The CVRT (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked) family of reconnaissance vehicles was introduced into the British Army in 1972 and has seen extensive combat from the Falklands to Afghanistan. Simon Dunstan tells the story of CVRT's development, its anatomy, combat record and how it is operated and maintained by the armies of 16 nations worldwide.
This lavishly illustrated volume details the design, development and operational history of British tanks from the end of World War II through to the present day. This book, the last in a four-part series on British Battle Tanks covering the whole history of British armored warfare, concentrates on those vehicles that have served following the end of World War II up to the present day. Starting with the Centurion, the title explores those types that equipped the armored divisions lined up on the German plains to resist any potential Soviet offensive, as well as in Korea and Suez, including the Conqueror, and modern tanks such as the Challenger 2 which are still in service today. Covering the many variants of these and other tanks in British service as well as their deployments around the world, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, this illustrated volume is a comprehensive guide to the development of British tanks since the Second World War.
In the history of armoured fighting vehicles there have been few that have been so successful or so extensively employed as the Panhard AML armoured car. Based on the British Ferret armoured car, the French-built Panhard AML was first used i
French Armour in Vietnam 1945–54 uses a variety of photos from the private collections of two French generals of the campaign, and full color plates of rarely illustrated vehicles, to tell the complete story of the tanks and armored fighting vehicles that the French employed in their colonies in Indo-China. The French, quick to realize the efficacy of armor to preserve their sovereignty over Indo-China following the Great War, sent over their Renault FT17 tanks in 1919. Together with a variety of armored cars, these were the principal AFVs in Indo-China until World War II when the Japanese occupied the region. After the war, French troops were equipped with a motley collection of American and cast off British equipment until the outbreak of war in Korea saw an increase in military aid. This included large numbers of the M24 Chaffee Light Tank, along with amphibious vehicles such as the M29C Weasel and LVT4 Buffalo, to conduct operations in coastal and inland areas that the Viet Minh had previously thought immune to attack.
"The Border War saw the biggest armoured battles in Africa since World War II. Starting as a counter-insurgency operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) against the South West Africa People's Organisation, South Africa became embroiled in the complex Angolan Civil War, where they came up against enemies well supplied with equipment and armoured vehicles from the Soviet Union. With the aid of stunning illustrations and photographs, this study details the characteristics, capabilities and performance of the wide variety of armoured vehicles deployed by the SADF, from the Eland armoured car to the Ratel infantry combat vehicle and the Olifant tank. Designed for the unique conditions of the region, South Africa's armour was distinctive and innovative, and has influenced the design of counterinsurgency armoured vehicles around the world." --Publisher description
December 1946, not only is the Centurion one of the most important tanks in the history of the British armoured fighting vehicle (AFV), but it is also one of the most significant post-war Western tanks. Between 1946 and 1962, 4,423 Centurions were built in 13 basic marks and numerous variants, with the chassis also adapted for several other AFV roles. A small number of the Beach Armoured Recovery Version (BARV) served with the British forces during the Iraq War of 2003, some 58 years after the Centurion first entered service! The Centurion has seen extensive combat in the Korean War (Britain), Vietnam (Australia), the Middle East (Israel) in the 1967 Six Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and during the 1978 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon, and in the Indo-Pakistan War (India) in 1965 where it fought against US-supplied M47 and M48 Patton tanks
Did Hitler - code name: `Grey Wolf' - really die in 1945? This book argues that he escaped to Argentina, where he lived until 1962.
Conceived at the height of World War II, the British Centurion and the Soviet T-55 were initially expected to counter the formidable Panther and Tiger tanks of Germany. But as the Cold War unfolded, these machines prepared instead for the coming struggle between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Though they never fought in Europe, these two tanks became the mainstay of the Cold War's proxy forces around the world. From Korea to the Middle East and on to Angola, these two armored combatants clashed repeatedly, reaching their crescendo on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War where 177 Centurions of the IDF took on a vastly superior Arab force. This book compares the design, development and deployment of these classic tanks, and analyses their battlefield performance. Presented with highly detailed digital artwork, this is a tightly focused study of two of the Cold War's first main battle tanks.
Covers the background to the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the campaign against the Egyptians in the Sinai Peninsula, including the initial devastating air assault that showed the world how vital air supremacy was in modern combat. číst celé
Following the lightening destruction of the Egyptian forces at the outbreak of the Six Day War, Israel turned to the forces of Jordan and Syria, with whom Egypt had signed a mutual-defence pact, and which had now entered the war. This title presents one of the most important of 20th century... číst celé