Ian Baxter, Panzergrenadiers 1942-1945 (Pen & Sword, 2021)
A new volume in the Images of War series brings us Panzergrenadiers as surveyed by Ian Baxter. The designation Panzergrenadier came into effect with the reorganization of the German army in 1942. The ‘new’ divisions were motorized and powerful, incorporating panzers, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, and mobile infantry units. This allowed them to innovate rapid deployment tactics, which helped them become an elite fighting force, according to Baxter. He takes us through their history from organization through their wartime operations. Baxter notes that in 1944, the panzergrenadiers became increasingly important, especially on the Eastern Front, and he records their eventual demise in 1945. Baxter’s text is well-supported by many monochrome photographs of the men in the field with accompanying descriptions of their uniforms and equipment.
Baxter undoubtedly knows his stuff when it comes to the German army, but you sometimes get the impression he likes his subject just a bit too much. This comes from his almost constant use of positive caption descriptions of the panzergrenadiers who are moving forward, or poised for action, or who could deploy a couple of MG-34s to hold up an attacking enemy along a five mile frontage. Even within the 1944 chapter, when we know the Germans are losing the war, the captions describe them as advancing, and unusually for an Images of War book, there are no pictures of dead soldiers. Nevertheless, the photographs are an invaluable source for anyone interested in these hard-fighting, battle-tested troops, and modellers and wargamers will find plenty of inspirational material.
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