THE DEFENSE OF MOSCOW 1941: The Northern Flank

by Jack Radey

Other authorsCharles Sharp

Hardcover, 2012

Status

Available

Call number

D764.M6 R33

Genres

History

Nonfiction

Publication

Pen and Sword (2012), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 320 pages

Description

The little-known story of the Battle of Kalinin on the eastern front, and how it shaped the course of WWII--based on archival records from both sides. There was only one point in the Second World War when Nazi Germany had a chance of winning. That point was October 1941, when most of the Red Army's forces before Moscow had been smashed or encircled, and no reserves were available to defend the capital. All that stood in Hitler's way were a handful of Soviet rifle divisions, tank brigades, and hastily assembled militia. According to German accounts, their spearheads were stopped by the mud--but a close examination of German records shows this was not so. Instead, it is clear that it was the resistance of the Red Army, and bad, arrogant planning, that halted the Wehrmacht. This is the dramatic story that Jack Radey and Charles Sharp tell in this compelling study of a previously unknown part of the Battle of Moscow. Using archival records from both sides, they reveal how the Soviets inflicted a stunning defeat on a German plan to encircle six Soviet armies in the middle of October 1941.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member EricCostello

Exhaustive, detailed and opinionated analysis of the Battle of Kalinin, part of the overall Battle of Moscow fought in the fall of 1941. The analysis goes down to divisional level and beyond, and analyses why the Germans lost, and the Russians won. The authors take the position, a defensible one,

in that while the road conditions (oft cited as the reason) were a factor, it was unrealistic planning on the part of the Germans, and a slightly better grasp of realities on the ground by the Russians, as well as stubborn defense by the frontoviki, the made the difference. This is not a generalists' book, like, say, the Osprey series. This is a fairly advanced book, and should be treated as such. The level of snark in spots was a bit off-putting. There were a good number of maps, which did help with the analysis and comprehension, though some smaller-scale maps would have helped, too.

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LibraryThing member Shrike58

This book is rather narrower than the title suggests in that it's very focused on the battle at Kalinin between the German XXXXI Motorized Corps and its Soviet opposition. However, this monograph is very much part of the new operational military history that is unwilling to give the Wehrmacht a

pass for its own blind sports of gross arrogance and incompetent logistics, while at the same time respecting the Soviets for their drive and doggedness; even when Soviet command and control arrangements left a lot to be desired.

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