Book Review of Tanks of the USSR 1917-1945, Fact File
Author: Alexander Ludeke
Pen & Sword Military Books
ISBN: 9781473891371
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $17.95
ISBN: 9781473891371
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $17.95
This book is a short, but well researched overview of the main developments of tanks used by the USSR from 1917 to 1945.
Each vehicle is presented with short description images and a reference table of key technical data. Supplemented by color drawings with camouflage and indentification numbers. It is packed full of information, facts and figures.
The Soviet Union had already begun building an armoured industry as early as the 1920's. Although initially limited to reconstructing and developing Western European armoured vehicles, an independent line of powerful and easy-to-produce models had been established by 1939.
After the Second World War, the USSR expanded its armament force considerably, even planning to cross Western Europe in a massive armoured wave in the event of any conflict with NATO.
In this book, Alexander Ludeke examines all of the important Soviet tanks that were built from 1917 up until the end of WWII.
Historian and author Aledander Ludeke's main interests are the military and the history of technology. He has an extensive image library, which includes numerous illustrations; a selection of which can be found in this book.
The book is soft-cover of 128 pages in 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a T-34 Model 1943 during a parade on the occasion of the Russian Forces Tank Biathlon Competition Albino, traing ground of 2.Garde-Rifle-Division Tamanskaya, 21st August 2013, over a color photo of a KW-1S at a museum near Kirovsk in 2008.
Each tank shown in this book has a specification list with the illustrations.
A Wesdechod tank with one color profile.
A Russkiy Reno tank, that was a clone of the French FT, with 2 black and white photos and a color photo of one on display outdoors at a museum
A T-18 (MS-1) with 4 black and white photos.
A T-23 with one black and white photo.
A T-27 with 2 black and white photos.
A T-26 with 6 black and white photos and 2 color profiles.
Armoured flamthrower versions of the T-26 with one black and white photo and a color profile.
A T-46 with one black and white photo.
A T-25 with one black and white photo.
A T-111 with one black and white photo.
A T-50 with 2 black and white photos.
A T-41 with one black and white photo.
A T-37 with 3 black and white photos.
A T-38 with 3 black and white photos and 2 color photos of one in a museum
A T-40 & T-30 with a color profile of the T-40, a black and white photo of it and a color photo of a T-30 displayed outdoors.
A T-60 with a black and white photo, a color 2-view and a color photo of one in the Technical Museum Vadim Zadorozhnogo, Moscow, January 2009.
A T-70 with 2 color profiles (one shown in captured German markings) and a color photo of one on parade.
A T-80 with one color profile.
A BT-2 with 3 black and white photos, a color profile and a 4-view line drawing.
A BT-5 with 4 black and white photos, a color profile and a 4-view line drawing.
A BT-7 with a color photo of a Model 1935 one at the Museum of Rememberance for the Liberation of Leningrad, photo taken in 2007 and 5 black and white photos, 2 color profiles and a 4-view line drawing.
A BT-7A with a color profile.
A BT-SW-2 with one black and white photo.
A T-24 with 2 black and white photos and a 4-view line drawing.
A TG-1 with one black and white photo.
A T-28 7 black and white photos and a 2-view line drawing.
A T-29 with one black and white photo.
The A-20 & A-32 with a 3-view line drawing of the A-20 and a 4-view line drawing of the A-32.
A T-34 with 7 black and white photos, a 4-view line drawing, 3 color profiles (one shown in captured German markings) and a color photo of one on parade.
A T-34/57 with a 2-view line drawing.
A T-34M with 2 black and white photos and a 3-view line drawing.
A T-43 with 2 black and white photos and a 4-view line drawing.
A KW-13 with one black and white photo.
A T-34/85 with 2 black and white photos, a color profile, a color photo of one on display and a 4-view line drawing.
A T-34/100 with one black and white photo.
A T-44 with one black and white photo, a color profile, a color photo of one on display at the Brest Fortress, White Russia and a 4-view line drawing.
A T-35 multi-turreted heavy tank with 4 black and white photos and a color 2-view illustration.
A SMK & T-100 multi-turreted tanks with a color profile of the T-100 and a color photo of a SMK displayed at the end of 1939 in Finland.
A KW-1 with 5 black and white photos, 2 color profiles (one in captured German markings) and a photo of one on display at the Aberdeen Tank Museum.
A KW-1S with a color photo of one displayed outdoors near Kirovsk in 2008 and 2 black and white photos.
A KW-2 with 4 black and white photos and a color 2-view illustration.
KW-3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 with 2 black and white photos of the prototypes.
A KW-8 with 3 black and white photos.
A KW-9 with one black and white photo.
A KW-85 with 2 black and white photos and a color photo of one on display outdoors as a memorial at St. Petrsburg.
A JS-85/JS-1 with 2 black and white photos and a color profile.
A JS-122/JS-2 with 4 black and white photos, a 2 view color illustration and a color photo of one outdoors at the Museum of the Great Patriotic Museum seen in 1985.
A JS-3 with one black and white photo and a color photo of one being driven on display at the Museum at Lesany, Czech Republic.
This is one great book on Soviet armor and lots of neat profiles for modelers.
Highly recommended.
I want to thank the folks at Casemate Publishing who sent me this review sample and the folks at Pen & Sword.
All Pen & Sword titles can be seen on Casemate's web site at:
This book is a short, but well researched overview of the main developments of tanks used by the USSR from 1917 to 1945.
Each vehicle is presented with short description images and a reference table of key technical data. Supplemented by color drawings with camouflage and indentification numbers. It is packed full of information, facts and figures.
The Soviet Union had already begun building an armoured industry as early as the 1920's. Although initially limited to reconstructing and developing Western European armoured vehicles, an independent line of powerful and easy-to-produce models had been established by 1939.
After the Second World War, the USSR expanded its armament force considerably, even planning to cross Western Europe in a massive armoured wave in the event of any conflict with NATO.
In this book, Alexander Ludeke examines all of the important Soviet tanks that were built from 1917 up until the end of WWII.
Historian and author Aledander Ludeke's main interests are the military and the history of technology. He has an extensive image library, which includes numerous illustrations; a selection of which can be found in this book.
The book is soft-cover of 128 pages in 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a T-34 Model 1943 during a parade on the occasion of the Russian Forces Tank Biathlon Competition Albino, traing ground of 2.Garde-Rifle-Division Tamanskaya, 21st August 2013, over a color photo of a KW-1S at a museum near Kirovsk in 2008.
Each tank shown in this book has a specification list with the illustrations.
A Wesdechod tank with one color profile.
A Russkiy Reno tank, that was a clone of the French FT, with 2 black and white photos and a color photo of one on display outdoors at a museum
A T-18 (MS-1) with 4 black and white photos.
A T-23 with one black and white photo.
A T-27 with 2 black and white photos.
A T-26 with 6 black and white photos and 2 color profiles.
Armoured flamthrower versions of the T-26 with one black and white photo and a color profile.
A T-46 with one black and white photo.
A T-25 with one black and white photo.
A T-111 with one black and white photo.
A T-50 with 2 black and white photos.
A T-41 with one black and white photo.
A T-37 with 3 black and white photos.
A T-38 with 3 black and white photos and 2 color photos of one in a museum
A T-40 & T-30 with a color profile of the T-40, a black and white photo of it and a color photo of a T-30 displayed outdoors.
A T-60 with a black and white photo, a color 2-view and a color photo of one in the Technical Museum Vadim Zadorozhnogo, Moscow, January 2009.
A T-70 with 2 color profiles (one shown in captured German markings) and a color photo of one on parade.
A T-80 with one color profile.
A BT-2 with 3 black and white photos, a color profile and a 4-view line drawing.
A BT-5 with 4 black and white photos, a color profile and a 4-view line drawing.
A BT-7 with a color photo of a Model 1935 one at the Museum of Rememberance for the Liberation of Leningrad, photo taken in 2007 and 5 black and white photos, 2 color profiles and a 4-view line drawing.
A BT-7A with a color profile.
A BT-SW-2 with one black and white photo.
A T-24 with 2 black and white photos and a 4-view line drawing.
A TG-1 with one black and white photo.
A T-28 7 black and white photos and a 2-view line drawing.
A T-29 with one black and white photo.
The A-20 & A-32 with a 3-view line drawing of the A-20 and a 4-view line drawing of the A-32.
A T-34 with 7 black and white photos, a 4-view line drawing, 3 color profiles (one shown in captured German markings) and a color photo of one on parade.
A T-34/57 with a 2-view line drawing.
A T-34M with 2 black and white photos and a 3-view line drawing.
A T-43 with 2 black and white photos and a 4-view line drawing.
A KW-13 with one black and white photo.
A T-34/85 with 2 black and white photos, a color profile, a color photo of one on display and a 4-view line drawing.
A T-34/100 with one black and white photo.
A T-44 with one black and white photo, a color profile, a color photo of one on display at the Brest Fortress, White Russia and a 4-view line drawing.
A T-35 multi-turreted heavy tank with 4 black and white photos and a color 2-view illustration.
A SMK & T-100 multi-turreted tanks with a color profile of the T-100 and a color photo of a SMK displayed at the end of 1939 in Finland.
A KW-1 with 5 black and white photos, 2 color profiles (one in captured German markings) and a photo of one on display at the Aberdeen Tank Museum.
A KW-1S with a color photo of one displayed outdoors near Kirovsk in 2008 and 2 black and white photos.
A KW-2 with 4 black and white photos and a color 2-view illustration.
KW-3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 with 2 black and white photos of the prototypes.
A KW-8 with 3 black and white photos.
A KW-9 with one black and white photo.
A KW-85 with 2 black and white photos and a color photo of one on display outdoors as a memorial at St. Petrsburg.
A JS-85/JS-1 with 2 black and white photos and a color profile.
A JS-122/JS-2 with 4 black and white photos, a 2 view color illustration and a color photo of one outdoors at the Museum of the Great Patriotic Museum seen in 1985.
A JS-3 with one black and white photo and a color photo of one being driven on display at the Museum at Lesany, Czech Republic.
This is one great book on Soviet armor and lots of neat profiles for modelers.
Highly recommended.
I want to thank the folks at Casemate Publishing who sent me this review sample and the folks at Pen & Sword.
All Pen & Sword titles can be seen on Casemate's web site at:
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