Osprey Duel SC (2007) comic books 2011

Volume 33 - 1st printing. "Panzer IV vs Char B1 bis!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Richard Chasemore. The Battle of France in 1940 involved the first large-scale tank-against-tank battles in history. The massive clashes at Stonne, Hannant, and Gembloux involved hundreds of tanks on both sides, yet have faded from memory due to the enourmity of the French defeat. This book examines two of the premier opposing tanks of the Wehrmacht and the French Army, the German PzKpfw IV and the French Char B1 bis. With a complete history of the design, development, and deployment of these armoured fighting vehicles, the story of these great battles is once again brought to life. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 34 - 1st printing. "E-Boat vs MTB!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Howard Gerrard, and Ian Palmer. During WWII, German E-Boats were so active in the English Channel that the narrow stretch of water became known as 'E-Boat Alley'. To counter the threat of these E-Boats, Britain brought its coastal forces to bear – flotillas of small Motor Torpedo and Gun Boats (MTBs and MGBs) and Motor Launches (MLs). As the Germans sought to maintain their supremacy in Channel waters, they continued to develop their E-Boat designs to accommodate more armor and more firepower. Rather than matching the newer E-Boats for armament, the British developed several types to fulfill the varied roles for which the Kriegsmarine were attempting to use the E-Boat. This book details this developing conflict, examining the evolution of the boats involved, and covering the their battles from fights in the Thames Estuary to the build-up for D-Day. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 35 - 1st printing. "F-105 Wild Weasel vs SA-2 'Guideline' SAM!" Written by Peter Davies. Art by Jim Laurier, and Gareth Hector. The Vietnam war was the first conflict that saw extensive use of surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles, and thus became a training ground for the tactics of this new type of battle. This Duel presents this story in the context of two of the main opponents: America's top fighter-bomber and the NVA's best anti-aircraft missile. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 36 - 1st printing. "SPAD VII vs Albatros D III!" Written by Jon Guttman. Art by Jim Laurier. When originally conceived, the French SPAD VII and German Albatros D II represented steps away from an emphasis on manoeuvre in aerial combat in favour of speed and durability. At the end of 1916, however, Albatros tried to have the best of both worlds. The result combined the better downward view and manoeuvrability of the Nieuport with the power and twin machine guns of the Albatros D II. At the same time, the French worked to improve the SPAD VII with more power and a more reliable cooling system before moving on to the twin-gunned SPAD XIII. While all that was going on, the Albatros D III became a mainstay of the German and Austro-Hungarian air services in frequent encounters with SPAD VIIs flown by French, Belgian, British, Italian and American airmen. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 37 - 1st printing. "King Tiger vs IS-2!" Written by David R. Higgins. Art by Jim Laurier and Peter Dennis. This book examines the technology and strategy that defined the outcome of the battles between the King Tiger and the IS-2. The Soviets had been quick to develop tanks that could fight the Tiger on an equal footing, but these were developed as part of a completely different strategy than that employed by the Germans. The King Tiger was a modern marvel, and remained unmatched in one-on-one combat. Technologically superior, with greater firepower and better armour than the Soviet IS-2, the King Tiger was a formidable opponent. However, the IS-2 was lighter, more manoeuvrable and most importantly, far more numerous. With overwhelming numerical superiority the Soviets were able to simply overwhelm their opponents, negating the technical superiority of the King Tiger. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 38 - 1st printing. "P-40 Warhawk vs Bf 109!" Written by Carl Molesworth. Art by Jim Laurier and Gareth Hector. Although the P-40 and the Bf 109 joined the air war over North Africa at nearly the same time in 1941, the German fighter had already racked up a considerable combat career, dating back to 1937 in Spain. In contrast, the P-40 was a bit of an unknown quantity and was making its combat debut in the hands of the RAF's Desert Air Force. Discover how the huge differences between the veteran Bf 109 and the new P-40 determined the tactics they adopted and the ultimate outcome of their epic confrontation in this new book. The author covers all aspects of the aerial battle, from the small, agile Bf 109's ability to operate more effectively at high altitudes through to the P-40's advantage in manoeuvrability, which outweighed its poor high altitude performance. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 39 - 1st printing. "La-5/7 vs Fw 190!" Written by Dmitriy Khazanov, and Aleksander Medved. Art by Jim Laurier, Andrey Yurgenson, and Gareth Hector. Soviet fighter aviation suffered terribly at the hands of the Jagdwaffe in the first year of the war in the east and, with the arrival of JG 51 and its Fw 190s on the Stalingrad Front in September 1942, things only got worse. However, help was on its way in the form of the La-5. Tougher, faster, and with a greater rate of climb than its predecessors, most were flow by a new generation of better-trained pilots led by combat veterans. These new fighters soon found themselves pitted into action on the Central Sector against the equally new Fw 190As of JG 51. From then on, these two fighters would battle it out in the skies over the Eastern Front. This book tells the complete story of the battles between these two important fighters. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 40 - 1st printing. "CSS Alabama vs USS Kearsarge!" Written by Mark Lardas. Art by Peter Dennis. The most successful commerce raider of the Civil War, the CSS Alabama almost single-handedly drove United States merchant shipping from the seas. Her illustrious career saw the capture of 60 merchant ships and two duels with ships of the US Navy. This book gives the complete story of the development of the Confederacy's commerce raiding force and the ships the Union set against them. Compiled from numerous first-hand accounts as well as archeological evidence, it covers the three famous battles of the commerce raiders, CSS Florida vs. USS Wachusett, CSS Alabama vs. USS Hatteras, and CSS Alabama vs. USS Kearsarge, analyzing the strengths and weakness of each of the combatants. While the American Civil War is usually considered a land war, there was plenty of blood in the water. Softcover, 80 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.