Author: Rolf Michaelis Publisher: Schiffer Publishing ISBN: 9780764329449 Category : Parachute troops Languages : en Pages : 118
Book Description
This book is the history of the only Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon of the Waffen-SS during World War II. Formed in 1943 as a Bewährungsverband for special missions (guerrilla operations in the Balkans) the unit was deployed at many focal points of heavy combat on the eastern and western fronts. Nearly destroyed at the Schwedt and Alt-Küstrinchen bridgeheads, the remainder pulled back to the west over Parchim at the end of April 1945 and entered U.S. captivity in May 1945. This is their story, including extremely rare photographs.
Author: Rüdiger Franz Publisher: Editions Heimdal ISBN: 9782840484073 Category : History Languages : fr Pages :
Book Description
The first volume is devoted to Yugoslavia, the second to engagement in the Baltic countries and the third to operations in Hungary, the Ardennes and the Oder bridgehead. The whole, devoted to this SS-Fallschirmjäger-Battalion 500/600, offers a total documentation of more than a thousand photos.
Author: Rudiger Franz Publisher: ISBN: 9782840484066 Category : History Languages : fr Pages : 400
Book Description
Le premier volume est consacré à la Yougoslavie, le second à l'engagement dans les pays baltes et le troisième aux opérations en Hongrie, dans les Ardennes et dans la tète de pont de l'Oder. L'ensemble, consacré à ce SS-Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon 500/600, propose une documentation totale de plus de mille photos.
Author: Eduardo Manuel Gil Martínez Publisher: ISBN: 9781804512425 Category : Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
In this book we will narrate the participation of the parachute troops in the defensive line of the Oder. We will talk in this text about two paratroop units that, quite possibly because they fought the Soviets in the last year of the WWII, have generally been much less known than their comrades-in-arms on the Italian or Western front. Battles intended only to slow down as much as possible the arrival of the Red Army in Berlin, in which the German troops were practically overwhelmed by their enemies.German parachute troops had an important role during World War II. At the beginning of the armed conflict, these troops were considered elite due to their special preparation and training, showing their high combat value even in very adverse situations in all German theaters of war; thus, they were forging their "legend". But in the last years of the war the parachute troops received no training in jumping from planes and their preparation was not substantially different from that of other German troops. Despite this, the two units that we will talk about in the text, stood out especially during the last months of the war.The 9. Fallschirmjäger Division together with the SS-Fallschirmbataillone 600, were the two units that fought in the impossible defense of the Oder line against the numerically much superior Soviet troops. We will also report the formation and subsequent absorption by the 9. Fallschirmjäger-Division of the Fallschirm-Panzer-Jagd-Bataillon 54, a small unit specially prepared for combat against enemy armor and which had a small participation in the Schwedt bridgehead.We will remember the combats of these parachute troops in the Schwedt or Zehden bridgeheads, both on the Oder River, or the German suicide defense in the Seelow Heights. Finally, and although it does not correspond directly to the defense of the Oder line, we will report the intervention of the troops of the 9 Fallschirmjäger Division both in Breslau and in the defense of Berlin after the unit's withdrawal from Seelow. This parachute division, despite its limited combat capacity, fully participated in the defensive combats between the Oder and Berlin, in many cases demonstrating the bravery of its members despite the great inferiority in all aspects compared to the Soviet troops, although it also suffering greatly in the defense of the Seelow Hills which caused them to flee in complete disorder from the enemy.
Author: Lieutenant-Colonel Wayne D. Eyre Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing ISBN: 178289795X Category : History Languages : en Pages : 73
Book Description
Operation RÖSSELPRUNG was a Second World War German operation conducted in Bosnia, which aimed at eliminating the leadership of the Partisan movement, namely Marshal Josip-Broz Tito. It was a direct action raid, which involved an airborne (parachute and glider) assault by 500 SS Fallschirmjäger (Parachute) Battalion on the suspected site of Tito’s Headquarters and a subsequent linkup with the German XV Mountain Corps converging from all directions. Operation RÖSSELPRUNG failed due to mediocre intelligence support and inadequate tactical level planning. Intelligence shortfalls were rooted primarily in poor German inter-organization relations and cooperation, including the sharing of intelligence, which resulted in missed opportunities and a failure to pinpoint Tito’s location with sufficient precision. Given the quality of intelligence provided, the plan for the airborne assault did not include sufficient flexibility for the execution of contingencies. There are three major conclusions from the failure of this operation that can be applied to contemporary operations of a similar nature: The first deals with tactics to be employed in the face of uncertain intelligence. The degree of intelligence certainty is critical in determining both the size of the force and the extent of the objective area in a direct action raid. The second is the requirement for contingency planning. Contingency planning provides commanders with flexibility once an operation has commenced to deal with the unexpected, and is especially vital in the face of uncertain intelligence. The third, and probably most critical, concerns the importance of interagency intelligence cooperation. It is vital that different intelligence organizations that are pursuing a similar goal, especially in the same theatre of operations, cooperate to the greatest extent possible.
Author: Chris Mason Publisher: Schiffer Publishing ISBN: 9780764322556 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 192
Book Description
A glimpse into the mundane minutia of the daily lives of ordinary German soldiers just before and during World War II. It covers the little things they carried in their pockets and backpacks to make a sometimes terrifying, often boring existence seem a little more bearable.
Author: Gordon Williamson Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1780969996 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 159
Book Description
A fascinating and long overdue study of the troops that made up Germany's elite special forces of World War II. Such forces included the legenday Skorzeny Commandos who carried out audacious tasks such as the glider-borne rescue of Mussolini, and the kidnapping of the son of the Hungarian regent, Admiral Horthy. This book also includes details of lesser-known units such as the Brandenburgers, who operated behind enemy lines in captured uniforms, and the Kleinkampfverbände who were the forerunners of modern-day naval combat troops like the US Navy SEALs. Complete with uniform and kit detail together with action accounts of many of these daring operations, this book is a must-have for any special forces enthusiast.
Author: Gerry Villani Publisher: Lulu.com ISBN: 035949689X Category : History Languages : en Pages : 271
Book Description
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.
Author: Dennis Oliver Publisher: Pen and Sword Military ISBN: 1526791153 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 137
Book Description
The Sdkfz 251 halftrack was one of the most versatile armored vehicles produced by either side in the Second World War. Designed by the firm of Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, or Hanomag, production ran to over 15,000 vehicles and it was eventually built as twenty-three separate variants serving as not only a personnel carrier, but also a command vehicle, mobile rocket launcher, armored ambulance and bridge-layer. In his first book in the LandCraft series Dennis Oliver examines the Sdkfz 251 variants armed with the 7.5cm gun, initially used as an infantry support and reconnaissance halftrack and later as a tank killer as the result of Hitler's desperation to arm as many vehicles as possible with antitank weapons. Drawing on official documentation and unit histories Dennis investigates the formations that operated these deservedly famous vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the Sdkfz 251/9 and 251/22 halftracks that served on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the last months of the war. A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined, providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.
Author: Rolf Michaelis
Author: Rüdiger Franz
Author: Rudiger Franz
Author: Eduardo Manuel Gil Martínez
Author: Lieutenant-Colonel Wayne D. Eyre
Author: Chris Mason
Author: Gordon Williamson
Author: Antonio J. Munoz
Author: Gerry Villani
Author: Dennis Oliver