106 Airfi x Model World View more reviews online:www.airfi xmodelworld.com 107
ON THE SHELF
BOOKSDer Tiger Volume 3: Schwere
Panzerabteilung 503
By: Volker Ruff
ISBN: 978-3-9816908-2-8
Price: £26.99
Format: 250 x 302mm
Web: http://www.panzerwrecks.comVolker Ruff’s third photo-study
of Tiger battalions covers
schwere Panzerabteilung (heavy
tank battalion) 503 and utilises
material from private collections
and archives, much of which has
never been published previously.
The extensive captions are in
German and English, and whileproviding crucial context to each
scene/vehicle, will also provide
modellers with excellent background
information on camouflage,
equipment and configuration. What
makes this album stand out is the
sheer variety of subject matter; the
unit’s Tigers take centre stage, but
they are photographed on exercise,
during combat, refuelling at a laager
point or undergoing maintenance
after battle — including a Tiger turret
about to be lifted by a Frieskran/
Strabokran (gantry crane). While a
considerable number are obviously
propaganda shots, a surprising
number are taken by the crews or
other unit personnel, which adds
a human touch. It’s not just Tigers
that feature, though, and they are
joined by Panzer IIIs, Sd.Kfz.263
radio wagons and Sd.Kfz.9 ‘Famo’
recovery/tractor vehicles. With the
recent spate of railway-associated
kits, such as transport wagons, this
is prime reference material, with
plenty of photos of Tigers embarked
on railcars for transport to/from
the front lines.SFGERMANY’S TYPHOON
128 pagesA BRIDGE TOO FAR
The Battle for Arnhem 1944-1945
By: Anthony Tucker-Jones
ISBN: 978-1-52673-001-5
Price: £14.99
Format: 245 x 190mm
Web: http://www.pen-and-sword.co.ukWhen most histories discuss the
events of Operation Market Garden
and the airborne assault on Arnhem
bridge, they tend to focus on the
initial actions and the immediate
aftermath of the parachute drop.
The author’s approach is to view
these events through a somewhat
wider lens, and in doing so adds
considerably to the understanding
of events during late 1944 and
early 1945 in the Dutch town. It
achieves this by showing how
operations by the American 101st
and 82nd Airborne Divisions held
off German counterattacks as the
main Allied armoured advance
attempted desperately to reach
the paratroopers trapped there.
There are also plenty of photos from
German sources, and these show
vehicles, equipment, personnel
and the aftermath of combat
with Allied forces. Perhaps themost sobering perspective is that
although the initial operation took
place in September 1944, the town
wasn’t liberated until April 1945,
a campaign that is also covered
within this book. As an historical
reference, this is a superb ensemble;
from a modelling perspective it is a
proverbial gold mine. Armour and
diorama builders are presented with
masses of inspiration for future
projects; arguably the difficulty will
be selecting just one to concentrate
on, such is the richness of the
photographic material.SF126 pages1973: The First Nuclear War
By: Tom Cooper and
Abdallah Emran
ISBN: 978-1-911628-71-2
Price: £16.95 Format: A4
Web: casematepublishing.co.ukArguably, this Middle East at War
volume (No.19) has one of the most
attention-grabbing titles to date,
but the authors quickly explain
the reasoning behind its alarming
statement. The focus is on a
series of major air battles between
the Israeli (IAF) and Egyptian Air
Forces (EAF) around the Port
Said (Egypt) area during October- These have taken on almost
mythical status in Arab minds,
and the EAF commemorates
October 14 as its official day of
celebration. However, exhaustive
research by the authors indicates
the pivotal events of that day
may not have occurred and sets
it within a wider context of the
initial IAF setbacks during the Yom
Kippur War, which engendered
fears of defeat. The second prism
through which all these events
are analysed (and the basis for
the title) is Israel’s possession
of nuclear warheads for both
missiles and bombs, and its ever-
present fear the Soviet Union
would supply Egypt with them for
its Scud missiles. The engaging
and at times visceral narrative is
enlivened considerably by pilot
accounts of air battles, supported
by excellent period photographs
and colour profiles of specific
aircraft involved in the respective
countries’ air campaigns. This is
a splendid reference on the 1973
War, but also one with considerable
interest for modellers. SFYOM KIPPUR AIR BATTLES
88 pages160 pagesMesserschmitt Bf 108 Taifun
By: Jan Forsgren
ISBN: 978-83-61421-67-2
Price: £13.99
Format: 230 x 164mm
Web: http://www.mmpbooks.bizThis pocketbook-sized volume
appears to have been produced
with modellers firmly in mind.
There’s an extensive overview
of the development, operational
history and technical aspects of
the Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun
(Typhoon), plus a magnificent
walk-around photo collection,which depicts museum exhibits
and privately owned aircraft. The
narrative is further enlivened
by more than 40 colour profiles,
which show the liveries and
markings worn by Taifuns during
their service with several nations,
including Germany, France,
Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Britain
and Japan. An excellent set of
1/72 scale plans are also provided
within the book, and these are
complemented by a foldout
sheet with 1/48 drawings that
cover Bf 108B, -C and-D variants.
Initial chapters deal with the
type’s design and development,
segueing neatly into the
experiences of the Luftwaffe and
foreign operators. Almost half
the pages are devoted to detailed
photos, and every aspect of the
aircraft appears to be covered,
with diagrams from technical/
maintenance manuals providing
further information on the
Taifun’s structures. Modellers
with kits from Eduard, Heller or
Fly will find all they need to build
an accurate model, and there’s
more than sufficient close-ups
to satisfy even the most ardent
scratch-builder. SFARMOUR THROUGH A LENS