The Oliver Publishing Group

Cromwell and Centaur - Combat Camera 1 Firefly Collection

by  Ian Carter

Reviewed By  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $24.95 ISBN: 978-0-9806593-2-0 Imported by Dragon Models USA - Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com Heavy cardstock Soft Cover A4 measures 8 ¼ " x 11 5/8", 32 pages plus inside covers black and white, full color outside covers. This book is the first in a new "Combat Camera" series from Australia's Firefly Books from the Oliver Publishing Group, which follows from their earlier The Factory Publishing titles which included The New Breed Part 1 North Africa, Color and Marking Series and Jungle Armour, British and Indian Army Sherman's in the Far East. If lineage matters, then most noteworthy of all is the fact that the author, Ian Carter, was Photographic Curator of the Imperial War Museum's archives, who had access to the more than 60 photos featured here, most for the first time anywhere. With only one to three large photos per page, all with excellent captions, the reader can actually see the details the author refers to. How many times have you scratched your head trying to identify details an author points out, that he may have been able to have seen on his 8 ½ x 11 pre publication glossy that became virtually invisible when shrunk to the small published size? The seven full color illustrations plus three insets give you almost as many or more vehicle color drawings as a comparable Concord or Osprey book. If it's occurred to you that these are British tanks, not German, consider this. The Cromwell (2,494 built) was a stop-gap medium tank that crossed the English Channel and handled with great bravery, skill and tactics, defeated the Germans. The better Comet and Challenger tanks arrived in small numbers and stood a fair chance to win one to one against the Panthers and Tigers, but it was the Cromwell and its 95mm armed Centaur brother (1,821 built), along with Sherman's and Fireflies, and aging Churchill's that bought the time for the Tommies to cross into and thru Germany. I'm sure the Cromwell accepted more surrendering Germans and their towns than any other British tank. And BTW, the Allies won WWII! In addition to the superb pictorial presented, Mr. Carter provides a concise history of the Cromwell's and Centaurs with the 7th Armored Division, 11th Armored Div., Guards Armored Div., the 1st Polish Armored Div., 1st Czech Independent Armored Brigade Group, the Royal Marines Armored Support Group and the 6th Airborne Div. He even follows their reassignment as appropriate, i.e. four 6th Airborne Centaurs transferred to the 51st Highland Division. He also explains the changes in camouflage, and illustrates the Unit Insignia and Arm of Service (AoS) markings of those units as well as the Royal Artillery Tactical signs and the Organization of the Armored Reconnaissance Regiment in June 1944. The photos are a rich source for showing variations of stowage, exhaust cowls, use of foliage, and yes, even a British equivalent of Zimmerit paste! I highly recommend Cromwell and Centaur - Combat Camera 1 to modelers with an interest in WWII British Armour. It is priced similar to competing publishers books but I can honestly say I was especially impressed by the superior choice and quality of photos and illustrations, and information packed into it. I hope they're planning on a similar follow up edition on the Comet & Challenger. Thanks to Dragon Models USA and the Oliver Publishing Group for the review copy.