Soviet Tanks in Manchuria 1945 - The Red Army's ruthless last blitzkrieg of World War II

A new illustrated study of the devastating, but little-known Soviet armoured blitzkrieg against the Japanese in the last weeks of World War II, and how it influenced Soviet tank doctrine as the Cold War dawned. Although long overshadowed in the West by the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the USSR''s lightning strike into Manchuria in August 1945 was one of the most successful and unique campaigns of the era. Soviet forces, led by over 5,500 tanks and self-propelled guns, attacked across huge distances and deserts, marshes, and mountains to smash Japan''s million-strong Kwantung Army in a matter of days.Japanese forces were short of training and equipment, but nevertheless fought fiercely, inflicting 32,000 casualties on the Soviets. Red Army operations were characterized by surprise, speed and deep penetrations by tank-heavy forces born of the brutal lessons it learned during years fighting the Wehrmacht. Lessons from the campaign directly shaped Soviet Cold War force structure and planning for mechanized operations against the West.Illustrated with contemporary artwork and rare photos from one of the best collections of Soviet military photos in the West, this fascinating book explains exactly how the last Blitzkrieg of World War II was planned, fought, and won, and how it influenced the Red Army''s plans for tank warfare against NATO in Europe.>

Product details

• Authors: William E Hiestand, William E. Hiestand
• Assisted by: Irene Cano Rodríguez (Illustration), Henry Morshead (Illustration), Irene Cano Rodríguez (Illustration)
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2023
• EAN: 9781472853721
• ISBN: 978-1-4728-5372-1
• No. of pages: 48
• Dimensions: 180 mm x 244 mm x 4 mm
• Series: New Vanguard
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Japan, China, HISTORY / Military / Vehicles, Military vehicles, HISTORY / Russia & the Former Soviet Union, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Battles & campaigns, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe), USSR, Soviet Union, Tanks & military land vehicles, Land forces & warfare, Battles and campaigns, Specific battles, Land forces and warfare, Northeast China