Casmate Reviews incoming

'Panzerschlacht' covers in detail the unravelling of the southern sector of the Eastern Front during late summer and autumn 1944, which led to some of the largest and most vicious, yet unknown, tank battles of the Second World War.

Slammed by continuous Russian attacks that ripped the Romanian Front to pieces and by late August had caused Romania to defect to the Soviets, Germans forces were left threadbare. Only Hungary narrowly failed to defect to the USSR, and was coerced into remaining Germany's ally. Despite a gross imbalance in numbers, the German Army, and more notably, their Panzer divisions (some with only 30 AFVs) delayed, disrupted and destroyed much larger Russian units with successful counter-attacks.

As the Russians blitzed through Romania and neared Hungary in late August 1944, it was the Hungarian Army that stymied the Red horde. The Hungarian units pulled themselves together and in September conducted two very important and overlooked counterattacks: Arad and Torda. The Arad counterattack sent the defending Romanians reeling, forcing them to give up the city of Arad and beyond as the Hungarian 1st Armoured Division faced little opposition. At Torda, the Hungarian 2nd Armoured Division also made significant gains towards the mountain passes until the arrival of Russian armour. The book covers these in detail with maps so often missing in other accounts. Both battles temporarily put the 'brake' on the Russian blitzkrieg.

From mid-September until November, the focus of the Russians now became the Hungarian Plains - a flat area ideally suited to the massive and chaotic tank battles that occurred throughout October. The Russian operations around Debrecen envisioned the 6th Guards Tank Army and others cutting out the seemingly meagre German and Hungarian forces across the line northwards to Debrecen and Nyiraghaza. Their plan, if successful, would encircle the whole German 8th Army still holding on east in the mountains. It was aimed to deal a crippling blow. However, the German commanders saw the writing on the wall and began to withdraw their 8th Army. As the Russians ground northwards, the German 6th and 8th Armies fought tooth and nail during their withdrawal. It was no easy victory for either side.

This book describes the fighting techniques of the armies of East Asia, from the age of the Mongol expansion in the thirteenth century to the Anglo-Chinese Opium Wars of the mid-nineteenth century. The book explores the tactics and strategy required to win battles with the technology available, and illustrates how the development of such weapons changed the way battles were fought.

In the first chapter, the book considers the key role of infantry at the battles of Tumu (1449), Maymyo (1767), Kawanakajima (1561) and Nagashino (1575). The uses and merits of spearmen and archers are explored, and the revolutionary impact of gunpowder weapons examined. The second chapter looks at the creation of the cavalry army by the Mongols and the crucial development of the horse archer as a key battlefield element at encounters such as Vochan (1277). Using examples such as Kalka River (1223) and Hansando (1592), the third chapter discusses the command structures and development of new technologies and tactics to defeat seemingly more numerous foes. In an era of fortifications, the fourth chapter examines the employment and development of siege weapons, from the 'Crouching Tiger' catapult to advanced mortars, at sieges such as Xiangyang (1267), Chinju (1592) and Osaka (1615). The final chapter analyzes the development of naval warfare, examining key encounters at Lake Poyang (1363), Sacheon (1592) and Wusung River (1842).

The armoured knight was but one part of the medieval fighting machine, albeit an important one. Weapons and Fighting Techniques of the Medieval Warrior examines the various arms that fought on a medieval battlefield, from the knight to the archer, crossbowman, man-at-arms, artilleryman, siege engineer, arquebusier and even the lowly peasant. From the clash at Hastings (1066) to the battle of Varna (1444), the book shows how the weapons and fighting techniques of each part of a medieval army developed over the centuries.

Packed with colour illustrations and box features throughout, the book covers all aspects of the medieval army and its equipment, from the footsoldiers to the armoured knights. It explains the role of each type of soldier and weapon on the battlefield, and why it was - or wasn't - successful. With detailed colour illustrations and fact-filled accompanying text, the book is the essential guide for any enthusiast of the Medieval period.

Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. The word samurai is derived from the archaic Japanese verb samorau, changed to saburau, meaning "to serve"; thus, a samurai is a servant, i.e. the servant of a lord.

The Samurai warrior is one of the most famous types of soldier, with his intricate armour, longbow and distinctive katana sword. Weapons and Fighting Techniques of the Samurai Warrior examines the various arms that fought on a medieval Japanese battlefield, and how the equipment and training of the Samurai developed over time. Even the coming of gunpowder did not wipe out this unique warrior class, which only died out in the nineteenth century.

Packed with colour illustrations and box features throughout, this book covers all aspects of the Samurai army and its equipment, from the skirmishers to the mounted warriors. It explains the role of each type of soldier and weapon on the battlefield, and why it was - or was not - successful. There are also chapters on the introduction of firearms, the use of artillery and command and battlefield techniques. With detailed colour illustrations and fact-filled accompanying text, the book is the essential guide for anyone interested in Oriental warfare.

Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the review samples.

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