Cornish's IMAGES OF KURSK: a word to the wise for CMBB newbies

[John Kettler]

Unless you thoroughly know the item in question, it is important to cross check vehicle and weapon IDs and descriptions in this otherwise valuable book; if you don't, you're likely to run around believing that the superstructure of a SU-76 is heavily armored (it isn't), that the Hummel and Brummbar are similarly configured ( they aren't (OT & fighting compartment at rear for Hummel; fully enclosed and front for Brummbar) and don't even have the same chassis, though there are common components); that the Wespe is on a Czech 38 chassis (actually, Panzer II), etc. A 57mm ZiS-2 ATG is misidentified as being a 76.2mm ZiS-3 DP gun, and a new pattern 152mm D-1 gun/howitzer is howlingly labeled a ZiS-3.

Likewise, Hummels in firing position, as evidenced by crews aboard, ammo crates nearby, guns not in travel lock and open fighting compartment doors, are misidentified as being in an assembly area, and an unidentified Russian female unit is quite obviously snipers, seeing as how lots of the women have rifles with cased scopes.

The book is most information dense and being full of previously unseen pictures in many cases, offers all sorts of useful insights, but for the reasons listed and others I have not, you need to be careful in accepting photo captions first and weapon descriptions second.

Regards,

John Kettler

[ May 27, 2006, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[stoat]

What kind of grog are you if you need to read the captions?

I, too, like this book, and though the text is nothing you haven't read elsewhere, it is well worth it for the pictures of the battle.

[John Kettler]

stoat,

The pictures are great, the text is generally well written, the maps, unlike the ones in THE BATTLE OF KURSK, by Glantz and House, are readable without going blind, and the OOB and loss analyses were an unexpected treat. With all that going for it, it's a shame the captions and a few other things were so botched in places.

Regards,

John Kettler

[dieseltaylor]

stoat

So you do not fall into the category of CMBB noobie then : )

But for those unused to the Eastern front, or come to that German equpment on any front a worthwhile warning.