In 1979, the A-10 System Program Office of the US Air Force sponsored a pair of extended interviews with Lieutenant General Hermann Balck (1893-1982). These, along with a third interview made possible by retired US Army General William E. Depuy, provide windows into two very different worlds. The first is that of the German Army of the Second World War, and, in particular, the formations, campaigns, and battles in which he served. The second is that of the US Armed Forces of the late 1970s, a period in which many Americans devoted considerable time and trouble to the study of the German military tradition.
In the months and years to come, Tactical Notebook will publish a number of articles about Hermann Balck, as well as a good deal of material related to his father, Major General William Balck (1858-1924.)
The interviews with General Balck, as well as interviews with other German veterans, can also be found on the webpage of Chuck Spinney: http://chuckspinney.blogspot.com/p/in-mid-1970s-military-reformers-led-by.html