German Logistics 1939-45
Nov 2025 · Casemate
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192
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About this ebook
“Though packed with illustrations, this is not just a picture book. It contains ample descriptions regarding how the German system of supply worked, and analysis that is not afraid to raise new points of view. If you are visually oriented, then of course this book is packed with detail into the German equipment, and logistical machinery of war.” – Globe at War The successes of the Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939–41 fostered an image of Germany’s unstoppable modern military machine. Yet beneath the surface lay a critical vulnerability: logistics. Postwar narratives often point to overwhelming Soviet manpower, American industrial superiority, or Hitler’s erratic leadership as causes of Germany’s defeat. While these factors undoubtedly influenced the course of the war, the decisive factor in the Wehrmacht’s failure was logistical inadequacy. Despite examples of resilience—advancing so far across the Russian steppe, maintaining industrial output under strategic Allied bombardment, and keeping the railways running—Germany’s logistical system collapsed at key moments. In Moscow, troops froze without the winter gear that was stranded in depots. In North Africa, vital supplies failed to reach the front. At Stalingrad, air resupply proved impossible. In Normandy and the Ardennes, rail and fuel shortages proved fatal. Germany’s success in the early war years hid the cracks in the system, and short-term wins came at a cost to its future. This fully illustrated volume examines the logistics of the Wehrmacht’s largely horse-drawn supply system, its successes, and its ultimate failure. Casemate Illustrated Specials offer unparalleled detail into the weapons, equipment, and machinery of war. Detailed, focused text is accompanied by hundreds of photographs, illustrations, and diagrams, providing a wealth of visual information for the historian, modeler, or researcher.
“Though packed with illustrations, this is not just a picture book. It contains ample descriptions regarding how the German system of supply worked, and analysis that is not afraid to raise new points of view. If you are visually oriented, then of course this book is packed with detail into the G...
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About the author
Simon Forty was educated in Dorset and the north of England before reading history at London University’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has been involved in publishing since the mid-1970s, first as editor and latterly as author. His most recent titles include German Infantryman on the Eastern Front, Panzer Crewman, and Sturmartillerie Crewman in the Casemate Illustrated series. Richard Charlton Taylor has been schoolteacher, light infantryman and businessman. A collector and trader in World War II militaria, he has worked with Simon Forty on several projects sourcing images and providing detailed military knowledge of weapons, equipment, and tactics.
Simon Forty was educated in Dorset and the north of England before reading history at London University’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has been involved in publishing since the mid-1970s, first as editor and latterly as author. His most recent titles include German Infantryman...
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