After the German's rather stunning defeat at Stalingrad, the army was pushed farther west by hundreds of kilometers to the city of Kharkov. Several SS divisions were sent to hold the city, but the commander, von Mannheim, knew that these troops would not make the difference needed in defense of the city so against orders, he withdrew from the city.

Once able to consolidate his forces, von Mannheim prepared to go on the offensive before the Soviets had a chance to consolidate their hold. Basically, he planned to beat the Soviets to the punch when it came to an offensive in the Kharkov area. As many enthusiasts know, SS divisions were generally provided with the best equipment and were usually better trained than standard Heer troops. Von Mannheim had all he needed to launch an offensive and retake the city. This is exactly what he did, pushing the Soviets out of the city in the last German land victory of WWII.

This book, part of Casemate's Illustrated series covers this crucial battle, providing not only a fairly in depth look at the situation before and during the offensive, but also side stories on men and equipment used during this period of time. Casemate has always chosen quality images from various archives and personal sources along with easy to understand maps and charts along with some full color profiles. In all, it makes for a well done primer on this pivotal battle on the eastern front during WWII.

January 2025

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