The Oder Front 1945 Volume 2: Documents, Reports and Personal Accounts
Language: English
Published by Helion and Company, 2017
- Softcover
- Used
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.World of Books (was SecondSale)
AbeBooks seller since December 20, 2007
Condition: Used - Good
£ 43.79
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Heeresgruppe Weichsel (Vistula) was created on the order of Adolf Hitler in part to organize the national defense on German soil. Despite the importance of this new command, its operations in the final months of the war prior to the Soviet attack on Berlin have received little historical attention in the west. Relying on primary documents from Heeresgruppe Weichsel and Oberkommando des Heeres that are reprinted in their entirety along with summary translations, this new volume examines why the command came into existence, what was its priority compared to that of other commands in the East, and how that translated into men and material support for its combat divisions. Specific attention is given to the daily operational deployments of the Heeresgruppe divisions and how they were reconstructed after the brutal combat in Pomerania. The differences between Himmler and Heinrici's command styles are examined and questions are raised about what, if anything Himmler contributed to Germany's final defense. Hitler's operational goals are also revealed for the first time through his daily guidance issued to the East Front field commands during the last month of war. Surprisingly, Heeresgruppe Weichsel and Berlin's defense were not among his top priorities. Operations of the 3.Panzer Armee are presented through the perspective of its three senior officers. The previously unpublished wartime diary of General der Infanterie Martin Gareis and the postwar interviews of Generaloberst Hasso-Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel, and Generalmajor Burkhart Mueller-Hillebrand provide detail on the situation of the Armee through the end of the war and offer insights into key military and political personalities of the Third Reich. A. Stephan Hamilton's second volume in The Oder Front 1945 series offers a wealth of new information on arguably Germany's single most important command during the final months of the war in Europe.…
Seller Inventory # 00106498267
- Title
- The Oder Front 1945 Volume 2: Documents, Reports and Personal Accounts
- Author
- A Stephan Hamilton
- Publisher
- Helion and Company
- Publication year
- 2017
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1912174200
- ISBN 13
- 9781912174201
Previous works have placed significant blame for the failures of Heeresgruppe Weichsel to defend Pomerania on the shoulders of its first commander Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. While Himmler’s lack of professional military training did have an adverse effect on military operations, documents reveal that Heinz Guderian, Chief of OKH, was responsible for issuing the orders that led to many of the costly offenses and overall lack of preparedness in the defense of Pomerania. Guderian, and not Himmler, was responsible for the hastily executed Operation Sonnenwende, the withdrawal of key combat formations from the frontline in Pomerania just before the Soviet assault, and the desperate attack plans out of the Altdamm and Frankfurt-an-der-Oder Bridgeheads that led to confusion and dismay among the commanders of the 3.Panzer-Armee and 9.Armee. Driving Guderian’s often desperate decision-making was his military intelligence Chief, Reinhard Gehlen, whose assessments of Soviet intentions increasingly pitted him against the Führer’s “intuition” ultimately leading to Guderian’s dismissal at the end of March—a week after Himmler left command. The first 60 days of the Oderfront’s defense were squandered between competing personalities that battled for influence over the Reich’s most important military command at that time.
In the final analysis, Himmler did achieve the main goal that Adolf Hitler expected with his appointment to commander of Heeresgruppe Weichsel; to reestablish discipline and order among the defeated and demoralized Wehrmacht formations fleeing west in the wake of the January Soviet Vistula-Oder Strategic Offensive. However, even draconian punishment could not create new formations where none existed. What prevented the rapid collapse of the Oderfront in the winter of 1945 was the Wehrmacht’s Wehrkreis system that continued to ingeniously field new combat formations into the frontline against all expectations. Both OKW and OKH worked tirelessly to resurrect defeated combat formations and field new ones at a time when not a single German combat division existed between Berlin and the Soviet Bridgehead at Kienitz on the Oder River in early February 1945.
Using extensive primary documents and first person accounts The Oder Front 1945 Volume II details all the main combat operations on the Oderfront from the Fortresses of Graudenz, Thorn, Posen, Schneidemühl, Küstrin, and Kolberg, to Operation Sonnenwende, the Altdamm and Schwedt Bridgeheads and the final battles of the 3.Panzer-Armee, 9.Armee, 12.Armee, and 21.Armee. Every aspect of Heeresgruppe Weichsel’s formation and military readiness is detailed and analyzed through primary documents; from its manpower to allocated weapons, fuel and ammunition supply, to replacements and leadership. All major combat formations are detailed to include their late war order-of-battle and operational history. Included in this second volume of the series are hundreds of translated documents and orders, more than 30 charts and tables, and over 35 color maps.
This work is an excellent companion to Volume I and fills an important gap in the history of German military operations during the last months of the war.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
World of Books (was SecondSale)
Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since December 20, 2007
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 4 to 12 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 0.00 | £ 8.18 |
Payment methods
Store description
Founded in 2002, World of Books is a leading online destination for buying and selling both preloved and new books, committed to making sustainable reading accessible to all. With a mission to help people read more and waste less, World of Books offers a huge range of affordable, high-quality books — giving both new and preloved titles a second life. The company also operates World of Books – Sell Your Books, an easy-to-use platform that allows customers to trade in unwanted books for cash, helping to keep books in circulation while promoting sustainability. As a Certified B Corp, World of Books is driven by a vision to become the world’s largest and most sustainable dedicated online bookstore. The company measures its success through the positive environmental impact it creates, the value it provides to customers, and its ability to operate profitably while supporting its sustainable mission …
Seller's business information
SBYB, Inc.
900 Knell Rd
Montgomery, IL U.S.A. 60538
Terms of sale
We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Abebooks web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you've changed your mind about a book that you've ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, Illinois, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.