Recommended reading on the fortifications & artillery

[Marcus]

The idea of this sticky is to collect recommandations on good books dealing with the Axis fortifications & artillery.

Please post the title, author and a short (or long) explenation as to why you feel that particular title deserves to be included.

/Marcus


If you buy through the below links you not only get the books you want but you also support the forum while shopping!
* AHF Bookstore
* Amazon.com (UK, Germany)

[der bunkermann]

hi all, maybe a litlle off topic, but does anyone now where i can order the new book: Les Batteries cotieres du Nord -Pas-de-Calais?

i know ''fortressbooks'' has it but i rather not buy it there:-)
thanks in advance!
greetings tim

[lcw]

Hallo,

You can order the book directly on-line at
the publisher.
http://www.histoire-fortifications.com
Fair postage and quick delivery.

Lenco,

[lru29]

Les canons de la Victoire 1914-1918
Tome 1- L'artillerie de campagne
by Francois Vaulvillier and Pierre Touzin, PB, French Text, 65p., b+w photos and color plates, 2006, Histoire & Collections, ISBN 2-35250-022-2, available from the publisher(http://www.histoireetcollections.fr) or Amazon France, 14.95 Euros.

This is a neat little book on French Field Artillery during WWI. It covers everything from pre-WWI artillery that was used during the War to new weapons that were developed during the course of the war. Weapons in the book range from the 65mm TR modele 1906 mountain gun all the way up to the 280mm TR Schneider modele 1914. Also covered are self propelled guns like the Canon de 194 GPF and Mortier de 280mm TR sur affut chenilles Saint-Chamond. You will find the familiar, like the French 75mm modele 1897, to the more obscure such as the canon de 120mm C modele 1890 Baquet and canon de montagne de 80mm modele 1878 de Bange.
The book is beautifully illustrated with many sharp, clear b+w photos and color plates illustrating some of the artillery pieces and for each weapon there is a table of its technical specifications.
This is a great book for those interested in WWI artillery(and those interested in WWII artillery too, since many of the weapons covered also served in 1939-1945).
A second volume is planned, that will cover the French Heavy Railway artillery and other special weapons of WWI.



Eisenbahnartillerie - Histoire de l'Artillerie lourde sur voie ferrée allemande des origines a 1945, by General Guy Francois, French Text,PB 96 p., b+w photos, Editions Histoire et Fortifications, 2006, ISBN 2-915767-08-4, available from the publisher, http://www.histoire-fortifications.com, or from
http://www.fortress-books.com , 25 Euros.


Gen. Guy Francois, who previously wrote an excellent two volume history of French railway artillery in World War I and World War II, has authored this new book on German railway artillery in both World Wars.
The book is organized in two parts. Part One covers World War I railguns, Part II covers World War II railguns. The order in which each type of gun is covered in both parts is largest caliber guns first down to the smallest caliber guns, in descending order. Each gun has a technical description, giving its characteristics, including the characteristics of its rail mounting(for ex., the number of axles). Also provided are the rail mounting serial numbers, and the gun tube numbers, whenever they are available.
Each part of the book has a chapter on the overall organization of German railway artillery units for both world wars, with text and tables giving unit numbers, the type and number of railguns that they were equipped with, and in some of the tables, this information is further broken down chronologically. The World War II chapter has a separate section detailing what units were used in coast defense. There is a lot of valuable information in just these chapters alone.
The chapters on the individual guns often have additional information included in both the text and in numerous special tables. For example, the section on the World War I 38cm Max guns includes information not only on the rail mounts, but also on all the fixed 38cm mountings that proceeded them in combat service, including the coastal defense mountings on the Belgian coast, with the technical characteristics of each of the different types of mountings used. The 38cm Max section has tables showing where the Max guns were emplaced for combat firing, the dates they were in action, the number of shots fired from a particular position, the units that operated them, their principle targets etc. There are also chapters covering the very long range Paris Cannon used to bombard Paris in WWI and the huge 80cm K(E) “ DORA “ from WWII. The smaller caliber guns also have excellent coverage in both parts of the book.
Gen. Francois has included chapters on Rail Flak guns in both World War I and II, including the little known German Naval Rail Flak guns, used in both world wars for mobile AA defense of ports and harbors. There is also a chapter on the use of captured French railguns by German units in World War II.
This really is a superb book on German railway artillery in both World Wars, filled with great black and white photos of the guns and with valuable information in both the text and in individual tables throughout the book.

[der bunkermann]

hi lenco i'm little late, but thanks for the tip!
will buy it there
happy 2007 with the museum,
greetings tim

[Cid250]

This thread it's almost empty... there aren't good books about artillery?.

I own one that is just a list of guns in german service with his description and pictures...
But i'm looking for artillery books speaking of tactical WWII use, or speaking about more technical details like the sights and handle of the gun (may be original manuals?).

The only ones that i saw about tactical use of artillery in WWII are the book of Gudmunson, and another one...
I'm sure that artillery tactics in WWII can fill hundreds of books. Nobody can share some titles of tactical and technical procedures?. Will be good to know the methods of each country to call for fire, the times of response, etc...

I'm looking for books with a similar content than this website, but of any other country (not only british):
http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/dire ... %20War%202

[kstdk]

Hello all

There is a d.... lot of good boks on this subject, so beginning to list them here would be an endless job

So...se here:

http://www.fortress-books.com/

There is a lot of literature about fortifications within each country and in a lot of themes - so it all depends of whats in your line of interest.

OK...I sure have my favourites, mostly about the Atlanticwall - my main interest.

Regards
Kurt
kstdk

[Cid250]

Thanks... of the website provide, only one book seems interesting for me, but it's a german language version:

http://www.fortress-books.com/uk/fortre ... 483&page=1

How to find a english translation if it exist?.

I'm only interested in artillery procedures and tactics of WWII.

[jerseybunkers]

One the website of the Channel Islands Occupation Society (Jersey) I have a page that shows "further reading" but only has a picture of the covers. I am planning to add a lot more pictures from my book collection - as time permits!.

http://www.ciosjersey.org.uk/books.htm

Regards


Jeremy
Secretary CIOS (Jersey)

[Nectar]

any comments on this book, Fortress Third Reich: German Fortifications and Defense Systems in World War II by R. Jurga

I'm thinking about ordering it, but want to know if it's any good. I'm mainly looking for the more technical drawings of bunkers, such as ventilatoon systems etc.

[FKDeane]

Here are some of the more recent books that I like because they are based on factual information. Hopefully more members will comment on these and other books that we should be adding to our library.

Atlantikwall-Südwall by Alain Chazette - It was a great help to me when I was in the Mediterranean Pyrenees are on holidays by allowing me to find quite a few bunker traces and understand the overall situation on the Suedwall in 1944.


Panzer Tracts 21-1 about German turret bunkers is a must. These guys really know their stuff when it comes to tanks and only publish data from original documents and experience reports. There are really detailed CAD drawings reproduced at 1:35 scale of both the bunkers and the various types of turret utilized. For example here one can learn that in the photo of Alain Chazette sitting on a PzI turret shown in the (Pz-Türme) tank turrets on Rs at the Südwall tread actually shows an F.Pz.DT 4803 the specially modified PzI turret shell.


Panzer Tracts 21-2 has to be the most comprehensive and history of the use of Panther turrets as bunker weapon. It sorts out the differences between the use of tank turrets and specially built turrets for bunkers. Again the detailed CAD drawings are not just tracings of the usual wartime sketches but actual installations. The photo coverage is outstanding.


Fred

[kstdk]

Hello Fred

Only one thing to say about the above books:

Got those, read them, been there, going there again - - - excellent reading

Regards
Kurt
kstdk

[Chazette]

from Alain Chazette

Editions Histoire & Fortifications
8 rue de Crussol 75011 Paris France
to buy in web site http://www.histoire-fortifications.com

less price to suscrib = 20 Euros + postage
Arrived in June after = 25 euros + postage
the suscrib is open for Tuesday 6/03/2007

approx = 500 fotos from archiv, veterants and now
page = approx 144 pages

- France 1940 with kampf
- German occupation
- Atlantikwall with all Wn and Stp with Plans and Maps
- Kampf in 1944

[VogonFord]

Kaufmann, J. E. and Jurga, Robert M. Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II. Da Capo Press. 2002.

Useful volume detailing the various fortifications used (or designed to be used) during World War II. Has a special section on the Atlantic Wall. Has many useful diagrams and pictures as well. Not very detailed, but useful for quick reference.

[erik1939-1945]

hello

in addition to all this interesting discussions here. will it make sense to mark a toppic "sticky" with new books realted to our main discussion "fortifications" ?

i was thinking of presenting a new book which could be interesting for the membres to get the infos that this book is "available" on the market. sometimes it is hard to get those infos, especially if books are normally just distributed and known within a small circle.

an example:

name of the book:KUSTFÖRSVAR
authors: ca 30 (!)
contens: the history of the swedisch coast defence
cover: hardcover
contents pages: B&W, texts and images
language: swedish
pages: 404
size: 26,5 * 20 cm
weight: 1,4 kg
additional infos: the book will be delivered with additional CD (artillerymusic) and DVD (kustförsvar documentation)!
price: 250 SEK plus 200 SEK shipping (sweden to germany)
ordering: http://www.amf-film.se/

greetings

erik R
http://www.atlantikwall-research-norway.de