PANZERGRENADIER

Author: Thomas Anderson

Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Year published: 2021

Pagination: 301pp, c500 b/w photos & illustrations

Condition: new in d/w

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With the development of the German Panzerwaffe, military planners realized both the enormous potential of the tank as a breakthrough weapon, but also the issues faced by support units following the attacking force. A tank assault moved rapidly forwards and this required a motorized infantry which could keep pace with the attack. This motorized infantry element was an integral Schutzenbrigade (rifle brigade), and it was equipped with a suitable means of transport - the Schützenpanzerwagen APC. During Operation Barbarossa, German forces were faced by the Red Army and unforeseen weather conditions. With the onset of the harsh Russian winter the operation failed, and the war in the east entered a new phase. From experience gained from the operation, a new arm of the military was created: the Panzergrenadier.