Tankograd 5028

Tankograd: Panzerkampf im Kalten Krieg
German Armoured Corps in Cold War Exercise Schneller Wechsel `74

This publication covers one of the most interesting modern German Army exercises held during the Cold War. Exercise Schneller Wechsel (Rapid Change) took place in the autumn of 1974 as a III Corps exercise.

The name was chosen due to the relocation and repositioning of major units over long distances, often over hundreds of kilometres, on road marches and by railroad transport. Included were the crossing of various rivers using engineer bridges with most crossings carried out at night and were followed by immediate engagements. Road marches were covered with scenarios such as heavy losses and rapid deployment of maintenance and repair troops airlifted in. Airborne units supported the andvance as were units of the U.S. Army.

A specific aspect of Schneller Wechsel ’74 was its sheer size and magnitude, today unbelievable and undoable. Participating tank battalions and armoured reconnaissance battalions were often 600 vehicles strong! Also of interest are the various generations of MBTs such as the ageing M 48 A2C or the then brand-new Leopard 1 MBT, often fighting side by side.

Quantity Photos and Illustrations: illustrated with 110 b&w photos and 9 colour photographs
Text – Language: English text
Number of Pages: 64

Tankograd 7019

Tankograd: Ejercito de Tierra
Vehicles of the Modern Spanish Army

As many other NATO armies, the Spanish Army had to deal with a major reorganisation effort after the Warsaw Pact was disbanded and the Cold War had ended, to convert into a modern force capable of international deployment on peace-keeping and humanitarian missions. Under severe budget restrictions most modern combat systems, such as the Leopard 2A6E main battle tank and the Centauro wheeled armoured infantry fighting vehicle, could be fielded. However, the conversion process is not over yet.
This publication shows – despite the restrictive Spanish information policy and scarce photographical documentation – the vehicle pool of the army in Spain itself as well as on the missions abroad. The main focus is given to those vehicles that serve exclusively in the Ejercito De Tierra.

Quantity Photos and Illustrations: illustrated throughout with 130 colour photographs and 4 graphics
Text – Language: English text
Number of Pages: 64

Panzerwrecks 9780955594083_400

Panzerwrecks: Repairing the Panzers Vol. 1

How did Germany keep its infamous Panzers running throughout six years of war? How did the German army prepare for motorized warfare? What mechanic was competent for what kind of damage? What special vehicles and recovery equipment were used by the maintenance units? How were they organized? How much supply reached the front during Operation ‘Zitadelle‘ and how was it distributed among the battered divisions?

The answers to these and other questions are to be found here in this book. Based solely on original experience reports, diaries and manuals, you will learn how Panzers were recovered from various predicaments and what really put Panzers out of action. For the first time ever you will get an inside look at the battle that went on behind the front lines to keep every Panzer possible in fighting condition.

Panzerwrecks are proud to present these new discoveries in a massive 256 page tome illustrated with 291 large format photos, most unpublished and reproduced full-page size, plus 17 drawings, 5 diagrams, 19 tables and 17 K.St.Ns.

Tankograd 1002

Tankograd: STURMTRUPPEN
The Kaiser’s Elite Stormtroopers
Many of the Stormtroopers saw themselves as the Kaiser’s elite. The Sturmbataillone were Lehrtruppe and Kampftruppe, both teachers and battle troops, for the hardest assignments.

The Stormtrooper was regarded as “the perfect form of the frontline fighter,” described as follows: “He did not march with shouldered rifle, but with unslung carbine. His knees and elbows are protected by leather patches. He no longer wears a cartridge belt, but sticks his cartridges in his pocket. Crossed over his shoulder are two sacks for his hand grenades…Thus he moves from shell hole to shell hole through searing fire, shot and attack…hugging the ground like an animal, never daunted, never surprised…always shifting, cunning, always full of confidence in himself and his ability to handle any situation…”

1002 Sturmtruppen

This publication aims at providing enthusiasts and experts with a unique look into the subject of Imperial German Assault Forces in World War One based on recent research in German archives. Illustrated with many hitherto unpublished photographs it describes the training, combat, uniforms, weapons and equipment of the soldiers, regarded as the ancestors of modern Special Forces. It also puts the German Sturmtruppen into context with the war on the Western Front and the stalemate in the trenches by providing extensive background information on general tactics and supporting units and equipment.

Quantity Photos and Illustrations: illustrated with 165 black&white photographs and 48 colour photographs
Number of Pages: 96

Feldherrnhalle 01

Tankograd: Panzer-Abteilung 208 – I. /Pz.Reg. Feldherrnhalle
Panzer Sicherungs-Kompanien and Panzer-Abteilung 208 – I. / Panzer-Regiment Feldherrnhalle

Italy 1943-44, Hungary-Slovakia-Moravia 1944-45
Three Panzer-Sicherungs-Kompanien (armoured security companies) were created from existing units during the summer of 1943 to be employed in case of Italy’s exit from the war. From September 1943, they were used to disarm the Italian Army and later to fight partisans in areas of northern Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. In the spring of 1944, the three companies became part of a newly created tank unit, Panzer-Abteilung 208 (armoured unit number 208). This unit remained in northern Italy until the end of the year, when it was re-equipped with new weapons and sent to the Hungarian front.
From late December 1944, the Abteilung was engaged in heavy defensive battles west of encircled Budapest, and in February 1945 it was involved in one of the last successful German offensives, conducted against the Gran Soviet bridgehead. In March 1945, the Abteilung was renamed I. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment „Feldherrnhalle” and fought its last battles in Hungary, Slovakia and Moravia as part of Panzer-Division „Feldherrnhalle” 1.
On 232 pages the book recounts in detail the little-known history of these units, based on extensive archive research and contributions from former unit members. It contains 380 extremely rare photographs (most not published before), document reproductions, graphics and maps.
In addition, specific chapters also deal with related units: Panzer-Abteilung „Adria”, Panzer-Abteilung 212 in Italy, and Panzer-Einsatz-Kompanie „Ligurien”.

232 pages, hardcover, illustrated with 380 b&w photographs plus maps, organisation charts and graphics

Step by Step Glenn Bartolotti

Step-by-step: Panther Ausf. A by Glenn Bartolotti

Osprey 9781849081603

Osprey: Soldier
History’s Greatest Warriors

About this book
Due to popular demand, Osprey Publishing is releasing a collectable set of 40 postcards featuring some of Osprey’s best artwork depicting soldiers and their equipment throughout history. From medieval knights and samurai to Civil War soldiers and World War II G.I.s, these breathtaking cards showcase some of the biggest names in Osprey’s stable of artists: Richard, Christa and Adam Hook are an artistic dynasty in themselves; Gerry Embleton and Howard Gerrard have provided artwork for hundreds of Osprey titles between them; Peter Dennis has recently emerged as one of the most talented military history artists of recent times; and of course the legendary Angus McBride, who illustrated over a hundred Osprey books. Presented in an elegant box, these cards are the perfect addition to any military history collection and an ideal gift for the military history enthusiast.

Boxed; September 2010; 43 postcards pages; ISBN: 9781849081603

978-0-9806593-1-3

Oliver Publishing: Under The Gun 2 - First Blood, US 1st Armored Division in Tunisia written by Claude Gillono

- 5 Pages of full color illustrations
- over 50 black and white archive photographs

Pre-Order here.

Osprey 9781849081900

Osprey: Battleground Prussia
The Assault on Germany’s Eastern Front 1944–45
Author: Prit Buttar

About this book
In September 1944 the Soviet Army poured into German territory, flooding the martial heartland of the Reich, Prussia. Hopelessly outnumbered by the human wave of the Red Army, the Wehrmacht fought on with determination, but was gradually beaten back. This book describes the great battles that marked the Soviet conquest of Prussia, from Memel to Königsberg, the Heiligenbeil Pocket to Danzig. Using accounts never before published in English, Prit Buttar looks at the campaign both from a command level, and from the perspective of normal soldiers on the front line.
Contents

* Preface
* Introduction: the Slavs and the Teutons
* 1 Fritz and Ivan: The Opposing Forces
* 2 Memel
* 3 Nemmersdorf
* 4 The Last Christmas
* 5 The Offensive Begins
* 6 Cherniakhovsky and the Pregel Valley
* 7 Rokossovsky reaches the Coast
* 8 Break out to the West
* 9 Evacuation
* 10 Across the Vistula
* 11 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
* 12Konigsberg
* 13 Danzig
* 14 The Last Command
* 15 The Long Road Home
* Notes
* Bibliography
* Index

Hardback; September 2010; 512 pages; ISBN: 9781849081900

Osprey 9781846036941

Osprey: M60 vs T-62
Cold War Combatants 1956–92

Authors: David Isby Lon Nordeen
Illustrator: Richard Chasemore
About this book
Designed for the battlefields of Europe at the height of the Cold War, the M60 and T-62 were the premier combat tanks of their day. However, it was in the deserts of the Middle East that they finally met in battle. This new Duel title examines the design and development of these main battle tanks, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and describing and analyzing their performance on the battlefield during the Yom Kippur War, the Iran–Iraq War, and the first Gulf War.
Contents

* Introduction
* Improving the Armored Fist
* Chronology
* Design and development
* Strategic Situation
* Technical Specifications
* Combat 1
* Statistics and analysis
* Combat 2
* Statistics and analysis
* Aftermath
* Bibliography

Paperback; September 2010; 80 pages; ISBN: 9781846036941

Concord 6530

Concord: Operation Little Saturn and Infantry Battles of Heeresgruppe Sud December 1942 – June 1943

Southern Russia loomed large in Hitler’s overall strategy to conquer Russia. After capturing Stalingrad as his linchpin, he planned to launch Operation Blau and cut off Russian oil supplies in the Caucasus. To do this he had formed two separate armies in Heeresgruppe Sud – Heeresgruppe A under General List, and Heeresgruppe B commanded by General Weich. This new volume authored by William Fowler examines in some detail this sector of the Eastern Front.

Concord 6530

As with previous books in this popular Concord series, this volume consists of an impressive collection of black and white photos stemming from this area of Heeresgruppe Sud. The book is confined to the period from December 1942 to June 1943, which covers the Soviet plan codenamed Operation Little Saturn.

This was a plan hatched in December 1942 by the Soviet General Malinovsky and his 2nd Guards Army to thwart German efforts to relieve encircled troops in Stalingrad. With the successful completion of this phase, the next stage began in January 1943. At this time, four Soviet armies from General Golikov’s Voronezh Front encircled and smashed through German and Hungarian defenses. Heeresgruppe Sud, trying to maintain some sort of cohesion against overwhelming Soviet superiority, was unrelentingly pushed back. In the end, Manstein launched a counteroffensive that recaptured Kharkov and finally ended the Soviet winter offensive.

The bitter winter fighting of this period is captured vividly in photos. German soldiers endured harsh conditions against a resilient foe, and their experience is captured in the book’s photographs. Each photo is accompanied by a detailed caption that outlines pertinent points about units, uniforms, weapons or the state of the battle.

Concord 6530

The book also contains four color plates as a centerpiece, these being created by Ramiro Bujeiro. These color plates illustrate typical uniform and weapon details of soldiers during this stage of the war, when the tide had truly begun to change against the Third Reich. For those wanting to learn about this significant and bitterly contested period of WWII, this volume will prove a goldmine of information and pictures.

Barbarossa Stowage

8wheels-good: BARBAROSSA stowage

A study of unit specific stowage during the invasion of Russia ’41

PzKpfwIV at the front – supplementary edition 2

This survey of PzIV stowage systems is the first of its kind to explore the style of stowage, during the invasion of Russia, as a means of identifying the units that vehicles were assigned to. Through extensive research individual unit styles have been identified down to Kompanie level.

The book is divided in to a chapter for each Division, which contains; comprehensive photographic evidence, description of general Divisional stowage and markings followed by a similar description for each Kompanie. Other known turret numbers and their Ausf are also listed.

A total of 125 fully described period photographs are supported by an appendix of 11 pages of line diagrams for easy reference. The diagrams offer 4 point views for 50 units! All bar two of the photographs are from my own collection and the vast majority are published here for the first time.

This supplement is the perfect companion for “PzKpfw at the front” Volumes 1&2 and will be an indispensible reference for anyone interested in either early PzIVs or operation Barbarossa.