NEW VANGUARD No 102 T-54 AND T-55 MBT 1944-2004

The T-54 and T-55 tanks are the most widely manufactured tanks of all time. They have become ubiquitous in wars around the globe since the 1950s, including the Arab-Israeli Wars of 1967, 1973 and 1982, the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1975, the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, the Afghanistan conflict, Operation Desert Storm, the Yugoslav Civil Wars, and the recent conflict in Iraq. This book examines the roots of this prolific tank family, starting with the Soviet Army's first attempts to replace the legendary T-34 during World War II, and covering the T-43 and the T-44, the more successful T-54, and its ultimate evolution into the T-55. An important reference for the long-awaited release of the Tamiya T-55A model kit. Covers: Design and development * Operation * Active service * In Combat * Re-built Tanks * Combat Engineer Tanks * T-54 and T-55 in other theatres * Foreign T-55 Upgrade Programmes * The Chinese Type 59 and Type 69 * Colour plates by Hugh Johnson * Sectional view in colour of a T-55 of the Soviet Army, 1970.