Author Description

In early 1943 the annihilation of the 6th Army at Stalingrad marked the irreversible turning-point of the war in the East. Despite occasional local successes gained in the face of great odds – testimony to the Wehrmacht's extraordinary resilience – from now on Germany was on the defensive. Despite Hitler's damaging interference the quality of German field leadership, and of new weapons, remained high; but each new Soviet offensive pushed the front line closer to – and finally, across – the borders of the Reich. In this fourth title of their sequence, Nigel Thomas and Stephen Andrew describe and illustrate the developments in unit organization, uniforms and equipment during 1943–45, including information on European and Eastern volunteer units; text and illustrations are supported by detailed tables.