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Osprey Fortress #102
Defense of the Rhine 1944–45
The Rhine River represented the last natural defensive barrier for the Third Reich in the fall of 1944. Although Hitler had been reluctant to allow the construction of tactical defense lines in France, the final defense of the Reich was another matter. As a result, construction of a Rhine defense line began in September 1944. Steven J Zaloga examines the multiple phases of construction undertaken to strengthen the Westwall (Siegfried Line), to fortify many of the border villages, and finally to prepare for the demolition of the Rhine bridges. Using detailed maps, color artwork, and expert analysis, this book takes a detailed look at Germany's last line of defense.
- GenresMilitary History
64 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2011
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About the author
Steven J. Zaloga
380 books75 followersSteven Zaloga is an author and defense analyst known worldwide for his articles and publications on military technology. He has written over a hundred books on military technology and military history, including “Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman in World War II”, one of the most highly regarded histories of the Sherman Tank. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He was a special correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and is on the executive board of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/producer for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series Firepower. He holds a BA in history from Union College and an MA in history from Columbia University.
Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.
Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.
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March 31, 2011
A fine addition to the Osprey series, "Fortress." Here, the fortress at issue is the German fortification of the Rhine River. It began as the Westwall and became redesignated as the West-Stellung. The Westwall was operational early in the Second World War; it was, as the work terms it, a pale imitation of the opposing Maginot Line.
A useful way of comparing the Westwall with West-Stellung is a map on page 5. The Westwall was a narrow line; the West-Stellung was a defense in depth with fortifications stretching many miles in depth. The Germans begin work on the deeper defensive line as their fortunes began to decline on the Western front. The line was in place by 1944 through 1945. However, it was not as sturdily fortified as desired.
When Allied forces began to press against it, the soldiers defending the line were much degraded over what the German forces fielded earlier. The book describes the different places along the fortress and also considers how the line was actually defended. The book concludes by noting that (Page 60): "The value of the West-Stellung declined after the defeat of the Ardennes offensive, due in part to the drastic decline in the effectiveness of remaining German formations. . ."
A useful way of comparing the Westwall with West-Stellung is a map on page 5. The Westwall was a narrow line; the West-Stellung was a defense in depth with fortifications stretching many miles in depth. The Germans begin work on the deeper defensive line as their fortunes began to decline on the Western front. The line was in place by 1944 through 1945. However, it was not as sturdily fortified as desired.
When Allied forces began to press against it, the soldiers defending the line were much degraded over what the German forces fielded earlier. The book describes the different places along the fortress and also considers how the line was actually defended. The book concludes by noting that (Page 60): "The value of the West-Stellung declined after the defeat of the Ardennes offensive, due in part to the drastic decline in the effectiveness of remaining German formations. . ."
Displaying 1 of 1 review