The Black Beret The History of South Africas Armoured Forces Volume 1 & 2
Author: Willem Steenkamp
Publisher: Helion
Edition: Volume 1: First 2016 Signed Volume 2: First 2017
ISBN: Volume 1: 978-1-910294-68-0 Volume 2: 978-1-911512-40-0
Language: English
Condition: Excellent. Mint condition. Clean copies with tight binding.
Binding: Hardcover with dustjacket
Pages: Volume 1: 344. Print with images. Volume 2: 366. Print with images
Additional Information
Volume 1 of The Black Beret starts with the early history of South Africa and ends with the invasion of Madagascar by the South African Forces during WWII.
This volume covers topics such as how armour came to the battlefield, the use of horses vs armoured cars in German South-West Africa in 1915, the first steps to mechanisation, the birth of the Tank Corps, and the deployment into East Africa through Abyssinia to Addis Abba during the early years of WWII.
We next experience the reverses and victories of the desert campaign with the 4th Armoured Car Company amongst others, fighting alongside the Desert Rats, Operation Crusader, the disaster at Tobruk, through the Gazala gallop and on to the victory at El Alamein. We meet the newly reconstituted SA Armoured Corps training at Khatadba in Egypt for deployment in the Italian campaign with the famous South African 6th Armoured Division, and we ride with the armour element that takes part in the invasion of Madagascar.
The development of the various marks of South African armoured reconnaissance cars are touched upon but will be discussed in more detail in a later volume. This is an important and overlooked story, one told by Willem Steenkamp in a rich and unique style, and drawing on a significant number of sources, ably supported by many photographs and maps.
Volume 2 of The Black Beret picks up where the previous volume left off, describing the bowing out of the South African Tank Corps, the formation of 6th South African Armoured Division and its subsequent campaign in Italy. Its exploits in Italy are recounted in detail, from its blooding at Cassino, the pursuit to Rome, the hard fight to breach the Gothic Line through to final victory. The final part of the book recounts the events of 1945-61, including the introduction of the Centurion tank. This is an important and overlooked story, one told by Willem Steenkamp in a rich and unique style, drawing on a significant number of sources, and ably supported by many photographs and maps.
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WW2 | World War Two | Willem Steenkamp | The great war | anglo boer war
