Osprey

Armored Trains - New Vanguard 140

by  Steven J. Zaloga Illustrated by Tony Bryan

Reviewed By  Jack Bruno, IPMS# 25313

MSRP: $17.95 ISBN: 978-1-84603-242-4 Website: www.ospreypublishing.com It's hard to believe that you can trace the lineage of Armored Trains back to the War Between the States. However, the most notable advance in the protection of Military and Commerce Supplies came during World War Two. With marauding aircraft in the skies of Europe and Russia, not to mention Partisan activity, trains became a vast target to hinder communication and prohibit Military supplies and Troops from reaching the Front. New Vanguards latest Edition focuses on Armored Trains and is written by Steve Zaloga. In it's 48 pages of History and information you get a short history and a vast amount of great pictures that any armor builder will yearn for. Some of the new Kit releases also reflect on this suddenly popular genre of Modeling. There are a great many examples, including a Flatcar hosting a Panzer IV Turret (a new Trumpeter kit) and six pages of color plates providing you with examples of both Allied (mostly Soviet) and German trains. I found myself saying..."So that's what they did with those old Tank Turrets." Most notably, Soviet T-28 Tank Turrets. Several Soviet armed Train units also carried T-34 turrets which is quite striking. I was also very impressed by reading that in the opening phases of Barbarossa, the German Army used Armored Trains to capture and hold key Bridges until the Infantry units came up. Something to behold was on page 43. It is a long line of Flatbed cars hosting a pair of prefab concrete Flak Pits on each car, and using it as mobile Flak Protection for railways. Either Axis or Allied there is something to be learned here as far as your modeling and historical curiosity. Armored Trains continued to serve even up to Bosnia. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this new Edition and I'm now ready expand my modeling skills into this area. I've seen several examples of Armored Trains at past Conventions too............ENJOY!!!!!!!! Thanks to the Osprey and IPMS/USA for sending me this extraordinary Osprey Edition.