Book Alert: Panzer II vs 7TP Poland 1939

Osprey Publishing has listed a release date of May 20, 2015 for an upcoming installment of their Duel Series titled Panzer II vs 7TP by David R. Higgins.  Polish armor in the 1939 campaign has received little attention in most English language books on WW2 armor, so this book should prove a welcome addition for those interested in the topic.  David R. Higgins has also written two other entries in the Duel series, King Tiger vs IS-2: Operation Solstice 1945 and Mark IV vs A7V: Villers-Bretonneux 1918.

Publishers Description: Hitler’s lightning invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. This was the period when armoured warfare inscribed itself into global consciousness as the Poles desperately sought to stave off the Blitzkrieg. At the heart of the fighting on the ground, large numbers of Nazi Germany’s PzKpfw II battled against Poland’s better-armed but much less numerous 7TP tank. The two types both possessed unique strengths and weaknesses – unlike the 7TP the PzKpfw II was always equipped with radio, which proved critical for command and control purposes in the heat of combat. But the German tank was blighted by thin armour, which could not withstand Polish gunfire at combat ranges. This fully illustrated, detailed work evaluates the qualities and idiosyncrasies of each tank, giving a stark and arresting crewman’s-eye-view of the brutal armoured combat at the height of the invasion of Poland.