The anvil of war : german generalship in defence on the Eastern Front / GeneralAloberst Erhard Raus and Generalleutenant Oldwig von Natzmer ; edited by Peter G. Tsouras.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Raus, GeneralAloberst Erhard, author.

Von Natzmer, Generalleutenant Oldwig, author.

Contributor:

Tsouras, Peter G., editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

War.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (305 pages) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

South Yorkshire, [England] : Frontline Books, 2016.

Summary:

An unprecedented look at German operations on the Russian Front during World War II. The Anvil of War details the German strategies and tactics employed by the commanders on the cataclysmic Russian Front in the Second World War. Monographs by two German officers who served in Russia - Military Improvisations during the Russian Campaign and German Defense Tactics against Russian Breakthrough by General Erhard Rauss, and Operations of Encircled Forces by Generalleutnant Oldwig von Natzmer - show how the Germans adapted techniques to cope with their enemy's great numerical superiority, and managed to delay and sometimes drive back the "steamroller Russian forces during the German retreat in 1945." These reports were written as part of a U.S. Army program instigated after the war by Colonel S.L.A. Marshall of the Army Historical Division, who was convinced that no record of the war could be complete without the input of German commanding officers and their main staff officers. The significance of the material detailing the Germans vast experience of fighting the Soviets was emphasized with the fear of a Russian attack during the Cold War.

Contents:

Intro

Front Cover

Half-Title Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

List of maps

Introduction by Peter Tsouras

Part One: Military Improvisations during the Russian Campaign BY GENERALOBERST ERHARD RAUS

Introduction

1 The Offensive

2 The Defensive

3 Troop Movements

4 Combat Arms

5 Indispensable Expedients

6 Other Expedients

7 Supply by Airlift and by Aerial Delivery Containers

8 Supply and Transportation Problems in the Arctic

9 Clothing and Equipment

10 Shelter

11 Weapons

12 Technical Training for Arctic Conditions

13 Improvised Front-Line Propaganda

14 The Manpower Problem

15 The Organization of Special Units

16 Political Measures Introduced by the National Socialist Party

17 Are Improvisations Inevitable?

18 The Relative Value of Improvisations

Part Two: German Defense Tactics against Russian Break-throughs BY GENERALOBERST ERHARD RAUS

19 Frontal Counterattack

20 Flank Attack

21 Spoiling Attack

22 Defensive Pincers

23 Defense in Place with Mobile Reserves

24 Position Defense in Strong Points and Improvised Fortresses

25 Improvised Zone Defense

26 Isthmus Defense - The Sea as Flank Protection

27 Delaying and Blocking Actions

28 Delay on Successive Positions

29 Defense against Break-throughs - a Combination of Defense Tactics

30 Conclusions

Part Three: Operations of Encircled Forces: German Experiences in Russia BY GENERALLEUTNANT OLDWIG VON NATZMER

31 The Pocket of Klin - Breakout of a Panzer Division

32 Encirclement at Velikiye Luki - Failure of a Rescue Operation

33 The Pocket West of Cherkassy - The Inside View

34 The Pocket West of Cherkassy - The Outside View

35 Encirclement of a Panzer Army near Kamenets-Podolskiy

36 Conclusions.

Appendix: Air Support of Encircled Forces.

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed April 10, 2017).

ISBN:

1-84832-873-7

1-84832-871-0

OCLC:

979560171