Tip of the Spear

German Armored Reconnaissance in Action in World War II

Robert J Edwards, Michael H Pruett, Michael Olive

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780811715713
• eBook ISBN: 9780811763301
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World War II
• Index: History

A comprehensive pictorial study of Germany's armored reconnaissance operations across all WWII combat zones.

From the invasions of Poland and France to the advances on the Eastern Front and in North Africa, German tank and infantry units unleashed brutal displays of power. But it was the German armored reconnaissance that laid the groundwork for these stunning victories. In Tip of the Spear, delves into German reconnaissance operations through firsthand accounts, after-action reports, and an extensive collection of wartime photographs. 

The author of  Scouts Out, the first extensive treatment of the subject in English, Edwards delves deeper into the subject of German reconnaissance with extensive analysis of everything from tactics and doctrine to vehicles and commanders.

Table of contents

• Foreword
• A Note on Style
• CHAPTER 1: Prewar Training
• CHAPTER 2: Baptism of Fire
• CHAPTER 3: Blitzkrieg in the West
• CHAPTER 4: The Balkan Campaign
• CHAPTER 5: North Africa
• CHAPTER 6: The Campaign Against the Soviet Union: Barbarossa Unleashed
• CHAPTER 7: 1942: Debacle in the East
• CHAPTER 8: Stalemate in Italy
• CHAPTER 9: The Tide Turns in the East
• CHAPTER 10: The End in the West
• CHAPTER 11: The End in the East
• Appendix 1: School Exercises for Combat Training in Reconnaissance (1939)
• Appendix 2: Reconnaissance Formation Cross-Reference Guide
• Appendix 3: The Transition to Increased Firepower: 1932–45
• Appendix 4: Errata and Addenda to Scouts Out
• Notes
• Bibliography