Codename Swallow British Sherman Tanks at Alamein

Regular readers, of this site, have read reviews that I have done in the past on books about aircraft subjects by Mushroom Model Publications (MMP). This new book is the premier issue of what is to be a new series of books about armor subjects. This comes as a total SURPRISE to me and pleases me to no end. Most people, that know me personally, know that I am a real armor nut.

The book comes in a 8 ¾” x 12” soft-cover format. It is 36 pages long.

Although it was Winston Churchill, himself, who named the M4’s as Shermans, they were first referred to as Codename Swallow. Three hundred of them were given to Britian, with 100 brand new M7 105mm self-propelled guns…subsequently christened “Priest” by the British. The Shermans were M4A1’s, with petrol engines, known to the British as Sherman II’s and the diesel powered M4A2’s, known as Sherman III’s.

In this new book, Dennis Oliver describes and illustrates the colors and markings applied to the first Sherman tanks to see actual service – at the 2nd Battle of el Alamein in 1942. By the time of this operation, 252 Sherman II’s and III’s were in service, suitably modified for desert operations and repainted in British camouflage and markings.

Colors and markings are superbly illustrated by the author’s own artwork of representative vehicles, backed by detailed captions and full discussion of the official schemes and the variations seen in service. There are 7 pages, with full color illustrations of 27 different Shermans. In addition, there are 11 black and white line drawings, in 1/35th scale, of Sherman II’s and III’s at the rear of the book. Included also are 6 black and white wartime photos.

This book will be an invaluable resource for military historians, enthusiasts and scale modelers.

Highly recommended.

On the back of the book is an announcement, and cover art, for a forthcoming second book in this new series, titled MAGYAR STEEL.

I want to thank Dr. Roger M. Wallsgrove, Editor-in-Chief of MMP for this generous review sample.