Panzers on the Eastern Front

General Erhard Raus was one of the German Army's finest panzer generals and a leading exponent of blitzkrieg in the east. German panzers were witnesses to the incredible onslaught that was the first few months of Barbarossa, then the gradual strengthening of Russian resistance, counterattack and, ultimately, the long and drawn-out German retreat. Raus and his panzers were tested in every conceivable tactical situation and, inevitably, Raus became highly versed in all aspects of mobilized warfare. This account by Erhard Raus, edited by leading Eastern Front expert Peter G. Tsouras, concentrates on German efforts to relieve Stalingrad. Raus, as commander of 6th Panzer Division, was in the thick of this bitter action, urging his panzers forward in a massive effort to break the Soviet strangle-hold. These journals were originally written to brief the US Army at the height of the Cold War.

About the Author :
Peter G. Tsouras was a senior analyst at the US Army National Ground Intelligence Center. His other books include The Great Patriotic War, Gettysburg and (as editor) Fighting in Hell and Anvil of War.

Review :
" This reviewer's advice is to get this book if you have ANY interest in German armored operations in World War II. General Raus, though not as well known as some of his contemporaries, was a master at mobile, combined-arms warfare. Time and again, he outfought larger units and brought his troops through. The book moves quickly, holding the reader's interest, giving large doses of information without bogging down in technical details. I highly recommend this book." - Don Barry in Internet Modeler "This reviewer's advice is to get this book if you have ANY interest in German armored operations in World War II. General Raus, though not as well known as some of his contemporaries, was a master at mobile, combined-arms warfare. Time and again, he outfought larger units and brought his troops through. The book moves quickly, holding the reader's interest, giving large doses of information without bogging down in technical details. I highly recommend this book." - Don Barry in Internet Modeler "General Raus was clearly one of the more outstanding German Army commanders in World War Two . . . valuable . . . is obviously writing from personal experience and his accounts have a consequent immediacy which makes for an exciting story . . . the last chapter of the book is of particular interest, because it includes a detailed, and mostly verbatim, record of very frank discussions between Raus and Himmler, then Raus's army group commander, about the conduct of operations on the Eastern front. Himmler seems remarkably receptive to Raus's concerns and, following these discussions, arranged for Raus to brief Hitler on the Pomeranian battle in person, from which followed the former's dismissal referred to earlier . . . Peter Tsouras has put together a book which gives us an illuminating picture of what fighting against the Soviet Army of World War Two must have been like, both at unit and formation level." - Bill Woodhouse in Tank: The Journal of the Royal Tank Regiment "It makes an enthralling read. Recommended." - William Piggott in Military Modelcraft International "It is a gem of a book for serious students of the war, providing many insights on tactics, psychology and military lessons. As the good introduction by Peter Tsouras outlines, Raus is one of the great unsung commanders of the 20th century." - Military Illustrated " General Raus was clearly one of the more outstanding German Army commanders in World War Two . . . valuable . . . is obviously writing from personal experience and his accounts have a consequent immediacy which makes for an exciting story . . . the last chapter of the book is of particular interest, because it includes a detailed, and mostly verbatim, record of very frank discussions between Raus and Himmler, then Raus's army group commander, about the conduct of operations on the Eastern front. Himmler seems remarkably receptive to Raus's concerns and, following these discussions, arranged for Raus to brief Hitler on the Pomeranian battle in person, from which followed the former's dismissal referred to earlier . . . Peter Tsouras has put together a book which gives us an illuminating picture of what fighting against the Soviet Army of World War Two must have been like, both at unit and formation level." - Bill Woodhouse in Tank: The Journal of the Royal Tank Regiment " It makes an enthralling read. Recommended." - William Piggott in Military Modelcraft International " It is a gem of a book for serious students of the war, providing many insights on tactics, psychology and military lessons. As the good introduction by Peter Tsouras outlines, Raus is one of the great unsung commanders of the 20th century." - Military Illustrated