Excellent stuff, definitely becoming one of my favourite series. Duel 37 on this list looks to be excellent, who'll be writing/illustrating that one out of interest?
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I am not a big fan of the Duel series but I WILL be purchasing Duel 37 and Duel 40.
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Looks superb, I will definitely be buying Duel 37 and 39. It's great to see an Eastern front aviation title, can we have Yak 9/3 vs Bf 109 next, please?
Also the King Tiger was far heavier than the IS-2, so it's not really a fair comparison. Is-2 vs Panther would be more equal.
But superb news all the same!
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Out of 8 titles listed there, I'll be buying 5.
That's a pretty good ratio and I'm impressed with the subjects you're covering. I always enjoy the slightly more off the beaten path titles and the one in this list I'm eagerly anticipating is Duel 33 Panzer IV vs Char B1 bis: France 1940.
Luckily I only have to wait until January if all goes according to schedule.
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Super list! Duel 33 "Panzer IV vs Char 1bis" is already on my soon-to-order Osprey list, as I've seen it a while back on Amazon.
Duel 37 and above all, Duel 39 "La-5/7 vs FW 190", are fantastic surprises! I'mabsolutely hyped about a Duel title that will examine two of the premier radial engined fighters of WWII that fought on the Eastern Front.
By the way, I've read some accounts of actual IS-2 vs King Tigers combat... I'm sure many people would be surprised by the outcome. ;)
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I am also most interested in the WWII match-ups and especially the King-Tiger (Panzer VI Tiger B) versus IS-2 duel.
In contrast to fatdaddy I think the King Tiger versus IS-2 to be more appropriate than a Panther versus IS-2 match-up would be.
Sure the King Tiger is really heavy. But the IS-2 is not light either, carries a bigger gun (at least with respect to diameter), is easier to move, and was 7:1 when it comes to the number of pieces available. Hitler was so afraid of the IS-2 (and upcoming IS-3) that he called for even bigger tanks.
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Hi Hubert,
Some good points mate, whether it's an appropriate choice or not, I'll definitely be buying it!
The IS 2 is literally only about 2/3rds the weight of the Tiger II, so you just aren't comparing apples with apples.
Worth considering also, that the IS2 was primarily designed as a heavy infantry support/assault tank, if you will, whilst the Tiger II was designed for tank vs tank combat. Hence the 122mm gun is much lower velocity than the 88mm, which makes it less effective in tank vs tank combat, but beecause of it's greater diameter much better when using HE rounds against dug in or soft targets. The Russians considered using the 100mm gun in the IS series, but decided against it even though it's AP performance was better, because the HE round was much less effective than the 122mm equivalent.
So I guess my criticism comes down to Tiger II designed for tank vs tank combat likely to be superior in tank vs tank combat against a much smaller tank that isn't primarily designed for tank vs tank combat.
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I suppose it comes down to what the criteria are for choosing Duel titles. I'm sure the editorial team could give us the details, but if I was guessing I'd say it was a variety of things: the frequency with which two the two weapons systems met and clashed, the opportunity to use their meeting to highlight a particular battle, the similarity (or difference) between the two systems, or even the similarity/difference between the design philosophies that created them. Whether something was a fair match or not might come further down the list than how often the match occurred.
I realise there are limits, and ultimately you could have stuff like "Bren Gun versus ME 109" because of all the Tommies who shot back at strafing 109s with Brens- at which point things would be getting a bit ridiculous. But I think King Tiger vs Stalin II works for two reasons: one, they met often enough or in reasonable numbers to justify the title, and two, they're the ultimate expressions of their two countries' philosophies of armoured vehicle design- the biggest and most formidable tanks (at least on paper) that Germany and Russia put in the field in WW2.
Great list, by the way. 33, 34, 37, 38 and 39 for me.
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As the author of Duel 37 the posted points about the Tiger II and IS-2 are valid, and that on firm, open terrain at long range an individual Tiger II would probably defeat a single IS-2 (although the mass of the latter's 122mm round could prove catastrophic if an armored target was within range). In writing this book I tried to factor in elements such as logistics, reliability/maintenance, ammunition, numbers, training, technology, and experience to show that a myriad of issues were at play in the lead-up to, during, and after an armored engagement, and not show simply a one-on-one fight. Even though the two vehicle types only encountered each other about 5 times in any numbers (Sandomierz, Lisow, Budapest, Sonnenwende, and Berlin) they were the two heavy hitters on the Eastern Front during 1944-45- and I thought they deserved to be compared/contrasted. I chose Sonnenwende/Arnswalde as the other 4 confrontations didn't seem to offer a balanced scenario in which both vehicle types could play to their strengths- and as the German counterattack to pinch off Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front spearheads (2nd Guards Tank Army) along the Oder seemed an under-reported and interesting subject.
If anyone has questions please ask: sdkfz1822002@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Dave (Higgins)
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I've just seen the cover of Duel 37. That's never a JS2 is it? Looks like a T10, but I'm no expert.
Naughty naughty Osprey :-)
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fatdaddy - that is a cover visual, not a final cover. We create cover visuals well in advance of the publication of books, using artwork or images that we already have, because the final art for the book has not been completed yet. We don't actually have any artwork of an IS-2 yet, hence the disparity! Rest assured when the final artwork arrives the cover will be updated and corrected!
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Curse you Osprey, making me look like a mental by changing the artwork!
Looks superb by the way, really looking forward to this, and also the Duel book too.
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