The 7th Guards Army form Kursk to Prague 1943-1945 - Dann Falk

 This review has been submitted to Iron Cross magazine.

Title: The 7th Guards Army form Kursk to Prague 1943-1945
Author: Dann Falk
ISBN: 978-1-732-60742-2
Publisher: Falken Books
Year: 2022
Softcover
Pages: 547
Photos/Maps: 56/77 

Much has been written at the macro-level about operations on the Eastern Front during WW2. Dann Falk has uniquely decided to focus his efforts on the operational history of the 7^th Guards Army (formally the 64^th Army) and, in this second installment, traces its activities from Stalingrad to the end of the war in Prague. Due to its stellar performance in defence of the southern region around Stalingrad, it was one of only 11 Infantry Armies and 5 Tank Armies that would receive the Guards designation from Stalin throughout the war. 

Falk’s approach to writing entails a daily synopsis of the activities of the Combined Arms Infantry Army, challenges that it faced and the efforts of the Germans on those days to counter the Soviet maneuvers. Thus it is that each day provides a unique snapshot of the Eastern Front within an ongoing narrative. Falk’s research is phenomenal and the level of detail both in terms of personnel and equipment as well as activities is noteworthy. In addition, he weaves accounts of specific elements of the adversaries (such as logistics, women in combat, operational environments and personal anecdotal narrative) that add depth and complexity to the account. 

Particular consideration needs to be paid to the high quality of the charts and maps provided by the author as references to the narrative; each was drawn and drafted by the author. Thus, unlike many histories of the region that use original German or Soviet maps that, while interesting, are, in many cases, of limited value due to their language and complexity, the maps provided by Falk are clear, easy to follow and provide excellent references to actions within the storyline. The charts that he developed present an excellent synopsis of different aspects of the book being discussed; particularly those of the conclusion at the end of the book that provide first-rate summaries of pan war achievements of the 7^th Army as well as available Soviet forces for ongoing operations should that have been necessary. 

Falk has drafted a brilliant, yet highly readable, account of the exploits of this superb fighting Army. His attention to detail is impressive and his research comprehensive; however, these aspects of the book do not prevent the reader from appreciating the full spectrum of experiences associated with the complexity of operations on the eastern Front. His anecdotal style and operational assessments serve to highlight the continuing professional development of the Army in terms of joint competency as the War progressed. The author does not hesitate to present an unvarnished account, at the personal level, of the humour, tragedy, and brutality of the conflict from both the German and Soviet perspectives with a strong emphasis on the latter. This work is a nuanced and very balanced assessment of the Soviet forces covering the spectrum of operational and logistical support elements in equal measure. 

The quality of the publication is excellent, the font easy to read and the layout of the book clear and concise. Falk has provided an extremely comprehensive bibliography that gives the reader the opportunity to follow up through a myriad of primary and secondary sources. This book is an outstanding source for those who are either serious WW2 bibliophiles or casual historians.

Panzers on the Vistula: Retreat and Route in East Prussia 1945 - Hans Schaufler

This review has been submitted to War History Online.

Title: Panzers on the Vistula: Retreat and Route in East Prussia 1945
Author: Hans Schaufler
ISBN: 978-1-526-73431-0
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Year: 2018
Hardcover
Pages: 139
Photos/Maps: 42/6

The author served as a member of the 4^th Panzer Division from 1939-1945. Commencing his career as soldier, he finished the war as a 2^nd Lieutenant and signals officer for Panzer Regiment 35 of the 4^th Panzer. This autobiography of his experiences commences in the dying days of the war as 4^th Panzer grapples with the Soviets during the three battles of the Kurland Pocket (encompassing the Baltic region of Latvia). These battles, running from October 1944 until early January, 1945 culminated in 4^th Panzer being evacuated by sea to the port of Danzig where the main narrative of the book begins. The author establishes himself as a thoughtful and insightful observer, well placed to present the reader with a strong sense of the environment within which he carried out his duties. 

The discussion of the fighting in the Danzig region is of particular note for a number of reasons. As the situation for the Germans continued to deteriorate, Shaufler notes the difference between units that maintain their discipline (such as his) and those that fracture. He discusses at some length the impact that leadership and unit pride has on continued cohesion and effectiveness, even in the face of catastrophe. Additionally, one is struck by the ability of the Germans to continue to logistically support their forces. While it was getting more difficult to maintain effective supply lines, Schaufler remarks repeatedly on how they were able to overcome. Given the pressure from the Soviet forces, the reinforcement of the Regiment with 27 new panther tanks in late February, 1945 serves as a good example. 

The book is not limited to discussion of the military elements of the author’s experiences. He highlights at length about the impact upon the non-combatant population of the fighting. As the Danzig region was cut off from a land route back to Germany by the Soviet forces, the civilian population became more desperate for a way out. Refugees clogging the roads impacted the ability of German forces to move throughout the region. Also, the limited naval support available to carry people and equipment out, had to be balanced between military forces critical to the ongoing defence of Germany, and the civilian population trapped within the pocket. Typical of the tragedy of this time was the sinking of the Goya, a liner, that was evacuating 7000 civilians and soldiers out of the Danzig area. The author narrowly missed being a passenger but lost hundreds of his comrades when a submarine sunk the ship on 16 April, 1945. Only 137 people were rescued. 

The story that the author relates regarding his and a few of his comrades, eventual escape back to Germany via a small watercraft following the cessation of hostilities on May 8, 1945, is an adventure in itself. His description of the chaos, luck and determination to return to Germany proper is an excellent synopsis of the desperation and anarchy evident in Central Europe as the war came to a close. He has also included first person accounts of those soldiers who escaped to Sweden only to be turned over to the Soviets months after the war was over as well as those who did not escape and were interred for years in Soviet prisons. 

Overall a very interesting and engaging read. This is a tactical, street level perspective on the closing days of the war and its immediate aftermath. While there are no references provided, the author presents a passionate and insightful account of his and his comrades’ experiences.

Island of Fire – The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad - Jason D Mark

This review was submitted to the Canadian Army Journal.

Title: Island of Fire – The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad

Author: Jason D Mark

ISBN: 978-0-253-35688-8

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Year: 2018

Hardcover

Pages: 641

Photos/Maps: Numerous

The Battle of Stalingrad and the effect that it had on the ongoing fighting on the Eastern Front has been exceptionally well documented. A majority of the books look at Stalingrad from the strategic and operational context; Jason Mark’s approach is different as he has taken the battle down to the tactical level and the Battalion, Company, Platoon and individual soldier perspective. By focussing on such a finite and defined area, Mark provides the reader with a very real sense of the minutia of the fighting and the mind-numbing sense of helplessness and savagery that gripped the combatants on each side.  

As with his other books, Mark has gathered a vast array of photographs from a variety of sources that, in many cases, have never been seen before. He has also created a series of maps that reflect the narrative at that point in the story. Unlike many books where the maps are centralized, these are readily accessible to the reader at the appropriate point in the narrative. Additionally, he has also found aerial reconnaissance photos from the period that he has used to develop the equivalent of today’s satellite imagery with locations marked to provide perspective.

The amount of research put into this work is phenomenal. Mark’s area of expertise is Eastern Front with an emphasis on the Stalingrad region. As with his other works, he has uncovered and included a plethora of information not found elsewhere that adds an intimacy to the narrative. What also stands out in this work is the balance between the German and Russian perspectives. Mark has not limited his focus to only the German side, which has traditionally been a shortfall in Eastern Front books, but has placed an emphasis on presenting the same level of detail from both the Russian and German views. Thus, while the reader is engaged with, for example, the German efforts to retake ‘Pavlov’s House’, a multi-story building held by a small band of Russian soldiers under Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, they are also able to read about the concurrent efforts of the Russians inside the building to retain it. This degree of detail is rare.

This book, while emphasizing the fighting for and in the region of the Barrikady Gun Factory does cover the battle of Stalingrad from start to finish. The focus is on the units engaged in the fighting in and around the Factory within the larger context of the Stalingrad operation. Broken out by day, the reader is plunged into the maelstrom along with the soldiers themselves. Rarely is a book able to convey the degree to which this small piece of hell, within the greater Stalingrad vortex, had become the crux of so many soldier’s lives.

This is a reprint of Mark’s original Leaping Horseman Publications book and the Stackpole printing, while good, is not to the original standard. Nevertheless, the quality of writing, research and presentation of Mark’s book remains. For anyone interested in Eastern Front operations with a view towards getting a deeper sense of the reality of the fighting and sacrifice made by the soldiers of both adversaries, this book is an absolute must.

Red Devils Over the Yalu - Igor Seidov, Translated by Stuart Britton

Title: Red Devils Over the Yalu

Author: Igor Seidov, Translated by Stuart Britton

ISBN: 978-1-909384-41-5

Publisher: Helion

Softcover

Pages: 598

Photos: 64 b/w 

The Korean War by October, 1950, was all but won by the UN and American forces; the North Koreans were pushed into pockets deep in the north of the country and the Allies ruled the skies and oceans. Everything changed however with the entrance of Chinese forces into the war on October 17th, 1950. What occurred immediately afterwards is very well known and chronicled in the histories of the Korean War, what has not been well remembered however, was the key role that the Soviet Union played not only in training and equipping the North Korean and Chinese Air Forces, but also in the direct provision of air force personnel into the fighting.  

For the first time, Seidov has chronicled in detail the exploits of Soviet aerial operations throughout the Korean War. Fighting wearing Chinese uniforms, utilizing Chinese phraseology while flying and operating in aircraft of Soviet make but bearing Chinese markings, these forces directly engaged Allied air forces and wrested control of the skies over the northern part of the Korean peninsula away from the West.  

Limited in their operational range due to restrictions imposed by the Soviet Government, these forces nevertheless had an immediate and dramatic effect upon the allied air campaign once they commenced operations on November 1st, 1950. The Mig 15 dominated the skies over the F-51's, F-80's, F9F's and F-84 of the West and heralded the demise of operational bombing with the heavy losses they inflicted upon the B-29 formations of the Far East Air Force. It was not, in fact, until the introduction of the F-86 Sabre of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group on the 15th of December, 1950, that the Allies were able to engage the Russians again on a level playing field. 

Seidov draws upon the declassified archives of both Russian and American combat records to verify or repudiate many of the long standing claims and beliefs associated with the Korean air war. For example, conventional wisdom has the American's destroying Migs at a rate of 8:1 and, while in absolute terms this is true, it is based primarily on the fact that the US attributed a majority of their losses to non-air combat related causes. Seidov goes on to show that many of the losses were in fact shoot-downs as opposed to mechanical or ground fire reasons. I found his evaluations to be very balanced and equally critical of both sides.  

Additionally, Seidov looks into the strategic engagement plan of the Soviets and analyzes it for strengths and weaknesses. He is very critical of the Russian practice to rotate units in their entirety due to the loss of operational experience and the necessity to relearn lessons and goes into great detail regarding the training and practices that US fighter pilot replacements went through before they were considered capable for full frontline duties. One area that would have been beneficial for Seidov to have investigated more was the reason why the Soviet High Command followed the rotation practice that they did. They were aware of the losses and the changes in the dynamic of the air war but Seidov only skirts the surface. 

The author has obviously interviewed numerous Russian, Chinese and North Korean veterans as he has incorporated hundreds of first hand accounts into the books narrative. These were fascinating as they discussed challenges, tactics and experiences of the other side that have heretofore never been related. 

The book is very detailed in its accounts of the engagements of the different Russian units throughout the period of the war. The degree of detail is a two edged sword in my opinion as it provides the reader a deep appreciation of the nature of Korean War air combat, while, concurrently, blending the individual stories thereby tending to blunt the tight narrative. 

Helion has published an excellent quality book and Stuart Britton's translation is outstanding. The book would have benefited from maps detailing the area of operations of the Russians and a regional map to facilitate an appreciation of the distances flown by the US and Russian aircraft. Overall, a very meaty book full of incredible detail that provides deep insight into the nature of air combat in Korea from the Russian perspective. For those fans and historians of the Korean War looking for new material, I would strongly recommend this book.