Operation Barbarossa 1941 (3): Army Group Center (Campaign, 186)

good

Everything as advertised.

A bit confusing, maps give too much unit detail and some numbers giving details chronologically are difficult to find.

Completely agree with Mr. Forczyk review. This is a half-baked product.The idea to describe the greatest ground battle in history, which lasted for almost 6 months, in just 90 pages was flawed from the beginning. It requires at least 3 books in Campain format (Minsk, Smolensk-Elnya, Typhoon).It also suffers from weak implementation.On just 25 pages (from p. 32 to p. 57) describing the initial period of invasion I found at least 25 misleading statements or factual errors. On top of that, the text is poorly organized logically, the narrative jumps from later episodes to earlier, etc.Another major drawback is that there are too few maps for such a complex and prolonged campaing (in fact, at least 3 campains), 2D maps could have been better, 3D maps are almost useless.Tired of this, I put it aside in the middle of the book, just after Smolensk.

I was really looking for a book that showed more maps of the campaigns that took place on the central front. But I did like it.

Robert Kirchubel's third volume of Operation Barbarossa 1941 Army Group Center is a wonderful addition to his Russian-German War trilogy. Taken together, the novice as well as the informed reader will have an exceptional overview of the Barbarossa events. The combination of a well written text, photographs, paintings, charts, and 2 and 3D maps all add to the enjoyment of this 96 page effort.Divided into five main chapters, Operation Barbarossa 1941 (3) follows a systematic and logical flow. After a few pages of Introduction and a one-page Chronology (February to November 1941), Mr. Kirchubel discusses German and Soviet plans and opposing commanders. Critics might disagree with the author's choices of the commanders profiled. However, the mini-biographies of the German and Soviet personalities who began the campaign are but stepping stones to stimulate a reader to explore their backgrounds further.Mr. Kirchubel's discussion of the Opposing Armies is both succinct and enlightening. The photo caption on page 21 is just one example of the author's style: "Sixty of the 73 officers of Infantry Regiment 12 (31st Infantry Division), photographed in April 1941 at Kutno in occupied Poland. By December the regiment would be on its fourth commander since the start of the campaign; its losses would also include the two majors shown here, two of the three captains, one of the five physicians, and 27 of the 56 lieutenants."The author devotes approximately 60 pages to the frontier battles, Bialystock and Minsk salients, the encirclement battle at Smolensk, Soviet counteroffensives, Operation Typhoon with the capture and destruction of Soviet forces around Viazma and Bryansk, as well as the final push of German forces toward Moscow. The amount of detail, while not overwhelming, is more than enough for the general reader to absorb. Mr. Kirchubel weaves his narrative in a direct and comprehensive manner that will assist anyone interested in the Barbarossa campaign not only to understand the sequences of events, but to enjoy its contents. When the author states (at page 56) that Hoth's 7th Panzer Division closed on Smolensk on July 13, separated by Guderian by 25 miles, and two days later "Rommeled" into Yartsevo, one can visualize the speed of this operation.A few minor printing and editing errors do not detract from its substance. For example, the German front line color coding on the Operation Typhoon pages (70 and 71) do not match the 3D map lines. And the author's name on the title page is shown as "Richard" instead of "Robert". One reviewer noted the inadequacy of Mr. Kirchubel's coverage of the assault on Brest Litovsk. However, the cover painting reproduced at pages 42 and 43, and explained on page 44, is more than sufficient given the overall German operational achievements between June and November 1941.Much has been written on Operation Barbarossa over the last 60 years. Few pack as satisfying a punch as Mr. Kirchubel's trilogy.Gary Komar

Robert Kirchubel's Operation Barbarossa: Army Group Center is the final book of the Osprey Campaign trilogy on the first 6 months of the Soviet - German conflict. Like its predecessors in the trilogy, Barbarosa: Army Group Center provides a useful resource to the WWII historian. It is well organized, excellently illustrated and provides a surprisingly comprehensive analysis for such a brief volume.Barbarosa: Army Group Center, is a well organized description and analysis of BOTH German and Soviet operations in Army Group Center's area during 1941. Kirchubel's description offers a very good balance of larger scale operations and decision-making with occasional telescoping down to small scale actions that reveal the unique nature of that conflict. For such a brief work (Osprey's format constrains volume length to 90-100 pages) he addresses the complex issues of terrain, strategic decisions, logistics, and a complicated and dynamic order of battle. His analysis incorporates some of the newest research in the field - for example the impact of the rapid expansion of the Red Army on the quality of leadership rather than the purges.However, the most unique and interesting aspect of this volume (as well as the others in the trilogy) are the excellent photos, maps and art work. The photos in particular are well chosen and with insightful commentary (particularly this last volume) that illustrate the operating conditions, technology and terrain that made the "Eastern Front" such a distinctive conflict.The scale and range of operations, physical and economic geography, and the complexity of leadership issues (ideology, nationality, organization, personality etc.) makes the coverage of the Soviet-German War a challenging task indeed. Kirchubel has addressed this challenge with effective if not admirable results. I hope the author follows up with a similar (and much needed) work on the 1942 campaign.

Ever since getting Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2) I've been waiting for this one to come out. And it is about time it did. It is as good as the priveious two covering operations in the North and in the South of the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the clash between the 20th Century's Two most evil empires. Why the author kept this one for last I do not know but I am glad Osprey has finally published it.Covers operations in the move for Moscow quite well. Very well describes its actions and why it failed for the Germans even though they came so well close to Victory. Politicians should never be allowed to meddle with military decisions.A must read for students of military history and anyone interested in WWII.

Brought as a present

Some news

Robert Kirchubel has attempted the major subject of Barbarossa very brilliantly.Barbarossa must be one of the most intensive movement campaigns so far and it is extremly difficult to keep track of the multitude of units over the vast expanses of alien Russia...not to mention to pack this in to three short Osprey Campaign books.The first two books are very fluent to read and fast paced. Book three has bogged down infront of Moscow with the multitude of stranded German units mentioned. Nearly no personal accounts, rather boring. (German Generals drawing their personal weapons to defend themselves is mentioned a couple of times, but is not expanded on.)None the less all three books are very well suited to get a first overview of Barbarossa.I dont understand why Operation Typhoon is gone in to also...could have been a fourth book to the series.The plates are okay, nothing to rave about though.The Kirchubel books are from a "armour professional" and a clear cut above anything amateur Peter D. Antill (Stalingrad, Berlin 1945) has dared to publish under the Osprey name.Book overpriced as all Osprey books.

Genau das, wer Osprey Campaign kennt weis wie auch dieser Titel aufgebaut ist.Besonders die umfassenden Karten sind als praktisch hervorzuheben.