Wings and Wheels Publications

T-55 Special and Recovery Vehicles In Detail

by  František Korán, František Sýkora, Jan Martinec, Tomáš Bouchal

Reviewed By  Mark Aldrich, IPMS# 39295

MSRP: $44.99 ISBN: 80-86416-59-3 Web Site: www.wwpbooks.com Following on the heels of their T-54/55 in detail (WWP G07) Wing and Wheels Publications has released this 167 page book on Special and recovery vehicle based on the T-55 chassis. The book is soft bound and printed on thick stock paper. The cover jumps out and grabs you with a photo of a bright yellow painted ZS-55A Engineering tank. This vehicle is also covered on pages 80-132. This is just one of the few oddities contained in this book. The chapters are broken down into the vehicles that are covered with no real order at all. The English text is readable and kept to a minimum to allow the 167 pages of full color photographs to be appreciated. The first vehicle covered is the MT-55 Bridging vehicle. This section covers the different and numerous variations of bridges and bridge mount attachments. It also has eleven pages of photos showing off the driver and commanders stations with all the interior apparatus that make it different from the T-55. We then move on to the T-55C driver training vehicle. They discuss the bubble top version that was basically nothing more than the T-55 vehicle with the gun and sighting equipment removed and then show the "Favorit" vehicle. This is the standard T-55 vehicle with an angular sheet metal turret that greater reduces the weight of the driving vehicle. Next in line is the BS-55 Bulldozer which had a short life cycle. They removed the turret and realized the blade was too heavy without the turret to move earth well. Also covered is what looks like CMK's Haulage resin conversion vehicle. The VT-55A is covered next showing this vehicle and variants built in Czechoslovakia and Russia. They include numerous photos of a bright blue vehicle used by the Czech Railway Fire Brigade Recovery Service. We then move onto the BTS-4ARV which is basically a VT-55A with some different hull attachments and crane system. The ZS-55A is photographed next and is similar to the VT-55A but has the bulldozer blade attached. This is the cover vehicle and is really neat. The next set of photos is of a VT-55A owned and operated by the Czech Railway Fire Brigade Rescue Service painted in a bright red color. We then move on to a JVTB-55A which is again another crane variant that was produced in Germany. The OUV-155 is an extremely interesting vehicle. Imagine a T-55A with a Box crane mounted in place of the turret and the dozer blade attached. This would be a REALLY neat vehicle to do a conversion.. We end the book with the T-55 SPOT firefighter vehicle. This is a T-55 hull with a large box structure mounted on top with two turreted fire nozzles. This is a gaudy white and red painted vehicle. Supposedly, the box structure can be mounted on the T-55, Leopard 1, and M-48 hulls. The state of California supposedly has one and so does Germany. All in all if you, like me, are a T-55 nut then this book is a MUST HAVE. Even if you don't enjoy the specialty vehicle part, the interior and walk around shots are incredible. I would like to thank my wife Jerry for letting me buy it, Wings and Wheels for publishing it, Historica Books for having it and IPMS/USA for giving me a place to share it with you all.

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