6th SS Mountain Division Nord at War, 1941–1945

6th SS Mountain Division Nord at War, 1941–1945
Author: Ian Baxter
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2018-11-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1526721392

Drawing on a superb collection of rare and unpublished photographs the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord 1941 - 1945 is the 6th book in the Waffen-SS Images of War Series compiled by Ian Baxter. The book tells the story of the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord, which was formed in February 1941 as SS Kampfgruppe Nord (SS Battle Group North). The Division was the only Waffen-SS unit to fight in the Arctic Circle when it was stationed in Finland and northern Russia between June and November 1941. It fought in Karelia until the Moscow Armistice in September 1944, at which point it left Finland. It suffered heavy losses in the Operation Nordwind in January 1945 and in early April 1945, the division was destroyed by the US forces near Budingen, Germany.

The 6th Waffen-SS Gebirgs (Mountain) Division Nord

The 6th Waffen-SS Gebirgs (Mountain) Division Nord
Author: Massimiliano Afiero
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2017
Genre: World War, 1939-1945
ISBN: 9780764353277

This book is the complete history of the 6th SS Gebirgs (Mountain) Division "Nord" in WWII. Formed in 1941, "Nord" was employed along the Finnish-Lapland front against battle-tested Soviet forces from 1941-44. Following the signing of the armistice between Finland and the Soviet Union in the summer of 1944, the division was moved to the western front. "Nord" units took part in Operation "Nordwind," the final German offensive on the western front in late December 1944, where they fought against American units for the first time. Tough defensive fighting along the Moselle and Rhine fronts followed up to the armistice in May 1945. The units of the division fought to the last, always with courage and valor, distinguishing itself as one of the best German units employed on the western front. Detailed operational history, rare combat images, maps, and personality profiles make this book the definitive history of "Nord."

7th SS Mountain Division Prinz Eugen at War 1941-1945

7th SS Mountain Division Prinz Eugen at War 1941-1945
Author: Ian Baxter
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-09
Genre: World War, 1939-1945
ISBN: 9781526721426

Drawing on a superb collection of rare and unpublished photographs the The 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen 1941 - 1945 is the 7th book in the Waffen-SS Images of War Series written by Ian Baxter. The book tells the story of the 7th SS Mountain Division was formed in 1941 from the Volksdeutsche (ethnic German) volunteers and conscripts from the Banat, Independent State of Croatia, Hungary and Romania. It fought a brutal counter insurgency campaign against communist-led Yugoslav Partisan resistance forces in the occupied Serbia and Montenegro. It was given the title Prinz Eugen after Prince Eugene of Savoy, an outstanding military leader of the Habsburg Empire who liberated the Banat and Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire in the Austro Turkish War. It was initially named the SS-Freiwilligen-Division Prinz Eugen (SS-Volunteer Division Prinz Eugen).

The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume One

The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume One
Author: Terry Goldsworthy
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 458
Release: 2019-01-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1527527328

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.

Black Edelweiss

Black Edelweiss
Author: Johann Voss
Publisher:
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2002
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

When a 20-year old Waffen-SS veteran of two years' combat against the Soviets and Americans is confronted with the awful, undeniable truth of the Holocaust, he must reconcile it with his pride in his comrades' battlefield sacrifices. The author served in SS Mountain Infantry Regiment 11 Reinhard Heydrich, part of 6th SS Mountain Division Nord. The book is mostly an account of his extensive combat service against the Soviets in northern Karelia and Finland, with a shorter section describing combat against the Americans in the Vosges and in the Saar-Moselle triangle. Voss reflects on the totality of his wartime experiences, from the origins of his reasons for enlisting in the Waffen-SS to his experiences in US captivity. The result is a compelling and honest account.

The Martini-Henry Rifle

The Martini-Henry Rifle
Author: Stephen Manning
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2013-05-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780965087

The breech-loading, single-shot .458in Martini-Henry rifle has become a symbol of both the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and the numerous battles in Egypt and the Sudan in 1884–85, but continued to be used by both British and colonial troops well into the 20th century. Its invention and introduction into British service were in direct response to the success of the Prussian Dreyse needle gun, which demonstrated that the breech-loading rifle offered faster loading, improved accuracy and superior range; significantly, the weapon could be loaded and fired from a prone position, thus offering the rifleman greater security on the battlefield. Due to the longevity of service, many Martini-Henry rifles survive today, both in museums and in private collections, and the weapon is highly prized by shooting enthusiasts. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and an array of arresting first-hand accounts and written by an authority on warfare in the Victorian era, this engaging study tells the story of the powerful Martini-Henry and its impact on the battlefield, from the Anglo-Zulu War to the opening months of World War I.

Soldiers of Destruction

Soldiers of Destruction
Author: Charles Sydnor
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 400
Release: 1990-05-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780691008530

Surveys the emergence of the Nazi SS and its Death's Head Division, noting the impact of this elite and powerful army upon military history.

Belgian Waffen-SS Legions & Brigades, 1941–1944

Belgian Waffen-SS Legions & Brigades, 1941–1944
Author: Massimiliano Afiero
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2021-05-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472844327

From the German occupation of Belgium in May 1940, Flemish recruits from northern Belgium – considered by the Nazis to be 'Germanic' – were accepted individually into Waffen-SS units. From Hitler's invasion of the USSR in June 1941, additional recruits from the French-speaking south (Wallonia) were drafted. Both communities formed volunteer 'Legions', to fight (according to Goebbels' propaganda machine) 'for European civilization against the Bolshevik threat'; these were a Flemish Legion in the Waffen-SS and a Walloon Legion in the German Army. Both served on the Russian Front in 1942-43; the Walloon Legion was then also transferred into the Waffen-SS, and the decorated Walloon officer Leon Degrelle became a publicized 'poster boy' for foreign SS volunteers. Both Legions were then redesignated as SS Assault Brigades, and thereafter saw extremely hard fighting in the Ukraine and on the Baltic front. In autumn 1944, their survivors were withdrawn from the front and incorporated into two new understrength SS Divisions, 27. 'Langemarck' and 28. 'Wallonien'. This new account, featuring detailed colour plates of uniform and insignia, recounts the battle history of the French and Flemish-speaking Belgian SS, up to their final transformation into full divisions in the winter of 1944/45.

The 7th Waffen-SS Volunteer Gebirgs (Mountain) Division Prinz Eugen

The 7th Waffen-SS Volunteer Gebirgs (Mountain) Division Prinz Eugen
Author: Massimiliano Afiero
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2017-01-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780764352218

This is the complete history of one of the most famous and well-known divisions of the Waffen-SS. Created as a mountain unit to be employed exclusively on the Balkan Front against partisan units, the unit fought with valor and fierceness on the battlefield. After numerous anti-guerrilla operations in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia, towards the end of the war it was employed against units of the Bulgarian Army and Red Army forces in the difficult mission of covering the withdrawal of German forces retreating from Greece and Albania. It was one of the few Waffen-SS formations to be used in offensive actions during the final phases of the war, all of which were carried out successfully. Accused of having committed numerous crimes against civilians, its members met with a tragic fate, especially those who ended up in the hands of communist partisans.

5th SS Wiking at War 1941-1945

5th SS Wiking at War 1941-1945
Author: Ian Baxter
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781526721341

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.