This book by Thomas L. Jentz and published by Schiffer deals with the first tank battles between Africa Korps and British formations from February to June 1941.
It is a hardcover, portrait volume measuring 27.5 by 21 centimetres printed on glossy paper with a total of 221 pages. Although it was published years ago, it is still an estimable work, not least because of its author, Thomas L. Jentz, a reputable researcher of World War II armour and battles.
The book is predominantly text-based, but supported by numerous photos, tables and maps. The photos are of good size and very clear. In addition, the book does not limit itself to the exposition of the battles but offers much more information.
The first chapter is about British tanks. What types there were, their characteristics and how they had performed in the previous battles against the Italians. It gives details of engine, armour, armament, as well as their development. In terms of performance, it includes crew reports. This section ends with an account of the state of British tanks in the Middle East at the time, with available vehicles, units and their condition.
The second chapter is similar, but focused on German tanks. Again there is technical and developmental data on the various tanks that participated in this phase of the war, from the Panzer I to the Panzer IV. Also detailed are the shipments that were made, with dates, tank types and units for which they were intended.
The third chapter covers Italian tanks: types, their features, and what units and the condition of those that survived the fighting against the British.
The fourth chapter is Guns against Tanks, a detailed, data-packed study of the anti-tank guns of both sides. There is also information on the effect of machine guns against the shield of these guns. Tables are included with penetration data on different parts of each tank and by different guns. And there is also an accuracy section for all guns.
The fifth chapter describes the tactics of armoured formations, including information on unit organisation. An extensive analysis of the theory on the use of armour by both the British and Germans is given, with the different combat formations, how to attack, respond to attacks and many more situations.
From here the next six chapters, from 6 to 11, deal with specific battles. These are the operations covered, over more than a hundred pages :
- Rommel Strikes Out
- Repulsed at Tobruk
- Assault on Tobruk
- Operation Brevity
- Operation Skorpion
- Operation Battleaxe
For each of these there is a description of the forces involved, development of the attack and a tactical analysis in which the adequacy of the tactics to the doctrine is assessed.
The operations are described on a day-by-day basis and extracts from the combat diaries of various British and German units are included. As the title of the book indicates, only tank movements and engagements are considered. There are maps to show the position of the different units involved.
The author does a great job of summarising the history of the battles without leaving out important facts.
There are four useful appendices that close the book:
- Tank data, one page per tank model with a lot of technical information like weapons, amunitiion used, armor, speed, weight, size and many more.
- List of German Units transported by ship and air with the dates pf arrival
- Recommended Books
- Glossary of German Military Terms, as they are often used throughout the book.
Conclusion
A very interesting and well structured work about the early tank battles in North Africa. It contains a comprehensive introduction with the different types of tanks, their characteristics and capabilities, as well as anti-tank guns. It also explains the tactical doctrines of the British and Germans before going into the description of the battles themselves. These are well documented and detailed with a final tactical analysis pointing out the successes and failures of each side.
