Review

Gründerjahre des Heeres

“American Armour and German Trucks“ - Founding Years of the Modern German Army 1956-65

This offering from Tankograd is one of their duel language titles in German and English, German on the left and English on the right of each page. The photographs in the title are also captioned in both German and English. The text in the title is provided over 13 pages spread throughout the title and the rest is glorious images. The book has a gloss card cover with the inner pages also being a high gloss stock that shows the pictures well. The text font size makes me struggle a little as I get older but that is a ‘me’ problem.

The goal of the title covers the transition from World War 2 equipment to more modern vehicles and trucks. In the case of armour it covers the period prior to the Leopard 1 MBT making an appearance. The sub sections in this title are:

Army structure 1

Army structure 2 (Division 59)

Final remarks

Panzertruppe – Armoured troops

Panzeraufklarer - Tank reconnaissance troops

Panzergrenadiere - Mechanized infantry

Panzerjager - Tank hunters

ArtillerieFlugabwehr - Artillery Anti-aircraft vehicles

Bergepanzer - Recovery vehicles

PanzerattrappenLogistik, Nachschub und Instandsetzung - Dummy tanks Logistics, supply and maintenance

Based on the increasing tensions of the Cold War, West Germany became the centre stage of a potential third world war battlefield in Europe. Only ten years after the German Wehrmacht’s defeat in World War Two it was seen as crucial to create a modern German Army, the Bundeswehr. The rearmament of the Heer ground forces in the founding years of the Bundeswehr in 1956-65 can be described as “American armour and German trucks“. This publication provides rare, eye-candy and mostly hitherto unpublished photographs of the first decade of modern German military vehicles including armoured legends such as the American-made M4 HST, M5A4 HST, M7, M16, M39, M41, M42, M44, M47, M48, M55, M74, M88, M113 and legendary trucks by German manufacturers such as Borgward, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler-Benz, Faun, Porsche, Auto-Union/DKW, Henschel, Magirus-Deutz, MAN as well as many other unique vehicle types.

The photographs in the title are for the most part in black & white and are of excellent quality and being further enhanced by the well written captions. There are a few colour photographs on the interior faces of the cover and this also rate highly. For those interested in the vehicles of the German military following thae transition from the end of World war 2 then this title is a must.