When it comes to writing books, Steve Zaloga is one prolific dude. Not only are his books many, but they are informative and make for interesting reading. This latest title, US Amphibious Tanks of World War II, is no exception.

The book’s 48 pages are arranged in 9 main chapters:

Early American Amphibious Tanks

1. Operation Torch
2. Operation Husky
3. Operation Overlord
4. Operation Dragoon
5. Pacific Theater of Operations
6. The Ritchie Project
7. The T6 Device at Okinawa
8. River Crossing Tanks

In addition, there is an index.

History Brief

Allied code-named “Kate,” the B5N2 was a highly maneuverable aircraft for its type, powered by one Nakajima Sakae 21, a twin-row 14-cylinder 1000 hp radial engine. With a top speed of 235 mph, it had a operational range of 610 miles. A three-man crew was standard. Its armament featured one 7.7mm machine gun for rearward defense and payload capacities of either one 800kg bomb, two 250kg bombs, six 60kg bombs, six 30kg bombs, or one 800kg torpedo. Officially adopted in December 1939 as a follow-up of the B5N1, the B5N2 Type 97 proved to be an accurate bombing and torpedo platform and easily found its way to all six IJN carriers in the Nagumo task force that attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet in the Pearl Harbor raid. The type 97 became the Navy’s mainstay in the early stages of the war wherever it saw extensive action, including combat campaigns in the Solomons, Southwest Pacific, and Indian Ocean.

History

Shortly after the beginning of World War II, it became apparent to US Army planners that there was a dire need for an armored, self-propelled artillery vehicle to support the troops involved in armored operations. Until something more viable could be developed, the army used the M3 half-track with an M2 105mm howitzer mounted in the crew compartment. This vehicle was designated as the T-19. However, this quickly proved inadequate and needed to be replaced, preferably by a fully tracked, armored vehicle able to offer better crew protection. Using the chassis from an M3 medium tank, two pilot models designated T32 were built and tested. Upon successful completion of the tests, the T32 was accepted for service in February 1942 as the M7 HMC (Howitzer Motor Carriage) with production starting in April 1942. The main armament was the M2 105mm howitzer, along with the M2 .50 cal. machine gun for AA and personal defense.