Into the Gates of Hell - Stug Command '41

Kampfgruppe von Schroif Series #1

by Bob Carruthers, Sinclair McLay, Mark Farr (Editor)

03:15, 22nd June 1941 - Barbarossa is unleashed and Kampfgruppe von Schroif are right there at the cutting edge of the battle for Russia. Thrown into action against the fortress of Brest-Litovsk, von Schroif and his crew drive a new weapon into battle - the legendary Sturmgeschütz. However, even with this latest armoured marvel there is hard fighting as the Reds dig in and doggedly defend the island fortress to the last man.Penetrating , authentic and stunning in its detail, the long awaited prequel to the highly acclaimed ‘Tiger Command!’ is a powerful addition to the series. Based on a true story of combat on the Eastern Front, this atmospheric new novel puts the reader right into the action and unveils the story of how a legend was forged in the heat of the first great battle of the campaign.Written by Emmy™ Award winning writer Bob Carruthers and newcomer Sinclair Mclay and edited by Mark Farr, this much anticipated Eastern Front novel also explores the dark underside of war as von Schroif is faced with the malevolent presence of Oskar Dirlewanger.

Genres: World War II

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2012

Reviews

[Jason Mussett]

I would like to read this although it does remind me of Sven Hassel's and Leo Kessler's books I used to read as a kid-they were passed around secondary school like sweets. I'd be interested in seeing where the notorious SS Dirlewanger Brigade and their pyschotic leader fit into the story. WW2 fiction can be very good-or bad. I'm curious to find out which catergery this one fits into

[Fred C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have put no stars

Really I wanted after I bought this to get a refund from Amazon but was denied.

Not worth reading it all.

A pity cause there are few books on the topic.

There's an Italian one that looks better will try that

[Panzagl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly needs an editor

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

03:15, 22nd June 1941 - Barbarossa is unleashed and Kampfgruppe von Schroif are right there at the cutting edge of the battle for Russia. Thrown into action against the fortress of Brest-Litovsk, von Schroif and his crew drive a new weapon into battle - the legendary Sturmgeschütz. However, even with this latest armoured marvel there is hard fighting as the Reds dig in and doggedly defend the island fortress to the last man.
Penetrating , authentic and stunning in its detail, the long awaited prequel to the highly acclaimed ‘Tiger Command!’ is a powerful addition to the series. Based on a true story of combat on the Eastern Front, this atmospheric new novel puts the reader right into the action and unveils the story of how a legend was forged in the heat of the first great battle of the campaign.
Written by Emmy™ Award winning writer Bob Carruthers and newcomer Sinclair Mclay and edited by Mark Farr, this much anticipated Eastern Front novel also explores the dark underside of war as von Schroif is faced with the malevolent presence of Oskar Dirlewanger.

[Roy Szweda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do not know what to make of this book. Some bits reminded me of Kessler or Hassell but it lacks the coherence and other qualities that they possess in spades despite the brutality the comradeship of the characters keeps things moving.
You would not want this book if you were looking for much on the actual tank in the title. It is more a story (if that is the word because I felt the plot such as it is confusing) is erratic and a bigger scale. Perhaps a better title would have been Barbarossa: Cracking the Brest Litovsk Citadel.
It has its moments like when they bring up the Thor to finally defeat the remaining unfortunates within the castle walls. Ultimately it is a curiosity that needed a better focus and more editing. One to borrow like I did, not to buy. Better to pick up a cheap Kessler on ebay maybe?

[Derk West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wanted to give it better

I am a huge fan of anything World War II. Memoirs, fiction,, I love it all. I was hoping for a story about a Stug unit. It starts that way but , becomes disjointed at some point. It's almost random and leaves you with more questions than answers. I liked it but, ???????

[creig speed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story with adequate details..

This has a ring of truth to it and the details provided seem to be taken from actual events. A true understanding of the evils of some of the SS soldiers are made pretty clear.