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Japonska Bron Pancerna [Japanese Armor] vols. 1-3
By James Boyd
Unlike the air and sea forces of Imperial Japan, the land forces, especially
tanks, armored cars and the like, have received comparatively less attention. This
bilingual series (Polish / English) from AJ-Press goes a long way to resolving this
lack of attention, and is one of the best works on the subject in a long time. While
there have been other books on Japanese armor, AJ-Press have set a new standard for
excellence. The three volumes published to date cover Japan's interest in armor from
shortly after World War One through to the battle of Saipan in 1944, giving details of
the development of the whole array of Japanese armor from heavy tanks, tankettes, light
tanks and armored cars. There are also sections discussing the use in combat throughout
the period. Each volume is profusely illustrated with a range of both black and white
and color photos; the black and white being period photos, while the color are mainly
of surviving vehicles. I would note that many of the photos were new to me, suggesting
that the author has had access to archives in Eastern Europe. As a bonus, in volume one
is the section discussing the armored forces available to the Chinese Nationalists, which
adds another dimension to this series. If you have any interest in wargaming, the second
Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) is an overlooked field. Here you will find British, French,
Italian, German and Russian AFVs and armored cars being used by the same side, the Chinese!
In all three volumes there also 1/35 and 1/48 scale drawings, as well as and color plates
showing details of unit markings and camouflage. Lastly, in volumes two and three, there
are sections covering all of the available 1/35 plastic kits. See below for the details of
what is included in each volume. If you have an interest in military history, are a
wargamer or modeler, or just someone who has an interest in this aspect of Imperial Japan's
war machine, then this series is an essential purchase. A word of warning though, as,
according to the publisher's website, the first two volumes are already out of print and
the third is in short supply, so if you want these you will need to check out the specialist
bookstores. There is also, presumably, a fourth volume in the works that will cover the
defence of the homeland and the Russian invasion of Manchukuo, and if the coverage is
anywhere as good as the earlier three volumes, then the AJ-Press series will be the
benchmark for everything that comes after.
James Boyd
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