Reviewed by Ken Bowes

Osprey's M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941-45  will be available online from Squadron.com

The timing of this book on the Lee/Grant series of tanks couldn't have come at a better time with Mirage Hobbies of Poland having just released their 1/72 scale models of the same vehicles.

I haven't read any of Steve Zaloga's books before but I believe he has authored quite a few so it comes as no surprise to find that it's a very easy read indeed. I do know of him as an extremely good modeller so it also come as no surprise that he would not get bogged down in technicalities as is so often the case with this kind of book.

Beginning with an introduction, he then takes us through the production of the M2 medium tank and on to the development of the M3. This is then followed with a detailed description of the various marks complete with tables to show how many of each was built, when and by who. In this section there's even two photos of the very rare M3A2. Not bad considering there were only twelve built.

We then get into the combat history, initially with the British in North Africa and then in a separate chapter, the U.S. Army. That's followed by another on the Russian use at places like Kursk and then we move on to the M3's combat history in Burma and it's use in Australia and the Americas. Finally, Steve tells us of all the conversions made to it after being replaced by the M4 as a front-line Gun Tank such as Tank Recovery Vehicles, Canal Defence Light Tanks and Flamethrower Tanks just to name a few.

The colour artwork is excellent and there are two particular prints, a Russian M3 and a Canal Defence Light Tank that I would have sworn were colour photos. There are six profiles, two U.S. Lees, two British Grants and two Lees used in the Burma campagn and a cut-away with descriptions of the various items seen. This brings me to my only criticism, I would have liked a lot more side profiles of other variants and colour schemes.

Having read this book, you will not become an expert on Lee/Grants but you will have a well rounded knowledge of the subject.

Highly Recommended.
 

M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941-45 (Osprey New Vanguard 113) Author: Steven J Zaloga Illustrator: Hugh Johnson US Price: $19.95 UK Price: £12.99 Publisher: Osprey Publishing Publish Date: August 10, 2005 Details: 48 pages; ISBN: 1-84176-889-8 Shop Buy it from Osprey Publishing

Review Copyright © 2005 by Glen Porter
Page Created 25 August, 2005
Last updated 24 August, 2005

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