"We have to ensure that the offensive is not only 100% successful, but 200% " General Zhukov, Vistula-Oder Offensive, 1945 This fascinating compilation of wartime battlefield reports drawn from Russian and German sources has been carefully selected by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers to produce an absorbing overview of the organisation and tactics of the Red Army in World War II. Featured topics include anti-tank measures, cavalry tactics, the development of the Red Guards, Soviet parachute battalions, mountain fighters, mortar formations, field defences and improvisations, artillery effectiveness, infantry tactics and more. Combining contemporary reports of the key characteristics of the Red Army with more obscure aspects, including tactical advice given to Soviet troops on how to attack tanks with Molotov cocktails, this excellent survey of sources builds into an absorbing account of the Red Army drawn exclusively from original wartime reports. This new compilation is essential reading for anyone interested in discovering rare and vital information on the combat experience of the Red Army from primary sources.