Funklenkpanzer

Marcus Jaugitz
J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, ©2001
ISBN 0-921991-58-4
Hardbound, 610 Pages

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The subtitle of this book is "A History of German Army Remote- and Radio-Controlled Armor Units" and that's exactly what it covers.  This is a subject that hasn't been covered well in the past, making this the most complete reference to this little-known branch of German armor.  The first part of the book covers all the different types of vehicles, in both photos and drawings.  Some notes on the command and control vehicles are also included, as well as text covering some of the basics of these units.  The photos in this section (as well as throughout the whole book) are for the most part unpublished and show both static examples and examples in the field.

The second part covers the organization and operation of the various units operating remote-controlled vehicles.  This is by far the largest section of the book and does an outstanding job of providing information on each and every unit operating these vehicles.  The photos in this section are truly amazing, with many combat photos that have never been seen before.  There are plenty of inspiring images for diorama ideas in these pages, that's for sure. 

The rest of the book is taken up with a short section on markings and camouflage and some interesting appendices, including recipients of high-ranking decorations and provisional guidelines.  The camouflage & markings section is made up of 32 pages of color profiles showing several different remotely operated vehicles and their command vehicles.  The illustrations are very well done and will provide some excellent reference for modelers.

If you're looking for something a bit different than your standard Panther or Tiger tank, you'll definitely want to check this book out.

This book is available from Roll Models for $79.25.