HISTORY:
** In 1936, as Spain descended into civil war, both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sent tanks to aid the opposing sides, keen to see how they fared in combat. Armed with twin machine guns, Germany's Panzer I fought alongside Nationalist troops, while the 45mm-armed Soviet T-26 took the field with Republican forces, with captured examples soon equipping the Nationalists. In this book, Jacek Zabielski reveals the origins, development and combat history of these two types, which remained in front-line service in 1941 as Hitler's forces invaded the Soviet Union.
While both types were soon outclassed by better-armed and -armoured successors, the lessons learned in Spain would shape German and Soviet combined-arms doctrine on the Eastern Front during and after Operation Barbarossa. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, full-colour mapping and archive photographs alongside the authoritative text, this study reveals how the Panzer I and T-26 performed in battle, and their technical and tactical influence throughout World War II. **
** Quoted from the back cover of the book.
THE BOOK:
Osprey Publications has released Panzer I vs T-26, Spanish Civil War 1936–39 as Number 152 in their Duel series. It is a soft cover book with 80 pages and is the standard Osprey Publishing size of 7 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches. Included with the text are black and white photographs, color photographs, full color illustrations, cutaway artwork, full color maps, information chats, detailed captions and more. It has a 2026 copyright, a publication date of May 21, 2026, and the ISBN is 978-1-4728-7362-0.
THE CONTENTS:
Introduction
Chronology
Design and Development
Technical Specifications
The Combatants
The Strategic Situation
Combat
Analysis
Aftermath
Bibliography
Index
THE TEXT:
Author Jacek Zabielski has written an excellent history about the use of tanks during the Spanish Civil War, specifically the German PzKpfw I used by the Nationalist Forces and the Russian T-26 used by the Republican Forces. The text goes into very specific detail in all areas of the book as outlined on the contents page, please refer to the contents listing that I have provided for the subjects that are covered. The author details how the German and Russian military used the Spanish Civil War as an opportunity to have their tanks used in the conflict as an actual combat test of them. The author details the production of both tanks and provides information such as the number of the tanks and models produced, the cost per tank, the plants where the tanks were manufactured, faults that were found with the tanks upon testing and modifications that were made to improve them as well as detailing the steps the Germans took to hide the fact that they were producing tanks for its military. There are several specifics for both tanks discussed such as engine types, transmissions and drive trains, types of road wheels used, the length of the tracks and number of links per track, the number of teeth on the drive sprocket, the thickness of the armor, the types of weapons involved and their specifics, and other such specific information. The author also details the combatants on both sides of the conflict and discusses the German and Russian technicians’ assistance to the Spanish tank crews. When discussing the various operations and the successes and losses of the opposing armored forces, the author details combats actions starting in late 1936 through to 1939. Some of the specific conflicts detailed are Brunete in July 1937, the Battle for Teruel from December 1937 to February of 1938, the invasion of Catalonia in 1938 and operations taken throughout the years of 1936 to 1938. Author Jacek Zabielski also discusses in detail the end results of the use of the German and Russian supplied tanks during the Spanish Civil War and the knowledge that both countries gained from the conflict and how they incorporated that knowledge into their own tank forces as well as the fate of the soon to be obsolete PzKpfw I and the Russian T-26 tanks. I personally feel that Jacek Zabielski has covered all areas and aspects of the German and Russian supplied tanks and their use in the Spanish Civil War and left no area of it undiscussed. The text in the book is nicely written and well detailed in an easy-to-read format which the detailed oriented reader will benefit from. As I read through the text, I didn’t notice any spelling or grammatical errors. Grammar and spelling might not be an important factor to everyone however it is something that I take notice of and pass on my findings. As a reader that knew very little about the actions and tank warfare that took place during the Spanish Civil War, I found myself to be well informed on the subject upon finishing the book. Anyone wanting to add an excellent reference and history book on tank warfare during the Spanish Civil War to their personal library will be pleased with this very informative and interesting book.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS:
There are a total of 50 black and white photographs and 2 color photographs included in this volume. Author Jacek Zabielski stuck to the title of the book and chose subject specific photographs and did not include photographs that strayed from the main subject. The photographs are a combination of in-action photographs, photographs removed from motion pictures. photographs that were staged for the photographer as well as photographs taken for propaganda purposes. Most of the photographs are clear and easily viewable; however, a few of them are somewhat blurry and a few of them appear to be too dark, while others appear to be too light. This can be typical for the period of history being discussed, and the quality of the photographs is of no fault of the author, and they do not take anything away from the book. I have seen some of the photographs in other publications, however the majority of them were new to me. The majority, if not all, of the photographs will prove to be excellent reference material due to the details they contain. The Spanish Civil War historian and enthusiast, and the military uniform enthusiast, will benefit from the excellent photographs as will anyone that is interested in armor and tank warfare during the Spanish Civil War.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS:
There are seven illustrations included in the volume by illustrator Richard Chasemore. The illustrations are very well done, nicely detailed and are of:
Plate A
T-26 mod. 1936
- A two-page full color illustration of a T-26 mod. 1936 tank. There are four views of the tank shown from the front, rear, left side and overhead. There is also a well detailed caption and vehicle specifics listing included.
Plate B
PzKpfw I Ausf B
- A two-page full color illustration of a PzKpfw I Ausf B tank. There are four views of the tank shown from the front, rear, left side and overhead. There is also a well detailed caption and vehicle specifics listing included.
Plate C
T-26 Turret
- A one-page full color illustration showing a cut-away view of the interior of a T-26 turret. Accompanying the illustration is a chart identifying 10 specific points of interest both inside and outside of the turret.
Plate D
PzKpfw I Turret
- A one-page full color illustration showing a cut-away view of the interior of a PzKpfw I turret. Accompanying the illustration is a chart identifying 9 specific points of interest both inside and outside of the turret.
Plate E
T-26 Sight
- A one-page full color illustration showing the view when looking through the gunner’s sight while aimed at a PzKpfw I tank. Accompanying the illustration is a well detailed caption.
Plate F
PzKpfw I Sight
- A one-page full color illustration showing the view when looking through the gunner’s sight while aimed at a T-26 tank. Accompanying the illustration is a well detailed caption.
Plate G
PzKpfw I Ausf B
- A two-page full color action illustration of a T-26 tank involved in the Republican counter-attack engaging two PzKpfw I tanks at close range during the ‘March to the Sea’. There is also a well-detailed caption on the preceding page detailing what is taking place.
PROFILES:
There are two individuals profiled in this volume, and they are:
- Semyon Krivoshein
- A Soviet tank commander and Generale who supported the Republicans against General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Krivoshein was the first Soviet tank commander in Spain. He arrived in October 1936 with a small group of Soviet volunteers and T-26 light tanks.
- Joachim Ziegler
- A high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He served as a volunteer with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War from September 30, 1936 to October 12, 1937.
MAPS:
There are two full color maps included in this volume that provide information on:
- The progress of the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. Included with it is a key showing Republican held territory from 1936 to 1939.
- The Nationalist attempt to storm Madrid in November 1936. Included with it is a key showing Nationalist units, PzKpfw I elements, Republican units and T-26 elements.
INFORMATION CHARTS:
There are two information charts included in this volume that provide statistics on:
- T-26 tank production 1931-41 (excluding specialized versions such as self-propelled artillery)
- T-26 and PzKpfw I models compared
THE CAPTIONS:
The captions are well written and explain the accompanying photographs and illustrations in great detail, eliminating any doubt as to what is shown. The captions go into very specific detail as to the specific tank shown and which model it is, individuals shown and their military rank and their roles and duties and if they were Republican or Nationalist, dates and locations and other such pertinent information.
CONCLUSION:
As with the other Osprey Publishing titles I was impressed with this book. This is a very nice reference book that contains a well written informative text, many subject specific photographs and illustrations, well detailed captions and more, all detailing the use of the Panzer I by the Nationalist troops and the T-26 by the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War. As with the other Osprey Publishing titles, I have no hesitation recommending this book to others as it will be a welcome addition to one’s personal reference library.
Osprey Publishing also offers Panzer I vs T-26, Spanish Civil War 1936–39 as:
Ebook (Epub & Mobi) ISBN: 978-1-4728-7363-7
and
Ebook (PDF) ISBN: 978-1-4728-7360-6
Osprey Publishing’s, Panzer I vs T-26, Spanish Civil War 1936–39 is also available as a Kindle version through Amazon.
PRICE:
UK £15.99 / US $23.00 / CAN $31.00
This book was provided to me by Osprey Publishing. Please mention that you saw the book reviewed here on the KitMaker Network when making your purchase. Thank you.
