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Heinz Greiner

Matthias Strohn

“…this book shines when it comes to understanding the campaigns on a lower level than has normally shown us by authors.” —A Wargamers Needful Things

In late 1943, 362. Infanterie-Division was formed around the remnants of 268. Infanterie-Division, which had been disbanded after high casualties on the Eastern Front. It fought at Anzio in early 1944, overrun when the Allied broke through the German lines in April. During its time at Anzio, the division was involved in the Benedicta massacre. The unit was withdrawn to Rome. Facing the Allied advance, it suffered further losses and had to be rebuilt once more. Returning to the front, it then fought until late April 1945, when it surrendered. This account focuses on the efforts of 362. Infanterie-Division to turn back the Allied forces from their advance north in late 1944 and early 1945. Its commander, Heinz Greiner led the division in a series of counterattacks against Allied forces outside Rome that slowed Allied progress. While Greiner did not have access to the unit war diary while writing this account his experience as commander of 362. Infanterie-Division throughout this period means that it offers a unique insight into the battle from the German perspective as well as a thorough account of the reestablishment, training and combat performance of a German division.

Casemate

Die Wehrmacht im Kampf

Rome to the Po River: The 362nd Infantry Division, 1944–45

Linden Lyons

Friedrich Hayn

A German perspective of D-Day, written by an Army Corps intelligence officer in Normandy when the Allies invaded, published in English for the first time.

 A unique perspective on the decisive early weeks of the invasion in 1944, written by a German Army Corps Intelligence officer stationed in Normandy at the time of the Allied invasion, who during the invasion was the department head for enemy messages processing (Ic) in the staff of the LXXXIV AK. It discusses in detail the events leading up to the creation of Falaise Pocket, described by the author as a “tragic turning point of an entire front.” It discusses in detail the conditions in the American landing section and explains how the German troops based there came to be defeated.

Praise for Normandy

 “Should be read by scholars working on the fighting between the Americans and Germans on the western side of the Normandy front.” —Journal of Military History

 “The interaction among German command is interesting as it scrambles to patch lines. The book covers battles over D-Day beaches, U.S. paratrooper drops, Cherbourg, hedgerows, Operations Cobra and Luttich, and Falaise Pocket formation and collapse.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

 “[A] unique, informative, and inherently fascinating study . . . absolutely essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library World War II history collections.” —Midwest Book Review

Normandy: From Cotentin to Falaise, June–July 1944

Horst Scheibert

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

On to Stalingrad: Operation Winter Thunderstorm and the Attempt to Relieve Sixth Army, December 1942

Janice W. Ancker

F. M. von Senger und Etterlin

Detailed analysis of WWII operations undertaken by Germany’s armed forces on the Eastern Front, with illustrative case studies, maps, and diagrams. 

This volume in the Die Wehrmacht im Kampf series offers detailed analysis of a number of operations on the Eastern Front during World War II to draw out universally applicable principles of counter-strike operations and “agile defense.” 

The combat examples discussed including delaying operations in Southern Ukraine in March 1944; defensive operations Nikopol and Moldau; and counter-strikes undertaken by panzer divisions and panzerkampfgruppen in operations in November 1943 and May 1944. Combat examples are fully described with maps and diagrams, followed by detailed lessons learned and an explanation of consequences of the operation. 

The author, F.M. von Senger und Etterlin, himself took part in all of the combat operations described as a young officer leading armored troops. He would later go on to hold the rank of four-star general in the Bundeswehr and his final assignment was CINCENT.

Counter-Strike Operations: Combat Examples and Leadership Principles of Mobile Defence

Oskar Munzel

A detailed analysis of raids and advances taken by panzer units on the Eastern Front in 1941–42. This book discusses a number of operations undertaken by the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps in the direction of the Black Sea in 1941 and 42. It explores the tactics used and why they were successful, based upon the detailed combat reports prepared by the corps staff immediately after each battle. Die Wehrmacht im Kampf is a series published in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s. Written by ex-members of the German army in WWII, it provides important information not available elsewhere on the German army’s perspective of many crucial campaigns and battles. None of the volumes have previously been available in English. Each volume has a modern introduction by Professor Matthias Strohn, expert on the German army.

Panzer Tactics: Tank Operations in the East, 1941–42

Chales de Beaulieu

Written by Hoepner's chief of staff on the Eastern Front, this military biography of the German WWII general is available in English for the first time.

This biography of Erich Hoepner was written by Walter Chales de Beaulieu, a general staff officer who fought alongside him. It examines his leadership of panzer formations in Poland in 1939, France in 1940, and Russia in 1941. Hoepner was one of the most competent tank commanders of World War II, playing a significant role in Germany’s early successes. 

As the commander of the XVI Panzer Corps in 1939, Hoepner carried out the main thrust towards Warsaw, reaching the outskirts of the city in only eight days. With the same formation, he fought the French Cavalry Corps in Belgium, partook in the encirclement of Allied forces near Dunkirk, and advanced southwards over the Weygand Line deep into French territory. In 1941, Hoepner became the commander of Panzer Group 4, the main attack formation for the advance on Leningrad. 

In this book, Walter Chales de Beaulieu provides insight into Erich Hoepner’s ability as a panzer commander, painting a picture of a man who was committed to the military profession.

General Erich Hoepner: A Military Biography

Wilhelm Hess

“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

Arctic Front: The Advance of Mountain Corps Norway on Murmansk, 1941

Alex Buchner

“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

Narvik: The Struggle of Battle Group Dietl in the Spring of 1940

Hermann Buschleb

A 1960s German perspective of the World War II battle in Libya and how the Allied and Axis commanders shaped the course of the action.

The port city of Tobruk, Libya, was besieged by German and Italian forces in April, 1941. Following an abortive attempt in June, the Allies made a second attempt in late November, when the Eighth Army launched Operation Crusader, aimed at destroying the Axis armored force then advancing. After several inconclusive engagements, the British 7th Armoured Division was defeated by the Afrika Korps at Sidi Rezegh. Erwin Rommel was then forced to withdraw his troops to the defensive line at Gazala, making the operation the first Allied victory over German land forces in World War II.

This account of the tank warfare during Operation Crusader in front of Tobruk in the fall of 1941 examines the roles of commanders in the battles of Operation Crusader, in particular the part of Rommel, who achieved some defensive successes during combat. As well as examining the part of commanders, it discusses the parameters of the battle: the terrain, weather, visibility, logistics, intelligence, and the forces involved. It then narrates the course of the battle, and the result.

Operation Crusader: Tank Warfare in the Desert, Tobruk 1941

David Dorondo

Nikolaus von Vormann

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.

The Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy: The Encirclement and Breakout of Army Group South, 1944

Geoffrey Brooks

Hans-Adolf Jacobsen

A history of the battle from Germany’s perspective: “An interesting account of a campaign that was decisive, but not as decisive as it could have been. ” —Miniature Wargames

The German Army invaded France on May 10, 1940, and in just over ten days their rapid advance, led by three panzer corps, had left three French field armies, Belgian forces, and the British Expeditionary Force with their backs to the sea, trapped along the northern coast of France. General Gort realized that evacuation was the only option, and so began a chaotic withdrawal toward the port of Dunkirk.

While the Luftwaffe continued to attack pockets of Allied forces, the German ground forces were ordered to halt their advance on May 22. These orders were changed four days later—but these crucial four days of inaction allowed the Allies time to retreat into Dunkirk and prepare a defensive perimeter.

The fighting during the last days of May was desperate, with the remnants of the French First Army surrounded at Lille, holding off seven German divisions until finally forced to surrender, and the Belgian Army forced to capitulate to the east of Dunkirk. Though the cost was devastatingly high, Dunkirk was held long enough for over 300,000 Allied troops to be evacuated back to England, with the remainder of the rearguard of French troops surrendering on June 4.

The British narrative of the retreat and evacuation that prompted what was perhaps Winston Churchill’s most famous wartime speech has long been well-known. Only now is Hans-Adolf Jacobsen’s detailed account of the battle from the German perspective available in English.

Dunkirk: German Operations in France, 1940

Otto Heidkämper

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.

Vitebsk: The Fight and Destruction of Third Panzer Army

Hermann Hoth

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.

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