Operation Blau: 6. Armees Summer Offensive June-August 1942
William Fowler & Ramiro Bujeiro
Germany unleashed its massive invasion of Russia in 1941,
conquering swathes of enemy territory. However, as the first winter
snows fell, the Wehrmacht realized it had perhaps bitten off more
than it could chew. However, as summer rolled around in 1942, the
German Army in southern Russia sought to reach the Volga River,
capture a city called Stalingrad and occupy the Caucasus to cut off
oil supplies. This offensive was codenamed ‘Operation Blau’ and
author William Fowler has done a superb job of collacting photos
relating to this summer campaign.
The volume begins with a description of the Eastern Front strategic
context and the objectives of Operation Blau. A primary combat unit
employed was the 6th Army commanded by General Frederick von
Paulus. This formation contained 20 divisions: 250,000 soldiers,
500 tanks and 7,000 artillery pieces/mortars. The author also
provides a useful order of battle. Despite facing strong
resistance, by late July 1942 the 6th Army was poised near
Stalingrad and confident of victory. Of course, history tells us
the rest, but that’s beyond the scope of this volume. This book,
through the extensive collection of photos, traces the exploits of
soldiers as they put Operation Blau into effect. The black and
white pictures show all manner of equipment and weapons, with even
some Russian equipment thrown in for good effect.
In the center of the book is the expected set of four color plates.
The artwork has been prepared by Ramiro Bujeiro, a new contributor
to the series, and they show three infantrymen plus a Luftwaffe
artilleryman in various uniform combinations. This well-illustrated
book offers an insight into an important phase of WWII.
Format 21 x 28 cm, Paperback, 52 Seiten, 136 s/w-Fotos, 4
Farbtafeln, englischer Text, Best.-Nr. Con6531