Ian Baxter

From the moment Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, code-named Operation Barbarossa, Hitler was fixated on the capture of Moscow. Yet his fear of exposing the flanks of the German Central Front led to costly diversions north and south at Leningrad and Kiev, delaying the assault on the Russian capital. When the Battle of Moscow – Operation Typhoon – finally began on 30 September, the Panzerwaffe was already weakened while Soviet forces had fortified their defences and reinforced their lines. Spanning a 370-mile front, 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies in the north and 2nd Panzer Army in the south surged towards Moscow in a vast pincer movement with hundreds of tanks and assault guns in tow, relying on the familiar tactics of Blitzkrieg. But what followed was no lightning war. Instead, German tanks and infantry were dragged into a gruelling battle of attrition during the coldest recorded winter of the twentieth century. Snowbound and under-supplied, with entire units freezing to death, the offensive ground to a halt before the gates of the capital. Tanks and Armour in the Battle for Moscow offers a compelling visual account of the Panzerwaffe’s doomed advance on Moscow, drawing on over 130 rare and unpublished wartime photographs. Through detailed captions and expert narrative, it follows the campaign from its faltering restart in the spring of 1942 to the bloody Rzhev-Sychyovka offensive and beyond, charting how the Germans lost the initiative on the Eastern Front. By early 1943, any hope of capturing Moscow had vanished, and a protracted retreat westward had begun – one that would not end until the Reich itself lay in ruins.

In the summer of 1943, Hitler set his sights on a decisive blow that he believed would turn the tide of war on the Eastern Front. That blow would be dealt at Kursk – site of a huge Soviet salient measuring some 120 miles wide and 75 miles deep, and the stage for what would become the largest tank battle in history. Fuelled by confidence in his elite Panzerwaffe and Waffen-SS divisions, Hitler launched Operation Citadel, unaware that the Red Army was not only prepared, but vastly superior in numbers, firepower, and defensive depth – they outnumbered their opponents by approximately 2.5 to 1. What followed was a brutal clash of steel and strategy, where German ambition collided with Soviet resilience. Tanks and Armour at Kursk 1943 presents a vivid and richly illustrated account of the German armoured forces that spearheaded this historic assault. With in-depth analysis, detailed captions and a wealth of rare and unpublished photographs, this book brings to life the machines, units, and men behind the last great German offensive on the Eastern Front.

Sovětská ofenziva s krycím názvem operace Bagration z léta 1944 vedla ke zničení německé skupiny armád Střed – šlo o jednu z největších porážek, kterou Hitlerova vojska během druhé světové války utrpěla. Dne 22. června 1944 udeřily desetitisíce rudoarmějců za podpory stovek tanků na nepřátelské linie. Po několika dnech bojů se jim podařilo vytvořit obrovskou mezeru v nepřátelské obraně, jíž se dál valily ohromné síly Rudé armády. Němci sváděli vyčerpávající bitvu a velitelé Wehrmachtu měli na výběr jen ze dvou možností: ustoupit, nebo se nechat zničit. V následujících dnech se proto zbytky skupiny armád Střed stahovaly pod neustálými údery protivníka na západ. Rychlý postup Sovětů měl za následek, že mnozí obránci skončili v obklíčení a složili zbraně. Na konci bitvy byla německá armáda vytlačena až k předválečným polským hranicím a přišla o 300 000 padlých, raněných a zajatých – o množství ztracených zbraní a techniky nemluvě. Příběh o zničení skupiny armád Střed z léta 1944 zůstával dlouho ve stínu invaze do Normandie, k níž došlo o několik týdnů dříve. Operace Bagration však znamenala pro Wehrmacht mnohem větší katastrofu než události na západě. Titul z edice Casemate Illustrated odhaluje průběh této rozhodující bitvy na východní frontě. Muži v čele Busch, Model, Žukov, Rokossovskij a další vysocí velitelé na obou stranách Organizace vojsk Přehledné mapy a detailní struktura sovětských frontů i skupiny armád Střed Výstroj a výzbroj Ruční kresby uniforem a zbraní rudoarmějců i vojáků Wehrmachtu Bitva v detailu Vylíčení průběhu gigantického střetnutí doplněné unikátními fotografiemi

The German Wehrmacht: Equipment, Weapons, Uniforms and Insignia offers a highly illustrated record of the German soldier in the Second World War. Starting with the early victories in Poland in 1939 and concluding with the desperate final defences of 1945, this volume provides an in-depth visual exploration of the uniforms and insignia worn by the Wehrmacht at that time.Featuring over 300 rare and previously unpublished photographs, 50 of which are presented in full colour, this book showcases the full range of attire worn by German troops. From standard service dress and winter camouflage to armoured crew uniforms and protective gear, the volume covers it all, including headgear, rank insignia and battlefield equipment. Every image is accompanied by a detailed caption, bringing to life the appearance of soldiers of all ranks from privates and NCOs to generals, infantrymen, mountain troops, tank crews and assault gun operators.Beyond the visual documentation, the book offers a detailed analysis of how the German army meticulously developed its fighting force into a formidable war machine. It explores how different branches of the military were equipped across various theatres of war, from Europe and Russia to North Africa.Whether you''re a military historian, collector or enthusiast, The German Wehrmacht provides a unique and comprehensive look at the clothing, equipment and insignia that defined one of history’s most formidable fighting forces.

Prior to the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Ukraine was home to one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. It is estimated that almost one million Jews were murdered in the Ukraine between 1941 – 1944. Many of those Jews killed in 1941 were by the Einsatzgruppen death squads, Order Police Battalions, Ukrainian Police Auxiliary units, collaborators and Wehrmacht forces. Most of those people executed were killed close to where they lived.Holocaust in the Ukraine tells the plight of the Jewish community in the Ukraine and the mass killings that took place there. It shows how German forces occupied a large part of German-occupied Ukraine, and incorporated it into what was known as the Reichskommissariat Ukraine.Within a week of the German invasion of the Ukraine police units and their auxiliaries, under the guidance of members of the Einsatzgruppen began murdering Jewish communities. There were various massacres including Babyn Yar where some 33,000 Jews were executed during a two-day period in August 1941.One of the first massacres in the Ukraine was ordered only days after the start of the German invasion known as the Lviv pogroms where 6,000 Jews were murdered by Einsatzgruppen and Ukrainian nationalist. This was followed by other wholesale murders which included the Kamianets-Podilsky massacre where some 23,000 residents were killed. Other killings too included the Pavoloch, Berdychiv, Odessa Artemivsk Sarny massacrews and numerous other killings across the country.With detailed captions and text together with a host of rare photographs, this Images of War book is an important study of how Ukraine was subjected to a Nazi policy of terror with an ideological goal of eradicating communism and destroying the Jews and the Ukrainians, who were all classed as sub-human.

When the German war machine launched its attack against the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Adolf Hitler had given priority first to the capture of Ukraine, which was against the advice of his generals. In order to secure Ukraine quickly and effectively the German Army Group South entrusted its powerful Panzer Group 1 to lead the spearhead through the country. It included the III, XIV and XLVIII Army Corps (motorized) with five Panzer divisions and four motorized divisions (two of them SS) equipped with 799 tanks. Unlike their enemy, German armoured units had effective command, control, communication, and a massive supply of ammunition and support formations coupled with considerable combat experience and extensive training. What followed in the heartlands of the Ukraine was a series of powerful wide-sweeping, deep penetrating armoured attacks toward the Dnieper River. Places like Dubno, Brody, Kiev, Crimea and Kharkov saw heavy armoured fighting.This book in the Images of War series is a highly illustrated record of German tanks and armour that fought in the Ukraine between 1941 and 1944. It describes how these deadly machines fought and supported the infantry on the battlefield. It depicts how these formidable weapons were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat. With rare and often unpublished photographs this book provides a unique insight into German armour in the Ukraine from its early triumphant days in 1941 and 1942 to its slow and painful retreat in 1944.

The Ordnungspolizei or Order Police was one of the main apparatus for the security of Nazi Germany. During the 1930s, Heinrich Himmler, Head of the SS, along with the Commander-in-Chief of the Order Police, Kurt Daluege, totally reconstructed the police force of the Weimar Republic into a number of strong militarized formations. Those that served in this new police force were more than ready to carry out any order that the Nazi''s required of them including persecution of Jews and anyone deemed inferior to the regime. In fact, in 1938, police units participated in the annexation of Austria and the occupation of Czechoslovakia. A year later when Germany invaded Poland, the role of the police changed forever. Police units were deployed alongside the German military including the special murder squads of the Einsatzgruppen. In Poland, Order Police were transformed into militarized police battalions and participated in combat operations which included carrying out security duties behind enemy lines. These duties were often sinister and alongside some Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS and Einsatzgruppen, the police battalions engaged in the systematic murder and annihilation of Poles and Jews.Following the conquest of Poland the Nazi leadership created a massive recruitment drive conscripting more than 95,000 men in their thirties. Another 26,000 younger men were also recruited and indoctrinated into Nazi ideology and trained for combat. These new recruits would now take part not only in military operations but would be an integral part of the Holocaust, responsible for mass murders and guarding some of the Jewish ghettos. They would also assist in the destruction of the ghettos and helping in the transport of Jews to concentration camps. During the summer of 1941 these Police units were involved in mass killings of Babi Yar, Rumbula and Stanislaviv. Yet after the war, many of the Order Policemen claimed never to have been involved in Nazi crimes.

Self-propelled anti-tank and anti-aircraft vehicles were a key element of the Nazi Army during the Second World War. Anti-tank weapons assumed great importance from the outbreak of war as combatants developed ever more effective armoured vehicles and tactics. Some were little more than stopgap solutions, such as mounting the weapons on a tracked vehicle to give enhanced mobility, while others were more sophisticated designs. Examples of the development of tank destroyer technology throughout the war are the Marders, Jagdpanzer 38, and Nashorn. In order to provide much needed fire power, vehicles like the 5-ton Sd.Kfz.6 halftrack mounted Soviet 76.2mm field guns. The Marder series played a key role supporting armoured operations with their anti-tank guns.Anti-aircraft firepower was vital to give protection to troops from increasingly potent Allied ground-attack. The Germans also mounted anti-aircraft guns onboard halftracks such as the Sd.Kfz.10/5 and 10/4 armed with 2cm Flak guns, the medium Sd.Kfz.7/1 halftrack mounting 2cm flak guns, including quadruple flak guns on certain modified vehicles. Later in the war there was the Flakpanzer 38 (t) with a 2cm flak gun, an Sd.Kfz.6/2 Flak halftrack, and the Flakpanzer IV `Wirbelwind` with a rotating flak gun turret armed with quadruple 2cm flak guns.In true Images of War style the authoritative text is superbly supported by well captioned contemporary images.

Shortly after their rise to power, the Nazis established specific Arbeitslager (labour camps) which housed Ostarbeiter (eastern workers), Fremdarbeiter (foreign workers) and other forced labourers who were rounded up and brought in from the east. These were distinct from the SS-run concentration camps.The use of forced labour grew significantly in 1937 due to rearmament requirements and again after the outbreak of warThe invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 further heightened demands for labour and the availability of new workers in areas under Nazi occupation. Vast numbers were deported to forced labour camps, where they worked either producing war materials or on construction projects.As in the Nazis’ view, inmates were slaves pure and simple and replaceable with others, there was a complete disregard for the health of prisoners. Required to work long hours with little or no time for rest or breaks they were subject to insufficiencies of food, equipment, medicine and clothing. As a result of these conditions and brutal treatment, death rates were shockingly high.By 1945, more than fourteen million people had been exploited in the network of hundreds of forced labour camps that stretched across Nazi-occupied Europe. In true Images of War series style, this superbly illustrated book graphically describes the growth of the slave camp system and the conditions inflicted on the luckless labour force.

By October 1943, the German 17th Army had been forced to retreat from the Kuban bridgehead across the Kerch Strait to Crimea. During the following months, the Red Army pushed back the German forces in the southern Ukraine. In November 1943, they eventually cut off the land-based connection of 17th Army through the Perekop Isthmus. Hitler prohibited a sea evacuation of 17th Army because he thought the Red Army could use the Crimean Peninsula to launch air attacks against Romanian oil refineries.In November 1943, the Russian launched a massive amphibious assault at two locations on the eastern coast of the Crimea, but its units were unable to prevent an Axis counterattack that collapsed the southern bridgehead. The Red Army held the bridgehead at Yenikale, from which they launched further offensive operations, culminating in a huge offensive in April 1944. Although the 17th Army bitterly contested every bit of ground, it was unable to stop the advance. Soviet forces reached Kerch on April 11, forcing the 17th Army to retreat towards Sevastopol. The remaining Axis forces in the Crimea were concentrating around the city by the end of the third week of April.The Germans intended to hold Sevastopol as a fortress, as the Russians had done between 1941 and 1942. However, the fortifications of the city had not been restored and the city fell on 9 May. From mid-April, Romanian and German ships undertook a huge and complex evacuation operation. The last phase of the evacuation, following the fall of Sevastopol, saw 37,000 troops transported under constant attacks from Soviet aircraft and shore artillery. Overall around 57,000 men were lost during the evacuation.Fully illustrated with rare and unpublished photos, this is a detailed account of the dogged attempt to retake the Crimea in 1943–44.

Hitlerovo šokující rozhodnutí napadnout v červnu 1941 Sovětský svaz se nakonec ukázalo být zlomovou událostí celé druhé světové války. Po počátečních vítězstvích postoupili Němci až k Moskvě, ale po ruské protiofenzivě na přelomu let 1941 a 1942 se začala karta postupně obracet. Důležitou roli v tom nepochybně sehrála i pověstná ruská zima, na kterou nebyla armáda nacistického Německa dostatečně připravena. Němci během první zimy na ruské půdě neměli potřebné vybavení a uchylovali se k improvizaci. V roce 1942 proto německé velení sestavilo „Příručku pro vedení války v zimě“, která měla vojákům poskytnout potřebné instrukce, jak bojovat v drsných zimních podmínkách ve sněhu a mrazu, jak si vybudovat úkryt, jak si poradit s logistikou. Metodičtí Němci se nakonec s klimatickými podmínkami víceméně vyrovnali, ale i tak se museli smířit se skutečností, že narazili na velmi odolného a početně silnějšího protivníka, který byl nakonec nad jejich síly. Nepopsatelné podmínky válečných operací v zimních podmínkách jsou v knize barvitě přiblíženy prostřednictvím jedinečných záběrů ze sbírky dobových válečných fotografií Iana Baxtera, předního znalce německých vojenských dějin 20. století, německé vojenské techniky a dějin druhé světové války. Šílenství války je někdy nejlépe vidět na zdánlivě nepodstatných detailech.

Rudolf Höss se nechvalně proslavil za druhé světové války coby tvůrce a posléze velitel koncentračního tábora Osvětim. Byl zodpovědný za smrt více než 1,2 milionu lidi. Vymyslel vražednou metodiku, diky níž se stala Osvětim největším vyhlazovacím kon centračním táborem všech dob. Kniha představuje podrobný portrét nacistického velitele od raného mládí až po vykonání trestu smrti, k němuž byl za válečné zločiny odsouzen v polské Varšavě v roce 1947. Jde o nevšední dokument, jehož autor se nám poku sil zprostředkovat sled událostí kolem založení a spravování koncentračního tábora Osvětim Hössovýma očima. Emociální odstup, který si musel zachovat, aby dokázal vykonávat své hrůzné povolání, působí přímo děsivě. Jak autor zdůrazňuje, je příliš sna dné označit Rudolfa Hösse jako psychopatickou zrůdu. V soukromí však šlo o rodinně založeného člověka, který se na postu velitele koncentračního tábora v Osvětimi situoval do role jakéhosi ředitele továrny na zpracování lidského odpadu. Největší ne bezpečí se skrývá právě v jemu podobných lidech, kteří žijí kolem nás, připraveni slepě vykonávat rozkazy vyšších autorit.