Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION·’BLITZKRIEG’ IN URBAN AREAS: Prewar doctrine: German – British; 1940: anticipating invasion; American responses·THE EASTERN FRONT, 1941–44: The opening rush; Stalingrad: the academy of street fighting; Warsaw: improvisation and terror; Lessons from Warsaw: the German analysis·THE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE: The Canadians in Ortona; British analysis: Fighting in Built Up Areas (1943); Cassino; Air support: Training Manual No.5·THE US ARMY IN NW EUROPE: Doctrine: FM 31-50; The urban environment – squad organization – house-to-house fighting – tank/infantry co-operation – raiding; Practical experience: 23rd Infantry at Brest – 26th Infantry at Aachen – 410th Infantry at Schillersdorf·GERMANY, 1945: German forces; Allied forces – flamethrowers·CONCLUSIONS·PLATE COMMENTARIES·INDEX

Promotional Information

From Cassino to Stalingrad, many of the most famous and brutal battles of World War II were fought in the burnt out remains of cities. This book describes and illustrates the tactics used by the men who fought nearly face-to-face amidst the ruins.

About the Author

Dr Stephen Bull is the Curator of the Museum of Lancashire in Preston, which incorporates the collections of several local regiments. Born in 1960, he graduated from the University of Wales with a BA (Hons) in history in 1981, and obtained his doctorate from University College, Swansea, with a study of English Civil War weapons. For several years from 1984 he worked at the National Army Museum, on a fortifications project and later in the Weapons Department. He has written numerous articles for specialist journals, including a number on the weapons and tactics of World War I.

Reviews

"Probably the most difficult type of warfare involves fighting in urban areas ... author Stephen Bull covers the variety of methods used by the major combatants in Europe when fighting in an urban environment. He shows how the tactics changed with the introduction of new weapons and as new things were learned ... a fascinating read..." --Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (October 2008) "... based on rare wartime British, US, German and Soviet training documents which describe how house-to-house combat was to be conducted." --California Bookwatch (November 2008)