Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans Von Luck

Rating:
Summary: a good book worth reading
Review: A Quick Review of Panzer Commander

Panzer Commander is one of the most recommended World War Two titles in the English language (it is included in AMAZON's Top 50 military history titles). At its heart, it is the war memoirs of one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldier, Colonel Hans Von Luck. Von Luck, a tank commander in the truest sense of the word, found himself involved in some of the most memorable actions of the war: from the invasion of Poland, to the Battle of Berlin. Through his memoirs, one can obtain a rare perspective: that of a German soldier fighting for the glory of the German Reich. The reader is also able to obtain a unique behind-the-scenes look at German operations during the twentieth century's largest global conflict. As a result, his book has been read by some of the most respected military leaders and historians of the twentieth century. Von Luck writes with a very direct style. He offers no excuses and begs no forgiveness for serving the Nazi regime. He fought because he was a soldier sworn to obey his political masters in Berlin. To do otherwise would be unthinkable. It soon becomes clear that this strict, Prussian military mentality, which asserts itself throughout Von Luck's career, would serve the Nazi war machine well. With a clear set of orders, the Germans proved themselves virtually unstoppable. If it were not for the Allies superior war production, Von Luck maintains, the armies of Hitler would have achieved complete victory. Is this an overly optimistic claim? Perhaps. The Allies had their own strengths. For example, Americans demonstrated the unique ability to operate without preformulated plans and could quickly adapt to any situation, something that would prove to confound the Germans time and again. Would such strengths have sufficed to obtain victory? History provides no easy answer. I will allow you to provide your own answer. At the heart of this book are the military campaigns. The reader is along for the ride as Von Luck storms Poland, fights in the desert of North Africa, bitterly awaits orders to repel the Normandy invasion, and fights to save his men during the chilling last days of World War Two. We are also made privy to some of Von Luck's discussions with Nazi Germany's most capable soldier, Rommel. It soon becomes quite clear why soldiers on both sides of the front held him in such high regard. His remarks, as set down by Von Luck, prove him to have been a man of true genius, both military and political. The sole weakness of this book is to be found in the descriptions of various combat situations. To be honest, I found them to be quite dry and uninspired. We obtain no sense of what actual combat is like from Von Luck's terse descriptions. Furthermore, the lack of maps caused great confusion when certain geographically-based strategies were described. In short, what should have proven the books greatest strength, actually proved to be a boring weakness. What a shame. Ironically, the book concludes with the most interesting and vivid aspect of Von Luck's career: his captivity as a POW. His experiences in a Russian gulag prove to be fascinating. From the rigors of day-to-day survival, to the shocking portrait of Russian administration, Von Luck's achieves what he had failed to do with his combat descriptions; capture and hold the readers attention. It is here that the book excels. Over all, Panzer Commander is a book worth reading. While there are better works that describe particular military battles, few capture the personal aspects of a world war as this book has done.

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Summary: Ceremony in Memory of Battle of Rittershoffen and Hatten, Fr
Review: Dear Reader:
At the 1990 Anniversary Ceremonies in "Memory of the Dead Soldiers, both American and German, and the hundred of French Civilians who died during the terrifying 12 day collision of Tank and Infantry Forces during the Battle at the "Twin Villages of Hatten and Rittershoffen, France"; the Veterans of the brave U.S 14th Armored, who fought together with fellow Veterans of the Brave 315th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Infantry Division and the Brave but green and untested 1st Battalion of the 242nd Infantry Regiment and some Brave elements of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions also of the same regiment of the 42nd Infantry Division that also somehow survived the ferocious battle, despite the controversial premature withdrawal of the 242nd Regiment's 2nd and 3rd battalions, despite orders to the contrary, on night of January 10-11, 1945. And other Brave elements that "fought in Hatten and Rittershoffen there so long ago - but not so far away. . ."
At the Commeration of the Battle of the Twin Villages, the American Soldiers met with their former enemies of the German 21st Armored, 25th Armored Infantry, and elements of the 7th Parachute and 47th Infantry Divisions during that fearsome the collision of Tank and Infantry Units of these Twin Villages of Alsace (France); on the approaches to Hagenau and Strasbourg 10 miles West of the Upper Rhine River in that bitter winter of 1944-45 (January 9-21, 1945).
The late Author of this book "Panzer Commander", gave a beautiful speech in "Rememberance of All the Dead Soldiers, on both sides, and Civilians, that did not survive the 12-Day terrifying Battle in this corner Northeastern, France still haunted.
Regardless, the ahead of his time, Colonel Von Luck told me that Sovereign Nations should remain sovereign and in His speech expressed earlier conveyed his conviction held by all Nations should always maintain at peace.
Although, in his book, the author recounts a lot of his life; including his young life and the fighting in Poland, France, Belgium, Russia, North Africa and his POW life in Russia, where he learned some of the Russian language, his sadness at learning upon returning to Germany that his first love, Dagmer, a television personality had passed away in a car accident. His life as a hotel employee and then as a coffee store owner.
All Veterans of many Ceremonies by all units, of both sides, held at Hatten and Rittershoffen, including the Official French Commerations; like our 2 bus battlefield tour of perhaps of around 75 people that attended in 1990 certainly as in all personal narratives of soldier give a more balanced understanding of this book.
And left us all surprised that this historically forgotten battle is like all battles certainly remembered vividly by those who fought and died there in that Dark Winter of 1944-45, who now desire World Peace but have or someday will all one day "pass into Eternity, perhaps with some of their final thoughts drifting back to those old battlefields of World War II."

Rating:
Summary: A "must read" for anyone interested in World War II Germany
Review: This balanced and thoughtful account of a career Panzer officer's life before, during and after World War II is hard to put down. From the invasion of Poland in 1939 to the fall of Germany in 1945, Colonel Von Luck was in the thick of things throughout World War II. His determination to marry his fiance, who was Jewish, gave me some interesting insights into everyday German life under the Nazis, and his discussions of the numerous battles that he was involved with- the invasion of Poland, France, Russia, Service in The Afrika Corps, the defense of Normany (!!) during D-Day and his capture on the Eastern front-- were straightforward but very interesting to the non-technical reader. A highly decorated career officer, he ended up as a common laborer in a Russian labor camp and was discharged seven years after the end of World War II.After reading this book I have placed it on the top of my list of "must reads" for anyone interested in pre-World War II and World War II Germany. Von Luck's story is all the more incredible because it's true.