Red Army Handbook 1939-1945 - gebunden oder broschiert

Dust-jacket reads: Stalin's Red Army entered the Second World War as a relatively untried fighting force. In 1941, with the launch of Operation Barbarossa, it joined battle with Hitler's army, arguably the most powerful in history. After a desperate war of attrition lasting four years the Red Army beat the Nazis into defeat on the Eastern Front and won lasting fame and glory in 1945 by eclipsing the military might of the Third Reich. The narrative opens with a review of the historical background of the Red Army in the years leading up to the outbreak of war in 1939, and follows with a discussion of the major themes in the development of Soviet forces during the `Great Patriotic War' that ensued in 1941. The Red Army's organizational structures are examined, from high command down to divisional level and below, which helps Western readers to understand the differences between the terminology of the Soviet and common Western (British, US and German) armies. Soviet combat arms - infantry, armour and mechanized forces, cavalry, airborne and special forces and artillery - are described from an organisational viewpoint. This is followed by a technical overview of the equipment - infantry weapons, armoured vehicles and artillery, and support equipment. These sections are complemented by informative data charts. The Red Army Handbook is illustrated with a comprehensive selection of archive photographs, charts and tables of organization, making it an indispensable source of reference to all with an interest in the armies of the Second World War.