Steven J. Zaloga

Illustrated with original artwork and archive photos, this is the history of Germany's extensive use of captured tanks in World War II. In Beutepanzers of World War II, Steven J. Zaloga, one of the world's leading armour authorities, uncovers the history of one of the least-known aspects of Germany's World War II Panzers: the extensive use of captured armoured vehicles,...

Following the destruction of much of the Japanese fleet and air arms in the latter half of 1944, in desperation, the Imperial Japanese Navy proposed using “special attack” formations, or suicide attacks. These initially consisted of crude improvisations of conventional aircraft fitted with high-explosive bombs that could be crashed into US warships. Called “Divine Wind” (Kamikaze), the special attack formations...

The first book to examine the Japanese and American tank forces in the Philippines campaigns, which saw the biggest armoured clashes of the Pacific War. The Philippines saw the most extensive tank combat of any single theatre in the Pacific War. In this book, armour expert Steven J. Zaloga explains the capabilities of the tank forces involved and how they...

A detailed, illustrated study of Germany's Panzer forces that invaded the Soviet Union, explaining how and why they performed as they did. Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany's huge and fateful invasion of the Soviet Union, was the culmination of nearly two years of European conquests. By the time of Barbarossa, Germany's Panzer forces had honed their Blitzkrieg methods of fast-moving warfare,...

An expert guide to the tanks that fought for the Axis in the Italian Campaign between 1943 and 1945, the least-known armoured campaign of World War II.World War II came to Italian soil in 1943 with the landings in Sicily, which the Wehrmacht tried to crush using substantial Panzer offensives. Over the next two years the Allies fought their way...

The invasion of the Soviet Union saw the Red Army’s vast tank fleets crushed by the outnumbered Germans. Fully illustrated and packed with data, this book explains how and why. Contrary to popular belief, the largest tank battles of World War II were not during the Kursk campaign of 1943, but during Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941. The...

An up-to-date history and analysis of the German and Soviet tank forces that battled on eastern German soil in the final months of World War II. The final months of World War II on the Eastern Front saw the Wehrmacht fighting with exhausted armoured divisions, albeit now armed with the most advanced and heaviest tanks of the war, to slow...

An in-depth study of the ground campaign led by the US and Coalition forces against Iraq in the Gulf War. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, precipitating an eight-year war. By the end of the 1980s, Iraq was bankrupt, having amassed enormous debts, and oil-rich neighbouring Kuwait, which Iraq had long claimed was rightly part of greater Iraq, seemed like the...

A fascinating exploration of the often-overlooked gunnery duels between the formidable artillery weapons in the Atlantic Wall defences and the mighty US and Royal Navy battleships. Amphibious landings were an essential tool of Allied military strategy in World War II. The Royal Navy and the US Navy provided operational mobility that allowed the Allies to strike unexpectedly across the vast...

An essential guide to the tanks that fought the greatest armoured clashes of modern times, between Saddam Hussein's Soviet-supplied army and the advanced tanks fielded by the Coalition. The Gulf War of 1991 was the largest tank-vs-tank confrontation of the modern era, and the only large-scale tank combat ever to involve major NATO armies. With the Iraqi Army equipped primarily...

The Battle of France in 1940 involved the first large-scale tank-against-tank battles in history. The massive clashes at Stonne, Hannant, and Gembloux involved hundreds of tanks on both sides, yet have faded from memory due to the enormity of the French defeat. This book examines two of the premier opposing tanks of the Wehrmacht and the French Army, the German...

An expert account of the development, role, and capabilities of the S-300 and S-400 air defence missile systems, key strategic weapons in Putin's Russia. Few modern missile systems have had such significance as the S-300 family. Highly regarded technically, Russia’s most powerful air-defense systems have been a major strategic asset to the country, exported to major powers around the world,...

Steven J. Zaloga offers a fascinating comparison between the two most important tanks involved in the crucial fighting of 1944, the American Sherman and the German Panther. Placing the reader in the heart of this battle between quality and quantity, Zaloga uses a compelling account of the ferocious fighting during the Battle of the Bulge to explain the successes and...

A new analysis of the technology and tanks that faced off against each other on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, during the very height of the Cold War. From the 1960s onwards, there was a generational shift in tank design and warfare with the advent of CBR (chemical, biological, radiological) protection and a move away from HEAT ammunition to...

Tanks at the Iron Curtain 1946–60 offers a detailed study of the Soviet and NATO armoured forces that confronted each other in Central Europe during the early Cold War. This book explores the rapid development of their technology, tactics, and doctrine during this critical period. For 45 years, the most contested area in the world was the dividing line between...

A fully illustrated new assessment of the German tank force that won its greatest victory in France during 1940. The German conquest of France in 1940 was arguably the Wehrmacht’s greatest military achievement, conquering France in several weeks after having failed to do so in World War I. New Panzer tactics, dubbed 'Blitzkrieg', were at the heart of the German...

World War II marked the zenith of railway gun development. Although many of the railway guns deployed at the start of the conflict were of World War I vintage, Germany's ambitious development programme saw the introduction of a number of new classes, including the world's largest, the 80cm-calibre Schwerer Gustav and Schwerer Dora guns, which weighed in at 1,350 tons...

The Russian BMP infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) was one of the most significant innovations in infantry tactics in the latter half of the 20th century. Built in response to the threat of nuclear warfare, it was the world's first IFV, providing the infantry squad with unprecedented firepower, mobility and protection. With over 55,000 manufactured since 1966, the BMP is also...

World War II saw tanks assume a dominant role in warfare, capable of tearing through the enemy lines if left unchecked. To combat the threat posed by these armoured behemoths, the United States developed the M1 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher, better known as the Bazooka. First employed in combat during 1942, the weapon required a great deal of skill and courage...

When the Red Army needed to mechanise its cavalry branch in the 1930s, the BT fast tank was its solution. Based on the American Christie high-speed tank, the Red Army began a programme to adapt the design to its own needs. Early versions were mechanically unreliable and poorly armed, but by the mid-1930s, the BT-5 emerged, armed with an excellent...

Noted authority Steven J. Zaloga charts the development, combat use, and influence of man-portable air defense systems from the late 1960s to the present day. The first attempts at developing a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) based around a guided missile began in the mid-1950s, as a response to the increased speed and manoeuvrability of jet aircraft. Infantry Antiaircraft Missiles...

A complete examination of Patton's campaign to take the fortified city of Metz. General George Patton's most controversial campaign was the series of battles in autumn 1944 along the German frontier, which centred on the fortified city of Metz. In part, the problem was logistics. As was the case with the rest of the Allied forces in the European Theatre,...

General Omar Bradley was the premier US Army tactical commander in the European Theatre of Operations in 1944–45. A West Point classmate of Dwight Eisenhower, Bradley was the quintessential US field commander of World War II. He was elevated to high command with little combat experience but had a solid track record as a skilled planner and organiser. Bradley was...

The M4 Sherman tank was the mainstay of the Western allies between 1942 and 1945. Fast and modern, it was better than most of the tanks Britain had to offer. The American Chief of Staff claimed in November 1943 that it had been hailed widely as 'the best tank on the battlefield today'. However, by the time of the Normandy...

In the summer of 1944, the Red Army staged a massive armoured assault up the Karelian Isthmus with the intent of eliminating any remaining German and Finnish forces facing the Leningrad region. Most of the Soviet units sent into Finland were new to the region, moving mainly from the fighting in the Leningrad area. As a result, some had the...

A comprehensive, illustrated account of the new generation of advanced tanks to emerge during the last 15 years of the Cold War, showcasing major improvements in armour protection, gunsights, and fire-control systems. Focusing on the technology of the period, author Steven J. Zaloga explains how the demands of a potential Cold War battlefield spurred the development of the 20th century’s...

A new study of tank warfare used in the Soviet offensive of Operation Bagration, which destroyed Army Group Center. Operation Bagration, the 1944 summer campaign on the Russian Front, has been called "Hitler's Greatest Defeat." The operation involved substantial tank and armoured vehicles on both sides. However, the German forces were severely hampered by the transfer of dozens of Panzer...

The emergence of the tank in World War I led to the development of the first infantry weapons to defend against tanks. Anti-tank rifles became commonplace in the inter-war years and in the early campaigns of World War II in Poland and the Battle of France, which saw renewed use in the form of the British .55in Boys anti-tank rifle...

A clear and concise book that charts the development of the US Armoured Divisions from a green, untested force into a battle-hardened war-winning army. The Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) saw the first operational deployment of US armoured divisions in World War II. The experience proved chastening for the 1st Armored Division when it suffered defeat at the hands of...

A comprehensive and detailed illustrated examination of the development and combat performance of US battle tanks from World War I to the end of World War II. In this, the first of two highly illustrated volumes examining the complete history of US Army and US Marine Corps battle tanks, Steven J. Zaloga focuses on the history of the tank in...