Codename Swallow
|
Publisher and Title | Codename Swallow British Sherman Tanks at Alamein by Dennis Oliver Mushroom Model Publications, Green Series. |
ISBN: | 83-89450-33-X |
Media and Contents: | A4 sized card cover with 36 pages of text, B&W photos, colour art-work and plans. |
Price: | £7.00, available online from Mushroom Model Publications' website |
Review Type: | First Read |
Advantages: | Reader friendly text; relevant photos; excellent artwork. |
Disadvantages: | |
Recommendation: | Highly Recommended |
FirstRead
Mushroom Model Publications is known for its excellent aviation
books. I believe this is the first of a new series aimed at the
armour modeller.
The
subject of the debut book in the Green Series, British Shermans at
Alamein, covers a very specific group of cast hulled and radial
engined M4A1, and the welded hulled diesel engined M4A2, tanks which
were supplied to the British Army during the second half of 1942 and
which became the first Shermans to see combat. These were the very
early production vehicles with direct vision slots, M3-style bogies
(with the support roller above bogie) and plain rubber block or
“double I” tracks.
After a brief Author’s Note, the
Introduction details the circumstances surrounding the issue of
these tanks and their modification by the British. Part 2 follows
with an explanation of the markings. This is followed by four pages
of coloured artwork and four pages of captions for the art. My one
little niggle about this artwork is that no plan views are shown.
Part 3, Camouflage, covers the authors’ opinions on the Official
Orders, the colours, the schemes and a few anomalies that have
existed for some years. Some of these are shown in the art-work.
Part 4, The Armoured Brigades, covers the four Brigades
individually, their camouflage and markings and each unit with-in
the Brigade, their make-up and any oddities. This is then followed
by another eight pages of very good art-work and captions.
Lastly, there is five pages of plans which I think are in 1/35
scale, although this is not stated, with four views shown (only left
hand sides) but with none of the British modifications mentioned in
the earlier text except for one side view having the sand skirts.
This is, without a doubt, a great start to what should be a very
interesting series. The text is easy to read and understand and the
artwork is inspiring, so much so that I am looking forward to
getting Dragon’s new M4A1 in Braille Scale to see if I can adapt it
to build one of these vehicles.
Highly Recommended.