Yves Buffetaut's Books

The Falaise Pocket

Normandy, August 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

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This WWII military history explores the dramatic turning point of the Battle of Normandy—illustrated throughout with archival photos and maps. On June 6th, 1944, the Allied forces embarked on Operation Overlord with the first wave of Normandy landings. But it wasn’t until August of that year that the tide of the battle—and the entire war—began to turn. The decisive moment came at the Battle of the Falaise Pocket. The German Army had managed to hold back the Allies for months, but its resources were running out, and the Allies ruled the skies. As the Allies began to push South and East, Hitler refused to permit Field Marshal von Kluge, the commander of Army Group B, to withdraw. General Montgomery ordered the Allied armies to converge on the Falaise area on August 8th, and by August 21st they had some 50,000 Germans surrounded. While many German soldiers did escape the encirclement, the losses were catastrophic. By the end of the month, Army Group B had retreated across the Seine, ending the battle of Normandy. This illustrated account examines the battle from the failed offensive at Mortain, looking at both German and Allied perspectives, using maps, diagrams and profiles to complete the story.

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130

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Casemate

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612007287

ISBN 13

9781612007281

From Moscow to Stalingrad

The Eastern Front, 1941–1942

By: Yves Buffetaut

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From Moscow to Stalingrad

The Eastern Front, 1941–1942

By: Yves Buffetaut

An account of the most crucial period of fighting on the Eastern Front, from the defeat of Germany at the gates of Moscow to their crushing loss at Stalingrad. The path from Moscow to Stalingrad was littered with successes and losses for both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, culminating in one of the harshest battles of the Second World War. Part of the Casemate Illustrated series, this volume outlines how it was that, less than a year after their defeat at Moscow, the German army had found a way to make the Soviet troops waver in their defense, with their persistence eventually leading to the Battle of Stalingrad. The successful expulsion of the German troops from Moscow in the winter of 1941 came at a cost for the Red Army. Weaknesses in the Soviet camp inspired the Wehrmacht, under Adolf Hitler’s close supervision, to make preparations for offensives along the Eastern Front to push the Russians further and further back into their territory. With a complex set of new tactics and the crucial aid of the Luftwaffe, the German army began to formulate a deadly two-pronged attack on Stalingrad to reduce the city to rubble. In the lead-up to this, Timoshenko’s failed attack on Kharkov, followed by the Battle of Sebastopol in June 1942, prompted Operation Blue, the German campaign to advance east on their prized objective. This volume includes numerous photographs of the ships, planes, tanks, trucks, and weaponry used by both sides in battle, alongside detailed maps and text outlining the constantly changing strategies of the armies as events unfolded. “The wonderful photos and illustrations make this book entertaining.” —New York Journal of Books

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209

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Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612006108

ISBN 13

9781612006109

The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich

By: Yves Buffetaut

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The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich

By: Yves Buffetaut

“Certainly my first recourse from now on when looking at the SS panzer divisions. Give yourself a treat and buy a copy ASAP if tanks are your thing” (Army Rumour Service). The Das Reich Division was the most infamous unit of the Waffen-SS. Originally a paramilitary formation raised to protect the members of the Nazi Party, it was founded in 1934 as the SS-Verfügungstruppe. During the invasion of Poland, the unit fought as a mobile infantry regiment. After the Battle of France, the SS-VT was officially renamed the Waffen-SS, and in 1941, the Verfügungs-Division was renamed Reich, later Das Reich. By the time Das Reich took part in the battle of Moscow, it had lost sixty percent of its combat strength. It was pulled off the front in mid-1942 and sent to refit as a panzer-grenadier division. Returning to the Eastern Front, Das Reich took part in the fighting around Kharkov and Kursk. Late in the year, it was designated a panzer division. In 1944, the unit was stationed in southern France when the Allies landed in Normandy. The following days saw the division commit atrocities, hanging one hundred local men in the town of Tulles in reprisal for German losses, and massacring 642 French civilians in Oradour-sur-Glane, allegedly in retaliation for partisan activity in the area. Later in the Normandy fighting, Das Reich was encircled in the Roncey pocket by US 2nd Armored Division, losing most of their armored equipment. Das Reich surrendered in May 1945. “Another fascinating piece of military history from the opposite point of view . . . this doesn’t purport to be an illustrated history of the Reich, but it damn well is!” —Books Monthly

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173

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Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612005268

ISBN 13

9781612005263

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

July 1944, Operations Goodwood and Cobra

By: Yves Buffetaut

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The Waffen-SS in Normandy

July 1944, Operations Goodwood and Cobra

By: Yves Buffetaut

An examination of how the Waffen-SS fared in Normandy in June 1944 and whether they deserve their reputation of being the ultimate fighting soldiers. One of the greatest paradoxes of the Battle of Normandy is that the German divisions found it much harder to reach the front line than the Allies, who had to cross the sea and then deploy in a cramped bridgehead until the American breakthrough of late July 1944. The Waffen-SS were no better off than the Heer units and German high command never quite got on top of operations, as the divisions were thrown into the melee one by one. During the month of June 1944, the Panzer divisions present succeeded in containing the Allies in a small bridgehead. In July, the arrival of more SS divisions should have finally allowed the Germans to counterattack decisively. This was not the reality. The Allies had also strengthened in number and kept the blows coming, one after another. Each SS-Panzer division had a different experience of the fighting in July. This Casemate Illustrated looks at the divisions one by one throughout Operations Goodwood and Cobra which saw large tank battles and the collapse of the German front in Normandy. It includes over 100 photographs, alongside biographies of the commanders and color profiles of trucks and tanks which played a key role in operations as the Americans succeeded in breaking through the German line of defense. “A superb series.” —Miniature Wargames

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190

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Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612006426

ISBN 13

9781612006420

The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

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The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

“A condensed ‘Band of Brothers’ with profiles of Richard Winters and Easy company as well as the German and American Generals . . . 5 stars” (Army Rumour Service). 101st Airborne Division was activated in August 1942 in Louisiana, and its first combat mission was Operation Overlord. On D-Day—June 6, 1944—101st and 82nd Airborne dropped onto the Cotentin Peninsula hours before the landings, tasked with capturing bridges and positions, taking out German strongpoints and batteries, and securing the exits from Utah and Omaha Beaches. Things did not initially go smoothly for 101st Airborne, with cloud and antiaircraft fire disrupting the drops. Casualties were high in some areas due to heavy pre-registered German fire. Nevertheless, the paratroopers fought on, and they did manage to secure the crucial beach exits, even if they only achieved a tenuous hold on some other positions. A few days later, 101st Airborne was tasked with attacking the German-held city of Carentan as part of the consolidation of the US beachheads and establishment of a defensive line against the anticipated German counteroffensive. The 101st forced its way into Carentan on June 10 and 11. The Germans withdrew the following day, and a counteroffensive was put down by elements of the 2nd Armored Division. This fully illustrated book details the planning of the airborne element of D-Day and the execution of the plans until the troops were withdrawn to prepare for the next big airborne operation, Market Garden. “Always good to read a detailed account of one division’s contribution to Operation Overlord. The detail is exceptional and fascinating.” —Books Monthly

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219

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Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612005241

ISBN 13

9781612005249

Allied Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

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Allied Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

An illustrated account of the crucial part played by tanks—and other armored vehicles—in gaining a foothold after the D-Day landings. Tanks were the beasts of the Second World War, machines designed to destroy anything and anyone in their path. Throughout the summer of 1944, the Allied forces readily employed tanks and armored vehicles to gain ground in the bloody campaign of Normandy. Heavily armed, they provided a kind of support which no number of infantrymen could offer, battling their way through enemy lines with their guns blazing. From the US 2nd Armored Division named “Hell on Wheels” to the British “Achilles” tank, the encounters they had in battle were explosive. With detailed diagrams and many photos, this volume of the Casemate Illustrated series explores the Normandy invasion from the perspective of the Allied Armored divisions, looking at how armored vehicles played a central role in the many battles that took place. It includes over forty profiles of tanks and armored vehicles, from the American Sherman and Stuart tanks to the bulldozers and amphibious vehicles designed for the beach.

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198

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Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612006086

ISBN 13

9781612006086

Ardennes 1944

The Battle of the Bulge

By: Yves Buffetaut

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Ardennes 1944

The Battle of the Bulge

By: Yves Buffetaut

German army deficiencies are often cited as the reason for the failure of the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes region of France, Belgium and Luxembourg in December of 1944 to January 1945 which the Germans called Operation Wacht am Rhein, the Allies named the Ardennes Counteroffensive, and was also commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge. It is certainly true that the three German armies regrouped for the offensive were in differing states; only the 5th Panzer Army was in something resembling good condition, with the 6th and the 7th mediocre at best. The divisions were also often not mobile enough because of the lack of automotive equipment and were short on tanks and artillery. But these cannot be considered the only reasons for the German failure: it was also the speed of the Allied reaction, and especially the conduct of the Americans, who experienced some of the fiercest combat of the war, and suffered over 100,000 casualties. This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series, with over 100 photographs and 24 color profiles describes in detail the different events that caused the German defeat, from the beginning of the offensive on December 16, 1944 to the retreat behind the Siegfried Line. It looks at several topics in particular: the American resistance at St. Vith; the resistance of the 101st Airborne in Bastogne; German obstinacy in persisting with the siege at Bastogne; the airlift and the intervention of the 9th US Air Force; the rapid regrouping of the 3rd US Army; Patton's counterattack; the British counterattack; and finally how the Allies failed to transform the German withdrawal into rout, missing an opportunity to cross the Siegfried line and the Rhine on the heels of the Germans, leading to an incomplete victory.

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130

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Casemate

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ISBN 10

1612006701

ISBN 13

9781612006703

Allied Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

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Allied Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

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198

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1612006086

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9781612006086

Ardennes 1944

The Battle of the Bulge

By: Yves Buffetaut

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Ardennes 1944

The Battle of the Bulge

By: Yves Buffetaut

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1612006701

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9781612006703

German Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

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German Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

Throughout the Second World War, a shift occurred in the composition of the large armored units of armies which lead to an increase in the power of their tanks in particular. The Germans were no exception. Many of its recently formed Panzer divisions, from the 12th SS-Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend to the 2nd SS-Panzerdivision Das Reich, were thrust into the effort to repel the Allies from June to August 1944 in Normandy. Within just ten weeks they would be defeated. This volume of Casemate Illustrated starts by exploring the initial struggle to gain control of Caen after the Allies had landed on the beaches of Normandy which resulted in the ferocious German Tiger tanks destroying the 7th Armored Division, with British losses totaling twenty-seven tanks. The subsequent strategies the commanders devised for the Panzer tanks during Operations Goodwood and Cobra were not so successful, ultimately ending in disaster for the Germans as the Allies broke through the German line by the end of July. With over 100 photos, diagrams showing the composition of German armored divisions, and color profiles of tanks and other armored vehicles, this is a detailed examination of the German armored forces in Normandy in 1944, focusing on the organization of the 10 Panzer divisions that took part, the vehicles they relied on and the battles they fought in and why ultimately their combined strength was not enough.

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130

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Casemate

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ISBN 10

1612006442

ISBN 13

9781612006444

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

June 1944, The Caen Sector

By: Yves Buffetaut

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The Waffen-SS in Normandy

June 1944, The Caen Sector

By: Yves Buffetaut

The actions of Germany’s armed SS force during D-Day in the series that’s “a welcome addition . . . targeted at the general World War II enthusiast” (Globe at War). For many, the Waffen-SS soldier represents the archetype of the combatant, if not the warrior: well-armed, well-trained, possessing intelligence in combat, imbued with political and ideological fanaticism, he is an elite soldier par excellence, even if a lack of scruples casts a long shadow. However, is this picture true? In the case of the Battle of Normandy, opinions diverged, not only among today’s historians, but also amongst the German generals at the time. In all, the Waffen-SS fielded six divisions during the Battle of Normandy, as well as two heavy battalions of Tiger tanks. But they were by no means a single homogenous entity, for with the exception of II SS-Panzerkorps, the divisions arrived at the front one after another and were immediately thrown into battle. This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series examines the Waffen-SS in Normandy during the fierce fighting of June 1944, when they struggled to hold back the Allied advance on Caen, though the picture was by no means one-sided. Extensively illustrated with photographs, tank profiles, and maps, and accompanied by biographies of key personnel and explanatory text boxes, this volume gives a clear and accessible account of events, challenging some popular perceptions along the way.

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208

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Casemate Publishers

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ISBN 10

161200606X

ISBN 13

9781612006062

German Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

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German Armor in Normandy

By: Yves Buffetaut

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1612006442

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9781612006444

The Falaise Pocket

Normandy, August 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

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The Falaise Pocket

Normandy, August 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

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1612007287

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9781612007281

The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

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The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

By: Yves Buffetaut

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219

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1612005241

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9781612005249

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

July 1944, Operations Goodwood and Cobra

By: Yves Buffetaut,Emmanuel Cade

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The Waffen-SS in Normandy

July 1944, Operations Goodwood and Cobra

By: Yves Buffetaut,Emmanuel Cade

This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series examines the Waffen-SS panzer divisions during July 1944 in Normandy, including Operations Goodwood and Cobra.

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128

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1612006418

ISBN 13

9781612006413

Book's by Yves Buffetaut

The Falaise Pocket

The Falaise Pocket

From Moscow to Stalingrad

From Moscow to Stalingrad

The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich

The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

Allied Armor in Normandy

Allied Armor in Normandy

Ardennes 1944

Ardennes 1944

Allied Armor in Normandy

Allied Armor in Normandy

Ardennes 1944

Ardennes 1944

German Armor in Normandy

German Armor in Normandy

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

German Armor in Normandy

German Armor in Normandy

The Falaise Pocket

The Falaise Pocket

The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

The Waffen-SS in Normandy

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