Commissioning Editor Tom Milner takes us through the new releases for the New Vanguard series in 2026!

This year in New Vanguard, our armour and land warfare titles include including two of William Hiestand’s series of titles on the Eastern Front, as well as two new books by Steve Zaloga on elements of World War II armour, while Marc Romanych and Jacqueline Scott examine NATO’s strategic air defences during the Cold War. On the naval side, we welcome Anatomy of the Ship author/illustrator Stefan Dramiński to the New Vanguard list with his new book on the Nagato-class. However I’m most looking forward to Enrico Cernuschi’s book on the Regia Marina’s famous MAS and MS boats, with some wonderful illustrations by Gareth Hector and Edouard Groult.

Soviet Tanks at Stalingrad 1942–43

William E. Hiestand, Steve Noon

29/01/2026

Examines and analyses how the Soviet tank forces that fought at Stalingrad were rejuvenated in the months leading up to the battle, and the role they played in this iconic campaign.

The Stalingrad campaign was a major turning point of World War II. The German Sixth Army’s 22 divisions and 250,000 troops were encircled and destroyed, while the Soviet 62nd Army’s desperate defence of the city and the suffering of the starving German troops receives much justifiable attention.

Here, Soviet armour expert William E. Hiestand draws attention to the less-covered element of the battle: the reborn Soviet tank and mechanized corps that delivered the death blow to Hitler’s hopes. He explains how in summer 1942, the Soviet tank forces were failing to reach their potential; despite being equipped with superb T-34 and heavily armoured KV-1 tanks, the Red Army’s newly formed tank corps were unable to integrate their armoured thrusts with supporting infantry and artillery, and their disjoined attacks were repeatedly shattered. By November 19, however, Soviet organization, command and control, training, and tactics had matured, allowing the Fifth Tank Army to launch the decisive penetration through the Romanian Third Army.

Packed with rare archive photos and superb profiles of the tanks involved, this book shows that it was at Stalingrad that the Red Army’s armoured spearhead evolved into a force that could dominate the Eastern Front.

Nagato-class Battleships 1920–46: The Imperial Japanese Navy's super-dreadnoughts

Stefan Dramiński

26/03/2026

An illustrated study of Japan’s Nagato-class battleships: the IJN’s powerful super-dreadnoughts, which were heavily modernized to fight in World War II.

Illustrated with the author’s much-acclaimed 3D reconstructions, naval researcher Stefan Dramiński offers a technical and operational study of Nagato and Mutsu, Japan’s most powerful battleships of the dreadnought era.

They were the world’s first battleships to mount 16-inch guns, and signalled Japan’s determination to build a fleet that qualitatively outmatched the world’s leading navies. Entering service in the 1920s, they would be heavily modernized before the outbreak of the Pacific War, for which Nagato would fire the starting gun as Yamamoto’s flagship for the Pearl Harbor attack. Both ships were present at the Battle of Midway, and though Mutsu would be sunk by a magazine explosion in 1943, Nagato fought at Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf, before being modified again and moored at Yokosuka as an antiaircraft battery. The last Japanese battleship afloat on VJ-Day, Nagato was sunk in 1946 at Bikini Atoll in the Crossroads nuclear test.

Drawing on Japanese-language sources and original documentation, this is a concisely detailed account of these formidable battleships, superbly illustrated with archive photos and artwork showing the ships through their careers and in action.

Italian MAS & MS Boats 1915–49: Italy's fast coastal forces

Enrico Cernuschi, Gareth Hector & Edouard A. Groult

23/04/2026

An illustrated history of the motor torpedo boats of Italy’s fast coastal forces, from their raids on enemy battleships in World War I to the dashing campaigns of World War II.

The confined seas around Italy made fast torpedo boats particularly suitable for the Regia Marina. The first were derived from the glamorous pre-war hotel motorboats of Venice; although too slow, they scored remarkable successes against Austro-Hungary, sinking, among other successes, two battleships, as well as conducting valuable and little-known ASW work.

Researched from unpublished primary sources, this is the first authoritative book in English to study the MAS boats, their larger MS successors, and their wars in the Adriatic, Mediterranean and beyond. Renowned Italian naval historian Enrico Cernuschi explores their evolving technology, roles, and how the boats fought in two world wars.

Illustrated with unpublished photos and superb original artwork, it traces their history from the famous actions of World War I to the troubled search for a real ‘velocissimo’ (very fast) MAS boat and their multifaceted roles in World War II, from the Malta convoy battles to the Black Sea naval war. It explores little-known episodes such as their dangerous, clandestine roles post-1943, landing intelligence agents and commandos, and their secret 1945–48 battles against Yugoslavian communist infiltrators.

US Heavy Tanks of World War II

Steven J. Zaloga, Felipe Rodríguez

21/05/2026

Through World War II, the US Army worked on projects for new heavy tanks. Fully illustrated, this charts the development of the M6 and the never-built T14, T28, and Pershing-derived designs.

In this book, world-renowned armour expert Steven Zaloga examines the series of heavy tanks that were designed or developed by the US Army in World War II, but which never saw action.

The first heavy tank of the war was the M6 heavy tank, which never saw combat use despite being type classified. The US Army also developed the heavy T14 assault tank, which was earmarked for Lend-Lease service by Britain. The most outrageous US heavy tank of the war was the T28/T95 superheavy tank, which was so large that it required four sets of suspension bogies instead of the usual two.

The M26 Pershing medium tank program also spawned a number of heavy tank projects, such as the T30, T32 and T34, which are also examined. Although production of these was envisioned in 1945-46, the end of the war put an end to any possibility of serial manufacture. Nevertheless, these tanks were heavily influenced by World War II lessons and their development and technical features are examined.

Illustrated with rarely seen archive photos and meticulously illustrated new profiles of the key designs, this book traces the US Army’s efforts to develop heavy tanks comparable to the German Tigers, and the reasons why such monstrous machines were never required.

Warships at Dunkirk 1940

Angus Konstam, Edouard A. Groult

21/05/2026

A fully illustrated study of the hundreds of British and French warships at the heart of the Dunkirk evacuation, whose actions have been overshadowed by the fame of the ‘Little Ships’.

In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam examines the backbone of the Dunkirk evacuation fleet: the warships of the Royal Navy and French Navy that were ordered into action to rescue the British Expeditionary Force. Nearly 50 destroyers, an anti-aircraft cruiser, and more than 200 MTBs, minesweepers, trawlers, and other small warships were involved, as many as could be spared without recklessly endangering naval strength. He highlights the lack of decent anti-aircraft defences available to the Allies in 1940, and how improvised weaponry were used to help fend off the Stukas. Dunkirk was the first naval operation of World War II to be carried out under sustained air attack, and nearly a fifth of the destroyers and a quarter of the smaller vessels were sunk, with more badly damaged.

Illustrated with archive photos, profiles illustrating the range of both British and French warships involved, and dramatic original artwork, this studies the naval side of the greatest evacuation of World War II.

German Marders of World War II: The Wehrmacht's prime tank destroyers

Steven J. Zaloga, Felipe Rodríguez

30/07/2026

Built for mobile antitank firepower, the Marder family combined the superb 7.5cm antitank gun with existing light tank chassis. Fully illustrated, this studies their design and use.

The appearance of T-34 and KV tanks in 1941 forced the Wehrmacht to field a more powerful antitank gun, the 7.5cm PaK 40. Although an excellent weapon, the towed gun was heavy, awkward to employ, and vulnerable to enemy counter-fire. At the same time, many light tanks had become obsolete even though their chassis were still useful.

In this book, armour expert Steven J. Zaloga presents a study of how these obsolete tanks and the superb new gun were combined to create the Marder family of tank destroyers. The Marder I was based on the captured French Chenilette Lorraine chassis, and subsequently on other French light tanks such as the Hotchkiss H39 and FCM36, while the Marder II was based on the PzKpfw II chassis. The Marder III was the most significant of the new types, based on the Czech PzKpfw 38(t) chassis. The Marder family reached its peak production in 1942, constituting over 18 percent of German Panzer production, and production ended in 1944.

Packed with rare photos and original artwork, this book explores the designs, capabilities, and employment of the Marders, as well as the little-known and largely unsuccessful late-war attempts to produce further self-propelled 7.5cm PaK 40 vehicles on half-track, armoured car and tractor chassis.

Tanks in the Caucasus 1942–43

William E. Hiestand, Steve Noon

27/08/2026

Illustrated throughout, this is the first book to study the Soviet and German armoured forces that fought the campaign for the Eastern Front’s vital oilfields.

Although Sixth Army’s battle for Stalingrad dominates accounts of the German summer 1942 offensive, the parallel thrust by von Kleist’s elite First Panzer Army actually came closer to Hitler’s main strategic objective of 1942: the Caucasus oilfields.

In this book, military historian William E. Hiestand presents an analysis of the armoured forces that fought this campaign. The Germans struggled with difficult terrain, stiffening Soviet resistance, and extraordinarily long lines of communications, but the campaign would see the Panzers battle into the mountains and towards the Caspian Sea, marking the Wehrmacht’s deepest thrust eastward. The Soviet defenders had to make do with tank brigades of obsolete T-26s and inferior T-70s, with limited T-34s and KV-1s, as most T-34 production was funnelled towards Stalingrad. However the Western Allies had opened the Persian Corridor to the USSR, and the Caucasus defenders made extensive use of Lend-Lease Valentine and M3 Lee tanks.

Illustrated with rare photos and detailed new profiles of the tanks involved, this book explores how both sides’ armour fought the campaign, until the collapse of German forces around Stalingrad forced von Kleist’s Panzers to retreat, ending German hopes of securing the vital oil.

Lexington-Class Aircraft Carriers 1927–46: The US Navy's first fleet carriers

Mark Lardas, Adam Tooby

22/10/2026

The Lexington class were the US Navy’s first fleet carriers. Fully illustrated, this explores their history from their battlecruiser origins to their service in World War II.

The Lexington class began life as two of the six battlecruisers ordered for the US Navy in 1916. Laid down in 1920–21, they would have been the most powerful battlecruisers ever, if the Washington Naval Treaty had not scrapped the world’s newest capital ships. However, as a handful of hulls were permitted to become aircraft carriers, Lexington and Saratoga were spared for conversion.

Naval historian Mark Lardas explains how the resulting design was unprecedented. When built they were the largest carriers in existence – the US Navy would not have bigger carriers until the 1945 Midway class. They were fast and carried larger air groups than any British or Japanese carrier of their time. They pioneered a flight deck design that became standard in all future carriers, and during the 1930s, they were at the heart of the fleet exercises that developed US carrier doctrine.

Illustrated with archive photos and superb artwork of the ships through their careers, this book also explores their wartime service. Lexington took part in the carrier raids of early 1942 before being sunk at Coral Sea, while Saratoga fought in many of the key Pacific campaigns, developing night carrier operations in 1944 and 1945, before being sunk as an A-bomb target in Operation Crossroads.

Tanks in the Gilbert Islands 1943: Armor in the battles for Tarawa and Makin

Romain Cansiere, Felipe Rodríguez

19/11/2026

The Gilberts invasion was the proving ground for America’s island campaign. Fully illustrated, this examines how it proved both the importance and difficulty of using armour in the Pacific.

The capture of the heavily fortified Gilbert Islands was intended to secure air bases for the Marshall Islands campaign. The garrison commander General Keiji Shibazaki claimed that ‘a thousand men in a hundred years couldn’t take Tarawa’.

Simultaneously, the Marine Corps landed on Tarawa and the Army on Makin, in the first opposed landings of the Pacific War, with armour supporting the assault waves. But as is often the case with pioneering operations, things didn't go according to plan. Reefs, low tides, strong Japanese opposition, lack of communication, and absence of suitable doctrine lead to a near-disaster on Tarawa.

In this book, illustrated with superb new tank profiles and previously unpublished photos, armour historian Romain Cansière examines how the battles for Tarawa and Makin highlighted the difficulties of providing armoured support in Pacific landings. Studying the roles of tanks in both operations, how inexperienced crews overcame the difficulties of combat, and the role of Japanese tanks in both battles, this book offers the first account of how armour performed in this ‘proving ground’ operation, and what lessons were learned for future landings in the Pacific.

NATO SAMs at the Iron Curtain 1959–91

Marc Romanych & Jacqueline Scott

17/12/2026

With detailed illustrations, the first book to provide a survey of the technology and deployment of the NATO missile systems that protected Western European airspace during the Cold War.

For more than three decades, the first line of defence at the Iron Curtain was a huge network of medium- and long-range NATO surface-to-air missile systems. Beginning in 1959, Nike and Hawk SAMs, later reinforced by Britain’s Bloodhound and Thunderbird, were deployed in a two-layer missile belt to defend against any Warsaw Pact air attack.

Written by two former air defence officers, and based on declassified documents and interviews with former NATO personnel, this is the first book to survey the development, technology, and deployment of the NATO SAM system. The first – Nike Ajax and Hercules – were deployed to protect airbases and other critical installations, forming a belt through West Germany from Switzerland to the North Sea. They describe how the capabilities of NATO’s defences developed, with improvements to command and control systems, the extension of the system north into Scandinavia and south into Italy, Greece and Turkey, as well as the addition of HAWK, Thunderbird and Bloodhound missile units, and finally the deployment of the ultimate Patriot system in the 1980s.

Fully illustrated, this is a concise, detailed survey of the system that at its height, fielded more than 200 SAM batteries in Germany and the length of the Iron Curtain.

Up to 70% off Osprey Publishing Books!

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With a range of discounts on included titles up to 70% off – discover titles across aviation, general military history and our series books.

The sale runs until midnight (GMT) Thursday, 31st July 2025.

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• Big Reveal 2026