Panzer in the Gunsights 2 : German AFVs and Artillery in the ETO 1944-45 in US Army Photos

This is a companion volume to Mr. Zaloga's earlier title looking at German AFVs from a different perspective, that of the official US Army Signal Corp photographer. This latest book takes things one step further, based heavily on photos taken by the Technical Intelligence Section. This American unit collected information on enemy equipment, though not on regular items like Panzer IV tanks and so on. Instead, they had two emphases - keeping abreast of Germany's weaponry and seeking out applications that might help American weapon development.

This means they were interested in unusual or extraordinary weapons, and not the run of the mill types. Of course, this is a huge plus for readers of this book! In fact, the contents of this book are refreshing and inspiring, simply because it covers lesser known late war vehicles and details. It includes obscure but fascinating items like the Culemeyer trailer used to transport the Kingtiger, the 88mm FlaK 36 and FlaK 37 guns, the PaK 43/41 and PaK 43 anti-tank guns, the Flakwerfer 44 Fohngerate (Storm-weapon), and the bewildering range of guns found on the Rhine PaK Front. As can be seen by this precis of vehicle types, this book offers a lot of new material and is guaranteed to contain something fresh for every reader.

This volume follows the usual layout with black and white photos, bolstered by a series of sixteen color plates. These plates show an interesting range of vehicles and camouflage schemes, including a captured Sherman M4A3 (76mm) in German service. In his inimitable style, Mr. Zaloga offers authoritative and informative captions.

Steven J. Zaloga
Softcover 72 pages, 193 photos, 16 colour plates Concord Publications 2006

Panzer in the Gunsights 2