The History of the Panzerwaffe: Volume 3: The Panzer Division

Osprey Panzer Series

by Thomas Anderson

The first two volumes of the History of the Panzerwaffe covered the story of this legendary fighting force throughout World War this third title details the organization and development of some of its most famous units--the German Panzer Divisions.

The first two volumes of the History of the Panzerwaffe have described how the Germans transformed armored warfare from a lumbering and ponderous experiment in World War I into something that could decide the outcome of conflicts, and how the legendary Panzerwaffe overran Western Europe and reached the gates of Moscow to the east, before taking its place in the forefront of German defense from the D-Day landings to the valiant last stand in Berlin.

This third volume focuses on the most important units in the Panzerwaffe, and some of the most famous units in the history of the Panzer Divisions. It details their pre-war origins and how they developed over the course of the war, covering all the specialized units and how they operated on the battlefield. The title is illustrated throughout with many rare and previously unpublished images and the text draws heavily on original German documents.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 21, 2020

About the author

Thomas Anderson is a German national who specialises in German World War II vehicles. Most of his work are derived from the Bundesarchive and also the archives of the various military establishments throughout Europe.

Reviews

[Shyue Chou Chuang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another pictorial from Thomas Anderson. I have read numerous such pictorials from Anderson including those that he had written for Concord Publications and Osprey Publications. Anderson is adapt at mining the Bundesarchiv and other sources. This volume from Osprey Publications isn't different from the previous tomes, this time, the focus is on the nebulous composition of a Panzer Division which can vary greatly and also that the real establishment often differed from the stated ones in the documents. In this volume which is accompanied by numerous photos, the elements of what constitutes a Panzer Division is stated clearly, from the infantry brigade, to the vehicles in the field hospital and field kitchens. There seems also to be an emphasis on the composition of the signal units within each element of the Panzer Division including the radio types and the ranges.

The volume can be improved by diagrams with clear captions. All in all, this is a decent volume.

[Katie Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by Thomas

As usual with his books, it thoroughly research and very well written. Thomas holds your attention throughout this book! Full of interesting facts you will not find anywhere else. I’m a huge a fan!

[John Purvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Anderson is the author of more than a dozen books. The History of the Panzerwaffe: Volume 3: The Panzer Division was published in 2020. It is the 51st book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book as G.

The author goes into detail on unit organization. Unit strength and vehicle allocation were rarely at the planned numbers. The author goes into detail on unit communications. Throughout this volume, he focuses on the Panzer Divisions.

I enjoyed the 4 hours I spent reading this 317-page WWII history. This is not an easily read book. It really is more of a reference. I was surprised at how many captured vehicles were integrated into the Panzerwaffe. I like the chosen cover art. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).