12 pages of full color illustrations depicting over 20 different
vehicles and their markings with histories of the Panzer regiments of
the SS-Totenkopf and Wiking divisions during the battles of 1944 on the
Eastern Front.
During the summer of 1944 a series of massive Soviet offensives
threatened to destroy the entire German army on the Eastern Front. As
the Wehrmacht scrambled to hold what ground it could many formations
simply disappeared and the available armored units were used to plug the
gaps in the front line. One of the most important elements of the
defense was the newly raised IV.SS-Panzerkorps which contained the
veteran Totenkopf and Wiking divisions. Although both were well equipped
their real striking power lay in the battalion of Pzkpfw V Panther tanks
with which each was outfitted, perhaps the most effective armored
fighting vehicle produced by Germany during the Second World War.
In Dennis Oliver's latest volume in the TankCraft series, he uses
archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine
the Panther battalions of these famous units that fought to hold back
the Soviet advance during the last months of 1944. A key section of his
book displays available model kits and aftermarket products,
complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models
in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced
during production and in the field are also examined providing
everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of
these historic tanks.
