Red Storm on the Reich: The Soviet March on Germany, 1945

Front Cover\r......Page 1
Title Page\r......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents\r......Page 6
Maps\r......Page 8
Introduction\r......Page 10
PART I Total War......Page 14
CHAPTER 1 The Evolution of Total War......Page 16
The Little War, 1939-41......Page 20
1941......Page 21
1942......Page 22
1944......Page 23
Stalin as War Leader......Page 28
The Soviet Commanders......Page 32
Soviet Resources......Page 36
The Plan......Page 39
Preparations for the Vistula-Oder Operation in Detail......Page 42
The Higher Leadership......Page 51
The Competition for Power......Page 55
The OKW......Page 58
The OKH......Page 59
The German Economy......Page 60
The German Armed Forces......Page 64
Morale and Proficiency......Page 67
The Ardennes Offensive......Page 69
The Last Decisions......Page 71
PART II From the Vistula to the Oder......Page 78
Konev and the 1st Ukrainian Front......Page 80
Zhukov and the 1st Belorussian Front......Page 85
The Moves o f Grossdeutschland and the Sixth SS Panzer Army......Page 92
The Saga of Nehring\'s \'Roving Cauldron\'......Page 94
The Liberation of Czestochowa and Krakow......Page 100
The Third Guards Tank Army and the Fall of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region......Page 102
Konev\'s Advance to the Oder......Page 107
The Southern Axis-Lodz and Posen......Page 111
Warsaw and the Northern Axis......Page 115
Zhukov\'s Advance to the Oder......Page 120
Stalin at the Gates!......Page 127
\'Avalanche of Fire and Metal\'-The German Frontal Defence of the Oder......Page 129
The Changing Psychological and Moral Balance......Page 134
PART III The Southern Flank: Konev and the Continuing Contest for Silesia......Page 138
Soviet Plans......Page 140
The German Forces on the Eve of the Lower Silesian Operation......Page 141
The Lower Silesian Operation, 8-24 February 1945......Page 145
The German Counterattacks from the South-Lauban 2-5 March, and Striegau 9-14 March 1945......Page 148
The Threat to Konev\'s Deep Left Flank......Page 155
The Upper Silesian Operation, 15-31 March 1945......Page 157
PART IV The Baltic Flank......Page 162
The Germans......Page 164
The Soviets......Page 166
The Opening, 13-24 January 1945......Page 168
The First Siege of Konigsberg, 27 January to 26 February 1945......Page 170
Rokossovskii\'s Change of Direction......Page 180
The German Fourth Army Is Isolated in Central East Prussia......Page 183
The New Army Group......Page 188
Operation Sonnenwende-the German Counteroffensive at Stargard, 15-21 February 1945......Page 194
The Push North to the Baltic......Page 199
Rokossovskii Exploits East to Danzig......Page 202
Zhukov Exploits to the Lower Oder......Page 207
The Destruction of the X SS Corps......Page 208
The Escape of von Tettau\'s Roving Cauldron......Page 210
PART V The Siege of the Fortress Cities......Page 212
The Strategic Background......Page 216
The Heiligenbeil Cauldron and the Destruction of the Fourth Army, 13-28 March 1945......Page 217
The Lull at Konigsberg, 21 February to 1 April 1945......Page 219
The Second Siege of Konigsberg, 2-10 April 1945......Page 225
The End in Samland, 13-27 April 1945......Page 230
The Massing of Forces, 10-14 March 1945......Page 233
From the Opening of the Attack to the Breakthrough at Zoppot, 15-22 March 1945......Page 236
The End at Gotenhafen, 23-27 March 1945......Page 238
The End at Danzig, 23-28 March 1945......Page 241
The Last Bridgeheads......Page 243
CHAPTER 19 Kolberg......Page 245
CHAPTER 20 The Altdamm Bridgehead......Page 249
The Importance of Küstrin......Page 252
The Crisis in German Command and the Removal of Himmler and Guderian, 12-29 March 1945......Page 254
The Reduction of Küstrin, 29-31 March 1945......Page 260
CHAPTER 22 Posen......Page 262
The First Crisis, February to Early May 1945......Page 265
German Resources and Methods......Page 267
The German Contest for Command-Gauleiter Hanke and the Commandants von Ahlfen and von Niehoff......Page 271
The Continuation and End of the Siege, March to 6 May 1945......Page 274
PART VI 1945 and Germanic Eastern Europe......Page 282
The Germanic East Before the Catastrophe......Page 284
The Cycle of Revenge......Page 285
The Experience o f the Catastrophe......Page 290
The Sudetenland, Bohemia and Moravia......Page 295
The Baltic Provinces-East Prussia, West Prussia and East Pomerania......Page 296
Brandenburg and Silesia......Page 304
The Danube Theatre......Page 306
Moravia, Bohemia and the End of Schorner\'s Army Group Centre......Page 307
The Berlin Operation......Page 310
The Last Days......Page 311
Despoliation, Occupation and Partition-The Yalta Period in German History, 1945-90......Page 312
The Challenge to the Verdict......Page 314
CHAPTER 26 Summary and Conclusions......Page 317
APPENDIX The Conduct of War: Soviet Science and German Art......Page 324
The Evolution of Soviet Mechanised Warfare......Page 326
Tank Armies......Page 329
Tank Corps......Page 330
Tank Brigades......Page 331
Rifle Corps......Page 332
Tanks......Page 333
Artillery......Page 335
General Concepts......Page 336
Maskirovka......Page 337
Intelligence, Reconnaissance, Maps......Page 339
War Games......Page 340
Political Education......Page 341
Logistic Preparations......Page 342
Command and Control......Page 343
Concentration on the Breakthrough Sector......Page 345
The Artillery Strike......Page 346
The Grinding Process......Page 348
The Commitment of the Tank Armies to the Breakthrough......Page 349
The Action of the Tank Armies and Tank Corps......Page 351
Mobile Groups and Forward Detachments......Page 353
Close Air Support......Page 355
Engineering Support......Page 357
Logistic Support......Page 358
Mechanical Recovery and Repair......Page 362
Medical Services......Page 363
Combat Against Roving Cauldrons......Page 364
Attacks on Towns, Cities and Fortifications......Page 365
The German Forces Under the Storm......Page 368
Army Group......Page 369
Infantry Division......Page 370
Panzer (Armoured) Division......Page 371
Tanks......Page 372
Tracked Artillery, Assault Guns and Tank-hunters......Page 373
Aircraft......Page 374
Command and Control......Page 375
The Nature of German Blitzkrieg......Page 377
Strategic and Operational Mobility......Page 378
The Commitment of the Panzer Reserves......Page 380
Defensive Tactics in the Field......Page 381
Battle Groups and Roving Cauldrons......Page 384
The Testimony and the Work of Guderian......Page 386
Front-line Field Positions......Page 388
Intermediate Postions-the a-, b- and c-Stellungen......Page 390
Permanent Frontier Lines......Page 392
Defended Towns and Cities......Page 394
Logistics and Mechanical Repair......Page 395
Bibliography\r......Page 398
Index\r......Page 404