Steven Zaloga Books

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 American service from the first experiments with armored vehicles in the early years of the 20th century through to the end of World War II. Expanding on material published in Osprey series including New Vanguard, Campaign, and Duel, US Battle Tanks 1917–1945 explores the concepts and practice of tank development from the Renault FT, through the M4 Sherman to the M26 Pershing. It describes the experiences of the crews who saw combat, the performance of each tank in battle, and how each American armored fighting vehicle compared with the enemy armor it faced, as well as the key lessons learned from combat that led to new concepts and technological breakthroughs.

Nearly 1200 photos of American and German tanks from World War II with Steven Zaloga's expert captions

Smashing Hitler's Guns amplifies this famous D-Day story in three important ways. Firstly, D-Day expert Steven J. Zaloga analyzes why such a risky operation was required at all, detailing both the perceived and real threat posed by coastal guns based on previous Allied experiences from North Africa to Dieppe to Italy. Secondly, he provides a comprehensive account of all three of the Ranger missions on D-Day, including the often forgotten mission to destroy the guns at Pointe-et-Raz-de-la-Percée and the vital role the Rangers played in redeeming the stalled American assault on Omaha Beach. Thirdly, he examines several critical but often ignored subjects, such as the German side of the battle for Pointe-du-Hoc and the crucial role played by the Allied navies and air forces in overwhelming the German defenses. Tackling modern controversies and historic myths throughout, this is the definitive history of the Rangers on D-Day, exploring not only what happened at Pointe-du-Hoc, but why it happened. Book jacket.

An authoritative and fresh new study of Allied tanks' role in smashing the walls of Fortress Europe on D-Day.Allied success in invading Fortress Europe (the area of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany) depended on getting armor onto the beaches as fast as possible. This book explains how the Allies developed the specialist tanks it needed, their qualities, deployment, and numbers, and how they performed on the two crucial days when France was invaded, firstly in Normandy and then in Provence.The focus of this volume will be on the specialized tanks developed for the Operation Neptune amphibious landings including the Duplex Drive amphibious Sherman tanks used on both the US and British/Canadian beaches. It also covers the specialized engineer tanks called ”Armoured Funnies” of the British 79th Armoured Division and addresses the popular myth that US Army refusal to employ the Armoured Funnies was a principal cause for the high casualties at Omaha Beach. There is also coverage of Operation Overlord's “Forgotten D-Day”, the amphibious landings of Operation Dragoon . This book addresses why there were so few Panzers opposing the landings from the German perspective as well as detailing the extent of German tank/assault gun activity on D-Day.

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim is a legendary figure, whose life and career were deeply influential in Finnish and European history. This study provides an insight into Mannerheim's career, analysing his traits, his biggest victories and his key enemies.

"Operation Tidal Wave was one of the boldest and most controversial air raids by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). At the time, the Romanian Ploesti oil fields produced about a third of all Axis oil, and was Germany's single most important fuel source. In the summer of 1943, the USAAF decided to stage a major raid on Ploesti from air bases in Libya. The resulting Operation Tidal Wave raid on 1 August 1943 was one of the costliest to date, losing 53 aircraft, about a third of the starting force. Of the more than 150 bombers that took part in the raid, only 88 B-24s returned to Libya, 55 of which were damaged. On the other hand, of the 17 Medals of Honor awarded to US soldiers and airmen from Pearl Harbor in 1941 to D-Day in 1944, 5 were awarded to pilots of the Tidal Wave mission in recognition of their extraordinary performance. Although undoubtedly bold and heroic, the mission had questionable results. Initial assessments argued that the mission caused 40% of the refinery capacity at Ploesti to be lost but subsequent studies concluded that the damage was quickly repaired and that output had exceeded August levels within a month."

Published to coincide with the centenary of the campaign, this highly illustrated title from Steven Zaloga explores the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, a David and Goliath conflict which saw the survival of the newly independent Poland in the face of the Soviet Red Army.

"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 APFSDS. This shift confronted the growing threat of guided anti-tank missiles and saw the introduction of composite armor. Soviet heavy tanks and tank destroyer/assault guns became obsolete, giving way to the technological might of the T-62 and T-64, while NATO forces employed the Chieftain, AMX-30, Leopard I, and M60, plus the initial attempt at a common US-German tank, the MBT-70. Using detailed illustrations and contemporary photographs, this companion volume to NVG 301, Tanks at the Iron Curtain 1946–60 focuses on key battle tanks and their technology to give a comprehensive overall picture of how tanks developed during modern times."--Amazon.com