Introduction

Tankograd Publishing recently released issue number 22 of their popular In Detail Fast Track book series and it is the first new release in this series in 3 years. This title covers an unusual vehicle and not one I was expecting to see, the Pansarbandvagn 302 B also known as Sweden's "M113". My knowledge of this vehicle is very limited and so I did find this title informative both in the written word and visually. The Author of this particular release is Andreas Kirchoff

Review

This offering of the In Detail Fast Track series of books is published with English text only. All captions that accompany each and every photograph are also supplied in German and English. The text portion of this title is complete in two pages, but do not let that deter you as the intention of these titles is to provide great visual reference rather than a written history.

One of the aspects of these books generally and this title specifically is that the vehicles are shown in use and have some wear and rear present rather than a pristine vehicle. I find vehicles shown in their natural element so much more informative than staged for photographic purposes. The photographic section that starts this title is perfect in this regard as it does show the vehicle doing what it is supposed to and where it is supposed to do it.

The next photographic section looks at the vehicle in detail and provides close ups of various locations on the vehicle in a logical manner. The images start by looking over various aspects of the exterior, images of the inner hatches are an area I was pleased to see as they can be difficult area to get to look right. Attention is then turned on the turret and the 20mm cannon, one thing that needs to be absorbed by the viewer is the camouflage which does look visually appealing. I was pleased to see some access panels opened up which are used for extra buoyancy and general storage. The in detail section of the title also takes you for a tour of the interior and so in my opinion covers all aspects of the vehicle very well. The images are each accompanied by very good captions which further enhance their value to the reader.

The book comes to a close with an overall look at the various configurations that the Pansarbandvagn 302 B is used in; in many respects this highlights how the Pansarbandvagn 302 B got the nickname of Sweden's "M113", after all we all know how many alternatives there were and are in the M113 family during its long career. The various configurations are covered with a series of overall photographs and then presents images of the alterations inside and out on that set up in detail; as such this should enable the modeller to tackle this vehicle with a good level of knowledge to hand regardless of what they wish to represent.

Conclusion

This book covers the Pansarbandvagn 302 B family very well in my humble opinion and should provide the modeller with a psychological crutch if tackling the vehicle regardless of which set up is being modelled. The photographs are as you would expect are of a very good quality and are further enhanced by the well written captions. I will say this is not a vehicle I was expecting to see covered, but it is a very nice addition to the series. Remember there are only 599 copies of this title available so if it appeals order early.