Review - The Armor Journal Issue 5

[BryanKrueger]

The Armor Journal
Issue 5 - June 2017
Waddling Penguin Publishing, LLC.
76 pages
Digital copy $5.00
Print copy $9.95
www.armorjournal.com

The Armor Journal is a quarterly publication focusing on historical research of armor development, evaluations, in action reports and reference for the historian or the model maker looking to improve the accuracy of a future build.

The magazine is printed on nice quality gloss paper stock. It is also available as a PDF digital download for those that prefer an electronic version.

This issue starts with a brief question and answer section presented in a clear and concise manner. I enjoy these Q&A and would like to see them expand in future issues.

The first article goes into detail on the development of the Vickers Mark E, a British inter-war 6 ton light tank sold or licensed for the export market. I’m not too familiar with 1920s-30s era armor so this is very informative.

Chris Meddings contributes an excellent opinion article about “Rivet Counters.” You may have heard about them online or even witnessed them at shows. Chris - an admitted rivet counter -dispels some of the myths and explains there can be a benefit to the moniker.

Fans of the recent Tamiya Valentine kit will enjoy the next article about delivery, evaluation and deployment of the Valentine II and IV tank in Soviet service. The extensive article is well researched and presents some very interesting historical info plus detailed photos and line drawings from the Soviet trails.

I’m not a fan of modern armor but am a fan of history and I really enjoyed the article “Men Who Brought the Thunder.” It presents the history of a US armored battalion that sent its tanks into Baghdad to help topple Sadam’s regime. It was a bold move since sending armored units into an urban environment has always been a risky move. The story is presented with firsthand accounts and is a very interesting read.

The final main article is part of the “Modeling Corner”, a section devoted to armor models. This time Don Haney, discusses his build of “All About Da Bones”, an M1A1HC Abrams that took part in the dangerous “Thunder Run” charge into Baghdad described in the prior article. Don describes the challenges and luck he had finding sufficient documentation to accurately depict this particular vehicle. He then goes in depth describing the detailing, painting and weathering techniques to finish “All About Da Bones”.

The issue contains two smaller sections. In-depth book reviews and reader submissions, this time with family photos taken around armor on display at Ft. Knox in the 60s.

The Armor Journal is available as single issues or subscription. Visit www.armorjournal.com for more information.

Thanks to Alex Zarester for the review sample.

Sample Images