Here's an excellent book by David Porter that emerges from the plethora of high level strategic accounts currently available. The work is published by Amber Books as part of their "Visual Battle Guide" series. As the title suggests, the narrative concentrates on the 2nd SS Das Reich Panzergrenadier Division and its part in the seminal battle of Kursk. More than this, however, it goes into detail of unit organisation and even quotes actual strengths as at the beginning of the battle. What is unusual about the whole concept is that the author provides visual charts of organisation, numbers and vehicle types for each major unit and goes on to include illustrations of all the significant weapons systems employed by the division. Most impressive feature is the four-page fold-out schematic of an entire battle-group, depicting every single vehicle down to the last motorcycle combo.
The book also includes breakdowns of the medical, supply and maintenance sections, with an entire chapter devoted to Luftwaffe air support with a strength and equipment chart for the whole of Fliegerkorps VIII.
The final section of the book is given over to an account of the battle itself, with maps and schematics for each stage. The entire volume is lavishly illustrated in full colour, backed up by original black-and-white photographs. At £19.99 it's an absolute bargain, and if the author could come up with a similarly detailed work on the Soviet 11 Guards Tank Corps the picture would be complete.
Whilst Soviet info would be good - I doubt it is avalaible.
Good find.
IanS
Sadlly, Ian, I think you're right. :'(
Try the books and the symposium papers by David Glantz for indepth Soviet stuff
Thanks for that, Bernie, I'll give it a go.
Greetings
I thought there was an equivalent by David Porter on 5 Guards Tank Army (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guards-Kursk-Visual-Battle-Guide/dp/1907446613/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346318563&sr=1-1 )? Not sure what sources it uses mind you.
Zamulin's 'Demolishing the Myth' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Demolishing-Myth-Battle-Prokhorovka-Kursk/dp/1906033897/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346318266&sr=1-1 ) uses Soviet sources (available to him when he was director of a museum at Prokhorovka) and provides strength figures for numerous units as well as casualties etc and a mix of mainly Soviet accounts. He's apparently written three other books on Kursk in Russian not yet translated and there's some material of his available in Russian on the web.
Regards
Edward
You are perfectly correct, Edward. Whoopee! This is the Das Reich page at Amber Books.
http://www.amberbooks.co.uk/book/visual-battle-guide-das-reich-division-kursk (http://www.amberbooks.co.uk/book/visual-battle-guide-das-reich-division-kursk)