The First Day on the Eastern Front - Craig WH Luther

This review has been submitted to War History Online Magazine.

Title: The First Day on the Eastern Front

Author: Craig WH Luther

ISBN: 978-0-811-73780-7

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Year: 2019

Hardcover

Pages: 471

Photos/Maps: 60/18

Much has been written about the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa, initiated 22 June, 1941; thus it was with some resignation that I undertook to read yet another missive on this campaign. To my great surprise and pleasure I found the work to be engrossing and easily one of the best books that I have read in recent times.

Luther has undertaken to present the reader with a comprehensive picture and an in-depth analysis of the events surrounding the first day of the invasion. He has succeeded in this endeavour magnificently. Drawing upon a vast array of primary source materials (war diaries, letters, combat reports) from both the German and Russian archives, he has crafted a book of extraordinary scope and detail.

He commences his work with a look at the planning and logistics efforts required to make Barbarossa a reality. He convincingly dispels the argument that the German attack was in fact a spoiling engagement against a Soviet intent to invade. Having said that however, there appears little doubt that Russia was building towards an ultimate clash with Germany as indicated by their military upgrading. The efficiency and capacity of the German logistics planning and execution is neatly captured, as an example of the scope of Luther’s research, by the fact that over 10,000 trains were coordinated in the move East of the German armies; all while maintaining the elements of surprise.

He then moves on to a discussion of each of the three main fronts (North, Central and Southern) as well as the Air Campaign waged the first day. In every case he seamlessly transitions between the various levels of command and adds colour to his narrative through the use of first hand material relevant to the point in question. While a majority of the discussion is focussed upon the German perspective, there is ample Soviet reference to provide for a balanced appreciation. Much of what the author has quoted will resonate with the reader, especially if they have had any military service. What stands out is the breathtaking scope and violence of the attack; the author’s use of letters, diaries and unit war diary entries inject a much more personal scope to his descriptions.

The author continually introduces elements of sober reflection into the narrative which add poignancy to the story. The impact of the attack on the Russian civilians who were caught in the maelstrom of the German attack, the ferocity of the Russian defence (as an example, the Luftwaffe lost 78 aircraft the first day, 15 of those due to ramming by Soviet aircraft), the awe inspiring opening salvo’s by the German artillery and the descent by both sides, almost immediately, into a level of brutality not witnessed on any other front serve as but a few examples.

The comprehensive bibliography and copious endnotes provide for extensive additional research and reading opportunities. Luther has included numerous maps which he refers to throughout the text. For the most part these are adequate although some are difficult to follow. Overall however, this is a superb book, full of new information that is indicative of the years of research that went into this work. An excellent reference and addition to anyone’s library.  

Instrument of War: The German Army 1914-18 - Dennis Showalter

This review was submitted to Strategy and Tactics magazine. 

Title: Instrument of War: The German Army 1914-18

Editor: Dennis Showalter

ISBN: 978-1-4728-1300-8

Publisher: Osprey

Year: 2016

Hardcover

Pages: 304

Photos: 43

The German Army had a reputation leading up to the beginning of World War 1 that placed it squarely at the top of equivalent European Armies. Based mainly upon its performance during the Wars of German Unification (Denmark and Austria) and the Franco-Prussian War, it was perceived to be, in many respects, the standard to be emulated. Showalter approaches his topic with this in mind and investigates whether this reputation was still deserved just prior to World War 1. He further examines how the Army and its command structure morphed as the War continued and the impact that this had on its effectiveness and resiliency.

His analysis commences with a brief overview of the national character of the army and its various levels of personnel readiness. This sets the stage for his discussion of the army and the commencement of the war. Showalter is very balanced in his praise and criticism of the army and the reputation that it had. He postulates that the Army was the wrong tool for the Schlieffen Plan and that German Senior leadership failed to appreciate its limitations, specifically in the areas of mobility and communications, ultimately resulting in the plans failure. He further  convincingly postulates that, while the Army was superior in many ways to its contemporaries, the German Leadership was extremely limited in their strategic grasp and could not decide upon priorities of effort following the failure of the Schlieffen Plan.

Showalter effectively encapsulates the rise and fall of German fortunes as the war descends into one of stalemate and attrition in the West and supporting a weakened Austro-Hungary in the East against Russia and Italy. He shows that for a good part of the war, Germany was superior at the tactical and operational levels; engaging in the use of aircraft, gas, storm troop tactics and the command empowerment of NCO’s and Junior Officers. He is, however, merciless in his criticism of the senior German leadership; its infighting, hubris, political intrigue and ultimate failure to acknowledge the necessity of working in tandem with the diplomatic elements of the Government as well as not recognizing the self-destructiveness of the war.

The theme throughout his book is that the main enemy of Germany was time. Every year weakened them and strengthened their adversaries, allowing the Allies to learn and close the gap between their respective armies. Compounding this was the diminishing pool of manpower available to Germany with which to make good its losses.

Showalter has proven himself to be an impartial judge of the German Army of this period; balanced in his praise and criticism. He draws attention to elements of German leadership and planning that are not necessarily readily apparent in many of the narratives of this war. There is no question that the Germans could have won the war given slightly different circumstances but, as Showalter points out, this would have been in spite of rather than because of the strategic level decision making. Despite its institutional weaknesses, the German Army proved itself to be an instrument of formidable depth and resilience; able to match the Allies right up until the last months of the War. Showalter gives the reader much to think about and ponder from his noteworthy analysis of this machine. A well-researched and very interesting book.

Illustrated History of the Sturmgeshutz-Abteilung 202 - Norbert Szamveber

This review has been submitted to Canadian Army Review.

Title: Illustrated History of the Sturmgeshutz-Abteilung 202

Editor: 

ISBN: 978-615-80072-6-9

Publisher: Peko

Year: 2016

Hardcover

Pages: 396

Photos/Maps: 118/40

This work, coming from Hungarian Publisher Peko, is an interesting analysis of the operational history of this assault gun unit. The author has drawn from the official operational reports and histories of the unit to provide a comprehensive exploration of the activities of the Unit from its creation in August, 1941 to its ultimate surrender with the rest of the German Heer (Army) on May 8, 1945. This is not a dry rendition of the daily activities unit life interspersed with moments of intense operational activity. Indeed, the author has undertaken to provide the reader with a narrative that not only flows but is also deeply descriptive and instructive of command methods, logistical challenges, organizational strengths as well as employment of the Stug III. Read with this approach in mind, the book provides a deep well of information to be gleaned by the attentive reader.

Included within the calendar breakdown are first hand recollections and battle reports that correspond to the given day. This is particularly striking as it provides a juxtaposition to the relatively two dimensional war diary style reporting. It is necessary to pay attention as one reads this book as skimming will guarantee that you miss salient points. As one reads through certain elements stand out:

1.      The creation of temporary kampfgruppes to counter Soviet attacks; usually built around the Stug batteries. Shows the adaptability of the German command structure;

2.      The speed with which the German command recognized and awarded exceptional conduct (one case relates 40 min for Adolf Hitler to confirm the awarding of three Knights crosses);

3.      The versatility of the assault artillery in supporting both offensive and defensive operations;

4.      The quality of the German crews, leadership and training compared to their Soviet adversaries under combat conditions and the incredible bravery of both sides;

5.      The incredible strain and pace of operations – one wonders at times when the crews slept;

6.      The superb support and turnaround time of the maintenance and logistics personnel in keeping the Stug batteries operational despite the huge challenges involved;

7.      The constant exchange and promulgation of lessons learned within the German command structure and the subsequent application of those lessons; and

8.      The degree to which joint operations were an inherent part of the German command ethos. 

Szamveber rounds out his book with a broad array of documents, maps and photographs that provided for a better visual appreciation of the weapon systems, developments in the Stug III technology, Orders of Battle and operational environments within which S-A 202 operated. A majority of the maps are copies of the original German maps which in some cases are somewhat hard to follow. Annexes of technical and operational data by the author also provide quick reference into the units’ workings and developments. This is a very high quality publication, presented in a way that enables the reader to really appreciate the complexities of operational command and utilization of a unique, critical Unit.