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Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield 5 World War Two Photobook Series (9786155583179) Peko Publishing The Sturmgeschütz, or StuG for short was a turretless armoured tank destroyer from WWII that was part of a successful line of ambush predators employed by Nazi Germany against enemy tanks. The StuG III was unsurprisingly based upon the chassis of the Panzer III, with the upper hull and turret removed and replaced by a low-profile casemate on the front half and a flat engine deck at the rear. The casemate was filled with a 75mm gun that was adapted to the chassis with -10 to +20 elevation and 12 degrees of traverse before the driver would need to reposition. It was eventually upgraded to a longer barrel that offered higher muzzle velocity for a more powerful punch, which coupled with the low profile made it perfect for laying in wait for Allied convoys, taking a heavy toll before the element of surprise was lost. It was later superseded by the Jagdpanzer IV, Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger, but it remained in service until the end of the war. This new volume from PeKo's World War Two Photobook Series, and as the name suggests it is primarily a book of photos, which isn't too difficult to divine. Although this is Volume 5 of the set it still covers the earlier variants with their shorter barrels as well as the more mature variants of the StuG, beginning with the Ausf.A and carrying on through C/D/F to Ausf.G with all the variations in fit and finish between the main factories that were engaged in construction of this important and numerous piece of German WWII armour. It is hardback bound with 112 pages between two blank inner leaves, finished in an overall white cover, and arriving protected by a layer of shrink-wrap that also helps keep out dirt. The photos are almost without exception full page, with space left only for the captions, which are in Hungarian and English, each one adding valuable insight to the photo, which may not be immediately apparent without it. For the modeller there are plenty of diorama possibilities, as well as opportunities to see how the crews actually stowed their gear on their vehicles (or otherwise) in real-world circumstances. Seeing how they come apart when blown up is also useful for diorama purposes, but thankfully there are no grisly scenes accompanying the destroyed vehicles. Quite a few of the photos are from private collections with attributions in the top corner as appropriate, with substantial quantities of soldiers standing in front of damaged or abandoned vehicles between or after the fighting is over, plus a number of groups investigating the wreckage after a cataclysmic explosion of the tank's magazine, or demolition by the escaping crew. There are also a number of maintenance scenarios with the Maybach engine in or in the process of being removed for serious repairs or replacement. While the contemporary photos are in black and white as expected due to the scarcity and expense of colour film at the time, the detail in which they are depicted would be an absolute boon to any AFV enthusiast or modeller, especially those wishing to go down the route of realism and authentic settings. Conclusion Whether you have the models that you intend to use this book for reference, or have an interest in the subject, this book will give you all the reference pictures and some besides, as well as some inspiration for dioramas. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Panzerjäger on the Battlefield Volume 15 – World War II Photobook Series (ISBN: 9786155583070) Peko Books The term Panzerjäger refers to the German description of tank hunters, which during WWII were separate from the Panzer crews, and tasked with the destruction of the enemy's armour. They used existing tank chassis with anti-tank guns attached in place of the turret, the chassis and barrel diameter increasing in size to combat the newer tanks that were constantly coming on stream. The initial Panzerjäger mounted a 47mm PaK on a Panzer I chassis, and was soon replaced by the Marder series of vehicles that ended with the Marder III with a 75mm PaK on a Panzer 38(t) chassis. The Dicker Max, Sturer Emil, Hornisse/Nashorn and eventually the Elefant completed the line, with the latter mounting a formidable 88mm PaK on a left-over Tiger (P) chassis, and a fully enclosed casemate. In addition, there were the infamous StuGs and Hetzers that benefitted from their low profile, and in the case of the latter, small size and heavily sloped armour, which gave them a distinct advantage over larger, more sluggish opponents. The Jagdpanzer later replaced the Panzerjäger, although the two often fought side-by-side on the battlefield until the end of the war. The Book This new volume from Peko's World War Two Photobook Series, and as the name suggests it is primarily a book of photos, which isn't too difficult to divine. It is hardback bound with 112 pages, finished in an overall white cover, which was quite difficult to scan, as you can see! The photos are almost without exception full page, with space left only for the captions, which are in Hungarian and English, each one adding valuable insight to the photo, which may not be immediately apparent without it. For the modeller there are plenty of diorama possibilities, as well as opportunities to see how the crews actually stowed their gear on their vehicles (or otherwise) in real-world circumstances. Seeing how they come apart when blown up is also useful for diorama purposes, but thankfully there are no grisly scenes accompanying the destroyed vehicles. Quite a few of the photos must be from private collections, as there are a substantial quantity of soldiers standing in front of damaged or abandoned vehicles after the fighting is over, plus a number of groups investigating the wreckage after a cataclysmic explosion of the tank's magazine, or demolition by the escaping crew. Of course the source photos are all black and white, and some are a little challenged by both the photographer's skill, equipment and the ravages of time, but the reprints are as high quality as is possible to obtain. It is nice to see such large prints too, as crowding several photos onto one page results in postage stamp sized pictures that are little use as a source of detail, even with magnification. Whether you are a history buff or a modeller, there's a lot to recommend this book, and with the solid binding, it should give you good service over the years. Review sample courtesy of

Panther on the Battlefield 2 Peko Books After WWII the Panther has played second fiddle to the more popular Tiger I, despite its superior firepower and advanced sloped armour design. It was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 tank, which made its shocking debut during Operation Barbarossa when it appeared seemingly from nowhere and gave a good account against the previously unstoppable Panzer IVs. Taking on the sloped armour to reduce overall weight, and eschewing heavy side-armour, the Panther was quicker and more manoeuvrable than the larger Tiger, and it also sported a long-barrelled 75mm main gun with a high muzzle velocity imparting more penetration power to its shells. With only around 6,000 built during the closing years of the war, the Germans failed to take the simplicity of the T-34's design to heart, which slowed production down assisted by the massive bomb damage inflicted on the factories by US and RAF area bombing campaigns. The tanks saw continued devastating action in the defence of the Reich, but ultimately they were overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Allies, and as experienced crews became scarce they eventually became easy prey, often abandoned after running out of fuel or suffering a relatively breakdown as their will to continue to fight ebbed away. The Book This is the second book on the Panther from Peko's World War Two Photobook Series, and as the name suggests it is primarily a book of photos. No surprise there. The photos are almost without exception full page, apart from a small portion of each page devoted to the captions, which is in Hungarian and English, with each one adding valuable information to the photo, which may not be immediately apparent without it. Items such as the series of photos of a Panther having its tracks changed, the tools used, and even that the Zimmerit had been field applied, which explains the huge chunks of it missing in the photos. A good example of what happens when you don't prepare your surface for painting! For the modeller there are plenty of diorama possibilities, as well as opportunities to see how the crews actually festooned their vehicles (or otherwise) with stowage and spares in real-world circumstances. Seeing how the tremendous forces involved rend and tear the hulls apart when blown up is also useful for diorama purposes, but thankfully there are no grisly scenes accompanying the destroyed vehicles. Quite a few of the photos must be from private collections, as there are a substantial quantity of soldiers posing in front of damaged or abandoned vehicles after the fighting is over, plus a number of groups investigating the wreckage after a cataclysmic explosion of the tank's magazine. I wonder if they ever considered that their snaps would become part of a history of the tools of war that they battled against? Of course the source photos are all black and white, and some are a little challenged by a combination of the photographer's skill, equipment and the ravages of time, but the reprints are as high quality as is possible to obtain. It is nice to see such large prints too, as crowding several photos onto one page usually results in postage stamp sized pictures that are little use as a source of detail. Whether you are a history buff or a modeller, there's a lot to recommend this book, and with the hard-backed binding, it should give you good service over the years. Review sample courtesy of