IPMS/USA Reviews

The author of this tome, Mario Eens, is well known to those on the international modeling scene as an award winner at European model shows, together with being a regular contributor to the excellent French modeling magazine, Steelmasters.  The book itself consists of a master class in building, painting and finishing scale models, divided into five chapters, and spanning 128 pages measuring  8" x 10".

Despite the title stating the contests are about tank models, one of the five subjects is a figure.  I also find the subject choices rather scattered in nature.  The German subjects didn't see action in Russia, which I thought might have been the theme of the book just looking at the title, and the subjects are a mixed bag when it comes to scales.  Three of the five chapters cover 1/35^th subjects, while the other two are 1/72^nd and 1/48^th.  My experience with most modelers is that they stick to one scale?  Be this as it may, what do we get for our money with this book?

Kagero Publishing is one of the world's preeminent publishers of military vehicle and aircraft books aimed at the modeling community.  The book under review is from their Photosniper series, and the author, Dick Taylor, is a leading author on British military vehicles.  The book is 88 pages in length, with a card cover.  The pages measure 8.3" by 11.7", on glossy paper.  All the photos within its covers are color, with good production values.  There are also three pages of color profiles, covering 6 different vehicles.

David Doyle is one of the most prolific US writers of books on military subjects, and over the years has penned literally dozens of excellent titles on military aircraft, ships and armored vehicles. One of his most recent is this book on the Stuart Light Tank of WW2 fame. The book is 112 pages in length, and is printed on high quality glossy paper, the pages measuring 9" x 9". As the title suggests, the book is divided into main sections on three variants of the Stuart. The Light Tank M3 Stuart had been powered by a radial aircraft engine, but as the US ramped up production of tanks AND military aircraft, efforts were made to find alternative power plants so that the radial aircraft engines could be reserved for actual aircraft. Thus was born the Light Tank M5 Stuart, which retained the original turret of the M3 Stuart, but with a new hull required to house the twin V-8 Cadillac car engines now replacing the original radial aircraft engine. The M5 was replaced in 1943 with the M5A1 on the production lines, and was basically an M5 with an upgraded turret, which included larger turret hatches for easier egress during emergencies.

History

The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), commonly shortened to Panzer 35(t) or abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), was a Czechoslovakian designed light tank used mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. The letter (t) stood for tschechisch (German: "Czech"). In Czechoslovakian service it had the formal designation Lehky tank vzor 35 (Light Tank Model 35) but was commonly referred to as the LT vz. 35 or LT-35.

Italeri's Description of the Sherman

"The M4 Sherman medium tank was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. It has been produced in a significant number of units and it formed the backbone of United States Armed Forces during that time. It has been produced in several variants and versions. The first version to be produced on wide scale was the Sherman M4A1, characterized by the rounded edges of the fully cast upper hull. Even the turret had a rounded appearance. The Sherman would enter combat in armored corps of the United States Army in 1942 during the first months of the war. It was armed with the 75mm gun that was replaced in the A1 version with the high-speed 76mm gun. The Sherman was reliable, cheap, and easy to produce in great numbers."