Felipe Rodríguez – illustratör

An illustrated study of the big guns of Hitler's army – the Wehrmacht's field artillery, its capabilities and its role in German fighting units of World War II. Often overshadowed in military history by the tanks and aircraft of Blitzkrieg, Germany’s artillery was key to its methods of waging war throughout World War II. Field artillery remained the primary killer on the battlefield, often responsible for three-quarters of combat casualties inflicted.Redressing the balance, this book surveys the major Wehrmacht guns of the war, and the basic organizational structure of the German field artillery. Its primary focus is on the divisional field guns, especially the lFH 18 10.5cm field howitzer and the 15cm sFH 18 field howitzer that formed the backbone of German artillery. A brief survey is also made of the infantry guns used at the regimental level, and of corps-level heavy artillery. The issue of the use of"Beutewaffen,” captured war-booty field guns, is also looked at, as is the Nebelwerfer and schwere Wurfgerät rocket artillery. With archive photos and meticulously detailed new illustrations, this book provides a concise study of the German Army’s big guns of World War II, how they were organized and how they were used, both on the Eastern and Western fronts.

Examines Eighth Army's 1,000-strong tank force – rebuilt, reorganized, and equipped with brand-new Sherman and Churchill tanks – that secured victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein.When Eighth Army retired into the defensive line at El Alamein on 30 June 1942, it was tired, dispirited and had lost almost all its tanks during a string of defeats at Gazala, Tobruk and Mersa Matruh. After savage defensive fighting at First Alamein, the reinforced Desert Rats defeated Rommel’s last offensive in a tank-to-tank clash at Alam Halfa in September. The next month, a completely rebuilt and reorganized Eighth Army, equipped with over 1,000 tanks including the American M4 Sherman, launched the offensive that would finally drive Rommel out of Africa.Montgomery shaped the Eighth Army according to his own military ideas, and on 23 October was able to attack the Axis defenses with the largest force of armoured divisions in its history, with the 1st, 8th and 10th united in a new 'corps de chasse' intended to defeat the Afrika Korps at its own game, and the 7th and two infantry support tank brigades assigned to support the XXX and XIII Corps. With the exception of the A9, 10 and 13 cruisers of 1940-41, as the offensive began, the Eighth Army contained every type of tank employed during the North Africa campaign.Using detailed illustrations of the tanks involved with an analysis of the tactics employed for battle, this is a focused examination of the tank forces that won the Second Battle of El Alamein - the most famous British Army victory of World War II, and one of the turning points of the war.

A world-renowned expert offers a focused, illustrated account of how Russian and Ukrainian armour fought during the crucial year of 2022, prior to the arrival of Western tanks.The invasion of Ukraine has seen full-scale mechanized warfare return to Europe. While Western armour and training has been a major part of Ukraine’s army since 2023, in the first year of the war both the Russian invaders and the Ukrainians fought using their existing mechanized armies, in the most devastating and high-stakes war in decades. That year, Moscow’s latest tanks (bar the still undeployable T-14 Armata) found themselves engaging Ukraine’s modernized and customized Soviet-era tank fleet.World-renowned Russia specialist Mark Galeotti draws on rare Russian and Ukrainian sources to present a definitive account of the Russian and Ukrainian tanks that fought that year, before the first Western tanks arrived. He explores the rival tank armies, how they were used, and the ways they were modified in response to the emerging challenges of the war, and presents the reader with ORBATs and data on deployments new to the English-speaking world.As the war in Ukraine revolutionizes our understanding of modern warfare, this book offers an expert assessment of how Ukrainian tanks fought the Russians to a standstill in 2022, and how the lessons learned affected the course of the war.

From the Gnevny class of the pre-war period to the specialist destroyer leaders of the Leningrad class and the unique Tashkent, Soviet Destroyers of World War II is a detailed guide to the often forgotten destroyers of the Soviet Navy.The Soviet Navy that faced the German onslaught in 1941 boasted a mixture of modern warships, often built with foreign technical assistance, and antiquated warships from the Tsarist era that were modernised for the conflict.Some Soviet naval vessels saw limited involvement in the war against Finland in 1939–1940, but the main action occurred after the German invasion, when these destroyers escorted convoys, fought battles against other destroyers and the deadly threat posed by attacking aircraft, and provided fire support for Soviet troops. Featuring illustrations, this book is ideal for naval enthusiasts of World War II, and those interested in the little-known warships of Soviet Russia, as well as modellers and wargamers.

The SU-76 assault gun was the second most widely manufactured Soviet armoured fighting vehicle of World War II, out-numbered only by the legendary T-34.Inspired in part by the German Marder series of tank destroyers, Soviet designers realized that the chassis of the obsolete T-70 light tank could be adapted to a much more substantial gun if it was placed in a fixed casemate rather than in a turret. This led to the design of the SU-76, which saw its combat debut at Kursk in the summer of 1943. The SU-76 was deployed primarily as an infantry direct support weapon, becoming the infantry tank of the Red Infantry, much as the StuG III became the infantry tank of the German infantry. Featuring full colour artwork and written by an expert on tank warfare during World War II, this fascinating study describes one of the Soviet Union’s most important armoured vehicles during its struggle with Nazi Germany.

After the American Civil War, the US Navy had been allowed to decay into complete insignificance. Yet, the commissioning of the modern Brazilian battleship Riachuelo and poor performance against the contemporary Spanish fleet, forced the US out of its isolationist posture towards battleships. The first true US battleships began with the experimental Maine and Texas, followed by the three-ship Indiana class, and the Iowa class, which incorporated lessons from the previous ships. These initial ships set the enduring US battleship standard of being heavily armed and armoured at the expense of speed. This fully illustrated study examines these first six US battleships, a story of political compromises, clean sheet designs, operational experience, and experimental improvements. These ships directly inspired the creation of an embryonic American military-industrial complex, enabled a permanent outward-looking shift in American foreign policy and laid the foundations of the modern US Navy.

The Battle of the Bulge raises many questions which, until now, have not been adequately answered.How did the major tank types perform during the battle? What were the specific ‘lessons learned’ from the combat? And did these lessons result in changes to tanks in the subsequent months?Offering detailed answers to these questions, and many more, this book provides a survey of the principal tank and tank-equivalents (such as tank destroyers and Jagdpanzers) that took part in the Ardennes Campaign of December 1944–January 1945. Beginning with a basic overview of the campaign, accompanied by an order of battle of the major armoured units, it examines the opposing forces, covering the organization of the two tank forces to explain how they were deployed. Author Steven Zaloga also scrutinises the technical balance between the opposing sides, comparing armour, mobility and firepower as well as other important factors such as reliability, crew situational awareness, and tank layout/efficiency.Full of specially commissioned and highly accurate artwork plates of the tanks themselves, as well as fascinating technical data based on cutting-edge research, this is the definitive guide to tank warfare in the Battle of the Bulge.

A concisely detailed guide to the Allied tanks that fought from D-Day to the break out from Normandy, their qualities, numbers and performance, and how they were used on the battlefield.When Allied tanks began to roll off the landing craft on D-Day, it marked the start of one of the great periods of tank warfare in World War II. Often outgunned by the German Panzers, and fighting in the close confines of bocage country, they nevertheless managed to break out of Normandy and begin the liberation of Europe. It was a battle that was dominated by the Americans' legendary Sherman, but also saw a wide and complex range of armour committed to battle across the many armies involved, from British Churchills and special-purpose 'Funnies' to the Canadians' Ram tank.This book explains the qualities, strengths and weakness of the major British and US tank types as well as associated Allied units in Normandy including those of the Canadians, Poles and French, and describes how they really fought. It discusses the organization and equipment of the units, providing thumbnail sketches as well as statistical data on the types and categories of AFVs that saw action. This is a handy and concise guide for military historians, wargamers and military modelers interested in tank warfare of World War II.

The crossing of the river Rhine marked the beginning of the end of the Third Reich, but the Wehrmacht would fight ferociously on its home soil until the fall of Berlin.The Battle of Germany saw the most advanced tanks of the Allies pitted against the remnants of the once-formidable Panzerwaffe, now exhausted and lacking many of the essentials of armored warfare, but equipped with the biggest and most powerful tanks they would ever field. In these last months the Allies were now equipped with the most advanced Shermans such as the M4A3E8, as well as some of the types that would go on to have successful postwar careers such as the Pershing, Comet, and Chaffee. In contrast the Panzer forces had pinned their hopes on small numbers of monstrous types such as the Jagdtiger and Tiger II, as well as the workhorse Sturmgeschütz and Panzer IVs and Vs. But with German forces crumbling, the Panzerwaffe lacked trained crews, replacement vehicles and fuel, while the Allies’ well-supported tank forces advanced through Germany in spectacular combined-arms fashion. Packed with information on tank numbers, types, and comparative performance, this book sheds new light on the two sides’ tanks, organization, and doctrine, and explains how the ultimate tank battles of World War II were really fought.

An up-to-date history and analysis of the German and Soviet tank forces that battled on eastern German soil in the final months of World War II.The final months of World War II on the Eastern Front saw the Wehrmacht fighting with exhausted armoured divisions, albeit now armed with the most advanced and heaviest tanks of the war, to slow the Soviet advance. The Red Army meanwhile was rolling relentlessly westwards, with its own highly developed tank forces now equipped with T34/85s and the huge IS-2 heavy tanks, intent on taking Berlin and as much German territory as possible.Their battles decided the fate of Germany. This book covers their initial encounters on the German frontier in 1944 (East Prussia), the fighting of the Oder-Vistula offensive in January 1945 and describes the condition of the German tank forces and their Hungarian allies as they were beaten back. It also considers the huge impact of The Red Army and other significant Allied forces such as those from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania on the outcome of victory in the war.

An expert account of the development, role, and capabilities of the S-300 and S-400 air defence missile systems, key strategic weapons in Putin's Russia.Few modern missile systems have had such significance as the S-300 family. Highly regarded technically, Russia’s most powerful air-defense systems have been a major strategic asset to the country, exported to major powers around the world, and are a key weapon in many international hotspots and in recent wars.In this book, professional missile systems analyst Steve Zaloga uses his specialist knowledge to assess and analyse them in detail. He explains that the S-300 is, in fact, three systems: the S-300P, designed as a replacement for older Soviet strategic SAM systems, the S-300V, developed to defend against Pershing ballistic missiles, and the S-300F, designed for ship defense. He also considers the supplementary S-350 system and the new-generation S-400 system, deployed in Syria and sold to both China and Turkey. An assessment of the latest S-500 system, designed to counter ballistic missiles and hypersonic cruise missiles, is also provided.Packed with detailed colour artwork and new photos, this book explains the considerable evolution of the S-300 family, perhaps the world’s most famous strategic SAM, over the last three decades.

A new study of tank warfare used in the Soviet offensive of Operation Bagration, which destroyed Army Group Center.Operation Bagration, the 1944 summer campaign on the Russian Front, has been called “Hitler's Greatest Defeat.” The operation involved substantial tank and armored vehicles on both sides but the German forces were severely hampered by the transfer of dozens of Panzer divisions to France to repel an expected Allied invasion. Forced to make hard decisions, German tank forces in the central Belarus sector were weak compared to the heavy concentration of Panzers in northern Ukraine. The Red Army exploited this vulnerability, crushing Army Group Center, and pushing beyond the Soviet frontier into Poland and East Prussia. With this crucial victory secured, the Red Army conducted successive offensives beyond the Carpathian Mountains, arriving at the Vistula river in Poland, and forcing Romania to switch sides.The Red Army had embarked on a major tank modernization after the Kursk battles of 1943 and as a result, Operation Bagration saw the first widespread use of T-34-85 and IS-2 tanks as well as self-propelled guns. Germany’s Panther tank finally reached technical maturity in the summer of 1944 but small numbers weakened its battlefield impact, while other innovations such as the Tiger II heavy tank failed to leave their mark. Using new photos and a fascinating selection of color illustrations explaining the camouflage and markings of these tanks, this book describes how the tanks and AFVs on both sides contributed to the eventual defeat of Army Group Center.

Illustrated with original artwork and archive photos, this is the history of Germany's extensive use of captured tanks in World War II.In this book Steven J. Zaloga, one of the world's leading armor authorities, uncovers the history of one of the least-known aspects of Germany's World War II Panzers: the extensive use of captured armored vehicles, “Beutepanzer.” The best came from the fall of France, and the Somua S 35 and Panhard 178 proved popular in German service. Others, such as the antique Renault FT, were used for secondary tasks such as anti-partisan missions and airfield protection. Most curious of all were the “Becker conversions,” a private venture of a German artillery officer with family industry, who mechanized his unit’s towed artillery and went on to oversee the modernization and upgunning of many French Beutepanzers. These would play a particularly important role in Normandy in 1944.Although the Wehrmacht captured large numbers of Soviet tanks, these saw very limited service, and most were sent to the smelters. When Italy switched sides in September 1943, the Italian AFV industry continued producing tanks and AFVs for the Wehrmacht, while tanks and AFVs captured from other Allied armies including Britain and the US were generally used on a small, improvised scale. Illustrated with superb new profiles and some rare archive photos, this is a concise guide to an intriguing element of World War II armor.

The first book to examine the Japanese and American tank forces in the Philippines campaigns, which saw the biggest armored clashes of the Pacific War. The Philippines saw the most extensive tank combat of any single theater in the Pacific War. In this book, armor expert Steven J. Zaloga explains the capabilities of the tank forces involved and how they fought. He explains how while the first tank clashes on Leyte were relatively small scale, the fighting for Luzon, including the capital Manila, saw massive use of tanks by Pacific standards, and indeed, Luzon was the only place where a Japanese armored division was thrown into combat against US forces. While there was some tank-vs-tank combat in northern Luzon when the Japanese 2nd Tank Division faced separate US Army tank battalions, most tank fighting in the Philippines involved their use in the traditional infantry support role, including in the largest urban battle of the Pacific War, the horrific struggle for Manila. Packed with rare archive photos and detailed original illustrations of the tanks, this book offers a concisely detailed account of the neglected role of armor in the recapture of the Philippines.

A fully illustrated new assessment of the German tank force that won its greatest victory in France during 1940.The German conquest of France in 1940 was arguably the Wehrmacht’s greatest military achievement, conquering France in several weeks after having failed to do so in World War I. New Panzer tactics, dubbed 'Blitzkrieg', were at the heart of the German victory.In this book, renowned armor expert Steven J. Zaloga reassesses the armored force that made the triumph possible, and explains that although the German Panzers won their reputation in France, they were far from being a technological juggernaut. The vast majority were the small PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II light tanks. The more effective medium tanks such as the PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV were available in relatively small numbers. Their effectiveness had far more to do with training and doctrine than technology. With illustrations including unpublished photos and superb new artwork, this book examines the wide range of German tanks employed in France in 1940, as well as their organization and tactical doctrine.

An essential guide to the tanks that fought the greatest armored clashes of modern times, between Saddam Hussein's Soviet-supplied army and the advanced tanks fielded by the Coalition.The Gulf War of 1991 was the largest tank-vs-tank confrontation of the modern era, and the only large-scale tank combat ever to involve major NATO armies. With the Iraqi Army equipped primarily with modern Soviet- and Warsaw Pact-built tanks, it was also a rare example of how NATO tanks performed in combat against their Eastern Bloc rivals.In this book, world expert on tank technology Steven J. Zaloga examines the numerous tank types used in this conflict and how they compared, both in technology and battlefield performance. Besides covering the tanks of the United States, Britain, and France, it also examines those of other Allied forces including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It not only covers Iraq's Soviet- and Warsaw Pact-built tanks, but also its vigorous indigenous military industry, which produced a number of notable innovations such as the “Enigma” tank with laminate armor. Unravelling the detail behind the greatest tank war of modern times, packed with data and illustrated with superb new artwork and numerous photos, including some never-before-published, and detailed descriptions of the little-known Iraqi armored division markings.

The invasion of the Soviet Union saw the Red Army’s vast tank fleets crushed by the outnumbered Germans. Fully illustrated and packed with data, this book explains how and why.Contrary to popular belief, the largest tank battles of World War II were not during the Kursk campaign of 1943, but during Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941. The Soviet tank fleet was enormous – about 24,000 tanks facing about 3,500 Panzers. But despite the gross numerical imbalance in their favor, the summer 1941 campaign was a disaster for the Red Army. In this book, based on documents previously unpublished in the English language, world-renowned armor expert Steven J. Zaloga analyses why the Red Army performed so badly in Barbarossa. During the summer months, the Red Army lost about 15,000 tanks including most of its best new tanks such as the T-34s and KVs, and by winter, most of the pre-war arsenal had been lost. It was dubbed the “Tankoviy pogrom”: the Tank Massacre. Illustrated with archive photos and meticulously detailed original illustrations, it examines the organization and doctrine of the Red Army in 1941 as well as the principal tank types, including information and illustrations on unusual and little-known types such as the multi-turreted T-28 and T-35 heavy tanks.

Fully illustrated, this examines how the Gilberts invasion proved the importance and difficulty of using armor in the Pacific, and laid the groundwork for America's island campaign.The capture of the heavily fortified Gilbert Islands was intended to secure air bases for the Marshall Islands campaign. The garrison commander General Keiji Shibazaki claimed that “a thousand men in a hundred years couldn’t take Tarawa”. Simultaneously, the Marine Corps landed on Tarawa and the Army on Makin, in the first opposed landings of the Pacific War, with armor supporting the assault waves. But as is often the case with pioneering operations, things didn't go according to plan. Reefs, low tides, strong Japanese opposition, lack of communication, and absence of suitable doctrine lead to a near-disaster on Tarawa.In this book, illustrated with superb new tank profiles and previously unpublished photos, armor historian Romain Cansière examines how the battles for Tarawa and Makin highlighted the difficulties of providing armored support in the Pacific landings. Studying the roles of tanks in both operations, how inexperienced armor crews overcame the difficulties of combat, and the role of Japanese tanks in both battles, this book offers the first account of how armor performed in this ‘proving ground’ operation, and what lessons were learned for future landings in the Pacific.

Two months after D-Day, the Allies began the liberation of southern France. Fully illustrated, this study explores the Allies' unique US/Free French tank force, and the Panzers they faced.Much less known than the Normandy landings and the campaign in northern France, the second part of Operation Overlord began on August 15, 1944 with the Operation Dragoon landings in southern France. It involved a substantial Allied tank force that took part in the amphibious landings and the subsequent campaign via the Rhone valley to the German frontier in the summer and autumn of 1944.In this book, world-leading armour expert Steven Zaloga examines the unique Allied tank force that fought this campaign, and the single Panzer division that the Germans could field against them. The Allied force consisted of two main elements: US army tank battalions and tank destroyer battalions of the Seventh US Army, and French tank divisions of the 1st French Army. The US Army units were battle-hardened veterans of the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. The French tank units were raised with US aid and training in North Africa in 1943 and saw their combat debut during Operation Dragoon. With rarely seen photos and meticulously detailed original illustrations, this book provides a fresh look at this largely-ignored subject. It also details the particularly colorful markings of the tank units involved in these campaigns.