Book excerpt: In July 1944, with the Eastern Front crumbling and the first cracks appearing in the Normandy defenses, Hitler ordered the creation of a new type of unit based on the ad-hoc Kampfgruppen which the Germans used so successfully throughout the war. Hastily assembled and short-lived these independent Panzer brigades nevertheless served on both fronts in some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict. The real striking power of the initial units would a battalion equipped with the Pzkpfw V Panther, perhaps the most effective armored vehicle produced by Germany during the Second World War. In Dennis Oliver's latest volume in the TankCraft series he uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the Panther battalions of the Panzer brigades that fought to hold back the Allied advance during the last months of 1944. A key section of his book displays available model kits and after-market products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.