World War II CollectionCD-2
Russia, North Africa & Italy

CD contains all the manuals & books listed below in pdf form :

Historical Study: Airborne Operations - A German Appraisal by Hellmuth Reinhardt, Generalmajor, Wehrmacht - 61 pgs.

This study was written for the Historical Division, EUCOM, by a committee of former German officers. It follows an outline prepared by the Office of the Chief of Military History, Special Staff, United States Army, which is given below:

• A review of German airborne experience in World War II.
• An appraisal of German successes and failures.
• Reasons for the apparent abandonment of large-scale German airborne operations after the Crete operation.
• German experience in opposing Allied and Russian airborne operations.
• An appraisal of the effectiveness of these operations.
• The probable future of airborne operations.

The Mediterranean Theater of Operations: Cassino To The Alps by Ernest F. Fisher, Jr. - 625 pgs.

This volume continues the story of the Italian campaign with the Allied spring offensive in May 1944 which carried two Allied armies-the U.S. Fifth and the British Eighth-to Rome by 4 June and to the final German capitulation in May 1945. Represented in these armies were Americans, Belgians, Brazilians, British, Canadians, Cypriots, French (including mountain troops from Algeria and Morocco), Palestinian Jews, East Indians, Italians, Nepalese, New Zealanders, Poles, South Africans, Syro-Lebanese, and Yugoslavians. The Fifth Army also included the U.S. Army's only specialized mountain division, one of its two segregated all-black divisions, and a regimental combat team composed solely of Americans of Japanese descent.

Historical Study: Combat In Russian Forests and Swamps - 47 pgs.

Prepared for the Historical Division, EUCOM, by a committee of former German generals and general staff officers, deals with the principles of combat in the vast woodlands and swamps of European Russia. The main author and all other contributors have drawn upon their own extensive experiences on the Eastern Front and that of their allies, especially the Finns, to present actual lessons learned from the events of the war.

Historical Study: Effects Of Climate On Combat In European Russia - 89 pgs.

The purpose of this study is to describe the climatic conditions encountered by the German armed forces during four years of struggle in European Russia. To this end the climate of the various regions is described together with its effects on men and equipment, combat and supply. Parts Two, Three, and Four are concerned with European Russia south of the Arctic Circle: Part Five treats of European Russia north of the Arctic Circle. The study emphasizes the lessons learned and improvisations employed to surmount difficult situations.

From The Volturno To The Winter Line - 6 October - 15 November 1943 - 136 pgs.

From the Volturno to the Winter Line (6 October-15 November 1943) is one of a series of fourteen studies of World War II operations originally published by the War Department's Historical Division and now returned to print as part of the Army's commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of that momentous clash of arms. These volumes, prepared by professional historians shortly after the events described, provide a concise summary of some of the major campaigns and battles fought by American soldiers. The skillful combination of combat interviews with primary sources, many of which are now lost, gives these unassuming narratives a special importance to military historians. The careful analysis of key operations provides numerous lessons for today's military students. From the Volturno to the Winter Line is a sequel to Salerno: American Operations from the Beaches to the Volturno . After Fifth Army, commanded by Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, had established the Salerno beachhead and captured Naples, it pushed the Germans northward across the Volturno River and into the mountain defenses of the Winter Line. The actions of the American VI Corps, which served as right flank of Fifth Army during the six weeks of this advance, are here narrated in detail. Closely related actions of the British 10 Corps, Fifth Army's left flank, and of the British Eighth Army, operating on the Adriatic coast, are summarized briefly.

Historical Study: German Antiguerrilla Operations In The Balkans (1941-1944) - 95 pgs.

The purpose of this study is to describe briefly the German campaign against the guerrillas in the Balkans during the period of the European Axis occupation, from the end of hostilities against Greece and Yugoslavia in April 1941 to the capture of Belgrade by the Soviet forces and the Partisans in October 1944. The activities of Germany's Italian, Bulgarian, Croatian, and other allies, as well as the British, Soviet, and United States forces in the area, are treated only to the extent that they affected German operations.

Historical Study: German Defense Tactics Against Russian Breakthroughs - 94 pgs.

This pamphlet was prepared for the Historical Division, EUCOM, by a committee of former German generals and general staff officers (the names of the contributors were not indicated in the pamphlet). The principal author, who by the end of the war had attained the rank of general, served on the Eastern Front throughout the Russian campaign and the subsequent retreat into the plains of northern Germany. He was successively commander of an infantry brigade, a panzer division (Nov. 1941 to Feb. 1943), and two different corps in the battles for Kharkov and Belgorod. Appointed commander of a panzer army on 1 Dec. 1943, he participated in the withdrawal across southern Russia until the Germans reached the Carpathians. In Aug. 1944 he was transferred to Army Group Center, and his last assignment was with Army Group Weichsel. During this final phase of his military career, he played an important part in the retreat from Lithuania, East Prussia, and Pomerania.

Historical Study: German Tank Maintenance In World War II - 50 pgs.

This work will be of interest to persons who want to compare the United States and German systems of tank maintenance. The material for this pamphlet was prepared for the Historical Division, EUCOM, by a group of former German generals, general staff officers, and tank maintenance specialists. The principal author, General Burkhart H. Mueller-Hillebrand, served as aide to the Chief of the Army General Staff before assuming command of an armored regiment on the Russian front. Successively appointed chief of staff of a panzer corps and a panzer army, he saw action in the Ukraine, Poland, and East Prussia.

Historical Study: Military Improvisation During The Russian Campaign - 115 pgs.

This review looks at military problem solving, in this case, the German Army in Russia during World War II. There is not much written about military problem solving. Most of that information would be found under the topic heading of "the military staff planning processes." Most military organizations would like people to believe that they plan in great detail and use structured creative problem solving techniques to devise these plans. This is usually true. This paper compares this concept with what really happens in war. In war, improvisation, or spur of the moment solutions are used to solve an immediate problem, problems that were not foreseen by higher headquarters and the staff planning process. There are lessons to be learned from this subject for creative problem solvers. The military does have creativity at the staff level to come up with original ideas to complex problems. Military organizations are very large and the synchronization of effort requires some standardized steps to problem solving. The result of not using these procedures is wasteful. When the normal planning and problem solving methods fail, improvisation frequently occurs. The German military's attitude towards improvisation was that it was a lesser form of creative thought. The pamphlet then goes on to describe various improvisations. Many of these improvisations were very successful. The paper discusses why these attitudes existed and what, if any, lessons they hold for creative problem solving.

Army Historical Series: Moscow To Stalingrad-Decision In The East by Earl F. Ziemke and Magna E. Bauer - 571 pgs.

Professor Earl F. Ziemke's Moscow to Stalingrad: Decision in the East is the second of a planned three volume set of the US Army's historical series of the Russo-German War. The first three chapters of this volume take us up quickly to the failure of the Wehrmacht's Operation Taifun before Moscow. The German Army was the most combat experienced and militarily efficient force in 1941. It consisted of masses of good light infantry but only a thin layer of panzer and motorized troops for long distance movement. The Luftwaffe too was designed and equipped to support short swift wars of annihilation. The Soviets, on the other hand, hadn't fought competent enemies at all before 1941 except for the Finns and had subdued them only with difficulty. Ziemke's story actually starts with Chapter 4, where he describes the Soviet Counteroffensive in detail and the German response to it. All in all this is a good operational history of this period of the war put together overwhelmingly from primary sources. Here one can read of the build up for Manstein's operations in the Crimea, including the deployment of 'Dora', the most powerful artillery piece in history. In addition the book provides good history of Soviet Operation Star, the battles along the Finnish border and the combat involving Army Group North (including the capture of Soviet General Vlasov) as well as the German build-up for the Stalingrad campaign. The author uses the official unit war diaries whenever possible for the Germans, but must rely on pre-1991 Soviet official histories for the Russians. Due to the sources, the emphasis is more weighted to the German side, but the author doesn't ignore Soviet development as he describes the evolution of the reeling Soviets of 1941-42 into the unsure practitioners of the vast mobile operations, which nearly destroyed Hitler's southern flank in 1942-43.

The Mediterranean Theater of Operations: Northwest Africa-Seizing The Initiative In The West by George F. Howe - 783 pgs.

The invasion of Africa stretched American resources to the limit. Simultaneously the country was trying to maintain a line of communications to Australia, to conduct a campaign at Guadalcanal, to support China in the war against Japan, to arm and supply Russia's hard pressed armies on the Eastern Front, to overcome the U-boat menace in the Atlantic, to fulfil lend-lease commitments, and to accumulate the means to penetrate the heart of the German and Japanese homelands. The Anglo-American allies could carry out the occupation of Northwest Africa only by making sacrifices all along the line.

Historical Study: Operations of Encircled Forces - 73 pgs.

In addition to discussing the tactical and logistical problems peculiar to operations of encircled forces, the authors take issue with Hitler's conviction that significant advantages can be gained by leaving isolated forces behind the advancing enemy lines. It was this notion, expressed in numerous specific orders, that made the desperate stand of encircled German troops a frequent occurrence during the Russian campaign. The problems of air support for encircled ground troops are described in a separate appendix which deals with tactical air support, air reconnaissance, supply by air, and the employment of antiaircraft units. Based on the experiences of the German Air Force in Russia and presented by a former Luftwaffe officer, the views expressed are necessarily colored by the organizational peculiarities of the Luftwaffe and its relations to the German Army.

Historical Study: Rear Area Security In Russia - 46 pgs.

This study on the problems of rear area security is based on German experiences during the Russian campaign. Particularly striking examples have been selected which show most clearly the type of disturbances created by the Russians, the German countermeasures taken against them, and the lessons learned from experience. The same, similar, or different circumstances were encountered in other theaters of war. Accordingly, a variety of security measures became necessary and many new experiences were gathered. Yet, the fundamental questions remain the same everywhere. Seen from the Russian point of view the problem might be stated as follows: "By what means or methods can I most effectively cut the lifeline of the enemy's fighting forces, either for a short time, or, if possible, for an extended period; where can I disrupt the line in such a manner that the effect will be felt at the front?" The answer is a definite combat method which has the typical characteristics of a blockade. It can be executed with relatively small forces and limited means; by allowing for the mobilization of the populace it represents a morale factor as well as an increase in fighting strength, while offering further advantages through the use of sabotage and espionage behind the enemy lines.

Salerno: American Operations From the Beaches to the Volturno-9 September - 6 October 1943 - 107 pgs.

Under the command of Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, the Fifth Army, a great Allied force composed of the British 10 Corps and the United States VI Corps, carried out the first large scale invasion of the European mainland and secured a firm base for future operations in Italy. Salerno: The American Operations from the Beaches to the Volturno is an account of the American forces who landed on the beaches in the Gulf of Salerno. The actions of our British allies have been duly recorded by their command. This study is the third of a series called AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION, designed exclusively for military personnel and primarily for wounded soldiers in hospitals to tell them the military story of the campaigns and battles in which they served.

The Mediterranean Theater of Operations: Sicily And The Surrender Of Italy by Lt. Col. Albert N. Garland & Howard McGraw Smyth - 632 pgs.

This volume describes the events surrounding the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and the subsequent surrender of the Italian government. The book is divided into three sections. The first part sets the strategic stage by describing the debate between American and British strategists over the course of Allied operations in the Mediterranean theater during 1943. In recounting how the Allies came to agree upon the invasion of Sicily at the Casablanca Conference, the authors illustrate the difficulties of crafting grand strategy in coalition warfare. Additional aspects of the decision to invade Sicily and the interplay of Mediterranean operations with the proposed cross-Channel invasion of France.

Stalingrad To Berlin: The German Defeat In The East by Earl F. Ziemke - 559 pgs.

This major study of the Soviet-German Conflict in World War II has enjoyed an outstanding reputation among those interested in Military history and in such areas as the development of Soviet command skills and the exigencies of total land war across a huge front. This edition is full of maps and original photographs.

Historical Study: Terrain Factors In The Russian Campaign - 66 pgs.

This study describes only the salient geographic features of areas in European Russia actually entered by German troops during World War II, the terrain problems encountered, and German methods of dealing with those problems. The effect of climate upon terrain is dealt with here only in general terms. Arctic warfare is excluded.

The German Campaign In Russia: Planning and Operations (1940-1942) - 186 pgs.

This American Department of the Army publication is important to any study of the German campaign in Russia because it is one of the German Report Series which was issued after the Second World War, written by the German officers who had the most knowledge of the campaign. The publication looks above all at the planning for Operation Barbarossa in detail. The first discussions of July 1940, when Hitler ordered the German General Staff to prepare plans for the operation was followed by the genesis of a number of ideas for its completion. The Marcks plan is discussed, together with other's suggestions. The Operations Order of February 1941 was followed by a number of changes. This led to the movement of the necessary troops to the east, and the strategic concentration of air and land elements prior to the attack. All of this is described in detail in the book. Operations are then shown in detail, with supporting maps, and the treatment is chronological. The halt before Moscow, and the indecision of 1942 is shown to have been the basis for the subsequent failure of the war against Russia. The effects of the Russian winter counter attack in 1942, the German summer offensive, the stagnation period in the Autumn of 1942 and the lead up to the Stalingrad operation are all described in detail. The book is illustrated with a number of charts and 17 situation and planning maps. This publication is fundamental to a study of Operation Barbarossa partly because it sets the scene so well, and also because the failings of 1941 and 1942 are shown to be building into a cumulative disaster from which the German Army was unable to recover.

The Sicilian Campaign: 10 July - 17 August 1943 - 171 pgs.

At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, the Allied leaders determined that, after they had gained all of North Africa, the next operation would be in the Mediterranean. The aim was to force Italy out of the war. As the first step, on July 10, 1943, American and British armies landed in Sicily. On the left flank of the British were 1st Canadian Infantry Division and 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade. Flotillas of RNC landing craft supported the troops. Three Canadian bomber squadrons operated temporarily from bases in Tunisia to support the ground troops in Sicily and later in Italy. No. 417 Squadron, RCAF, flew its Spitfire fighter aircraft from the first to last of the Italian campaign.

The Allied armies occupied all of Sicily in a month.

The European Theater of Operations: The Siegfried Line Campaign by Charles B. MacDonald - 712 pgs.

The Siegfried Line Campaign is primarily a history of tactical operations in northwestern Europe from early September to mid-December 1944. It covers in detail the campaigns of the U.S. First and Ninth Armies and the First Allied Airborne Army and in sketchy outline the concurrent operations of the Second British and First Canadian Armies. Organized into chapters at the corps level, the story is told primarily at division level with numerous descents to regiment and battalion and even at times to lower units. Logistics and high-level planning (for example, the controversy over single thrust versus broad front strategy) are treated where they affected the campaign. Discussion of staff operations at army or corps level is limited to the development of tactical plans and operations.

Fifth Army at the Winter Line (15 November 1943-15 January 1944) - 126 pgs.

THE WINTER LINE operations, lasting from 15 November 1943 to 15 January 1944, continued the Allied campaign to drive the Germans out of southern Italy. The underlying plan was to keep pressure on the enemy and, if possible, to break through toward Rome. Both the terrain and the season reduced the chances for effecting a breakthrough. By maintaining pressure, however, the Allies would prevent the Germans from, resting and refitting the tired and depleted divisions which they might hold as a mobile reserve for the close defense of Rome in the event of a new Allied landing on the west coast or for use in a possible counteroffensive in the opening months of 1944. Then too, the fighting in Italy had its effects on the over-all military situation in Europe. As long as the Germans were actively engaged on the Italian front, they would be forced to feed in men and supplies which would otherwise be available for the war in Russia or for strengthening their Atlantic Wall against an expected Allied invasion in 1944. Continuation of the Italian campaign was not in question; the problem was how best to carry it on.

To Bizerte With The II Corps 23 April-13 May 1943 - 107 pgs.

A DELEGATION OF GERMAN OFFICERS arrived at American Headquarters south of Ferryville at 0926 on the morning of 9 May 1943. Their mission was to surrender the remnants of a once proud unit of the Wehrmacht, the formidable Fifth Panzer Army. On the same morning, two German staff officers reported at the Command Post of the 1st Armored Division southeast of Bizerte to request an armistice. Three days later, General Jürgen von Arnim was captured at Ste. Marie du Zit. Marshal Giovanni Messe, commanding the Italian First Army, surrendered unconditionally to the British Eighth Army on 13 May. The long battle for North Africa was ended. These events were the culmination of grand strategy but were made possible only by the heroic struggle of Allied soldiers across the coastal areas of North Africa, through deserts, mountains, and swamps. Troops of the II Corps, U. S. A., who had entered the fight for Africa with the invasion on 8 November 1942, played a prominent role in the decisive final battle which opened on 23 April.

Tobruk And El Alamein by Barton Maughan - 919 pgs.

Three major battles occurred around El Alamein between July and November 1942, and were the turning point of the war in North Africa. The Australian 9th Division, led by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, played a key role in two of these battles, enhancing its reputation earned defending Tobruk during 1941. The struggle for North Africa saw the pendulum swing sharply in favor of the Axis from January 1942. The Axis forces comprised German and Italian troops and were known as Panzerarmee Afrika , led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, "The Desert Fox". Opposing him was the British Eighth Army commanded by General Claude Auchinleck. This army comprised British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, and Indian troops. By the end of June, Rommel had forced the Allies back deep into Egypt, and the capture of Cairo and the Suez Canal seemed a very real possibility.

Historical Study: Warfare In The Far North - 30 pgs.

This report covers the German war and campaign that transpired in Finland and Russia. Finnish and Russian combat methods, organization, and equipment are compared to those of the German Army. The descriptions of Finnish climate and terrain involve comparisons with that of Germany.