The struggle at the Narva bridgehead was typical
for combat on the Eastern Front of World War II.
German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Estonian,
and even Russian, volunteers had enlisted in
the German forces to fight against what they perceived
to be the looming Communist threat from
the east. Whereas other German units in 1944 had
failed to hold their ground in Russia, Heeresgruppe
Nord still clung tenaciously to one of the last occupied
positions near Soviet territory; the Estonian
city of Narva. That toehold was what these volunteers
would fight so dearly for in arduous winter
conditions, hugely outnumbered by their opponents. Massing on the other side were Soviet troops with vengeance in their
hearts. Having endured months of near starvation at Leningrad and Oranienbaum, those soldiers would finally get their
chance to fight the enemy who had earlier invaded their homeland. The city itself would be fought over for months in relentless
battles, often erupting into savage close-quarter combat and frequently leading to thousands of casualties.
This publication takes a more unusual approach in portraying the battles of 1944 by incorporating large amounts of photographic
evidence. The photographs and their captions offer uncommon insight into the life of the average combatant under
German command wanting nothing more than to survive another day. In some cases the photos dating back to 1944 are
actually contrasted with the same location as seen today. That photographic evidence is effectively supported by accurate
historical and archival research, including geographic data, allowing the reader to more fully understand the context of the
battle and events in 1944.
A German edition is in preparation, but will still take some time to be finished. If you are interest in the German edition, please let us know, we will inform you about the current status.
Illustrated with about 120 images and maps.
Author/s: Mansal Denton
Publisher: History Facts
Pages: 112
Language: English
Edition: 1
Year of publication: 2010
Dimensions: 28 x 20 cm
Binding: Hardback
