Postwar Armoured Fighting Vehicles

"Features 200 same scale, full color artworks with full specifications, markings, and camouflage schemes from every major war since 1945; traces the development of AFVs from every part of the world by conflict"--P. [4] of cover.

"Each vehicle featured is illustrated by a full-color side-profile artwork, and accompanied by a detailed specifications table giving country of origin, crew, weight, dimensions, armor, armament, powerplant, and performance, all measurements in imperial and metric. In addition, there is accompanying text for each vehicle that summarizes the vehicle's development and service history"--Jacket.

In 1900 a British motoring enthusiast, F. R. Simms, had the idea of mounting a machine-gun on the front of a quadricycle and installing a small petrol engine at the rear. His machine spurred on others to design similar "war cars", and the armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) was born. This book is the story of subsequent developments, and starts with an authoritative history of all types of AFV from from 1900-1945, covering a wide range of wheeled, tracked and semi-tracked vehicles. From the days before radio communication through to the end of World War II, the author highlights the varied roles AFV's have played, as well as how these adaptable vehicles have evolved and developed over time

This entry in R. P. Hunnicutt's unrivaled 10-volume history of American armored fighting vehicles focuses on the spectrum of armored personnel carriers with a focus on the Bradley fighting vehicle (BFV). Operations in WWII indicated a need for an armored vehicle with improved protection and reliable mobility for transporting soldiers in and out of battle. To address this need, development began on full-tracked armored personnel carriers with overhead protection before WWII came to a close. Development continued into the postwar period. One result of this program was the M59 armored infantry vehicle, which was pioneered as a low-production-cost vehicle and had the added benefit of being amphibious, a quality that became required in all armored personnel carriers that succeeded it. In his trademark style, Hunnicutt surveys the development of each armored personnel carrier since the end of WWII, illustrating his detailed history with line drawings and photographs. He covers the development of the M113, which was employed successfully in Vietnam and served as the basis for a family of vehicles ranging from armored combat vehicles to unarmored cargo carriers. The success of the M113 as a fighting vehicle gave rise to the development of the Bradley fighting vehicle, which was intended for use by both infantry and cavalry units. With all the detail and precision readers have come to expect from R. P. Hunnicutt's histories of American armored vehicles, "Bradley" is the definitive work on the history of American fighting and support vehicles. An absolute must-have for anyone interested in American military history.

Filled with fine-scale drawings of Germany's late war armored vehicles including: Pz. Kpfw. V Panther TankPz. Kpfw. VI Tiger I and IIPz. Jager Elephant Tank DestroyerSd.Kfz. 234/2 "Puma" Armored CarJagdtiger with Henschel suspensionAnd dozens more . . .

This expert study of the U.S. military’s armored vehicles deployed during the Cold War features rare photographs from the wartime archives. To counter the Soviet threat and that of their client States during the Cold War years 1949-1991, the American military deployed an impressive range of main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Expert author Michael Green presents a detailed study of these vehicles and their variants in this informative volume of stunning wartime photographs. The Patton series of medium main battle tanks—including the M46, M47 and M48—supplemented by the M103s Heavy Tank initially formed the core of the US tank fleet. In 1960 the M60 MBT entered service and, in turn, was replaced by the M1 Abrams in 1980. In support were armored reconnaissance vehicles, progressively the M41 bull dog (1951); the M114 (1961), the M551 Sheridan (1967) and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (1981). The armored personnel carrier range included the ubiquitous M113 and its replacement the M2 Bradley, cousin of the M3. All of these vehicles are covered in this highly detailed volume in the Images of War series.