introduction

Of all the support vehicles one thinks of concerning Germany in World War Two, the Opel Blitz 3 ton truck most certainly comes to mind. Originally a design for the civilian market, the Wehrmact only took it into service after realizing that specialized military designs were costly and impossible to secure large production. The Opel Blitz was found to be quite suitable to military use, and soldiered on until the end of the war.

the book

Tankograd Publishing has been known for its series of photo journals covering a wide variety of topics. This series, the Wehrmacht Special, covers vehicles from the German military using mostly never seen photos from personal collections. Indeed many of the photos seen in this volume are candid and, in addition to showing the vehicle, also shows the soldiers in a more casual appearance than what one would see in official Wehrmact photos. Both full English and German text are included for the captions and historical text.

Opening the book there is seven pages of information and general history including production numbers and stats. Past that the remaining 57 pages are nothing but photos, two per page. The book is broken down into sections, which are:

• First Model—Troop Carrier
  
• Second Model --- Cargo
  
• Third Model--- Simplified Cargo Bay
  
• Late Variants
  
• Series Production Box type Bodies
  
• Specialized Bodies
  
• Impressed Civilian Vehicles
  
• All Wheel Drive
  
• Busses
  
• War Booty (single picture of captured Blitz in Russian service)

All of the photos are very clear, and of high quality in black and white. The captions are equally informative, usually giving units and historical information relating to the photos subject. I was personally impressed by the variety of different types and modifications covered in the photos. Everything from the standard cargo bed, to field kitchens, maintenance cranes, busses, fuel tankers, and even a single example of a flak truck with armored cab.

conclusion

If you plan on building an Opel Blitz kit, whether the old Itaeri kit or new Tamiya kit, along with your pile of aftermarket items this book should also be nearby. I have already spotted several photos I would like to reproduce in a model. With this book, no matter how many Blitz’s I build in my modeling lifetime, I will always be able to find some unique variations to model making for an interesting collection. Thanks to Tankograd, gone are the days of the simple German field grey truck with oil drums and boxes. Highly recommended to anybody with an Opel Blitz in the kit stash, and for those who want a good excuse to get one!