The military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew by the end of World War II from a handful of poorly regarded infantry battalions in 1939, into a force of more than 30 divisions including units of every type. Their battlefield reputation varied widely, from the premier armoured divisions which formed Germany's utterly reliable spearheads on both main fronts, to low quality 'anti-partisan' units. The divisions covered in this second of four titles include the first mountain and cavalry units, and two of the remarkable new Panzer divisions raised in the great 1943 expansion. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections, the text details their organisation, uniforms and insignia, and summarises their battle record.
A world-renowned British historian recounts the actions of one of Hitler’s most elite armor units in one of World War II’s most horrific months. June 1944, the month of the D-Day landings carried out by Allied forces in Normandy, France. Germany’s 2nd SS Panzer Division, one of Adolf Hitler’s most elite armor units, had recently been pulled from the Eastern Front and relocated to France in order to regroup, recruit more troops, and restock equipment. With Allied forces suddenly on European ground, the division—Das Reich—was called up to counter the invasion. Its march northward to the shores of Normandy, 15,000 men strong, would become infamous as a tale of unparalleled brutality in World War II. Das Reich is Sir Max Hastings’s narrative of the atrocities committed by the 2nd SS Panzer Division during June of 1944: first, the execution of 99 French civilians in the village of Tulle on June 9; and second, the massacre of 642 more in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10. Throughout the book, Hastings expertly shifts perspective between French resistance fighters, the British Secret Service (who helped coordinate the French resistance from afar and on the ground), and the German soldiers themselves. With its rare, unbiased approach to the ruthlessness of World War II, Das Reich explores the fragile moral fabric of wartime mentality. Praise for Das Reich “A gripping blend of narrative and investigation.” —Evening Standard “This classic account of WWII is a microcosm of the global conflict. Hastings brings to life the horror that the 2nd SS Panzer division, Das Reich, inflicted upon the citizens living in a bucolic corner of France.” —Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel and Hitler’s Panzers
The Waffen-SS were considered the elite of the German armed forces in the Second World War and were involved in almost continuous combat. From the sweeping tank battle of Kursk on the Russian front to the bitter fighting among the hedgerows of Normandy and the last great offensive in the Ardennes, forever immortalized in history as the Battle of the Bulge, these men and their tanks made history.
“Certainly my first recourse from now on when looking at the SS panzer divisions. Give yourself a treat and buy a copy ASAP if tanks are your thing” (Army Rumour Service). The Das Reich Division was the most infamous unit of the Waffen-SS. Originally a paramilitary formation raised to protect the members of the Nazi Party, it was founded in 1934 as the SS-Verfügungstruppe. During the invasion of Poland, the unit fought as a mobile infantry regiment. After the Battle of France, the SS-VT was officially renamed the Waffen-SS, and in 1941, the Verfügungs-Division was renamed Reich, later Das Reich. By the time Das Reich took part in the battle of Moscow, it had lost sixty percent of its combat strength. It was pulled off the front in mid-1942 and sent to refit as a panzer-grenadier division. Returning to the Eastern Front, Das Reich took part in the fighting around Kharkov and Kursk. Late in the year, it was designated a panzer division. In 1944, the unit was stationed in southern France when the Allies landed in Normandy. The following days saw the division commit atrocities, hanging one hundred local men in the town of Tulles in reprisal for German losses, and massacring 642 French civilians in Oradour-sur-Glane, allegedly in retaliation for partisan activity in the area. Later in the Normandy fighting, Das Reich was encircled in the Roncey pocket by US 2nd Armored Division, losing most of their armored equipment. Das Reich surrendered in May 1945. “Another fascinating piece of military history from the opposite point of view . . . this doesn’t purport to be an illustrated history of the Reich, but it damn well is!” —Books Monthly
"A revealing and unprecedented re-analysis of the II. SS-Panzer-Korps operations during the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943. Makes extensive use of original German source material"--Inside cover.
Accounts of what it was like to command a tank in combat Contains maps, official documents, newspaper clippings, and orders of battle Volume Two follows Michael Wittmann and his unit into Normandy to defend against the Allied invasion. A week after D-Day, Wittmann achieved his greatest success. On June 13, 1944, near Villers Bocage, the panzer ace and his crew attacked a British armored unit, single-handedly destroying more than a dozen tanks and preventing an enemy breakthrough. The exploit made Wittmann a national hero in Germany and a legend in the annals of war. He was killed two months later while attempting to repulse an Allied assault, but the book continues beyond his death until the Leibstandarte's surrender.
An essential part of German propaganda was the raising of non-German volunteer contingents, variously named as 'Legions' and 'Free Corps'. These units were from their outset mere token forces, comparatively insignificant in numbers and maintained chiefly for their propaganda value. However, as the tide of battle turned relentlessly against the Germans, the appeal for volunteers became ever more desperate. In this second of three volumes examining the flags of the Third Reich [see Men-at-Arms 270 and 278] Brian L. Davis examines the flags of the Waffen-SS: those of Walloon, Flanders, Norway, Finland, Danzig, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Croatia, France, Spain and India. Men-at-Arms 270, 274 and 278 are also available in a single volume special edition as 'Flags of the Third Reich'.
The Waffen-SS grew from a handful of obscure infantry battalions in 1939, to a force of more than 30 divisions by the end of World War II, including units of every type and every level of battlefield value. The mid-war divisions covered in this third title represent that range, from some of the most effective German and Western European volunteer formations – e.g. the 12. SS-Pz Div 'Hitlerjugend', and the Scandinavians and Dutchmen of the 11. 'Nordland' and 23. 'Nederland' divisions – to the Bosnian Muslims of the anti-partisan 13. 'Handschar' Division. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections and meticulous colour artwork, the text details their organization, uniforms and insignia, and summarizes their battle records.
- Acutely observed firsthand account of combat on the Eastern Front - Glimpse into the mindset of the average German soldier - Covers Stalingrad and other battles While the Waffen-SS has become legendary as an elite fighting force in World War II, there are few accounts that present the human face of those fearsome formations. Erich Stahl was a professional journalist assigned to cover some of the most famous of these units--the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler," the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking," and the Dutch and Ukrainian volunteers serving with the SS--but with a twist: he actually pulled duty as a soldier in the front lines, where he experienced all the hardships, privations, and gut-wrenching emotions of the men who fought the Soviets.
This new book is a detailed look at Germany's elite units of World War II. It covers the formation and combat use of the Waffen-SS, Fallschirmjager and mountain troops throughout the war and on a variety of war fronts. Details include pre-war formation and training; wartime activities; individual unit histories; commanders, and a selection of war era photographs.
