introduction

I have always been drawn to the twisted, blown apart, rusted wrecks of the world and it didn’t stop there when I began to model the destruction for a hobby. So after looking through any one of the Panzerwrecks books in the series, you know I am in my glory!! Being able to see more than one view, the inside and to gain new facts about a wreck right at my fingertips is a huge resource for one who enjoys modeling them. With this said, I could not wait to thumb through the pages of Panzerwrecks 12.

The Book

Again, from the collaboration of Lee Archer and William Auerbach, comes Panzerwrecks 12: German Armour 1944-45. The 12th installment in the Panzerwrecks Series shows us a vivid glimpse into the world of wrecked armor. A 98 page, (including front and back cover), landscape oriented book loaded with clear black and white period photographs. Page after page of descriptively outlined wrecks and captured vehicles.

There are five outlined sections to this book:

Self Destruct: Story of a Jagdtiger:
A comprehensive look at a mighty Jagdtiger that was the victim of ‘self demolition charges’ near Paderborn, Germany.

‘Sarge Bealko Shoots a Tiger II:
From 1./s.SS-Pz.Abt.101. After being lost this beast was abandoned by its crew.

Oldtimers at Schmalnau:
A close look at a Pz.Kpfw. Ausf. C, Pz.Kpfww.III Ausf.F No.132, Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf G No. 131 and a Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J all taken out near Schmalnau, Germany

‘Disc’ Panther at Parroy:
A look at Panther Ausf. G with faded Disc camouflage . The pictures show still from the US Signal Corps of the inspection of the knocked out Panther and as well as the inspection crew driving off “with their new prize”.

Panzer OV/70(V) inside and out:
An up close look inside and out at a Panzer IV/70(V) listed as Vehicle ‘1032’.

Packed with 134 incredible photos of a number of wrecks and captures, this soft bound book is a valuable asset to anyone who is interested in German themed and wrecked armor modeling. This is a well researched pictorial of the world of wrecked, armored vehicles and the time and effort the authors put into this book are more than evident.

Some notable mentions other than the highlighted sections include a S.Pz.Sp.Wg.(Fu)(Sd.Kfz.232)(8 Rad), a captured American M8 that served as a Panzerspahwagen M8(a) and a nice glimpse at the ‘Octopus Tiger’ with a very nice Technicolor picture on the inside back cover. This is not to mention the numerous additional pictures of a StuG III Ausf. G, Pz. II Ausf. B and many more.

Conclusion

Packed with marvelous references along with the incredibly detail pictures, Panzerwrecks 12 is everything we have come to expect from the authors, Lee Archer and William Auerbach. Well worth the cover price and a worthy addition to anyone’s library.