Panzers On The Eastern Front: General Erhard Raus and His Panzer Divisions in Russia 1941-1945
Peter G. Tsouras
ISBN 978-1-85367-682-6
Soft-bound, 254 pages
Greenhill Books
MBI Publishing for $14.95

This book is a compilation of some of the pamphlets written by General Raus for the Foreign Military Studies Group of the Department of the Army after the end of the Second World War. This was an attempt to tap the knowledge of German officers who fought against the Allies, in particular the Soviet army. These were commissioned as the Cold War intensified to "...exploit the German lessons learned in fighting the Soviets." Two collections of these pamphlets published by Greenhill contained four articles authored by Raus. These were more of a technical nature, dealing with themes of interest to the Army. The articles in this book are true combat stories, dealing with particular battles fought at the divisional level or lower. Each is a detailed narrative focusing on an individual action, the outcomes, and the lessons to be learned discussed in detailed after-action accounts. One common thread is the importance of personal initiative and independent action by commanders, junior leaders, and even common soldiers to influence the outcome of fluid battles.
General Raus enjoyed a distinguished military career. Like his contemporary, Erwin Rommel, Raus served with Austrian mountain troops during World War I, where quick-thinking and aggressive tactics carried out on one's own initiative were the rule. After the annexation of Austria into the Third Reich, Raus served in the German Army. He eventually took command of the 6th Panzer Division, leading it through some of its most desperate battles. He was sacked late in the war by Hitler, a move that most probably saved his life.
The author, Peter G. Tsouras , is a noted writer and historian on military subjects, with more than 20 titles to his credit. He is retired from the U.S. Government, having served as a senior intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Conclusion

This reviewer's advice is to get this book if you have ANY interest in German armored operations in World War II. General Raus, though not as well known as some of his contemporaries, was a master at mobile, combined-arms warfare. Time and again, he outfought larger units and brought his troops through. The book moves quickly, holding the reader's interest, giving large doses of information without bogging down in technical details. I highly recommend this book. I would like to thank MBI Publishing for the review book.