Hilary Doyle - Böcker

The Jagdpanzer 38 is one of the best known German armoured fighting vehicles from World War II. Rushed into series production in the record time of less than four months, it was instantly recognisable by its sleek appearance created by well sloped armour. Many experts in post-war armour hold the opinion that this tank destroyer was just the answer to Germany's problem of dealing with the numerically superior American M4 Medium tank (known to the British Army as the Sherman) and the Russian T-34.

As a result of the heavy losses in armoured vehicles, and tanks in particular, on the Eastern Front the assault gun units played an increasingly vital role in supporting the beleaguered infantry and countering Allied armour, The Stumgeschutz was one of the most numerously produced and effectively deployed of the German armoured vehicles. Total production of the Ausf G alone was close to 7000 vehicles; a further 1299 were equipped with the 10.5cm gun as self-propelled howitzers. This book reveals how the Sturmgeschutz provided the backbone of Germany's amoured forces in every theatre and on every front during the long fighting-retreat of the final years of the war.

The Panzerkampfwagen IV was one of the most numerous and successful German tanks of World War II.Despite the introduction of the Panther and Tiger tanks, the PzKpfw IV remained the backbone of the German armoured units until the end of the war. Until 1942 armed with a short 7.5cm KwK L/24, it was used primarily in an infantry support role. However with the upgrading to the long 7.5cm it became the main battle tank of the Panzer Divisions.This book details all of the variants of the Panzerkampfwagen IV with the long guns 7.5cm KwK 40 L/43 and L/48.

As World War II entered its later stages and Germany was forced increasingly onto the defensive, the need for fast-moving mobile forces lessened.The Wehrmacht required better protected and more powerfully armed tanks. After debacles against the T-34, Hitler and the Panzerwaffe were determined not to be unprepared again. The result of this determination was the production of the heaviest and largest tank to see combat during World War II, the Tiger II or Konigstiger (Kingtiger).This title examines this formidable weapon, covering the problems and controversies surrounding its design and production as well as a detailed listing of every unit that was equipped with the Tiger II.

Probably the most famous tank of the World War II, the Tiger I was originally conceived in 1941 in response to the German Army's experience in fighting British tanks and anti-tank guns in Western Europe and the North African desert.Following the invasion of Russia, the appearance of the Soviet T-34 and KW tanks lent a further impetus to the programme. The Tiger's power and performance on the battlefield is emphasised by tables of relevant performance throughout this book, which clearly show the battlefield survivability of the Tiger and its superiority to many allied tank designs.This comprehensive and extremely detailed text is accompanied by a fine selection of black and white photographs showing the tank in use.

The Panther Medium Tank was produced as a direct result of early experiences with the revolutionary Soviet T-34/76.Designers and military experts combined to produce a number of variations to provide armoured support for the many branches of the German army. Whether acting as a command communications vehicle, involved in mobile air defence as a flakpanzer, a Panzer division recovery vehicle, or utilising the turret as a static defence system, the Panther in its many forms was the mainstay of Germany's plan to keep her enemies at bay on two fronts.This book, the product of 25 years of research, examines the numerous Panther variants in detail.

The workhorse of the German Army that swept across Poland, France and Russia, the Sturmgeschütz III saw service in all theatres of World War II, both in an infantry support role and as a tank destroyer.Cheaper and quicker to produce than a tank, the assault gun proved a remarkably effective weapon. Its design and development, production, capabilities and operational history are all closely examined, as is its tactical employment and organisation into units.This book uses original German combat and experience reports to show how the Sturmgeschütz fared in action, whilst also providing information on both retrofitted and production modifications.

The first attempt at mounting a flamethrower in a German tank was not the result of an engineering design process but rather occurred as a field expedient, when German troops involved in the Spanish Civil War mounted small back-pack flamethrowers on their PzKpfw Is.The German authorities took up this idea and from early 1939 began to design a flamethrowing tank based on the Panzer II. This was the first in a long line of German tanks to be equipped with flamethrowers. During World War II versions of the Panzer III, Sturmgeschütz and half-track were all given flamethrowers.This book examines their development, weapons and operational use, often using original German combat reports.