SS Panzer Battalion 501
SS Panzer Battalion 501

Author: Hugues Wenkin

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2023-11-30

Total Pages: 181

ISBN-13: 1399056204

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The Peiper Kampfgruppe was the spearhead of the 6th Panzer Army. Most often mentioned for its actions on Ardennes soil, today the Gepanzerte Kampfgruppe "Peiper" remains an object of interest for its actions during the engagements between Stavelot and La Gleize, as well as the engagement of its Tiger II against the American armored units. Although the unit had exceptional crews, including some of the most emblematic aces of the Panzerwaffe, and benefited from the element of surprise, it suffered a bitter failure in the Ardennes. How could a vehicle considered to be among the most powerful of the conflict suffer almost 100 percent losses? In hindsight, can we speak of a tactical failure? This study, carried out by a duo of Ardennes authors experienced in this episode of the Second World War, meets the dual objective of reconstructing the facts and explaining why, in the end, the Tiger tank battalion N°501 (schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501) was able to survive the Battle of the Bulge. It includes a summary of their confrontations, a history of the unit, as well as a tank-by-tank analysis of the causes of destruction. In total, the authors found sixteen different examples, and the machines lost one by one in the Ardennes make it possible to follow the unit's course throughout the conflict.

Tigers in the Ardennes
Tigers in the Ardennes

Author: Gregory A. Walden

Publisher: Schiffer Military History

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780764347900

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"In this book, ... Walden provides the most detailed look at the actions of a single German battalion in the Battle of the Bulge.

Viking Panzers
Viking Panzers

Author: Ewald Klapdor

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Published: 2011-04-05

Total Pages: 498

ISBN-13: 0811744426

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• Classic World War II unit history of the 5th SS Panzer Regiment, part of the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking" • The unique 5th SS Panzer Division was made up largely of volunteers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands, and Belgium • This regiment served on the Eastern Front from 1942 to the end of the war, including action at Kharkov and Warsaw • Draws heavily from the eyewitness testimonies of the 5th's members • First time in English

Blood and Steel 3
Blood and Steel 3

Author: Donald E Graves

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2015-10-30

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1848322364

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Blood and Steel 3, The Wehrmacht Archive: The Ardennes Offensive, December 1944 to January 1945 is an extensive and colourful collection of translated German military documents, private letters and diaries relating to one of the most hard-fought battles of the Second World War. This rare material was gathered by the intelligence section of the American, British and Canadian armies and ranges from orders issued by Feldmarschall von Rundstedt down to jokes told by the ordinary German soldier, often at the expense of his superiors. The infamous use by the Germans of troops disguised as Americans, driving captured US vehicles, to sow confusion behind enemy lines, is described as it happened, including a desperate plea by two Germans captured in US uniforms to be spared execution. This unique collection gives an unparalleled insight into German tactics, organisation, morale and attitudes to their opponents during the Battle of the Bulge, the last desperate gamble by Hitler to defeat the Allied offensive in the West, and is required reading for all historians and enthusiasts of the period.

SS Panzer Battalion 501
SS Panzer Battalion 501

Author: Hugues Wenkin

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2023-11-30

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1399056182

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The Peiper Kampfgruppe was the spearhead of the 6th Panzer Army. Most often mentioned for its actions on Ardennes soil, today the Gepanzerte Kampfgruppe "Peiper" remains an object of interest for its actions during the engagements between Stavelot and La Gleize, as well as the engagement of its Tiger II against the American armored units. Although the unit had exceptional crews, including some of the most emblematic aces of the Panzerwaffe, and benefited from the element of surprise, it suffered a bitter failure in the Ardennes. How could a vehicle considered to be among the most powerful of the conflict suffer almost 100 percent losses? In hindsight, can we speak of a tactical failure? This study, carried out by a duo of Ardennes authors experienced in this episode of the Second World War, meets the dual objective of reconstructing the facts and explaining why, in the end, the Tiger tank battalion N°501 (schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501) was able to survive the Battle of the Bulge. It includes a summary of their confrontations, a history of the unit, as well as a tank-by-tank analysis of the causes of destruction. In total, the authors found sixteen different examples, and the machines lost one by one in the Ardennes make it possible to follow the unit's course throughout the conflict.

Hitler's Warrior
Hitler's Warrior

Author: Danny S. Parker

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 2014-12-09

Total Pages: 481

ISBN-13: 0306824345

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Handsome, intelligent, impetuous, and dedicated to the Nazi cause, SS Colonel Jochen Peiper (1915–1976) was one of the most controversial figures of World War II. After volunteering for the Waffen-SS at an early age, Peiper quickly rose to prominence as Heinrich Himmler's ever-present personal adjutant in the early years of the war. Sent later to the fighting front with the fearsome 1st SS Panzer Division, Peiper became a legend for his flamboyant and brutal style of warfare. As one of Hitler's favorites, he was chosen to spearhead the Ardennes Offensive, later known as the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Peiper became the central subject in the bitterly disputed Malmédy war crimes trial. Convicted but later released, he moved to eastern France. There, he and his past were discovered, and he died in a fiery gun battle by killers unknown even today. In Hitler's Warrior, historian Danny Parker describes Peiper both on and off the battlefield and explores his complex personality. The rich narrative is supported by years of research that has uncovered previously unpublished archival material and is enhanced with information drawn from extensive interviews with Peiper's contemporaries, including German veterans. This major new historical work is both a definitive biography of Hitler's most enigmatic warrior and a unique study of the morally inverted world of the Third Reich.

Tiger I and Tiger II
Tiger I and Tiger II

Author: Anthony Tucker-Jones

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2013-07-17

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1781590303

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The German Tiger I and Tiger II (known to the Allies as the 'King Tiger' or 'Royal Tiger') were the most famous and formidable heavy tanks of the Second World War. In their day their awesome reputation inspired such apprehension among Allied soldiers that the weaknesses of these brilliant but flawed designs tended to be overlooked. Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this illustrated history, tells the story of their conception and development and reconsiders their operational history, and he dispels the legends and misunderstandings that have grown up around them.??The Tigers were over-engineered, required raw materials that were in short supply, were time-consuming to manufacture and difficult to recover from the battlefield. Only around 1,300 of the Tiger I and fewer than 500 of the Tiger II were produced, so they were never going to make anything more than a local impact on the outcome of the fighting. Yet the myth of the Tigers, with their 88mm guns, thick armour and brutal profiles, has grown over time to the extent that they are regarded as the deadliest tanks of the Second World War.??Anthony Tucker-Jones's expert account of these remarkable fighting vehicles is accompanied by a series of colour plates showing the main variants of the designs and the common ancillary equipment and unit markings.??Anthony Tucker-Jones is a prolific writer on the history of fighting vehicles and armoured warfare. He has also written extensively on military affairs and terrorism. After a career in the intelligence community, he became a freelance defence writer and military historian. His most recent books are Armoured Warfare on the Eastern Front, Armoured Warfare in the North African Campaign, Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Normandy, The Kalashnikov in Combat and The Soviet-Afghan War.

German Heavy Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War
German Heavy Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War

Author: Kenneth W. Estes

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2018-04-17

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13:

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The German army faced tanks of superior size, armor and firepower from the outset of World War II. Although their Panzerwaffen handled the Polish campaign, war with France meant confronting superior heavy and medium tanks like the Char B and Somua, with 47 mm high velocity cannon that penetrated German tank armor with ease. French infantry disposed of effective antitank weapons and a portion of their 75 mm field guns were detailed as antitank guns. Even greater challenges emerged with the Russo-German War, for the Germans had no initial answer to the KV-1 heavy tank and T-34 medium. The successive technical shocks of superior tanks introduced by each side produced a gun-armor race that continued in some manner even after the war's end. The Germans placed a premium on technological quality and superiority over mass production, for which their industry (and, arguably, their regime) remained rather unsuited. Not satisfied with the advantage they obtained with the Tiger and Panther series tanks, the army leadership and Adolf Hitler himself pushed for larger and more powerful tanks than had ever been built.

Chronicle of the 7. Panzerkompanie, I. SS-Panzer Division "Leibstandarte"
Chronicle of the 7. Panzerkompanie, I. SS-Panzer Division

Author: Ralf Tiemann

Publisher: Schiffer Publishing

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13:

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This chronicle of the 7.Panzerkompanie follows the unit history of a "Leibstandarte" tank company from its creation in 1942 to the end of World War II. Compiled by former company commander and German Cross in Gold holder Ralf Tiemann, the detailed text relies on both official documentation and the personal recollections of numerous unit veterans. An individual level narrative covers the intense first combats for Kharkov in early 1943 and the summer Kursk engagements later the same year. In 1944 the unit engaged the Western Allies after D-Day. Illustrated with private photos made available from Waffen-SS veteran contributions, the detailed appendices provide a complete roster of all commanders, platoon leaders, senior NCOs, award winners and those killed in action. Exacting cartographic material allows the reader to follow all engagements in this first unit history of a "Leibstandarte" tank company available in English.

The Ardennes, 1944-1945
The Ardennes, 1944-1945

Author: Christer Bergstrom

Publisher: Casemate / Vaktel Forlag

Published: 2014-12-19

Total Pages: 504

ISBN-13: 1612002773

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In December 1944, just as World War II appeared to be winding down, Hitler shocked the world with a powerful German counteroffensive that cracked the center of the American front. The attack came through the Ardennes, the hilly and forested area in eastern Belgium and Luxembourg that the Allies had considered a “quiet” sector. Instead, for the second time in the war, the Germans used it as a stealthy avenue of approach for their panzers. Much of U.S. First Army was overrun, and thousands of prisoners were taken as the Germans forged a 50-mile “bulge” into the Allied front. But in one small town, Bastogne, American paratroopers, together with remnants of tank units, offered dogged resistance. Meanwhile the rest of Eisenhower’s “broad front” strategy came to a halt as Patton, from the south, and Hodges, from the north, converged on the enemy incursion. Yet it would take an epic, six-week-long winter battle, the bloodiest in the history of the U.S. Army, before the Germans were finally pushed back. Christer Bergström has interviewed veterans, gone through huge amounts of archive material, and performed on-the-spot research in the area. The result is a large amount of previously unpublished material and new findings, including reevaluations of tank and personnel casualties and the most accurate picture yet of what really transpired. The Ardennes Offensive has often been described from the American point of view; however, this balanced book devotes equal attention to the perspectives of both sides. With nearly 400 photos, numerous maps, and 32 superb color profiles of combat vehicles and aircraft, it provides perhaps the most comprehensive look at the battle yet published.