云声雾影

The 258.Infanterie Division is one of many anonymous infanterie formation from Wehrmacht. OK, I would say any infanterie division that didn't fight Britains or Americans is more or less anonymous to English-speaking readers, and 258th is just one of them. A 4.Welle division as 258th is somewhat similar to those Reservedivision that Germans used to launch first Ypern Battle, but of course it is filled with conscripts, not volunteers. This division fought in France, though only playing a minor role. It then spent 2 years in middle sector of Ostfront, almost always near the famous Warsaw-Moscow highway. After Battle of Orel it was transfered to much weakened 6.Armee, then stayed with this army, until it was destroyed in Soviet Romanian Offensive of August, 1944. The 258th shared the same fate around Jassy area.

Their division history is an interesting item. From my opinion it is one of two best infanteriedivision histories that you could relatively easily to get (the other one is Die Geschichte der 21. (ostpr./westpr.) Infanterie-Division ). These two, along with some more expensive ones, combine text and map of first class, and supplemented by tables, Auszug der Befehlen und Kriegstagebuch, and other useful things, such as TOE, OOB, or even fire plan of artillery. Cleared edited, with both KTB style narration and personal Berichten, you are unlikely to ask even more. Almost all important battles are recorded.

The first volume, 140 pages, is for France Campaign, the next one, 291 pages, is for Russian Campaign until end of soviet Winter offensive of 1941/42, and 324 pages Volume III is for remaining days of Russian Campaign. So you see the Schwerpunkt is on Operation Barbarossa. But all other part of division's combat histroy is well documented, too.

There are more than 100 maps to illustrate the text narration. There are also unknown amount of photos. Because the photo page, as usual in Eigenverlag books, are not numbered, so I don't the exact number of photos. There must be more than 100 in all three volumes. Quality of photos are generally good.

One problem is, these fine books are unfortunately printed with softcover. Well, that's not the best way to preserve a book. It seems some of these books were sold or issued together with a paper box, as those of boxset collector edition. However in most cases they are sold seperately, so without this paper box. Because of paperback, the condition of books is not always satisfying.

All in all, these 3 books are lovely item that worth your time and money to get. I would say the price is moderate. For German collectors, 60-70 Euro should be more than enough to get all three in ebay, but for those abroad, you may have to pay up to 100.


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Author: Pflanz/Gudelius/Dieckmann
Format: Softcover, A5, some 3 volumes in boxset form
Page: 765 (all three volumes), plus unknown photo pages
Publisher: Eigenverlag, Kameradengesellschaft (Privat Printing)
Year: 1975, 1978, 1979
Other Edition: None

Value, General: 5 (MUST HAVE!!)
Value, Antique: 3 (Those book are not rarity, but only on internet antiquity seller are they always available). 


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"...

This book is the official history of 23.Panzer Division, a relatively little known panzer unit. Perhaps most readers know about it only from the failed operation to rescue the 6.Armee. It, however, fought much more tough battles other than this one. And, as it was organized during the war, fought exclusively in the southern part of east front, always engaged in mobile actions, the divison really set up a good example for a typical German Panzerdivision, and provides good insight into the development and operation of Panzertruppen in Ostfront.

The quality of this book is unprecedented, and almost also unparalleled in single volume history of German Panzer unit. It was written in Kriegstagebuch style. There is very few, if any, personal experience. Such style is very rare in early 60s. Compared with the history of Grossdeutschland, you could clearly sense this. It provided rich details on every major and many minor operations, accompanied by 104(!!) Kartenskizzen in text.  520 pages are dedicated to the unit history itself, well balanced divided into 3 Kriegsjahre the division endured in East Front. A 71 pages Anhang provides many useful data, including officers list, condition of equipments (Waffenlage, Bestand der Panzerfahrzeuge bzw. Kfz, etc), Kriegsgliedung, numbers of destroyed enemy tanks and own losses (every year, down to bataillon level). One word, EVERYTHING!

Then follow a 3 pages folded map, 90 pages (counted by me, could be several more or less) of good quality photos (again, about everything, battles, tanks, soldiers, scenes, tombs...) to complete this wonderful book.

If you ever want to invest some money on a single Regimentsgeschichte of Wehrmacht, I would recommend this one. I love and enjoy my copy very much.



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Author: Ernst Rebentisch (You could find him on german wiki)
Format: Hardcover, with DJ , A5
Page: 591, plus 3 pages folded map, plus 90 un-numbered foto pages
Publisher: Eigenverlag, Kameradengesellschaft (Privat Printing)
Year: 1963
Other Edition: Another edition on 1980? (This edition has a title of "23.P.D.". Obviously without DJ.  If everything others are same as 1963 Edition, I don't know.

Value, General: 5 (MUST HAVE!!)
Value, Antique: 4 (You don't always find it on internet antiquariat, on ebay it appears several time every year. You usually get the 1980 edition below 100 euro. Origin Edition from 1963 could be a bit or much more expensive). 


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"...

This book is a typical Divisonsgeschichte of Wehrmacht. The book let you know about a lesser famous infantry division that exclusively served in Italian Campaign. It, well, let's say, is of typical Podzun style. About 20% to 30% Personal Bericht,  plus Kriegstagebuch style narration. The narration is mostly from the viewpoint of division and regiment level,it lacks rich details of some other works, such as history of 232.Infanterie Division, but you still get a more or less clear picture of this certain division, which, I suppose, is not frequently mentioned in other literatures.

The book is equiped with a good dust jacket, with all three versions of divison emblem. The Kartenskizzen and Fotos could be only described as "so-so". There are only 7 skizzen, 26 photos. The quality of photos are not better than usual podzun level. The skizzen are drawn in a clear pattern, not messed up, as in some cases, but they are quite simple. One flaw is there is no allies unit whatsoever appearing on those skizzen.


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Author: Wilhelm Velten
Format: Hardcover, with DJ , A5
Page: 223
Publisher: Kurt Vowinckel Verlag
Year: 1974
Other Edition: None

Value, General: 4
Value, Antique: 3 


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"...

This book, from my knowledge, is the last one of Graz-based Leopold Stocker Verlag's divisional history series. All others are about Gebirgsdivision. This 100th Jäger Division, however, is a light infantry division. The soldiers came mostly from Austria (about 60%) and Silesia (one regiment, one artillery bataillon, about 35%).

The book is well balanced, dedicating 233 pages for its "first life" (bis Stalingrad) and another 170 pages for a second 100th Division. All battles and campagins, including fighting guerillas in Croatia and Albania, are mentioned and described. The book combines military narration and personal experience well, though narration part still claims a majority. My opinion is, this book is the best one from Stocker Verlag's series. Though Karl Ruef's Odysee einer Gebirgsdivision still claims the laurel by its readability, in a strict meaning of military unit chronicle "Mit Tanne und Eichenlaub" is simply better written and edited.

Oh, I forget to mention author. Herrn Hans Neidhardt served for 3 years in this division. After war he entered Austrian Army, served in Artillerie, later in Heeresmaterialamt. It is said he was an accomplished military writer, this could perhaps explain the quality of the book.

The book contains a reasonable number of skizzen and photos, which are of good quality, but not outstanding. The cover art is of usual later Stocker way, green background (green is the color of Gebirgstruppen, I suppose), with title and division emblem.

If you are a fan of Gebirgstruppen, you may want to grab this one as well, to see the highest standard and cream of the Leopold Stocker division history series.



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Author: Hans Neidhardt
Format: Hardcover, with DJ , A5
Page: 468, including some un-numbered photo pages and 2 2-pages-Marschwegkarte of the division.
Publisher: Leopold Stocker Verlag
Year: 1981
Other Edition: None

Value, General: 4
Value, Antique: 3 ( You could get it for 46 Euros in amazon. If you have access to German Ebay, 30 Euro is a reasonable price for a good copy)


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"... 

This book is one of two that written by Herrn Heinrich Bouscein, who served as frontline soldier in WWII, and a forester after the war. His book is, as many other amateur miltiary writters of Germany, though trying to focus in a military viewpoint, however still seems more "essay" style than "dry unit history" style as 4.Panzer Division from Neumann. However the book is by no means second class, but very well researched serious work.

The book deals with some very interesting history of last year of the war. First, the division itself is interesting enough. It is formed in summer 1944, about the same time of Operation Bagration and assassination attempt on Hitler. Its soldiers are strange mixed bag of Ostfront Veteran (They were intercepted after their Urlaub in various Bahnhofen) and young recruits with only weeks of training (which reminisces the same young boys that fought BEF in Ypern 30 years ago). The equipment is of newest type, however the training and intergration are definitely not enough.

The other interesting fact is it fought first class US troops (1st Armored and 10th Mountain Division) and even Brasilien Exp.Force. And the battle of spring 1945 on western part of Italian Front could almost be described as "forgotten battles". So this book is almost single detailed narration from german side, in single unit level.

It is accompanied by many fotos, both colored and b/w, but most of them are about landscape. There are also 13 colored tactical map, these are of high quality.

In all I like the cover art of Bouscein's 2 books, with olive drab as background color, with unit coat of arm, and a colored wartime photo.

Because this one deals not Ostfront or Westfront, it is less popular than his other book, so still available for a reasonable price on market. However you may want to grab one copy now, before it finally becomes antiquity and the price goes rocket high.


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Author: Heinrich Boucsein
Format: Hardcover, with DJ , A4
Page: 219, including photo pages and 13 colored map pages.
Publisher: Kurt Vowinckel Verlag
Year: 2000
Other Edition: None

Value, General: 4
Value, Antique: 2 (in germany) 3 (other countries)


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"...

This book is one of the rarities coming from Eigenverlag, i.e. privat publishers. The quality is however very high. I don't know if there is an orginal dust jacket, but all 3 copies I managed to see are without it.

The book is written in an übliche later 70s style. If you manage to locate a copy of the unit history book of same era, for example 5.Pz Div or 7. Pz Div, you would understand what I mean. There are both Kriegstagebuch style narration and Bericht from individuals, combination of Hinze and Niepold. With help of excellent maps. The detail is not of top level, however surely more than that most readers would care to know.

The photos are of usual Podzun level, that is not top class but still good. There are more than one hundred of them, perhaps 200, but I don't bother to count.

One thing you may want to know is that book has some Beilagen. With my copy comes a Skizzenheft with 48 Skizzen, a so called "Nachtrag" booklet of about 40 pages, and a Vormarschwegkarte. You may want to check your copy if all those things are there. From my experience making a copy of such Skizzenheft could be such a headache.


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Author: Traditionverband of 121.Division
Format: Hardcover, black linen cover, with DJ , A5, with skizzenheft, Nachtragheft, and a map.
Page: 364, plus some not numbered photo pages, many photos, in good quality.
Publisher: Eigenverlag
Year: 1970
Other Edition: Unknown

Value, General: 4
Value, Antique: 5


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"...

Well, you may wonder what is Schlesische Infanterie, actually. Let me tell you that means Infanterie Regiment 7 (later Grenadier Regiment 7) of Reichswehr / Wehrmacht.  Of course during the course of the war there were many regiments coming from  Silesia, but the 7.Regiment is the so called Stammregiment, for all later regiments coming from it. In Reichswehr era it is the only infantry regiment stationed in Silesia.

The book first briefly relates 2 regiments that constitute the tradition of that Reichswehr regiment , the 1.Schles.Infanterie Regiment Nr.10 and "Steinmetz Füsilliere" (Füs.Regt Nr.37 from West Prussia). Then begins the story of our regiment itself. The first 73 pages are devoted to activities before war, and Poland, and France Campaign. The Poland and France Campaign are covered very compactly, only with 11 and 16 pages. All remaining are devoted to Russian campaign, which covered with almost the same detail level as Infanterie Regiment 5.

The book was written in a Kriegstagebuch style, little or none personal experiecen, but is not boring, for events themselves are dramatic enough. The author apologized for not using original Kriegstagebuch material from spring 1942 on, for those already totally destroyed in Postam Archiv during last days of the war. But I think "other documents" are not much worse, the quality is not downgraded in later part of the book. The skizzes are better than that of Infanterie Regiment.5, I think the job is well done.



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Author: Romuald Bergner
Format: Hardcover, gray linen cover, with DJ , A5
Page: 541, plus 25 photo pages, about 200 photos, in good quality, but sometimes with very small size.
Publisher: Heinrich Pöppinghaus Verlag, Bochum
Year: 1980
Other Edition: Unknown

Value, General: 4
Value, Antique: 3


Value Standard, general: 5, great book, must read.
                                      4, recommend to read for fans in this area.
                                      3, read if you could get a cheap copy or have spare time. Good book, but not worth special effort to find it
                                      2, only recommend to get from library, should not waste money on it.
                                      1, even  you pay no money for it, it  still waste  your time.

Value Standard, antique: 5, almost impossbile to get, both from internet or from major library.  Prepare a very hefty price if this one does emerge.
                                      4, emerge on internet occasionally. For a hefty price, you could always get it from antique sellers.
                                      3, antique item, generally sold more than its original price.
                                      2, used item generally sold less than original price.
                                      1, so called "ebay one dollar item"...