This title offers a detailed study of a successful but little-known German tank of World War II, the Panzer 38(t). Germany's annexation of Czech provinces in 1938 gave it control of the large Czech armament industry, one of the jewels of which was the very modern LT 38 tank. The type was fully integ[...]

From the moment that the M4 Sherman had been matched against German Panther and Tiger tanks, the American tank crews had known that their vehicles were outclassed by the opposition. What was needed was a more powerful tank, more heavily armed and armored, that could take-on the powerful German panze[...]

The D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 were the largest amphibious military operation ever mounted. During the late Spring and early summer of 1944 the roads and ports of southern England were thronged with the troops, vehicles and ships of the invasion force. The greatest armada the world had ever seen [...]

The history of US light tanks during World War II is a chequered one. The Light Battalions of US Armored Divisions were initially filled with M3A1 and M5 Stuart tanks, however, on the battlefields of North Africa it was realised that these were disastrously under armoured and gunned, and a replaceme[...]

The M4 Sherman tank was the mainstay of the Western allies between 1942 and 1945. Fast and modern it was a big success and was transported as far afield as Russia and North Africa. The American Chief of Staff claimed in November 1943 it was 'hailed widely as the best tank on the battlefield today...[...]

Entering service in the early 1960s, the M109 Self-Propelled Howitzer has been in production for 34 years and forms the backbone of US Army and Reserve artillery units. The M109A6 is the latest development of the M109 series and incorporates advanced fire control systems that enable it to have the f[...]

The first deployment of the V-1 was in June 1944 when, following two years of tests, Hitler gave the order to attack England. Known to the Allies as the "Buzz Bomb" or "Doodlebug", the V-1 was the world's first cruise missile. This book explores the V-1 in detail, from its initial concept, first use[...]

Although they are less well known than the more glamorous armored divisions, vast numbers of separate tank and tank destroyer battalions were in service in the European Theater of Operations from 1944 to 1945, engaged in supporting the infantry divisions. This title focuses on these units: the stand[...]

The highly successful 'stop-gap' M3 medium tank was designed in 1941, and as adequate turret casting facilities were not yet ready, the M3 used an unusual armament configuration patterned after a French tank. British lend-lease demands led to the design of a second turret type with the US version ca[...]

In the aftermath of the battle of the Ardennes in February 1945, the Allies began steps for the final assault into Germany. The Rhine represented the last major geographical barrier to the Allied advance into Germany. In the event, fortune smiled on the US Army when the 9th Armored Division unexpect[...]

The delivery of entire divisions to battlefields behind enemy lines by parachute and glider was a unique feature of World War II. This book covers the mature phase of these operations from the tactical failures of night-time drops at D-Day, through the daylight jumps at Arnhem and the Rhine, to the [...]

First seen during the American Civil War and later appearing in the Franco-Prussian War and the Boer Wars, the military use of the armoured train only came to the fore during World War I, reigning supreme on the Eastern Front. Deployed widely during Russian Civil War the technology spilt over into t[...]

In this book Steven J Zaloga offers a fascinating comparison of the combat performance of the two most important tanks involved in the crucial fighting of 1944, the Sherman and the Panther. Examining the design and development of both tanks, Zaloga notes the obvious superiority that the Panther had [...]