Modern special operation forces made their first appearance during the Second World War and have been involved in every major and many minor conflicts since. The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with wide open spaces and heavily armed insurgents, have seen the employment of a large variety of special operations patrol vehicles. These vehicles allow the special operators to cover long distances rapidly while carrying the weapons necessary to confront a wide range of targets.

It’s hard to think of an aircraft that has had a longer career than the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, frequently called the Scooter. That career started in 1954 (a very good year, by the way) and continues to this very day. The design was the result of Ed Heinemann’s efforts to give the Navy the attack aircraft it wanted while making it fit on any aircraft carrier the Navy used. The maximum unfolded wingspan the Navy stipulated for carrier aircraft, 27’ 6”, determined the span of the A-4. The ability to carry the then-current Mk. 7 nuclear weapon resulted in the stalky landing gear with which we’re all familiar. The product of Heinemann’s genius was a reliable aircraft that could carry a useful weight of weapons a considerable distance while being tough enough and maneuverable enough to bring the pilot home after delivery.

This publication covers the development and acquisition of armored vehicles for the Polish army from 1919 until 1939. Each page has several period images of the miscellaneous vehicles. Included are color profiles along with some line drawings and one blueprint of a Polish tractor. Although the text is minimal, it is quite informative. One gets the sense of the lambs being lead to the slaughter inflicted by the much superior German armor in September, 1939.

Vehicles addressed include the Vickers 6 ton Mark E types A , B and E, the C6P and C6T Tractors, the C7P artillery, and recovery and combat engineering tractors. Granted, these vehicles are certainly not as well known at those of the major World War II powers, but are quite interesting in their design and performance, and provide some unique topics.