From the obsolescent multi-turreted T-35 tank to the mighty Essex-class aircraft carrier and the V-2 rocket, the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II examines key weapons of every type. The volume includes more than 1500 weapons, from handguns to jet fighters. Each weapon system is illustrated with a detailed profile artwork or a photograph showing the weapon in action. Expertly-written text provides each weapon's service history, specifications and its variants.

"All materials previously appeared in the multivolume partwork War Machine by Orbis Publishing Ltd."--Title page verso. Includes index.

[Pt. 1.] Tanks and AFVS. Axis tanks -- British and French tanks -- Soviet and American tanks -- Tank destroyers -- Special purpose tanks -- Self-propelled guns -- Amphibious vehicles -- Halftracks -- Armoured cars -- Trucks -- Light vehicles -- [pt. 2.] Artillery. Heavy artillery -- Railway guns and armoured trains -- Field artillery -- Heavy anti-aircraft guns -- Light anti-aircraft guns -- War rockets -- Anti-tank guns -- [pt. 3.] Infantry weapons. Infantry support weapons -- Infantry anti-tank weapons -- Rifles -- Pistols -- Machine-guns -- Sub-machine guns -- Flamethrowers -- [pt. 4.] Aircraft. Inter-war fighters -- Allied fighters -- Axis fighters -- Heavy bombers -- Light and medium bombers -- Jet aircraft -- Axis ground attack aircraft -- Allied ground attack aircraft -- Night-fighters -- Flying-boats -- Seaplanes -- Anti-shipping aircraft -- Carrier aircraft -- Transport and assault aircraft -- Light aircraft -- Air-to-ground weapons -- [pt. 5.] Naval weapons. Axis submarines -- Allied submarines -- British aircraft carriers -- Japanese aircraft carriers -- American aircraft carriers -- Battleships -- Cruisers -- Axis destroyers -- Allied destroyers -- Escort vessels -- Armed merchant cruisers -- Coastal craft -- Assault ships.