Iron Horsemen: The Memoirs of Obergefreiter Ernst Panse, 24 Panzer Division, Stalingrad, 1942-1943 Book

This is an account of the Battle of Stalingrad's later stages, written from the perspective of a radio operator in a platoon leader's, later squadron commander's, tank. Of the 145 men who started the campaign in his squadron, only six survived to the surrender on the 2nd of February 1943. After his tank was knocked out, Panse was pursued by Russian assault infantry and fired on by high velocity anti-tank guns. At one stage he and his commander had to shelter beneath the bodies of recently killed infantry as the only protection against the splinters of Russian rockets. Iron Horsemen (a reference to the unit's cavalry origins) is a tribute above all to the virtues of comradeship and group loyalty; Panse would never have survived the battle nor its aftermath were it not for the selfless care and concern of his fellow crewmen. To read Panse's account is to understand why the German Army, even in a situation of utter hopelessness, could hold on, to the amazement of its foes. Panse makes plain his sense of outrage at the cynicism of Goering, the sense of betrayal at the waste of his comrades' lives caused by the empty promises of succor for a doomed cause.Read More