When it comes to the Pacific War, there were few tank battles. This was not because the Japanese didn't have tanks, but because Japanese tanks were not ready for prime time. They were designed in the '30s and that is where they stayed. They had poor armor and weak guns. For that reason, the Army and Marines were able to use anti-tank guns that were obsolete in Europe, and use them to great effect against Japanese tanks.

Having said that, tanks were very useful when it came to destroying fixed defensive positions. It was in this sort of role as infantry support that the tank saw its greatest use against the Japanese. The Army was not the only ones to use tanks as the Marines quickly took to them, although is considerably smaller numbers. The majority of Marine tanks were the M3A Sherman medium tank and the M5A Stuart light tank. Both were quite effective in their support roles with a number of them converted into flame thrower tanks.

This book is part of Casemate's Illustrated series and this is a hardbound special edition. USMC tank markings have been overlooked for years and we now have a well researched book on that very subject. After a short history of tanks in the USMC, the book goes into each battalion that operated tanks in the various island hopping campaigns starting with Guadalcanal and ending with Okinawa. There are a lot of great photos, some of them in full color. The book is punctuated with vignette articles and full color profiles to further enhance the value of the book. This one is highly recommended to enthusiasts and modelers alike.

August 2025

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