Armáda 13 Slovenská Rychlá divize v bojích na řece Mius 1941-1942 – Hlavienka Lubomír (2022)

This Czech-language historical study follows the Slovak Rapid Division, a fully motorised formation equipped with tanks and armoured cars, during its fighting on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1942. Initially formed from the Rapid Group, the unit was reorganised, reinforced and renamed the Rapid Brigade in July 1941. On 8 July, it comprised 117 officers, 39 warrant officers and 3,390 enlisted personnel, as well as 20 TL-35 tanks, 9 LT-38 tanks, 7 LT-40 tanks and 5 OA vz. 30 armoured cars. It was also equipped with anti-tank and artillery pieces and mortars. Commanded by Colonel Rudolf Pilfousek and subordinated to General Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel of the German 17th Army, the brigade reached the height of its combat deployment in the battle of Lipovec on 22 July 1941, where it faced the 44th Mountain Rifle Division. Although it held its ground in the fierce fighting, suffering 75 dead while inflicting losses of 1,000 men on the enemy, it was subsequently withdrawn, reinforced and reorganised into a division. The newly established Rapid Division took part in major encirclement battles in Ukraine, including Uman and the encirclement of Soviet forces at Kyiv. After the victory at Kyiv, it joined Field Marshal Ewald von Kleist’s 1st Panzer Group, renamed the 1st Panzer Army on 25 October, and continued the advance eastwards towards the Donbas, the Sea of Azov and Rostov-on-Don. Despite growing resistance and worsening weather, the German forces and their Slovak allies captured Kharkiv on 25 October, before the advance came to a halt as Soviet resistance strengthened and the Germans had lost about