Infantry Aces Of The Reich

- Combat stories of eight German infantry soldiers: one paratrooper, two members of the Waffen-SS, and five members of the Wehrmacht - A concluding chapter examines infantry tactics This is an authentic account of German infantry aces, common foot soldiers who were thrust into a blazing maelstrom of bloody horror the world had never seen. On the frozen Russian steppes, under the scorching African desert sun, and in the final desperate battles, they were outnumbered and outgunned and faced impossible odds. Here are the fascinating stories of the men who stared death in the face during some of the most brutal battles ever waged.

Exciting stories of the infantrymen who supported Germany's tanksHow tanks and infantry cooperated at the small-unit levelFirst time in EnglishThe panzergrenadiers were the footsoldiers who went into battle alongside the Third Reich's feared tanks. Whether in the Wehrmacht or Waffen-SS, these troops endured all the horrors of infantry combat--fighting hand-to-hand, storming enemy positions, and rescuing fallen comrades--but they did so in the shadow of thundering giants like the Tiger and Panther. Kurowski tells the stories of some of the very best of these mechanized infantrymen, bringing them and their actions to life.

Profiles of the 98 German soldiers--out of millions--who received both the Knight's Cross (for extreme bravery) and the Close-Combat Clasp in Gold (for at least 50 days of hand-to-hand fighting) during World War II.

"Bravery on the field of battle has been an aspect of war since conflicts first began. 'Heroism under enemy fire' and 'selfless devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds' are phrases echoed in all armies, since bravery is not dependent upon nationality or cause. The recognition of such acts, however, is more affected by fate, and the infantryman has historically often been passed over in favour of the dashing cavalryman or the ace fighter pilot."--Book Jacket.

ACES AGAINST GERMANY The American Aces Speak by Eric Hammel. In the second volume of his critically acclaimed series, The American Aces Speak, noted military historian Eric Hammel brings fresh first-person accounts from thirty-nine U.S. Army Air Corps fighter aces who blasted their way across the skies of North Africa, the Mediterranean, and northern and southern Europe in the great crusade against Hitler's vaunted Luftwaffe and the other Axis air forces. Coupled with a clear, concise historical overview of America's brilliant air war against the Axis in Europe and North Africa, Hammel's detailed interviews bring out the most thrilling in-the-cockpit experiences of some of our country's best pilots.Climb aboard a P-38 Lightning as Maj. Bill Leverette fights America's highest-scoring single personal air battle against the Luftwaffe. And get into the cockpit of a P-47 Thunderbolt as 15-victory ace Capt. Don Bryan scores his dream kill by outwitting the pilot of a far speedier German jet in the closing days of the war in Europe.As he did in four companion volumes, Hammel has collected some of the very best air-combat tales from America's war against Germany. Nearly all the stories in Aces Against Germany have never before been told, and the others have been enhanced by details and viewpoints brought out by Hammel's superb interviewing Together, the five volumes of nearly 200 first-person aerial-combat stories from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam stand as an enduring testament to the combat airmen who fought their wars strapped into the cockpits of America's lethal high-performance fighter aircraft.Aces Against Germany is a highly charged emotional rendering of the now-dim days of personal combat at the very edge of our living national history. There was never a war like it, and there never will be again. These are the stories of America's eagles in their very own words.Critical Acclaim for The American Aces Speak SeriesThe Book World says: "Aces Against Japan" is a thunderous, personal, high-adventure book giving our 'men in the sky' their own voice."Book Page says: "Eric Hammel's book is recommended reading. It is a must for any historian's bookshelf."The Library Journal says: "No PR hype or dry-as-dust prose here. Hammel allows his flyers to tell their stories in their own way.Exciting stuff aviation and World War II buffs will love."The Providence Sunday Journal says: "A treat that deftly blends a chronology of the Pacific War with tales that would rival a Saturday action matinee."Infantry Magazine says: "If you would like to read one book that will give you a broad overview and yet a detailed look at what a fighter pilot's air war was like this is the book."The Bookshelf says: "Hammel is one of our best military historians when it comes to presenting that often complex subject to the general public. He has demonstrated this facility in a number of fine books before [Aces Against Germany] and now he does so again.Not to be missed by either buff or scholar."