Operation Barbarossa - Nigel Askey

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Résumé :
Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organisational and Statistical Analysis, and Military Simulation, Volume IIIB is the second of two volumes relating to (and completing) the Soviet armed forces, mobilisation and war-economy from June to December 1941. The Soviet mobilisation that followed the start of Operation Barbarossa remains the largest and fastest mobilisation ever carried out in human history; involving some 11,790,000 conscripts and reservists. Volume IIIB represents the first ever complete and comprehensive quantitative analysis of this immense Soviet mobilisation program. Every major Soviet combat unit formed in the Red Army, Air Force, Navy, NKVD and PVO is included, along with minor units down to HQ and battalion level. All the combat units mobilised, along with the resources used, are presented in a precisely documented and structured fashion. Volume IIIB also includes the most detailed study published to date of the Soviet Air Forces (the VVS and PVO) fielded during 1941. It includes: the VVS command and authorised air-unit structures, detailed Orders of Battle (including aircraft types, strengths and readiness) in each VVS command area in June 1941, air-unit reinforcements, and overall aircraft usage, production, replacements and losses during the second half of 1941. The Soviet Navy (the VMF) is similarity treated, with every significant naval vessel accounted for (including those lost and newly commissioned) in each of the USSR's naval command areas during 1941. Also analysed to the same level of detail are: the actual strength and deployment of Soviet forces in the USSR's internal military districts and Stavka Reserves on 22nd June 1941, pre-war stockpiles and war production of all types of weapon systems and transport, the personnel and equipment used in the formation of newly mobilised forces, the personnel and equipment replacements used by existing combat units, logistical supply of the Soviet armed forces during 1941 (i.e. the changing Supply Distribution Efficiency) and a detailed examination of the Soviet military casualties. The latter includes details on killed, wounded, missing, POW and unfit casualties during 1941, and also reviews the losses from 1942 to 1945. Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organisational and Statistical Analysis collates an immense amount of information from many sources, and presents it with contextual history and analyses. The professional or amateur scholar is provided with comprehensive details of all the armed forces on the East Front during 1941, as well as the relevant economic and logistical support. The complete work represents the most accurate and comprehensive quantitative analysis yet, of the East-Front campaign. Currently no other single work provides a comparable reference on what was the most decisive and destructive campaign of WWII.

Biographie:
Nigel Askey, a University of Sussex physics graduate, worked as a consultant for Talonsoft on their 'East-Front' military simulation series. These remain amongst the most realistic tactical-operational military simulations ever published, with several hundred thousand copies sold. In 1990 he immigrated to Australia, and in 1997 commenced research for the 'Operation Barbarossa 'project', which has been under development for over two decades.