New Rolf Hilmes Book. English Translation?

[bigfngun]

There’s a new Rolf Hilmes book that I was made aware of.

https://www.amazon.com/Meilensteine-der-Panzerentwicklung/dp/3613042770/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OGWRZ511CMJG&keywords=rolf+hilmes&qid=1649464798&s=books&sprefix=Rolf+hilmes%2Cstripbooks%2C76&sr=1-1

Any chance this is translated into English?

[Ssnake]

So, I went ahead and bought it (and it was delivered an hour ago). If you tell me what you're expecting from this book, I could at least tell you if it was worth it.

[bigfngun]

6 hours ago, Ssnake said:

So, I went ahead and bought it (and it was delivered an hour ago). If you tell me what you're expecting from this book, I could at least tell you if it was worth it.

Thank you Ssnake, very kind of you.

Questions:

1. Does the book cover current MBT models like Leo2a7? How much coverage?

2. Anything on MGCS or US programs like Decisive Lethality?

3. Any comparisons among modern MBTs? Critiques?

[Ssnake]

The book contains the sections

- Concept development (turret vs casemate vs top mount)

- Technical history of firepower development (cannon, ammo, loading, sensors, fire control systems)

- Technical history of mobility development (engine, drivetrain, water-crossing)

- Technical history of armor/survivability development (steel, other materials, "special" protection concepts, potential solutions against weight growth)

- Aspects of/outlook on "leadability"

- FInal considerations

 

I just thumbed through the section about armor protection. Simply put, it's a "Paul Lakowski Special" where he races through the material science and production capabilities of tanks from WW1 to the modern day, then key developments such as multi-material and spaced armor concepts, ERA, active protection systems, crew positioning/internal protected volume reduction). 50 pages, plenty of photos and illustrations. All to the point, so still a high signal-to-noise ratio.

But this book is not an in-depth analysis of selected vehicles, but of of techniques and technologies as exemplified in some vehicles.

It's a 250 pages tour de force of the 100 years of technological advancements of AFV/MBT construction from the first vehicles to the present day. It's main value is probably to deliver bullet points to get you interested in further reading/study about details that you as a long-time Tanknetter undoubtedly heard before, but maybe not embedded in their historical context from the engineering (design/construction, and production) perspective.

[bigfngun]

Ssnake. Sounds like the book covers the history of certain signature technologies. How much would you say is about technologies from 1990 going forward? Does he get into figures like equivalent RHA?

Thank you for the detailed description.

[sunday]

7 hours ago, Ssnake said:

It's a 250 pages tour de force of the 100 years of technological advancements of AFV/MBT construction from the first vehicles to the present day. It's main value is probably to deliver bullet points to get you interested in further reading/study about details that you as a long-time Tanknetter undoubtedly heard before, but maybe not embedded in their historical context from the engineering (design/construction, and production) perspective.

Would you say it could be taken as an update of Ogorkiewicz's Technology of Tanks?

Edited April 12, 2022 by sunday

[Ssnake]

I was about to bring up Ogorkiewicz's "Tanks - 100 Years of Evolution" which seems to be thematically similar, but more conventionally structured by historical period (pre-WW1, WW1, Interwar period, WW2, Cold War, "On the Peripheries of Major Powers", and "Asia catches up").

Neither book goes into the level of detail as to list RHAe figures anywhere.

As to Hilmes, well, he covers ERA and active protection systems, and in all fairness, the pace of technological development in the 25 years from 1965 to 1990 was furious compared to the more sedate quarter century following. I'll be happy to go and look for specific topics, but I don't have the time to speed-read both books just for this thread. I am eventually going to read them in full, but I have a business to run aside from my Tanknet life.

FEX, Hilmes has covered electrothermal and purely electric tank cannon concepts in some of his previous books ("Kampfpanzer - heute und morgen") so I expect him to mention the concepts again in his 2020 book, but let's be honest, has there actually been a breakthrough that yielded a workable prototype that promises potential? Not that I know of, so how much space do you want to devote to a "recent" development that is likely a dead end.)

[sunday]

Thanks, looks very, very interesting, but as it seems there is no ebook edition available, so using automatic translation will be a bother. Could use it to improve my German, however.

[darkkwulfe]

I found only German editions available on ebay and Barnes and Noble. I'll try the Proceedings Site and if they have it I'll let you know.

[sunday]

Thanks, but nowadays I only read ebooks. Old eyes...

[bigfngun]

1 hour ago, darkkwulfe said:

I found only German editions available on ebay and Barnes and Noble. I'll try the Proceedings Site and if they have it I'll let you know.

Awesome. Thanks.

[bigfngun]

Thanks again Ssnake. Sounds like a good book, almost like an updated version of Ogorkiewicz Technology of Tanks.

Edited April 13, 2022 by bigfngun

[darkkwulfe]

Sorry nothing there.

[Ssnake]

6 hours ago, bigfngun said:

Sounds like a good book, almost like an updated version of Ogorkiewicz Technology of Tanks.

Well, like I wrote, it's merely 250 pages thick, and contains many photos and illustrations. It's more of a list of topics for further investigation, or a prospective tank engineer's list of "things that have been tried, and failed - so go and make fresh, new mistakes!"