Steel bulwark : the last years of the German Panzerwaffe on the Eastern Front, 1943-45 : a photographic history

Steel Bulwark: The Last Years of the German Panzerwaffe on the Eastern Front 1943-45 is a unique visual book providing the reader with a wide selection of rare and mostly unpublished photographs accompanied by in-depth captions. The images reveal the unfolding story of the last desperate years of the German Panzer forces - the Panzerwaffe - which had played a vital role in the military victories of the Nazis between 1939 and 1942. In the remaining years of the war it provided the backbone of Germany`s defense. Although its strength was badly depleted following serious losses at Kursk in the summer weeks of July 1943, the Panzerwaffe remained committed on the battlefield in spite of the titanic struggles which took place. Throughout the last years of the war it demonstrated the German tank soldiers' superior tactical abilities and showed how they carefully utilized all available reserves and resources into building numerous variants that went into production and saw action on the battlefield. The photos portray how these formidable machines were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat. Even when it was forced to withdraw towards the frontiers of the Reich under the constant hammer blows of enemy ground and air bombardments, it reveals how the Panzerwaffe played a decisive role in trying to stem the rout along the disintegrating front lines. The book is a captivating glimpse of a remarkable band of soldiers showing the evolution of their tactics and unmatched fighting vehicles. It reveals its successes and many of its defeats. Even during the last months of the war as the German Panzers withdrew ever further into their Homeland, it shows how units of the Panzerwaffe fought on to the grim death, hoping to hold back the superior weight of their enemy in order to win time and save their forces from ultimate destruction. The majority of the images are drawn from private collections and archives in Germany and Eastern Europe, and are previously unpublished. returncharacterreturncharacter returncharacterreturncharacter REVIEWS returncharacterreturncharacter"...a captivating glimpse of a remarkable band of soldiers showing the evolution of their tactics and unmatched fighting vehicles..."Scale Military Modeler, 03/2010"...good review of the start and turn of events of the war in the East and makes it very readable to all." In Scale, 09/2010 bbb136......Page 1 bbb138......Page 2 bbb139......Page 3 bbb140......Page 4 bbb141......Page 5 bbb142......Page 6 bbb143......Page 7 bbb144......Page 8 bbb145......Page 9 bbb146......Page 10 bbb147......Page 11 bbb148......Page 12 bbb149......Page 13 bbb150......Page 14 bbb151......Page 15 bbb152......Page 16 bbb153......Page 17 bbb154......Page 18 bbb155......Page 19 bbb156......Page 20 bbb157......Page 21 bbb158......Page 22 bbb159......Page 23 bbb160......Page 24 bbb161......Page 25 bbb162......Page 26 bbb163......Page 27 bbb164......Page 28 bbb165......Page 29 bbb166......Page 30 bbb167......Page 31 bbb168......Page 32 bbb169......Page 33 bbb170......Page 34 bbb171......Page 35 bbb172......Page 36 bbb182......Page 37 bbb183......Page 38 bbb184......Page 39 bbb185......Page 40 bbb186......Page 41 bbb187......Page 42 bbb188......Page 43 bbb189......Page 44 bbb190......Page 45 bbb191......Page 46 bbb192......Page 47 bbb193......Page 48 bbb194......Page 49 bbb195......Page 50 bbb196......Page 51 bbb197......Page 52 bbb198......Page 53 bbb199......Page 54 bbb200......Page 55 bbb201......Page 56 bbb137......Page 57 Features images that reveal the unfolding story of the last desperate years of the German Panzer forces - the Panzerwaffe - which had played a vital role in the military victories of the Nazis between 1939 and 1942. This book offers a glimpse of a remarkable band of soldiers showing the evolution of their tactics and unmatched fighting vehicles