Panzer Lehr Division 1944-45

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Panzer Lehr Division 1944-45
Author: Frederick P. Steinhardt
Hardback - 352 pages
Publisher: Helion & Company
Price: £25
ISBN: 978-1-874622-28-4

Casemate:
The Panzer Lehr Division was one of the most élite German armoured formations in existence in early 1944. Its baptism of fire was in the deadly Normandy bocage. Although suffering heavy losses in Normandy, the Division continued to fight in North-West Europe until the end of the war, seeing particularly notable service during the Ardennes Offensive and in the Ruhr.
The first volume in the new Helion series WWII German Military Studies prints an extensive number of reports written by former officers of the Division, principally its commander Fritz Bayerlein. Virtually all of these reports have remained unpublished since they were written soon after the end of WWII. They cover all aspects of the Division's history, although with particular emphasis upon events in Normandy, the Ardennes and Germany.
A number of the reports include detailed order-of-battle and other organisational data.
Important though the reprinting of these documents is, this book is made doubly important thanks to the linking text and expert annotations from editor Fred Steinhardt. In effect, this book provides an extremely detailed chronological history of the Division's activities, in greater detail than has yet appeared in print before.

The Book

This is a serious military study and as such is not for the faint hearted. The author himself states that the book is to serve as a reference work, and this is apparent from the wealth of detailed notes, appendices, references, footnotes, maps diagrams etc that accompany the main text. Unlike other studies I have read, the focus of this book is not on endless eye-watering descriptions of campaign minutiae, but the interviews in each section with Fritz Bayerlein that cover his recollections of events.

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Panzer Lehr personnel were drawn from training/demonstration (Lehrtruppen) of the Panzertruppenschule, as such these men were all proven combat veterans of the Eastern Front. They were an elite unit, equipped with the best materiel, and their main function was to repulse the invasion. Unfortunately from the first day of their deployment on 6th June '44 until their eventual surrender on 15th April '45, they were often ill-used, poorly supplied and over worked. Despite this the impression remains of a dedicated fighting force of exceptional quality, who never gave up even in the face of sometimes overwhelming adversity.

Each of the main sections describing the campaigns is divided into two discrete parts: the authors chronological overview of the campaign from inception to conclusion, followed by the extensive report of the division commander Fritz Bayerlein on that campaign. The authors overviews of the campaigns are very detailed, covering both the divisions actions and those of the allied forces opposing them. That said they are fairly easy to read, and I found myself immersed in each one. Of the four sections I enjoyed the Ardennes offensive the most, as the efforts of Panzer Lehr in this campaign seemed particularly outstanding given the appalling conditions they were fighting under.

Each is followed by the reports prepared after the war by Bayerlein for the Allies. Some are in the form of Q&A sessions undertaken whilst he was hospitalised in August 1945, and the Ardennes and Remagen bridgehead sections are accompanied by many detailed hand drawn maps and sketches. What is staggering is his recall of virtually every detail of every day from the inception of the division to its surrender. These sections offer a fascinating insight into the problems that beset Bayerlein and his men during this period, especially from senior command. With virtually no respite in 11 months, they were constantly at the 'sharp end', often low on men, armour, ammunition and fuel, often with only days to re-constitute after severe maulings. The worst of these was the start of the (Allied) Operation Cobra. Panzer Lehr occupied the exact area of the front lines chosen by the Allies to break out of the Normandy stalemate. They were carpet bombed for three days in which the allies dropped some 5000 tons of bombs on their positions, almost annihilating the entire combat part of the division. Bayerlein describes it as the worst three days of the entire war.

Bayerlein holds nothing back, and was a very enthusiastic participant in these reports and interviews. Sometimes his praise for the Allied and their tactics is somewhat over the top, but this never detracts from the detail and insights he gives. I got the distinct impression of a commander dedicated to the welfare of his men, and developed a real sympathy for his efforts to look after them, despite the best efforts of his senior command to the opposite. I found it quite noteworthy that the fighting spirit of his men was finally broken only in the last two weeks of the war, when they were down to their last few tanks, with almost no ammunition and fuel.

Conclusion

An excellent book for anyone wishing to learn about the actions of the Panzer Lehr Division. In particular the interviews and reports by Fritz Bayerlein are fascinating and really set the book apart, making it a totally engrossing read - I finished it in three days. Highly Recommended.

Contents

Part I - Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy through to the Withdrawal from France.
Part II - Panzer Lehr Division 130 in the Ardennes offensive
Part III - Panzer Lehr Division 130 after Ardennes, before Remagen
Part IV - Panzer Lehr at Remagen and after

Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the review samples

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