Panzer Ace: The Memoirs of an Iron Cross Panzer Commander from Barbarossa to Normandy

Richard Freiherr von Rosen's illustrated memoir documents his service as a highly decorated Wehrmacht soldier during World War II. He began as a gunlayer on a Pz.Mk.III during Barbarossa, then led a Company of Tigers at Kursk. Later he commanded a company of King Tiger panzers at Normandy and in late 1944 led a battle group of 12 King Tigers and a flak Company against Soviet forces in Hungary, holding the rank of junior and later senior lieutenant from November 1944 onward. Only 489 King Tiger tanks were ever built. These were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, with only one type of shell capable of penetrating their armor at reasonable distance. The memoir details the challenges of retrieving immobilized tanks, which frequently required towing operations. Von Rosen's account is written accessibly without technical jargon, drawing on his detailed recollections to explain how the German Panzer Arm operated during the war, particularly on the Eastern Front.