Examines and analyses how the Soviet tank forces that fought at Stalingrad were rejuvenated in the months leading up to the battle, and the role they played in this iconic campaign. The Stalingrad campaign was a major turning point of World War II. The German Sixth Army''s 22 divisions and 250,000 troops were encircled and destroyed, while the Soviet 62nd Army''s desperate defense of the city and the suffering of the starving German troops receives much justifiable attention. Here, Soviet armor expert William E. Hiestand draws attention to the less-covered element of the battle: the reborn Soviet tank and mechanized corps that delivered the death blow to Hitler''s hopes. He explains how in summer 1942, the Soviet tank forces were failing to reach their potential; despite being equipped with superb T-34 and heavily armored KV-1 tanks, the Red Army''s newly formed tank corps were unable to integrate their armored thrusts with supporting infantry and artillery, and their disjoined attacks were repeatedly shattered. By November 19, however, Soviet organization, command and control, training, and tactics had matured, allowing the Fifth Tank Army to launch the decisive penetration through the Romanian Third Army. Packed with rare archive photos and superb profiles of the tanks involved, this book shows that it was at Stalingrad that the Red Army''s armored spearhead evolved into a force that could dominate the Eastern Front.

Autorentext
William E. Hiestand has worked for over 30 years as a US Department of Defense analyst, focusing on military issues and serving in a wide variety of analytic, leadership and representational roles. He holds an MA in History from Cornell University, and has a lifelong interest in military history with a particular focus on 20th-century armoured and mechanized operations and Soviet military history. He lives in Virginia near Washington DC. Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall. He's had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as a professional artist. He has provided award-winning illustrations for the publishers Dorling Kindersley, where his interest in historical illustration began. Steve has illustrated over 70 books for Osprey.

Inhalt
INTRODUCTION
DOCTRINE AND ORGANIZATION
TECHNICAL FACTORS

• T-34
• KV-1 and KV-1S
  -T-60 and T-70
• Lend lease tanks
  THE CAMPAIGN
• Kerch and second Kharkov
• Operation Fall Blau and the drive to Stalingrad
• Stalingrad, Uranus and Winter Storm
• Operation Little Saturn
• Operation Mars
• Tigers at the front
  BATTLE ANALYSIS
  FURTHER READING
  INDEX