PMMS

book WWII German and Soviet Field Howitzers
in detail

Special Museum Line No25
ISBN 80-86416-24-0
Wings & Wheels Publications.
Published by RAK, Czech Republic.

60 pages all in colour.

Review by Terry Ashley


The title belies the fact that this book only covers just one German and One Soviet field piece but covers them in mind boggling detail.

The first 40 pages deal with the leFH 18/40M 10.5cm Howitzer and uses the example at the Lešany museum as the subject.

Words do not give justice to the amount of detail shown in extremely clear colour photos giving close-up details of every part of the gun. There are also many shots of the gun during reconstruction with the carriage, gun cradle and gun in separate pieces to show some details not available when the gun is fully assembled.

Following this is a “Walkaround” with sensational close-ups of every part of the gun, carriage and suspension. As mentioned the photos are all extreme close-ups and the amount of detail will leave you not wanting. For example there are two pages with 10 photos of the main telescope sight taken from many angles, now if an etched metal manufacturer would do the degree markings around the sight we would be very happy.
There are also shots taken looking into the breech and muzzle showing the rifling with four photos from different angles of the muzzle break. The barrel cleaning brushes are also shown out of their containers with the front shield and wheels given the same close-up treatment.

The final 20 pages of the book covers the Soviet M-30 122mm Howitzer Model 38 again from the Lešany museum and gives this gun the same detail coverage.
The gun itself is a fairly simple design and the fact that only a third of the book is devoted to it doesn’t diminish the amount of details shown. The detail coverage is much the same as with the FH 18 so I won’t repeat myself but be assured every aspect of the gun and carriage are shown in close-up details.

This book continues the sensational photo coverage of the subject we have come to expect from Wings & Wheels Publications and is everything the modeller would want.

Highly recommended


Page Created 5 April 2003

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