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Title: M26/M46 Pershing Tank 1943-53 (New Vanguard, 35) by Stephen J. Zaloga, Tony Bryan, Jim Laurier ISBN: 1-84176-202-4 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: January, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Another Zaloga Masterwork
Comment: I'm very impressed with the developmental details leading up to the M26 Pershing tank, and the preponderance of incredibly crisp photographs are simply amazing. I recognize many Korean War pictures from Jim Mesko's Armor in Korea, and the clarity of the same photos in Zaloga's book is a night-and-day difference.
Again, plentiful details on World War Two deployment, from Operation Zebra to the close of hostilities. Just a little more detail on the immediate post-war disposition of these tanks would have been appreciated.
After such intricate coverage of the Pershing's development, even including self-propelled artillery derivatives that weren't put into production, the M46 Patton and M26A1 modifications appear rushed and lacking in essential details. I can't blame Zaloga for not including exact production quantities except 360 M46A1s, as other sources can't seem to pin those numbers down either. One thing I definitely would have appreciated was information on which models served with which units with the occupation forces in Germany, and when they were withdrawn.
The Korean War gets multi-page coverage, but outside of initial deployment during 1950 there is insufficient information on units that traded in Chaffees and Shermans for Pershings and Pattons, or specifics on the withdrawal of Pershings other than "the M26 had been declared 'limited standard' before the outbreak of the Korean War and was retired from service shortly after" (p.42). Shortly after the war, or after the outbreak of the war? How many M45 close support howitzer tanks served in that war, and when were they withdrawn? Did the M46 Patton replace both the Sherman and the Pershing, and if so, when? "The M46 and M46A1 were declared obsolete in February 1957 and were retired from service..." does not illustrate the fact that M46s continued to serve in reduced numbers with battle group assault gun platoons after the two remaining divisions in-theater were reorganized to the Pentomic structure in 1957. Of course that's picking nits in a ten dollar book, but these nits prevent me from giving a full five stars to an otherwise excellent book on the development and service of the M26 Pershing and M46 Patton.
Rating: 5
Summary: A good value for the money
Comment: The M26 Pershing was the US Army's belated answer to the German Panther and Tiger tanks. Until the invasion of France the US thought their "Tank Destroyer" arm would defend against Nazi armor while the obsolescent Sherman tank would be used to exploit breakthroughs. The close fighting in the hedgerow country of Normandy showed the flaws in this policy and urgent requests went out for a better armed and better protected tank. The Ordnance dDepartment's answer was the T26E3 (later M26) which had been in development. The tank, nicknamed "Pershing", was rushed into production and early examples arrived in Europe late in the war. The Pershing also proved to be a powerful asset in Korea when facing the Soviet T34 tanks used by North Korea.
The recent release of a model of America's M26 Pershing tank led to several new books coming out on this little-know armored vehicle. If I have to choose only one of the new crop I would pick this one. Mr. Zaloga is a dedicated researcher and is very knowledgeable on combat vehicles and their histories. In a thumbnail Zaloga traces development of the new tank and then looks at how the Pershing was used in WW2 and Korea.
For a modest price the reader gets a history of the tank and color scheme information. The Osprey Vanguards are not meant to be the "final word" on any vehicle, but serve as modestly priced, readily available references. This is one of the best in that series.
Rating: 5
Summary: No skeletons
Comment: This tank could have made a great diferens in een early ending of the war. This book makes this statement.
The pictures are of an high detail.
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Title: M4 (76Mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 by Steven J. Zaloga, Jim Laurier ISBN: 1841765422 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: M10 and M36 Tank Destroyers 1942-53 by P. Sarson, M. Badrocke, Steven J. Zaloga ISBN: 1841764698 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Panther Medium Tank 1942-45 (New Vanguard, 67) by Stephen A. Hart, Jim Laurier ISBN: 1841765430 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: M-47 & M-48 Patton Tanks (Revised Edition) by Steve Zaloga, Steven J. Zaloga ISBN: 1855328259 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Centurion Universal Tank 1943-2003 (New Vanguard, 68) by Simon Dunstan, Peter Sarson ISBN: 184176387X Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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