Forgotten Victory - Mark Zuehlke

This review has been submitted to War History Online Journal 

Title: Forgotten Victory

Author: Mark Zuehlke

ISBN: 978-1-77162-041-3

Publisher: Douglas and McIntyre

Year: 2014

Hardcover

Pages: 500

Photos/maps: 29/7

The Canadian Army was involved in three major actions during the latter portion of the Second World War: the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of the Scheldt and the operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine and northern Germany: Operations Veritable and Blockbuster. Canadian command and troops undertook key leadership and personnel roles in each of these ops. The authors book, Forgotten Victory, refocuses attention on the critical Canadian role in the final of the three above listed campaigns. Overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge, the American/British drive in the South and the Soviet juggernaut in the East, the Canadians nevertheless played a decisive in creating the conditions whereby the Allies could drive across the Rhine and into the heart of Germany.

Zuehlke takes a holistic approach to his discussions of the Operations as well as the minor ops leading up to them. Thus the reader is provided with information relating to Command relationships (both formal and interpersonal), logistics demands and concerns, operational considerations and the complexity of combined (what would today be referred to as ‘joint’ operations) involving allied land and air forces (both tactical and strategic). It is worth noting that, for this campaign, the Commander of the First Canadian Army, Gen Crerar commanded an army (comprising mainly Canadians but also allied forces) of 500,000 men – the largest in Canadian history. Additionally, the author paints a vivid picture of the environment within which the Canadians and their Allies were operating. The winter was brutal and made all the more so by the frequent freeze thaw cycles that reduced mobility to a crawl; further hampered by the vast flooding operations by the Germans that limited lines of approach to grimy and barely passable high ground pre-registered by German artillery and machine guns.

Zuehlke has an eminently readable writing style encompassing a vast array of information and data that presents a deep and comprehensive picture for the reader. His books have almost exclusively focused on the role of the Canadian Army in the European theatre of war and his appreciation and depth of knowledge is evident throughout the book. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book that conveys accurately the horrors and challenges of these operations as well as the heroism, competence and drive of the officers and soldiers so engaged.

The Other First World War: The Blood-Soaked Russian Fronts 1914-1922 - Douglas Boyd

This review has been submitted to Military History Monthly for publication.

Title: The Other First World War: The Blood-Soaked Russian Fronts 1914-1922

Author: Douglas Boyd

ISBN: 978-0-7524-9358-9

Publisher: Trafalgar Press

Hardcover

Pages: 256

Photos/Maps: 38/13 

From an international perspective, other than the actual collapse of the Russian Czar, very little is known or understood about the conflict in the East during the Great War years (1914-1918) and the follow-on Russian civil war period (1918-1922). Yet, the impact of those years on the future of both the world and European civilization in particular cannot be understated. Boyd has endeavoured to relate a synopsis of the actual events and the impact of them on the broader international canvas. 

Boyd's rendition of the Brusilov Campaign and the Battle of Tannenberg are highlights of this book and he certainly does a reasonable job of the flow of events in between. He makes some very interesting observations however, that I would have liked to see some additional references made for further study. These include the role that Romanian forces played in the operations on the Eastern Front as well as the operational challenges of the various “Colour” factions and how they came to be. Unfortunately, he also makes regular comments within his narrative without the benefit of endnotes which I feel would have merited reference in order to confirm source. 

He does not provide a comprehensive bibliography but references endnotes at the close of each chapter. I also found that the maps used were of limited value due to the quality of both diagrams and the choice of style of map; certainly, a series of comprehensive 'overview' maps would have been very beneficial in following the myriad of changes and fronts throughout this period. 

In my opinion Boyd has undertaken a very distracting style of writing as he tends to flow off on tangents that would appear to have little to nothing to do with the narrative. A key example of involves a discussion of his (the authors) time in a Stasi prison in 1959 interjected into the middle of his discussion on the Kerensky offensive in 1917. While the intention was good, I found it to be a very frustrating habit.

 

The quality of the publication and the photographs are high and Boyd provides a reasonable overview or start point for those wishing to garner a very high level appreciation of the complexity of the Russian war, revolution and civil war. However, I would suggest that the portion accepted was larger than the diner could effectively consume and that significant aspects of the book will leave the reader more confused than enlightened. Perhaps this in itself best conveys the degree of confusion experienced by all of the players involved in the tragic opera that was the Russian Front 1914-1922.

The Combat History of the 21st Panzer Division - Werner Kortenhaus

Title: The Combat History of the 21st Panzer Division

Author: Werner Kortenhaus

ISBN: 978-1-907677-71-7

Publisher: Helion

Hardcover

Pages: 494

Maps: 21 in separate map book (included)

Photos: 70

The invasion of Normandy has been written about and analyzed in a plethora of books and articles and, at first blush, Kortenhaus's book would appear to be another addition to this list; and yet it stands unique for a number of reasons.The 21st Panzer was the only fully operational panzer division to find itself within immediate striking distance of the beaches on the 6 JUne, 1944. Thus it was the cornerstone of the German response capability during the critical first hours of the Allied landing. This operational history draws its information predominantly from German sources - the primary being the battle diaries of the division itself - thus it not only provides a German perspective on the battle but also incorporates the broader scope of command and control, operational and tactical training, equipment and environmental issues and concerns.

The first portion of the book focuses upon the larger command and control challenges facing not only the division but the Western theatre; specifically surrounding issues of who and at what level would control the western Panzer divisions. This was central to response and planning; however, significant differing opinions within the German high command as to how best to respond to an invasion further hampered effective response planning. This portion serves as an excellent lesson for senior commanders and is analyzed by Kortenhaus with a critical eye towards the impact of the human factors in operational planning.

Another fascinating aspect of this division was the initiative and engineering expertise of Hauptmann (Captain) Becker. Upon reactivation (the original 21st Panzer was destroyed in May 1943 in Africa), the German command in Berlin directed that it be outfitted using captured equipment from the French campaign. While there were thousands of vehicles in compounds captured during the 1940 campaign, they had not been maintained and were, in many cases left to degenerate. Capt Becker, on his own initiative, combined french tank chassis and 10.5 cm guns to create a new mobile antitank weapons system that proved itself to be extremely effective. The concept of 'necessity being the mother of invention' is starkly evident. It is a testament to the German command style that he was given the resources and support to create what was in fact an entirely new weapons system in such a short time.

The author has drawn upon the Division's war diaries to trace the ongoing combat experiences of the unit throughout the next year as it fought progressively more desperate actions while retreating back into Germany before meeting its final demise on the Oderfront at Halbe.  The last remnants made their way into Russian captivity on 8 May, 1945. This translation from the original German serves as an excellent insight into German tactics and perspectives as the war progressed at the unit level. Challenges with resupply, command and experience become more central as greater pressure was brought to bear. How they address these and retain their combat effectiveness is enlightening for the modern Commander.

Regardless of the content, the value of the book would remain limited if the dialogue and presentation was ponderous and dry. The author has drafted an eminently accessible book replete with anecdotal example that presents a more robust and full narrative. I found the  discussion of Operations Goodwood and Totalize to be particularly enlightening due to the fact that they emphasized the viewpoint of the Axis and their operational/tactical doctrine.

Helion has provided a separate map book with this publication which is outstanding, clearly laying out the progress of the Division. Additionally, the production value is extremely high with an easily readable text.  

The history of the later years of the 21st Panzer is a microcosm of the German war effort in the later parts of the war: noteworthy initiative and morale despite overwhelming odds, strong operational leadership with more convoluted and challenging strategic direction, impressive tactical acumen, diminishing logistic and reinforcement support and high motivation right until the end.

The author, with this translation, has provided a wide audience with an outstanding operational counterpoint to the narratives of the Allied sources of this period. An articulate and engaging read, I strongly recommend this book.

In Peace Prepared: Innovation and Adaptation in Canada's Cold War Army - Andrew B Godefroy

This review has been published in Soldier Magazine: www.soldiermagazine.co.uk

Title: In Peace Prepared: Innovation and Adaptation in Canada's Cold War Army

Author: Andrew B Godefroy

ISBN: 978-0-7748-2702-7

Publisher: UBCPress

Hardcover

Pages: 275

Photos: 44 

The impact of the Cold War and the Nuclear Age upon not only the doctrine and equipment but also the very composition of the Canadian Army is not well understood; nor is the role that Canadian Commanders played in proactively shaping both Canadian as well as influencing NATO doctrine and structure. Godefroy's book looks at how these men grappled with the transition to an entirely new form of warfare, their forward thinking and vision as well as the challenges faced and overcome. Canada's military displayed a remarkable resiliency and adaptability that has largely been forgotten. The author has produced a balanced, eminently readable history of this noteworthy accomplishment.