Movie Theater The Last Panther 🐱‍👤 Slaughter of the Reich by Wolfgang Faust

[steve podleski]

Very interesting Youtube video in the audio book format on a story about a Panther commander trying to breakout of a Soviet encirclement in April 1945. Some good action report on a battle between Panthers and King Tigers with Soviets JS1 tanks. It is a long story, over 4 hrs long but worthwhile listening.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Thanks for this... I know what I'll be listening to this weekend!

Sirhr

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Am about 3/4’through this.. it is amazing. Part of me says that there is no way one sergeant saw all that in a few days.

Part of me also says that given the state of things in the last days of the Reich... yeah. This doesn’t surprise me.

It is riveting.

Sirhr

 

[phxfa]

3 hrs in, highly recommended

 

[Samuel Whittemore]

You're right!! --RIVETING.

The vivid descriptions like... The decapitated red's body rushing forward several meters, still firing his hand gun before crumpling.. F!

Can 75mm or 88 tank casings be bought?

For tank reference:

 

[sirhrmechanic]

I was interested in the descriptions of the effectiveness of the Hetzer. And Faust's description of how they could have made 6 of them for each of the 500 King Tigers that Germany wasted so much money and resources on. HItler's wunder weapons... were a disaster.

For a great book, Richard Overy's "Why the Allies Won." Examines all kinds of factors.

Another (can't remember the author) is "First Soldier." About Hitler as military commander. And what a hash he made of things.

Great audiobook!

Sirhr

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Can 75mm or 88 tank casings be bought?

Original German WWII FlaK 88 High Explosive Inert Round with Transit Tube

Original Item: Only One Available. This round is inert and follows guidelines provided by the ATF. The 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 is a German 88 mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognized...

www.ima-usa.com

Yes, but they are spendy!

Sirhr

 

[Samuel Whittemore]

Original German WWII FlaK 88 High Explosive Inert Round with Transit Tube

Original Item: Only One Available. This round is inert and follows guidelines provided by the ATF. The 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 is a German 88 mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognized...

www.ima-usa.com

Yes, but they are spendy!

Sirhr

$2,300!!. Well... maybe if it weren't inert. lol

 

[FF05]

'The Last Panther' is the second book, you need to start with 'Tiger Tracks'.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

Excellent "movie" or book....I haven't been able to stop listening. Super thanks for the suggestion and the link!

VooDoo

 

[steve podleski]

"Tigers in the mud by Otto Carius" by Tiger ace Otto Carius

 

[RGStory]

Very interesting Youtube video in the audio book format on a story about a Panther commander trying to breakout of a Soviet encirclement in April 1945. Some good action report on a battle between Panthers and King Tigers with Soviets JS1 tanks. It is a long story, over 4 hrs long but worthwhile listening.

Finished this last night. It is a good fictional memoir. Thank you for sharing. The author certainly did his homework in researching the Halbe.

Credit goes to the 12th army for the willingness to hold the bridgehead and the ability to do so. I was glad the author captured that aspect.

Also see the following for personal interviews from American, German and Russian participants. Fast forward to the 42 minute mark for images of the bridge they had to cross.





For those interested in reading additional first hand accounts of the battle, you can find them in the following:

"Death Was Our Companion: The Final Days of the Third Reich" by Tony Tissier

"Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army" by Tony Tissier

 

[steve podleski]

"

Hitler's Last Army - Ninth Army Breakout 1945 by Mark Felton​

 

[steve podleski]

"The Last German WWII Attack - Operation Potsdam 1945"

 

[RGStory]

Gen Wenke's chief of staff Colonel Reichhelm, being the Chief of Staff mentioned in that video did a few interviews over the years.

You can find a him at the 12 minute mark on the below video. Skip to the 37 minute mark for the description of Keitel's meeting with Wenke to deliver the orders to the 12th Army.

The entire series "Hitler's Warriors" is a good primer on 6 important figures in the German military at the time.

 

[steve podleski]

Finished this last night. It is a good fictional memoir. Thank you for sharing. The author certainly did his homework in researching the Halbe.

Credit goes to the 12th army for the willingness to hold the bridgehead and the ability to do so. I was glad the author captured that aspect.

Also see the following for personal interviews from American, German and Russian participants. Fast forward to the 42 minute mark for images of the bridge they had to cross.





For those interested in reading additional first hand accounts of the battle, you can find them in the following:

"Death Was Our Companion: The Final Days of the Third Reich" by Tony Tissier

"Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army" by Tony Tissier

Am now reading "Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army" by Tony Tissier. The book is a little dry and reads like a battle report by staff officers but it shows both sides of the conflict. What is interesting is the Stalin's distrust of his front commanders, especially Zhukov who was very popular with the Russian people. There are snippets of personal recollections. All in all, the 'fictional' story by the Panther commander in the "Last Panthers" may be a embellished account of someone who may have been a survivor of that rout of the Germans. I think that only the Germans and Russians and Chinese may have experienced that degree of slaughter. The only instance where Americans may have experienced something similar may have been the destruction of an US Army division/regiment/brigade in North Korea when the Chinese first crossed the Yalu river.

 

[RGStory]

Am now reading "Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army" by Tony Tissier. The book is a little dry and reads like a battle report by staff officers but it shows both sides of the conflict. What is interesting is the Stalin's distrust of his front commanders, especially Zhukov who was very popular with the Russian people. There are snippets of personal recollections. All in all, the 'fictional' story by the Panther commander in the "Last Panthers" may be a embellished account of someone who may have been a survivor of that rout of the Germans. I think that only the Germans and Russians and Chinese may have experienced that degree of slaughter. The only instance where Americans may have experienced something similar may have been the destruction of an US Army division/regiment/brigade in North Korea when the Chinese first crossed the Yalu river.

A couple of days ago, David Dushman, the last surviving Soviet soldier involved in the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz died. At the time the war ended he was one of 69 soldiers that survived from an initial division strength of 12,000. I could not find a comparable example within the annuals of 20th century American military experience. Even the Philippine Divisions saw more survivors after the war.

Regarding good historians writing hard to read books, I absolutely agree. I have always lamented that the problem with historians is that their writing style is dry and uninteresting to the uninitiated. Their focus is to be informative and written in a style that can be easily verified and the research continued if necessary. There are exceptions of course.

So what's next on the reading list?
Russian Airborne Operations?

 

[pmclaine]

A couple of days ago, David Dushman, the last surviving Soviet soldier involved in the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz died. At the time the war ended he was one of 69 soldiers that survived from an initial division strength of 12,000. I could not find a comparable example within the annuals of 20th century American military experience. Even the Philippine Divisions saw more survivors after the war.

Regarding good historians writing hard to read books, I absolutely agree. I have always lamented that the problem with historians is that their writing style is dry and uninteresting to the uninitiated. Their focus is to be informative and written in a style that can be easily verified and the research continued if necessary. There are exceptions of course.

So what's next on the reading list?
Russian Airborne Operations?

Russians were MFers......typical commies with no concern for human life. A good number of those 12,000 dead were certainly attributed to the Nazis but neglect and kommisars likely also took a bunch. Mr Dushman wins the "Darwin you Deserve to Procreate" award.

Sovs were MFers in general they held back at Aushwitz and warsaw to allow the Germans to put down any resistance that might than resist the Russians.

Laughed at the part in one of those films where Americans with arty stood by and watched Germans shell Russians as they held their bridgehead to allow more Germans to cross the bridge west.....little bit of Karma.

Patton was right.

 

[RGStory]

Russians were MFers......typical commies with no concern for human life. A good number of those 12,000 dead were certainly attributed to the Nazis but neglect and kommisars likely also took a bunch. Mr Dushman wins the "Darwin you Deserve to Procreate" award.

Sovs were MFers in general they held back at Aushwitz and warsaw to allow the Germans to put down any resistance that might than resist the Russians.

Laughed at the part in one of those films where Americans with arty stood by and watched Germans shell Russians as they held their bridgehead to allow more Germans to cross the bridge west.....little bit of Karma.

Patton was right.

It was an oddity of modern warfare introduced during the 20th century that it became common for more combatants to die in direct combat actions rather than from deprivations outside of combat. The Soviets never did seem to catch up to everyone else on the subject.

I would like to see the statistics on Russian attrition rates of frontline units from activities other than combat. Unfortunately, the Soviets were extremely guarded about that material.

 

[atepointer]

Unbelievable wow. Thanks. Have passed this on to a ton of people

 

[RGStory]

Am now reading "Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army" by Tony Tissier. The book is a little dry and reads like a battle report by staff officers but it shows both sides of the conflict

Have you gotten around to reading Tissier's other book "Death Was Our Companion" or "Berlin, Dance of Death"?

 

[steve podleski]

Have you gotten around to reading Tissier's other book "Death Was Our Companion" or "Berlin, Dance of Death"?

Just finished the book. It seems that the author of "Last Panthers" read the book since many details are the same including abandoning the last Panthers in a swamp.
Will probably read the other books.