Osprey- US Battle Tanks 1946-2025

Book Specifics

Author: Steven J. Zaloga

Price: $35.00

ISBN: 978-1-4728-6568-7

Hardcover, 272 pages with 150 period photographs, 75 color artwork illustrations, and also 2D maps of key battles and campaigns.

What's Inside

This is the second volume in a two book series by the author. For a review of the first volume, head here: 

https://www.amps-armor.org/SiteReviews/ShowReview.aspx?id=15297

The series features design, development and operational background of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps battle tanks from the end of World War II through the modern age with the latest development in armored vehicles including robotic tanks. As with the previous volumes, it pulls from and expands on previous Osprey New Vanguard and Duel series books looking in-depth at the evolution from post-WWII armor like the Pershing and Patton tanks through to the M1 Abrams series and beyond. The excellent color and black and white photographs are supplemented with artwork from present and past Osprey artists including Tony Bryan, Richard Chasemore, Hugh Johnson, Jim Laurier, Henry Morshead, Felipe Rodriguez, Peter Sarson, and Johnny Shumate. From the get-go, we get what we have come to expect from Mr. Zaloga-- a thorough education on the armor present through each successive decade in the post-WWII period.  The Table of Contents are as follows:

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Wartime Legacy
Chapter 2: Tank War in Korea
Chapter 3: US Tanks of the Early Cold War Era
Chapter 4: Cold War Tanks: The 1960s Generation
Chapter 5: US Tanks in Combat 1965–75
Chapter 6: US Tanks Post-Vietnam
Chapter 7: Operation Desert Storm
Chapter 8: End of the Cold War
Chapter 9: The New World Disorder
Conclusion

Chapter 1 gives charts of the US Army and Marine post-war tank inventory and then takes the reader through the start of the Cold War and there are sections on post-war light, medium, heavy, and amphibious tanks.

Chapter 2 looks in-depth at armor in Korea, taking us through the various regions and conflicts there- in North Korea, the Pusan Perimeter, Obong-Ni Ridge, and through to the Inchon Landings and the end of the conflict. The section "Korean War Lessons" shines a light on Zaloga's expert analysis that readers have come to appreciate.

Chapter 3 focuses on US tanks immediately after the Korean Conflict including the M41, M47 and M48 Patton series, M103, T92, as well as amphibious tanks and airborne tank destroyers. The chapter ends with the T95. Throughout the chapter are interesting segments on operating the M48, dealing with a "nuclear battlefield", and the evolution of tank ammunition.

Chapter 4 highlights Cold War tanks from the 1960s like the M60 series and improvements over time. There is an excellent chart of technical data comparing the M60, M60A1, M60A2, and M60A3. The chapter continues on with an interesting look at the tribulations of implementing missiles as offensive weapons in tanks. The chapter concludes with more intensive looks at the MBT-70, M551 Sheridan AR/AAV, and the M60A2 Starship.

The time period for Chapter 5 includes 1965-1975 and spends time on the combat chronicles of the M48 and Sheridan in American and foreign hands.

Ch. 6 looks at post-Vietnam tanks like the M48A5 and M60A3 TTS. The chapter includes sections on OPFOR Warrior and tank actions in Latin America where the Sheridan was used in Panama. The main focus of the chapter includes the birth of the M1 Abrams and spends a good chunk of content on development and tank crew information. There is also a fascinating section on the test-bed era where we are introduced to examples like the ELKE- an Elevated Kinetic Energy system to determine the feasibility of an elevated gun for light tanks- kind of a peek-a-boo and fire setup.

ELKE system

Ch. 7 is solely on Operation Desert Storm and is one of the most thorough sections in the book. The reader gets an idea of Iraqi and US/Coalition Plans and Tactical Organizations as well as the campaign itself. There are sections on the epic battles at 73 Easting and Medina Ridge and the chapter closes on analysis of the combat and the M1A2 Abrams.

Ch. 8 centers on the end of the Cold War- and we see modifications to the M1 over time- with the M1A1 from 1990-2000, the M1A2 upgrades program, and ending with the M8 Buford.

The final chapter- "The New World Disorder" takes the book home with post- 9/11 actions including the Second Gulf War- Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Afghanistan and the rise of counter-insurgency actions that brought on the need for new defensive packages like TUSK (Tank Urban Survivability Kit) upgrades, firepower enhancements, and new vehicles like the M1A1 SA, the Stryker Mobile Gun System, and future combat systems. Post-OIF M1A2 Abrams upgrades brings the reader up to the current M10 Booker and into the future.

Conclusion

This second book in the series continues Mr. Zaloga's thorough analysis of armor moving from post-WWII to the present. Throughout the text are excellent charts offering data on tank production, technical data, and other relevant information. The accompanying photos and artwork by the talented pool of Osprey artists through the years really enhance the excellent reference capabilities. Both books in the series are very worthy of picking up for the vast wellspring of information and inspiration they provide to the armor modeler or enthusiast.

Highly Recommended for those interested in the evolution of armor from post-WWII to the present.

Thanks goes out to Osprey Publishing for this review sample.

Reviewed by Michael Reeves

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