Description
Book SynopsisFollowing the destruction of Sixth Army at Stalingrad in February 1943, Army Group South slowly withdrew westwards, using the Dnieper as a fortified position. In late 1943, the Soviet 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Ukrainian Front launched a strategic offensive against the German Army Group South A – one of the largest operations of the war. In May 1944, Red Army troops defeated Army Group South and Army Group A on the Dnieper. Many thousands of German troops evacuated across the Black Sea. In July, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front launched an operation into the Crimea. The offensive coincided with other Red Army operations further north, including the Lublin-Brest Offensive – part of Operation Bagration. Slowly and inexorably, the powerful Russian attacks forced the tattered German army group to retreat hundreds of miles west, into Eastern Poland and Romania. Here German forces defended their positions and built defences in Hungary and Austria to try and slow down the overwhelming might of the Red Army. There, the Germans would fight a series of desperate battles until the remnants surrendered in early May 1945.
Drawing on rare and previously unpublished images accompanied by detailed captions and text, the book gives a fascinating analysis of the destruction of Army Group South in southern Russia between 1944 and 1945.
Trade ReviewFull of photographs, color drawings and good maps, this new book explains the Soviet offensives against Nazi Germany's southern arm with extensive visual detail. Many of the images are rare or previously unpublished. The text is well written and provides good detail on the major actions and course of the various campaigns. * WWII History *
Highly recommended for anyone interested in these late-war Eastern Front offensives. * AMPS *
The author manages to convey all that in just 123 pages, by using fine text which is supported by a selection of illustrations, maps, and artwork, which will satisfy modellers and war gamers, as well as being a fine general read at the same time. * Gun Mart *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Prelude to Disaster Situation on the Eastern Front in early 1944 The Dnieper–Carpathian offensive Battle of the Crimea The Lwow–Sanomierz Offensive Defeat Further Reading Index
