.
.
by Jacek Zabielski.
Softcover (8.3×11.7 inches). 132 pages. 2025.
Subtitle: Armoured Units, Assault Tanks, and the Weapons of Modern Warfare
The follow-up volume concentrates on tanks, including the limited production run A7V and the array of captured British and French tanks, as well as armored cars.
First up are motorized AA guns, with the equivalent of the AA gun mounted on a flatbed truck. Then, the armored cars, although the first German car units didn’t activate until early 1916. The Germans had captured between 100 and 150 Allied armored cars during the war that were pressed into German service (p52), but only built 17 German armored cars (p64).
After the British introduced tanks and the German Army captured a few, German industry responded with the A7V. While notable with better suspension and a higher speed than the Mk IVs, war production was only 20. It was enough to equip a few Assault Tank Detachments at five A7Vs per detachment accompanied by trained stormtroopers. A half-dozen or so more Assault Tank Detachments were equipped with captured tanks.
Some tank actions are described, which might be a start for a tabletop scenario. The first armored car duel was in July 1917 in Brzezany (Russia) between the British Royal Navy Air Service and the German 1st Armored Car Detachment (p48). Yes, you read that correctly.
Some non-fatal typos: “driver>s” and “<conning tower>” (both p68) and “,,female” (p74) have errant characters.
Like Volume 1, photographs dominate the pages. The book contains 182 black and white photos, five color photos, five color illustrations, four color profiles of armored cars, four color profiles of tanks, one color profile of an artillery piece, one color organization chart, and two black and white organization charts.
Again, plenty of ideas for model dioramas.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
