Military Model Scene

Title: German Self-Propelled Artillery at War 1940-1945
Author: Ian Baxter
Publisher: Pen & Sword
ISBN: 978-1-39906-868-0

A new collection of archive images in the ever growing Images of War series from Pen & Sword. A 111-page soft-cover book in the usual style for this series.
The topic is split into 3 chapters, each one a particular time period. It starts with 1940-41, then 1942-43 and rounds off with the final two years, 1944 to the end in 1945. Each chapter has a few pages of text which sets out the scene, and then a collection of appropriate archive images, each with more detail in the captions. At the outset of WW2 much of the German artillery was still towed, but the speed of Blitzkrieg quickly showed the need to improve their mobility in order to keep pace with the advancing panzer units. On of the earliest bits of kit was to simply put the whole15cm sIG 33 on top of a Pz I chassis, and surround it with a high gun shield, open at the back and on top. One of the best collections of pictures of these all in one place that I can recall. Throughout the other chapters there are lots of pictures of the 15cm Hummel, and the 10.5 cm Wespe, based on the Pz II chassis. There are plenty of others, a mix of some built in fair numbers and others which were only built in small numbers. Then at the back of the book, 2 appendices, one giving vehicle specifications and the other covering Camouflage and Zimmerit, the anti-magnetic mine paste.
Overall I found this to be a useful collection of photos featuring the various self-propelled artillery weapons that the German military fielded during the war. I found about half a dozen errors in the captioning (which I have listed for the publisher), with mistaken vehicle identification, though in others the same thing has been correctly named. A shame to find such errors in a specialist book like this, but having said that, it doesn't distract from a fine collection of archive photos all put together in the one place. Modellers and armour enthusiasts will find a lot to like in this one I think.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for our review copy.

Robin