British Cruiser Tank A13 Mk. I & Mk. II

Book excerpt: The A13 Mk. I was the first British Cruiser tank to use the Christie suspension system and set the style for all other Cruisers built in World War II. Together with the improved Mk. II and Mk. IIA it played an important part in the battles in France in 1940 and North Africa in 1941. This book covers its development, production and service, filling a long-neglected gap in the history of British armored vehicles. It includes over 140 period black and white photos from archives and private collections, many never before published, 7pp 1/35th scale plans, 3 pp technical drawings and sketches, and 27 profusely researched full-color plates. Its author has researched British AFVs for 40 years and has contributed many articles to professional military and modeling magazines.REVIEWS The book opens with 18 pages giving the development and service history of the A13, including many tables of information such as unit strengths, tank availability and the like. Designed using the large road wheels of the Christie suspension system it was used in service during the early stages of the war by the BEF in France, as well as the 8th Army in North Africa. As well as the UK, others were used in Greece, Cyprus and Malta which are all mentioned, as well as some captured in usable condition by the Wehrmacht. While this section is illustrated with helpful archive photos, the book then moves on to providing another 52-page Photo Gallery. Here we find a collection of archive photos, many of which I have not seen before, showing the A13 in the UK as well as in France and North Africa, all of which have well informed and useful captions. There are over 140 archive photos in the book and these include some which I thing modelers will find especially useful in diorama ideas as well as the details illustrated on the tanks themselves.- Military Modelling"Modelers will love the excellent drawings of all the variants of the A13 Cruiser tank family as well as the 1/35 scale color plates which will make finishing and correcting the Bronco model kits much easier... Highly Recommended for all Christie tank design fans and early war British armour fans."- Cookie Sewell