Military Model Scene

Title: Tank Wrecks of the Western Front 1940-1945

Author: Anthony Tucker-Jones

Publisher: Pen & Sword

ISBN: 978-1-52674-154-7

 

This new addition to the Images of War series from Pen & Sword is a companion book to another in the series, covering Tank Wrecks on the Eastern Front. Written by Anthony Tucker-Jones this is indeed an ideal companion volume. It is not just about the final stages of the war in NW Europe, but covers the period from 1940 through to the end of the war. As he points out, while the German soldier took numerous photos of knocked out British and French equipment in the Blitzkrieg of 1940, the Allied soldier did the same as the Allies moved across Europe after D-Day.

The book is arranged across 8 chapters, each one covering a different set of vehicles. Every chapter is started by a few pages of text, which provides the background to each type of tank that was in use by the different countries, and followed by a selection of archive photos which all have helpful captioning. The first three chapters look at French tanks. These are Hotchkiss: Renault 35/40: the French 'Heavies', such as the Char B1 and the large Char 2C. These are followed by 3 chapters on Allied tanks, the Vickers Mk VI and Matilda; the Churchill ; and the Sherman. This leaves a German section with 4 chapters, looking at Panzer I, II and III: Panzer IV: Panther: and Tiger I and II.

Some of the later pictures, of the Tiger I and II are quite well known, but most of the others remain as 'new'. Add many more new images in the sections on French and Allied tanks, there is lot here to interest the tank enthusiasts and modellers alike. Always nice when they are presented by an author who has a good knowledge of his subjects.

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Thanks to Pen and Sword for this review copy.

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Robin