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RETREAT FROM LENINGRAD

ARMY GROUP NORTH 1944 / 1945

(STEVEN H. NEWTON)

Most histories of the northern sector of the Russian front concentrate on the siege of Leningrad and focus little attention on the heavy fighting during the Wehrmacht's withdrawal into the Baltic countries.  Retreat from Leningrad begins where those books end, with the massive January 1944 Soviet offensive which was designed not only to break the siege completely but also to destroy Army Group North.

Enjoying huge superiorities in men and material, the Red Army attempted to crush two German armies which lacked more than a handful of tanks, contained a high percentage of unreliable foreign volunteers, and were hampered by Adolph Hitler's inflexible "no retreat" strategy.

This untold story is recovered here in great detail, primarily as told by the German officers who served as Commanders and Chiefs of Staff for Army Group North and its constituent armies.

Their accounts were drafted soon after the war ended at the request of the United States Army but have languished in poorly translated manuscripts until Steven Newton re-translated, corrected, and annotated them, as well as providing substantial amounts of new material direct from the army group's operational records.

The result is the most comprehensive and detailed operational study of sustained combat in the northern sector of the Russian front ever published in English.

‘Retreat from Leningrad’ recreates the critical period in which generals such as Walter Model, Johannes Friessner, and Ferdinand Schörner commanded Army Group North.  The narrative includes a complete recounting of the seesaw battle for the fortified Panther Line, along with statistics on its construction.  The full history of Armeeabteilung Narva is covered in detail, including the amazing story of the fighting retreat through Estonia, outnumbered more than eight to one.

At the highest levels of strategy, this book follows the day-by-day arguments between Hitler and his generals over every conceivable detail of the fighting, as well as the constant shuffling necessary to rebuild and rehabilitate division after decision in order to hold the line.

Additional material includes the most detailed battalion-level order of battle for Army Group North ever published and a comprehensive examination of the tactical success of the army group compared to others on the Russian front.

This 1995 1^st edition United States hardback publication is in new condition having been stored since its publication.  The pages are tightly bound, and the book is obviously unread having only been removed from its protective polythene to allow the photographs above to be taken.  The dustjacket displays no signs of wear (see photograph).  The book runs to 328 pages (22.5cm x 14.5cm), includes an extensive appendix comprising the Order of Battle, and is illustrated throughout the text with several maps and organisational charts.

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