Tank Craft
9 total works
Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, The Last Battles in the West, 1945
by Oliver, Dennis
Published 20 February 2019
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Sherman Tanks, US Army, North-Western Europe, 1944-1945
by Oliver, Dennis
Published 19 November 2018
Following his first book in the TankCraft series on the British army's Shermans during the battle for Normandy, Dennis Oliver has compiled a companion volume on those used by the US Army throughout the campaign in Western Europe. These were the tanks that made up the bulk of the American armoured forces that swept across occupied France and advanced into Hitler's Germany.
Wartime photographs and carefully researched, exquisitely presented colour illustrations show in detail the types of Sherman - including the main variants - that played a vital role in Allied operations. As with all the books in the TankCraft series, a section of this work 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 explained.
This book will give the modeller all the information and knowledge required to recreate an authentic miniature representation of the most famous American armoured vehicle of the Second World War.
Wartime photographs and carefully researched, exquisitely presented colour illustrations show in detail the types of Sherman - including the main variants - that played a vital role in Allied operations. As with all the books in the TankCraft series, a section of this work 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 explained.
This book will give the modeller all the information and knowledge required to recreate an authentic miniature representation of the most famous American armoured vehicle of the Second World War.
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.
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.
The Tiger I and Tiger II tanks are probably the most famous German armoured fighting vehicles of the Second World War and despite the relatively small numbers produced, the heavy Panzer units of the German Army played a key role in the battles fought in North Africa, Italy, the Western Front and particularly in the East. In the seventh and final book on the Tiger in this series Dennis Oliver examines the first tanks that left the production line to go into service on the Eastern Front in an effort to break the Russian defences around Leningrad. As reinforcements steadily arrived, the same units played an important part in the blunting of the Soviet offensive efforts and in the retaking of Kharkov in eastern Ukraine in early 1943, a tactical achievement that is studied in military academies around the world today. 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 Tigers of 1942 and early 1943.
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.