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Leopard 2: NATO's First Line of Defence, 1979–2020
A modeler’s guide to one of the most powerful tanks operating “Highly recommended.” —AMPS IndianapolisWhen the Leopard 2, a third-generation main battle tank, first entered service with the Bundeswehr in 1979, at the height of the Cold War, it was indisputably the most advanced and potent tank in the world. Over four decades it has undergone numerous upgrades and modifications to ensure it remains one of the most powerful tanks operating today. It currently serves with the armies of seventeen nations, from Canada to Turkey and many European states.The Leopard 2 is also a popular subject for modelers, which is why David Grummitt’s highly illustrated expert guide is so valuable. As well as describing in detail the Leopard 2’s design, development, and combat history, he gives a full account of the wide range of modeling kits and accessories available in all the popular scales. Included is a modeling gallery, which features six builds covering a range of Leopard 2s serving with different nations and a section of large-scale color profiles which provide both reference and inspiration for modelers and military enthusiasts alike.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2020
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April 14, 2023
The Leopard 2 is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and technologically advanced tanks in the world. The book I am presenting to you today, part of the "Tank Craft" series published by Pen & Sword, is dedicated to this tracked monster that has been in service for the armies of various countries for more than 40 years.
The creation of a new German armored weapon took advantage of the experience of veteran designers of the Second World War, so much so that it was not long before the fleet of American-made tanks in service at the Bundeswehr was first flanked and then supplanted by the Leopard tank.
The Leopard, a European creation (it was also produced in Italy) was an excellent tank, but the advent of a new generation of Soviet tanks saw the design of an even more powerful tank.
David Grummitt, historian and model maker, guides us to discover this powerful vehicle thanks to the number 28 of the Tank Craft Series, a series that, as you know, if you follow this blog regularly, tries to mediate between the technical history of the various armored vehicles and attention towards the model maker who recreates them starting from the models on the market.
This is precisely the peculiarity of the series, which is aimed at the historian, the enthusiast and the model maker. The Leopard 2, which has had (and will have) a very long operational life, has known many versions. Between the squared tank of the origins and the elusive profile of today in the more advanced versions, it is difficult even to recognize the same vehicle. Many are the users starting from the Germans, who have relied on this efficient vehicle. As mentioned, there are many variants, not least the specialized ones and the new ones, modified precisely for a new type of war, the one in which the Leopard 2 found themselves in Afghanistan with the constant threat of explosives and traps that have seen strengthening especially the lower part of the tank.
Grummitt deals with every development up to 2019 in his book, describing each version and contributing, as an excellent model maker, also to the section of the assembled kits. A photo gallery that includes 6 1/35 scale models of various versions, 2 of which were created by the author himself.
The central part of the text contains the various profiles of this vehicle, in its various versions and nationalities. The vehicle is used by Germany, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Poland, Austria, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, a sign that the Leopard 2 tank is very popular. Its operational use also constitutes a section of the book, with particular attention to its use in Afghanistan and the "unfortunate" experience of the Turkish Leopards in the recent invasion of Northern Syria.
In addition to the aforementioned section regarding kits assembled and painted by professional modelers, the part dedicated to the model maker also makes use of reviews of the various kits on the market, in 1/35, 1/72 scale and even some 1/16 and 1/48 scale. The choice between the various models is enormous, and if you add the various modification kits of some minor manufacturers, the possibility of creating hyper-realistic models and similar to the various versions of the Leopard 2 tanks is very high.
What more can I say? David Grummitt adds another very high quality volume to the Tank Craft series that describes one of the most powerful and reliable tanks in the modern world.
The creation of a new German armored weapon took advantage of the experience of veteran designers of the Second World War, so much so that it was not long before the fleet of American-made tanks in service at the Bundeswehr was first flanked and then supplanted by the Leopard tank.
The Leopard, a European creation (it was also produced in Italy) was an excellent tank, but the advent of a new generation of Soviet tanks saw the design of an even more powerful tank.
David Grummitt, historian and model maker, guides us to discover this powerful vehicle thanks to the number 28 of the Tank Craft Series, a series that, as you know, if you follow this blog regularly, tries to mediate between the technical history of the various armored vehicles and attention towards the model maker who recreates them starting from the models on the market.
This is precisely the peculiarity of the series, which is aimed at the historian, the enthusiast and the model maker. The Leopard 2, which has had (and will have) a very long operational life, has known many versions. Between the squared tank of the origins and the elusive profile of today in the more advanced versions, it is difficult even to recognize the same vehicle. Many are the users starting from the Germans, who have relied on this efficient vehicle. As mentioned, there are many variants, not least the specialized ones and the new ones, modified precisely for a new type of war, the one in which the Leopard 2 found themselves in Afghanistan with the constant threat of explosives and traps that have seen strengthening especially the lower part of the tank.
Grummitt deals with every development up to 2019 in his book, describing each version and contributing, as an excellent model maker, also to the section of the assembled kits. A photo gallery that includes 6 1/35 scale models of various versions, 2 of which were created by the author himself.
The central part of the text contains the various profiles of this vehicle, in its various versions and nationalities. The vehicle is used by Germany, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Poland, Austria, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, a sign that the Leopard 2 tank is very popular. Its operational use also constitutes a section of the book, with particular attention to its use in Afghanistan and the "unfortunate" experience of the Turkish Leopards in the recent invasion of Northern Syria.
In addition to the aforementioned section regarding kits assembled and painted by professional modelers, the part dedicated to the model maker also makes use of reviews of the various kits on the market, in 1/35, 1/72 scale and even some 1/16 and 1/48 scale. The choice between the various models is enormous, and if you add the various modification kits of some minor manufacturers, the possibility of creating hyper-realistic models and similar to the various versions of the Leopard 2 tanks is very high.
What more can I say? David Grummitt adds another very high quality volume to the Tank Craft series that describes one of the most powerful and reliable tanks in the modern world.
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