M551 Sheridan: US Airmobile Tanks 1941–2001 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)
Other Books in Series
This is book number 153 in the New Vanguard series.
- #2: M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982–92 (New Vanguard #2) (Paperback): $19.00
- #6: T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974–93 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #7: IS-2 Heavy Tank 1944–73 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #9: T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #11: M3 Infantry Half-Track 1940–73 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #18: M2/M3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1983–95 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #20: T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944–94 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #31: The M47 and M48 Patton Tanks (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #33: M3 & M5 Stuart Light Tank 1940–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #35: M26/M46 Pershing Tank 1943–53 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #53: M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941–91 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #73: M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943–65 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #77: M24 Chaffee Light Tank 1943–85 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #86: M109 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer 1960–2005 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #102: T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2004 (New Vanguard #102) (Paperback): $19.00
- #107: US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #113: M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #117: Jeeps 1941–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #120: Scud Ballistic Missile and Launch Systems 1955–2005 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #122: HMMWV Humvee 1980–2005: US Army tactical vehicle (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #127: German Panzers 1914–18 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #131: US Field Artillery of World War II (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #134: Red SAM: The SA-2 Guideline Anti-Aircraft Missile (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #137: Japanese Tanks 1939–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #144: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Robotic Air Warfare 1917–2007 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #159: Staghound Armored Car 1942–62 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #173: French Tanks of World War I (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #180: Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #186: US Marine Corps Tanks of World War II (New Vanguard #186) (Paperback): $18.05
- #192: US Amphibious Tanks of World War II (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $17.05
- #199: Tanks of Hitler’s Eastern Allies 1941–45 (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #209: French Tanks of World War II (1): Infantry and Battle Tanks (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $19.00
- #215: Panzer 38(t) (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $17.05
- #218: T-26 Light Tank: Backbone of the Red Army (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #223: T-64 Battle Tank: The Cold War’s Most Secret Tank (New Vanguard) (Paperback): $18.05
- #231: Railway Guns of World War II (New Vanguard #231) (Paperback): $18.05
- #323: Tanks at the Iron Curtain 1975–90: The ultimate generation of Cold War heavy armor (New Vanguard #323) (Paperback): $17.00
- #325: German Field Artillery of World War II (New Vanguard #325) (Paperback): $17.00
Description
One of the weaknesses of airmobile forces has always been their vulnerability to enemy armor. Since the 1940s, there have been numerous schemes to field light tanks that could be deployed by parachute or other methods to reinforce paratroopers and other airmobile forces. This book tells the story of the US experience with airmobile tanks, starting with efforts in World War II, notably the M22 Locust airmobile tank. Although not used in combat by the US Army, it was used during Operation Varsity in 1945 by British airborne forces and ended up supporting US paratroopers during this mission on the Rhine river. The book then turns to post-war efforts such as the unique T-92 airborne tank, designed for paratroop drop.
The only airborne tank actually manufactured in significant numbers was the M551 Sheridan. The history of this tank provides the focal point of this book, highlighting the difficulties of combining heavy firepower in a chassis light enough for airborne delivery. The book examines its controversial combat debut in Vietnam, and its subsequent combat history in Panama and Operation Desert Storm. It also rounds out the story by examining attempts to replace the Sheridan with other armored vehicles, such as the short-lived M8 MGS and Army LAV programs.
About the Author
Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for four decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and history, including NVG 294 Allied Tanks in Normandy 1944 and NVG 283 American Guided Missiles of World War II. He currently lives in Maryland, USA.
Praise For…
“This is a small book, but it contains an awful lot of information. It is well illustrated with both color and black & white photographs. It also talks about other tanks intended for airborne use, both those that went before the Sheridan and those that followed.” —www.books-on-line.com
“One of the world's foremost armor experts, Steven Zaloga, applies his formidable archives to the American airborne tank in M551 Sheridan.” —Jon Guttman, Vietnam Magazine (August 2009)
“Author Zaloga does his usual superb job of telling the fascinating story of this rather unique vehicle and its predecessors. Thanks to a fine selection of photographs as well as the outstanding illustrations of Tony Bryan, we get to see how the M551 changed from first development to the end of its career. Another superb addition to the New Vanguard series and one that I am sure you will enjoy. Buy with confidence.” —Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (April 2009)
