Storm Over Eastprussia - upcoming new series

As I've let you know, I'm working on a new series about the battles for Eastprussia. Right now I'm studying quite a few books about these battles and some related battles in the near vicinity.
If you're interested, here are the links to the books I'm currently reading on the subject!

The Pacific

Companion Book To HBO-Miniseries

In this companion to the HBO(r) miniseries-executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman-Hugh Ambrose reveals the intertwined odysseys of four U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy carrier pilot during World War II.

Between America's retreat from China in late November 1941 and the moment General MacArthur's airplane touched down on the Japanese mainland in August of 1945, five men connected by happenstance fought the key battles of the war against Japan. From the debacle in Bataan, to the miracle at Midway and the relentless vortex of Guadalcanal, their solemn oaths to their country later led one to the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot and the others to the coral strongholds of Peleliu, the black terraces of Iwo Jima and the killing fields of Okinawa, until at last the survivors enjoyed a triumphant, yet uneasy, return home.

In The Pacific, Hugh Ambrose focuses on the real-life stories of the five men who put their lives on the line for our country. To deepen the story revealed in the miniseries and go beyond it, the book dares to chart a great ocean of enmity known as The Pacific and the brave men who fought. Some considered war a profession, others enlisted as citizen soldiers. Each man served in a different part of the war, but their respective duties required every ounce of their courage and their strength to defeat an enemy who preferred suicide to surrender. The medals for valor which were pinned on three of them came at a shocking price-a price paid in full by all.


About the Author
Hugh Ambrose is a noted historian and was a consultant on the documentary Price for Peace, for which Steven Spielberg and Stephen Ambrose were the Executive Producers. He was a consultant to his father on his books, and is also serving as a historical consultant on HBO(r)'s The Pacific miniseries. Ambrose is also the former vice president of the national World War II Museum and has led battlefield tours through Europe and along the Pacific Rim.

Just as the series is in my opinion of great historic wealth, showing not only inportant battlefield scenes but more so the personal accounts of ordinary guys who were ripped out of their everyday lives to be dropped in the middle of raw and senseless slaughter, this book gives you an even deeper look into the persons who defined the events in the Pacific. A MUST READ!

The Kindly Ones...

A great book by Jonathan Littell. Here's a review by The New Yorker:

Littell opens his Second World War novel, told through the recollections of a German officer named Max Aue, with a breakdown of how many Germans, Soviets, and Jews died, minute by minute, in the conflict. As Aue travels to Stalingrad, Auschwitz, and Hungary to report on morale and efficiency, long sections of bureaucratic analysis alternate with moments of mind-numbing sadism. Aue, a caricature of moral failure (he fantasizes at length about sodomizing his twin sister), encounters a cast of unintentionally comic characters, such as an obese and flatulent proponent of the Final Solution, who surrounds himself with Teutonic beauties. The Holocaust is recast as an extended bout of office politics, with German officials quarrelling over who is responsible for prisoners hygiene. As the novel draws to a violent close, its story seems nearly as senseless as the horrors it depicts.

Battle For Königsberg

Here's a great book I received as a Christmas present from my kids. It depicts the battle for Königsberg in East Prussia. The author not only presents the events from a strictly military point of view, but takes into account the views of the normal citizens and their hardships.

Interview with Jeff Shaara...

With a criminology degree and a thriving rare-coins business, Jeff Shaara didn’t plan to follow in his novelist father’s footsteps—even after Michael Shaara won a Pulitzer in 1975 for The Killer Angels. But when Michael died in 1988, Jeff decided to manage his dad’s estate.

One result: two movies (Gettysburg, For Love of the Game) from Michael’s books. Another: Jeff began to write a string of bestselling novels about American conflicts from the Revolution to World War I.

Still, he hesitated to tackle World War II: “What can I possibly tell people that they don’t already know?” He says his research persuaded him there was a lot beyond “Hollywood history, which is unfortunately how most people learn about it.” His first two World War II novels (The Rising Tide, The Steel Wave) deal with North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. No Less Than Victory, the European finale, appears in November.

I read the first two World War 2 novels by Jeff. They deliver historical facts coupled with immersing fiction. In short: GREAT reading!

Here's the link to an interview with Jeff Shaara on HistoryNet.

Escape From East Prussia

In the last few days I've been reading parts of "Flucht über die Ostsee 1944/45 im Bild" (Escape Over The Baltic Sea 1944/45 in Pictures) by Heinz Schön. I's published by Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-613-01061-5.



Thought I'd share some of the wealth of impressive pictures with you.

Königsberg after the British bombardments of august 1944.

Russian infantry 1944 in the Baltic

Pitiful rest of a treck on the Frisches Haff

NEW Scenario In The Making...

Right now a new one is being tested. Here's the storyline:

_______Japanese Surprise**

Just imagine. Imagine that the Coral Sea Battle had been an overwhelming succes for the Japanese. It left them enough safe bases to built a magnificent presence just to the north of Australia. Imagine Australias forces were still spread thin. In February 1943 the Japanese built-up reached a strength where they were able to sent an invasion force to Australia. Their main goals were to take as many harbours and airfields as possible.**

You command the Australian forces near Townsville in NE Australia. Your forces are spread all over the countryside. The latest news that has reached you is that the Japanese have landed to the south of Townsville on a non-defended stretch of beach. Their forces seem to be on their way to your chemical factory and your harbor.**

Organise your forces and meet the Japanese before they outflank you and take Townsville Harbour.**

Further reading:*
Peter. G.Tsouras; Rising Sun Victorious**

NEW Trilogy About WWII

Well known author Jeff Shaara is in the process of delivering a trilogy of novels about the American involvement in World War 2. At this moment I'm reading the first part "Rising Tide", about the war in North Africa and Sicily.

Shaara shows the common frontline soldier as well as the leadership. Mind you, he has written novels and no historical accounts, but he knows his prime players (Rommel, Monty, Churchill) so well, that their depicted thoughts and conversations are utterly believable.

"Rising Tide" gives you an immersing reading experience. I am looking forward to the next two parts. By the way, the second one "The Steel Wave" will be out in paperback on May 19th!

Service Slang

Found this jewel last week while visiting my favourite The Hague bookstore. It gives an overview of WWII English service slang. Hilarious!

NEW Scenario upcoming...

It will be called "First Blood - Attack On The Jungle Fortress". It's situated in northern Finland in 1941 and shows the first attack of the later SS-Division Nord on the Soviet defenses of the railroad line connecting Murmansk to the rest of the Soviet empire. Stay tuned!

If you want some more info in advance, run to your local internet store and get:

NEW Scenario: Bielskis Attack - 1943

Get the latest scenario right HERE!

Here's the story:

Bielskis Attack**
USSR Partisan - Germany*
Belorussia, near Lida*
0900 hrs 22 July 1943*
Turns 35*
Scenario Size: Large*
C&C Off**

SCENARIO NOTES:**
Take the village at the left side of the map. Ambush any German patrols you encounter. In the meantime - don't forget to defend your partisan camp. You are responsible for the wellbeing of hundreds of Jewish refugees.**

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:**
In 1942 a small group of Jewish resistance fighters established a community deep in the forests of western Belorussia, offering protection to all Jewish fugitives who could find their way to them. Within two years they numbered more than 1200 - men and women, old and young, the largest armed rescue operation of Jews by Jews in the war.They were led by the charismatic Tuvia Bielski.**

Further reading:*Nechama Tec; Defiance; ISBN 9780195385236**

Have FUN!

Vassily Grossman's "Life And Fate"

Last weekend I spent on the Dutch coast with my lovely wife. Besides long walks on the beach and visiting a fantastic musical, we did some shopping around. During our stay in Amsterdam she surprised me with the great novel "Life And Fate" by Vassily Grossman.

This book is the penultimate classic epic novel of WWII Russia. It centers on the Shaposhnikova family and their life in totalitarian Stalinist Soviet Russia, and in particular on the Battle of Stalingrad. The tale is unrelentingly grim. Nearly every character dies, is betrayed to the Soviet authorities, or simply suffers - and no ordinary suffering, but genuine Slavic deprivation. With a few temporary exceptions, universal hunger and material deprivation prevail. Hunger ranges from ever-present to starvation.

Political betrayal runs rampant across every class of Stalinist Soviet society with mind-boggling inefficiency. Grossman also describes the very beginnings of the Nazi Holocaust at Treblinka and other extermination camps, including a blood-chilling scene with Eichmann having dinner at the camp to celebrate its opening.

Grossman's characters engage in extensive internal dialogue about their suffering and especially about their political punishments. He recreates the frustration of not knowing why one has been accused of infidelity to the Revolution. Often the victim doesn't know by whom or of what they have been accused.

Grossman was a decorated Soviet military journalist who moved gradually toward the dissidence that flowers in his epic novel. What is remarkable, and a matter of some debate today, is how Grossman ever imagined that his book would be published in the Soviet Union - as he proposed during the thaw under Nikita Khrushchev. Instead, while Grossman was not molested, his book was taken "under arrest" by the KGB in 1961. Fortunately, Grossman kept two undeclared copies that were smuggled out to the West in 1980 and published in 1985.

As the excellent introduction to the New York Review of Books edition puts it, Life and Fate is "almost an encyclopedia of the complexities of life under totalitarianism" and the pressures brought to bear on the individual. Absolutely a must read!

Halbe Cauldron, teaser...

Here's a little reading about the first scenario on the Halbe Cauldron or Kessel I am working on.

On the evening of April 25, General Busse ordered the two battlegroups or Kampfgruppen Von Luck and Pipkorn, containing 35th SS and Police Grenadier Division 35th SS and Police Grenadier Division, both named after their commanders, to attempt a break-out in the direction of the road centre of Baruth to obtain the use of roads to Luckenwalde and Jüterbog.

Kampfgruppe von Luck consisted mainly of 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment and tanks from 22nd Panzer Regiment and started from Halbe, while Pipkorn consisted of the remains of the 35th SS Division with tanks from 10th SS Panzer Division, and started from Schleepitz. The orders to Colonel von Luck were to open a corridor and keep it open for the sole use of military units of Ninth Army. No civilians were to be allowed to use it. Von Luck made good progress across the Berlin–Dresden autobahn until it hit the Soviet defenses of 50th Guards Rifle Division at Baruth, which had been reinforced by dug-in Stalin tanks. Pipkorn hit defenses of 329th Rifle Division early on and the battle group was scattered, with some armoured elements including Panther tanks reaching Baruth. A pitched battle developed at Baruth, which was impossible for the German battlegroups to win. Busse ordered von Luck to stay near Baruth but discontinue the attack. When informed of this, however von Luck disobeyed the order and disbanded his battle group, allowing soldiers to try and attempt a breakout individually.

On the following day battle continued around Baruth, and tank-hunting teams blew up some of the dug-in Soviet tanks. Some supply canisters were delivered by air, but the strength of the battle group was insufficient to hold off a Soviet counter-attack. Heavy air attacks, a strike by 4th Bomber Air Corps around noon with 55 aircraft, and repeated strikes by 1st and 2nd Air Assault Corps with 8-10 aircraft each, a total of ca. 500 missions, caused heavy casualties and chaos. The forces of the two battle groups were destroyed, with Soviet reports claiming 5,000 prisoners (POW) taken, 40 tanks and self-propelled guns destroyed, and almost 200 guns and mortars captured. These forces and weapons would be severely missed during later break-out attempts. Pipkorn, the commander of the other battle group, was killed during the battle, and von Luck taken prisoner by the Soviets on April 27. Few of the survivors of the battle reached the Elbe.

Halbe... Again

Right now I'm working on the first scenario in a series about the Battle in the Halbe Pocket at the end of WWII. The first scenario will be about the breakout attempt by a battlegroup commanded by Colonel von Luck. Sources for this series will be:

Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army

Last Battle: The Classic History of the Battle for Berlin

The Fall of Berlin 1945

Berlin Dance of Death

NEW Scenario: Sneaky SAS In Westerbork

Here you can get my latest scenario. It plays in Holland in 1945 and it goes something like this:

Sneaky SAS At Westerbork**

French Assault - German Defend*

Westerbork, Province of Drenthe, the Netherlands*

1200 hrs 8April 1945*

Turns 20*

Scenario Size: Small*

Best played as French SAS*

C&C Off**

SCENARIO NOTES:**

Put the German General who has his command post in the Cafe Slomp out of action and take defensive positions while anticipating a possible German counterattack.**

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:**

From "Operatie Amherst", by R. Flamand and J.H.Jansen:**

"Most people know that the Netherlands were liberated by the Canadians, Poles, Americans and British in 1944 and 1945. Much less known is the fact that the French took part too in the liberation of the Netherlands. In the spring of 1945 more than 700 French paratroops fought in the Dutch province of Drenthe. These French forces were part of the famous British SAS (Special Air Service).**

They were dropped in the night from 7 - 8 April 1945 and had to prepare the way for the approaching Canadians by capturing bridges, airfields and roads.**

In the Dutch village of Westerbork the German General Boettcher, the head of the German Military Police forces in the Netherlands at the time, had his command post. The French paratroopers had information from the Dutch resistance that Boettcher could be apprehended."**

Have FUN!

The Complete WIKING Series

Here you can find the complete Wiking Series, consisting of "Cossack Attack", "Wiking At The Mius", "Wiking At Malgobek" and "Wiking At Maciejow". The series is loosely based on the book "Wiking" by H. Kistemaker. Unfortunately it's only available as a Dutch language edition. Have FUN!

French SAS in Westerbork

Work on the first scen about French SAS troops in the Dutch province of Drenthe is commencing as planned. The way it looks right now, there will be two or three small scenario's with infantry battles. No kitty's to be found this time!

French SAS Troops In Drenthe (NL)

I've been reading the book 'Operatie Amherst' about the actions by French SAS Paratroopers in the Dutch province of Drenthe. 

Some of the operations depicted make for some great scenario ideas. Though they might differ from what has really happened, I am going to try and deliver at least one (but there might me more... ;-): the Battle for Westerbork. Check back!

NEW Scenario: Wiking At Maciejow - 1944

Get the last part of the Wiking Series RIGHT HERE! The story goes like this:

_______Tank Battle In Maciejow**

___German Defend, Russian Assault*
_________Maciejow, Poland*
_______1000 hrs 7 July 1944*
_____________Turns 15*
_______Scenario Size: Small*
_______Best played as Germany*
_____________C&C Off**

Design: Henk "Dutchiexx" Neumann*
_______Dutchiexx@spwaw.com*
_____MADE FOR ENHANCED SPWAW**

______________Visit:*
__________www.spwaw.com*
_______________and*____
http://www.spwawfort.blospot.com/**

________SCENARIO NOTES:**

In July 1944 the Russian forces had chased the German troops from their Motherland. Heavy fighting took place in Poland.**

___HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:**

from "Wiking", by Henk Kistemaker:**

"Seventh and eight July 1944 were two days I'll never forget.After the Russian artillery fired an eneormous amount of smokegrenades on our positions, the enemy followed up with a very big tank attack. It must have been 400 to 500 tanks. Our positions were concealed, meaning that our tanks were positioned - for the mostpart - behind a hill. To the left of our position was a Finnish officer, Ola Ulli, who belonged to the 7th Kompanie. His tank lay in ambush and fired on the Russian column from that psoition. Then something amazing happened: the Russians kept moving toward the Finn, while we could hit them from the flank."**

_________PLAYER NOTES:**

Defend your VH against the Russian onslaught. Hals und Beinbruch!**

SOURCES:**

"Wiking", Henk Kistemaker**

Slaughter At Halbe

Here's the latest addition to my library. A birthday present from my wife and one of the books I've wanted to read for years. The storyline goes like this:

Operation 'Berlin', the Soviet offensive launched on 16 April, 1945, by Marshals Zhukov and Koniev, isolated the German Ninth Army and tens of thousands of refugees in the Spreewald 'pocket', south-east of Berlin. Stalin ordered its encirclement and destruction and his subordinates, eager to win the race to the Reichstag, pushed General Busse's 9th Army into a tiny area east of the village of Halbe. To escape the Spreewald pocket, the remnants of 9th Army had to pass through Halbe, where barricades constructed by both sides formed formidable obstacles and the converging Soviet forces subjected the area to heavy artillery fire. By the time 9th Army eventually escaped the Soviet pincers, it had suffered 40,000 killed and 60,000 taken prisoner. Teenaged refugees recount their experiences alongside Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS veterans attempting to maintain military discipline amid the chaos and carnage of headlong retreat. While army commanders strive to extricate their decimated units, demoralised soldiers change into civilian clothing and take to the woods. Relating the story day by day, Tony Le Tissier shows the impact of total war upon soldier and civilian alike, illuminating the unfolding of great and terrible events with the recollections of participants.