M18 Hellcat Vs. Panther - Arracourt 1944

By William E. Hiestand

Osprey Publishing's newest armor vs armor book is an intriguing encounter, told in a way that brings to life what it must have been like for two of the harder hitting armor pieces to have met in the final months of WWII on the Western Front.  We all know about the Sherman being the mainstay of Allied armor that landed during D-Day.  But what about the M18 Hellcat? 

This latest book covers the match the M18 Hellcat had with a late Panther variant at Arracourt in 1944.  Designed for superior battlefield performance, the Panther up to that point had proven itself on the field since introduction at the battle of Kursk in 1943 against the Russians.  Teething issues taken care of resulting from being rushed into battle, the Panther by this point in the war was a force unlike very many other in the German Army.  At 29 mph, the Panther could move pretty well for the weight it carried in an almost 14 hp to ton ratio.  With a 75mm 42/L70 cannon, it was deadly at great distances and certain death at close range if hit by it.  Most historians view the Panther as the best the German's fielded during WWII.  It had it all.  Rugged, fierce and a lethal killing machine, the Panther ruled most battlefields with it's superior abilities. That is, until it met the Hellcat with it's greyhound like track performance.

Designed to replace the M10 with a quicker speed, the Hellcat was envisioned to be a fast vehicle with lighter armor but with a gun that could penetrate thicker German armor when encountered, a light, nimble and heavily armed main gun, it had an edge when used in quick encounters.  In more than holding it's own in a maneuvered engagement, only recently rushed to production, it would meet up with the Panther.  At a blazing 55 mph top speed, this vehicle could be very hard to hit at distance while moving along at top speed.  With an almost 19 hp to ton ratio, the vehicle had the horsepower to shoot, scoot and evade, while being lighter armored against incoming rounds from German tanks.  The tank in the hands of skilled drivers and gun crew, it could get in close by relying on speed and then use it's 76.2mm gun to do the job at close range, aided with a lighter hull and a fast drive train, that is what made the Hellcat lethal.

These two would come face to face at Arracourt.  David vs. Goliath on the armor field.  Could David get close enough to the giant to win?

Osprey covers the history of these two vehicles and more importantly, how they were used against one another when they met at Arracourt in September-44'.

The great photos, the maps of the overall engagement that paints the story, all of the encounter is covered in this book.  You are put in the situation where these two vehicles met one another, the outcome and the aftermath of it.  You even get insights into two of the German commanders.

At 80 pages, the book is broken down into 10 total chapters with an index at the end.  It is a good read and not very hard to follow, especially when it comes to the technical side of the explanations given.  Enjoyable to read, the material covered is outstanding.

Time to dive into this book which consists of the following chapters:

This book comes with enough information about both vehicles to be a great reference resource for your library.  There are some great photos in the book that shows a lot about each vehicle so you can get a really great idea about the vehicles and what it was like to be a crew member.  The use of colorful maps that were included in this book were vital to painting the picture of the overall battlefield.  For example, in the chapter "The Strategic Situation", the map that is used on Page 39 is large enough and clear enough to show the reader what the situation was like on the ground that faced the deployment of these two tanks.  And, on page 47, special consideration is given to two of the commanders of Panzer Brigade 111 and 113 that were rushed into battle. 

The first, Heinrich-Walter Bronsart Von Schellendorf of Panzer Brigade 111 and Erich Freiherr Von Seckendorff being the commander of Panzer Brigade 113 are mentioned with a photo of Von Schellendorf.  The short back story provided of these two men are bonus notes that help paint the picture of their mindset.  Their lives would end and are mentioned in this book.

From a pictorial history perspective, the book is really good.  From the perspective of the actual historical information provided, it's very good to have in one's library.  I'm glad I have it to be honest and I have read and re-read this book several times in preparation of writing this review.  I am thankful for having reviewed it. 

I think if you get this book for your library, you will enjoy reading it.  I know I did.

Highly Recommended for Beginner to Advanced builders.

Thanks goes out to Osprey Publishing for this book review opportunity.

Reviewed by GLEN MARTIN

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