Review of Tank Craft Sherman Tanks British Army & Royal Marines
Normandy Campaign 1944
Author: Dennis Oliver
Pen & Sword Ltd.
ISBN: 978-4738-8530-1
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP:$ 24.95
ISBN: 978-4738-8530-1
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP:$ 24.95
With production in excess of 55,000, the Sherman tank was eventually in service with most Allied armies of the Second World War and by the time of the Normandy landings was the mainstay of Britain's armored battalions.
In his second book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses wartime photos and extensively researched, exquisitely presented color illustrations to cover the Sherman tanks used by the units of the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal Marines during the fighting in northern France.
As with the books in the TankCraft series, a large part of this work showcases available model kits and after-market 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 explained as is the complex system of markings employed by British armored regiments.
This book will give the modeler all the information and knowledge required to create an authenticf miniature representation of the tanks that fought from the beaches of Normandy, through the battle for Caen and on to the killing fileds of Falaise.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:
Dennis Oliver is the author of over 20 books on WWII armoured vehicles, including: Codename Swallow, British Sherman Tanks at Alamein, To the Last Bullet, Germany's War on 3 Fronts, Westwall, German Armour in the West 1945, Viking Summer and A Sound Like Thunder.
Pen & Sword Ltd. is based in the U.K. This book was bound and printed at Malta.
The book is papeback of 64 pages in 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" page format.
The front cover shows a DML Dragon 1/16th scale Sherman IC Firefly.
In the center, left to right, is a Sherman Vc Firefly of the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards near Beauvais in August 1944.
A Sherman II of 44th Royal Armoured Corps
A Sherman V from an unidentified unit photographed near Vire.
At the bottom is a Sherman V Duplex Drive tank of 13th/18th Hussars photographed near Ranville on 10 June 1944.
The back cover shows from top to bottom:
The crew of a Sherman VC Firefly waiting outside Argentan for the order to advance in August 1944.
The Firefly upgrade kit in 1/35th scale from Eduard Model accessories.
A Sherman Vc Firefly from either 1st or 5th Royal Tank Regiment of 22nd Armoured Brigade near Aunay-sur-Odon, the scene of much heavy fighting.
A Sherman Vc Firefly of 3rd County of London Yeomanry photographed in June 1944.
The book contains 40 black and white wartime photos, a data listing and many color illustrations.
These include:
Two 2-views of British Sherman V's
Sherman V's plus 3 color illustrations of unit badges
A profile of a British Sherman Vc Firefly with 3 color illustrations of unit badges and a 3-view.
3-view of a British Sherman V with a color illustration of a unit badge.
British Sherman II with two 2-views with unit badges and two walk-around photos of one in a museum.
A head on profile of a Sherman Vc Firefly, with wartime photo of the rear of one and 5 illustrations of unit badges.
A 3-view of a Sherman II
A profile of a Sherman Ic with 4 illustrations of unit badges.
A 2-view of a Sherman Vc with 2 illustrations of unit badges.
A 3-view of a Sherman III
A 2-view of a Sherman V with a badge illustration.
A head-on profile of a Sherman Vc with 7 badge illustrations.
A 2-view of a Sherman I hybrid
A 4-view of a Sherman Vc with a badge illustration and a black and white wartime photo of one.
A 2-vie and a profile of a Sherman V with 5 illustrations of badges.
Two head-on profiles of a Sherman V and a side profile with 8 badge illustrations.
In the section showing built up models there are:
A Tosco 1/35th scale Firefly by John Tham. It shows 5 color photos. 4 of them are walk-around type.
A DML Dragon 1/35th scale M4A4 by Marcos Serra. It shows 7 color photos. 4 of them are walk-around type.
A Resicast 1/35th scale Sherman II by Shin Olkawa. It shows 4 color photos. 2 are walk-around type with an illustration of a metal tank crew medals.
A Firefly 1/35th scale Sherman using AFV Club, Asuka Model, Tamiya and Bronco parts. By Shin Olkawa. 3 color photos with medal illustrations.
Academy 1/35th scale with lots of after-market parts to create a Sherman "Crab" main-clearer tank. By Antonio Martin Tello. 11 color photos. 4 are walk-around type, with a black and white photo of a real one.
KITS SHOWING BOX ARTS AND PARTS:
DML Dragon: 4 kits
Tamiya: 4 kits
Tasca/Auka: 1kit
Eduard after market set
Royal after market set
Resicast after market set
Aber after market set
Accurate Model after market set
E.T. Models after market set
RB Models after market set
Black Dog after market set
Voyager after market set
Tank Workshop after market set
Modelkasten after market set
Friul Model after market set
DECAL SETS SHOWN:
Archer Fine transfer waterslide and dry decals
Star Decals
Bison 1/72nd scale transfers
Peddinghous 1/35th scale decals
Flames of War waterslide decals for 15mm armor kits
Company B decals for 1/56th scale British tanks. This is equivalent to 28mm scale.
Sherman III decals in 1/72nd scale from Dan Taylor Modelworks.
On the last pages are cover arts of other Pen & Sword books:
Images of War-Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Normandy.
British Armoured Divisions & Their Commanders 1939-45
Monty's Marauders
Armoured Guardsmen
Tiger I & Tiger II tanks
This is one neat book full of markings for British Shermans. It will greatly appeal to both modelers and AFV enthusiasts and historians.
I want to thank the folks at Casemate that sent me this book sample.
A full listing of Pen & Sword titles can be seen at the Casemate site at:
In his second book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses wartime photos and extensively researched, exquisitely presented color illustrations to cover the Sherman tanks used by the units of the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal Marines during the fighting in northern France.
As with the books in the TankCraft series, a large part of this work showcases available model kits and after-market 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 explained as is the complex system of markings employed by British armored regiments.
This book will give the modeler all the information and knowledge required to create an authenticf miniature representation of the tanks that fought from the beaches of Normandy, through the battle for Caen and on to the killing fileds of Falaise.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:
Dennis Oliver is the author of over 20 books on WWII armoured vehicles, including: Codename Swallow, British Sherman Tanks at Alamein, To the Last Bullet, Germany's War on 3 Fronts, Westwall, German Armour in the West 1945, Viking Summer and A Sound Like Thunder.
Pen & Sword Ltd. is based in the U.K. This book was bound and printed at Malta.
The book is papeback of 64 pages in 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" page format.
The front cover shows a DML Dragon 1/16th scale Sherman IC Firefly.
In the center, left to right, is a Sherman Vc Firefly of the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards near Beauvais in August 1944.
A Sherman II of 44th Royal Armoured Corps
A Sherman V from an unidentified unit photographed near Vire.
At the bottom is a Sherman V Duplex Drive tank of 13th/18th Hussars photographed near Ranville on 10 June 1944.
The back cover shows from top to bottom:
The crew of a Sherman VC Firefly waiting outside Argentan for the order to advance in August 1944.
The Firefly upgrade kit in 1/35th scale from Eduard Model accessories.
A Sherman Vc Firefly from either 1st or 5th Royal Tank Regiment of 22nd Armoured Brigade near Aunay-sur-Odon, the scene of much heavy fighting.
A Sherman Vc Firefly of 3rd County of London Yeomanry photographed in June 1944.
The book contains 40 black and white wartime photos, a data listing and many color illustrations.
These include:
Two 2-views of British Sherman V's
Sherman V's plus 3 color illustrations of unit badges
A profile of a British Sherman Vc Firefly with 3 color illustrations of unit badges and a 3-view.
3-view of a British Sherman V with a color illustration of a unit badge.
British Sherman II with two 2-views with unit badges and two walk-around photos of one in a museum.
A head on profile of a Sherman Vc Firefly, with wartime photo of the rear of one and 5 illustrations of unit badges.
A 3-view of a Sherman II
A profile of a Sherman Ic with 4 illustrations of unit badges.
A 2-view of a Sherman Vc with 2 illustrations of unit badges.
A 3-view of a Sherman III
A 2-view of a Sherman V with a badge illustration.
A head-on profile of a Sherman Vc with 7 badge illustrations.
A 2-view of a Sherman I hybrid
A 4-view of a Sherman Vc with a badge illustration and a black and white wartime photo of one.
A 2-vie and a profile of a Sherman V with 5 illustrations of badges.
Two head-on profiles of a Sherman V and a side profile with 8 badge illustrations.
In the section showing built up models there are:
A Tosco 1/35th scale Firefly by John Tham. It shows 5 color photos. 4 of them are walk-around type.
A DML Dragon 1/35th scale M4A4 by Marcos Serra. It shows 7 color photos. 4 of them are walk-around type.
A Resicast 1/35th scale Sherman II by Shin Olkawa. It shows 4 color photos. 2 are walk-around type with an illustration of a metal tank crew medals.
A Firefly 1/35th scale Sherman using AFV Club, Asuka Model, Tamiya and Bronco parts. By Shin Olkawa. 3 color photos with medal illustrations.
Academy 1/35th scale with lots of after-market parts to create a Sherman "Crab" main-clearer tank. By Antonio Martin Tello. 11 color photos. 4 are walk-around type, with a black and white photo of a real one.
KITS SHOWING BOX ARTS AND PARTS:
DML Dragon: 4 kits
Tamiya: 4 kits
Tasca/Auka: 1kit
Eduard after market set
Royal after market set
Resicast after market set
Aber after market set
Accurate Model after market set
E.T. Models after market set
RB Models after market set
Black Dog after market set
Voyager after market set
Tank Workshop after market set
Modelkasten after market set
Friul Model after market set
DECAL SETS SHOWN:
Archer Fine transfer waterslide and dry decals
Star Decals
Bison 1/72nd scale transfers
Peddinghous 1/35th scale decals
Flames of War waterslide decals for 15mm armor kits
Company B decals for 1/56th scale British tanks. This is equivalent to 28mm scale.
Sherman III decals in 1/72nd scale from Dan Taylor Modelworks.
On the last pages are cover arts of other Pen & Sword books:
Images of War-Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Normandy.
British Armoured Divisions & Their Commanders 1939-45
Monty's Marauders
Armoured Guardsmen
Tiger I & Tiger II tanks
This is one neat book full of markings for British Shermans. It will greatly appeal to both modelers and AFV enthusiasts and historians.
I want to thank the folks at Casemate that sent me this book sample.
A full listing of Pen & Sword titles can be seen at the Casemate site at: