The photographs in this unique book, many of which have only been recently discovered in archives in Eastern Europe, show the panzers at every stage of their development, from the first experimental units in the 1930s and their deployment in the Spanish Civil War, through the years when the blitzkrieg was triumphant in Poland, France and Russia, to the massive armoured battles on the Eastern Front, defeat in Normandy and the Ardennes and the final, futile defense of the Reich. They include pictures of the early panzers training in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, informal snapshots taken by crew members while on active service and spectacular photographs of the major tank battles, as well as photographs of rare variants and experimental models. The authoritative text which accompanies the photographs provides a detailed history of the development of the concept of the armoured blitzkrieg and of the equipment used by panzer units, together with expert analysis of the campaigns in which they were involved in Europe, Russia and North Africa.
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