Helion & Company Red Wind Over The Balkans - The Soviet Offensive South of the Danube Sept-Oct 1944 - Helion & Company via Casemate UK

[Julien]

Red Wind Over The Balkans

The Soviet Offensive South of the Danube Sept-Oct 1944

ISBN : 9781910777800

Helion & Company via Casemate UK

 

 

There is a feeling that the whole Balkan Campaign is slightly overshadowed in the west as it began fairly badly for us and was left out of the limelight of the Italian and Normandy campaigns, and even the battle for Germany. The book looks at two major Soviet offensives conducted during September and October of 1944. The first of these was the occupation of Bulgaria following the Soviet declaration of war with Bulgaria on 4th September 1944. The Invasion began on the 8th. Due to the Bulgarian Army overthrowing the government and joining the Allies this operation was a fairly simple and bloodless one. 

 

 

The second operation which was linked to the first one was the Belgrade offensive.  This operation was to liberate Belgrade and try and encircle the German Forces in the Southern Balkans. The book describes the heavy battles in this operation which caused the German forces to withdraw from not only this area but Greece and Albania as well.

 

 

The book is slightly smaller than A4 (245 x 170mm) and an impressive 694 pages long. There are over 400 B&W photos, 197 tables, 16 pages of colour vehicle profiles; and 24 colour maps. The author has gone to great lengths to obtain original documents from The Russian and Bulgarian archives. As well as the details of the battles attention is paid to units involved, their markings, unit insignia and even camouflage used.

 

 

Conclusion

As well as complete details for the operations and their battles attention is paid to units involved, equipment, their markings, unit insignia and even camouflage used. This is a truly detailed study of these operations for which the author should be commended.  Highly recommended.

 

 

 

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