Oliver, Dennis Nashorn Self-Propelled Tank Destroyer. German Army, Eastern Front 1943-1945

Volume 45 of the "Tank Craft" series. The Nashorn tank destroyer, which combined the destructive firepower of the famous 8.8 cm gun with the mobility of the Pzkpfw. IV, was probably one of the most effective tank destroyers of the Second World War, although fewer than 500 were built. The Nashorn was issued to specially created heavy anti-tank battalions and first saw action during Operation "Zitadelle", the battles for Kursk on the Eastern Front, in mid-1943, where it was immediately hailed as a success. Initial doubts about the vehicle's lack of thick armour or even a roof for the superstructure were forgotten when it became apparent that the 8.8 cm gun, aided by superior scopes and range-finding optics, could destroy the heaviest Soviet tanks while the Nashorn remained out of range. Examples were also sent to Italy and the Western Front, but it was on the open fields of Eastern Europe that the Nashorn really came into its own. In this book in the "Tank Craft" series, Dennis Oliver tells the story of these self-propelled anti-tank weapons and the units that used them in the German defence of the Eastern Front, using contemporary photographs and carefully researched, superbly presented b/w and colour illustrations. As with all books in the "Tank Craft" series, this work also presents available model kits and accessories, supplemented by a gallery of expertly built and painted models. Technical details and modifications made during production and in service are also explained to provide the modeller with all the necessary information and knowledge.