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.

I have to say that I have always been fascinated by these types of vehicles. I mean, tanks that swim? Very cool stuff. As much as I have always been interested in amphibious tanks, I have never really taken the time to get to know the ins and outs of what they actually were and where and how they served. This book does a pretty good job of explaining the various types and also, in its basic chapter format, how and where they were used. For example, I knew that they were used on D-Day, but now I know which types and how and why they were used. The chapter on Operation Overlord (the longest in the book) also debunks various myths about the use of these tanks.

The book is arranged chronologically and gives a very interesting account of how these types of vehicles were developed and the associated problems therein. For example, in the first major use of these tanks, during Operation Torch (November 8, 1942) with the Blue Freeze wading kits (for M3 and M5 light tanks), the vehicles served as a spearhead, providing preliminary infantry support. While there were significant issues (like limited safe launch ranges and carbon monoxide poisoning of the tank crews), the operation went well enough that this initial use served as a foundation for future use and improvement. Zaloga also explains the various ferrying vehicles (LVT, LCS, LSD, etc.), which was a bonus to me since I was also a bit in the dark as to the details and the differences on those as well.

Fortunately, the book is chock full of this kind of stuff. I also especially liked the chapter on the T6 device used during the Okinawa’s Operation Iceberg landings. Talk about a cool looking set-up! As a matter of fact, I plan to use the book’s color plates and photos to scratch-build one of these devices in 1:72 scale, hooked up to a Dragon Sherman kit.

My only criticism of the book is the lack of a technical explanation as to how exactly do these devices allow a tank to float. Maybe a physics dissertation is something that’s a bit too out-there and not exactly germane to this read, but I guess that’s just me.

There are also some really nice black & white photos in the book – even one from D-Day that’s in color! There are a couple of photos (page 31 and 32) that are nice and clear, but I just wish that they were a bit bigger so as to see more details easier. The color plates are nice watercolors done by Henry Morshead (with one in particular that takes two pages) of the fitted T6 device (pages 33 & 34), even though there is a labeling error on it (two number 16’s).

Otherwise, if you like armor (like me) and you enjoy stories of the off-the-beaten-path kind of thing, then you should enjoy this book and I would recommend it for your reading and reference pleasures.

Many thanks to Osprey Publications for providing this book for review and to IPMS USA for allowing me the opportunity to do the review.