Walker Bulldog vs T-54: Laos and Vietnam 1971-75

Description

During the Vietnam War, both the United States and the Soviet Union supplied all manner of weapon systems to the opposing sides, including tanks and armoured vehicles. Two tanks in particular took momentary prominence in the later years of the conflict. On the South Vietnamese side, it was the US M41 Walker Bulldog; for the communist North Vietnamese, the Soviet-supplied T-54 main battle tank was the core of their armoured power. In their first major engagement, during Operation Lam Son 719 (February-March 1971), it was the Walker Bulldog in the ascendant, but in later battles the T-54s inflicted heavy losses on their lighter opponents, taking the advantage through their superior manoeuvrability and gunnery. Illustrated with full-colour artwork as well as rare and revealing photographs from both sides, this book studies these two iconic tanks in Vietnamese service, examining how their differing designs and fighting doctrines affected their performance in this unique theatre of combat.

Chris McNab is an author and editor. To date he has published over 100 books, many of them for Osprey. He lives in South Wales. Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani, and Edouard Detaille. He lives in Tennessee. Born in Malaya in 1949, Alan Gilliland studied photography/film and architecture, and spent 18 years as the graphics editor of the Daily Telegraph. He now writes, illustrates, and publishes fiction as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers. He lives in Lincolnshire.

Modellers should find a wealth of photographic and textual resources to inspire models, vignettes and dioramas of the Walker Bulldog and T-54, and Vietnam. Recommended. - Kit Maker