Customer Reviews

From the Don to the Dnepr: Soviet Offensive Operations, December 1942 - August 1943 (Soviet (Russian) Military Experience)

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"From the Don to the Dnepr" is a very detailed operational account, primarily from the Russian point of view, of offensive Soviet operations on the Southern Front in the period after the encirclement of Stalingrad to the post-Kursk offensive to retake Kharkov.

As usual in Glantz's books the level of detail is very impressive, especially when one considers that, due to the age of the book, it was written with relatively less access to Soviet sources. The OBs presented, for instance, lack the thoroughness that one has come to expect in his latest books.

On the other hand, it is drier and more "professional" in approach, without the somewhat irritating flights of rethoric or use of hackneyed expressions that sometimes afflict his latest work, in special "Operation Mars" and "The Battle for Kursk". Maps are somewhat rudimentary, but much more plentiful and easier to read than in the books mentioned above.

The book is esential reading for anyone interested in the history of the Russian Front, especially as it covers in great detail a period that tends to be overshadowed by Stalingrad and Kursk.

Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that Operation Rumyantsev, the Soviet counterattack after the defeat of the German offensive at Kursk, is covered in far greater detail in this book than in his subsequent work.

Glantz draws extensively, but not exclusively on Soviet sources, and gives detailed strategic and operational overview of the fighting in the Don area after Stalingrad. What I appreciated most was the detail in the perspective of situations facing the Germans and Russians, and where their planning differed in both time scale and flexibility. How Manstein managed to achieve a counteroffensive move whilst STAVKA still interpreted the moves as a withdrawl to the Dnepr is instructive.

The style used in this work is slightly less exhaustive than that used in Kursk and the better for it. Best estimates for the ground forces of both sides are given, but it would have been desirable to mention air assets and sortie information also (this is hardly a criticsm as this information is almost never included in WW2 studies).

Overall one of the best works on the development of operations on the Eastern Front showing understanding of the problems facing both sides.

unfortunately, this book, with all of its very useful info, tells only the story of russian offesnsive in the south during winter 42/43 and of the rumyantsev operation in the summer of 43. It lacks the info about the southern and southwestern fronts offensive during summer 43, not mentioning the northern part of the theather. also missed the averall race to the dneper. Not an exhausting book. And the price is too high.

This book covers four Soviet offensives which were instigated from the stunning victory at Stalingrad. The Soviets were riding high and feeling confident from the encirclement of 6th Army at Stalingrad and these ambitious plans reflect this new pride. On the other hand, the Germans were at their lows and fighting for their lives and their fortitude is also commendable for their stiff resistance they were still able to exert against the superior Soviet forces.
In each of these battles the Germans were outnumbered but continued to put up stiff resistance. The Soviets had the advantage but only won partial victories, unable to achieve all their goals. If you've read Glantz before, you will know the coverage is from the Russian perspective but the German side is still fairly well represented. I especially liked the amount of time given to Manstein's planning and execution of his Kharkov Counter-offensive of late February and early March. The July defense against Operation Citadel is omitted but the Soviet post Citadel offensive is included in the author's last campaign.
Due to the many units that were involved on both sides plus the complicated deployments around the key towns and rivers and the give and take of battle, this book will take your undivided attention to get the most from it. I just completed reading it for the second time and have a greater appreciation of the author's efforts. If it wasn't for the maps which I couldn't read, it would have received five stars.

The first operation which started in mid December 1942 is LITTLE SATURN. It had several objectives: Complete the destruction of Rumanian and Italian Armies, Eliminate the resupply of Stalingrad by capturing the airfields at Tatsinskaya and Morozousk, Complete the clearing of the Don-Chir River sector, Block and destroy any relief effort. The Soviets were partially successful by penetrating the Axis defenses and inflicting heavy losses on its allies. The Soviets also stopped the relief attempt but it failed to capture the airfields.

The second operation which started in late January 1943 is GALLOP. Vatutin advanced through Starobelsk toward Mariupol to clear German resistance from Donbas. Initially he succeeded but Manstein counterattacked, pushing the Russians back beyond their start point.

The third operation which started in early February is STAR. Golikov's Voronezh Front was assigned to capture Kharkov. The battle lasted almost 2 months but due to hasty planning, execution and logistic problems, the operation failed for the Red Army.

The last operation which started in August is RUMYANTSEV. This is a second attempt to take Belgorod-Kharkov. Belgorod fell to the Red Army after 3 days of bitter fighting but Kharkov turned into a battle of attrition. After weeks of fighting, the German defenders could see that winning was not possible so on Aug 22, they evacuated the city falling back to the Dnepr River. This campaign has the greatest coverage being 145 pages in length. The scale of the maps in this campaign is a little better and more easier read than the other campaign maps.
Another interesting aspect that runs throughout the book and is especially shown in this operation is the Soviet's improvements in their organization structure and their phased battle tactics. These same battle tactics will be deployed for the rest of the war and will prove to be one of the important factors for their victory.

In each of these battles the Germans were outnumbered but continued to put up stiff resistance. The Soviets had the advantage but only won partial victories. If you've read Glantz before, you will know the coverage is from the Russian perspective. The July defense against Operation Citadel is omitted.

The chapter format is logical and typical Glantz:
Strategic and Operational Context
Area of Operation
Opposing Forces
Army Planning
Conduct of the Offensive
Counterattack Stage
Conclusions.

The preliminary sections greatly help the reader understand the environment and pre-conditions, allowing for an easier assimilation of the battle.

In the Appendix Mr Glantz lists the Order of Battle for these operations which can be useful. I referred to his appendix numerous times to help refresh my memory as to which divisions belonged to which corps or Army. The book also has 74 black and white maps that are divided among the four offensives that shows the progress of the different Fronts in pushing the Germans back. The maps are simple but potentially effective if you can read the small print. It looks to me the publisher reduced the original maps to fit the page with the result that many of us will find it difficult to read the maps and follow the action. There are also 29 photos, most showing Soviet officers and activity. The book closes with a Notes section with Russian, German and English sources and an Index that will help you find cities, rivers and units. I would give this book 4.5 stars with a small deductions for less than ideal maps.

This is an important transitional period in the war where the Soviets begin to take the offensive and anybody interested in military aspects of this time period or sector will benefit from this book. Its highly recommended.