The Tank Destroyers were a short-lived branch of the U.S. Army in World War II, based around a theory that tank destroyers would be dedicated to fighting enemy tanks, freeing our tanks for infantry support. Furthermore, half the Tank Destroyer force would consist of towed anti tank guns. Gradually, the towed guns were replaced by self propelled vehicles, such as the M10, M36, and finally, the M18. All of these vehicles handled themselves quite well against German armor, as well as serving as support vehicles for infantry, but their weak link was the open turret which exposed the crew to small arms fire, shell bursts, and grenades. In the end, the tank destroyer program was cancelled, with standard U.S. tanks assuming the tank vs. tank role. M18s soldiered on in other armies, some seeing action as late as the 1990’s in Serbia.

The M18 was actually a very innovative vehicle. The engine and transmission were both mounted on rails; just remove the access doors and the assemblies could roll out for service or replacement. To allow more room in the tight turret, the 76 mm gun was mounted tilted at an angle, giving the loader easy access to the breech. The M18 was also the fastest armored vehicle in the U.S. arsenal.

Author David Doyle has visited museums and private collections to get close-up, clear color photos of several surviving M18s. The Walk Around series is aimed at modelers like us – who else would want to look at pictures of towing pintles, headlights, locking pins, and gun mantlets?

There are plenty of exterior shots, and also a number of interior pictures – very important with an open-topped vehicle like this one. Good shots of the driver’s and co-driver’s positions too. Everything is identified; how often do we see a part on a model and wonder “what is that thing?” The nice thing about these photos is many of the vehicles are owned by re-enactors or collectors who have fully restored them, including ammo, machine guns, tarps, and personal gear, so the reader can see how a Hellcat looked in use. There are five profile paintings as well, including one of the Serbian vehicles, and front and rear cover art by Don Greer.

A useful book, and a must for anyone planning to build one of the Hellcat models on the market. Thanks to Squadron Signal and IPMS/USA for the review sample.