Eastern Front

With the on-set of the Cold War the pool of hard won knowledge gained by the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front was invaluable and had to be collected and systematically recycled to the US and British forces as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

Germans who had witnessed the events at first hand wrote these unique publications. They are told exclusively from the German point of view. The principal author was former Brig. Gen. Alfred Toppe, and he and most of his associates served for extended periods on the Russian Front during World War II. Most of the group could boast combined experience of combat and staff work. Crucially most of them held assignments involving troop training, which would prove invaluable in the event that US or British forces might have to cross swords with the Soviets.

The extensive interview programme eventually appeared as the German Report Series and today they represent a fascinating glimpse from the operational and tactical viewpoint of the war in the east at the sharp end.