Being there . . . . few subjects in World War II, Europe, during the past eight decades have had
the power to attract more interest, or generate greater fascination, than Hitler’s inability to
take Stalingrad, and consequently the Eastern Front, and/or failure to effectively subdue all of
France while attempting to transform her into a French-Nazi ally. In fact, it can be argued there
has hardly been any serious, scholarly attempts to clear-cut their references in the military
literature since 1946. This does not mean that interest was not present or unknown. The
problem has been that other than university presses major American and British publishers
have, and still do, believe the myth and preconception the ordinary war buff (you and me) are
not all that interested in such obtuse study-treatments. Fortunately, we who yearn to dig
around for old unexplored gems in the vast fields of “aging deep-buried topics”, we have the
Osprey, Pen and Sword, Casemate, Naval Institute, Schiffer, and McFarland publishing houses
packed with solid-thinking, envisioning editors of kaleidoscopic personalities, reflecting not only
endless varieties of publishing decisions, but also possessing the empathetic intuitions of what
us World War II nuts cry-out to read. Case in point: Osprey Publishing’s Men-at Arms, Duel:
Engage the Enemy, and Elite Series. Three arrived on this reviewer’s doorsteps two weeks ago,
plenty of time to formally introduce them to you. . .
“THE ‘GROSSDEUTSCHLAND’ DIVISION IN WORLD WAR II – – The German Army’s Premier
Combat Unit” by James F. Slaughter, Illustrated by Ramiro Bujeiro. OSPREY PUBLISHING/
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2024, 64 pages, softcover, 7 ¼”x 9 ¾”, numerous color illustrations,
b & w Russian and German photos published for the first time; $21. Visit,
www.ospreypublishing.com.
The history of military forces, artifacts, personalities and techniques, full color artwork,
unrivalled detail, rare archive photographs.
“PANZER III vs T-34 – – Eastern Front 1941” by Peter Samsonov, Illustrated by Richard
Chasemore. OSPREY PUBLISHING/Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2024, 80 pages, softcover, 7 ¼”x 9
¾”, numerous color illustrations, b & w German and Russian photos published for the first time;
$23. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.
This is the account of machines of war pitted against each other and the combatants who
operated them. Step onto the battlefield and immerse yourself in the experience of real historic
combat.
“GERMANY’S FRENCH ALLIES 1941 – 45” by Massimiliano Afiero, Illustrated by Ramiro Bujeiro.
OSPREY PUBLISHING/Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2024, 48 pages, softcover, 7 ¼” x 9 ¾”, the
uniforms, equipment, history and organization of the world’s military forces, past and present;
$20. Visit, www. Ospreypublishing.com.
Reviewed and highly Recommended by Don DeNevi
The photos in each are mesmerizing, NAY, riveting because the Osprey editors and page
designers are savvy in photo selections because they clearly understand readers trully do want
to be in the thick of battles, elbow to elbow with the Allies and the enemy – not to fight
alongside the certain-to-be-defeated German-Italian troopers and their cohorts about to die,
but to know and understand them and their missions. Writes author James Slaughter,
“Destined to become known as the German Army’s elite ‘fire brigade’ during 1939-45, the
‘Grossdeutschland’ Division began its life as a prestigious guard detachment based in Berlin.
After conversion into a combat infantry regiment in 1939, it saw action in France, Yugoslavia,
and the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. Reinforced to divisional strength, ‘Grossdeutschland’
fought on the Eastern Front, notably at Rzhev in late 1942 and Kharkov in early 1943.” Refitted
and redesignated a Panzergrenadier Division, Grossdeutschland played a key role in the Battle
of Kursk, before acting as the Wehrmacht’s ‘fire brigade’ in 1943-44. In late 1944,
Grossdeutschland was expanded to the vaulted Panzerkorps status. Further units joined the
order of battle, i.e., the Fuhrerbegleit-Brigade fighting in the Ardennes in 1944-45 before also
being redesignated a division. Depicting uniforms, insignia and personal equipment, this
sterling study charts the evolving appearance of this elite formation over nearly six years of
vicious warfare.
Meanwhile, in “Panzer III vs T-34 – – Eastern Front 1941”, author Peter Samsonov, an
experienced Russian Canadian military historian, welcomes you to enjoy his treatise, writing,
“When Axis forces invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, both Germany’s PzKpfw III and
the Soviet T-34 were intended to be the primary medium tanks of their respective armies, but
neither was available in quite the numbers envisaged. While the T-34 rapidly established a
fearsome reputation only sometimes borne out by its actual performance, the PzKpfw III was
smaller, lighter and not as well armed as its Soviet opponent but benefited from the support of
a more seasoned and better structured army. In Peter’s book, full-color artwork, archive
photographs and authoritative text drawing upon Russian and German-language sources
combine to reveal how the Germans harnessed the advantages of combat experience and
superior organization to counter the T-34’s tactical strengths. Tank buffs will appreciate how
the PzKpfw III lost relevance when it could not carry a canon powerful enough to destroy the T-
34 at range. An excellent formal, systematic, methodical account and comparison of each.
“Germany’s French Allies 1941-45” is the true eye-opener of the trio. This reviewer et-buff
never knew French volunteers joined the Wehrmacht and SS in their “crusade” against
Bolshevism! Author Massimiliano Afiero gives us, especially me, a real stunner: the first English-
language account of the structure, campaigns and uniforms of Germany’s allied French force via
rare photos and new color plates. Afiero not only examines the German Army’s Legion of
French Volunteers, but also introduces us to the lesser-known French groups, i.e., the Tricolor
Legion; the African Phalanx of Tunisia; and the French regiment, brigade and division of the
Waffen-SS, whose murderous talents ended in the final battles for Berlin.
