Book Review of
Waffen-SS Armour on the Eastern Front 1941-1945
Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives
Author: Ian Baxter
Pen & Sword Images of War Series
ISBN: 9781399090032
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $22.95
Copyright: 2021
ISBN: 9781399090032
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $22.95
Copyright: 2021
HISTORY:
Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, code-named “Operation Barbarossa”, was arguably the pivotal moment of WWII. Initially, the onslaught was staggeringly-successful with, as the superb contemporary images in this book show.
Waffen-SS armoured divisions leading the charge. But the Nazis had underestimated the Russian’s determination to defend their homeland and the logistical problems compounded by the extreme winter weather conditions.
After early victories, such as the re-capture of Kharkov in early 1943, and the Kursk offensive, commanders and crews of armoured vehicles, such as the Pz.Kpfw. I, II, III, IV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger, assault and self-propelled guns had to adapt their tactics and equipment to what became a desperate defensive withdrawal eventually back across a scared and devastated Eastern Front.
Even during the last months of the war, as the Panzers withdrew through Poland and into the Reich, these exhausted elite units, broken down into small battle groups or Kampfgruppen, fought to the bitter end.
With authoritative text, supported by plethora of rare, fully captioned photographs, this Classics Images of War book informs and inspires the reader, revealing the key role played by the Waffen-SS Panzer units in this most bitter campaign.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is soft-bound of 144 pages in 7” x 9 ½” page format.
The cover art shows 5 black and white wartime photos.
The large one at the top is of a front view of a Stug. III Ausf. C variant, complete with side skirts and extra track links welded to its front for better armor protection. It has brush piled on it for camouflage.
Below this photo there are 4 more small photos.
The first one on the left shows a tank-crewman wearing a cloth side cap and a pair of earphones.
The other 3 photos show crewmen and Stug IIIs.
The back cover of the book shows two more black and white wartime photos.
One is of troops aboard a half-track and the other one is another shot of a Stug. III.
The book contains 196 black and white photos that have faded to various degrees over the years since the war.
The book begins with an INTRODUCTION and ends with an EPILOGUE and 2 APPENDIX’S.
The photos show troops, tanks and vehicles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ian Baxter is a much published author and photographic collector, whose books draw an increasing following. Among the many previous titles in the Images of War Series are “Hitler’s Boy Soldiers”, “Nazi Concentration Camp Commanders”. The Ghettos of Nazi Occupied Poland”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the advance”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the retreat”, “The Crushing of Army Group North” and “The Waffen-SS Division Series, including SS Liebstandarte Division”. “SS Totenkopf Division at War”, “Waffen-SS of the Baltic States”, Waffen-SS of Arnhem” and “Waffen SS in the Ardennes.
He lives near Chelmsford, Essex.
There is a post card inserted in the book to use to get more information about Pen & Sword Books.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Books for this review sample.
All their book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, code-named “Operation Barbarossa”, was arguably the pivotal moment of WWII. Initially, the onslaught was staggeringly-successful with, as the superb contemporary images in this book show.
Waffen-SS armoured divisions leading the charge. But the Nazis had underestimated the Russian’s determination to defend their homeland and the logistical problems compounded by the extreme winter weather conditions.
After early victories, such as the re-capture of Kharkov in early 1943, and the Kursk offensive, commanders and crews of armoured vehicles, such as the Pz.Kpfw. I, II, III, IV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger, assault and self-propelled guns had to adapt their tactics and equipment to what became a desperate defensive withdrawal eventually back across a scared and devastated Eastern Front.
Even during the last months of the war, as the Panzers withdrew through Poland and into the Reich, these exhausted elite units, broken down into small battle groups or Kampfgruppen, fought to the bitter end.
With authoritative text, supported by plethora of rare, fully captioned photographs, this Classics Images of War book informs and inspires the reader, revealing the key role played by the Waffen-SS Panzer units in this most bitter campaign.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is soft-bound of 144 pages in 7” x 9 ½” page format.
The cover art shows 5 black and white wartime photos.
The large one at the top is of a front view of a Stug. III Ausf. C variant, complete with side skirts and extra track links welded to its front for better armor protection. It has brush piled on it for camouflage.
Below this photo there are 4 more small photos.
The first one on the left shows a tank-crewman wearing a cloth side cap and a pair of earphones.
The other 3 photos show crewmen and Stug IIIs.
The back cover of the book shows two more black and white wartime photos.
One is of troops aboard a half-track and the other one is another shot of a Stug. III.
The book contains 196 black and white photos that have faded to various degrees over the years since the war.
The book begins with an INTRODUCTION and ends with an EPILOGUE and 2 APPENDIX’S.
The photos show troops, tanks and vehicles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ian Baxter is a much published author and photographic collector, whose books draw an increasing following. Among the many previous titles in the Images of War Series are “Hitler’s Boy Soldiers”, “Nazi Concentration Camp Commanders”. The Ghettos of Nazi Occupied Poland”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the advance”, “German Army on the Eastern Front-the retreat”, “The Crushing of Army Group North” and “The Waffen-SS Division Series, including SS Liebstandarte Division”. “SS Totenkopf Division at War”, “Waffen-SS of the Baltic States”, Waffen-SS of Arnhem” and “Waffen SS in the Ardennes.
He lives near Chelmsford, Essex.
There is a post card inserted in the book to use to get more information about Pen & Sword Books.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Books for this review sample.
All their book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.