Tank Craft 34: Panther Medium Tank

Tank Craft 34: Panther Medium Tank written by Dennis Oliver and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £16.99 - Softcover - Pages 64

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.

As I have said with previous books in this series the Tank Craft books are brilliant for model

makers, you get so many detailed photos of the various tank models in the process of being

made. But you also get the different camouflages for the different theatres of war, especially

when you enter the Cold War era you have many different designs in accordance with the

surrounding terrain. But in World War Two you’ve got different camouflages for Normandy,

France, the North Africa campaign and terrain on the Eastern Front. I think the Panther

Medium Tank is my personal favourite tank, so it has been a great read and one I would

recommend as it makes an important entry into the series.

Tank Craft 35: Panzer IV, Medium Tank

Tank Craft 35: Panzer IV, Medium Tank written by Dennis Oliver and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £16.99 - Softcover - Pages 64

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.

This book Panzer IV focuses on the latter part of the war from D-Day onwards. Although this series of books is primarily aimed at model crafters, the actual history, technical detail and chat about specifications is excellent so these books should never be seen as just for model makers. The photographs that run throughout this book whether it be photos of the time of these tanks in battle or the pictures of the models are very good and detailed and really help make the book. In the back of the book, there is always a really good contacts section and product list to help the reader out. Certainly a good book for the series.