Pershing Vs Tiger: Germany 1945

Osprey Duel #80

by Steven J. Zaloga, Jim Laurier (Illustrations)

During the final battles on World War II's Western Front, the legendary German Tiger I heavy tank clashed with the brand-new M26 Pershing fielded by the United States. The Tiger I had earned a formidable reputation by the end of 1944, although its non-sloped armour and poor mobility meant it was being superseded by the Tiger II or 'King Tiger'. While the Tiger I had been in the front lines since 1942, the US Pershing first entered combat in late February 1945, and more than 20 Pershings would see action before war's end.

This book examines the dramatic Tiger/Pershing duel at Elsdorf in Germany, and also assesses the clashes between German armour and the sole 'Super Pershing' deployed to Europe. Featuring full-colour artwork, carefully chosen photographs and specially commissioned maps, this is the story of the first US heavy tanks in combat with the fearsome Tiger I during the last months of World War II in Europe.

Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2017

About the author

Steven Zaloga is an author and defense analyst known worldwide for his articles and publications on military technology.  He has written over a hundred books on military technology and military history, including “Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman in World War II”, one of the most highly regarded histories of the Sherman Tank.  His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He was a special correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and is on the executive board of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/producer for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series Firepower.  He holds a BA in history from Union College and an MA in history from Columbia University.

Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.

Reviews

[Michael Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well Written, Poorly Published

Kindle Edition. Kindle Fire. Recommend the book but the hard copy not the Kindle version. Explains the development and covers the introduction of the M26E3 tank into service in Europe in WW2. Also discusses Tiger development and the combat actions between the two types of tanks. Kindle edition missing some pictures and charts and has some pages in the wrong order. A couple pages may be missing and several paragraphs are repeated. Very poor transition from printed page to digital format.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books in the Duel series addressing tank warfare. The subject matter is perfect for the series in that the two tanks (three, if you include the King Tiger) were relatively rare and, as a result, the combat descriptions really do address duels between individual tanks rather than larger units. In addition, the book provides some surprising facts regarding the US Army and its encounters with Tiger tanks in northwest Europe.

[Antonio Bernarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good entry on the "Duel" series from Osprey. Great insight and context into the tanks involved in the duel, the M26 Pershing and the Tiger I while also giving some nods to the Tiger II in the last months of fightinh.

[Michael Romo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of how a handful of M-26 Pershing Heavy tanks were rushed to the battlefield in order to participate in the final battles against Nazi Germany in 1945. Interesting story.