Ground Power 53

A.J. Carrington

Authors: N/A
Publisher: DELTA Publishing Co., Japan
Price: 2350 Yen

Dimensions: 7" x 10", 147 Pages

The Ground Power series of magazines is published monthly and represent one of the best sources for detailed
photographs, colour plates and line drawings/sketches currently available. Published monthly, the only negative is
that everything is in Japanese.

Review

Issue No053 covers weapons of the Japanese Army captured after the war. the Tiger II, the Hetzer, the M3/M5
Stuart and German anti-tank (Pak) weapons.

The section on Japanese equipment captured at the end of the war takes the first 19 pages. The photos cover
equipment ranging from infantry howitzers to trucks to tanks. As the text is in Japanese, and my knowledge of
Japanese equipment is limited, I can not provide much more of a detailed description. Regardless, the photos are
of high quality and will provide some good information for those modelling the items covered.

The section on the Tiger II is entitled "Tiger II in Detail", and covers the next 32 pages. The photos methodically
cover most aspects of the RMCS Tiger II, including some excellent internals showing the driver's position and
torsion bar arrangement. Interspaced among the photos are 16 lin drawings and sketches covering front, side and
rear elevations, plan, the binocular port, mantles, co-axial MG, rear deck, loader's hatches, rear escape door,
gunner's position, turret ammunition stowage, turret basket, front fender details and rear fender details.

The next section covers the Hetzer, currently on display at the RMCS and spans 19 pages. While there are no
drawings, the photos are excellent, covering all aspects of the vehicle including the internal roof seam,
ammunition stowage, lower hull and suspension, exhaust pipe and shroud, mantle and the side skirts.

The next 44 pages are dedicated to the "Stuart at War". Most photos are primarily combat shots covering the
M3, M5 and M8 in all theatres of the war, including a photo of a captured M3A3 with a Pak40 mounted in place
of the turret. There are also 4 colour photos and 4 colour plates.

The final section of the magazine covers the 3.7cm Pak35/36, 5cm Pak38, 7.5cm Pak40 and 8.8cm Pak43. All
photos are combat shots providing interesting views of the gun emplacements and crews in action.

Colour Plates

There are 4 colour plates covering the Stuart light tank, taken from the Militaria Magazine. All are of good
quality.

The 4 colour photos, also of the Stuart, are of very good quality, inlcuding a shot of an M3 in use by the British in
North Africa.

Summary

Summing up on this title is a little difficult as there is no one topic that dominates. The section on the Stuart is
excellent and I would highly recommend it for those modelling these vehicles. The section on the Tiger II doesn't
present much in the way of new material. The photos are of better quality that those found in Ryton's "Schwere
Panzer in Detail", but not enough to warrant purchasing it on that basis alone. For those interested in the Hetzer,
GET THIS BOOK!! The section on the German Pak is very interesting, but more as an added bonus. I would
suggest the new book by Chamberlain on German anti-tank weaponry for those truly interested in this topic.
Finally, for those interested in Japanese vehicles and equipment, I suggest you try and locate a copy to peruse to
see if the investment would be worthwhile.

Rating: (3 - 4) out of 5