Helion is a prolific publisher of military history based in the United Kingdom. This two-volume set provides an overview of the formations, equipment, and actions of German light divisions from 1938 through the end of the Polish campaign. As with all Helion offerings, they are paperback but professionally produced. Each volume is full of beautifully reproduced black and white photographs, campaign maps, drawings of tables of equipment and organization, as well as several color profiles of German vehicles in this time. The first volume covers the formation, armament, and pre-war deployment. The second volume is devoted to the Polish campaign with additional information on camouflage, markings, and the continued evolution and ultimate dissolution of the light divisions.

1942 was a pivotal year in WWII in North Africa. The year started with the British on the back foot and the Germans on the offensive, but ended with the positions being reversed as Montgomery’s Alamein Offensive in October ground it’s way towards final victory on the continent.

The back-and-forth war between the British on one side and the Germans and Italians on the other in 1940-1 had been exhausting for both sides. But boosted by fresh supplies and materials, Rommel launched an offensive in January 1942, which saw the Axis forces on the Libya–Egypt border. For the next few months, Rommel’s forces were in the ascendancy, and he was at the height of his military power. His military masterpiece at the battle of Gazala in late May and early June resulted in a major victory for the Axis, and led to the conquest of Rommel’s long-held objective—Tobruk.

AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review one of their newest releases, the US Modern Letters & Numbers Decals (35-014).

The decals come in two sheets of the same page, so there are plenty of numbers, codes and colors available for 1/35 modern subjects. As it is a generic set, there are no instructions provided.

From the AOA website

This sheet offers number and letter variations as seen on US "modern" vehicles - both in black and green for most styles.

A full alphabet is provided for one of the most common US stenciled styles, including multiple "M" variations.

Other styles are primarily numbers for USMC/USN vehicles (M-ATV, JLTV, MTVR, M1 Abrams, LAV-25, etc.). Also includes USMC vehicle plate decals.