US Tank Battles in North Africa and Italy 1943-45, by Steven J Zaloga, colour plates by the author, Concord Publications Co, ISBN 962-361-084-X, 72 pages.

Reviewed by John Prigent

Steve Zaloga’s latest book is even better than his earlier “US Tank Battles” titles for Concord, since it deals with an area where few photographs have been published. That’s not to deny that some of those in the book have been seen before, but most are new to me and even those I’d seen before have much fuller captions than are usually attached to them. Coverage is not restricted to US tanks and vehicles; Italian, German and French tanks are shown as well.

It starts with a three-page text introduction to the campaigns in western North Africa, Sicily and Italy as they involved US tank forces. Then come all those lovely photographs, beginning with 16 pages on Operation Torch and the Tunisian fighting. I can’t resist singling out page 20 with its pair of photos of an improvised M4A1 flail tank built by 89th Ordnance Battalion after seeing the British flails in operation. Below them is an equally fascinating photo of a British Scorpion flail built on an M4 Sherman. I really must also mention a shot of an M3 Lee with the top of its gun barrel rubbed clean by the crew’s hands when mounting up and dust everywhere else. If you’ve ever doubted how much colours are really lightened by a coat of dust the contrast shown here will convince you!

Next is Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, with 9 pages of photographs including such gems as a Renault R-35 in Italian service with all markings visible and a Tiger of sPzAbt 504 attached to 15 PzGren Div and carrying the latter’s G in a white star unit marking Then come 8 pages on the Salerno landing, again with many photos showing unit markings including one of an M5A1 of 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion with its distinctive unit sign on the side.

13 pages of photos from Anzio-Nettuno come next, and treats here include 3 photographs of T2 tank retrievers (the ones based on M3 Lees) adapted as bridge carriers for the breakout from Anzio. This would make a great model. Finally there are 12 pages on operations from Rome to the River Po. My favourite in this section is an early M4 Sherman of 1st Tank Bn, 1st Armored Div with driver’s direct vision slots, late, trailing return roller VVS suspension and full markings visible.

The colour plates include a good cross-section of the vehicles seen in the photographs, letting you compare plate to photo, as well as some not in the photograph sections. The full geometric marking tables for both 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions are also shown, making this a very handy reference when you’re checking photographs in other books.

Very highly recommended!