Panzer Wrecks become one of my favorite reference books thanks to several reasons. For one, Bill Auerbach and Lee Archer have done a superb job of adding text to interesting photos illustrating German panzers in a natural state. Now they have begun a new series of books showcasing their photograph collection.

The style begun with Panzer Wrecks 1 has been maintained for this new series. It is in a landscape format with section sewn binding and high quality gloss soft covers. The book measures 8.125 inches tall by 11 inches wide and has 64 pages within. A great thing about the binding is the added creases to allow the covers to open further without stressing the binding.

The new series, Fotos from the Panzertruppen, does not limit itself to only wrecks. While there are a few, many of the photos are of operational vehicles.

The front inner cover has a dedication, acknowledgements, and a brief introduction by Mr. Archer. Much of the content is grouped by vehicle type. The 64 pages are on a very good quality semi-matte paper which can reproduce details in a photo quite well.

Photos are large, most one to a page, and some consist of a series (whether by photographers or from a film) and help illustrate vehicles from different views and/or different lighting conditions. Please note that the photos are not always to the same clarity as modern photos as most were taken by the troops themselves. Yet, a few of surprising clarity are found in this book.

There are 77 photos in the book; not including those repeated on the outer covers. The front cover photo appears on page 56. On the rear page the photo appears on page 38.

The vehicles featured in the book include:

1. PanzerKampfwagen I Ausfuhrung A
2. PanzerKampfwagen I Ausfuhrung B
3. PanzerKampfwagen II
4. PanzerKampfwagen 38 (t)
5. PanzerKampfwagen III
6. PanzerKampfwagen IV

The first vehicle represented is spread over ten pages and contains 12 photos. Several are of training vehicles, both makeshift and purpose built. One of interest seems to have the canvas tilt supports of the type used by the Sd.Kfz. 7 ammunition carrier. These are purpose built tilt supports which have been wired down to the vehicle. In another photo, one tank drives over another Panzer IA acting as a bridge carrier.

The next six pages have seven photos which show several variants of the PzKpfw I Ausf. B. The three photographs of turreted tanks are wrecks while the rest are of the kl.Pz.Bef.Wg.

The next feature follows with eleven photos on eleven pages of variants of the Panzer II. These include four combat photographs of the Ausf.b, two of the Ausf.a, one of the Ausf.c, and the rest of the Ausf.A, B, or C series. In one photograph, a flipped tank shows the bottom of the Panzer II.

The following ten pages have 12 photos of various Panzer 38 (t) variants. All, except one, are photos of combat tested tanks. These do include a few panzer wrecks. The exception is a factory photograph which is clear enough to see the two tone camouflage paint.

The next feature is a fourteen page essay the Panzer III variants including the early b covered in 15 photos. Ausf. C, D1, E, F, G, and J are depicted in the photos. OF particular interest is the Ausf.J tank which was pictured at two different times illustrating the effects of wear on the winter whitewash.

The last thirteen pages, along with the inner covers are dedicated to the Panzer IV. There are twenty photos including fourteen of the Vorpanzer variant shown. This is the most coverage I have seen of the variant since first noticing it in the Begleitwagen book by Speilberger, Jentz, and Doyle. Variants shown in the photos include combat photos of the Ausf.A, B, C, D, and E.

In the end, this continues the excellent work provided by the Panzerwrecks team. I hope to see more of this series as these gentlemen share more of their photograph collections.

My sincerest thanks go to William Auerbach for providing this copy for review. See more photos from this book or buy it directly by visiting the Panzerwrecks web site.

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