Feldgrau.net

It is Osprey again. I'm still trying to get them interested in publishing fiction

Dear all

I am delighted to let you all know that I have signed a deal for my next book. 'Between Giants: The Battle for the Baltics in World War II' will - I hope - be delivered to the publisher next spring, with a view to publication either at the end of 2012 or early 2013.



Prit

Dear all

Does anyone have an account of the battle of Raseiniai? I have the broad outline, but I'm after anything more detailed.

In particular, does anyone have a copy of Wolfgang Paul's Brennpunkte book about the division, and does it have much to contribute?

Prit

Dear Jez Of course I remember you, and I'm sorry to hear about your loss. My sincere condolences. John Erickson's two epic books 'The road to Stalingrad' and 'The road to Berlin' contain a lot of material about the political and diplomatic goings-on at the time. Likewise Sebag Montefiore's biography...

Great job, Richard. If it's as good as your other stuff, I can't wait.

Thank you, that's helpful. In keeping with the overall theme of the codewords, I think I'll opt for 'ice melt'.

Prit

Yes...but:

Von der Goltz's drive to Jelgava was divided into three phases with the codewords Tauwetter, Eisgang, and Frühlingswind. The first and third translate easily into single-word equivalents, but Eisgang is more awkward. Would 'ice crossing' be OK?

Friends

The second phase of the Freikorps advance towards Jelgava/Mitau in early 1919 was codenamed 'Eisgang'. Can anyone offer me an elegant translation of this?

Prit

Dear friends

I have added to the blog on my website, http://www.buttar.org.uk, with a daily entry 'On this day in 1945...' giving a brief synopsis of events as the Soviet offensive opened. I intend to carry it through to the end of the war. Please visit from time to time!

Prit

Larry

The account in my book is based on three main sources:

Spaeter's history of Grossdeutschland, Vol 2
Dieckert & Grossmann's Kampf um Ostpreussen
Plato's 5 Pz Div.

Between them, they give a good account of the entire Goldap-Gumbinnen operation.

Prit

Larry

Are you talking about the counter-attack to retake Goldap? If they had any artillery support, it is likely to have come from 50 ID. From memory, the advance to link up with 5 Pz. Div prior to that was made without significant artillery support.

Prit

I refer you to the opening Shakespeare quote in my book: Hear me more plainly. I have in equal balance justly weigh’d What wrongs our arms may do, what wrongs we suffer, And find our griefs heavier than our offences. It is human nature to perceive the crimes committed against us as greater than the ...

My website, http://www.buttar.org.uk, now includes a couple of samples from the book.

Prit, are there any actual page samples available?

I will check with the publisher and put something on my website - and here - as soon as they have 'approved'.

Prit

Thank you for your kind words.

The book was huge by the time I finished it, and I had to subject it to a very painful pruning process; some of the pruned segments, together with several maps that were removed, are available here http://www.buttar.org.uk

Prit