Download or read book Panzergrenadier Divisions of the Waffen SS written by Rolf Michaelis and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 2010 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new book is a concise combat history of the six Waffen-SS panzergrenadier divisions in World War II. The formation and combat histories of each are discussed in detailed text, along with maps and rare photographs and includes: the 4th SS-Polizei Panzergrenadier Division; 11th SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division Nordland; 16th SS-Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS; 17th SS-Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen; 18th SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel; 23rd SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division Nederland.

Download or read book The 4th Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division Polizei written by Massimiliano Afiero and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2021-06-28 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Polizei division first took shape in 1939, drawing manpower from the civilian police. In February 1942, the unit was transferred to the Waffen-SS and redesignated SS-Polizei-Division (4.SS). The former policemen appeared on the Western Front in 1940, before being shipped to the Leningrad sector in 1941. Polizei remained on the Eastern Front for the duration of the war, including deployments in Greece, the Banat (Romania), Hungary, and Pomerania, before finally surrendering just northwest of Berlin. The subject is examined through many personal recollections, hundreds of photos and maps from private collections, and period documents, including extracts from official bulletins and the division's war diary. A brief history of the Polizei II division is included as an appendix.

Download or read book Panzers East and West written by Dieter Stenger and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-09-01 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Organized and trained during 1943, the 10th SS Panzer Division saw its first action in the spring of 1944 during the relief of an encircled German army on the Eastern Front. Several months later, in response to the Allied invasion at Normandy, the division returned to the West in mid-June 1944. Here the division engaged in a series of armored attacks and counterattacks against British and American forces. The 10th SS briefly held off a few enemy thrusts but gradually had to fall back to Falaise, where the division escaped the Allied encirclement with no tanks and only a fraction of its men. The 10th SS Panzer Division next defended against the Allied parachute assault during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. Depleted and now a division in name only, the 10th SS fought in Alsace before Hitler sent it to the Eastern Front again. There, east of Berlin, the division participated in the final battles to enable the escape of German soldiers and civilians from Soviet captivity.

Download or read book The 17th Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division G tz Von Berlichingen written by Massimiliano Afiero and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2018-02-28 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 17th Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division "G�tz von Berlichingen" was one of the few SS formations to be employed exclusively on the western front during World War II. From the time of its formation in France in 1943, "G�tz von Berlichingen" saw bitter and bloody fighting in Normandy, the Seine front, Metz, the Saar, the Palatinate, and later the defense of the west wall until the final battles in Germany. Despite the overwhelming superiority of Allied forces, the units that comprised the division always managed to offer dogged resistance, counterattacking ferociously, and defending every foot of ground with great courage and determination. The units of "G�tz von Berlichingen" received praise, not only from the German high command, but also earned the respect of its Allied adversaries. In addition, the "G�tz von Berlichingen" division was never involved in any war crimes, or in crimes against civilians. Detailed operational history, rare combat images, maps, and personality profiles make this book the definitive history of "G�tz von Berlichingen."

Download or read book 4th Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division Polizei written by Gustavo Uruena A and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-09-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Waffen-SS, as with the Heer, possessed a great variety of divisional structures. The complexities of this variety were further complicated by a more or less continuous evolution of authorized division structures throughout the war. For example, the first Waffen-SS divisions were organized as motorized infantry ones, with little armor. Four of the earliest divisions (SS-LAH, SS-Das Reich, SS-Totenkopf, and SS-Wiking'] were then reformed as Panzer (armored)- divisions, and three new-armored divisions joined them (SS-Hohenstaufen, &S-Frundsberg, and SS-Hitlerjugend). Four additional divisions were raised as Panzer-Grenadier (armored infantry) (SS-Nordland, SS-Reichsfuhrer-SS, SS-Gotz von Berlichingen, and SS-Horst Wessel). The motorized SS-Combat Group Nord evolved into SS-Nord, which set the standard for the establishment of an SS mountain division. This was used as the intended structure for SS-Prinz Eugen, SS-Handschar, SS-Skanderbeg, and SS-Kama, though the last two didn't complete formation. Similarly, the SS-Cavalry Brigade developed into SS-Florian Geyer, which had a structure copied for SS-Maria Theresia (though not for SS-Lutzow, which had a structure similar to an infantry division). The SS infantry divisions, in particular the 14th, 15th, 19th, and 20th Waffen-Grenadier Divisions and the 31st SS-Volunteer Grenadier Division, used a standard Heer infantry division structure, first found in the 1940 version of SS-Polizei (which by the spring of 1944 had reformed into a Panzer-Grenadier division of the same structure as SS-Nordland). This was also the intended model for the 25th and 26th Waffen-Grenadier Divisions, the 27th, 28th, and 32d SS-Volunteer Grenadier Divisions, and the 35th SS-Polizei-Grenadier Division, none of which completed their formation, though they did take the field in a semblance of what was intended. The remaining divisions of the Waffen-SS were essentially enlarged brigades or combat groups, and had unique structures, especially as they often fought in several separate parts. This sounds like, and is, a complex subject. The following represents the idealized structure of Waffen-SS early war motorized, Panzer, Panzer-Grenadier, mountain, cavalry, and infantry divisions. Each division usually differed slightly in one way or another, and the divisional list in this book is the best way to trace each individual Waffen-SS division. Only the major combat elements are included; the supply regiment, for example, is not listed in detail. Units that are not described as "motorized" or "armored" can be assumed to be horse-drawn or dismounted, as appropriate."

Download or read book The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich written by Yves Buffetaut and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-08-19 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “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

Download or read book The 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg written by Rolf Michaelis and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 2008-09-01 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 10th Waffen-SS Division Frundsberg was formed at the beginning of 1943 as a reserve for the expected Allied invasion of France. However, their first campaign was in the Ukraine in April 1944. Highly motivated after combat success in Ukraine the unit was then transported back to the west where they fought the Allies in France and Arnhem. The division was later transported to Pomerania then fought southeast of Berlin in the Lausitz area to the end of the war.

Download or read book Panzer divisions of the Waffen SS written by Rolf Michaelis and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The 29th Waffen SS Grenadier Division italienische Nr 1 And Italians in Other Units of the Waffen SS written by Massimiliano Afiero and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2022-01-28 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Italian government signed an armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943, but that did not mean the war was over in Italy. Italians continued to fight on both sides for the duration of war. This study is focused on Italian volunteers in formations of the Waffen-SS. These include the SS Legion "Italiana" and 29th Waffen Grenadier Division "Italienische Nr. 1." Beyond the explicitly Italian units, handfuls of men found their way into other divisions, such as the 4th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Polizei," 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Reichsführer-SS," the Karstwehr Battallion (later 24th SS Gebirgsjäger Division "Karstjäger"), and even the famous 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte." This work includes histories of the Italian Legion and the 29th division, extensive interviews with Italian SS veterans from various units, and many excellent photographs from private collections in Europe.

Download or read book The 1st SS Armored Division written by Herbert Walther and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 1989 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Photographs and text chronicle the experiences of the men serving in the Waffen-SS in World War II.

Download or read book Waffen SS written by Ray Merriam and published by Merriam Press. This book was released on 1999-03 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Waffen SS on the Western Front 1940 1945 written by Ian Baxter and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book in the popular Images of War series covers the deeds of the Waffen-SS on the Western Front during the Second World War. With extensive text and in-depth captions with many rare and unpublished photographs it describes the fighting tactics, the uniforms, the battles and the different elements that went into making the Waffen-SS such an elite fighting unit. It traces how the Waffen-SS carefully built up their assault forces utilising all available reserves and resources into a ruthlessly effective killing machine. It depicts how this awesome military formation grew to be used in offensive and then in defensive battles, and provides much historical information and facts about the weapons and all the components that fought on Western Front. The reader learns how the Waffen-SS battled their way through the Low Countries and the Balkans. After D-Day they played a key role in Normandy and fought at Arnhem, in the Ardennes and shifted from one disintegrating part of the front to another in a drastic attempt to stabilise the crumbling war effort.The Waffen-SS on the Western Front 1940 1945 provides an excellent insight into one of the most effective fighting formations in military history.

Download or read book The Waffen SS in Normandy written by Yves Buffetaut and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of how the Waffen-SS fared in Normandy in June 1944 and whether they deserve their reputation of being the ultimate fighting soldiers. One of the greatest paradoxes of the Battle of Normandy is that the German divisions found it much harder to reach the front line than the Allies, who had to cross the sea and then deploy in a cramped bridgehead until the American breakthrough of late July 1944. The Waffen-SS were no better off than the Heer units and German high command never quite got on top of operations, as the divisions were thrown into the melee one by one. During the month of June 1944, the Panzer divisions present succeeded in containing the Allies in a small bridgehead. In July, the arrival of more SS divisions should have finally allowed the Germans to counterattack decisively. This was not the reality. The Allies had also strengthened in number and kept the blows coming, one after another. Each SS-Panzer division had a different experience of the fighting in July. This Casemate Illustrated looks at the divisions one by one throughout Operations Goodwood and Cobra which saw large tank battles and the collapse of the German front in Normandy. It includes over 100 photographs, alongside biographies of the commanders and color profiles of trucks and tanks which played a key role in operations as the Americans succeeded in breaking through the German line of defense. “A superb series.” —Miniature Wargames

Download or read book 5th SS Wiking at War 1941 1945 written by Ian Baxter and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-03-30 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A photographic documentation of the German foreign volunteer unit—“a valuable addition to any enthusiast’s library of WWII military history books” (Firetrench). Drawing on a superb collection of rare and unpublished photographs, the 5th SS Division Wiking 1941-1945 is the 5th book in the Waffen-SS Images of War Series by Ian Baxter. The book tells the dramatic story of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking at War. The men of the division were recruited from foreign volunteers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Belgium under the command of German officers. Not all were collaborators—the choice they were all too often presented with was join up or be locked up—or worse. During the course of the war, the division served on the Eastern Front in 1941. It surrendered in May 1945 to the American forces in Austria. “The photos are mostly unpublished before and give an excellent impression of Wiking at war. We see a good variety of conditions over the 5 years of their war, from the height of summer to the depths of winter. We see fine detail of their uniforms and personal equipment as well as the development of larger equipment from motorcycles and early Panzer IVs, to the larger Panthers of the final period. There is also good coverage of anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons as well as heavier artillery. There is a good spread of detail in here which will interest the historian as well as the reenactors, militaria collectors and modelers alike.”—Military Model Scene

Download or read book The Waffen SS written by George H. Stein and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 1966 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This landmark study, first published by Cornell University Press in 1966, shows how Hitler's elite army grew from a praetorian guard of barely 28,000 men at the beginning of the Second World War to a combat-hardened army of more than 500,000 in 1945. George H. Stein examines in detail the structure and organization of the Waffen SS and describes the rigid personnel selection and intensive physical, military, and ideological training that helped to create the tough and dedicated cadre around which the larger force of the later war years was built.

Download or read book The Waffen SS in Normandy written by Yves Buffetaut and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-04-19 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The actions of Germany’s armed SS force during D-Day in the series that’s “a welcome addition . . . targeted at the general World War II enthusiast” (Globe at War). For many, the Waffen-SS soldier represents the archetype of the combatant, if not the warrior: well-armed, well-trained, possessing intelligence in combat, imbued with political and ideological fanaticism, he is an elite soldier par excellence, even if a lack of scruples casts a long shadow. However, is this picture true? In the case of the Battle of Normandy, opinions diverged, not only among today’s historians, but also amongst the German generals at the time. In all, the Waffen-SS fielded six divisions during the Battle of Normandy, as well as two heavy battalions of Tiger tanks. But they were by no means a single homogenous entity, for with the exception of II SS-Panzerkorps, the divisions arrived at the front one after another and were immediately thrown into battle. This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series examines the Waffen-SS in Normandy during the fierce fighting of June 1944, when they struggled to hold back the Allied advance on Caen, though the picture was by no means one-sided. Extensively illustrated with photographs, tank profiles, and maps, and accompanied by biographies of key personnel and explanatory text boxes, this volume gives a clear and accessible account of events, challenging some popular perceptions along the way.

Download or read book The 3rd Waffen SS Panzer Division Totenkopf 1943 1945 written by Massimiliano Afiero and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most infamous of all Waffen-SS formations, the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf" has always been identified as the very essence of the notorious "Black Order." Associated with war crimes in official historiography, formed initially with personnel coming from guard units from concentration camps, the unit was nevertheless able to prove itself on the battlefield, distinguishing itself in all of the main campaigns in which it fought, from France to the Russian front. This second of two volumes analyzes the summer 1943 campaign that followed Kursk, until the end of the war: from its operations on the Mius front, to the fighting in the Kharkov area, on the Dnieper River, its transfer to the Polish front, and its subordination to IV.SS-Panzer-Korps, the fighting on the Hungarian front to liberate Budapest, and then its participation in the Frühlingserwachen ("Spring Awakening") offensive, until the final fighting in Austria and the surrender. The volume includes a series of appendices covering order of battle, lists of award recipients, and details of uniforms and insignia pertaining to the division.