Hitler S Light Tanks

This fully illustrated WWII history examines the varieties of German light tanks and their usage throughout the conflict with rare wartime photographs. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Hitler’s Wehrmacht led the way in armored warfare as blitzkriegs overwhelmed Poland and North West Europe. The contribution of light tanks such as Panzers I, II and 35(t) was critical. As the war spread to the Balkans, north Africa and the invasion of Russia, German engineers modified existing light tanks and developed new models. These included tank destroyers such as the Marder III Panzerjäger, SdKfz 138/1 and 139. There were anti-aircraft variants, including the Flakpanzer 38(t), and reconnaissance tanks such as the SdKfz 140/1 and the Aufklarungerspanzer 38(t). This superbly illustrated book gives a comprehensive overview of the multitude of German light tanks that came into service. With the text and captions providing technical data, the images show this formidable array of fighting vehicles in action across the theatres of war.

The first vehicle to be produced in any numbers for the Panzerwaffe was the tiny Panzer I known as the MG Panzerwagen. Almost from the outset the limitations of the design for the Panzer I were obvious. It was essentially a training vehicle which was only pressed into service as a last resort. It was to be succeeded by the Panzer II which could at least engage armoured cars and combat against tanks with approximately the same armour as itself.??Together these two tanks formed the bulk of the armour which between 1939 and 1941 conquered half of Europe.??This comprehensive overview of the light Panzers in action was compiled by Emmy Award winning historian Bob Carruthers. It draws heavily on war-time intelligence reports to produce a fascinating insight into the development and combat history of the light Panzers at the tactical and operational level.??Also featured are rare developments such as the Panzer II flame thrower variant alongside unpublished photographs and illustrations which provide an absorbing study, from an array of primary sources, of the world of the light Panzer and their crews from contemporary Allied sources.

The Panzers that rolled over Europe were Germany's most famous fighting force, and are some of the most enduring symbols of World War II. However, at the start of the war, Germany's tanks were nothing extraordinary and it was operational encounters such as facing the Soviet T-34 during Operation Barbarossa which prompted their intensive development. Tactical innovation gave them an edge where technological development had not, making Hitler's tanks a formidable enemy. Hitler's Tanks details the development and operational history of the light Panzer I and II, developed in the 1930s, the medium tanks that were the backbone of the Panzer Divisions, the Tiger, and the formidable King Tiger, the heaviest tank to see combat in World War II. Drawing on Osprey's unique and extensive armour archive, Chris McNab skilfully weaves together the story of the fearsome tanks that transformed armoured warfare and revolutionised land warfare forever.

Hitler's Light Panzers at War is a highly illustrated record of the German light tank from its beginnings in the 1930s to the key battles it fought in Poland, France, North Africa, Russia and North Western Europe. The book analyses the development of the light Panzer, which ranged from the Panzer I, II and the Czech build Panzer 35 & 38t. It describes how the Germans carefully utilized the development of these light machines for war, and depicts how these tanks were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat.??Using 250 rare and unpublished photographs together with detailed captions and accompanying text, Hitler's Light Panzers At War provides a unique insight into the many variants that saw action on the battlefield. It provides a vivid account of light Panzer operational deployment from the early Blitzkrieg campaigns to the final demise of the Nazi war machine.

Details on the Soviet infantry, armor, artillery, and cavalry formations that waged World War II on the Eastern Front Fills a major gap in our understanding of the Red Army Based on painstaking archival research Hitler's Nemesis traces the development of the Russian army in reaction to the rise of Hitler, Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, and the progression of World War II over the following four years. Caught by surprise in 1941, the Red Army teetered on the brink of destruction before bouncing back to defend Moscow, defeat the Germans at Stalingrad and Kursk, and annihilate the German Army in 1944-45. This is the story of how the Soviets staged this miraculous turnaround.

The titanic armor battles of the Russian Front are widely known, but the role of Germany's eastern allies is not as well known. Two of these countries, Romania and Hungary, manufactured their own tanks as well as purchasing tanks from Germany. These ranged from older, obsolete types such as the PzKpfw 35(t) all the way up to the latest and best German vehicles including the Tiger I and Hetzer. These tanks played a frequent role in the battles in southern Russia and Ukraine and were especially prominent in the disaster at Stalingrad where the Red Army specifically chose the weaker Romanian and Hungarian salients for their critical envelopment operation. This New Vanguard will provide a broad survey of the various and colorful tanks used. Besides covering the largest of these Axis tank forces, this book will cover the many smaller and lesser known forces including the Italian contingent in Russia, the Finnish armored force, and the small but interesting armored forces of the Russian Vlasov (RONA), Croatian, Bulgarian and Slovakian armies. This subject is seeing increasing interest in the modeling world; for example Tamiya recently announced a PzKpfw 35 (t) (suitable for Romanian, Slovak armies) a Finnish StuG III, and a Finnish BT-42.

A World War II pictorial history of Nazi Germany’s armored fighting vehicles and exploration of their inner workings. Using previously unpublished photographs, many of which have come from the albums of individuals who took part in the war, Hitler’s Panzers presents a unique visual account of Germany at arms. The book analyzes the development of the Panzer and shows how it became Hitler’s supreme weapon. It describes how the Germans carefully built up their assault forces utilizing all available reserves and resources and making them into effective killing machines. From the Panzerkampfwagen.1 to the most powerful tank of the Second World War, the Jagdtiger, the volume depicts how these machines were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat. Hitler’s Panzers is a unique look into the full workings of the various light tanks, main battle tanks, self-propelled assault guns, and tank destroyers. It is a vivid, fully illustrated account of the development and deployment of the German tank, and brings together a captivating glimpse at the cutting edge of World War Two military technology.

“An imperative starting point of any future inquiry concerning Nazi Germany’s incursion into and manipulation of Spain’s civil strife.” —International History Review The Spanish Civil War, begun in July 1936, was a preliminary round of World War II. Hitler’s and Mussolini’s cooperation with General Franco resulted in the Axis agreement of October 1936 and the subsequent Pact of Steel of May 1939, immediately following the end of the Civil War. This study presents comprehensive documentation of Hitler’s use of the upheaval in Spain to strengthen the Third Reich diplomatically, ideologically, economically, and militarily. While the last great cause drew all eyes to Western Europe and divided the British and especially the French internally, Hitler could pursue territorial gains in Eastern Europe. This book, based on little-known German records and recently opened Spanish archives, fills a major gap in our understanding of one of the twentieth century’s most significant conflicts. Its comprehensive treatment of German-Spanish relations from 1936 through 1939, bringing together diplomatic, economic, military, and naval aspects, will be of great value to specialists in European diplomacy and the political economy of Nazi imperialism, as well as to all students of the Spanish Civil War. “A major contribution to understanding not only the Spanish conflict, but also the history of the thirties and, in particular, the failure of Britain, France and the Soviet Union to make common cause against fascist powers.” —History Workshop Journal