Military Model Scene

Title: Nashorn
Author: Dennis Oliver
Publisher: Pen & Sword
ISBN: 978-1-39903-392-3

Self-propelled Tank Destroyer, German Army, Eastern Front, 1943-45, the latest addition to the TankCraft series, number 45. A 64-page soft-cover book in the now standard style for these titles.
The first 16 pages hold an introduction and summary of the historical record of each of the units issued with these powerful anti-tank guns operating on the Eastern Front. Just a few of the less than 500 built were used in Italy and Western Europe, so by far the majority were used in the East, where they proved capable of knocking out enemy tanks at ranges of around 2,000 yards. Coupled to a couple of maps showing where the units operated plus tables detailing the allocation of these tank hunters between May 1943 and March 1945. All this is accompanied by an excellent selection of good clear archive photos, which also have more information included in their captions. This leads into the 12-page section on camouflage and markings, with more of the first class artwork we regularly see in this series. In the next section for the Model Showcase we have three beautifully detailed and finished models, including a Dragon 1/35 kit, plus a Revell 1/72 and Tamiya 1/35 ones as well. The Model Products section in this case focuses more on the many complete kits that are on the market, even including the 1/87 Roco Minitanks model, rather than the various detail/accessory sets that are available. That leaves the final element to set out the Technical Details and Modifications that were introduced during the service life of the weapon and a final couple of pages graphically showing the make up/organisation of the units which used the Nashorn.
This is another in the TankCraft series from author Dennis Oliver, and another that he has made an excellent job of. The Nashorn, known at first as the Hornisse, but soon changed to Nashorn, a name which it kept until the end of the war. Aimed primarily at armour modellers, this has a good balance between the modelling sections, and the others which detail the real thing. Armed with the powerful 88mm Pak 41, these guns were issued to specialist heavy anti-tank battalions and their long range coupled to good quality optics and range-finding equipment proved to be well suited to the wide open spaces of the war on the Eastern Front.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy.

Robin