Written by Hoepner's chief of staff on the Eastern Front, this
military biography study of Hoepner is available in English for the
first time.
This volume in the Die Wehrmacht im Kampf series examines Erich
Hoepner's leadership of panzer formations in Poland in 1939, France in
1940, and Russia in 1941. It is written by Walter Chales de Beaulieu, a
general staff officer who fought alongside Hoepner. Erich Hoepner was
one of the most competent tank commanders of World War II, playing a
significant role in Germany's early successes. As the commander of the
XVI Panzer Corps at the outbreak of war in 1939, Hoepner carried out the
main thrust towards Warsaw. The panzer corps covered 250 kilometers and
reached the outskirts of the city in only eight days.
In 1940, commanding the same formation, Hoepner fought the French
Cavalry Corps in Belgium, partook in the encirclement of Allied forces
near Dunkirk, and advanced southwards over the Weygand Line deep into
French territory. In 1941, Hoepner became the commander of Panzer Group
4, which was the main attack formation for the advance on Leningrad. It
made rapid progress to begin with, but an increasingly wide and exposed
front meant that the attack gradually ground to a halt. After one final
attempt to capture the city in the middle of September failed, the
panzer group was redeployed to the central sector of the Eastern Front.
It was there that the panzer group was to help with the push towards
Moscow. In conjunction with Panzer Group 3, Hoepner's Panzer Group 4
completed and eliminated the Vyazma pocket. Hoepner frequently felt that
he was not allowed to advance on Moscow quickly enough by his superiors,
yet his decision to conduct a withdrawal in January 1942 led to his
dismissal.
In this book, Walter Chales de Beaulieu provides insight into Erich
Hoepner's ability as a panzer commander, painting a picture of a man who
was committed to the military profession, who possessed a strong sense
of responsibility, and who was confident enough to exercise his own
will.
