Kagero Kagero Photosniper 16, AMX-30 Family

[One-Oh-Four]

AMX-30 Family

Photosniper 16

Written by M.P. Robinson, color profiles by Slawomir Zajaczkowski

Published by Oficyna Wydawnicza KAGERO

Vailable from www.shop.kagero.pl for €19,86

 

What is it?

It's an 95-page softcover book that describes the specialist vehicles that were designed and produced on the lower hull/running gear of the AMX-30 main battle tank. The AMX-30 tank itself is not subject matter in this book. Therefore, "AMX-30 Derivatives", would have been a title that better describes the contents. 

 

 

What is in it?

As mentioned above, on the basis of the AMX-30 MBT, quite a few specialist vehicles were designed and produced, the best known at the moment is the Au-F-1 155mm Self-propelled howitzer because Meng produced a brand new model of that vehicle in 2013. I'll look closer on the subject of the Au-F1 in the book last. 

 

 

AMX-30D Char de Depannage

The AMX-30D is the recovery vehicle based on the MBT chassis. It's got a high superstructure with a crane, a dozer blade and all sorts of tools and equipmment on the hull sides.

 

 

AMX-30 Bitube 30mm DCA

This chapter describes how the chassis of the AMX-30 was used to build an effective anti-aircraft tank. The Bitube 30mm DCA turret was used on the light AMX-13 chassis before the AMX-30 was developed but it really was a haul for the little tank (of lieutenat Grueber...), especially when radar was added. The guns were two 30mm Hispano-Suiza HS831 belt-fed guns capable of a combined firing-rate of 600 rounds per minute.

 

 

AMX-30R Roland-1 and AMX-30R Roland-2

This is the guided-missile SAM variant. Roland-1 is fit for clear weather operations while Roland-2 is an all-weather missile system.

 

AMX-30 Pluton

This was a French Short Range Ballistic Missile system, employing a 20-megaton missile with a range of 17 - 120km.

 

 

Engineer vehicles

One that is discussed but was never produced is the AMX-30H bridgelayer. Another was the EBG, the Engin Blindé du Génie, a vehicle based on the powertrain of the AMX-30B2. This vehicle was fitted with a dozer blade, a hydraulic arm that could be fitted with pincers, Rotary cutters or drills. A small turret contained a 142mm hollow-charge bomb-thrower and four anti-tank min throwers. The last type is the AMX-30B2 DT or Déminage Téléguidée or the remote-controlled mine clearing vehicle.

 

 

 

CN 155 Au-F1

Or Canon 155 Automoteur-F1. This part describes the design, production and operations of the different variants of the self-propelled 155mm howitzer on AMX-30 chassis. From the earliest Saudi and Iraqi systems to the French Au-F1 H, Au-F1T, Au-F1TM and ultimately the Au-F1 TA. The differences between these versions are well described, I concluded that the Meng kit is Au-F1TM from the photos and the text...

 

 

Presentation

Apart from guiding us through the AMX-30 derivatives, the book also contains numerous photos of the different variants on 14 Juillet-parades, exercises or deployments to the Balkans. What is very nice from a modelling perspective is the inclusion of a walk around of an Au-F1TM. The outside is well catered for but what increases the value very much for me is the inclusion of photos of the inside of the turret and the ammunition racks since the Meng kit offers these inside details too!

The package is rounded out with some very nice profiles of Au-F1's and Roland's.

 

 

What do we think?

The book in itself is very readable and interesting but the extra text and photos (operational & walk around) on the Au-F1 gives it also very good value to modellers.

 

 

 

Highly Recommended!

 

We like to thank Kagero for supplying the review sample.

 

[Paulster]

Are really the one who did this review? I don't see any teeth marks on the corners.