General Erhard Raus was one of the German Army's finest panzer generals and a leading exponent of blitzkrieg in the east. German panzers were witnesses to the incredible onslaught that was the first few months of Barbarossa, then the gradual strengthening of Russian resistance, counterattack and, ultimately, the long and drawn-out German retreat. Raus and his panzers were tested in every conceivable tactical situation and, inevitably, Raus became highly versed in all aspects of mobilised warfare. This account by Erhard Raus, edited by leading Eastern Front expert Peter G. Tsouras, concentrates on German efforts to relieve Stalingrad. Raus, as commander of 6th Panzer Division, was in the thick of this bitter action, urging his panzers forward in a massive effort to break the Soviet strangle-hold. These journals were originally written to brief the US Army at the height of the Cold War. AUTHOR: Peter G.Tsouras was a senior analyst at the US Army National Ground Intelligence Center. His other books include The Great Patriotic War, Gettysburg and (as editor) Fighting in Hell and Anvil of War. SELLING POINTS: ? Written soon after World War II. ? Details the tactics of the Germans and their Soviet opponents. ? Tells the secrets of panzer tactics. ILLUSTRATIONS: 16pp photos *
