M3 LEE GRANT
BY DAVID DOYLE
Advertised as being the most detailed study yet of the M3 Lee/ Grant tanks, this book illustrates and describes the development, production and use of these vehicles and their variants by US, Commonwealth and Russian forces during WWII. It also details the power plants and production techniques used by each manufacturer from assembly line to front line through hundreds of photographs, including many that are published for the first time within its pages.
When I first heard about this book, I immediately placed a preorder. It has been written by David Doyle, who is a prominent author, publisher and historian within our hobby. The book itself is published by AFV Modeller. It is a hefty hardback volume spanning 471 pages, 13 Chapters, and an Appendix containing data tables of every major version as well as Lend Lease shipment numbers. I have not counted them all, but there are approximately 700 photographs in this volume according to the publisher’s own website. The paper has a shiny, quality, feel to it that reminds me of the ‘After the Battle’ books and the photo reproduction throughout is superb albeit with one niggle. Mine came via AFV Modeller and arrived shrink-wrapped and protected by a sturdy cardboard sleeve.
Firstly, let me tell you what this book is not. It is not a walkaround of preserved museum examples, nor is it a technical reference of the M3 Lee/Grant with lots of blueprints, scale drawings and engineering minutia. It also contains no colour plates & painting/ camouflage guides for specific vehicles that we modellers find so useful. If you are expecting a Lee/Grant version of ‘Son of Sherman’ then this may not be for you. What we do have though are literally hundreds of clear, sharp, period photographs showing the evolution and development of the Lee & Grant from conception, though all stages of production and modification, up to its baptism of fire in North Africa and combat in Europe, the Eastern Front, Burma, the Far East and use by Australia. Photographs cover the vehicle in detail inside and out, the manufacturing plants, construction methods as well as combat pictures. Text is brief but factual and does not lose the reader in technobabble or rambling. All photographs have detailed captions and sources stated where known. All main variants are covered although one noticeable omission is the Australian Yeramba, the Australian modification of an M3A5 hull by removing the turret and adding a 25-Pounder gun to turn it into a self-propelled artillery piece. I had the pleasure in 2003 of crawling all over a fully restored Yeramba at the now defunct Melbourne Tank Museum, as well as also wandering among the many M3 hulks stored in the backlot. Some of them are still there in Google Maps/Google Earth images. I noticed that some photos are used more than once, but that does not detract from the overall quality. Photo sizes through this book range from quarter page all the way up to two-page spreads however most are of half page size and clear enough for details in the image to be studied. Most photos are naturally in black & white however there are six high-quality period colour images included. The two-page spreads disappointed me because, as they have been reproduced spanning two pages, we lose the effect by the spine of the book splitting them. I struggle to understand why they have been presented in this way as they would have been far better being done as foldouts or separate colour plates.
If I had to choose any favourites, it would be the series of photos taken at the Heliopolis repair depot in Egypt. Here we get to see the effects of combat on these machines, and the author introduces us to what was learnt by the US Army in using some vehicles to test the effectiveness of the armour against various calibres of Axis anti-tank weaponry.
This is by far the most complete photo history of the M3 Lee/Grant produced to date. It is not a complete modelling journal, but its magic lies in every single photo dating from the 1930’s through to the 1950’s so nothing is tainted by restorations or museum repairs. We get to see how wear & tear, as well as combat, affected these machines and as gain an insight into its operation by their crews. It is sobering to learn through this book that whilst the Lees & Grants were warmly welcomed by the British in North Africa, the Soviets came to know it as the ‘Coffin for Seven Brothers’. It comes highly recommended and it well worth the £59 asking price, although mine was on pre-order so was slightly cheaper. Highly Recommended.
Available online from www.DavidDoyleBooks.com
Graham Tetley