Book Presentation – Order in Chaos by Zabecki

Order in Chaos:
The Memoirs of General
of Panzer Troops
Hermann Balck
David T. Zabecki
12 October 2015
General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck
“…the best division
commander in the German
Army.”
General William E. DePuy
U.S. Army
“Perhaps the most brilliant
field commander on either
side in World War II was
Hermann Balck.”
Freeman Dyson
Physicist and Philosopher
“If Manstein was Germany’s
greatest strategist during
World War II, I think Balck
has strong claims to be
regarded as our finest field
commander.”
Major General F-W von Mellenthin
“Without a doubt, the
Germans owed their
success at Sedan more to
Balck’s 1st Infantry
Regiment than to any other
unit.”
Colonel Robert Doughty
U.S. Army
Advance Panzer Group Kleist
through Ardennes 11 May 1940
1st Panzer
Division
Advance
Guard
Breakthrough of
Panzer Korps
Guderian
13 May 1940
55th Division Command Post
55th Division
Series B reserve
division consisting
of older reservists.
Henri-Jean Lafontaine
Questions?
General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck
Backup Slides
Force Comparison 10 May 1940
PzKpfw-IV
278
75mm Main Gun
274
Char B 1 bis 75mm Main/40mm Secondary
Heinz Guderian XIX Panzer Corps