Tank Combat in North Africa: The Opening Rounds Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe (Schiffer Military History) [Hardcover]

Thomas L. Jentz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1998 | Series: Schiffer Military History

The focus of this book is the tank battles fought during the opening phase of the war in North Africa. What really happened during the engagements? How were the tanks fought? What were their strengths and weaknesses? Not simplified generalities, but substantive, basic facts gleaned from searching for details in the surviving original records. The accounts of each battle are excerpted from the original reports written by the participants directly after each engagement. To understand the basis for the outcome of the battles, it is necessary to possess a basic understanding of the capabilities of each type of tank, its opponents, and how they were tactically employed. The first five chapters in this volume provide descriptions and technical attributes of the British, German, and Italian tanks and anti-tank guns along with the tactical doctrine from the period. Chapters six through eleven contain the details of the tank battles fought in North Africa during the period from February 1941 to June 1941. Translated excerpts from the Deutsches Afrikakorps war diary are used as a backdrop to provide a chronological guide as events progressed. An interesting feature from this war diary was the brief daily weather report revealing how hot it was and when sand storms occurred. Details on the actions in the tank battles are taken from after-action-accounts written directly after the engagements, enhanced by excerpts from war diaries of the armoured units involved to fill in the preliminary moves, buildup of strength, combat losses, and details on the actions that weren't contained in the after-action-reports. This book is compiled from the results of digging through original records for over thirty years in an attempt to find data that would aid in assessing and understanding the tank battles that took place in North Africa. Tom Jentz is also the author of Panzertruppen 1933-1942, and Panzertruppen 1943-1945 (both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 221 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.; First edition (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764302264
• ISBN-13: 978-0764302268
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Necessity for any Military Enthusiast, July 28, 2001

By 

Michael G Spring (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tank Combat in North Africa: The Opening Rounds Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe (Schiffer Military History) (Hardcover)

This work is an absolute necessity for anyone interested in the North African campaign. It is not a story or an account of battles, rather, it is a technical manual regarding the forces involved in the campaign. Mr. Jentz is meticulous in his research of the primary historical documents and does an excellent job of organizing this mass of material. Of greatest interest to me personally is the tactical treatment of the battles. While I possess numerous works on this campaign, I have never seen such analyses published until now. Additionally, the author conducts an in-depth analysis of the equipment utilized by the Germans, British, and Italians. As a result, he produces an objective account of the effectiveness of the tanks, artillery, and other weapons utilized in North Africa. The author also includes excellent orders-of-battle of the various units.

Of course, no work is ever perfect. If I had to mention some negatives of the book, I would point out that the maps should be colorized. While useful, these would have been improved with color renditions of the various forces, instead of the black-and-white that is used in the book. Trying to discern the dynamics of the battle was made more difficult since all of the arrows were in black ink.

In sum, this book is an excellent addition to any military library. It covers areas previously untouched and makes a valuable contribution to the field. I highly recommend this work and eagerly await the next two promised volumes that will comprise the whole of the North African campaign.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything to do with early N.Africa Tank battles, March 9, 2002

By 

Michael Y (Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tank Combat in North Africa: The Opening Rounds Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe (Schiffer Military History) (Hardcover)

This book is made of very high quality paper and hardcover. It is very easy and entertaining to read. It covers the early battle actions from February 1941-June 1941. The book has all the data on the tanks (even to the steel specifications of each armour plate), all the guns penetration and accuracy data tables & gunners aim diagrams for how the Germans should fire at Matilda tanks!) Jentz uses original sources for all his information not others work.
There are many official after action reports included as to the effectiveness of the tanks both in reliability and fighting performance. Also the official recommended tactics for battle are given.
Most battles are covered with tactical movements and a map showing them, also battle reports and at the end a summary of the tactics each side used and what conclusions can be made.
The B/W plates are of very clear reproduction and show many details not normally visible like the extra armour plates added to early Pz4D. The Matilda is definately the "star" of this book but there is still a full appeciation of the Italian tanks and guns.
This book covers next to everything those interested in early North Africa Tank battles & tanks could want to know. Like the other reviewer I am eagerly waiting the next 2? books in this series!!

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gold Mine for Wargamers, August 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tank Combat in North Africa: The Opening Rounds Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe (Schiffer Military History) (Hardcover)

This is precisely the sort of work which wargamers long for, but never find. It is exhaustively researched and clearly presented, and chock-full of detail on equipment and tactics. If you are interested in Advanced Squad Leader, Advanced Tobruk, Panzer Grenadier Afrika Korps, or similar simulations, you will be delighted with this. It's also filled with clear, excellent photographs, maps, and charts.