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Into Oblivion: The Story of Pionier-Batallion 305
After 16 months of training and garrison duty in France, Pionier-Bataillon 305 – together with the rest of 305. Infanterie-Division – was sent to the Eastern Front. Little could they know that an inevitable train of events had been set in motion that would lead to their destruction at Stalingrad barely nine months later.
An unprecedented discovery of original material has permitted an examination of the brutal fighting on the Eastern Front through the eyes of one German battalion. Commanded by apolitical officers, reservists mainly, its ranks were filled with older-than-normal recruits. When they arrived on the Eastern Front in May 1942, it was a first time visit for most of them, yet they sensed what awaited them. Everyone knew someone who had been killed in the Soviet Union. Stories about the ferocity of combat on the Eastern Front had reached them through the soldier’s grapevine. They were under no illusions, but still believed they would prevail.
Weeks of monotonous, endless marching were interspersed with terrifying encounters and set-piece attacks. How would this fresh battalion compare with experienced units? Were its men less jaded and more inspired than those that had been at the front since Barbarossa began in June 1941? Was the arrival of a tough, battle-hardened commander enough to compensate for the unit’s lack of combat experience? What effect did the ongoing casualties have on both the soldiers and the battalion’s performance in battle? By exploring and answering these questions and others, this intimate analysis of an ordinary battalion enables the Eastern Front to be seen as never before.
• 620 pages on a high-quality satin (semi-gloss) stock
• 210 x 157mm
• Hardcover only
• 327 photos
• 56 maps and sketches
• 7 aerial photos
• 5 tables
• 3 appendices, including officer biographies and medal lists.
An unprecedented discovery of original material has permitted an examination of the brutal fighting on the Eastern Front through the eyes of one German battalion. Commanded by apolitical officers, reservists mainly, its ranks were filled with older-than-normal recruits. When they arrived on the Eastern Front in May 1942, it was a first time visit for most of them, yet they sensed what awaited them. Everyone knew someone who had been killed in the Soviet Union. Stories about the ferocity of combat on the Eastern Front had reached them through the soldier’s grapevine. They were under no illusions, but still believed they would prevail.
Weeks of monotonous, endless marching were interspersed with terrifying encounters and set-piece attacks. How would this fresh battalion compare with experienced units? Were its men less jaded and more inspired than those that had been at the front since Barbarossa began in June 1941? Was the arrival of a tough, battle-hardened commander enough to compensate for the unit’s lack of combat experience? What effect did the ongoing casualties have on both the soldiers and the battalion’s performance in battle? By exploring and answering these questions and others, this intimate analysis of an ordinary battalion enables the Eastern Front to be seen as never before.
• 620 pages on a high-quality satin (semi-gloss) stock
• 210 x 157mm
• Hardcover only
• 327 photos
• 56 maps and sketches
• 7 aerial photos
• 5 tables
• 3 appendices, including officer biographies and medal lists.
- GenresWorld War II
620 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2013
95 people want to read
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September 7, 2019
Man fortsätter följa en bataljon, i princip ett kompani, Grimms, genom vedermödorna och de oerhörda förlusterna. Den detaljrika genomgången blir möjlig tack vare Grimms arbete med att spara och samla ihop information om enhetens förehavanden. Som alltid blir det så annorlunda när man istället för att bara följa de stora skeenden, får följa ner på mikrohistorianivå. Så många förstörda människoliv.
Displaying 1 of 1 review