Military Model Scene

Title: Surviving World War Two Tanks in the Ardennes
Author: Craig Moore
Publisher: Key Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-80282-133-8

Number 4 in the Key Publishing Military Vehicles and Artillery Series. A 112-page soft-cover book detailing a large number of surviving AFVs that can be found on display in the Ardennes region of Belgium.
Following an Introduction and a helpful map which shows where each of the featured exhibits can be found, there are 46 different entries. Each has a photo, some historical background on them and their specific locations. A few are real relics of the fighting in the Ardennes in December 1944/January 1945, while some are not but are WW2 vehicles plus a couple that are actually post-WW2 tanks. There is also a Matilda II, representative of the earlier period of 1940 when Germany launched their Blitzkrieg into France. A few are grouped together in museums, such as the Bastogne Barracks Collection, and others are individual memorials in different towns in the area. There are also some which are just turrets, particularly those from assorted Sherman tanks. Interesting though a few are missing parts such as the gun mantlet, even though a gun has been fitted to give it a reasonable 'look'. Tanks such as the JS 3 and the ISU-152 self-propelled gun were not used in the area and the American M-47 is a post-WW2 tank but still included because there are examples on display.
This is a very handy guide to have with you if you are thinking of visiting the area, and having been to the Bastogne Barracks Museum myself, I will encourage you to visit. There are also some genuine relics of the fighting during the Battle of the Bulge, such as the Tiger II at La Gleize, the Panther Ausf G in Houfflaize and another at Grandmenil. The Sherman in the main square of Bastogne, along with a few others.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for our copy, and who are no distributors for these Key Publishing books.

Robin