Tank Craft 45: Nashorn Self-Propelled Tank Destroyer, German Army, Eastern Front 1943-1945 outlines the history, development, and use of this dedicated self-propelled gun. Initially named the Hornisse (Hornet - also the name of the Me-410 heavy fighter/fast bomber), it was soon renamed the Nashorn (pronounced Nahz-horn – Rhinoceros). From the earliest days of Operation Barbarossa, it became apparent that the German anti-tank guns of the time were underpowered, and towing them into position was problematic. The 88mm flak guns were soon given the successful anti-tank gun role. In June 1942, the 8.8cm Flak 41 entered production, and it had superior range and performance to its predecessors. It was decided to produce both a towed and self-propelled version for testing. This is the story of the self-propelled tank destroyer, Nashorn.
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MMP Books continues to expand its “Colour and Scale” series, this time with an installment on the Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II.
This booklet has 5 pages of line drawings for the Thunderbolt II in 1/72 scale, providing side views (both port and starboard) top view, bottom view and side-view without the wing or rudder obstructing the fuselage profile.
In addition to the scale drawings, there are 8 pages of full-color profiles and, in some cases, also top and bottom views.
Some of the camouflages are relatively well known as the two-gray early scheme or the “Flipper” scheme, but others are unique, like the “Jawa” one, which reminds me of Italian World War 2 camouflage schemes.
The book covers camouflage schemes from the late ‘70s (early production) to the ‘90s (Desert Storm). I am not sure if the book includes all and every type of camo scheme used by the Thunderbolt II, but it certainly has a significant selection.
One of the Last B-26 variants was the B-26F which featured angle-of-incidence of wings increased by 3.5º; the fixed .50 caliber machine gun in the nose was removed; the tail turret and associated armor were improved. The first B-26F was produced in February 1944. One hundred of these were B-26F-1-MAs. Starting with 42-96231, a revised oil cooler was added, along with wing bottom panels redesigned for easier removal. In total, 200 of the 300 aircraft were B-26F-2s and F-6s, all of which were used by the RAF and SAAF as the Marauder Mk III. The F-2 had the Bell M-6 power turret replaced by an M-6A with a flexible canvas cover over the guns. The T-1 bombsight was installed instead of the M-series sight. British bomb fusing and radio equipment were provided (300 built).
The B-26G variant was a B-26F with standardized interior equipment; in total, 150 bombers were used by the RAF as the Marauder Mk III (893 built).
TankCraft 44, StuG III Assault Gun – German Army, Waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units, Eastern Front, 1944 breaks the StuG III’s (Sturmgeschütz, abbreviated as StuG, also known as the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161) long service life into the closing struggles in the Eastern Front in 1944. Older and newer StuG IIIs and IVs fought side by side on all fronts as the Allied ring closed in on Germany. This book focuses on the StuG IIIs on the Eastern Front, which is fantastic as it complements an already published book of StuGs on the Western Front (TankCraft 19: StuG III & IV, German Army, Waffen-SS and Luftwaffe, Western Front 1944-1945) and hints at a StuG IV book.
This 64-page book is outlined in the familiar TankCraft format and is loaded with incredible black and white photographs, color illustrations, supporting text and detailed captions, modeling references and a bibliography in the following chapters: