Artillery (WW 2) - Germany: Illustrated History Books & Guides (2/2)

German Artillery in World War II, 1939-1945

Never before in German military history did the German Artillery possess such variety and magnitude as in the World War II era. From North Cape to Tobruk, Biscay to Lapland, Den Helder to the Caucasus, there were more than 1000 light and about 340 heavy artillery units, as well as the light and heavy field howitzer units, assault gun units, brigades and batteries, observation units, railroad batteries, mountain artillery units, light gun units and launcher regiments.

The German Artillery included 655,000 men in 1943, or 22 percent of all the soldiers who went into action. Thirty-nine German gun types and forty captured gun types from ten different European countries were utilized by these units.

The German Artillery took on special significance in the spring of 1943 when the fighting strength of the exhausted infantry began to decrease and armored vehicles became less and less effective in their battle against overwhelming Soviet power. During this period, the Artillery again and again provided the backbone of the German resistance and defense.

This volume of photographs presents a look into the operations, action and everyday life of the German artillery - a frequently over-looked aspect of Wehrmacht history.

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German Heavy Artillery Guns 1933-1945 (Fact File)

Covers large calibre artillery guns beyond a diameter of 75 mm, used by the Germans during the Second World War. Whilst artillery was perhaps no longer the dominant force it had been in the trench warfare of the Great War, it was nevertheless essential, both in air defence and against tanks.

This volume of the Fact File series presents the most important of the largest German artillery and air defence weapons, as well as railway guns and launchers. A meticulously researched and superbly illustrated book, which provides a compact and competent overview.

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Hitler's Artillery 1939-1945 - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

A highly illustrated record of the firepower of the German war machine between 1939 - 1945. Many of the photographs, all from the author's collection, come originally from the albums of individuals who took part in the war.

The images and text cover the guns in service with the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS and provide a unique visual record of artillery pieces. These include the 7.5cm 1.IG18, the 10.5cm infantry gun, the powerful 15cm field howitzer, heavy 18cm and 21cm mortars and others including captured French, British and Russian guns.
These and other weapons are seen in action in Poland, the Low Countries, France, Balkans, North Africa, Italy and, of course, Russia.

Initially a key part of the Blitzkrieg offensive concept, the emphasis became defensive as the tide turned against the Germans. Using over 250 rare and unpublished photographs together with detailed captions and accompanying text, this book provides a unique insight into German weaponry from early Blitzkrieg campaigns to the final demise of the Nazi empire.

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