The world encyclopedia of tanks An illustrated history and directory of tanks, from 1916 to the present day, with over 650 photographs

George Forty

Book - 2023

"A tank is defined as "a means of transporting firepower about on the battlefield with its crew and weapon system protected from direct enemy fire". This book is an authoritative directory of tanks and their immediate derivatives, such as ARVs (armoured recovery vehicles), tank destroyers, command versions, bridgelayers, mine-clearers and other Funnies. It begins with a guide to the history of the tank and its evolution: the first tank action at Flers during World War I, the Blitzkrieg of 1940, the desert war in North Africa, the D-Day Funnies of the Normandy beaches, tanks used in the jungles of Korea and Vietnam, the Arab-lsraeli wars and the two desert wars of the Persian Gulf and the more recent conflict in Ukraine. The v...ery latest gun technology and camouflage security systems are described, as well as commentary on the future role of the tank in an increasingly insecure world. Next, there are two directories focusing on over 225 tanks, the first covering World Wars I and II and the inter-war years, and the second covering the post-war years. From the world's first tank, the No. I Lincoln Machine "Little Willie", to today's state-of-the-art main battle tanks such as the US MIA2 Abrams, the Russian T-14 Armata and the German KF51 Panther, this book covers a vast range of battle tanks. Each entry includes a lively description and history, with a specification panel detailing the tank's official name, date, crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour, powerplant and performance. All the tanks are accompanied by identification photographs, many of which have never previously been published together in one volume." -- more