Recommended reading on the fortifications & artillery

[jopaerya]

Hello

Mid april a new book will be released about the Atlantikwall in the region Wisssant from our member RV

Le mur de l'Atlantique dans la baie de Wissant from
Hervé Olejniczak , Dirk Peeters , Jörg Poweleit and Yannick Delefosse
= 168 page's
= 200 photo's,
= several maps
= lay-out of area's , Stp and W.n.
= 130 bunkerplans.
= 25 euros + 6 euros .
ISBN : 978-2-7466-0628-9
to order the book send a P.M. to RV

[Heim62]

Thanks Jos for the advertising.
We have tried to do our best to explain these coastal 14km, between cap Blanc-nez and Gris-nez, right in front of England. This is a very rich area with about 50 Stütpunkten we have explained with Maps, Bunkers Plans and historic text about the units from 1940 to 44 and installed weapons. There is a large sort of different strongpoint types such Radarstellungen, Infanterie Strongpoint, Marine heavy batteries, Heer coastal batteries, railway guns, etc..
Some places explanations are previously unpublished such la Mine d'Or, Noirbernes or Mont Plouvin. Some others are studied more precisely than it exists in the previous realised bibliography. There are too chapters about the development of the area coastal defence, units from different branchs (Heer, Marine, Lw) passing by here from 1940 to 1944, Beach defences, minefields, september 1944 canadians fights.

As Jos said, for any questions don't hesitate to ask me with PM.

RV

[Heim62]

A lot of new things come to day these weeks. Two small books will be soon published (first week of April 2009 ) about north of France.
The first one ist called Hardelot 1940-1944, from Laurent Violard, Matthieu Rivart and Thierry Paradis.
This 32 pages book gots 74 pictures and documents of the german occupation of this sea-resort during the war.
Chapters are about :
- Seelöwe 1940
- 3./schwere-Artillerie-Abteilung 768
- German occupation in the city
- Allied commandos raids
- The german coastal defences of the area
- the 2./I./1245 HKAR of Hardelot

Price : 5 euros. Avaible in local libraries and museums, and soon with internet.

The second one is called Le Touquet 1940-1944 from the same authors. This is the following of the blue "Le Touquet occupé 190-1944" from Thierry Paradis, published in 2008.
It gots 32 pages too and contains news pictures about :
- 1940 Campaign
- Seelöwe
- Seenotbereitschaft 8
- German occupation
- High Sea defences
- Organisation Todt by le Touquet
- Kriegsmarine by le Touquet
- Atlantikwall by le Touquet
- 1944 freedom

Price : 5 euros too.

RV

[jopaerya]

Hello

A new book from the local specialist Piotr Laskowski , very handy booksize with a lot of information and photo's
from old fortification to Russian/Polisch coast defences with clear plans were you can find the fortification and a
lot of drawings of bunkers and forts and as last good picture's .

name of the book : Fortyfikacje Swinoujscia
author : Piotr Laskowski
contens : the history of the coast defence at Swinemunde from 1600 till 1960 ?
cover : softcover
contents pages : B&W, texts and images
language : Polisch
pages : 160
size : 15 by 10 cm ( pocketsize )
weight : 0.3 kg
additional infos : the book will be delivered with additional map
price : 21.90 zł + porto
ISBN 978-83-60838-10-5
orders : [email protected]

[jopaerya]

Hello

A new book Südwall from Alain Chazette and Pierre Gimenez , great book about the all M.K.B. and M.Fl.B. there .
The book is filled with information about Commanders , M.A.A. , M.Fl.A. , Marine Radar , guns and bunkers .
Also a lot of new picture's , drawings of bunkers and beautiful plans of the M.K.B. from the Mar.Fest.Pion.Gr.

name of the book : Südwall , Batteries côtieres de Marine
author : Alain Chazette and Pierre Gimenez
contens : All Marine- and Marine Flak batteries in the Südwall from Port Vendres - Toulon
cover : softcover
contents pages : B&W and colour , texts and images
language : French
pages : 264
size : A4
weight : 1.2 kg
additional infos : complete book
price : 45 Euro + porto
ISBN 9782915767261
order : http://www.histoire-fortifications.com/index.asp

Regards Jos

[ducatim901]

I can recommend the last book.
The book is filled with nice pictures, Maps (many German ones) and drawings of bunkers (some of them are very special).
Alain is progressing every time he and his co-authors write a new book!
Greetings Jack.

[Chazette]

Alain is progressing every time

i hope but is difficult to make better book every year !!!!!

regards
A Chazette

[jopaerya]

A great book with a lot of new information , in the book a lot old b&w photo's but also new color picture's
clear lay-outs of H.K.B. , M.K.B. and other places , plans of bunkers . In a few words this book need to be
on your bookshelf and must be on your wishlist for Christmas.

P.S. looking forword for part 2

name of the book : Mur de L'Atlantique en Norvége 1
author : J.P. Wahl and the A.R.N. group
contens : A tripp along the Southern part of the H.K.B. and M.K.B. in Norway
cover : hardcover
contents pages : B&W and colour , texts and images
language : French
pages : 339
size : A4
weight : 1.8 kg
additional infos : complete book
price : 45 Euro + porto
ISBN 978-2-9507681-3-1
order : http://www.histoire-fortifications.com/index.asp

[jopaerya]

Part 2 of the book about bunker and weapons that were used in these bunkers with a lot off accurate drawing
of the panzerparts used in the bunkers accompanied with b&w pictures and bunkerdrawings .
Panzerplatte and s.M.G. lafette from the 105, 620, 515, 623, 624, 681, 601 and the U-boot bunkers .

name of the book : Armements & Ouvrages de Forteresse Volume 2
author : Alain Chazette and group
contens : see above
cover : softcover
contents pages : B&W (inside) and colour (outside) , texts and images
language : French
pages : 64
size : A4
weight : 0.5 kg
additional infos : complete book
price : 20 Euro + porto
ISBN 978-2-915767-30-8
order : http://www.histoire-fortifications.com/index.asp

[lcw]

Hello,

name of the book : El muro Atlantico en Aquitania, "The Atlanticwall in Aquitaine, France"
author : José Manuel Paneda Ruiz
contens : A complete coverage of the area
cover : hardcover, high quality paper, -printing and -binding
contents pages : full color, photos of today, fresh b&w wartime photos,
coloured maps and siteplans. With extra information on obstacles,
units, bunkerparts and lists of the constructed works. With bunkerplans.
language : Spanish ..
pages : 180
size : A4
weight : 1.0 kg
additional infos : A high quality book which covers every aspect of the area.
Don't let the language discourage you, the book will be an asset for your collection
price : 42 Euro + porto
ISBN: 978-84-96935-25-9
order : http://www.casadellibro.com/libro-el-mu ... 9404/en_gb

Lenco,

[Voland]

New book is published: The Atlas of Kaunas Fortress



ISBN 978-9955-39-080-0
Vladimir Orlov, Jelena Vitkauskiene (translator), Vladimir Kalinin (editor)

68 pages, hard-cover, format: 28x40, full-color.
Price: 30 euro + delivery.
Orders: [email protected]; [email protected]

The city of Kaunas underwent significant changed in terms of development in the years 1882 – 1915. In those 33 years Kaunas witnessed construction and upgrade of a first-class land fortress – an important part of Russian Empire military doctrine in Europe. Kaunas was selected as a location for the fortress not by accident – its strategic location, unique landscape, significantly located routes and railways earned Kaunas an important place in the military doctrine of the Russian Empire.
The fortress complex consisted of defense and non-defense objects as well as infrastructure elements. In accordance to fort fortification principle Kaunas was encircled by the ring comprised of nine forts and ten batteries, beyond which, two kilometers away, was another ring made up of central fortifications. Kaunas suburbs were augmented to include military camps or towns to accommodate 15 000 – strong garrison, ammunition stores, artillery workshops; a set of administration buildings was erected in the city centre. All fortress objects were connected by means of a narrow railway. A fortress main temple, St Peter and Paul’s Cathedral became a symbol of the fortress power and imperial might; military parades held on the streets of Kaunas, together with the efforts of the administration fortress strove to make every Kaunas resident feel as if they were members of the garrison.

The fortress became a major centre of attraction within Kaunas and its adjacent areas. Thousands of soldiers, modern military machinery, exceptional city – fortress rhythm of life, millions of rubles invested in fortifications and infrastructure – this is the incomplete list of changes brought on Kaunas by the fortress. Such was an impact of Kaunas fortress, that even now, after the city’s expansive development, when only several fortress structures still remain – an ordinary person can hardly perceive this legacy as a whole.

The battle of two gigantic empires which gave rise to the World War, ended up in their demise; Lithuania however was granted an opportunity to regain its independence. No witnesses of those events have lived to this day to tell the tale of the huge Kaunas fortress construction effort, soldiers and military on the streets, tension of war months, German artillery cannonade and the city’s occupation. However, the most significant witness remained – imposing and extraordinary heritage – the complex of Kaunas fortress to which the present book is dedicated.

Recently, Kaunas fortress has been the subject of many talks. Scientific conferences, articles and dedicated periodicals study Kaunas fortress, details of its existence and downfall. However one cannot just talk about the fortress – it has to be seen, a unique monument of architecture and urbanism; a source of the living history, invaluable testament to the efforts of the people - from honorary generals to humble peasants - who built it, prepared it for action and died on its fortifications.

Kaunas fortress is arguably the only first – class fortress of the Russian Empire in Europe that still remains. Its legacy is vast and consists of several hundred structures – administration buildings, forts, batteries, military towns, storehouse complexes, churches, roads, shelters. The fortress elements are scattered in the entire territory of Kaunas, most of the objects are not adapted or refined for tourism. Hundreds of the fortress defense objects are left to their fate and often fall prey to vandals. This is the sad current state of the complex – and this is our common problem. The root of the problem lies not solely with economic reality and lack of funding. The most important issue is the lack of competence, professionalism and motivation – something which cannot be bought.

This atlas will help to learn about most important elements of the Kaunas fortress heritage. One can find here authentic fortification plans, drawings of their composite parts and archive photographs of the structures. The large-scale format of the atlas and its high quality allow to recognize smallest details while the accompanying comments enable understanding of the fortifications’ characteristics and designation. Separate chapters are dedicated to non-defense elements of the fortress – storehouses, infrastructure elements, barracks. Nearly all material collected here is published here for the first time. The concept of the atlas as such did not provide for publishing material descriptive in nature – however, more detailed information is available in V. Orlov’s book “History of Kaunas fortress” (published in Lithuanian only).

[MLW]

Hallo:

My co-author and I are pleased to announce that our book has been released and our friends have been receiving their copies. So far, the reviews have all been good. I have included one from a reviewer on amazon.com. If you read our book, my co-author and I are interested in your impressions and thoughts. We will also answer any questions you have.

What is this book about? The book focuses on German combat operations against the Maginot Line in 1939 and 1940. It is not about the technical aspects of how the Maginot Line was constructed. Included are 60 photos, many showing the combat action; six 2-D maps of the battles for the Maginot Line; three 3-D "bird's eye view maps" that describe three important combat actions (the battle for La Ferte, the attack on Fortress Fermont, and the assault across the Rhine River), and three artist painted battle scenes of combat action (the attacks on Fort La Ferte, Fort Kerfent, and Casemate Oberroeddern Nord).

What makes this book unique? The text is all original work based on records from the US National Archives and the Bundesarchiv, and is a detailed, fresh look at the Maginot Line’s combat record to include many previously unpublished the photographs from our personal collections. It is not a "hack-book" written from secondary sources. It is the first book of its type printed in English. It corrects several myths about German attacks on the Maginot Line.

Cheers, Marc

A review from amazon.com:

Finally, A book with Fresh Content about the 1940 French Campaign
By R.A.Forczyk, February 23, 2010

Although there have been a number of good books written about the German attack on France in 1940, traditional historiography has been skewed toward just the first three weeks of the campaign and emphasizing the German breakthrough at Sedan, the dash to the sea and the Allied evacuation from Dunkirk. Most accounts mention the role played by the French Maginot Line in shaping the German breakthrough plan, but rarely discuss what the Maginot Line troops were doing during the actual campaign. Indeed, the follow-up German invasion of metropolitan France (Fall Rot or Plan Red) and the final three weeks of the campaign are usually absent entirely or skimmed over quickly in standard accounts. However, Marc Romanych's Maginot Line 1940 not only fills both these gaps admirably but it succeeds in presenting fresh content about the German efforts to reduce the Maginot Line. Whereas most accounts suggest that little happened around the Maginot Line while the Germans were overrunning the rest of France, Romanych details seven different German operations to reduce and capture various sections of the line. This book is well-researched and put together with an eye for detail that makes it particularly useful for specialist readers.

Maginot Line 1940 begins with a brief overview of the German invasion plan (Fall Gelb or Plan Yellow), the brief French offensive into the Saar in 1939 and a campaign chronology, followed by the usual sections on opposing commanders, forces and plans. These opening sections are decent, but a bit brief, except for the 3-page order of battle. One good point that the author makes in these sections is that despite the fact that the Maginot Line was created to guard the French border with Germany and thereby allow the French Army to reduce the number of troops committed to static defensive roles, they violated this intent by deploying almost half their divisions to support the Maginot Line. Clearly some of these divisions could have been bettered employed in the general reserve.

The campaign narrative proper begins with the opening German moves through the Ardennes and the breakthrough at Sedan, but the author does not belabor material that has been well-trodden in standard accounts. It is with the German capture of Fort La Ferte, the western end of the Maginot Line, that the author finds his groove. He discusses how the Germans massed over 250 guns against the fort and spent two days reducing its outer defenses until it was finally captured. This was the first Maginot Line fort captured and the author notes that the French high command was stunned that it had fallen so quickly. From this point on, the author discusses the capture of the Maubeuge fortifications and then moves from west to east down the Maginot Line, detailing the German operations that occurred in the final two weeks of the war to reduce the line. As it turns out, there was quite a lot of fighting around the Maginot Line but the Germans only captured 10 of 58 major defensive works before the Armistice. There is a great deal of detail in his narrative and the tactical dynamic tends to be similar for most of these operations: French interval troops withdraw leaving the Maginot Line forts isolated, German troops move in, pound the forts with point-blank fire from 88-mm flack guns then assault with artillery and engineers. Rinse and repeat. This tactical dynamic and the author's recounting of it does get a bit repetitive, particularly since there are no first-person accounts included. On the other hand, much of this information has not appeared in English before so think of it as a helpful dose of medicine. One of the few disappointments I had about the author's research was that the analysis in the Aftermath section seemed incomplete, particularly in regard to casualties. Given that Paris had already fallen by the time that many of these operations were occurring and an armistice was imminent, the question is not asked whether these later attacks on the Maginot Line really contributed to the defeat of France and were the casualties suffered worth what was gained. Some of the German attacks just before the armistice seemed a bit gratuitous and it begs the question who was ordering these attacks.

Maginot Line 1940 has a total of five 2-D maps (overview of the campaign, 10 May - 25 June 1940; overrun of the Ardennes defenses, 12-16 May 1940; Battle for the Mauberge fortifications, 12-27 May 1940; envelopment of the Metz region, 10-21 June 1940; attacks in Alsace, 15-21 June 1940) and three 3-D BEV maps (Battle for Fort La Ferte, 16-19 May 1940; infantry attack on Fortress Fermont, 21 June 1940; Operation Tiger, 14-16 June 1940; assault across the Rhine near Kunheim, 15 June 1940) that do an admirable job of supporting the campaign narrative. Simply put, the maps are superb. The three battle scenes by artist John Whitte (the assault on Fort La Ferte, 18 May 1940; the end of Fort Kerfent, 21 June 1940; the fight for casemate Oberroedern-Nord, 20 June 1940) are also very nice but all are from the German perspective. The B/W photos are also very good and most have not appeared elsewhere in English sources. One of the few shortcomings in this volume is the bibliography, which is rather anemic with only five works cited, including one other Osprey volume. Although the author clearly used German archival records at NARA, he did not list any or provide the specific URLs of some of the Maginot Line-related Internet websites that he mentions in the text. Overall, this volume is not only an excellent addition to Osprey's Campaign series but a serious piece of historical research in its own right.

[Marcus]

I've merged the two stickies on books ("Recommended reading on the fortifications & artillery" and "new books on this toppic") into one.

/Marcus

[jopaerya]

New book from the Editions Histoire et Fortification

name of the book : Noirmoutier sous L'occupation allemande
author : Alain Chazette
contens : A complete story of the island with plans of all Stp. and W.n.
drawings from every ST bunker and many Vf bunkers . Information on all
the troops that were stationed at the island between 1940 and 1945
cover : softcover
contents pages : many new B&W from several achives (inside) and colour (outside) ,
language : French
pages : 64
size : A4
weight : 0.5 kg
additional infos : complete book
price : 20 Euro + porto
ISBN 978-2-915767-34-6
order : http://www.histoire-fortifications.com/index.asp

[jopaerya]

Hello

name of the book : De Atlantikwall op Schouwen-Duiveland
author : Peter Heijkoop and Jeroen Rijpsma
contens : A complete story of the island with plans of all Stp. and W.n.
drawings from most ST bunker and many Vf bunkers . Information on all
the troops that were stationed at the island between 1940 and 1945
cover : hardcover
contents pages : B&W from several achives , very accurate bunkerdrawings .
language : Dutch
pages : 240
size : A4
weight : 1.5 kg
additional infos : complete book
price : 32.50 Euro + porto Europa
ISBN onbekend
order : [email protected]
release date mid June 2010