Introduction

The following introduction is as supplied by Tankograd Publishing:
A total of 408 Spähpanzer 2 Luchs eight-wheeled armoured reconnaissance vehicles were built for the modern German Army and they were used in light armoured reconnaissance platoons within divisions of the Bundeswehr. During its service period from 1975-2008, the Luchs was regarded by units as an outstanding vehicle, one that gained fame during exercises and missions abroad.

This publication pays tribute to one of the most recognisable vehicles of the modern German Army and its Wehrmacht heritage by providing in-depth technical and in-service coverage with photographs and technical scale drawings, most of which hitherto unpublished.

Review

This offering from Tankograd Publishing titled 'The Luchs 8-Wheeled Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle in Modern German Army Service' is a soft backed publication authored by Peter Blume. This offering is a duel language publication in German and English having German on the left and English on the right side of each page. This offering consists of 72 pages of glossy paper protected by a card cover.

This publication is broken down into a number of areas as listed below:
Spähpanzer 2 Luchs Introduction
Luchs Technical Description
Luchs Spähpanzer 2 A0/A1
Luchs Modernisation
Luchs Spähpanzer 2 A2
Luchs in Service
Luchs Missions Abroad

Tankograd Publishing has done a very good job of covering the Spähpanzer in this title and Peter Blume deserves praise for the way in which he has tackled this release. As most will already be aware the amount of space available for dedicated text in this titles is restricted due to the numbers of photographs that need to be included; Peter has provided all of the information I would wish for on the Spähpanzer when it comes to the data I would look for as a modeller while also providing a good level of detail for those that are interested in the vehicle for what it is.

The text being in both German and English has not affected the quality of this publication in any way and the text covers the vehicle from inception to demise. The development of the Spähpanzer is covered from the early 60's to its full deployment in 1978. The technical detail covers every aspect other than the crew posts and when I say every aspect even the brakes get a special mention!

The modernisation programmes that the Spähpanzer underwent from the early 1980’s through to 2002 are well covered in this publication. These changes will be of interest to modellers looking to depict a vehicle of a very specific date, but it should be noted that most of these changes would not affect the look of a finished model. What I refer to as the text proper finishes with a section covering the Spähpanzer in service and its deployment abroad.

The written sections of this title have been well covered with the addition of a mix of period and recent photographs. The photographs of the early development vehicle are an especially good addition to this publication. Tankograd Publication also excels when it comes to captions that accompany photographs as they are very informative about what is depicted.

The dedicated photographic sections covering the Spähpanzer in a walk around format are very well done and offer clarity when it comes to covering very specific detail both inside and outside of the vehicle. Of special note and something that I as a modeller am especially pleased to see are 1/35th scale drawing of the Spähpanzer 2 A0/A1 and the Spähpanzer 2 A2 that enables modellers to check the accuracy of their model and the locations of elements on them.

Conclusion

Tankograd Publications has a great addition to the books with this title authored by Peter Blume. The effort put into the text is well received by me and impressive in the information it provides the reader. A great selection of photographs is enhanced by the addition of very informative captions. The addition of the 5 way 1/35th scale drawings is the icing on the cake and make this a must have publication for anyone with a Luchs Spähpanzer build in their future.