Red Machines 1 - T-60 Small Tank & Variants

[rverissimo]

Red Machines 1

T-60 Small Tank & Variants

Authors: James Kinnear & Yuri Pasholok

Publisher: Canfora Graphic Design & Publishing

Price(EU): 34,50€

Introduction

Canfora presents us a book with a different content of the ones already reviewed.

This new series focus on a type of machine, and on this subject, the Russian Light Tank T-60 and series. Being the third most numerous tank-types built in the Soviet Union during the 1941-45 “Great Patriotic War”, behind only the T-34 Medium Tank and the Su-76 Self-Propelled gun.

Despite the fame of being under armed and weakly armed, played a crucial part on the critical period of 1941-42 when the soviet manufacturing plants struggled to replace combat losses at the front.

Canfora bring us the compiled of several years of archival research and study, on the form a hard cover book, containing the development and service life of the T-60 light tank.

So what about content…

This book composes of several chapters, for better understanding:

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Development History

Takes us thru the model genesis and development notes, as also inform on the man responsible for the T-60 Design (Nikolai Aleksandrovich).

Chapter 2 - T-60 Production at plant nº37, KhTZ (Kharkov) & GA (Gorky)

Description of the first prototypes build, production notes and history.

In fact some interesting information is described, as for example, the difficulties posed on the factories to obtain and manufacture of the tank’s parts

Chapter 3 – Re-Armament and Modernization

An approach on the reviews for update the T-60 during the production stage in terms of up armor protection and firepower.

Chapter 4 – T-60 Production at Plant Nº264 (Krasnoarmeisk), Nº37 (Sverdlovsk), Nº38 (Kirov)

Chapter 5 – The T-60 In service and combat

This chapter takes thru operational combat service. Complemented with a quantity of war time photos (German and soviet origins), on capture and / or destroyed vehicles.

Chapter 6 – T-60 Variants and Prototypes

Present us all variants (produced and proposed) based on the T-60 Chassis.

The iconic flying tank

Chapter 7 - T-60 Description and Walkarounds

Chapter 8 – T-60 Preserved Tanks

This chapter describe location of all know restore vehicles and the background history. Also mentioned is the status of the preserved tank (static display, running condition, etc).

All of this is accompanied of color photos of the restored units.

Also available are several color profiles and technical drawings of the several versions produced.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic book, on one of the mechanic workhorse of the Soviet army on the first stage of WWII.

Despite not being a expert on the subject in hands, the reading in interesting and detailed enough to keep us addicted on the reading.

The graphical support (B/W photos, drawings, Color photos and profiles), are flawless, and the glossy pages gave the book a much differentiated look and touch which these days it’s not very common to see on many publications.

The content is appealing for those of us who enjoy reading about military history, and the modeler is presented with some very inspiring photos and walkaround details.

This book is to couple with any 1:35 scale T-60 model!

Highly Recommended!

To purchase this directly, click here.

If you found this review helpful and decide to purchase this product, please tell them you read about it at Large Scale Modeller!

 

Disclaimer: all photos all in low quality to preserve and prevent all copyright.

 

Ricardo Veríssimo