Download or read book Hitler s Commanders written by Samuel W. Mitcham (Jr.) and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in an expanded edition that includes biographies of the generals of Stalingrad and a new chapter on the panzer commanders, this book offers rare insight into the men who ran Nazi Germany's war machine. Going beyond common stereotypes, Samuel W. Mitcham and Gene Mueller recount the compelling lives of a varied group of army, navy, Luftwaffe, and SS men. Weaving in dramatic stories of tank commanders, fighter pilots in aerial combat, and U-Boat aces, the authors bring the battlefields of World War II to life.
Download or read book Waffen SS Commanders written by Mark C. Yerger and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 1997 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The units of the Waffen-SS were some of the most successful and influential combat formations produced by any country in this century. Their abilities and accomplishments, in both defense and offense, remain legendary. Finally, the commanders of these elite units are examined here in detail. In this book, the second of a two volume set, sixty-one biographies reveal the lives of the most senior Waffen-SS commanders. Details are provided for education, as well as pre-Third Reich era service in military and civil posts, and includes promotions, assignments and decorations. The 1933-1945 era, the most detailed, reveals all their commands and related data similar to their earlier service. Officially documented recollections of the combat actions that resulted in bestowal of their highest awards (Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold) are finally discussed. Heavily documented, their individual stories continue until their eventual fates are revealed. Beginning with the only two brothers to command a Waffen-SS corps, the study ends with a pair of officers whose units fought in the final defense of Berlin during 1945. The text detail emulates the initial volume, exhaustively examining the lives of all individuals with full biographical information to include higher award recommendations for the Knight's Cross and German Cross. With a foreword by Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords holder Otto Baum, significant material was provided by numerous Waffen-SS veterans. Profusely illustrated with more than 470 previously unpublished or rare photos and war-time documents, eight Order of Battle charts are also included. A full Feldpost listing Order of Battle for the armed formations at the end of 1940 is also included. Also included is an addendum to Volume 1 that adds both text and photographic material uncovered during the concluding research. Supplementary tactical symbols are also illustrated and explained, expanding the coverage of those detailed in the initial work.
Download or read book Waffen SS Commanders written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Hitler s Commanders written by Samuel W. Mitcham and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-01-22 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As absolute as Hitler's control over the German war machine was, it depended on the ability, judgment and unquestioning loyalty of the senior officers charged with putting his ideas, however difficult, into effect.Top military historian James Lucas examines the stories of fourteen of these men: all of different rank, from varied backgrounds, and highly awarded, they exemplify German military prowess at its most dangerous. Among his subjects are Eduard Dietl, the commander of German forces in Norway and Eastern Europe; Werner Kampf, one of the most successful Panzer commanders of the war; and Kurt Meyer, commander of the Hitler Youth Division and one of Germany's youngest general officers.The author, one of the leading experts on all aspects of German military conduct of the Second World War, offers the reader a rare look into the nature of the German Army a curious mix of individual strength, petty officialdom and pragmatic action.
Download or read book Michael Wittmann and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte in World War II written by Patrick Agte and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2006 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Waffen SS Commanders written by Mark C. Yerger and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 1997 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The units of the Waffen-SS were some of the most successful and influental combat formations produced by any country in this century. Their abilities and accomplishments, in both defense and offense, remain legendary. Finally, the commanders of these elite units are examined here in detail. In this book, the first of a two volume set, forty-four biographies reveal the lives of the most senior Waffen-SS commanders. Details are provided for education, as well as pre-Third Reich era service in military and civil posts, and includes promotions, assignments and decorations. The 1933-1945 era, the most detailed, reveals all their commands and related data similar to their earlier service. Officially documented recollections of the combat actions that resulted in bestowal of their highest awards (Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold) are finally discussed. Heavily documented, their individual stories continue until their eventual fates are revealed. Apart from the most famous leaders, such as Paul Hausser and Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, these volumes reveal and examine the many divisional commanders who have previously remained unknown except by the men they led. Included are the commanders who rose through the ranks after graduating from the SS officer school system. Along with numerous private archive sources in the U.S. and Europe, more than a dozen former divisional commanders contributed information or illustrations from their private collections. In additon to text data, this volume is profusely illustrated with more than 400 rare or previously unpublished photographs, and 35 documents. Order of battle charts with an explanation of symbols provided, detail the units themselves. With a foreward by Otto Kumm, the highly decorated last commander of the "Leibstandarte," this initial volume finally fills a significant knowledge void in recording the history of the Waffen-SS.
Download or read book Voices of the Waffen SS written by Gerry Villani and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2019-03-15 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Waffen SS were Hitler's elite forces during WWII. They were the forces that were feared by the enemy and praised by their allies. During the Nuremberg Trials, the Waffen SS was condemned as part of a criminal organization, however, the Nuremberg Trials exempted conscripts from that condemnation. On several occasions, the Waffen SS was criticized by Heer commanders for their reckless disregard for casualties while taking or holding objectives, however, the Waffen SS divisions eventually proved themselves as capable soldiers. The poor initial performance was mainly due to the emphasis on political indoctrination rather than proper military training before the war. Despite this, the experience gained from the Polish, French, and Balkan campaigns and the peculiarly egalitarian form of training soon turned Waffen SS units into elite formations. These are the stories of the men that once were part of this elite force, not to glorify the Nazi regime or crimes committed by them, but to give them a voice too.
Download or read book The SS written by Robert Lewis Koehl and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-05-30 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The SS grew out of Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler's obsession to prevent the treachery they believed to have caused the German defeat in the First World War. The SS was to be an elite corps of politically aware soldiers whose primary aim was to prevent the undermining of the Nazi Party by rendering its potential enemies harmless. This disturbing story reveals not only the inner workings of the SS, but its paramount role in the mass murder of Europe's Jews, homosexuals and gypsies, its organisation of the death squads and the military campaigns undertaken by the Waffen SS.
Download or read book Panzer Commanders of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS written by Federico Bussone and published by . This book was released on 2021-05-24 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete list of 160 panzer commanders and gunners who during the war managed to destroy no less than 20 enemy AFVs; their number of "kills" and vehicle type. Their biographies: background, military career, actions and awards. Over 240 photos. Additional lists of "special cases" and pending biographies.
Download or read book German Commanders of World War II 2 written by Gordon Williamson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-09-08 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second of two selections of Germany's World War II field commanders summarizes the careers, and illustrates the appearance, of 26 men who rose to prominence in the Waffen-SS, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. The subjects range from the commanders-in-chief and generals to younger officers whose fame and promotions were earned in combat on land, at sea and in the air. Some were dedicated supporters of the Nazi regime; others were motivated simply by patriotism and their military training. Every commander has an individual colour portrait expertly drawn by the respected World War II illustrator Malcolm McGregor.
Download or read book Waffen SS written by Christopher Ailsby and published by Motorbooks International. This book was released on 1998 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Waffen-SS: The Illustrated History 1923/45 Ails Unique insight into the most notorious military formation in history. Packed with previously unpubl ished photographs, most taken from private albums of former Waffen-SS soldiers, Waffen-SS chroniclesall the battles and campaigns Waffen-SS units fought in during WWII. Recreates in pictorial form al l aspects of the Waffen-SS¦s war: the growth of the SS panzer divisions, their tactics, recruitment of units, an examination of their weapons and equipment, and images of all Waffen-SS commanders. Includes a chapter on SS war crimes and atrocities.
Download or read book Michael Wittmann the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte in WWII written by Patrick Agte and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-09-15 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: German Panzer ace Michael Wittmann was by far the most famous tank commander on any side in World War II, destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns with his Tiger. In this continuation of his story, Volume Two follows Wittmann and his unit into Normandy to defend against the Allied invasion and provides maps, official documents, newspaper clippings, and orders of battle. 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.
Download or read book Michael Wittmann the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte in WWII written by Patrick Agte and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-03-01 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: German Panzer ace Michael Wittmann was by far the most famous tank commander on any side in World War II, destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns with his Tiger. This classic of armored warfare is both combat biography and unit history, as Patrick Agte focuses on the life and career of Wittmann but also includes his fellow Tiger commanders in the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Volume 1 covers the Eastern Front, where Wittmann racked up more than 100 kills and participated in the Battle of Kursk in 1943.
Download or read book The Waffen SS at War written by Tim Ripley and published by Zenith Imprint. This book was released on 2004 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Schutzstaffel-SS-(Protection Squad) were the black uniformed elite corps of the Nazi Party. Founded by Adolf Hitler in April 1925 as a small personal bodyguard, the SS grew with the success of the Nazi movement and, gathering immense police and military powers, became virtually a state within a state. The Waffen-SS (Armed-SS) branch was made up of three subgroups: the Leibstandarte, Hitler's personal bodyguard; the Totenkopfverbande (Death's Head Battalions), which administered the concentration camps; and the Verfugungstruppen (Disposition Troops), which swelled to 39 divisions in World War II and which, serving as elite combat troops alongside the regular army, gained a reputation for both professionalism and brutality. Hitler's Praetorians is the complete history of the Third Reich's fighting elite from its humble beginnings to the end in Berlin in May 1945.Hitler's Praetorians begins with a detailed examination of Waffen-SS ideology, selection and training. Their chief "virtue" was their absolute obedience and loyalty to the Fuhrer. On the battlefield the Waffen SS had few peers, especially its elite panzer divisions. Hitler's Praetorians analyzes the many battles and campaigns of the Waffen-SS divisions, such as at Kharkov and Kursk in 1943, and on the Western Front in Normandy in 1944. As well as color maps and black-and-white photographs, Hitler's Praetorianss contains biographical boxes on the commanders who turned the Waffen-SS into a fearsome military machine. There are also boxes on the weapons and equipment used by the Waffen-SS throughout the war, with each item of hardware being illustrated by a line diagram and accompanied by a specifications table.- Detailed single-volume study of Hitler's Black Guard- Analysis of Waffen-SS battle tactics- Contains feature boxes on Waffen-SS commanders and hardware- Full-color mapsAbout the AuthorTim Ripley is a freelance writer and an acknowledged expert on the tactics of modern warfare. He is also the author of SS: Steel Storm and SS: Steel Rain.
Download or read book The Waffen SS in Allied Hands Volume One written by Terry Goldsworthy and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2019-01-29 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Waffen-SS are commonly regarded as the elite of Germany’s armed forces during World War II. They gained much of this reputation while fighting on the Eastern Front in Russia during Germany’s war against the Soviet Union. They were also called to the fore in an attempt to hurl back the Western Allies’ invasion forces in Normandy, and were used in the last great offensive on the Western Front in the Ardennes and contributed to the final defence of Berlin. In adversity, they were some of the most resilient soldiers that fought for Germany in World War II and were ideologically and politically aligned with Hitler. For over 70 years, many of the manuscripts contained in this book, and sourced from the United States National Archives, have not been scrutinised by modern researchers. This book provides a unique opportunity to publish these records in order to provide an insight into the Waffen-SS. The Waffen-SS was a military organisation that is steeped in the military folklore of being a force capable of incredible military feats, but it was also capable of incredible evil. These records are exceedingly valuable as they are one of the few contemporaneous primary sources of information available in relation to the Waffen-SS.
Download or read book Allgemeine SS written by Mark C. Yerger and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 1997 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The commands, units and leaders of the General SS are finally compiled into a single detailed reference book for both the historian and SS memorabilia collector. This complete volume begins with an explanation of the twelve administrative and command main offices involving the SS to include the development, components and functions of each, as well as their respective office chiefs. The following section explores the most powerful posts in the SS, the Higher SS and Police Leaders, along with the subordinate SS and Police Leaders found in occupied territories - both the commands and the individual holder of these posts are examined in depth. The SS Main Districts are covered next including all their various subordinate components, title changes, development, commanders and chiefs of staff. The more than forty SS Districts follow, detailed in a similar format. Examining the more than one-hundred and twenty-five SS Foot Regiments in the General SS, the names and ranks of the hundreds of commanders, as well as details of unit location changes, popular and honour titles as well as other data for each are within a separate chapter. Finally, the elite SS Riding Districts and Regiments are covered similarly. Career biographies are included for more than two hundred senior SS commanders, many of whom served portions of their career in the Waffen-SS, Polizei, SD and other facets of Himmler's commands. The biographical data for individuals alone adds vast detail to this fascinating topic. Along with more than 120 rare photos of SS senior ranking officers and seven maps, a detailed index allows referencing of individual commands or personalities. Mark Yerger is also the author of Riding East, The SS Cavalry Brigade in Poland and Russia 1939-1942; Images of the Waffen-SS, Chronicle of Germany's Elite Troops; and a biography of SS-Strumbannfuhrer Ernst August Krag (all three titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd).
Download or read book Totenkopf written by Mark C. Yerger and published by Helion. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume 2: "In "Totenkopf" volume II Mark C. Yerger begins with a detailed overview of the officer and combat arms schools related to the Waffen-SS. The topic is especially relevant to the earliest Waffen-SS divisions with "Totenkopf"personnel being trained by this system while many school instructors also served with the division. Starting with the prewar Junkerschulen and their expansion, the extensive primary arms schools that produced SS officers are detailed that also held a diversity of other training programs from mid-1942 to nearly the end of hostilities, replacing the temporary training units created by the formation for its 1942 divisional rebuild. Topics detailed include SS-Truppenübungsplatz "Beneschau,"SS-Pionierschule "Hradsichko",SS-Panzergrenadierschule "Kienschlag,"and the SS-Artillerieschule II. Along with the final two SS officer academies created, other schools covered include the SS-Nachrichtenschule and the assault gun school in Bukowan that became the SS-anzerjäger(Sturmgeschütz)Schule "Janowitz." Details are provided on courses, commandants, and examples of "Totenkopf" personnel involved. The final 53 German Cross in Gold recipients are examined next with unpublished details for all ranks. Among them are men also awarded the Knight's Cross, material being included from the personal photo albums of two such officer recipients with dozens of other new images along with over 30 proposal texts relating the combats resulting in these decorations. Chapters on the Roll of Honor Clasp and 33 Close Combat Clasp in Gold holders that follow includes engagement narratives for four Honor Clasp awards. A chapter on the formation preparing for Russia opens with text details on divisional support units. The March-April 1941 transfers and final component are added to show all divisional command and staff personnel. Men found elsewhere are noted, with priority service specifics given for nearly 250 more officers of the formation that includes officer school graduates reflecting on the opening chapter to allow better insight on the heavy losses taken by "Totenkopf" in the first Russian campaign. Order of Battle charts are compared to actual composition of the division. An addendum adds to volume I with an index for the nearly 650 personnel in this volume. Lavishly illustrated with primarily unpublished images in larger size, other images that have been seen were traced to original prints and negatives for previously unseen reproductive clarity. Glossary and bibliography. 340 pages, 200 illustrations. Volume III primarily focuses on the Totenkopfstandarten and Totenkopfreiterstandarten. The final volume of the trilogy includes their superior command authorities, development, and commanders of each unit. A section is devoted to those who served in these units before being decorated at later commands along with rare period images of insignia being included throughout the volume. Also included is an addendum for images that could not be included with the design of the first two volumes as well as significant unpublished appendix data."--Publisher's description.
