Reference, Panzerwrecks 2

PANZERWRECKS


Panzerwrecks 2, German Armour 1944-45. By Lee Archer and William Auerbach. Sort covers, landscape-format, 96 pages. Contains 117 B&W photographs. ISBN 0-9754183-1-9. Price: $29.99 USD, €25.00 or £16.99, plus shipping.


The legend goes that many a year ago, Bill Auerbach published a book in the late, lamented, “Tanks Illustrated” series, called “Last of the Panzers”. It was one of those books that had photos of rare late war German Panzer (remember, this is before the advent of the “Internet” and “Panzer Tracts”!); one could always check it to find some sort of visual info relating to some of these unusual AFVs. Alas, the book has become a sought-after item and highly-prized by those (like me!) who own a copy.


About this time last year (Spring 2005) Bill and his current partner-in-crime, Lee Archer, released the first title in what will be a continuing series of books (Panzerwrecks 3 is in preparation) devoted to bringing to the printed page late-war photos showing cast-off, abandoned and wrecked German AFVs. The emphases was (and still is) on presenting large photographs (most are a full page) of the common and esoteric AFVs in use at the end. Although most are images reproduced from very good originals, some are from less-than-optimum sources, but are included because the subject is unusual and/or of historic significance.


This latest title is broken up into four main segments entitled: Panzer Wrecks in Vienna, War Booty in Yugoslavia, Panzer Wrecks in Znojmo and Endkämpfe in Berlin. While there are a fair number of photos depicting such well-known items as the Panther (Ausf.D, Ausf.A and Ausf.G) Jagdtiger, Sturmtiger, StuG.III and IV, and Pz.Kpfw.IV, there are also images of some less-often seen types. These include two different Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV, Sd.Kfz.251/17, /21 and /22; the SS-manufactured “Vielfach-Werfer” based on the armored Sd.Kfz.4 “Panzerwerfer”, Pz.Kpfw.II “Lüchs”, and variations of weapons carriers based on the Borgward B-IV. Other odds-and-ends include a 7.5cm StuK40 mounted on a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B chassis; dug-in, concrete covered Panthers and Pz.Kpfw.IVs. Interspersed amongst all of this are images of various SP guns, Flakpanzer, half-tracks and armored cars. One especially interesting section of photos shows a captured train-load of Italian tanks in German markings (over-painted with Communist red stars). These depict M15/42 medium tanks, M41 SPGs and Pz.Kpfw.II driver training tanks mounting the Imbert Holzvergasser wood-gas fuel apparatus. You want unusual? You got it!


At around $30.00 USD, these books are not cheap. However, their production values are high and the material within is rare, to say the least. The material was gathered from a host of contributors, many of whose names are familiar to visitors to the various ML discussion groups. This concerted effort by this group to get this material to those of us who are interested should not be underrated, or passed up because the price may seem to be a bit much. Like so many of these specialist books, if you pass on it now (for what is basically the price of a kit you may never build), some time in the future, you’ll regret it. There’s some great stuff here; don’t miss out.


Highly recommended.


Frank V. De Sisto


Available from www.panzerwrecks.com. E-mail: bill@panzerwrecks.com or lee@panzerwrecks.com.


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