New from the Panzerwrecks team is this sumptuous hardcover book on how the German army repaired its Panzers in World War II. From the civilian workshop trucks that service the Reichswehr to the massive Bergepanthers needed to recover the heavy tanks of the late-war period, author Lukas Friedli paints a detailed and vivid picture of this little known aspect of tank warfare. Friedli's work is based on extensive research in German and American archives (under the tutelage of renowned Panzer expert, Thomas Jentz) and is backed up by transcripts from original sources, diagrams and tables. For modellers, however, the highlight will be the superb collection of 300 photos in 256 pages that provide endless inspiration for dioramas and standalone models. Many of the pictures are reproduced full page (with the clear, crisp standard that we have come to expect from the Panzerwrecks team) and almost all are previously unseen. Some of my favourites include the very battered Sd.Kfz 250/5 being recovered by a Famo with a crane and the wonderfully clear images of early Tiger Is and Panthers during the Kursk campaign of 1943. Indeed, Friedli uses the experience of the Panzer-Instandsetzung during Operation Zitadelle (the offensive against the Kursk salient) to show how the meticulous planning and organisation that typified the German armed forces met the challenge of combat. Overall this is a superb book, with illustrations that will keep even the most ardent Panzer fan enthralled for many hours.

Volume 2, we are assured, is not far behind and I for one very much look forward to it. The book is available from the publishers (www.panzerwrecks.com, tel: 01435 864580), who kindly supplied the review copy, and specialist bookshops.

David Grummitt

Reproduced by kind permission of Military Modelcraft International (opens in a new window)