Military Vehicles - Germany: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Professor Porsche's Wars - The Secret Life of Ferdinand Porsche (paperback)

Regarded as one of the great automotive engineers of the twentieth century, Ferdinand Porsche is well remembered today for his remarkable automotive designs including the Volkswagen Beetle and Auto Union Grand Prix cars.
Yet there is another side to his extraordinary career, for he was an equally inventive designer of military vehicles and machinery. In this field too he excelled. Indeed the sheer versatility of his contribution is astonishing. Karl Ludvigsen's study is the definitive guide.

He tells the complete story, focusing on Porsche's relations with the German armed forces and on the stream of advanced designs he was responsible for. Included are Austro Daimler's pioneering aero engines, the Kübelwagen, Schwimmwagen, Type 100 Leopard tank, Ferdinand or Elefant tank destroyer and the astounding Type 205 Maus tank.
He also describes Porsche's creative work on aero engines, tank engines and even a turbojet for the V-1 flying bomb.

Karl Ludvigsen's account confirms the pre-eminence of Ferdinand Porsche as a brilliant and prolific engineer, one of the most remarkable of his generation.

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German Military Vehicles in the Spanish Civil War - A Comprehensive Study of the Deployment of German Military Vehicles on the Eve of WW2

A comprehensive and up-to-date study of the combat and logistics vehicles which formed part of the German contingent that fought in the Spanish Civil War alongside the rebels.
The Panzer I, which so surprised the world in the Polish campaign and initially equipped the German Panzerdivisionen, was first seen in the Spanish Civil War, together with a wide range of war materiel such as anti-tank guns, flamethrowers, and so on.

This book looks at a wide range of vehicles: from the humblest motorcycle to the Horch staff car; from Opel Blitz, MAN Diesel, Mercedes, and Krupp trucks to the enormous Vomag 3LR 443 truck; not forgetting all the different types of military ambulances seen in Spain during the war years.
Never has such a comprehensive, painstaking and graphical study been made of vehicles used by the German contingent in the Spanish Civil War. The book contains over 500 top quality images, most of them previously unpublished, with each model that served in Spain perfectly identified.

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World War II German Field Weapons & Equipment - A Visual Reference Guide

This title is the first in a series that employs a simple and effective concept to illustrate and describe the multiplicity of equipment and weapons systems used on the ground during World War II. Whilst many books have described such weapons and war materiel, Keith Ward's unique abilities as a 3D technical artist bring these items to life, illustrated throughout in full colour.

Here, in a single concise volume, are all major and many minor and less well-known items of German weaponry and equipment, rendered precisely, including detailed cutaways showing their internal workings, information which is often absent from other publications.
Technical details are also provided. This is an essential volume for anyone interested in the German Armed Forces of World War II.

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Handbook on German Military Forces - War Department Technical Manual (TM E 30-451)

Created during WWII by the War Department, the Handbook on German Military Forces was intended to familiarize command staff with nearly every aspect of Hitler's war machine. Originally classified "restricted", the Handbook was created from the best intelligence that the OSS and other military information sources could offer.
It contains comprehensive information and analysis of the German military system, and includes chapters on the organization of Wehrmacht field forces, military and auxiliary organizations (including SS and SA), tactics, fortifications and defenses, movement, supply and evacuation.

It also contains a description of German uniforms and equipment. This includes mechanized forces and weapons from small arms to mortars, artillery, vehicles and tanks, and rocket weapons.
The Handbook's final chapters are devoted to a study of the Luftwaffe, including its chain of command, equipment, training and tactics.

While some of the details within this book may bear review in light of history, it remains one of the most comprehensive compendiums of information about the German forces ever assembled.
Although it was declassified after WWII, it's never been easy to obtain a copy of this book. This high quality reprint includes all the original text, diagrams and photographs from the final, 1945 revised version of the manual.

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German Military Vehicles of World War II - An Illustrated Guide to Cars, Trucks, Half-tracks, Motorcycles, Amphibious Vehicles and Others

Presents a cross-section of the most common transport vehicles produced and used by the German army. Tanks plus auxiliary vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, vans, ambulances, trucks and tractors made it possible for the troops to keep moving. These lightly armored or unarmored vehicles - aka "soft skins" - operated behind the front lines, maintaining supply lines, connecting armies with their home bases, and ultimately determining the outcome of battle.

Beginning with the development of military vehicles in the early 1930s, this volume discusses the ways in which this new technology influenced and, to some extent, facilitated Hitler's program of rearmament. Nomenclature, standard equipment, camouflage and the combat roles of the various vehicles are thoroughly examined. Individual vehicle types are arranged and discussed by the following classifications: cars and motorcycles; trucks and tractors; half-tracks and wheeled combat vehicles.
Accompanied by well-researched, detailed line drawings, each section deals with a number of individual vehicles, describing their design, manufacture and specific use.

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The Wehrmacht Weapons Testing Ground at Kummersdorf

The name Kummersdorf is inextricably linked with a wide variety of German weapons, vehicles and equipment. Kummersdorf was involved in every stage of military technical development: research, development, testing and the mass employment of military technology.

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German Military Equipment WW2 - Catalogue of Enemy Ordnance Material Vol. 1 - German - Brooklands Portfolio

Reprint of the US "Catalogue of Enemy Ordnance Material Vol. 1 - German" of German military equipment collected during WW2 by the Chief of Ordnance - Washington, DC. With supplements updated to June 1945.

Data and illustrations of all German ordnance material as collected during World War II by the office of the Chief of Ordnance, Washington, D.C., including supplements issued up to June 1945.
Covered are full specifications and detailed photographs of tanks, motor vehicles, artillery, small arms, aircraft armament, ammunition and rockets with both German and English nomenclature.

More information about Brooklands Portfolio books

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Panzer und Radfahrzeuge von Reichswehr und Wehrmacht

NEW

This revised edition of Werner Oswald's standard work provides a comprehensive overview of the military vehicles used by the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. It covers a wide range of vehicles, from early armored cars to tractors and rare vehicles.
The clear structure of the book highlights both technical and historical developments, which were previously difficult to understand, even for experts.
No more detailed documentation of the motorization of the German armed forces up to 1945 exists.

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Geheimprojekte des Heeres 1939-1945

The Third Reich produced a number of technical masterpieces, which were often developed and tested in secret in gigantic underground bunker systems. After the end of the war, the victorious powers were overwhelmed by the achievements of the German designers. Many developments, for example in the heavy tanks, were immediately adopted.

This volume provides an insight into the armaments complex and the test facilities of the Third Reich. It uses first-class image material to shed light on the army's secret developments of heavy and super-heavy tanks, railway guns, long-range weapons and rockets.

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180 Jahre KraussMaffei - Die Geschichte einer Weltmarke

The extraordinary history of KraussMaffei goes back to the beginnings of German industry. Shaped by continuous change, the Maffei and Krauss locomotive factories developed into a producer of buses, tracked vehicles and machines.
After many changes of ownership, KraussMaffei is now one of the world's leading manufacturers of machines for processing plastics and rubber.

The authors have researched the 180-year history of this oldest large company in Munich for the first time and evaluate its role in the context of Bavarian and German history. It shows that KraussMaffei has been able to preserve its identity to this day despite all the changes.

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Fahrzeuge der Reichswehr - Radfahrzeuge 1920-1935 (Spielberger)

Officially, the Reichswehr of the Weimar period never had more than 100 000 members, no heavy weapons and no armored vehicles; in maneuvers, cars with plywood bodies served as dummy tanks. But secretly, research and work had long been underway; tank prototypes, disguised as "tractors, " drove through the Soviet steppe, and only a few knew about it.

Pages of the book "Fahrzeuge der Reichswehr - Radfahrzeuge 1920-1935"

This Spielberger volume presents the developments that motorized the Wehrmacht in the first phase of the Second World War. With many illustrations, all technical data and facts are presented and substantiated in detail.

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Militärtechnik in den Museen Sinsheim und Speyer - Uniformen, Waffen, Panzer, Kraftfahrzeuge, Lokomotiven, Flugzeuge

This richly illustrated book provides a comprehensive overview of the most important military exhibits from the Sinsheim and Speyer technology museums. The detailed texts and numerous historical photographs give a realistic impression of the historical development of military technology, particularly during the Second World War, using the examples of the exhibits on display in the museums.

Pages of the book "Militärtechnik in den Museen Sinsheim und Speyer - Uniformen, Waffen, Panzer, Kraftfahrzeuge, Lokomotiven, Flugzeuge"

English-speaking readers will find an English summary of the most important facts at the end of each chapter.

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Militärfahrzeuge des deutschen Heeres 1905-1918 (Typenkompass)

Even though Wilhelm II was convinced that motor vehicles were only a temporary phenomenon and that horse-drawn carriages dominated the First World War, the imperial army still used many motorcycles, cars, trucks, tractors and, most recently, armored vehicles.

Pages of the book "Militärfahrzeuge des deutschen Heeres 1905-1918"

This book presents the most important vehicles of the German army between 1905 and 1918. Each type is presented with a photo, a historical description and a technical data sheet.

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Radfahrzeuge der Bundeswehr - seit 1956 (Typenkompass)

A modern, highly technological army requires support vehicles that are not necessarily armed, but provide necessary and valuable assistance in all military tactical activities.
This Typenkompass shows and describes in detail the wheeled vehicles of the Bundeswehr that were in use and are still in use today.

Pages of the book "Radfahrzeuge der Bundeswehr - seit 1956"

For each type covered, this Typenkompass book contains a photo, a historical description and technical data.

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