Crucible of Combat Germany's Defensive Battles in the Ukraine, 1943-1944

 

In his historical series Hinze provides the only comprehensive account of events on the central and southern portions of the German Eastern Front during the years of German retreat. This volume covers events on the southern portion of the Eastern Front from late 1943, in the aftermath of the Battle of Kursk, through the great Soviet summer offensives of 1943 and 1944. Following the final failure of German hopes in the great Battle of Kursk, the German forces in the Ukraine were forced ever back, losing ground gained in the years of victorious advance. This volume describes the bitter and eventful battles of German army groups in the Ukraine and the evacuation of the Crimean Peninsula during 1943 -1944. It follows the retreat from the Dnjepr to the Dnjestr rivers, Tscherkassy, Nikopol, Chersson, the fighting around Kriwoi Rog and Kirowograd., the loss of the Dnjepr salient, the breakout from the Tscherkassy Kessel ['pocket'], and the battles on the Rumainan frontier around Targul-Frumos. The roster of battles goes on and on, including Tarnopol and the magnificent feats of the Hube Kessel, as the cut-off German First Army fought its way as a 'moving pocket' to freedom. The panorama stretches from the Pripjet swamps north of Kiew on the boundary with Heeresgruppe Mitte to the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and Sewastopol in the south, from the Mius and Donez Rivers to the borders of Hungary and Rumania. . The study is complemented by orders of battle, the aforementioned maps (over 100 of them), plus photographs. Crucible of Combat represents a major contribution to our understanding of the Soviet-German War 1941-45.

 

Rolf Hinze

Hardcover large format 448pp c100 b&w photos and 100 maps

 

Due December - available for pre-order

Book Code:  AW0851