During the last months of WWII, the Soviet armies were defintely on the move and were up against ever-weaker German resistance. Mostly relying on poorly trained troops that included Volkssturm and Hitler Jungend soldiers, despite good defensive positions, there were simply too few troops and too little equipment and ammunition to hold off the red army. This was particularly obvious in the number of artillery pieces and the length of the barrages that the Soviets used at the start of each offensive.

Sometimes advancing slowly and sometimes with large gains, the Soviet army pushed their way out of the Baltic stated and into the northern parts of Germany and Poland in an effort to trap German troops and deny them access to the Baltic Sea. In the end the Germans were cut off and the red army was able to focus on the final battle for Berlin.

This particular volume follows the format of previous books in this series. It is mostly photographs with some well done drawings and a few maps. It covers the situation just prior to the offensive as well as the condition of the two forces just prior to the battle. It then provides several chapters on the progress of the operation in various sectors as well as the overall outcome. Within the book are small sections that focus on specific forces or specialties. Though you are provided with a general history of events, it is the photographs that are really what makes this book special.

As with other books in this series, it is a very good read and well worth picking up. I do recommend it and am sure you will be as pleased with it as I.

December 2024

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