This episode concerns the period from 2nd to 24th August 1941, and Army Group North’s operations around the Luga River (in the north), and Novgorod and Staraya Russa (in the south). It includes the ongoing German 4th Panzer Group’s push north and east towards Leningrad, the Soviet counteroffensive near Staraya Russa, and the swift German […]

It is well known that the history of Allied successes in breaking German codes during WWII has been exhaustively researched, documented and published by numerous WWII historians, as well as by the Western media in general. Consequently, these historians and commentators have not only acknowledged these Allied successes, but at least in some cases, they’ve […]

This one includes Army Group North’s advances towards Leningrad (including the near destruction of the 8th Panzer Division, which demonstrates the dangers of over extending in a rapid advance), the advances into Estonia, and the initial Finnish advances into the area north of Leningrad. Each episode is only around 10 minutes, but is packed with […]

In my opinion, it is the best so far, with excellent detail on the actions of German Army Group North in support of Barbarossa from July 2nd to 15th 1941. This video, (and the accompanying one detailing the Battle of Raseiniai), clearly demonstrate the advantages of rapid mobile forces, strong Command and Control infrastructures, and […]

Down to divisional level, the Animated War Mapper (AWM) uses a fully animated battle space to depict the clashes (and the advances and retreats) each day between the German Army Group North and the Soviet Forces in the Baltic Special Military District (the Northern Front from 24th June). It includes Army Group North’s establishment of […]

Starting with Operation Barbarossa’s Northern Sector (Army Group North), the Animated War Mapper will be producing very clear and detailed animated maps (with loads of additional information interspaced throughout) on what turned out to be the largest and costliest military campaign in human history. The videos so far are very well structured (laid out), and, […]

An article by guest author Brian Burmeister. Following the translation of German Front reports from the period, new information has come to light regrading the actual combat effectiveness of what is considered a relatively elite unit in current historical narratives of the East Front.  The Spanish Blue Division in 41-42 The following are links for […]

This question has now been answered with new and insightful research by guest author Wojciech Aleksandrowicz

Part 3 covers: • The Soviet armed forces irrecoverable losses based on the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (TsAMO RF) individual files,• Revised estimate of the Soviet armed forces losses by year from 1941 to 1945,• The overall Soviet demographic (including military and civilian) losses during WWII,• Soviet and […]

Part 2 covers: • Soviet prisoners of war (POWs): the inconvenient truth,• Losses in Soviet Strategic Level Operations in 1941 (encompassing Operation Barbarossa and Operation Typhoon): the Krivosheev figures and the actual losses,• Soviet weapon and equipment losses during WWII, and possible correlation with personnel losses from 1941 to 1945.