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From Moscow to Stalingrad - Casemate Illustrated


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From Moscow to Stalingrad

The Eastern Front, 1941 - 1942

Casemate Publications

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Written by Yves Buffetaut and published by Casemate themselves, in their illustrated series, this book looks at the crucial period after the Red Army's success at Moscow when Germany was preparing for all-out attack across the entire Russian front, which was to end with disaster at Stalingrad.

The path from Moscow to Stalingrad was littered with successes and losses for both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, with tensions remaining high and culminating in one of the harshest battles of the Second World War. Part of the Casemate Illustrated series, this volume outlines how it was that, less than a year after their defeat at Moscow, the German army had found a way to make the Soviet troops waver in their defence, with their persistence eventually leading to the Battle of Stalingrad.

 

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The successful expulsion of the German troops from Moscow in the winter of 1941 came at a cost for the Red Army. Weaknesses in the Soviet camp inspired the Wehrmacht, under Adolf Hitler's close supervision, to make preparations for offensives along the Eastern Front to push the Russians further and further back into their territory. With a complex set of new tactics and the crucial aid of the Luftwaffe, the German army began to formulate a deadly two-pronged attack on Stalingrad to reduce the city to rubble.

 

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Initially only on the periphery of operations, bit by bit German ambitions focused on Stalingrad. In the lead up to this, Timoshenko's failed attack on Kharkov followed by the Battle of Sebastopol in June 1942 prompted Operation Blue, the German campaign to advance east on their prized objective. The book contains numerous photographs of the ships, planes, tanks, trucks, and weaponry used by both sides in battle, alongside detailed maps and text outlining the constantly changing strategies of the armies as events unfolded. What is great to see, in a modelling point of view is the sheer number of types of vehicles used on the Eastern front. Some of the vehicles I hadn’t realised were even available at this point in the war, so has proved educational for this reviewer.

 

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Conclusion

Casemate should be praised for publishing this series of books, as although they may not be of an immediate interest to the modeller, when you take a closer look at the photographs there are a host of ideas that could be used in some interesting dioramas or vignettes. There are also the modifications and markings that could make for some unusual and different builds. 

 

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Review sample courtesy of

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