Stopping the Panzers: Breaking the Back of Germany’s Armoured Force, 1943–44 [9781472868176]

Overview

A revolutionary study of the attrition of the German armoured force during the later years of World War II.

Following the near-annihilation of the German armoured force in the winter of 1942/43 and the fall of Stalingrad in February 1943 the Panzertruppen were radically reorganized and modernized to face the challenges to come. This new study uses original methodologies to approach the subject in a new and innovative way.

This, the first volume of a two-part series, covers the Tunisian campaign, battle for Italy, three of the four battles of Kharkov, the siege of Leningrad, defence of the Kuban, battle of Kursk (both the German attack and massive Soviet counter offensives), the German retreat from Ukraine/Central Russia and the collapse of the southern portions of the Eastern Front in spring of 1944. Historian Ben Wheatley argues that the heavy losses suffered by Germany in this period led to the strategic decision to reinforce the East and neglect the West, a decision that saw the German armoured formations wasted on the battlefields of Normandy.

Using primary sources including contemporary aerial photography, mapping and detailed inventories of tank strengths, this book will advance our understanding of some of the most famous battles in military history.