Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, the Battle of Cherkassy (also known as the Korsun Pocket) still stirs controversy in both the former Soviet Union and in Germany. It was at Cherkassy that the last German offensive strength in the Ukraine was drained away, creating the conditions for the victorious Soviet advance into Poland, Rumania, and the Balkans during the summer and autumn of 1944. Eclipsed by a war of such gigantic proportions that saw the deaths of over one million men or more as commonplace, the events which occurred along the banks of the Gniloy Tickich river should have faded into obscurity. However, to the 60,000 German soldiers who were encircled there at the end of January 1944, this was perhaps one of the most brutal, physically exhausting, and morally demanding battles they had ever experienced. Thirty-four percent of them would not escape. The culmination of years of research and survivor interviews, Hell's Gate is a riveting hour by hour and day by day account of this desperate struggle analyzed on a tactical level through maps and military transcripts, as well as on a personal level, through the words of the enlisted men and officers who risked the roaring waters of the Gniloy Tickich to avoid certain death at the hands of their Soviet foe.

Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944

History

Nash, Douglas E.

Military

Rzm Imports Inc

Kursk was a crucial battle on the vast Eastern Front and a battle in which Hitler's elite, the Waffen SS, distinguished itself as never before. In this magnificent series of photo histories, Remy Spezzano presents rare and previously unpublished images detailing the uniforms, equipment and weapons of the Waffen SS divisions employed to stem the tide in 1943.

Waffen-SS KURSK 1943 Volume 2 (Archive Series)

Spezzano, Remy

Nipe, George M.

Volume 3 of an exquisite series of collector-quality photo books by RZM Publishing. Embracing an aesthetic seen only in high-end art photography books, RZM presents over 28 rolls of newly discovered combat film shot by six Waffen-SS Kriegsberichters (War Correspondents) during the renowned East Front battle of Kursk, July 1943. In addition to being an invaluable visual reference for all students of military history, this poignant six volume series focuses on the pure human experience of the front-line infantryman, a subject too often eclipsed by the grandeur of the political and military landscape of the Second World War. 
Printed on deluxe European semi-matte art paper for unparalleled photographic reproduction, each page literally "pulls" you into the images, making you feel as though you are a part of the action. This documentary style series presents the photographs in the actual sequence in which they were taken, creating a visual diary unlike anything previously published on the subject. Volume 3 contains extraordinary images of the men and armored vehicles of the 1st SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" and the 3rd SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Totenkopf," in action and at rest.

Waffen-SS KURSK 1943 Volume 3 (Archive Series)

High-quality photographs on semi-matte art paper. Visual diary of Hitler's elite force. Presented in chronological sequence This sixth volume follows soldiers of the 1st SS LAH and 2nd SS Das Reich Panzer Division in combat during the Battle of Kursk, July 1943. Formed by Heinrich Himmler in 1940 from the Leibstandarte, SS Verfungstruppe and the Totenkopfe Standarten, the Waffen-SS was originally meant to be a racially pure organisation, but this idea was abandoned due to the need for more troops. While initially intended to concentrate on internal matters that threatened Germany, the Waffen-SS mainly served as frontline combat troops alongside the regular German army. They were considered the elite of the German armed forces in World War II and were involved in almost continuous combat. Printed on deluxe European semi-matte art paper for unparalleled photographic reproduction, each page literally pulls you into the images, making you feel as though you are a part of the action. This documentary-style series presents the photographs in the actual sequence in which they were taken, creating a visual diary unlike anything previously published on the subject.

Waffen-SS KURSK 1943 Volume 6 (Archive Series)

This exciting new six part series depicts classic American small arms in training and combat during World War II and the Korean War. Featuring exquisite, high-quality duotone images culled from the US National Archives, these titles present a unique and intimate look at such ubiquitous fire arms as the M1 Carbine and Garand, as well as the valiant 'dog-faced' infantrymen and tank crews who used them. From combat in the forests of France and Germany, to the black sand beaches of the Pacific Theater and Korea, each title contains roughly 100 exceptional images which will provide a wealth of visual information for gun collectors, re-enactors, modellers and historians, interested in taking a new look at some legendary weapons.

THE M1 GARAND: Classic American Small Arms at War (The American Firepower Series #2)

Laemlein, Tom