Velikiye Luki 1942-43: The Doomed Fortress

A highly illustrated study of one of the most dramatic yet overlooked episodes on the Eastern Front in World War II, the siege of Velikye Luki by Soviet forces in 1942–43.

Velikiye Luki had been an important Russian fortress city since the 13th century and had become an important rail-hub by the 19th century. In August 1941, the Germans occupied the city of 30,000 during Operation Barbarossa and made it a bulwark on the boundary between Heeresgruppe Nord and Heeresgruppe Mitte.

In the winter ...