Book Review: Tank Attack at Monte Cassino - Jeffrey Plowman

Although my reading has ground almost to a halt recently, I did read this excellent book a few months back. And finally I'm getting round to posting a review!

A fascinating account of a little known action in the long arduous campaign to take Monte Cassino. The somewhat crazy idea of outflanking the dominating heights of Cassino with a tank force - an undertaking which required the building of a road - in terrain highly unsuited to armoured warfare, ended up being something of a shambolic failure.

The attacking force is a mixture of Indians, New Zealanders, Americans and British - French and Poles also figure in the bigger picture! - fighting Germans (Italy having capitulated by this point). The book draws a vivid compelling picture of events, enlivened by firsthand accounts and illustrated with contemporary photos. 

A segment at the end covers the battlefield as it is now, for those interested in visiting. I'd have preferred more/better maps, as following the action during the narrative isn't always easy. Several appendices add further supporting info. 

All in all, an impressive and fascinating work. I'm left wanting to read more about the whole Cassino campaign. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Book Review: Operation Totalize, Tim Saunders

This follows on nicely from Charles More's Arromanches to the Elbe, which I read and reviewed recently. That book follows 144 RAC from Normandy to Germany, and includes coverage of their part in Operation Totalize [1]. It's great to be able to zoom in on a more detailed view of one component of the larger picture.

The Kangaroo, a 'de-frocked' Priest, was a product of Totalize. [2]

It's also of interest to me as my grandfather served in WWII, in the Canadian armed forces, and Totalize was a joint Anglo-Canadian affair. I had hoped Bert might've been involved in these events. But a chat with my dad at the weekend suggests that he probably spent the duration based in the southern U.K. (due to an injury sustained in a military traffic accident). Still, my Canadian connection remains!

I initially found the level of detail pretty hard going; there's an awful lot of unit names/numbers, and movements, and many, many maps, of very varied quality. But at the time I started this review I'd just finished chapter seven, which deals with Kurt Meyer's German counter-attack. The combination of maps and firsthand testimony, as well as regimental histories, etc, is superb. This is the battle during which Tiger ace Michael Wittman was put out of action by radio-op turned gunner Joe Ekins. [3] It's very vividly portrayed, making for an exciting and compelling read.

Tiger ace Michael Wittman, of Villers Bocage fame.

Wittman's tank after Ekins was done with it.

It's now some time later, and I've finished the book. Rather like Totalize itself, it kind of fizzles out, with the Allied forces partially achieving their objectives, and their German adversaries partially succeeding in containing them. But I found Saunder's account, overall, to be very interesting. It's amazing just how much material there is on WWII, and within that there's so much again, from broad perspectives (I have a book called The Second World War Explained on my 'to read' pile) to super-detailed blow-by-blow accounts of specific operations, such as this.

We're spoiled, really, aren't we!?

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NOTES:

[1] The 'z' in the spelling of Totalise is deliberate, U.S./Canadian style.

[2] M7 Priests on loan to British and Canadian forces had their armament temporarily removed, and armour-plates added to fill the resulting voids, so as to create APCs to deliver troops into battle alongside armour.

[3] Rather surprisingly, given how effective he proved as a gunner - he knocked out several other German tanks in this engagement - Ekins was returned to his radio duties, never to fire a gun again!

1/72 Krupp Protze

After thoroughly enjoying finishing the ICM Krupp Protze build, started ages ago, but only recently completed, I decided I needed a couple more of this groovy German truck. I ordered two, I don't by (?), and another by Caesar. This is the former.

The kit comes with a little full-colour magazine, all in Polish, which includes instructions, and lots more besides. It seems to be part of a 'First To Fight' game system, like a Polish Flames of War, or somesuch. Quite impressive, really. Shame it's not in English as well.

The kit itself is well designed, and goes together well. But it very definitely belongs in the chunky (?) category, of wargaming model, as opposed to finescale stuff like a Dragon, or the ICM version. Despite the overall chunkiness of this model, there are several weak point, such as where the front wheels join the axles, and the headlamp stalks and width indicators attach to the mudguards.

Compared with the superfine ICM chassis detail, this is a one-piece block. But it still looks pretty good. And once the model's assembled, it passes muster in terms of what's visible. A driver figure us included. As is so often the case, its nigh on impossible to actually get him in behind the wheel once the kits assembled. Not sure if I'll use him, or opt to use a different figure.

There's also a tarpaulin cover. Again, not sure if I'll use this. But it's good to have. And lo' she be finished, construction wise. Detailing and paint job remain to be done. Quick, easy, and fun. Not a superb kit. But functional and useful.