Battle Group! German Kampfgruppen Action of World War Two

by James Sidney Lucas

Out of disparate military units soldiers came together to form single, unified "shock troops, " ready to take on a specific operation: those were the battle groups. The Wehrmacht particularly excelled in using mass and aggressive tactics in conjunction with these new formations to achieve success in combat. This is their story, from every theater of the war, from groups large and small, and it reveals how men of low rank had unusual autonomy--sometimes enough to assure a glorious career later on.

Genres: History, World War II, Military History, Military Fiction, War, Germany

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1993

About the author

Author and historian. Imperial War Museum, London, England, deputy head of department of photographs.

Mr. Lucas was a WWII veteran. He served with the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, First Battalion, North Africa, infantryman, 1942; Queens' Own Royal West Surrey Regiment, Italy, 1943-44; Occupation Army, Austria, 1945; Foreign Office, Germany.

Most of James Lucas's professional life was associated with war. First, he served in the Queen's Own Royal Army as a British soldier in World War II, stationed in Africa, Italy, and later in Austria. In 1960 he joined the staff of the Imperial War Museum in London, eventually becoming the deputy head of the department of photographs. After retiring from this position, Lucas took up a third career, that of an author and historian. His favorite topic was World War II, a subject about which he became a respected authority—not only among scholars, but, through his work as an adviser on film and television productions about the war, among the general public as well. According to a London Times obituary, Lucas examined "almost every aspect of the Nazi war machine …combining technical information with first-hand testimony and so producing a body of work unequalled in its breadth. Having fought the Third Reich's best troops through North Africa and Italy, he knew their tenacity and resourcefulness."

Lucas's writing style was not considered typical of war histories. "Humour and enthusiasm, combined with rigorous attention to detail, were the hallmarks of his style," reported the Times obituary writer. Lucas was a prolific writer upon his topic of choice; and he covered many different aspects of the war, often concentrating on the German side of the conflicts.

As his Times obituarist declared, Lucas "saw himself as an archivist, searching for the ordinary men in the heat of battle, playing their part in the bigger picture." Lucas died on June 19, 2002, at the age of seventy-eight.

Reviews

[Dylan Gurl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read — an interesting account of a few significant battle groups throughout WWII, detailing their commanders/actions/impacts. Certainly does a good job of highlighting the value of flexible organization and command in action. Sometimes perhaps a little too praising of German courage for my taste, and certainly not a thorough examination of any units. Still, a good read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completed the book on way to work this morning.
The courage and fortitude of the german soldier comes through in every story. Their adaptability is amazing. In the face of overwhelming odds they achieve feats beyond reasonable expectation.

[Steven]

Good explanation of how the Germans utilized "new" groupings of army units to make the most of their manpower.