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Originally the German assault gun was designed as an infantry support weapon, but the changing conditions of the battlefields of the Second World War forced it to adapt to perform a number of different roles, most importantly as a tank destroyer, although the infantry support role was never wholly discarded. If the much-glamorised Panzer divisions were the sword of the German army then the assault gun and tank destroyer units were its shield. As the Panzers' grip on the battlefield began to fail, though, it was left to the assault gun and tank destroyer crews to take up the burden.
List of contents
The inter-war years; wartime designs; reconnaisance half-tracks; organisation and method; armoured reconnaissance in action.
About the author
Bryan Perrett was born in 1934 and educated at Liverpool College. He served in the Royal Armoured Corps, the 17th/21st Lancers, Westminster Dragoons and the Royal Tank Regiment, and was awarded the Territorial Decoration. During the Falklands and Gulf wars, he worked as defence correspondent for the Liverpool Echo. A highly successful author, Bryan is married and lives in Lancashire.
Summary
The German assault gun was originally designed for infantry support but changing conditions on the battlefield forced it to adapt to other roles, notably as a tank destroyer. This volume details the gun's technical development, illustrated with a two-page annotated cutaway.
