Ever since it first appeared on the battlefield in World War I, the tank
has had an awe-inspiring effect on the enemy. Tank Combat reveals how
the tank has developed as an offensive tool over the course of the
century, and how tactics have evolved both to exploit and to counter
this formidable weapon. Christer Jorgensen and Chris Mann demonstrate
through their examination of important tank battles and campaigns that
the tank has remained a key part of any commander's offensive and
defensive plans. Successful tank strategies and tactics are compared
with those which were less well-planned and implemented, such as the
French use of their individually superior tanks against the famous
German blitzkrieg in l940. With maps and diagrams to complement the
text, the book shows how tanks have fought on the battlefields of
Europe, Africa and Asia, and analyses the tactics used in armoured
battles up to the present day.
Tank Combat discusses in detail the development of tank tactics and
strategy over time by Western and Soviet military planners, and the
importance of radical figures like Fuller and Guderian, the architect of
blitzkrieg, in planning the use of armour. The book demonstrates how
their ideas and those of others were put into practice on the
battlefield itself, with in-depth accounts and analyses of great tank
battles ranging from Cambrai to Kursk, Chinese Farm, and Desert Storm.
The evolution of the tank itself is also covered in detail, with the
authors examining the various improvements in tank design over the
course of the century. From the British Males and Females of World War
I, to the Soviet T-34 and German Panther of World War II, and on to the
American MI Abrams, British Challenger, French Leclerc and Soviet T-72
designs, each tank's design and capabilities have helped shape the way
in which they are used. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white
action photographs, Tank Combat is a definitive guide to the art of
armoured combat in the twentieth century.
