A modeler's delight, this book visually details Germany's largest armored fighting vehicles: the King Tiger heavy tank, the Jagdtiger tank destroyer, and the Elephant. Black-and-white wartime photos of these vehicles in training and combat--including close-ups of both interiors and exteriors--are supplemented by color illustrations by Uwe Feist and five-view scale drawings by John Rue.

This book tells—with firsthand accounts as well as numerous, never-before-seen photographs—the combat history of German Tiger Tank Battalion 503, the senior Tiger battalion of the German Army, equipped with both the Tiger I and the King Tiger. The unit saw action in the attempted relief of Stalingrad, the tremendous tank engagements at Kursk, and the bitter fighting to relieve German units encircled at the Tscherkassy Pocket. It then defended against the Allies in Normandy in 1944, and ended the war with desperate fighting in Hungary and Austria.

A fully illustrated chronicle of the Tiger I heavy tank and Sturmtiger assault gun in action in World War II. The Tiger I, with its ferocious 88-millimeter gun, ranked among the best tanks of the war. Meanwhile, the Sturmtiger mounted an earth-shattering 380-millimetre rocket mortar, designed primarily for urban warfare and assaults against heavy fortifications; only eighteen were manufactured, making it one of the war's rarest vehicles. This book is packed with large, clear photos of the Tiger I and Sturmtiger and includes colour plates by Uwe Feist.

Hundreds of photos, many never published before, of Germany's rarely seen tank destroyers, including the Ferdinand, Elephant, and JagdtigerColor illustrations focus on unit markings, numbering, and camouflageAccompanying text chronicles the unit's combat operations plus there are personal accounts from the men who rode in these mechanical monstersGerman Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 was equipped with the heaviest tank destroying vehicles of the German armed forces. Initially activated as an assault gun battalion and redesignated in April 1943, the 653 received its first Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers (later modified and renamed Elephants) in May 1943 and went into action on the Eastern Front a month later. In 1944, the unit converted to the even more massive Jagdtiger. The seventy-five-ton, heavily armored Jagdtiger was the behemoth of the battlefield and boasted a 128mm gun-as opposed to the Ferdinand's 88-with a range of more than thirteen miles, making it deadly despite its limited mobility. Outfitted with these lethal giants, the 653 saw service in Russia, Italy, Austria, and Germany.

This outstanding title is dedicated to the Germans' Sd.Kfz. 250 and Sd.Kfz. 251 half-tracks of World War II. Used throughout the war, these vehicles functioned as personnel carriers and scout cars. Supplemented by contemporary photos, color illustrations, and five-view scale drawings, the book covers most of the more than two dozen variants of the Sd.Kfz. 250 and 251.

Germany's Tiger tank, whether in the form of the Tiger I or later Tiger II (King Tiger), was the most feared tank of WWII. Despite production totaling fewer than 2,000 units, its heavy armor, its power, and perhaps the even more powerful Nazi propaganda machine ensured that the Tiger remains well known over seven decades after last being on the battlefield. Through more than 175 photos, this volume chronicles the design, development, and deployment of this famed German tank. Full-color photographs of rare surviving examples from around the globe augment carefully selected war-era photos in bringing this tank back to life. Comprehensive tables reveal the details of performance and technical specifications of each variant. A concise, easy-to-read text and detailed photographic captions expose the secrets of this iconic tank. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

A richly illustrated memoir by highly decorated Wehrmacht soldier—“recommended to anyone with an interest in the Panzerwaffe in the Second World War” (Recollections of WWII). After serving as a gunlayer on a Pz.Mk.III during Barbarossa, Richard Freiherr von Rosen led a Company of Tigers at Kursk. Later he led a company of King Tiger panzers at Normandy and in late 1944 commanded a battle group (12 King Tigers and a flak Company) against the Russians in Hungary in the rank of junior, later senior lieutenant (from November 1944, his final rank.) Only 489 of these King Tiger tanks were ever built. They were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, and only one kind of shell could penetrate their armor at a reasonable distance. Every effort had to be made to retrieve any of them bogged down or otherwise immobilized, which led to many towing adventures. The author has a fine memory and eye for detail. Easy to read and not technical, his account adds substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated in the Second World War. “The author has a fine memory and eye for detail . . . It adds substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated during the Second World War.”—Military Vehicles Magazine “The images accompany the story well. Richard Von Rosen, wounded several times and fighting a good part of the war on the eastern front, was certainly a lucky soldier, and we are also lucky to read these pages . . . highly recommend to all fans of memories of the Second World War.”—Old Barbed Wire Blog