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Panzer Ace: The Memoirs of an Iron Cross Panzer Commander from Barbarossa to Normandy
Richard Freiherr von Rosen was a highly-decorated Wehrmacht soldier and outstanding panzer commander. His memoirs, richly illustrated with contemporary photographs, including key confrontations of World War II. After serving as a gunlayer on a Pz.Mk.III during Barbarossa, he led a Company of Tigers at Kursk, later a company of King Tiger panzers at Normandy and in late 1944 commanded a battle group (12 King Tigers and a flak Company) against the Russians in Hungary in the rank of junior, later senior lieutenant (from November 1944, his final rank.)
Only 489 of these King Tiger tanks were ever built. They were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, and only one kind of shell could penetrate their armour at a reasonable distance. Every effort had to be made to retrieve any of them bogged down or otherwise immobilized, which led to many towing adventures. The author has a fine memory and eye for detail, his account is easy to read and not technical, and adds very substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated in the Second World War.
Only 489 of these King Tiger tanks were ever built. They were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, and only one kind of shell could penetrate their armour at a reasonable distance. Every effort had to be made to retrieve any of them bogged down or otherwise immobilized, which led to many towing adventures. The author has a fine memory and eye for detail, his account is easy to read and not technical, and adds very substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated in the Second World War.
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First published September 1, 2013
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November 6, 2021
Compelling and authentic war memoir
Panzer Ace is the WWII memoir of a young man of 18 who joined a Panzer regiment in 1940, starting at the bottom, then when his talent for organisation and leadership shone through, he was promoted. By the war's end he was an Oberleutnant and company commander.
In this well-written book, von Rosen describes many battles and skirmishes on the Eastern Front; these are described in detail, and he also tells us how he was feeling at the time. He began as a gunner in a Panzer III – the platoon leader's panzer – which presumably added to his knowledge of how to fight and lead. In 1941 he was transferred into a regiment using the new 56 tonne Tiger I, which was almost unbeatable at the time of its introduction, and was much feared by all Allied troops. His unit was considered somewhat elite – the Tigers were few and valuable, so they were moved around continually to support troops under heavy pressure from the Red Army.
Von Rosen describes not only the action but also his comrades, the regiment, the logistics, the breakdowns, the repairs made in the field, the numerous times they got stuck in the mud and the scares they had when stranded or lacking infantry support. Later in the war, his regiment was transferred to the Western Front. They fought some intense battles, destroying many British and Canadian tanks, but later came under intense artillery and air bombardment that left many of their tanks destroyed or damaged, and von Rosen seems to have spent most of his time dashing around trying to arrange repairs or finding maintenance units to come to him. They were then recalled to Germany to be issued with the latest weapon – the Tiger II, aka the King Tiger, a huge 68 tonne monster of a tank, but didn’t get very far. They were almost all destroyed by Allied aircraft while being transported by train back to the Front, so back to barracks for a few months waiting for new ones. On re-issue, they were transferred back to the East.
The author was wounded five times, the last one being serious, so he ended his war a bit early, and this probably saved his life. One of his regimental brother officers was captured by the Russians and not released until 1955. Many others in the regiment were killed or maimed.
All of this makes fascinating reading. What struck me was the amount of time they spent not fighting. Their tanks were destroyed, as I said above; other times several were badly damaged; some had to be blown up and abandoned because they couldn't extract them from the Russian mud before being overrun, and even the routine maintenance had to be kept up regularly for the tanks to keep running. This was especially true because, as a Tiger II unit, they were moved all over the place to give a morale boost to some infantry regiment, or to spearhead a dangerous mission that needed heavy tank support, so they weren't getting much sleep either.
When von Rosen was wounded, he explains his treatment, and also what happened after he returned home at the end of the war and lived under French Occupation.
The book contains a large number of photographs, many of which were personal to him and other regimental colleagues, never published before, and a few sketches, and these add both authenticity to, and interest in, the narrative. At the back is an Epilogue where he describes what happened to some of his compatriots, followed by his military career progression. After Germany was readmitted to the European family he joined the Bundeswehr, ending up as a Generalmajor and diplomat. He was clearly a resourceful man and a good leader of men. My only criticism of the book is that it would benefit from more maps, although there are some. I enjoyed it very much, and highly recommend it.
Panzer Ace is the WWII memoir of a young man of 18 who joined a Panzer regiment in 1940, starting at the bottom, then when his talent for organisation and leadership shone through, he was promoted. By the war's end he was an Oberleutnant and company commander.
In this well-written book, von Rosen describes many battles and skirmishes on the Eastern Front; these are described in detail, and he also tells us how he was feeling at the time. He began as a gunner in a Panzer III – the platoon leader's panzer – which presumably added to his knowledge of how to fight and lead. In 1941 he was transferred into a regiment using the new 56 tonne Tiger I, which was almost unbeatable at the time of its introduction, and was much feared by all Allied troops. His unit was considered somewhat elite – the Tigers were few and valuable, so they were moved around continually to support troops under heavy pressure from the Red Army.
Von Rosen describes not only the action but also his comrades, the regiment, the logistics, the breakdowns, the repairs made in the field, the numerous times they got stuck in the mud and the scares they had when stranded or lacking infantry support. Later in the war, his regiment was transferred to the Western Front. They fought some intense battles, destroying many British and Canadian tanks, but later came under intense artillery and air bombardment that left many of their tanks destroyed or damaged, and von Rosen seems to have spent most of his time dashing around trying to arrange repairs or finding maintenance units to come to him. They were then recalled to Germany to be issued with the latest weapon – the Tiger II, aka the King Tiger, a huge 68 tonne monster of a tank, but didn’t get very far. They were almost all destroyed by Allied aircraft while being transported by train back to the Front, so back to barracks for a few months waiting for new ones. On re-issue, they were transferred back to the East.
The author was wounded five times, the last one being serious, so he ended his war a bit early, and this probably saved his life. One of his regimental brother officers was captured by the Russians and not released until 1955. Many others in the regiment were killed or maimed.
All of this makes fascinating reading. What struck me was the amount of time they spent not fighting. Their tanks were destroyed, as I said above; other times several were badly damaged; some had to be blown up and abandoned because they couldn't extract them from the Russian mud before being overrun, and even the routine maintenance had to be kept up regularly for the tanks to keep running. This was especially true because, as a Tiger II unit, they were moved all over the place to give a morale boost to some infantry regiment, or to spearhead a dangerous mission that needed heavy tank support, so they weren't getting much sleep either.
When von Rosen was wounded, he explains his treatment, and also what happened after he returned home at the end of the war and lived under French Occupation.
The book contains a large number of photographs, many of which were personal to him and other regimental colleagues, never published before, and a few sketches, and these add both authenticity to, and interest in, the narrative. At the back is an Epilogue where he describes what happened to some of his compatriots, followed by his military career progression. After Germany was readmitted to the European family he joined the Bundeswehr, ending up as a Generalmajor and diplomat. He was clearly a resourceful man and a good leader of men. My only criticism of the book is that it would benefit from more maps, although there are some. I enjoyed it very much, and highly recommend it.
September 3, 2024
Here's a marvelous historical source, the story of the author who enlisted in 1940 in the Wehrmacht at the age of 18. He wanted to be in the Panzer corps and that's where he went, thanks to hard work, determination, and a sharp mind. He missed the start of the war, but was part of the massive build-up to Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in June, 1941. From then on he led a charmed life: though wounded numerous times, his two serious wounds fortuitously plucked him from what would likely have been a personal disaster: first, in Russia in the summer of 1943 he was wounded during 'Citadel', the ill-planned, suicidal last attempt to shift the momentum in Russia. The author went home to a hospital in Germany while the Eastern Front collapsed and continued to collapse all the way to the end. His reassignment sent him to France, not back to the hopeless retreat in the east. He was on the receiving end of the carpet bombing the allies hoped would facilitate their breakout from Normandy. (Due to poor communication and planning, the allied bombing campaign killed hundreds of allied troops when their bombs fell short.) The author's second serious wound came in Hungary in December 1944. Again he was sent home for hospital care; again those who stayed behind had a poor chance of surviving the war. Von Rosen's account of his time, first in the fragile Panzer III, then in the almost indestructible Panzer VI (the Tiger), rings true in every way. The reader will see at the end, how Soviet weapons had finally evolved to destroy the well-armored Tiger. That the author was only wounded in an encounter with superior Soviet arms is a lucky part of his story.
November 12, 2024
This was a great first-hand account on armored war from the German perspective during World War II.
This was great and recommended for WW2 armored warfare history buffs. Thanks!
This was great and recommended for WW2 armored warfare history buffs. Thanks!
May 30, 2019
I read a lot of history / autobiography and now and again a book stands out as a truly outstanding memoir. 'Panzer Ace' is one of them. I found it a fascinating story of basically how a school-kid (he was in shorts up until he went to war) joins the German army as a tank crewman, joining the invasion of Russia and then enters a cycle of combat, getting wounded, recuperation, then back to the front for more combat until injured again and so on. In this time he matures to command a Tiger tank and then a battlegroup of the mega-King Tigers. The story is a vivid account not just of tank combat but of the logistical nightmare of fighting these monstrous machines in appalling conditions. Great read.
August 24, 2019
A world war 2 memoir from the German point of view that deals mostly with soldiering rather than trying to account for the genocide and actions of the Nazi party.
There's lots of pictures in the book that I've not seen before and it's almost worth buying for those alone!
Very dry in tone and I'd have liked to have read a bit more about the authors post war career in the West German army.
There's lots of pictures in the book that I've not seen before and it's almost worth buying for those alone!
Very dry in tone and I'd have liked to have read a bit more about the authors post war career in the West German army.
August 27, 2020
Interesting book on WWII military history from an Axis perspective.
February 1, 2025
Muhteşem. Hatta büyüleyici. 2025 yılı İstanbul’undan 1941-45 yılları Savaş Almanya’sına bakıyorsunuz. Çok genç bir panzer komutanının anılarında bir Belarus’ta Ruslara karşı, bir Paris’te İngilizlere karşı savaşıyorsunuz. Hayatınızda duymadığınız tank modellerinin günlük bakımlarını öğrenmiş oluyorsunuz kitabın ortalarında. İnanılmaz değil mi? Kitap okumayı neden sevdiğinizi hatırlatan, deneyimsel kitaplardan. Başka türlü bu evrende gezinmek mümkün olabilir miydi?
May 20, 2020
A very interesting book. A soldier’s eye view was of the war. From age 18 Von Rosen served in German panzer units. As he was called up military service before completion of his education, he was given a secondary school graduation certificate. He served with heavy armour units including as company commander of Tiger II. He served on both eastern and western fronts. He was wounded 5 times. He served in the Wehrmacht and only in ‘45 was his unit attached to an Waffen-SS while still remaining under Wehrmacht control
The previous memoirs that I have read where written by Infantrymen and Artillery. The previous authors were part of a infantry division that were often assigned the front lines. As heavy tank company of tigers and later tigers II they frequently switched around to punch thru a front line or to stop an enemy attack. As soon the front line became stabilized in a couple days they would be pulled back from the front lines. Refitted and plugged into another hotspot. As a static tank is a destroyed tank they moved frequently.
His description of daily life in a tank unit is very interesting and quite different then memoirs I have read. The food they ate and the alcohol they drank. The problems that tank unit you would not think of.
The paperwork and details keeping a tank company operational. There is extensive photographs of the author and the tanks the company operated. There maps including so drawn as after action reports.
As well the author express his opinions of commanders. He sing the praises the repair platoon, the doctors and the many people who were kind to him and his unit. He discusses how his view of nazi regime and war changed as the years passes.
Well written and book.
The previous memoirs that I have read where written by Infantrymen and Artillery. The previous authors were part of a infantry division that were often assigned the front lines. As heavy tank company of tigers and later tigers II they frequently switched around to punch thru a front line or to stop an enemy attack. As soon the front line became stabilized in a couple days they would be pulled back from the front lines. Refitted and plugged into another hotspot. As a static tank is a destroyed tank they moved frequently.
His description of daily life in a tank unit is very interesting and quite different then memoirs I have read. The food they ate and the alcohol they drank. The problems that tank unit you would not think of.
The paperwork and details keeping a tank company operational. There is extensive photographs of the author and the tanks the company operated. There maps including so drawn as after action reports.
As well the author express his opinions of commanders. He sing the praises the repair platoon, the doctors and the many people who were kind to him and his unit. He discusses how his view of nazi regime and war changed as the years passes.
Well written and book.
December 30, 2018
This is a very interesting book that I really enjoyed. I have been intrigued for some time about what it must have been like in living in the nightmare that was Nazi Germany during World War 2, particularly as in the case of the author, he was convinced the war was lost after 1942 and the fall of Stalingrad, but there was nothing he could do except bravely fight on. He also says that even as an officer in a Panzer Corps he was completely unaware of the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their extermination of the Jews. I find this hard to believe, but in a totalitarian state where all information is controlled, it certainly is feasible. After the end of the war he endured the vindictive French occupation of his village, but later served with distinction in the German military retiring with the rank of Major General. I found it significant that although it is not referred in the book, but on his Wikipedia profile, that he married the daughter of one of the German officers who were involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler.
September 8, 2019
Eye-Opening .......A Damn Fine Book
Superb reading.
Hard to put down, harder I suspect to forget.
I respect what the author went through; even though my family name is listed as a member of his Company, my family members fought against him in war, and with him in the following peace.
I enjoyed his personal observations of the french.......shared by my father in law who landed on D Day+1 "The only thing wrong with France is the french!"........or my father with the RAF who referred to the french quite sincerely as " cheese eating surrender monkeys "
Superb reading.
Hard to put down, harder I suspect to forget.
I respect what the author went through; even though my family name is listed as a member of his Company, my family members fought against him in war, and with him in the following peace.
I enjoyed his personal observations of the french.......shared by my father in law who landed on D Day+1 "The only thing wrong with France is the french!"........or my father with the RAF who referred to the french quite sincerely as " cheese eating surrender monkeys "
February 2, 2020
I listen to the unabridged audiobook.
An outstanding account of the war and its immediate aftermath. I was particularly impressed with the accounts of the logistical trials the author had supplying and maintaining his unit’s tanks.
An outstanding account of the war and its immediate aftermath. I was particularly impressed with the accounts of the logistical trials the author had supplying and maintaining his unit’s tanks.
August 10, 2020
Instead of a high level tactical description of military events, this book is one of the few where we can understand battle engagement at operational level, in this case, tank operations. I had no idea tank recovery operations and maintenance was as important as the battle itself. Another aspect impresses is the age these boys experienced the horrors of war and how they grew unnaturally into men ( in 1945 the author was only 23). Today, most at this age, still live with their parents. An interesting additional note about the immediate post war situation on French-occupied Germany and all the score-settling that ensued.
October 29, 2020
A German Tanker’s View
I thought this would make for very interesting reading as there are comparatively few first person writings on this topic from the perspective of a German tanker. He was fortunate to have served in the best of these tanks, which were usually superior to those he faced in combat.
The book starts off well and details his training at the outbreak of the European conflict. His early time as a tanker and his participation in the invasion of Russia is quite remarkable. But after his initial wounds, the book becomes more terse.
Unlike Guy Sajer’s book, the author does not elicit empathy. His writing is largely devoid of personal emotion or introspection. He claims no knowledge of the Holocaust and despite his participation in the retreat from Russia, does not acknowledge the scorched earth policy or crimes against the Russian population. The attempted assassination of Hitler provokes nary a comment.
That said, the book is worth reading and the photographs are good. Unfortunately, the maps are in German and did not prove helpful.
I thought this would make for very interesting reading as there are comparatively few first person writings on this topic from the perspective of a German tanker. He was fortunate to have served in the best of these tanks, which were usually superior to those he faced in combat.
The book starts off well and details his training at the outbreak of the European conflict. His early time as a tanker and his participation in the invasion of Russia is quite remarkable. But after his initial wounds, the book becomes more terse.
Unlike Guy Sajer’s book, the author does not elicit empathy. His writing is largely devoid of personal emotion or introspection. He claims no knowledge of the Holocaust and despite his participation in the retreat from Russia, does not acknowledge the scorched earth policy or crimes against the Russian population. The attempted assassination of Hitler provokes nary a comment.
That said, the book is worth reading and the photographs are good. Unfortunately, the maps are in German and did not prove helpful.
January 16, 2021
I enjoyed reading this WW2 memoir of a Panzer commander starting from when he was a 17 year old and continuing to after the war ends. It's told from the German point of view concerning tank battles with little to no politics mentioned early on. The book shines when the author describes tank tactics, the battles he was involved in, and how miserable it could be being in a tank during a battle or even in a rain storm. But the book falls short with regard to what motivated the soldiers other than that they were "defending the homeland." There are several allusions to the front line soldiers not really knowing much when it came to what their Nazi leaders were doing, and it is not until the final chapter that the author acknowledges that the genocide occurred, but he wants readers to believe that most people in Germany during the war didn't know about it because the Nazi leadership "covered it up" as merely "relocating" Jews.
March 25, 2022
I read it because I've read somewhere that it depicts the operational aspects of the war. Of course Rommel's or Guderian's perspective is interesting as well, but strategic doctrines have changed a lot, while operational aspects - IMHO not that much.
The book is not that bad. There are some details, you can imagine how a life a WW2 panzer commander looked alike (and was - sometimes - surprisingly relaxed). However, there are several flaws that are hard to forgive:
1. it's hard to figure out anything about combat effectiveness of panzers (in any campaign) - von Rosen was involved in combat, but we don't know how frequently, how many kills did an average unit have, how long could it operate on full supply, etc.
2. Von Rosen is extremely politically correct - sometimes it's very annoying and hardly realistic. He writes pretty much nothing about the reception on the occupied territories, about such topics like handling POWs, etc.
3. Of course he doesn't associate himself with Nazism (he was a volunteer ...), he cries a lot about how Germans have suffered about the war, and he had no clue what this whole 'holocaust' thing was ...
So, in the end, it was not a bad read. But I've expected more honesty and straightforwardness.
The book is not that bad. There are some details, you can imagine how a life a WW2 panzer commander looked alike (and was - sometimes - surprisingly relaxed). However, there are several flaws that are hard to forgive:
1. it's hard to figure out anything about combat effectiveness of panzers (in any campaign) - von Rosen was involved in combat, but we don't know how frequently, how many kills did an average unit have, how long could it operate on full supply, etc.
2. Von Rosen is extremely politically correct - sometimes it's very annoying and hardly realistic. He writes pretty much nothing about the reception on the occupied territories, about such topics like handling POWs, etc.
3. Of course he doesn't associate himself with Nazism (he was a volunteer ...), he cries a lot about how Germans have suffered about the war, and he had no clue what this whole 'holocaust' thing was ...
So, in the end, it was not a bad read. But I've expected more honesty and straightforwardness.
March 24, 2023
I thought I’d already written this…
A fantastic insight into a war perspective those outside of Germany are unlikely to see unless they specifically look for it.
Richards escape from behind Russian enemy lines is probably one of the most exciting chapters I’ve ever read in a non-fiction book.
Serves a lesson that though no matter what side a soldier may be on, they are often facing the same struggles and that the large proportion of soldiers that serve are merely there from a sense of duty to their country rather than an evil fixation with colonial control and the eradication of ‘undesirables’.
A fantastic insight into a war perspective those outside of Germany are unlikely to see unless they specifically look for it.
Richards escape from behind Russian enemy lines is probably one of the most exciting chapters I’ve ever read in a non-fiction book.
Serves a lesson that though no matter what side a soldier may be on, they are often facing the same struggles and that the large proportion of soldiers that serve are merely there from a sense of duty to their country rather than an evil fixation with colonial control and the eradication of ‘undesirables’.
June 7, 2022
Author Richard Rosen wrote and kept a wartime diary, and that diary was eventually transformed by him (and by author/translator Robert Forczyk) into this book. Perhaps because the author used his past diary-based notes, the descriptions and action sound more matter-of-fact than hyped-up (and that’s a good thing).
The three main campaigns where Rosen fought were Russia, Normandy/France and Hungary. Of those three, the Normandy/France campaign had the fewest pages devoted to it. But wherever Rosen fought, it seemed the great weight of the Tiger tank made the machine prone to getting stuck in marshy areas, recently thawed ground or plain old mud. Tiger tanks often had to pull other Tiger tanks out of the muck, moving them back onto more solid ground. And of course at the end of each day there was usually the need to refuel and rearm. So wherever Tiger tanks went, support vehicles had to follow. Still, the Tiger a great machine with excellent armor – the trick was to be able to keep the tanks operational (as the reliability of the early Tigers was not great).
Rosen’s also reflects a bit on his changing thoughts and perceptions as the war progressed and as Germany’s fortunes turned from glorious victories to the abyss of imminent defeat. There are also many photos, though viewing them on a tablet instead of a Kindle reader is recommended.
Bottom line: A no nonsense description of WW II fighting as viewed from the Tiger tank’s commander’s seat.
The three main campaigns where Rosen fought were Russia, Normandy/France and Hungary. Of those three, the Normandy/France campaign had the fewest pages devoted to it. But wherever Rosen fought, it seemed the great weight of the Tiger tank made the machine prone to getting stuck in marshy areas, recently thawed ground or plain old mud. Tiger tanks often had to pull other Tiger tanks out of the muck, moving them back onto more solid ground. And of course at the end of each day there was usually the need to refuel and rearm. So wherever Tiger tanks went, support vehicles had to follow. Still, the Tiger a great machine with excellent armor – the trick was to be able to keep the tanks operational (as the reliability of the early Tigers was not great).
Rosen’s also reflects a bit on his changing thoughts and perceptions as the war progressed and as Germany’s fortunes turned from glorious victories to the abyss of imminent defeat. There are also many photos, though viewing them on a tablet instead of a Kindle reader is recommended.
Bottom line: A no nonsense description of WW II fighting as viewed from the Tiger tank’s commander’s seat.
March 2, 2023
Another German account of WW2. He does mention that many Russian civilians treated the Germans as liberators. He also points out the lack of water available. Not a lot of technical jargon about the tanks.
November 23, 2023
Did not hold limited attention span but had potential.
January 4, 2024
A brilliant memoir if not a little dry and mechanical but still filled with great insights. Worth a read for the photos alone some I’ve never seen before.
December 20, 2024
An exciting account with an interesting perspective of the war.
May 24, 2022
I have become quite interested in reading memoirs of soldiers and airmen from the Second World War. This was particularly interesting as an account of a very young Panzer commander, who was wounded several times and received several awards for his service. Besides the details of his experiences on both Eastern and Western fronts, his account of being a PoW at the end of the war and his epilogue which addresses the general question of having been a soldier of the Third Reich were enlightening. I agree with him that Daniel Goldhagan's assertion that all Germans were antisemitic racists is uncalled for (this is also apparent in the diaries of Victor Klemperer, who experienced anti-Jewish racism first hand). I was unaware of the anti-German acts of the French occupiers, having mostly read about the experiences of German veterans in the hands of either the Soviets or the Americans. His epilogue addresses another aspect of German history with which I am familiar, that of coming to terms with the Holocaust. As a tank commander, von Rosen was not in any way involved with this, and by the time the war was clearly being lost, had become disillusioned with the regime in any case. I read this as an audio book; the reader was excellent.
March 8, 2020
Although there are many memoirs detailing the German experience in the Second World War, few are written by tankers who served in Tiger Battalions. Tiger I and II tanks were produced in limited numbers but they consistently made their presence felt on the battlefield and memoir literature from both the Eastern and Western Fronts attest to that fact. Thus, 'Panzer Ace' is a welcome addition to German memoir literature, although it comes with a few caveats (as most memoirs do). Richard Freiherr von Rosen began his service on a Pz III and was wounded soon after the German invasion of the Soviet Union. After recovering, he joined the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion, which initially fielded Tiger tanks and by the end of the war included King Tigers as well. He participated in the Battle of Kursk, a few Western Front operations after D-Day, and finished the war once again on the Eastern Front, fighting in and around Hungary with Tiger and King Tiger tanks as a company commander.
The strengths of these memoirs are in the day-to-day actions the author describes. Fighting as a tanker meant daily actions needed to be taken to keep the tanks running by the crew and that involved a lot of effort, especially on the Eastern Front. For example, Pz III air-cooled engines meant the dust from Soviet roads were a regular problem and tanks required constant repairs and maintenance, while heavy German tanks were constantly becoming stuck in mud, breaking bridges, and needed to be loaded onto trains so as to conserve their engines and fuel on a regular basis. Additionally, as a company commander the author was in charge of dozens of men and his platoons and company was regularly detached from and attached to various units serving in the role of a fire brigade to put our fires at various parts of the frontline. Finally, while the author has much praise for his tankers, he is not above criticizing poor German command decisions, especially in the latter part of the war, or praising Red Army forces, also in the latter part of the war. While Tiger tanks were a fearsome opponent, by the close of the war they were facing formidable Soviet tanks and self-propelled artillery that regularly took a toll on the author's unit and German tanks in general.
While the strengths are many, there are also quite a few weaknesses. The author saw some fighting but he was wounded five times and that means he missed a large portion of the fighting on both fronts. The volume is large but about half the pages consist of photos of tanks and the author's comrades from the various units he served in. They are all interesting, especially those made as part of a propaganda reel, but the size of the volume is somewhat deceptive. Finally, although the author claims he was unaware of the genocidal nature of Hitler's war on the Eastern Front, or the evolution of the Holocaust in general throughout Europe, he has few qualms about participating in the Second World War, killing allied troops, or helping German forces wage war in general. Overall, the author comes across as someone proud of his service in the name of the Third Reich but regrets that Hitler's name is attached to that time period.
The strengths of these memoirs are in the day-to-day actions the author describes. Fighting as a tanker meant daily actions needed to be taken to keep the tanks running by the crew and that involved a lot of effort, especially on the Eastern Front. For example, Pz III air-cooled engines meant the dust from Soviet roads were a regular problem and tanks required constant repairs and maintenance, while heavy German tanks were constantly becoming stuck in mud, breaking bridges, and needed to be loaded onto trains so as to conserve their engines and fuel on a regular basis. Additionally, as a company commander the author was in charge of dozens of men and his platoons and company was regularly detached from and attached to various units serving in the role of a fire brigade to put our fires at various parts of the frontline. Finally, while the author has much praise for his tankers, he is not above criticizing poor German command decisions, especially in the latter part of the war, or praising Red Army forces, also in the latter part of the war. While Tiger tanks were a fearsome opponent, by the close of the war they were facing formidable Soviet tanks and self-propelled artillery that regularly took a toll on the author's unit and German tanks in general.
While the strengths are many, there are also quite a few weaknesses. The author saw some fighting but he was wounded five times and that means he missed a large portion of the fighting on both fronts. The volume is large but about half the pages consist of photos of tanks and the author's comrades from the various units he served in. They are all interesting, especially those made as part of a propaganda reel, but the size of the volume is somewhat deceptive. Finally, although the author claims he was unaware of the genocidal nature of Hitler's war on the Eastern Front, or the evolution of the Holocaust in general throughout Europe, he has few qualms about participating in the Second World War, killing allied troops, or helping German forces wage war in general. Overall, the author comes across as someone proud of his service in the name of the Third Reich but regrets that Hitler's name is attached to that time period.
August 27, 2021
(If you ever wanted to know who the commander of the lead tank in the famous King Tiger parade photo was, then the author is him! I thought it was an SS panzer division, but no, it was the famous 503 all along.)
This is a detailed and (seemingly) authoritative account of a German tanker across the invasion of Russia, the defence of Normandy, and finally the defence of Hungary. It reads like the author's diary - because it most likely is - and thankfully the language has not been "sexed-up". It's simply a matter-of-fact relation of events.
As such it would appeal more to those interested in how large scale military operations work at a granular level, rather than those looking to be excited by an "action" account.
What interested me was how organised the German Army was even during periods of heavy defeats and retreats. Soldiers were still granted leave during those times! It was considered non-negotiable. Amazing.
(Also, the book has many pictures from the author's experience, and not just the usual ones you always see. Extra point there.)
This is a detailed and (seemingly) authoritative account of a German tanker across the invasion of Russia, the defence of Normandy, and finally the defence of Hungary. It reads like the author's diary - because it most likely is - and thankfully the language has not been "sexed-up". It's simply a matter-of-fact relation of events.
As such it would appeal more to those interested in how large scale military operations work at a granular level, rather than those looking to be excited by an "action" account.
What interested me was how organised the German Army was even during periods of heavy defeats and retreats. Soldiers were still granted leave during those times! It was considered non-negotiable. Amazing.
(Also, the book has many pictures from the author's experience, and not just the usual ones you always see. Extra point there.)
April 30, 2022
Von Rosen gives an unique view of the war that you don't often see discussed. Having read through many interwar theory books, this book is surprisingly grounded and tackles many problems that are forgotten when discussing the then implemented interwar theory, such as logistics on a tactical level and the importance of training and maintaining a professional army. During the latter part of the war, the amount of German soldiers with sufficient training would significantly decrease, and his description of the chaos from 1944-1945 is eye opening.
The first half of this book is well written, with in depth accounts of events and what was in the minds of Germans leading up to the war and during the first half of the war. The second half of the book starts to become disjointed, but von Rosen is not exactly to blame given the chaotic events described during those chapters.
The first half of this book is well written, with in depth accounts of events and what was in the minds of Germans leading up to the war and during the first half of the war. The second half of the book starts to become disjointed, but von Rosen is not exactly to blame given the chaotic events described during those chapters.
July 15, 2022
Panzer Ace is the WWII memoir of a young man of who joined a Panzer regiment in 1940, starting at the bottom and working his way up to be an Oberleutnant and company commander by the end of the war.
While this is a memoir of WW2, it is not a highly known and recognized name. And while it is about panzers and armored warfare, it is not the typical rendering. One can read Liddel Hart, Manstein, Guderian, Rommel, and other treatises and biographies and get all kinds of tactical and strategic information to better understand the development and application of blitzkrieg warfare and the integration of a fast-moving panzer/armored army. In this book, however, you can get a feel for the daily life of those in the tanks. As a former soldier, I enjoyed this. While all the big wigs sit back and make the plans, it’s the guys in the tanks that are doing the work. They are doing and seeing things on the ground at the front, in maneuvers, etc. that the big-name folks don’t experience or don’t write about. It’s not the exciting stuff of vast moving fields of tanks rolling across the Kursk battlefield or the sexiness of Rommel’s army rolling across North Africa with the desert dust clouds being kicked up behind them as the Field Marshall dons his well-known goggles. It’s not Patton striking poses and make grand plans. It’s the dirty, low down, trudging existence of the tanker.
The author describes many battles and skirmishes on the Eastern Front in detail from the sounds and smells to his feelings, to the water leaking through the tanks onto the soldiers, to running out of fuel, to being stopped and having to get out on foot and fight. The everyday life of the tanker on the front is explored in light of the huge moving campaigns everyone is familiar with and in such detail that you can feel like you are there. And if you have served in the field in peace or in war, you can associate with the ups and downs, logistics issues, and other problems they run across. You won’t find this kind of stuff in the biographies of the big names and the huge panorama shots of battles that have been written.
Von Rosen discusses his comrades, regiment level stuff, field repairs, individual unit heroics, the losses, getting stuck in the mud, having to fight door to door in areas where there was a lack of infantry support for implementing the ‘blitzkrieg’ tactics.
He eventually ends up being transferred to the Western Front. So, we get a view of both the Russian/Eastern front and the Western/Allied Post D-Day front.
With the lack of support, repair issues, logistics issues, destroyed and damaged tanks, von Rosen and his teams spent a lot of time running around trying to make repairs, find maintenance help, ammunition, etc. While you’d possibly think there was a lot of non-stop fighting, you might be surprised to learn how much time they spent not actually fighting. Between being stuck in mud, having maintenance issues, destroyed tanks, lack of infantry support, and all the other issues, the action you might expect in a Hollywood rendition of the war is largely missing. Fighting is intense but short.
During the war, von Rosen had commands in Russia, France, and Hungary. His experiences with Operation Barbarossa and Operation Zitadelle are covered. He was injured 5 times if I counted correctly. The last injury was so serious the war ended early for him and infections and issues plagued him for some time afterwards. This was a good thing in some ways because it kept him off the Russian front where many of his comrades had been resent and captured by Soviets at the end of the war. Many died. Others were not released for another 10 years.
But the story goes on to tell of his capture and imprisonment and treatment at the hands of the French occupying forces who were out for revenge. It was nice that he did not hold grudges against the French overlords and ended up serving with them (more later). He was eventually exonerated of French charges and goes on to work in the nascent West German army when it was founded in 1955. In the mid-60s he was the General Staff Officer at the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Fontainebleau. He went on to be a Commander of Tank Battalion 294 in the late 60s. Despite the experiences with his French captors and overlords immediately following the war, he served in the early 70s as an Advisor in the French Ministry of Defense. He commanded a Tank Brigade as a Brigadier General in the early/mid 70s. He continues by going on to be a Defense Attaché at the German Embassy – back in Paris. He finishes his long career as the Commander in Chief of the French Armed Forces in Germany in the early 80s until finally retiring.
If I had one complaint about the book, it would be the ending of it. My complaint would be that von Rosen did not explore or document how his experiences influenced any of his roles or decisions in his subsequent post war career. It would have been interesting to see what recommendations he made in both the Bundeswehr and in NATO, especially in his advisory roles in France.
If I had a personal regret, it would be that I had never heard of him. As I served in Germany towards the end of his career, I’d like to imagine what it might have been like to meet him in person and talk about his experiences. As is, I always regretted not at least trying to get to meet Manfred Rommel as I was in his town dozens of times while he was mayor of Stuttgart – not that he would have had a reason to see me 😊. But I wish I had at least tried.
One of von Rosen’s quotes that jumped into my head and stayed there was about the end of the war where he said in a recap of sorts that it was “better end with horror than horror without end”.
I recommend this book highly if you want a view of the tanker life in all its inglorious majesty.
While this is a memoir of WW2, it is not a highly known and recognized name. And while it is about panzers and armored warfare, it is not the typical rendering. One can read Liddel Hart, Manstein, Guderian, Rommel, and other treatises and biographies and get all kinds of tactical and strategic information to better understand the development and application of blitzkrieg warfare and the integration of a fast-moving panzer/armored army. In this book, however, you can get a feel for the daily life of those in the tanks. As a former soldier, I enjoyed this. While all the big wigs sit back and make the plans, it’s the guys in the tanks that are doing the work. They are doing and seeing things on the ground at the front, in maneuvers, etc. that the big-name folks don’t experience or don’t write about. It’s not the exciting stuff of vast moving fields of tanks rolling across the Kursk battlefield or the sexiness of Rommel’s army rolling across North Africa with the desert dust clouds being kicked up behind them as the Field Marshall dons his well-known goggles. It’s not Patton striking poses and make grand plans. It’s the dirty, low down, trudging existence of the tanker.
The author describes many battles and skirmishes on the Eastern Front in detail from the sounds and smells to his feelings, to the water leaking through the tanks onto the soldiers, to running out of fuel, to being stopped and having to get out on foot and fight. The everyday life of the tanker on the front is explored in light of the huge moving campaigns everyone is familiar with and in such detail that you can feel like you are there. And if you have served in the field in peace or in war, you can associate with the ups and downs, logistics issues, and other problems they run across. You won’t find this kind of stuff in the biographies of the big names and the huge panorama shots of battles that have been written.
Von Rosen discusses his comrades, regiment level stuff, field repairs, individual unit heroics, the losses, getting stuck in the mud, having to fight door to door in areas where there was a lack of infantry support for implementing the ‘blitzkrieg’ tactics.
He eventually ends up being transferred to the Western Front. So, we get a view of both the Russian/Eastern front and the Western/Allied Post D-Day front.
With the lack of support, repair issues, logistics issues, destroyed and damaged tanks, von Rosen and his teams spent a lot of time running around trying to make repairs, find maintenance help, ammunition, etc. While you’d possibly think there was a lot of non-stop fighting, you might be surprised to learn how much time they spent not actually fighting. Between being stuck in mud, having maintenance issues, destroyed tanks, lack of infantry support, and all the other issues, the action you might expect in a Hollywood rendition of the war is largely missing. Fighting is intense but short.
During the war, von Rosen had commands in Russia, France, and Hungary. His experiences with Operation Barbarossa and Operation Zitadelle are covered. He was injured 5 times if I counted correctly. The last injury was so serious the war ended early for him and infections and issues plagued him for some time afterwards. This was a good thing in some ways because it kept him off the Russian front where many of his comrades had been resent and captured by Soviets at the end of the war. Many died. Others were not released for another 10 years.
But the story goes on to tell of his capture and imprisonment and treatment at the hands of the French occupying forces who were out for revenge. It was nice that he did not hold grudges against the French overlords and ended up serving with them (more later). He was eventually exonerated of French charges and goes on to work in the nascent West German army when it was founded in 1955. In the mid-60s he was the General Staff Officer at the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Fontainebleau. He went on to be a Commander of Tank Battalion 294 in the late 60s. Despite the experiences with his French captors and overlords immediately following the war, he served in the early 70s as an Advisor in the French Ministry of Defense. He commanded a Tank Brigade as a Brigadier General in the early/mid 70s. He continues by going on to be a Defense Attaché at the German Embassy – back in Paris. He finishes his long career as the Commander in Chief of the French Armed Forces in Germany in the early 80s until finally retiring.
If I had one complaint about the book, it would be the ending of it. My complaint would be that von Rosen did not explore or document how his experiences influenced any of his roles or decisions in his subsequent post war career. It would have been interesting to see what recommendations he made in both the Bundeswehr and in NATO, especially in his advisory roles in France.
If I had a personal regret, it would be that I had never heard of him. As I served in Germany towards the end of his career, I’d like to imagine what it might have been like to meet him in person and talk about his experiences. As is, I always regretted not at least trying to get to meet Manfred Rommel as I was in his town dozens of times while he was mayor of Stuttgart – not that he would have had a reason to see me 😊. But I wish I had at least tried.
One of von Rosen’s quotes that jumped into my head and stayed there was about the end of the war where he said in a recap of sorts that it was “better end with horror than horror without end”.
I recommend this book highly if you want a view of the tanker life in all its inglorious majesty.
July 26, 2019
Good narrative with hundreds of photographs
The photographs in the Kindle edition alone would warrant publication of this memoir as they are numerous, well captioned, and actually document the story. So when the author writes of his Tiger turning over as a result an attempt to escape an attack the the train it was loaded on, we are provided this a snapshot of that overturned tank.
This applies to the Kindle edition. Photos are expensive for a print book, so I would not assume that all the many Kindle edition photos are included in the print edition.
The photographs in the Kindle edition alone would warrant publication of this memoir as they are numerous, well captioned, and actually document the story. So when the author writes of his Tiger turning over as a result an attempt to escape an attack the the train it was loaded on, we are provided this a snapshot of that overturned tank.
This applies to the Kindle edition. Photos are expensive for a print book, so I would not assume that all the many Kindle edition photos are included in the print edition.
October 20, 2020
Surprisingly emotionally engaging!
Not something that has ever happened to me before, after reading Wartime biographical books. Even the D-day 2 volumes of German experience, though enlightening, did not touch any sympathetic cords. This tanker was simply a very good soldier, dutiful and careful of his men. On record as being anti-nazi. Not even the abuses at the hands of vengeful French, overcame his honesty and honour. His NATO service helped prevent further Soviet expansion. That counts as a hero to my generation, a Canadian Baby-Boomer and ex service man.
Not something that has ever happened to me before, after reading Wartime biographical books. Even the D-day 2 volumes of German experience, though enlightening, did not touch any sympathetic cords. This tanker was simply a very good soldier, dutiful and careful of his men. On record as being anti-nazi. Not even the abuses at the hands of vengeful French, overcame his honesty and honour. His NATO service helped prevent further Soviet expansion. That counts as a hero to my generation, a Canadian Baby-Boomer and ex service man.
October 24, 2020
Well put together book. Physical hardback is well produced. Photos are good. A solid hardback. Author delves into the mundane and minutiae of a tankers life. It is similar to other accounts from the German side (training,etc), however it is a unique perspective of a particular soldier in a King Tiger. It is an account of the hardness of the eastern front and human frailty.
Do not expect continuous action reports or a hero's journal.
It is a young man caught up in the unstoppable curse of war and its aftermath. I would recommend it for anyone interested in armoured warfare.
Do not expect continuous action reports or a hero's journal.
It is a young man caught up in the unstoppable curse of war and its aftermath. I would recommend it for anyone interested in armoured warfare.
September 14, 2020
A fascinating read!
I really enjoyed this account of life as a front line soldier in war torn Germany. True, the narrative was a little dry but quite fascinating in its detail. I got the impression that the author wanted to play down the political situation at the time. Certainly, we received no hint of his personal political affiliations, other than not caring for Hitler but, to quote Mandy Rice-Davies, "he would say that wouldn't he".
I really enjoyed this account of life as a front line soldier in war torn Germany. True, the narrative was a little dry but quite fascinating in its detail. I got the impression that the author wanted to play down the political situation at the time. Certainly, we received no hint of his personal political affiliations, other than not caring for Hitler but, to quote Mandy Rice-Davies, "he would say that wouldn't he".
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