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by Steven J. Zaloga.
Softcover (7.25×9.75 inches). 48 pages. 2025.
It’s a Zaloga. It’s about tanks. Long-time Osprey readers will know it contains a lot of information in a short booklet form.
In many ways, you’ve seen design, development, and so on before, but for those new to Barbarossa, here’s a succinct recap of USSR tanks, including three I had not heard of: the NI Tractor Tank, Kh-133, and Zis-30. Learn something new every day.
Since this is a Zaloga, you can always expect wonderful chart info — I’m rather fond of the production chart info. The Soviets produced a lot of tanks. Granted, they may not have always worked and the crew training left much to be desired, but there was a bit of a Darwinian effect as the Germans rolled into the Soviet Union.
One chart (p40) noted total USSR tank losses of 20,500 from June 22, 1941 to December 31, 1941, but the line in the chart about Moscow Offensive losses ends with January 7, 1942. One or the other.
Also, “regiment were” (p29) should be “regiment was.”
The booklet contains 41 black and white photos, one color photo, one color one-page action illustration, and 12 color tank profile illustrations (T-28, T-26, T-35, T-34, BT-7, KV-1, KV-II, Kh-133, Zis-30, and the NI Tractor Tank).
Another Zaloga triumph.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
