Book Review of
The Soviet Baltic Offensive, 1944-45
German Defence of Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania
Author: Ian Baxter
Casemate Illustrated, Men-Battles-Weapons Series
ISBN: 978-1-63624-106-7
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022 (Brand new. Released just this September)
MSRP: $28.95
ISBN: 978-1-63624-106-7
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022 (Brand new. Released just this September)
MSRP: $28.95
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publications is based in Havertown, PA. They are both a publisher of their own line of books and a distributor of books by other companies.
This book is of soft-cover, of 128 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
The front cover shows 3 black and white wartime photos, and a battle map line drawing and a three-quarter sized color side view profile illustration of a Soviet IS-2 tank, that is overall green with patches of winter white wash on it, a with turret number 21, followed by a Russian slogan, posed over a black and white photo of German PzKpfw. IV tanks moving down a road, below that there is a line drawing map of part of Russia.
At the top of the cover there is a black and white photo of 5 German infantryman, wearing parkas and next to building with snow on the ground. At the lower left is a black and white photo of 8 Soviet infantry-men jumping off and leaving a T-43 tank. At the lower right is the color illustration of the Soviet IL-2 tank, posed over a black and white photo of German Pz.Kpfw. IV tanks moving down a road, over a line drawing of part of Russia.
The back cover shows 3 more black and white wartime photos. At the top left is a parade of Soviet soldiers, on the top right is a German soldier on a motorcycle with side-car next to a truck. Across the bottom is a black and white photo of 2 German soldiers that are prisoners with their arms raised, walking beside a Soviet IL-2 tank, that has as white turret no. 341 followed by a double-sided circle.
This book contains 141 black and white photos (including the covers), 6 colorized maps, and 15 color side view illustrations of tanks and other vehicles, color illustrations of 5 German soldiers and 1 Soviet soldier.
HISTORY:
In late 1945, planning began for a Soviet offensive against Army Group North, to secure Leningrad and break through the Narva Isthmus. The battle for Narva launched in February 1944, but bogged down in the spring thaw. The launch of Operation Bagration saw German forces scramble to reinforce Army Group Center, enabling he 1st Baltic Front to advance to the frontiers of Latvia and Lithuania. Further Soviet offences drove Army Group North across the Baltics from Leningrad . Fighting a number of isolated battles, including the defense of Narva, Mernel and the Courland pocket.
Though wholly outnumbered by Soviet forces, Hitler forbade his troops to withdraw, ordering them to follow his “Halt” decree and fight to the death. Exhausted and demoralized by the relentless Soviet assaults, Army Group North was cut off and isolated, fighting frantically to hold the capital cities of Tallinn, Vilnius and Riga. German forces then fought to the death in the last few small pockets of land surrounding three ports: Libau in Courland, Pillau in East Prussia, and Danzig at the mouth of the River Vistula. In the Courland, the German divisions were surrounded , mounting a bitter defense until May 1945.
Drawing of a host of rare and unpublished photos, accompanied by in-depth captions and text, this book provides an absorbing account of the Red Army’s conquest of the Baltics in the final months of WWII.
The front and back covers each have a flap on them. One flap holds the history of the Baltic Offensive, over features of the book.
In the book there are:
A time table of events, 6 colorized maps of the Baltic region, 15 color side view profile illustrations are of a front view of a German Pz.Kpfw. 35(T), a Soviet KC-1 that is overall green with a white Soviet slogan on the side of its turret, it has crewman looking out of the top turret hatch holding a red Soviet flag, there is a female soldier standing to the side of the tank waving with both her arms, a German Pz.Kpfw. IV in a spot pattern camouflage of dark-green, red brown and tan, with some spots of white wash. It has skeletal white German cross, followed by white turret no. 432, below it is a color illustration of a German soldier throwing a potato masher type grenade and armed with a submachine gun, a Soviet ISU-152-S that is completely covered by winter white-wash.
A Soviet soldier that is wearing an all-white uniform, he is kneeling and firing his machine gun, a German Sd.Kfz. 234/4 reconnaissance vehicle that is solidly covered with white-wash, a German Sd.Kfz. 251/9 halftrack, that is in a blotch camouflage of tan, green and red-brown with blotches of white-wash and a black outlined German cross on its sides, a illustration of a German soldier armed with a submachine gun, 2 German soldiers in a snow covered field. One wears a camouflaged uniform and the other a white parka, both are armed with carbines.
A German Tiger I tank in a base of tan with dark green wave pattern camouflage and a red no. 217 outlined in white on its turret sides, a Soviet IS-2 that is overall green with blotches of white-wash, a white 21 on the turret sides, followed by a white Soviet slogan, a Soviet SU-152 that is overall geen with a few white-wash patches and a white no. 200 on its side, a Soviet BM-13N Katyusha multiple rocket launching truck, in overall green with white Soviet lettering on the cab doors and a heavy coating of dirt. An illustration of a German tank crewman, holding a pair of binoculars and standing in the top hatch of a tank turret, he wears an all black panzer uniform.
A side view of a German Raupenschlepper Ost Caterpillar Tractor (or RSO), that is in a base of tan with dark green spot camouflage. It is pulling a howitzer, A Panther Ausf. A that is completely covered with white-wash. A German soldier wearing a field grey uniform that is reversible to white and a camouflage cloth covering on his steel helmet. He is looking around the corner of a building and is holding a carbine, A Soviet T-34-85 tank that is overall green with a heavy coating of white-wash and a white turret no. A-413, A front view of a German Magirus 4-ton truck. It is tan with a heavy coating of snow on it and license no. WH-453616 on its front bumper.
The book holds many photos of German and Soviet infantry men & women, tanks, vehicles, weapons etc.
At the end of the book there is a 2 page Index and 2 page Bibliography.
The flap on the back cover shows 4 black and white cover arts of Casemate books:
Operation Bagration, Kursk 1943, Operation Typhoon and From Moscow to Stalingrad.
This book will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.-
All Casemate books and the books of companies that they distribute books of can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Casemate Publications is based in Havertown, PA. They are both a publisher of their own line of books and a distributor of books by other companies.
This book is of soft-cover, of 128 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
The front cover shows 3 black and white wartime photos, and a battle map line drawing and a three-quarter sized color side view profile illustration of a Soviet IS-2 tank, that is overall green with patches of winter white wash on it, a with turret number 21, followed by a Russian slogan, posed over a black and white photo of German PzKpfw. IV tanks moving down a road, below that there is a line drawing map of part of Russia.
At the top of the cover there is a black and white photo of 5 German infantryman, wearing parkas and next to building with snow on the ground. At the lower left is a black and white photo of 8 Soviet infantry-men jumping off and leaving a T-43 tank. At the lower right is the color illustration of the Soviet IL-2 tank, posed over a black and white photo of German Pz.Kpfw. IV tanks moving down a road, over a line drawing of part of Russia.
The back cover shows 3 more black and white wartime photos. At the top left is a parade of Soviet soldiers, on the top right is a German soldier on a motorcycle with side-car next to a truck. Across the bottom is a black and white photo of 2 German soldiers that are prisoners with their arms raised, walking beside a Soviet IL-2 tank, that has as white turret no. 341 followed by a double-sided circle.
This book contains 141 black and white photos (including the covers), 6 colorized maps, and 15 color side view illustrations of tanks and other vehicles, color illustrations of 5 German soldiers and 1 Soviet soldier.
HISTORY:
In late 1945, planning began for a Soviet offensive against Army Group North, to secure Leningrad and break through the Narva Isthmus. The battle for Narva launched in February 1944, but bogged down in the spring thaw. The launch of Operation Bagration saw German forces scramble to reinforce Army Group Center, enabling he 1st Baltic Front to advance to the frontiers of Latvia and Lithuania. Further Soviet offences drove Army Group North across the Baltics from Leningrad . Fighting a number of isolated battles, including the defense of Narva, Mernel and the Courland pocket.
Though wholly outnumbered by Soviet forces, Hitler forbade his troops to withdraw, ordering them to follow his “Halt” decree and fight to the death. Exhausted and demoralized by the relentless Soviet assaults, Army Group North was cut off and isolated, fighting frantically to hold the capital cities of Tallinn, Vilnius and Riga. German forces then fought to the death in the last few small pockets of land surrounding three ports: Libau in Courland, Pillau in East Prussia, and Danzig at the mouth of the River Vistula. In the Courland, the German divisions were surrounded , mounting a bitter defense until May 1945.
Drawing of a host of rare and unpublished photos, accompanied by in-depth captions and text, this book provides an absorbing account of the Red Army’s conquest of the Baltics in the final months of WWII.
The front and back covers each have a flap on them. One flap holds the history of the Baltic Offensive, over features of the book.
In the book there are:
A time table of events, 6 colorized maps of the Baltic region, 15 color side view profile illustrations are of a front view of a German Pz.Kpfw. 35(T), a Soviet KC-1 that is overall green with a white Soviet slogan on the side of its turret, it has crewman looking out of the top turret hatch holding a red Soviet flag, there is a female soldier standing to the side of the tank waving with both her arms, a German Pz.Kpfw. IV in a spot pattern camouflage of dark-green, red brown and tan, with some spots of white wash. It has skeletal white German cross, followed by white turret no. 432, below it is a color illustration of a German soldier throwing a potato masher type grenade and armed with a submachine gun, a Soviet ISU-152-S that is completely covered by winter white-wash.
A Soviet soldier that is wearing an all-white uniform, he is kneeling and firing his machine gun, a German Sd.Kfz. 234/4 reconnaissance vehicle that is solidly covered with white-wash, a German Sd.Kfz. 251/9 halftrack, that is in a blotch camouflage of tan, green and red-brown with blotches of white-wash and a black outlined German cross on its sides, a illustration of a German soldier armed with a submachine gun, 2 German soldiers in a snow covered field. One wears a camouflaged uniform and the other a white parka, both are armed with carbines.
A German Tiger I tank in a base of tan with dark green wave pattern camouflage and a red no. 217 outlined in white on its turret sides, a Soviet IS-2 that is overall green with blotches of white-wash, a white 21 on the turret sides, followed by a white Soviet slogan, a Soviet SU-152 that is overall geen with a few white-wash patches and a white no. 200 on its side, a Soviet BM-13N Katyusha multiple rocket launching truck, in overall green with white Soviet lettering on the cab doors and a heavy coating of dirt. An illustration of a German tank crewman, holding a pair of binoculars and standing in the top hatch of a tank turret, he wears an all black panzer uniform.
A side view of a German Raupenschlepper Ost Caterpillar Tractor (or RSO), that is in a base of tan with dark green spot camouflage. It is pulling a howitzer, A Panther Ausf. A that is completely covered with white-wash. A German soldier wearing a field grey uniform that is reversible to white and a camouflage cloth covering on his steel helmet. He is looking around the corner of a building and is holding a carbine, A Soviet T-34-85 tank that is overall green with a heavy coating of white-wash and a white turret no. A-413, A front view of a German Magirus 4-ton truck. It is tan with a heavy coating of snow on it and license no. WH-453616 on its front bumper.
The book holds many photos of German and Soviet infantry men & women, tanks, vehicles, weapons etc.
At the end of the book there is a 2 page Index and 2 page Bibliography.
The flap on the back cover shows 4 black and white cover arts of Casemate books:
Operation Bagration, Kursk 1943, Operation Typhoon and From Moscow to Stalingrad.
This book will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.-
All Casemate books and the books of companies that they distribute books of can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.