Introduction

This introduction is as supplied by Tankograd:
In September 2017, the Iron Brigade of the 4th (US) Infantry Division handed over command to the relieving 2nd Brigade Combat Team Dagger of the 1st (US) Infantry Division, or Dagger Brigade for short. The unit rotated for a nine-month-long period which included the exercises Allied Spirit VII, Allied Spirit VIII, Combined Resolve X and the SETC. Thus, the continuous deployment and permanent presence of a heavy American armoured brigade, under the term Army Rotational Force, continued in Europe with the second Atlantic Resolve rotation, a sign of NATO's resolve to defend its members.
This publication shows the exercise action of the Dagger Brigade as well as the unusual camouflage schemes and specialised markings of the vehicles involved.

Review

The US Military retained a large armoured presence in Germany after World War 2 and through the Cold War, as with all of the Forces based in Germany during the Cold War the levels were reduced drastically in some cases at the end of the Cold War, but the Annexation of Ukrainian land recently has resulted in American Forces being a regular in Germany today. It is this aspect that that one of the latest releases from Tankograd Publishing takes a look at the return of the Dagger Brigade to Germany and the involvement in Exercises during this deployment. This is a soft backed book having a robust card cover and containing 64 pages. This offering is one of Walter Bohm's contributions to the Tankograd Publishing offerings. This offering from Tankograd is one of their duel language books having German text on the left and English text on the right side of each page and that aspect also includes the captions that accompany each photograph.

The dedicated text section provided is limited as regards page count, but I have to say it provides plenty of detail to keep me happy with it and presents it in an easily understood format. The text all appears to be well written and did not trip me up along the reading of it. After the text we are presented with three pictorial sections covering the three exercises in which the Dagger Brigade participated; these being Allied Spirit VII, Allied Spirit VIII and Combined Resolve X.

I am going to look at all of these sections together as they do run nicely together with it covering one Brigade. As you would expect it is the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradly Infantry Fighting Vehicle that make up the majority of the photographs in this title, but they offer great shots of vehicles in Summer Green Paint with Desert camouflage additions and then Winter camouflage added to that; I think you will all agree a fairly unique mix for a colour scheme. An aspect of some of the images I really appreciated was the names applied to some of the vehicles, with 'Horseman of the Apocalypse' catching may eye.

I am pleased to say that Walter Bohm does not restrict his images to the fighting vehicles as the support gets its own coverage as well. Vehicles such as the D7 digger and venerable M60 bridge layer make a pleasing showing and these are topped off with the M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle. also included to good effect are the heavy support vehicles required by every army in the field. These vehicles get the army where it is needed, feed the soldiers, make sure that the vehicles are fuelled and that they get going when broken. I am really pleased by the images of the M88A2 Hercules as it is a vehicle with great appeal to me. One vehicle that caught me out was the M113 that I thought had finished its days with the US Military.

In addition to the armoured thrust and the support vehicles, we also get presented with the big guns of the artillery in the form of the M109A6 and its supporting M992A2. These are great additions to the book and to my mind a must have for a rounded presentation. Also Gino may have got upset if they were missed out.

Conclusion

This offering from Tankograd Publishing is a great offering for any modeller who wants to produce an accurate presentation of an Abrams or Bradly with some very unusual camouflage patterns present. I appreciate how Tankograd has gone to the trouble of presenting the reader with a broad view of the vehicles needed for combat operations on a large scale. This is another great addition to the Tankograd library.