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PANZERWRECKS
Panzerwrecks X. By William Auerbach & Lee Archer. Soft covers, 8.5 x 11-inches, 96 pages. Contains 114 B&W photographs. ISBN 978-0984-18201-5.
Well, the guys at Panzerwrecks are at it again. Their latest, a landmark tenth book in their popular series, continues their tradition of bringing unusual, un-published images of German AFVs and ordnance as seen during the closing years of the Second World War. Also, as they have done before, topics and individual vehicles seen in previous Panzerwrecks books are revisited as necessary, particularly when new or complimentary images are found. In this case, Panzerwrecks 2 is accorded such treatment.
The usual brief introductory text is accompanied by acknowledgements to P-Wrecks worldwide network of contributing enthusiasts. Then its on to the meat of the book, the photos; these guys dont waste any time getting down to the less-usual or field modified types. The first vehicle seen is an armored Sd.Kfz.11, which mounts a Flakdrilling instead of the usual 2cm FlaK38; this is followed by images of Panzer IV/70 (V)s, Marder IIIs with Soviet 76.2mm PaK and Jagdpanzer 38. The next image shows a 1/1-scale mock-up of a Pz.Kpfw.IV and is followed by a StuG.III Ausf.G, several images of a Pz.Kpfw.IV, and some of a Jagdtiger. As mentioned above, Panzerwrecks 2 is revisited, with more images of entrained Italian AFVs, such as AB41, Semovente da 47/32, L6/40 and StuG.III Ausf.G. Still within this segment are seen images of StuG.IV with Ostketten, various Italian and German AVFs, Panthers, Tigers, Sd.Kfz.251s, Sd.Kfz.234s, yet more StuG.IIIs and emplaced turrets from Panthers and Pz.Kpfw.IVs.
More Panzer IV/70s are depicted, including the Alkett version that is equipped with the ultra-rare Vorsatz-P mount for the MP44. Three images follow depicting a 4.7cm PaK on a Renault R35 chassis, along with another image of some Panthers. Then, it is back to the ultra-unusual images in the form of not one, but two Pz.Kpfw.IV chassis mounting an 8.8cm FlaK. These begin a ten-page section devoted to an AFV and aircraft dump on an airfield outside Pilsen, in Czechoslovakia. Variations of the Pz.Kpfw.I, Sd.Kfz.234, Sd.Kfz.251 and the Hummel are depicted along with some other AFVs, notably a Jagdpanzer 38 and some ex-French AMR-35 recon vehicles. Several more pages are devoted to various Sd.Kfz.251s; these are followed by 15 pages showing Panthers and jagdpanthers at the MNH factory. More unusual versions of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, including a final Ausf.J and a Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV. More StuG.IIIs follow, along with some Pz.Kpfw.Is, training tank mock-ups and a few images of the bare armored chassis for the proposed HK 605 half-track.
More photos follow of unusually-modified Pz.Kpfw.Is and IIs, StuG.IIIs and a Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.C with a 7.5cm KwK L/48 gun. More images of the Jagdtiger and the Tiger I are followed by eight images of a Flakpanzer Wirblewind, which closes out the book.
The original images used in these books are from various sources, so the quality will often vary. However, modern image enhancement techniques are used freely, with most images formatted to take up an entire page. The photos are printed on glossy, coated stock, which essentially means that the P-Wrecks team is providing the best possible imagery. All photos have extensive captions, which are typically well-informed. I dont agree that the photo on page 41 of a Pz.Kpfw.IV mounting an 8.8cm FlaK37 is based on an Ausf.C chassis, despite what seems to be a Fahrgestell Nr. (chassis number) painted on its bow. The glacis plate has flush brake access hatch lids first seen on the Ausf.E and armored caps over the air vents on those lids, first seen on the Ausf.F. So, in my opinion, the chassis can be no earlier than an Ausf.E, but is likely an Ausf.F or Ausf.G. Regardless, this is a small thing (my opinions usually are) and does not detract one iota from the high quality of this valuable reference work.
This most excellent book will serve the modeler interested in late-war or unusual German subject matter quite nicely, and should be a welcome addition to the reference library.
Frank V. De Sisto
Panzerwrecks publications are available worldwide from their web-site at: www.panzerwrecks.com. Email Bill Auerbach at: bill@panzerwrecks.com, or Lee Archer at: lee@panzerwrecks.com.
