Panzer Commanders of the Western Front: German Tank Generals in World War II

by Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.

Overview

• Detailed biographies of 5 panzer commanders • Describes what it's like to lead tank units in battle • Includes D-Day, Normandy, the campaign for France, the Battle of the Bulge, and the final battles in Germany Generals like Heinz Guderian have received most of the credit for devising and executing the German blitzkrieg, but without the lower-ranked commanders who led panzer corps, divisions, and regiments, the blitzkrieg that swept through France in 1940 could not have worked. Nor could the Germans have lasted as long as they did against the Allied invasion in Northwest Europe in 1944-45. In this book, based on original research, Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. profiles five of these panzer generals, chronicling their military careers and focusing on their leadership against the Americans and British in the West.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811735070
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	06/13/2008
Series:	Stackpole Military History Series
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr., is the author of more than twenty books on World War II. He lives in Louisiana.

Table of Contents

List of Maps     vii
Introduction     ix
Baron Hans von Funck     1
Baron Harald von Elverfeldt     59
Erwin Jollasse     81
Baron Heinrich von Luettwitz     113
Fritz Bayerlein     153
Table of Comparative Ranks     195
German Staff Positions in World War II     197
Characteristics of Selected World War II Tanks     199
Notes     201
Bibliography     241
Index     243