Haynes Publishing, known for its exhaustive line of automotive repair guides, has expanded into the world of military hardware.

The company has partnered with technically minded military historians, veterans, and specialists to create the Owners Workshop Manual series of books. The books cover a wide range of military vehicles, including the M1 Abrams main battle tank, A-10 Warthog close air support aircraft, and more.

Anyone who has ever bought a used car, dealt with an aging car, or who just wants to know how their car works knows U.K.-based Haynes Publishing. The Somerset-based company’s manuals often go hand-in-hand with a used car purchase. Somewhere, laying low in my own 1999 Toyota 4Runner, is the Haynes manual for . Haynes manuals are invaluable for diagnosing an issue or figuring out where you can drill a hole in the molding without shorting out the electrical system.

Haynes

Recently, the company started releasing titles based on popular military hardware subjects. The Owners Workshop Manual Series has published on subjects as diverse as the Soviet Union’s T-34 medium tank, the modern U.S. Army M1A2 main battle tank, and the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog). The books combine illustrated procedures pulled from military manuals, historical accounts of the equipment in action, and a nuts and bolts explanation of the systems that make up a main battle tank or heavily armored close air support jet.

Haynes

Haynes’ covers all M1s built from 1980, when the iconic tank weighed just 58 tons and was armed with the M68 105-millimeter gun, to today’s M1A2, which tips the scales at 70 tons and is armed with the M256 120-millimeter gun. The manual covers the history of the M1’s development, production, various versions and their features, and discusses the future of the platform. The manual goes on to cover the three most key features of any tank, lethality, survivability, and mobility. The book then covers the use of M1s in U.S. and foreign service, and rounds out its coverage discussing variants, including bridging and engineering versions.

True to any vehicle manual, the M1’s owners manual has a detailed description of the Honeywell AGT-1500 engine that powers the main battle tank. While the manual isn’t detailed enough to let you disassemble the one ton gas turbine engine on your living room floor, you’ll come away with a detailed understanding of how it works.

Another title in the series is the . It is no exaggeration to say that the T-34 was the tank that won World War II. Developed shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the T-34 shocked the invading Axis forces who had no answer to the highly mobile, well-armed, simple to operate tank, to the point where Germany considered building a copy of its own.

T-34 tanks. Getty Images

The T-34 manual, written by military historian Mark Healy, is an insight into the history of the Soviet Union’s medium tank. The manual is rich with the history of the vehicle, both during development and combat, and developments spurred by combat. The T-34 evolved over just six short years to use three different main guns, differently shaped turrets, and a commander’s cupola copied from German tanks that allowed the tank commander to see outside without exposing himself to enemy fire. The book also covers how the German Army viewed the T-34, its combat history, and variants--including a flamethrowing version, which replaced the hull-mounted machine gun with a flamethrower.

Finally, the is, as the book jacket says, an insight into “the world’s undisputed king of close air support”. The book covers the early days of the Air Force’s first airplane dedicated to supporting ground troops, from the formulation of requirements to the flyoff against the Northrop YA-9A. The YA-10A, as the A-10 was called, won the competition and the rest is history.

The A-10 being an aircraft, the Haynes guide devotes considerable attention to the flight control systems and engines. Particular attention is given to the systems that are armored, redundant, or carefully placed to minimize the effects of ground fire. The manual also goes into the various defensive countermeasures, including the Common Missile Warning System, ALQ-131(A) radar jammer, and the MJU-11/A chaff and flare dispenser.

Haynes

Of course, what everyone wants to know is: how does it cover the GAU-8A Avenger Gatling gun? The GAU-8A is famously said to be as big as a car and the Haynes manual proves it, with a photo of the A-10’s gun system sitting next to Volkswagen Beetle. The manual covers the GAU-8A’s method of operation, particularly the complex feed system that feeds 30-millimeter rounds to the brrrrrrt gun.

The Haynes military manuals are a fascinating deep dive into the world of military hardware that will please readers with a casual interest and serious fans alike. The wealth of pictures and illustrations, carefully selected anecdotes, and technical information is easy to understand and digest. While federal restrictions prevent private citizens from owning their own M-1 Abrams, a cover to cover read of the Haynes manual will make anyone familiar with the mainstay of America’s tank fleet.

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