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Elite Panzer Strike Force
Story of one of the best and most battered armored divisions in the German armed forces.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 5, 2016
A good review of this work is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kurowski’s work on the Panzer Lehr Division is very good because he has used a wealth of primary source material which includes operational journals of the unit, interviews with surviving veterans from the division association, and the memoirs of the division’s commander, Fritz Bayerlein, who was also Rommel’s operations chief in the Afrika Korps. There are plenty of maps, and a table of organization and equipment as an appendix.
It was a bit surreal to read the first person accounts of the Landsers who were actively fighting against American and British units. There were several aspects of this unit history which I appreciated. The first was getting the perspective of the Germans in some of the fiercest fighting in the west, and the incredible hardships the unit overcame to remain a tough fighting outfit. The other aspect that struck me was the effect of Allied air supremacy. Not air superiority, but complete dominance of the air, and the effects this had on divisional operations. This book takes the reader beyond an academic description of the western campaigns of 1944-1945.
The photographs reproduced in this edition were grainy and unclear, and the writing style sometimes seemed awkward, which I don’t think was entirely due to the translator. However, this was overall a very interesting read that quickly had me absorbed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kurowski’s work on the Panzer Lehr Division is very good because he has used a wealth of primary source material which includes operational journals of the unit, interviews with surviving veterans from the division association, and the memoirs of the division’s commander, Fritz Bayerlein, who was also Rommel’s operations chief in the Afrika Korps. There are plenty of maps, and a table of organization and equipment as an appendix.
It was a bit surreal to read the first person accounts of the Landsers who were actively fighting against American and British units. There were several aspects of this unit history which I appreciated. The first was getting the perspective of the Germans in some of the fiercest fighting in the west, and the incredible hardships the unit overcame to remain a tough fighting outfit. The other aspect that struck me was the effect of Allied air supremacy. Not air superiority, but complete dominance of the air, and the effects this had on divisional operations. This book takes the reader beyond an academic description of the western campaigns of 1944-1945.
The photographs reproduced in this edition were grainy and unclear, and the writing style sometimes seemed awkward, which I don’t think was entirely due to the translator. However, this was overall a very interesting read that quickly had me absorbed.
January 5, 2013
Prolific German author, Franz Kurowski, has provided the reader with a concise combat history of Germany’s elite panzer strike force of WW2; the Panzer Lehr Division. With the use of Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein’s manuscript covering the combat operations of the Panzer Lehr Division and access to the division’s veterans association the reader can follow the formation and combat debut of this German unit that was initially made up of various units of training and demonstration troops.
Most of the book covers it’s role in attempting to stem the allied invasion at Normandy. The unit was part of the Wehrmacht strategic armored reserve and was held back from the fighting during the crucial first days but then released into the British sector, fighting around Tilly and Caen before being switched over to the American sector near Saint Lo. The Panzer Lehr was nearly annihalted during the fighting to contain the allies in Normandy and was later removed and reconstructed in time to be part of Operation Wacht am Rhein.
We follow the unit through the Battle of the Bulge till the end of the war. The author provides numerous first-hand accounts throughout the book to give the reader an idea of what the German soldier endured during the fighting throughout France and into the Reich. What comes across in many of these accounts is the combat effectiveness of Allied fighter-bombers during the Normandy campaign. Apparently Fritz Bayerlein lost five drivers within one month of the D-Day landings due to allied fighter-bombers. Overall a short and sharp account but well worth reading.
Most of the book covers it’s role in attempting to stem the allied invasion at Normandy. The unit was part of the Wehrmacht strategic armored reserve and was held back from the fighting during the crucial first days but then released into the British sector, fighting around Tilly and Caen before being switched over to the American sector near Saint Lo. The Panzer Lehr was nearly annihalted during the fighting to contain the allies in Normandy and was later removed and reconstructed in time to be part of Operation Wacht am Rhein.
We follow the unit through the Battle of the Bulge till the end of the war. The author provides numerous first-hand accounts throughout the book to give the reader an idea of what the German soldier endured during the fighting throughout France and into the Reich. What comes across in many of these accounts is the combat effectiveness of Allied fighter-bombers during the Normandy campaign. Apparently Fritz Bayerlein lost five drivers within one month of the D-Day landings due to allied fighter-bombers. Overall a short and sharp account but well worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews