Download or read book The Battle of Korsun Cherkassy written by Nikolaus von Vormann and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A primary source account of the WWII Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy written by a Nazi commander who survived the Soviet victory. In 1943, the tide began to turn against Germany on the Eastern Front. Their summer offensive, Operation Citadel, was a failure. The Red Army’s Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive was pushing back on Germany’s Army Group South in a war of attrition. By October, Kiev was liberated, and the Soviets had reached the Dnieper River in Ukraine. After sudden attacks by the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts, the Russians achieved a major encirclement of six German divisions, a total of 60,000 soldiers, in a pocket near the Dnieper River. A dramatic weeks-long battle ensued. After a failed attempt led by Erich von Manstein to break into the pocket from the outside, the trapped German forces focused their efforts on escape. Abandoning equipment and wounded soldiers, the survivors rejoined the surrounding panzer divisions. Beginning with the German retreat to the Dnieper in 1943, Generalleutnant von Vormann chronicles the battle and describes the psychological effects of the brutal combat. As one of the few primary source materials that exists on the subject, this volume is of significant historical interest.
Download or read book Hell s Gate written by Douglas E. Nash and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, the Battle of Cherkassy (also known as the Korsun Pocket) still stirs controversy in both the former Soviet Union and in Germany. It was at Cherkassy that the last German offensive strength in the Ukraine was drained away, creating the conditions for the victorious Soviet advance into Poland, Rumania, and the Balkans during the summer and autumn of 1944. Eclipsed by a war of such gigantic proportions that saw the deaths of over one million men or more as commonplace, the events which occurred along the banks of the Gniloy Tickich river should have faded into obscurity. However, to the 60,000 German soldiers who were encircled there at the end of January 1944, this was perhaps one of the most brutal, physically exhausting, and morally demanding battles they had ever experienced. Thirty-four percent of them would not escape.The culmination of years of research and survivor interviews, Hell's Gate is a riveting hour by hour and day by day account of this desperate struggle analyzed on a tactical level through maps and military transcripts, as well as on a personal level, through the words of the enlisted men and officers who risked the roaring waters of the Gniloy Tickich to avoid certain death at the hands of their Soviet foe.
Download or read book Korsun Pocket written by Niklas Zetterling and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2011-03-31 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the second half of 1943, after the failure at Kursk, GermanyÕs Army Group South fell back from Russia under repeated hammer blows from the Red Army. Under Erich von Manstein, however, the Germans were able to avoid serious defeats, while at the same time fending off HitlerÕs insane orders to hold on to useless territory. Then, in January 1944, a disaster happened. Six divisions of Army Group South became surrounded after sudden attacks by the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts under command of generals Nikolai Vatutin and Ivan Konev around the village of Korsun (near the larger town of Cherkassy on the Dnieper). The GermansÕ greatest fear was the prospect of another Stalingrad, the catastrophe that had occurred precisely one year before. This time, though, Manstein was in control from the start, and he immediately rearranged his Army Group to rescue his trapped divisions. A major panzer drive got underway, led by General der Panzertruppen Hans Hube, a survivor from Stalingrad pocket, which promptly ran up against several soviet tank armies. Leading the break-in was Franz Baeke with his Tiger and Panther-tanks. Due to both weather and ferocious resistance, the German drive stalled. Ju-52s still flew into KorsunÕs airfield, delivering supplies and taking out wounded, but it soon became apparent that only one option remained for the beleaguered defenders: breakout. Without consulting Hitler, on the night of February 16 Manstein ordered the breakout to begin. Led by the strongest formation within the pocket, SS Wiking, the trapped forces surged out and soon rejoined the surrounding panzer divisions who had been fully engaged in weakening the ring. When dawn broke, the Soviets realized their prey was escaping. Although the Germans within the pocket lost nearly all of their heavy weapons and left many wounded behind, their escape was effected. Stalin, having anticipated another Stalingrad, was left with little but an empty bag, as Army Group SouthÑthis timeÑhad pulled off a rescue. In The Korsun Pocket, Niklas Zetterling, a researcher at the Swedish Defense College since 1995 and Anders Frankson, have provided a highly detailed and often breathtaking account of one of the most dramatic battles of World War II. From grand strategy to soldiersÕ voices on the ground, including expert statistical analysis, the action, and the stakes, of the battle at Korsun are made vividly clear.
Download or read book Vitebsk written by Otto Heidkämper and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-07-19 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A highly decorated Wehrmacht general gives “an incisive and accurate account” of a pivotal Eastern Front battle during World War II (Army Rumour Service). The city of Vitebsk in Belarus was of strategic importance during the fighting on the Eastern Front, as it controlled the route to Minsk. A salient in the German lines, Vitebsk had been declared a Festerplatz—a fortress town—meaning that it must be held at all costs. A task handed to 3rd Panzer Army in 1943. Otto Heidkämper was chief of staff of Georg-Hans Reinhardt’s 3rd Panzer Army, Army Group Center, which was stationed around Vitebsk and Smolensk from early 1942 until June 1944. His detailed account of the defense of Vitebsk through the winter of 1943 into 1944, right up to the Soviet summer offensive, is a valuable firsthand account of how the operations around Vitebsk played out. Twenty maps accompany the narrative. During this time, 3rd Panzer Army undertook numerous military operations to defend the area against the Soviets; they also engaged in anti-partisan operations in the area, deporting civilians accused of supporting partisans, and destroying property. Finally, in June 1944, the Soviets amassed four armies to take Vitebsk, which was then held by 38,000 men of 53rd Corps. Within three days, Vitebsk was encircled, with 53rd Corps trapped inside. Attempts to break the encirclement failed, and resistance in the pocket broke down over the next few days. On June 27, the final destruction of German resistance in Vitebsk was completed. Twenty thousand Germans were dead and another 10,000 had been captured.
Download or read book Eastern Front written by Bob Carruthers and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-06-12 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ferocious battles for survival fought by trapped German forces in Russia have become synonymous with that most terrible of all military campaigns. shortly after the war the personal experiences of those who had fought in the battles were collected together as the German report series. These reports include invaluable information from impeccable sources on the pockets formed at Klin, Velikiye Luki, Cherkassy and Kamenets-Podolskiy.Also included are contemporary reports featuring German encirclement tactics, and an in-depth feature on the Kiev operation. This new compilation is essential reading for anyone interested in discovering the real experience of the German forces trapped in Russia.This book is part of the 'Hitler's War Machine' series, a new military history range compiled and edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers. The series draws on primary sources and contemporary documents to provide a new insight into the true nature of Hitler's Wehrmacht.The series consultant is David Mcwhinnie creator of the award winning PBS series 'Battlefield'.
Download or read book Narvik written by Alex Buchner and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2020-11-20 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An intensely detailed historical account and counterfactual analysis of the strategic dilemmas faced by German and Allied forces at Narvik.” —Naval Historical Foundation Published for the first time in English, this is a German account of the German invasion of Norway in the spring of 1940. It focuses on the efforts of Group “1” led by Eduard Dietl. This group of Gebirgstruppen—mountain troops—was landed at Narvik in early April by ten destroyers. These ships were then all sunk by the Allies. Dietl’s troops were outnumbered by Allied troops but his defense utilized ammunition, food and sailors from the sunken ships and his men retook Narvik once the Allies abandoned their efforts to push the Germans out of Norway. “The book does provide detailed accounts of the numerous battles and skirmishes around Narvik in the spring of 1940. The maps are useful to help understand the terrain and geography. The focus of the text is at the tactical level, and any historian interested in the tactics of the Norwegian campaign or of German mountain troops at this time would find this especially useful.” —Journal of Military History “The story of Dietl’s improvisation in the face of such inadequacies is quite impressive . . . the best account in English of the German side of Narvik.” —Stone & Stone Second World War Books “A fascinating look at the battle from the German side. While the book does reflect the attitudes of the time it was written, it also reveals what the German troops faced and provides a good account of the various engagements in and around Narvik.” —WWII History Magazine
Download or read book Russian Front Wolf written by Matt Brownson and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-02-09 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Set in January 1944 on the Eastern Front during WWII, this graphic novel depicts a story based on the battle of the Korsun Pocket, sometimes referred to as the Cherkassy Pocket. The Russians claimed to have encircled and destroyed a large German force, by killing or capturing over 60,000 soldiers and their equipment. It was largely forgotten as the war continued and larger conflicts overshadowed it. But in recent years, from official resources and actual accounts from the men who fought there, over 40,000 Germans escaped the encirclement and linked up with a rescue force. Sergeant Wolfgang "Wolf" Maiers, the main character in the story, must fight and ultimately escape from the Russians. The story follows Wolf during his encirclement and long retreat, walking miles through the snow. His experience culminates when he's forced to swim across a frigid cold river! Over a year in the making and after revising some errors; this is a full color Graphic Novel featuring the Germans on the Eastern Front during WWII. Sixty-four watercolor hand-drawn pages were necessary to depict the gritty conditions. This novel does not glorify any political view. It is a story of human endurance set against a backdrop of total war. Those interested in WWII and the German experience may appreciate the attention to detail on the uniforms and equipment. For young adults and mature readers.
Download or read book Panzer Operations written by Hermann Hoth and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2015-03-19 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A German commander’s “very readable and thought-provoking” study of Operation Barbarossa (Military Review). This book unveils a wealth of experiences and analysis about Operation Barbarossa, perhaps the most important military campaign of the twentieth century, from a perspective rarely encountered. Hermann Hoth led Germany’s 3rd Panzer Group in Army Group Center—in tandem with Guderian’s 2nd Group—during the invasion of the Soviet Union, and together, these two daring panzer commanders achieved a series of astounding victories, encircling entire Russian armies at Minsk, Smolensk, and Vyazma, all the way up to the very gates of Moscow. This work begins with Hoth discussing the use of nuclear weapons in future conflicts. This cool-headed postwar reflection, from one of Nazi Germany’s top panzer commanders, is rare enough. But then Hoth dives into his exact command decisions during Barbarossa—still the largest continental offensive ever undertaken—to reveal new insights into how Germany could, and in his view should, have succeeded in the campaign. Hoth critically analyses the origin, development, and objective of the plan against Russia, and presents the situations confronted, the decisions taken, and the mistakes made by the army’s leadership, as the new form of mobile warfare startled not only the Soviets on the receiving end but the German leadership itself, which failed to provide support infrastructure for their panzer arm’s breakthroughs. Hoth sheds light on the decisive and ever-escalating struggle between Hitler and his military advisers on the question of whether, after the Dnieper and the Dvina had been reached, to adhere to the original idea of capturing Moscow. Hitler’s momentous decision to divert forces to Kiev and the south only came in late August 1941. He then finally considers in detail whether the Germans, after obliterating the remaining Russian armies facing Army Group Center in Operation Typhoon, could still hope for the occupation of the Russian capital that fall. Hoth concludes his study with several lessons for the offensive use of armored formations in the future. His firsthand analysis, here published for the first time in English, will be vital reading for every student of World War II.
Download or read book Arctic Front written by Wilhelm Hess and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2021-01-29 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A very thorough analysis as to why and how the combined German-Finnish army . . . ultimately failed in their quest to seize Murmansk during Barbarossa.” —Globe at War In 1941, military operations were conducted by large formations along the northern coast of Scandinavia—for the first time in the history of warfare. The Arctic Front was the northernmost theater in the war waged by Germany against Russia. For a period of four years, German troops from all branches of the Wehrmacht fought side by side with Finnish border guard units. The high point of the war on the Arctic Front was the assembly and advance of Germany’s Mountain Corps Norway in the summer and autumn of 1941. Commanded by general of the mountain troops, Eduard Dietl, and composed of the 2nd and 3rd Mountain Divisions, the Mountain Corps advanced out of occupied North Norway, assembled in the Petsamo Corridor in North Finland, and struck into Russian territory in an attempt to seize Murmansk. It did not reach its objective. This account of the operation was written by Wilhelm Hess, quartermaster of the Mountain Corps Norway. He draws upon his personal experience of the conditions and actions on the Arctic Front in order to describe and analyze the environment, the sequence of events, and the reasons behind certain decisions. In addition to describing how operations conducted by the Mountain Corps unfolded, Hess provides insight as to how the terrain, the flow of supplies, and the war at sea impacted those operations. “A serious, thoughtful book about war . . . in conditions hardly conducive to survival, let alone combat.” —Stone & Stone
Download or read book On to Stalingrad written by Horst Scheibert and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2022-01-10 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first English translation of a German account of the attempt to relieve the Nazis’ Sixth Army at Stalingrad during World War II. In late November 1942, Soviet forces surrounded General Friedrich Paulus’ Sixth Army in a pocket at the Russian city of Stalingrad. In response the Germans planned a relief operation, Operation Winter Thunderstorm, intended to break through the Soviet forces and open the pocket, releasing the encircled units. The 6th Panzer Division was the spearhead of the German relief force. The attack started on 12 December 1942 and was aborted on 23 December after heavy Soviet counterattacks. This failure sealed the fate of the German Sixth Army in Stalingrad. This account of the operation was first published in German in 1956, written by the well-respected military historian and retired German officer, Horst Scheibert, who was a tank commander in 6th Panzer Division during the attempt. Utilizing many excerpts from war diaries, and telegrams sent during operations, it is a unique account of the entire operation from the situation in mid-November through the two German offensives, the Soviet counteroffensive, and ongoing fighting until early January. This book includes 16 maps from the original edition and is the first English translation of this important German account. Praise for On to Stalingrad “Rich and detailed like very few of its kind are, with a crisp writing style and critical eye for the events of the battlefield that almost makes you feel as if you were there with Sixth Panzer. On to Stalingrad is a book so compelling that it simply should not be overlooked for your personal and professional enjoyment.” —ARMOR Magazine “Offers a unique viewpoint from an actual veteran who is able to provide an immediate military analysis of this mostly forgotten operation of the Stalingrad campaign.” —New York Journal of Books
Download or read book Viking Panzers written by Ewald Klapdor and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2011-04-05 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Classic World War II unit history of the 5th SS Panzer Regiment, part of the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking" • The unique 5th SS Panzer Division was made up largely of volunteers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands, and Belgium • This regiment served on the Eastern Front from 1942 to the end of the war, including action at Kharkov and Warsaw • Draws heavily from the eyewitness testimonies of the 5th's members • First time in English
Download or read book The Wallonien written by Richard Landwehr and published by Merriam Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Soviet Airborne Experience written by David M. Glantz and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1984 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contents: The Prewar Experience; Evolution of Airborne Forces During World War II; Operational Employment: Vyaz'ma, January-February 1942; Operational Employment: Vyaz'ma, February-June 1942; Operational Employment: On the Dnepr, September 1943; Tactical Employment; The Postwar Years.
Download or read book Zhitomir Berdichev written by Stephen Barratt and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Army Group South written by Werner Haupt and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 1998 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After long years of studying sources and literature, Werner Haupt presents the military history of one of the larger theaters of World War II. The completion of the history of "Army Group South" is the result of the author's utilization of all available German and Russian literature, as well as those combat diaries and documents of the committed troop units that are available in German archives. In addition, the author was assisted in clearing up several questions by the advice of former members of the army group - from commanders to drivers. This third and final volume of a three volume set by Werner Haupt includes a volume each on Army Group North, Army Group Center, and now Army Group South. The author served in the German Army as a soldier and officer in the northern sector of the Eastern Front during the Second World War. He is also the author of Assault on Moscow 1941 (available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).
Download or read book Soviet Night Operations in World War II written by Claude R. Sasso and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1982 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Battle for Kharkov 1941 1943 written by Anthony Tucker-Jones and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-06-30 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pictorial history of a series of World War II battles between the Soviet Red Army and the Nazi Wehrmacht around a city in present-day Ukraine. The four battles fought for Kharkov during the Second World War are often overshadowed by the battles for Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad, yet they were critical stages in the struggle between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army for control of the southern Soviet Union. Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this volume in the Images of War series, offers a visual record of the dramatic and bloody conflict that took place there, showing every grim aspect of the fighting. Kharkov became one of the most bitterly contested cities during the war on the Eastern Front, and this book presents a graphic overview of the atrocious conditions the soldiers on both sides had to endure. In 1941 Kharkov fell to Hitler’s Army Group South. In 1942 the Soviets tried and failed to retake it, losing 240,000 men in the Barvenkovo Bulge. Then, in 1943, the control of the battered city changed hands twice before the Soviets liberated it for good. The fate of Kharkov during the war reflects the history of the wider struggle between Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union. Praise for Battle for Kharkov “The collection of original un-published Scott Pick photos are exceptional with such quality and topic coverage that the material visually jumps off the pages. . . . Presents a hard hitting and furious review of the period. . . . The ability of the author to cover the lengthy period in a concise review is very solid, and creates a substantial quality of information versus time of reading commitment.” —Richard Wade, military historian
