PMMS

book standard catalog of
German Military Vehicles

David Doyle
Published by kp books
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
ISBN 0-87349-783-X
512 A4 format pages soft cover

Review by Terry Ashley


This is an extensive volume, 512 pages is not small by any means and has information listed on every vehicle used by the German Armed Forces during WWII laid out in an easy to read format and includes vehicle data derived from the latest research and more than 1200 photographs with the vehicles broken down into the following categories;
Fully tracked Armored Vehicles
  • Tanks
  • Assault guns
  • Jagdpanzers
  • Recovery vehicles
  • Antiaircraft tanks
  • Self-propelled fully tracked howitzers and mortars
  • Panzerjäger
  • Flammpanzer
  • Fully tracked armored engineer vehicles
  • Fully tracked armored support vehicles
Wheeled and semi-tracked armored vehicles
  • Armored Cars
  • Armored Half-tracks
Softskin Vehicles
  • Motorcycles
  • Pkw - Personenkraftwagen (cars)
  • Lkw - Lastkraftwagen (trucks)
  • Unarmored halftracks
  • Unarmored full-tracked prime movers

BookFor each vehicle there is a small data panel with the basic data on that type plus brief text with a detailed historical and development rundown giving essential information of the type.

Each vehicle has photos included with the well known types having a couple of pages or more of data and photos and while many of the photos have been seen previously there are some new photos as well. Vehicles with many Ausf’s such as the Sd.Kfz.251 series has information on each of the 23 types to see service with similar treatment given to other higher profile types with many production variants. Lesser types such as specialized or one off types also have the data panel and historical data but only one or two photos but enough for you to easily identify the vehicle.

The photos are all in black and white apart from eight pages in the middle with some colour WWII photos which again have been seen in other publications and some shots of preserved vehicles with some in running order.

The fast majority of the 512 pages is taken up listing the info on each vehicle type and sub-type but at the end are two additional sections with a glossary which is basically a German–English dictionary with all German words and terms used in the book given their English translation and abbreviation which will be very useful to most in identifying descriptions not only in this book but elsewhere.

The final few pages list every Kfz. & Sd.Kfz. number assigned during WWII with the description of the corresponding vehicle and again this will be a valuable reference.

Conclusion:
The information on each vehicle type from the most well know Tigers and Panthers to the types only known to the experts gives you the essential historical and data information and while many of the images have been seen before the main benefit of this large book is that every vehicle type is included in the one place providing a wealth of info at your fingertips making it quick and easy to identify each, so the next time a kit of a Minenraumgerat mit Pz.Kpfw.Antrieb or Schwere Ladungstrager is announced you will be able to identify this immediately.

The addition of the glossary and Kfz. & Sd.Kfz. number listings will also be a useful reference again allowing easy identification of any type.

The average as well as the more serious modeller will find this book invaluable with the info it contains and should prove to be an essential addition to the library.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to David Doyle for the review book.



Page created 13 March 2005

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