Bridgehead Kurland: The Six Epic Battles of Heeresgruppe Kurland

by Franz Kurowski

Bridgehead Kurland is the exciting account of the little-known struggles of Heeresgruppe Kurland in the waning months of World War II. Although there were six separate attempts by the Red Army to crush the German forces in the Kurland Bridgehead in the Baltic, they held out against massively superior forces. Despite revisionist claims by the Soviets after the war, the fighting in Kurland resulted in the pinning of large numbers of forces and, ultimately, an unsuccessful campaign. Once again, Franz Kurowski has brought to life many fascinating aspects of an Eastern-Front campaign that has heretofore received little attention in the West.

In addition to providing a strategic overview, including not only the ground forces but also the role of the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine, he provides an intimate "you-are-there" look into much of the fighting. Includes 70 pages of black and white photos and 15 pages of maps and illustrations.

Genres: Military History, World War II

332 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustively researched and well-written book documenting the final eight months of the German 16th and 18th Armies in Latvia in World War II. The title translates to "Deadly Cauldron Courland" with Courland being a peninsula in Latvia where the German Army Group North retreated in the face of the Soviet offenses in 1944 that cut it off and isolated it when the Red Army reached the Baltic Sea near Memel.

The two German Armies were trapped in the Courland Peninsula in Latvia by Hitler who thought they would be a beachhead for a future offensive against the USSR which was his reason for denying their evacuation by sea to where they were badly needed in a defense of the Reich. These troops had to be supplied via long and dangerous sea routes over the Baltic Sea.

Outnumbered 6:1 the combined German 16th and 18th Armies repulsed some six different Red Army offenses over eight months until the final end of the war in Europe on May 8 of 1945 when they surrendered and went into captivity. The book also describes the close air support provided by Luftwaffe units based in Courland as well as support from the guns of German naval ships offshore. If nothing else the 16th and 18th German Armies tied down substantial Red Army forces that otherwise would have been used against the German eastern provinces.

The book is excellent overall but marred by its hand drawn and labeled maps that are hard to read and follow. On the other hand it does have some excellent photos.

[Liene Araja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurzemes katls, Kurzemes cietoksnis - dažādi tiek saukts Kurzemes placdarms 2. pasaules kara beigās. Vācu vēsturnieks Francs Kurovskis saka - Nāves katls Kurzemē. Un precīzi - kaujas Kurzemē 2. pasau les kara noslēgumā tiešām var saukt par Nāves katlu. Kauju spīvums, abu pušu apņēmība, karavīru traģēdi jas, padara kaujas Kurzemē par vienu no spilgtākajām 2. pasaules kara beigu lappusēm. Grāmatā aprakstītas kaujas Kurzemes cietoksni no tā izveidošanās brīža līdz pat pēdējo karavīru nonākšanai padomju gūstā.

Tulkotajā izdevumā ir ļoti daudz pareizrakstības kļūdas.