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The lengendary Tiger tank…Hitler’s super weapon in the WW2 battlefield. So superior to all other tanks from the enemy the Battle of Kursk was delayed to allow the Tiger 1 to spearhead the attack that might drive the Russians back and bring victory to the Germans on the eastern front…roughly they hoped. “The Last Citadel” by David L Robbins can be a fictional novel depending on this premise which is my review.The Last Citadel by David L Robbins, is often a fictional book depending on historical events all around the epic tank battle at Kursk Russia in 1943 during WWII. The German forces were caught up by the Russian winter, the Russian victory at Stalingrad and so the subsequent spring rain and mud. In the summer of 1943 the Germans had amassed a massive force to address Russia and regain lost ground. This would resulted in the largest tank battle ever and also lends a dynamic backdrop to this particular book. There are 4 main characters that drive this story. The first is a Spanish officer Captain Luis Ruiz de Vega serving with all the SS Liebstandarte Panzer Division. He was wounded inside the Battle of Leningrad and is also but a shell of his former greatness. The next 3 are from the same Russian Cossack family. Dimitri Berko, a private driving the T-34 inside Soviet 3rd Mechanized Division. He is commanded by Sergeant Valentin Berko, Dimitri’s son, and Katya Berkovna, Dimitri’s daughter, per night bomber with all the famous all-female bomber squadrons in the Red Air Force, so-called the Night Witches with the Germans that they can bomb. The 3 main story lines follow de Vega being assigned to escort the modern super panzer in the German Army, the Tiger 1 Panzerkampfwagen VI, via train on the front and assure that this Tigers are delivered intact. He then starts itching to use it to command one of the Tigers in the Battle of Kursk. He soon realizes how a Tiger is most effective in battle. With Demitri and son Valentin in the same T-34 there is certainly much with the father/son tension along while using tank battles that ensue. The author keeps all entities separate into appears like 3 different stories revolving around the build up on the tank battle at Kursk. Each character has there own well detailed back stories which are fleshed out through memories, flashbacks and boastful story telling during the lulls within the battles. The best facet of this book is the historical detail and accuracy of the Tiger tank along with the Battle of Kursk. This book was not far from being non-fiction inside level of detail, but additionally very engrossing character development. After reading about David L Robbins level of research that has been conducted, I knew precisely how realistic this book was. He had spent 3 weeks on the battlefields of Kursk inside middle of summer receiving a feel for heat and sun of the Russian steppes. He also competed in how to derail a train using explosives because the Partisan Russian fighters attempted in destroying the shipment of the Tiger tanks inside the story. Time has also been spent in pouring over accounts from German and Russian tankers’ upfront battle accounts. “Hands on” equipment training was handed to him including firearms towards the tanks at the Aberdeen Ordinance Museum in Maryland and being taken around in a restored T-34 in Virginia. David L Robbins certainly did his homework just for this book and you will probably feel it monotonous it. If you want WW2 tanks, then this can be a must read for you personally.
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About the author: William Snyder features a passion for World War 2 German panzer tanks…a case in point that it inspired him to design and create t shirts depending on these armored beasts. To see his designs goto: ACHTUNG T SHIRT and BLOG.