Helion and Company

Panzer Lehr Division 1944-45 WWII German Military Studies # 1

edited by   Fred Steinhardt

Reviewed By  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $59.95 ISBN: 978-187462228-4 Distributed in the US by Casemate Publishing: www.casematepublishing.com Helion & Company: www.helion.co.uk Hardcover 6" x 9" with 304 pages, 25 photos, 85 maps and tables, diagrams and maps. Created in January 1944, the 130th Panzer Lehr Division was considered one of the most élite German armored units. Lehr translates to "teaching" or "demonstration" and was led by a cadre of armor staff who were instructors or combat veterans who would whip new recruits into a deadly division. Assigned to Normandy, it was supposed to charge into the expected Allied invasion of France, destroy the beachhead and push the Allies back into the sea. Instead, Panzer Lehr suffered horrendous losses attributed primarily to Allied 'Jabo' and carpet bombing air attacks. Travel from the rear to the coast took excruciatingly longer than Germany's OKW had imagined. Tanks were not only destroyed in transit during the day but even the night became impassable. Tanks were destroyed before ever firing a shot offensively. Worse, conflicting orders had Lehr fighting a battle in Bayeux, then transferred under air attack to fight the British in battles of attrition near Caen as if it was still "a fresh, new division", then faced the U.S. at St. Lo with no reserves, where it would be whittled down to a kampfgruppe, a mere shadow of the once mighty Panzer Lehr Division. Its remnants were pulled out just ahead of the slaughter at Fallaise to be refitted, rebuilt and retrained. Hitler had high hopes for his Armored Division led by proven leaders but he had already lost touch with the reality that the Division had been virtually annihilated and only now existed in name only. Henceforth it would be short of equipment, personnel and the best leaders. The book is presented as a compilation of reports, post-war interviews and historical background. Some reports are in Q/A format. Where else will you read the Commanding General state this about St. Lo bombing that preceded the launch of Operation Cobra? Q: What did you lose in men and tanks? A. One hundred percent casualties in the front line. Q. How many men did you have there? A. Two-thirds of the whole force. Thirty-five tanks and 15 tank destroyers were destroyed. The whole place looked like a moonscape… The survivors were like madmen and could not be used for anything. …I tried to reestablish the old line. The next day, they too were destroyed. I don't believe hell could be as bad as what we experienced. This first volume in the new Helion series WWII German Military Studies, available from Casemate, is a history book utilizing post war interrogations and reports written by its commander, Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein and other officers. Most of these have been unpublished since written at WWIIs end. The Division's history with particular emphasis upon Normandy, Lorraine, the Ardennes, Germany's Ruhr, Saar, Remagen and final surrender. Order-of-Battle and other Organizational Data are provided with many Situation Maps drawn by Bayerlein. This book links text and annotations from Editor Fred Steinhardt, who translated many of them from the original German including cross referencing them against what the post war Army interpreters wrote. One result is comments from Steinhardt identifying Bayerlein's mindset. For example, Bayerlein is a prisoner of the Americans, his war has been lost and the future is bleak. Bayerlein apparently peppered his commentary with things that would ingratiate him with his captors, complimenting our Generals and fighting men and denigrating the incompetent OKW and certain German SS units and paratroopers. Incidentally, matters beyond Bayerlein's control raise interesting "what if" situations. For example, Panzer Lehr belatedly approached Bastogne 2 hours after the 101st Airborne arrived and dug in. What if Bayerlein got there first and the 101st was unable to enter and hold the city and its all important crossroads? This alone could have made the difference between success and failure of Hitler's last major gamble in the West. Fred Steinhardt provides a detailed chronological history of Panzer Lehr along with his excellent narrative and previously unpublished archival material. At $59.95 I can only recommend it to the serious historian or history buff. There are no color illustrations or photos of the tanks or equipment for modelers. The photos are primarily of Bayerlein and other German commanders. But the book paints a picture of the war in the West penned primarily by the German combatants unlike any you've seen before. If this is your kind of book, I heartily recommend it. Thanks to Casemate for the review copy. You can get your copy at better hobby shops and bookstores, or contact Casemate www.casematepublishing.com or call (610)-853-9131. References: Essential Guide to Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions by Jorge Rosado and Chris Bishop Remagen 1945 by Steve Zaloga, pub by Osprey Panzers and the Battle of Normandy Battle for Caen Battle Zone Normandy Operation COBRA Battle Zone Normandy

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.