Meat Grinder

A gripping account of the brutal battles for the Rzhev Salient, brought to life through the harrowing memoirs of German and Russian soldiers.

The Rzhev Salient campaign during World War II was so devastatingly violent that troops dubbed it "The Meat Grinder." While millions fought and died in this vast expanse of forests and swamps deep in Russia, the campaign has long been overshadowed by battles at Leningrad or Moscow and largely overlooked by Western historians—until now.

In Meat Grinder, renowned Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar uncovers the grim reality of the fighting in the Rzhev Salient. He examines how this long-ignored region was pivotal for the German Army, representing a chance to resume their drive on Moscow and potentially alter the course of the war. Through firsthand accounts from both German and Soviet soldiers, Buttar delves into the four massive Red Army offensives against the salient, all of which ended in catastrophic losses—over two million killed, wounded, or missing—before the Germans evacuated the region in March 1943.

Using the latest research, Buttar not only reconstructs the horrific battles but also explores how the Red Army learned from its failures, ultimately leading to decisive victories against Army Group Centre in the summer of 1944, clearing the path to Berlin.

Details:

• Author: Prit Buttar
• Format: 464-page hardcover