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To the Bitter End: The Final Battles of Army Groups North Ukraine, A, and Center-Eastern Front, 1944-45
A selection of the Military Book Club
This is a penetrating and detailed account of the climactic battles of the German forces in Slovakia, the Carpathians, parts of Poland, Silesia and Saxony, from autumn 1944 until the end of the war.
The author provides excellent detail on the movements and actions of numerous German units, and the text covers all major actions including the battle for the Vistula bridgeheads, the epic siege of Breslau, and the final desperate actions around Bautzen and Dresden. Appendices include comprehensive orders-of-battle.
A large number of detailed battle maps are also included. Key sales Continues Helion's translation of key German texts on the last phase of the war on the Eastern Front. Presents information previously unavailable in English.
A detailed text is accompanied by photos and maps along with extensive orders-of-battle.
Table of Contents
List of Maps
Publisher’s Note
Foreword
Part 1944
I Soviet Offensive Operations against Heeresgruppe Nordukraine Summer 1944
II Soviet Offensive in the Beskides
III Uprising in Slovakia
IV Schwerpunkt Shifts from the Beskides to the Carpathians
V Positional Fighting at the End of 1944 and Soviet Preparations for the 1945 Offensive
Part The Great Soviet Winter Offensive
VI Prelude
VII Start of the Soviet Offensive
VIII Hasty Measures of Defence
Part The Advance into Silesia
IX Advance into Lower Silesia
X Battle of the Upper Silesian Industrial District
XI New Battle for the Mährisch-Ostrau Industrial district
XII Fighting on the Lausitzer-Neiße
XIII Overview of the Situation
Part Final Battles
XIV Fighting for the Moravian Gate
XV Last Days of Fortress Breslau
XVI The End in Silesia
XVII Final Battles in Saxony
XVIII Conclusion
Sources
Bibliography
Orders of Battle
Afterthoughts
This is a penetrating and detailed account of the climactic battles of the German forces in Slovakia, the Carpathians, parts of Poland, Silesia and Saxony, from autumn 1944 until the end of the war.
The author provides excellent detail on the movements and actions of numerous German units, and the text covers all major actions including the battle for the Vistula bridgeheads, the epic siege of Breslau, and the final desperate actions around Bautzen and Dresden. Appendices include comprehensive orders-of-battle.
A large number of detailed battle maps are also included. Key sales Continues Helion's translation of key German texts on the last phase of the war on the Eastern Front. Presents information previously unavailable in English.
A detailed text is accompanied by photos and maps along with extensive orders-of-battle.
Table of Contents
List of Maps
Publisher’s Note
Foreword
Part 1944
I Soviet Offensive Operations against Heeresgruppe Nordukraine Summer 1944
II Soviet Offensive in the Beskides
III Uprising in Slovakia
IV Schwerpunkt Shifts from the Beskides to the Carpathians
V Positional Fighting at the End of 1944 and Soviet Preparations for the 1945 Offensive
Part The Great Soviet Winter Offensive
VI Prelude
VII Start of the Soviet Offensive
VIII Hasty Measures of Defence
Part The Advance into Silesia
IX Advance into Lower Silesia
X Battle of the Upper Silesian Industrial District
XI New Battle for the Mährisch-Ostrau Industrial district
XII Fighting on the Lausitzer-Neiße
XIII Overview of the Situation
Part Final Battles
XIV Fighting for the Moravian Gate
XV Last Days of Fortress Breslau
XVI The End in Silesia
XVII Final Battles in Saxony
XVIII Conclusion
Sources
Bibliography
Orders of Battle
Afterthoughts
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 20, 2022
While somewhat dry, this is still an excellent military history for a few prominent reasons to me. It educated me on the failed Czech uprising against the Nazis (Think Warsaw, unfortunately). I cannot recall ever hearing of this also uprising attempt before.
Beyond that, the author does an exceptional job of conveying the absolute entropy in which the German troops were operating this late in the war. Reserves/reinforcements sent to places that no longer existed under German control and immediately detrained into a full-scale route. Getting stuck in rail yards with no way to deploy while constantly harassed by enemy air power. The surreal experience of German troops retreating in the exact direction of the rivers of Soviet men/matériel that flowed around them, the Soviets completely ignoring them to keep their objective timetables.
And last, but certainly not least, the author does not pull punches when it comes to conveying the absolute horrors of rape and pillage that were visited on the civilian population at the hands of the Soviets.
Beyond that, the author does an exceptional job of conveying the absolute entropy in which the German troops were operating this late in the war. Reserves/reinforcements sent to places that no longer existed under German control and immediately detrained into a full-scale route. Getting stuck in rail yards with no way to deploy while constantly harassed by enemy air power. The surreal experience of German troops retreating in the exact direction of the rivers of Soviet men/matériel that flowed around them, the Soviets completely ignoring them to keep their objective timetables.
And last, but certainly not least, the author does not pull punches when it comes to conveying the absolute horrors of rape and pillage that were visited on the civilian population at the hands of the Soviets.
June 3, 2024
A great book
A complete book! One of the best that you can find about this subject. Very clear and with a lot of maps
A complete book! One of the best that you can find about this subject. Very clear and with a lot of maps
January 17, 2012
Absolutely fantastic. A very balanced approach to the material. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews