German Army 1939–45 (4)
In early 1943 the annihilation of the 6th Army at Stalingrad marked the irreversible turning-point of the war in the East.
Despite occasional local successes gained in the face of great odds – testimony to the Wehrmacht's extraordinary resilience – from now on Germany was on the defensive. Despite Hitler's damaging interference the quality of German field leadership, and of new weapons, remained high; but each new Soviet offensive pushed the front line closer to – and finally, across – the borders of the Reich.
In this fourth title of their sequence, Nigel Thomas and Stephen Andrew describe and illustrate the developments in unit organization, uniforms and equipment during 1943–45, including information on European and Eastern volunteer units; text and illustrations are supported by detailed tables.
Nigel Thomas, PhD, is an accomplished linguist and military historian, formerly at Northumbria University, now a freelance military author, translator and military uniform consultant. His interests are 20th-century military and civil uniformed organizations, with a special interest in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe.
Stephen Andrew has, in the last few years, established himself as one of the best illustrators of military subjects working today. Stephen is entirely self-taught, and worked as a junior in advertising and design agencies before becoming a freelance illustrator in 1993. Military history is his passion, and since 1997 he has illustrated Osprey titles including MAA 306 Chinese Civil War Armies 1911-49, and this five-part sequence on the World War II German Army.