tank battles of World War II were really fought.
A new study of the German Panzer forces that stood between the
Allies' D-Day beachhead and victory in World War II - how they
compared, how they were organized, and how they fought. The German
tank forces in Normandy in June-August 1944 had the advantage of
fighting on the defensive side, as well as comprising of some of
the most powerful and advanced tanks used by any side in the war.
Yet success in tank warfare depends on many things beyond
technological superiority. This book describes the types of tanks,
tank destroyers and assault guns used by the Panzer units in
Normandy, how they fought on the Normandy battlefield, and why they
were overwhelmed by the advancing Allies. It discusses the
organization and equipment of the units, providing thumbnail
sketches of basic organization and doctrine as well as statistical
data on the types and categories of AFVs in German service.
In the wake of the T-72 tank's poor performance in the 1991 Gulf
War, the Kremlin instructed the Russian tank industry to drop the
discredited T-72 designation in favour of the T-90 Vladimir. The
T-90 was in fact a further evolution of the T-72 family, but the
name change represented an important break in Russian/Soviet tank
design history. The T-90 has become the principal export tank of
Russia, and is in service in large numbers in many countries
including Algeria, India, and many of the former Soviet republics.
Using detailed illustrations and full colour artwork, this book
will also describe the evolution of the T-90s many failed
successors including the little known Bokser, Molot, and T-95, as
well as its likely successor, the new T-14 Armata, and the wide
range of specialized vehicles based on the T-90 chassis such as the
formidable Terminator tank support vehicle.
Examines Eighth Army's 1,000-strong tank force - rebuilt,
reorganized, and equipped with brand-new Sherman and Churchill
tanks - that secured victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein.
When Eighth Army retired into the defensive line at El Alamein on
30 June 1942, it was tired, dispirited and had lost almost all its
tanks during a string of defeats at Gazala, Tobruk and Mersa
Matruh. After savage defensive fighting at First Alamein, the
reinforced Desert Rats defeated Rommel's last offensive in a
tank-to-tank clash at Alam Halfa in September. The next month, a
completely rebuilt and reorganized Eighth Army, equipped with over
1,000 tanks including the American M4 Sherman, launched the
offensive that would finally drive Rommel out of Africa. Montgomery
shaped the Eighth Army according to his own military ideas, and on
23 October was able to attack the Axis defenses with the largest
force of armoured divisions in its history, with the 1st, 8th and
10th united in a new 'corps de chasse' intended to defeat the
Afrika Korps at its own game, and the 7th and two infantry support
tank brigades assigned to support the XXX and XIII Corps. With the
exception of the A9, 10 and 13 cruisers of 1940-41, as the
offensive began, the Eighth Army contained every type of tank
employed during the North Africa campaign. Using detailed
illustrations of the tanks involved with an analysis of the tactics
employed for battle, this is a focused examination of the tank
forces that won the Second Battle of El Alamein - the most famous
British Army victory of World War II, and one of the turning points
of the war.
A concisely detailed guide to the Allied tanks that fought from
D-Day to the break out from Normandy, their qualities, numbers and
performance, and how they were used on the battlefield. When Allied
tanks began to roll off the landing craft on D-Day, it marked the
start of one of the great periods of tank warfare in World War II.
Often outgunned by the German Panzers, and fighting in the close
confines of bocage country, they nevertheless managed to break out
of Normandy and begin the liberation of Europe. It was a battle
that was dominated by the Americans' legendary Sherman, but also
saw a wide and complex range of armour committed to battle across
the many armies involved, from British Churchills and
special-purpose 'Funnies' to the Canadians' Ram tank. This book
explains the qualities, strengths and weakness of the major British
and US tank types as well as associated Allied units in Normandy
including those of the Canadians, Poles and French, and describes
how they really fought. It discusses the organization and equipment
of the units, providing thumbnail sketches as well as statistical
data on the types and categories of AFVs that saw action. This is a
handy and concise guide for military historians, wargamers and
military modelers interested in tank warfare of World War II.
Allied success in invading Fortress Europe (the area of Continental
Europe occupied by Nazi Germany) depended on getting armor onto the
beaches as fast as possible. This book explains how the Allies
developed the specialist tanks it needed, their qualities,
deployment and numbers, and how they performed on the two crucial
days when France was invaded, firstly in Normandy and then in
Provence. The focus of this volume will be on the specialized tanks
developed for the Operation Neptune amphibious landings including
the Duplex Drive amphibious Sherman tanks used on both the US and
British/Canadian beaches. It also covers the specialized engineer
tanks called "Armoured Funnies" of the British 79th Armoured
Division and addresses the popular myth that US Army refusal to
employ the Armoured Funnies was a principal cause for the high
casualties at Omaha Beach. There is also coverage of Operation
Overlord's "Forgotten D-Day", the amphibious landings of Operation
Dragoon. This book addresses why there were so few Panzers opposing
the landings from the German perspective as well as detailing the
extent of German tank/assault gun activity on D-Day.
The Battle of the Bulge raises many questions which, until now,
have not been adequately answered: How did the major tank types
perform during the battle? What were the specific 'lessons learned'
from the combat? And did these lessons result in changes to tanks
in the subsequent months? Offering detailed answers to these
questions, and many more, this book provides a survey of the
principal tank and tank-equivalents (such as tank destroyers and
Jagdpanzers) that took part in the Ardennes Campaign of December
1944-January 1945. Beginning with a basic overview of the campaign,
accompanied by an order of battle of the major armoured units, it
examines the opposing forces, covering the organization of the two
tank forces to explain how they were deployed. Author Steven Zaloga
also scrutinises the technical balance between the opposing sides,
comparing armour, mobility and firepower as well as other important
factors such as reliability, crew situational awareness, and tank
layout/efficiency. Full of specially commissioned and highly
accurate artwork plates of the tanks themselves, as well as
fascinating technical data based on cutting-edge research, this
title is the definitive guide to tank warfare in the Battle of the
Bulge.
Since the Gulf War, the Abrams tank has undergone a transformation,
while fighting in conflicts across the world. Its M1A1 and M1A2
variants have seen great improvements made to this iconic tank,
including in fire-control, armour protection, and thermal imaging
technology. Involvement in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
necessitated a number of upgrades and modifications as the United
States fought two of its longest wars. Recent years have seen new
variants of the series such as the ABV Assault Breacher Vehicle and
M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge. Over the past few decades, the
M1A1 Abrams has also been extensively exported and is license
produced in Egypt. The long-awaited follow-up to NVG 2 M1 Abrams
Main Battle Tank 1982-92 (1993), this fully illustrated study
examines the Abrams tanks' last quarter-century of service with
both the United States and its various foreign operators with a
focus on its combat history.
Between the two World Wars, the US contributed significantly to the
development of the tank, a weapon invented by the British and the
French seeking a way to break through the lines of German trenches.
From the employment of the French Renault FT and British Mark V
during their involvement in World War I, the US branched out with
their own indigenous designs including the M1 Cavalry Car and the
M2 Light and Medium tanks, the precursors to the Stuart and Grant
tanks of World War II. Tank designers in this period faced unique
challenges and so the story of early American armour is littered
with failures amongst the successes. Featuring previously
unpublished photos and fully illustrated throughout, Early American
Armor (1): Tanks 1916-40 is essential reading for anyone interested
in American armour, or in the development of tank design.
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SU-76 Assault Gun (Paperback)
Steven J. Zaloga; Illustrated by Felipe Rodriguez
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R351
R284
Discovery Miles 2 840
Save R67 (19%)
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The SU-76 assault gun was the second most widely manufactured Soviet armoured fighting vehicle of World War II, out-numbered only by the legendary T-34. Inspired in part by the German Marder series of tank destroyers, Soviet designers realized that the chassis of the obsolete T-70 light tank could be adapted to a much more substantial gun if it was placed in a fixed casemate rather than in a turret. This led to the design of the SU-76, which saw its combat debut at Kursk in the summer of 1943. The SU-76 was deployed primarily as an infantry direct support weapon, becoming the infantry tank of the Red Infantry, much as the StuG III became the infantry tank of the German infantry.
Featuring full colour artwork and written by an expert on tank warfare during World War II, this fascinating study describes one of the Soviet Union's most important armoured vehicles during its struggle with Nazi Germany.
The 'Soixante quinze', France's legendary 75mm Modele 1897, was the
first modern field gun, pioneering several critical innovations in
field artillery designs, including a fast action breech and a soft
recoil system. Although some of these features had been
incorporated into earlier guns, the 75mm M1897 integrated them into
a superior, lightweight field gun. The 75mm M1897 earned its
reputation in the Great War, forming the backbone of French field
artillery. It was widely distributed to Allied armies, including
the American Expeditionary Forces and was also widely exported
after World War I around the globe. It was manufactured under
licence in numerous countries, including the United States, which
used the gun in its initial Pacific campaigns. Due to its modernity
and sound design, the 75mm remained in service well into World War
II. It was used by the French, Polish and other armies in the
Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939-1940 and thousands were captured by
the German Army in 1940 and used for coastal defence. Surprisingly,
many were also converted into a very effective anti-tank gun, the
PaK 97/38. These weapons lingered in service after World War II,
though by this time, they were largely obsolete. This fascinating
book explores the history of the 75mm Modele 1897 in detail, from
its design and development to its deployment around the world. The
text is supported by stunning, specially commissioned artwork
including three-dimensional views of the gun and its variants.
After the American Civil War, the US Navy had been allowed to decay into complete insignificance, yet the commissioning of the modern Brazilian battleship Riachuelo and poor performance against the contemporary Spanish fleet, forced the US out of its isolationist posture towards battleships.
The first true US battleships began with the experimental Maine and Texas, followed by the three-ship Indiana class, and the Iowa class, which incorporated lessons from the previous ships. These initial ships set the enduring US battleship standard of being heavily armed and armoured at the expense of speed.
This fully illustrated study examines these first six US battleships, a story of political compromises, clean sheet designs, operational experience, and experimental improvements. These ships directly inspired the creation of an embryonic American military-industrial complex, enabled a permanent outward-looking shift in American foreign policy and laid the foundations of the modern US Navy.
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