Book Description
Publication Date: July 16, 2010
Exciting stories of the infantrymen who supported Germany's tanks
How tanks and infantry cooperated at the small-unit level
First time in English
The panzergrenadiers were the footsoldiers who went into battle alongside the Third Reich's feared tanks. Whether in the Wehrmacht or Waffen-SS, these troops endured all the horrors of infantry combat--fighting hand-to-hand, storming enemy positions, and rescuing fallen comrades--but they did so in the shadow of thundering giants like the Tiger and Panther. Kurowski tells the stories of some of the very best of these mechanized infantrymen, bringing them and their actions to life.
Bought this book from Amazon for USD15.00. Below is a review from Sci-fi and history reader (NJ, USA) that sums up what I feel about the book.
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This book is similar, but shorter than the others previously published by the author. The stories of eleven German Knight's Cross awardees is presented. Each chapter starts with a first hand account of a battle, then a brief summary of the soldier's background, and then into accounts of their experiences in combat.
Each chapter is very short, from 16 to 27 pages, providing a quick glimpse into each soldier's experience. Not as detailed in Infantry Aces I and II or Panzer Aces I and II.
The introduction is interesting to read on the formation of the Panzer Grenadiers along with their expected lifespan in combat. For a platoon leader, it was seven days. There are also many interesting photos of the different vehicles and weapons used by there German Army in World War Two.
Appendix B provides a listing of the unit formations that formed each significant Panzer Grenadier formation. This is very helpful for those who play miniature wargames and want to re-create accurate scenarios or campaigns.
What is interesting about each of their experiences is how they were successful in battle when combined arms were used. Tanks with mechanized infantry, supported by artillery and engineers in their "fighting groups", gave them the combat power and flexibility to defeat more numerous Russians, who initially had better armored and larger caliber guns on their tanks (T-34 and KV-1). When combined arms were lacking, operations were much less successful.
What the book lacks is explaining how each unit performed their refit and training back into a combat effective formation. The book does describe how depleted and devastated formations were pulled form Russia and sent to France and Italy to reconstitute and refit prior to being sent back into Russia. Learning how the Germans (the officers and sergeants) performed their unit training (if training maneuvers of regimental size were performed) would help explain how their staffs and units gained proficiency and cohesiveness to endure the high attrition rates.
Did find Chapter 10 very interesting on how an anti-tank gunner managed to survive so many engagements and wounds. Details of how he endured multiple wounds while the rest of his crew fell under the deadly tank and machine gun fire is truly remarkable. Somehow, this soldier was able to engage and destroy multiple tanks and anti-tank guns in those engagements.
One interesting note from the different chapters is that weapons malfunctions and jams are described and recollected. Things went wrong in combat, from broken extractor pins to misfires.
Another point of interest was how the German light machine gun was the prime weapon that allowed them to drive to ground the attacking Russian infantry. Once the trailing infantry screen was eliminated, the Grenadiers were able to close assault Russian tanks with mines and satchel charges.
Overall, this is another solid book. However, am not sure if the cost versus the brief chapters is worth the purchase for most readers. Many might be satisfied to simply borrow from a library instead.
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