This addition to the Images of War series highlights a type of weapon that really only came into being during WWII, that of the Self-Propelled Gun (or artillery), the SPG. I'm not sure exactly who came up with it, but the Germans made fairly widespread use of it, starting with the campaigns after Poland. It was during that campaign that the German Army realized that the panzer corps and motorized infantry were moving faster than the artillery could keep up. For the most part, artillery was still horse drawn and it took time to set up and also to break down the guns.

It was from this need that the initial SPGs were developed, in this case using excess Panzer I chassis. At first they were attached atop it after the superstructure had been removed with the wheels on it and everything. This sort of worked, but it was better when special mounts were designed for the gun. One of the issues using the Panzer I chassis was that it had some difficulty with the additional weight. Thus started a progression of modified vehicles.

The Germans used a lot of captured tank chassis for their SPGs and they also were not shy about using rebored enemy artillery, with the Soviets supplying a lot of guns for these vehicles. As the war progressed the size of these vehicles and the guns they carried continued to grow. One thing they had in common was a fairly large shield to cover all but the top and back of the vehicle. This shield was designed to stop rifle caliber rounds but that is about it. These were not to be used in direct fire, but behind the lines as with other, standard, towed artillery. It shouldn't be surprising that other nations caught on to this type of vehicle and you found them being used on every front against the Axis.

The book starts off with a history of the type's development before going into chapters that show the growing development of the SPG. These are mostly photo books, but this one has a considerable amount of write-up in each of the different sections. I was surprised that this one is fairly short compared to some of the other books in this series, however, they seem to have covered them all. Regardless, it is a well done book and will be one that both enthusiasts and modelers alike will enjoy. Worth picking up.

August 20230

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