Osprey Publishing

Panther vs Sherman
Battle of the Bulge 1944

by  Steven J. Zaloga
Reviewed By  Mark Aldrich, IPMS# 39295

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MSRP: $17.95
ISBN: 978-1-84603-292-9
Website: www.ospreypublishing.com

Duel – A formal prearranged combat between two persons; usually fought to settle a point of honor.

This is Webster’s definition of the new Osprey series currently on the market. When I read or hear the term "duel," two images come to mind. The first is two smartly-dressed men facing back to back; they count off ten paces, turn and fire. The second is of two WWI biplanes squaring off against each other over no man’s land. In either of the scenarios, there is one winner and one loser. Any tread head worth his weight knows that a Sherman doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance when pitted against a Panther. In the words of Oddball, "To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some kind of weird sandwich not some nut who takes on a panther." Of course, the actual phrase from the movie was three tigers……but you get the point. This book, and maybe all the others in the Duel series, isn’t about one-on-one combat.

Steven Zaloga is a name synonymous with Osprey and armored combat in general. I believe that over half my collection of Osprey books includes his name for one reason or another. This book is number thirteen in their current series. The book is softbound and eighty pages in length. It contains an assortment of black-and-white photographs and color computer graphics of different parts of each tank. Steven breaks it down into nine chapters and covers each vehicle separately.

The book does not cover single combat between a Sherman and a Panther but compares Shermans and Panthers as a whole, up to and during the Battle of the Bulge. He covers chronology, design and development, technical specifications, combatants, the strategic situation, combat, statistics and analysis, and conclusion.

His conclusions are spot on. The only disagreement I have is that he uses a lot of reasons the Panther was not better than the Sherman. I believe it was one simple reason -- we (the Allies) denied Germany the raw materials it needed to continue making Panthers. Had Germany been able to produce the Panthers unhindered, I believe the outcome might have been different.

This is a great read for anyone interested in tank warfare involving either the Sherman or Panther tanks. This is a great book and I highly recommend it. This and any of the Duel series can be purchased directly from Osprey’s website or at any well-stocked hobby shop. Thanks to Shirley Tung of Osprey Publishing and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

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