The Red Army Towards the Oder: Then and Now [Hardcover]

These photographs give a unique perspective on the battle for Poznan, as Zielonackis first-hand local knowledge came into play when capturing his images.  Journal of Slavic Military StudiesOn January 12, 1945 the Soviet Red Army unleashed its winter offensive, launching strong forces on either side of Warsaw, and within a couple of days crushed the German forces defending the line of the Vistula river and headed westwards. Leaving behind a few small pockets of enemy resistance and cities proclaimed fortresses, the First Byelorussian Front began a great dash across Poland. Within little over two weeks the Soviet forces reached the Oder river and established several bridgeheads on its western bank. The Oder was the last great river barring the way to Berlin, now just 60 kilometers away, and the Germans mobilized everything in a desperate effort to defend the river line and prevent a Soviet march on the capital.This book brings together three After the Battle stories documenting the advance on the Oder and the long-draw-out struggles for the bridgeheads over it:Issue 188: The Battle for Festung Posen, 1945Issue 184: The Oder Bridgeheads, 1945Issue 192: The Battle of Festung K?strinWhether you are a modeler or just interested in the Eastern Front of WWII, this book is a worthy grab&Highly recommended&This book will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike. Highly recommended.The research that goes into finding these key places in photographs is amazing and really adds to the story with the human element of seeing the location years later and imagining the scene before you. This is a great book for modelers wanting to recreate any of the late war Eastern Front.These photographs give a unique perspective on the battle for Poznan, as Zielonackis first-hand local knowledge came into play when capturing his images.GB