Land based military operations in World War II are usually associated with sweeping “Blitzkrieg type” battles that involve opposing forces in constant movement. However, many major battles reverted to the centuries old concept of siege warfare – two of the most significant, and extensively covered, being the epic sieges of Stalingrad and Leningrad.
With Siege! the author, Pat McTaggart, has focused on six of the lesser-known sieges of WW II: The bitter defense of the Brest Litovsk Fortress by the Russians in 1941; the frozen Hell of Fortress Kholm – which held out against numerous Russian attacks; the complex operations to capture the highly fortified Sevastopol peninsula; the betrayal of the gallant Hungarian and German defenders of Budapest; the tragedy of Königsberg and the hard-fought, successful defense of Breslau, which held out until after the official German surrender.
Utilizing both the latest military technology of the time and historical techniques of siege warfare, the attackers, in most cases, successfully attempted to overcome the fortifications of the defenders. However, in most cases the price of victory was a high one.
The author has produced a well-researched book that is a great read. The text is supplemented by numerous excellent maps and many contemporary photographs.
