Literature on this campaign

[Andreas1968]

Some books dealing with the campaign.

'Bis Stalingrad 48km' by Horst Scheibert (in German). Scheibert was a company commander in 6. PD during the battle.

'From the Fon to the Dnepr' - David Glantz

'Lost Victories' by Manstein should cover it, although I have not read it. I recommend great caution in assessing the info in it though.

Feel free to add.

All the best

[jamespcrowley]

Hi Andreas

Like me, should you not be gainfully employed rather than eyeballing this forum [:D]

[Andreas1968]

Who? Me? [:D]

All the best

Andreas

[Yoozername]

Panzers on the Eastern Front: General Erhard Raus and His Panzer Divisions in Russia, 1941-1945
by Erhard Raus Peter Tsouras (Editor)
ISBN: 1853674893

[Andreas1968]

As long as one takes Rauss with a heavy load of salt, it is fine reading. I think he was more interested in telling a good yarn than in telling a correct yarn.

All the best

Andreas

[Yoozername]

He is more objective than Panzer Meyer?

Panzertruppen2 -Jentz pgs. 26-29 has some good details. I suppose the first 50 pages of the book is good reading as far as panzer warfare during this period.

6th PD RGT11 is listed as arriving with...

21 Panzer II
75 Panzer III 50L/60
32 Panzer III 75/L24
24 Panzer IV 75L/43
9 Panzer Bef command

Operational status chart on pg. 29 shows total write offs and operational panzers by type for the tank regt for Dec 7 through Mar 31. Noteworthy is the 59 TWO for Jan 8. Replacements are listed as: 9 PIII, 7 PIV Jan 8, 13 PII Jan15, 5 PIII 3 PIV Jan22, 10 PIV Mar7 (all panzers long barrel)

I note the lack of Panzer III short or Panzer IV shorts. This is a refitted division evidently. Many divisions that fought throughout 1943 would be armed this way. Not bad for November 42.

This period of Tank warfare was post Blitzkrieg IMO. Panzertruppen2 states as much.

[Erik Rutins]

Yes, the 6th Panzer had just finished a refit in France before heading East for WinterStorm. I believe Jentz mentions a few of their early engagements there as well, in the fighting to keep the Soviets out of Kotelnikovo before WinterStorm was launched.

Regards,

- Erik

[Yoozername]

http://www.redorchestragame.com/downloa ... _Guide.pdf

Not exactly literature but a good read. I liked the optics descriptions.

[Andreas1968]

ORIGINAL: Yoozername

He is more objective than Panzer Meyer?

Never read Panzermeier, so I can not compare.

All the best

Andreas

[Yoozername]

On 26 May 1942 the General der Schnellen Truppen beim Oberkommando des Heeres distributed the following "Instructions to units on the Eastern Front for Combating the Russian T-34 Tank with our Panzers" (cited from T.Jentz "Panzertruppen"):

"Characteristics of the T34.

The T-34 is faster, more maneuverable, has better cross-country mobility than our Pz.Kpfw.lll and IV. Its armor is stronger. The penetrating ability of its 7.62 cm cannon is superior to our 5 cm KwK. and the 7.5 cm KwK40. The favorable form of sloping all of the armor plates aids in causing the shells to skid off.

Combating the T-34 with the 5 cm KwK tank gun is possible only at short ranges from the flank or rear, where it is important to achieve a hit as perpendicular to the surface as possible. Hits on the turret ring, even with high-explosive shells or machine gun bullets, usually result in jamming the turret. In addition, armor-piercing shells fired at close range that hit the gun mantle result in penetrations and breaking open the weld seams. The T-34 can be penetrated at ranges up to 1000 metres with the 7.5 cm PaK 40 as well as the 7.5 cm Hohlgranate (hollow-charge shells)

Russian Tank Tactics.

In defense and covering a retreat, the T-34 with the turret at six o'clock is often dug in on a commanding height along a road or on the edge of woods or villages. Then after surprisingly opening fire from ambush, the T-34 can be driven out of the concealed position still under cover.

In correctly recognizing his technical superiority in weapons, the T-34 already opens fire on German Panzers at ranges from 1200 to 1800 metres. Because the T-34 is faster than the German Panzers, he can choose the range for a firefight.

Our Panzer Tactics.

Because the 5 cm KwK can only be expected to penetrate the flanks of the T34 at short range, the following tactics have proven been to be correct in combating them:

a. Attract and tie down the opponent frontally by having a Pz.Kpfw.III take up the firefight. Choose a hull down position or drive in a zig-zag course to make it difficult for the opponent to hit the target.

b. At the same time, utilizing all available cover, two other Pz.Kpfw.llls attempt to circumvent the T34 to the right or left in order to gain a position in the flank or in the rear and knock him out at short range with PzGr40 fired at the hull or rear.

c. If a Pz.Kpfw.lV is available among our own Panzers, it is to be employed in front of the opponent. The use of Nebelgranaten (smoke shells) can blind the T-34 or aid the other Panzers in closing in. It is also possible that the opponent will think that the smoke is poison gas and break off the action.

When encountering numerically superior enemy tanks (T-34 and KV), success has always resulted when our Panzer unit builds a fire front and overwhelms the enemy with fire. Even when no penetrations can be achieved, the enemy, impressed by the accuracy and rate of fire of the German Panzers, almost always breaks off the action.

[Waldo_slith]

see the recently published book Panzer Tactics.

wp

[simovitch]

This one may be a good read - winter storm by Hans Wijers.

I've purchased most of his Battle of the Bulge books and he uncovers some pretty detailed stuff, with good supporting documentation. I havn't read his Stalingrad collection though.

[Yoozername]

http://www.onwar.com/maps/wwii/eastfron ... rstorm.htm

a nice map


The 6th Panzer Division 1937-45 (Vanguard) (Paperback)
by Helmut Ritgen "

Book Description
Text by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen with original wartime photographs by the author. This well-informed account of the 6th Panzer Division is especially useful because the author fought with the 11th Panzer Regiment. It documents the inception, formation and structure of the division and chronologically follows its progress throughout the war. The text is supported by colour photographs taken by the author during World War II and offers a detailed examination of life in the Panzers whilst simultaneously documenting their relentless progress. Feared by Allied infantrymen and devastating in their swift prosecution of the early war the Panzers were the modern German fighting men; well equipped, superbly motivated and unstoppably successful. Until the Allies were able to consolidate their troops, re-engineer their equipment and redraw their tactics the Panzers dominated Europe with a thunderous conquering power.

[Yoozername]

http://www.aviapress.com/viewonekit.htm?MCS-003

See related:
- TRN-137 The tank battles at the Eastern front. Part I book ($9.95)
- TRN-138 The tank battles at the Eastern front. Part II book ($9.95)

Anyone read these?

[Yoozername]

Soviet War Experiences: Tank Operations. In three parts with six tables and three maps. Contains Soviet assessments of tank and mechanized corps operations in Winter 1942-1943.

131 pages.

Price: $20.

Glantz

[wijers]

Hey Richard!

Haven't your read my STalingrad books? Now, up for the winter I have Operation Wintersorim, Battle for the Factories and The Road to Stalingrad.

See at:
http://www.stalingradtours.com/hanswijers.htm

[simovitch]

ORIGINAL: wijers

Hey Richard!

Haven't your read my STalingrad books? Now, up for the winter I have Operation Wintersorim, Battle for the Factories and The Road to Stalingrad.

See at:
http://www.stalingradtours.com/hanswijers.htm

Hey Hans - good to see you here. Eastern front is not my main interest, and anyway I've used my FY 05-06 budget on your bulge books.[:D]

[Sgt Fury]

Some books related to PCOW:

Enemy at the Gates, William Craig
Knights of the Black Cross, Bryan Perrett
Stalingrad, V.E. Tarrant
Panzer A Revolution in Warfare, 1939-1945, Roger Edwards

Part of my personal collection[:D]

[JJKettunen]

ORIGINAL: Yoozername

Panzers on the Eastern Front: General Erhard Raus and His Panzer Divisions in Russia, 1941-1945
by Erhard Raus Peter Tsouras (Editor)
ISBN: 1853674893

Seriously outdated by

Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941-1945 by Erhard Raus and Steven H. Newton