The subtitle of this book, is **Panzerjäger (7,5 cm PaK 40/4 to 8,8 cm Waffenträger) development and employment from 1939 to 1945**. The book has the following sections:
1. 7,5 cm PaK 40/4 auf RSO
2. 7,5 cm PaK 44 auf 3t Zgkw
3. Improved armored RSO/Waffenträger Steyr
4. Nashorn (initially named Hornisse)
5. 8,8 cm Waffenträger
6. Pz.Sfl. für 12,8 cm K40
Another great book from Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary Louis Doyle, this one has 1/35 scale drawings for the 7,5 cm PaK 40/4 auf RSO, the Hornisse/Nashorn and the 8,8 cm Steyr-Waffenträger.
The vehicles presented in this book are, apart from the Hornisse/Nashorn, prototypes, trial vehicles, or for the few that actually went into production, produced in limited numbers. This makes this book a bit different from most of the other Panzer Tracts books I own.
Some of the sections only have a few photos of one or more trail vehicles and some only have prototype drawings.
The Hornisse/Nashorn has been given the full Panzer Tracts treatment, with photos, technical drawings, development info and deployment data (which units etc.). The Pz.Sfl. für 12,8 cm K40 (also known as Sturer Emil), is also covered in full, with photos, drawings, etc. Even though only 2 of these vehicles ever saw action, the section includes a long action account from a crew member.
The section covering the 8,8 cm Waffenträger, is rather big, and shows photos and technical drawings from various manufacturers, showing several combinations of 8,8 cm guns and Waffenträger/gun carrier. None of these saw production in larger scale, and most never left the drawing board/prototype stage.
If you need info on one of the biggest German Panzerjägere (tank destroyers) of WWII, the Nashorn, this is certainly the book for you. I initially bought it for that reason. The section on Sturer Emil is certainly also worth the price. If you're into the odd little 7,5 cm PaK auf RSO, well, there's another reason. Or you could be really interested in the whole what-if/Panzer '46 theme.
All in all, I would recommend this book, if you're into German tank destroyers!