by William E. Hiestand
Softcover (7.25×9.75 inches). 48 pages. 2026.
The Soviet Army was nothing if not resilient, helped by industry and a goodly amount of Lend Lease material. While the majority of tanks were generally obsolete, woefully inadequate training, inept planning and command, and inferior logistics allowed the Germans to run up the score.
In 1942 alone, the Soviets lost over 15,000 tanks — 6,600 T-34s, 7,200 T60/T70s, 1,200 KV 1s, and 1,750 Lend Lease US and UK tanks. The Germans lost 2,480 tanks in 1942, plus another 563 in North Africa (p43). On the other side of the ledger, the Soviets produced 24,231 tanks, of which 12,535 were T-34s and 2,426 were KV 1s. No numbers on T-60/T-70, although that production was phased out. I imagine German numbers are in a German Tanks book.
Of course, you get a lot of technical specifications that grognards already know but those new to the subject may not.
Campaign coverage starts with the Kerch peninsula and Kharkov, then transitions into Fall Blau. Operations Uranus, Little Saturn, Mars, and Winter Storm are covered in brief.
The booklet contains 40 black and white photos, 13 color camouflage profiles (11 tanks, one armored train, and one riverboat), and one color two-page action illustration.
This thin booklet is a starting point for learning about the Eastern Front.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
