On April
16th, 1945 the Red Army launched their fourth largest
offensive along the Eastern Front during World War II. The
objective was to seize Berlin before the Western Allies.
Sixteen days later, the former capital of the Third Reich
fell to the conquering armies of Generals Georgi Zhukov and
his rival, Ivan Koniev. The cost to capture the largest
urban complex on mainland Europe from a handful of
understrength Heer and Waffen-SS divisions, supported by
Volkssturm and Hitlerjugend formations armed mainly with
Panzerfaust anti-armour rockets, was exceptionally high. The
Red Army suffered more casualties among its soldiers than
during the six month siege of Stalingrad, and it lost more
armoured vehicles than during the Battle of Kursk. Central
Berlin was left a wasteland. Now this ground breaking study
is back in print completely revised. Previously unpublished
first person accounts from both the German and Soviet
perspectives supplement archival documents that include new
data from the operational war diaries of the 1st Belorussian
and 1st Ukrainian Fronts. The book is highly illustrated
throughout with period images of the city, aerial overviews,
and wartime photos. With separate 64 page Map volume.
Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition
New in d/w -
large format, 511pp, 304 b/w photos, Map book: 44 colour
maps, 12 colour plates
With the
development of the German Panzerwaffe, military planners
realized both the enormous potential of the tank as a
breakthrough weapon, but also the issues faced by support
units following the attacking force. A tank assault moved
rapidly forwards and this required a motorized infantry
which could keep pace with the attack. This motorized
infantry element was an integral Schutzenbrigade (rifle
brigade), and it was equipped with a suitable means of
transport - the Schutzenpanzerwagen APC. During Operation
Barbarossa, German forces were faced by the Red Army and
unforeseen weather conditions. With the onset of the harsh
Russian winter the operation failed, and the war in the east
entered a new phase. From experience gained from the
operation, a new arm of the military was created: the
Panzergrenadier.
New in d/w -
301pp, c500 b/w photos & illustrations
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES 25:
MESSERSCHMITT BF 110 ZEROSTORER ACES OF WORLD WAR 2
by John Weal
This volume is the first of its type to be devoted
exclusively to the Zerstorer day fighter aces, spanning the
war years from Poland to the defence of the Reich. Although
Messerschmitt's single-engined Bf 109 has received most of
the plaudits for achieving virtual air superiority over
Europe in 1939-40, the exploits of the manufacturer's
twin-engined Bf 110, the Ju 88 and the Me 410 Zerstörer in
the first year of the war also make for very impressive
reading. Indeed, on the eve of World War 2 a posting to a Bf
110 unit was considered to be the best career move available
in the Luftwaffe.
New in card cover
- A4 format, 106pp, numerous b/w photos & colour
profiles
ALLIANCE FOR MURDER:
THE NAZI-UKRAINIAN
NATIONALIST
PARTNERSHIP IN GENOCIDE
Edited by B. F. Sabrin
The story of the partnership of Ukrainian nationalists
with the SS to implement the "Final Solution" in World War
II. Nazi political goals coincided with those of nationalist
organisations with chilling results. There are first hand,
eyewitness accounts by victims, plus objective analyses of
the events surrounding the horrific crimes. Ukranian
motivations, and the failings of the Jewish population in
Poland and the USSR to react decisively to impending Nazi
occupation are documented. Features many previously
unpublished photographs.
An intimate view of what went on
behind the scenes in the Third Reich, drawn from interviews
with contemporaries and eyewitnesses, and access to
documents and archives. It examines the lives of Goebbels,
Goering, Himmler, Hess, Speer and Donitz, tracing their
relationships with Hitler and with Nazism. These people
shared an awestruck dedication to the Fuhrer and a deep
hatred of Jews. Through diaries and the first-hand
observations of those around them, their personalities are
brought to light.
Like new in d/w - light fading on
spine with a small amount of wear at the top of the
spine - 330pp, 29 illustrations
