› › German Army Elite Units 1939 45

German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939–45

Author : Gordon Williamson

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 160 pages

File Size : 48,91 MB

Release : 2012-05-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1780967918

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Book Description

Fighting in every theatre from the burning sands of North Africa to the icy wastes above the arctic circle the German Army's Gebirgstruppen troops were some of the most effective in the whole of the Wehrmacht. Their esprit de corps and morale were extremely high and their commanders, men such as Eduard Dietl, the 'Hero of Narvik', and Julius 'Papa' Ringel, were idolised by their men. Dietl himself was the first soldier of the Wehrmacht to be awarded the coveted Oakleaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. In this book Gordon Williamson details the uniforms, organisation and combat histories of these elite troops.



German Military Police Units 1939–45

Author : Gordon Williamson

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 113 pages

File Size : 40,60 MB

Release : 2012-06-20

Category : History

ISBN : 178096997X

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Book Description

The military policeman must be one of the least appreciated yet most indispensable military figures in modern history. In the mobile warfare of the 20th century no army could keep its vital supply routes open without the military policeman. This book documents the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the many and varied German military police units of World War II. Their duties included traffic control; maintaining military order and discipline; collection and escorting prisoners of war; prevention of looting; disarming civilians; checking captured enemy soldiers for documents; collection of fallen enemy propaganda leaflets and providing street patrols in occupied areas.



Italian Army Elite Units & Special Forces 1940–43

Author : Pier Paolo Battistelli

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 131 pages

File Size : 49,11 MB

Release : 2011-11-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1849088950

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Book Description

Italian military historian Pier Paolo Battistelli examines the elite and specialforces units of the Italian Army during World War II. This includes a vast array of troop types, including paratroopers, assault engineers, sea-landing and swimmer units, long-range recce and ski units, and even hand-picked Fascist 'Mussolini' units. It also delves into the specialist tank and armoured units that were created to emulate the German armoured units. While the Italian units discussed enjoyed mixed success, the volume draws attention to the incredibly hard fighting done by some in the deserts of North Africa and the frozen wastelands of Russia. Illustrated with rare archival photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this is a fascinating insight into a little-studied aspect of Axis forces.



German Airborne Troops 1939–45

Author : Bruce Quarrie

Publisher : Osprey Publishing

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 28,27 MB

Release : 1983-03-24

Category : History

ISBN : 9780850454802

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Book Description

Airborne operations have often been called a vertical envelopment, and therein lies one of the best descriptions of their value. The essence of an envelopment is to pin the enemy in place so that it can be destroyed. A strong enemy force to one's rear disrupts supplies and communications and makes one more vulnerable to an attack from the front. It also has a major psychological impact. To an aggressor the value of airborne troops, used properly, far outweighs their numerical strength. Bruce Quarrie's engaging text tells the story of the German airborne troops of the Second World War.



The German Army 1939–45 (1)

Author : Nigel Thomas

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 58 pages

File Size : 26,84 MB

Release : 2012-09-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1782004815

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Book Description

On 1 September 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, the Wehrmacht numbered 3,180,000 men. It eventually expanded to 9,500,000, and on 8-9 May 1945, the date of its unconditional surrender on the Western and Eastern Fronts, it still numbered 7,800,000. The Blitzkrieg period, from 1 September 1939 to 25 June 1940, was 10 months of almost total triumph for the Wehrmacht, as it defeated every country, except Great Britain, that took the field against it. In this first of five volumes examining the German Army of World War Two, Nigel Thomas examines the uniforms and insignia of Hitler's Blitzkrieg forces, including an overview of the Blitzkrieg campaign itself. Men-at-Arms 311, 316, 326, 330 and 336 are also available in a single volume special edition titled 'German Army in World War II'.



Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1941–45

Author : Kevin Conley Ruffner

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 130 pages

File Size : 48,72 MB

Release : 2012-12-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1782008985

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Book Description

Hermann Göring raised the Luftwaffe Field Divisions [LwFD] during 1942, when Nazi Germany was still making spectacular gains but was first feeling the pinch of its losses on the Eastern Front. The Reichsmarschall decided to raise his own divisions for ground service under the command of Luftwaffe officers. On 17 September 1942, Göring called for volunteers from throughout the Luftwaffe for combat duty in the East. Even before that date, however, some Luftwaffe troops were heavily engaged against the enemy in Russia in a ground role. Kevin Conley Ruffner's engaging text tells the fascinating story of the LwFD.



Gebirgsjäger

Author : Gordon Williamson

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 151 pages

File Size : 26,99 MB

Release : 2012-06-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1782000089

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Book Description

Few branches of the German armed forces were represented on so many fronts as the mountain infantrymen, or Gebirgstruppen. From the Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1940, through the invasions of the Balkans and Russia and the North African campaign, to the defence of the Reich 1944-45, the Gebirgsjäger earned a reputation for reliability and courage. Typically each trooper was a supremely fit individual: the need to cover difficult terrain in full kit, without the back-up of a motorised baggage train, demanded this. This new volume examines the recruitment, training, and combat experiences of the common Gebirgsjäger.



The German Home Front 1939–45

Author : Brian L Davis

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 66 pages

File Size : 38,20 MB

Release : 2012-05-20

Category : History

ISBN : 178096806X

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Book Description

This book outlines and illustrates the living conditions of German civilians in World War II, and the Nazi state's basic structure. German families suffered the same hardships as British labour conscription, extra civic duties, severe shortages of food and necessities, disrupted transport, homelessness and evacuation, separation from loved ones and, for many, bereavement. However, there were important differences. The dictator for whom many had voted was leading them to ruin; unequalled death and devastation ensued from Allied air raids; and every aspect of life was caged around with repressive decrees that began to replace the true rule of law well before September 1939.



The German Army 1939–45 (3)

Author : Nigel Thomas

Publisher : Osprey Publishing

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 38,46 MB

Release : 1999-03-26

Category : History

ISBN : 9781855327955

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Book Description

Operation Barbarossa, the attack on the Soviet Union, commenced on 22 June 1941. It became the biggest conflict in military history, with some three million German troops and about 900,000 allies facing almost 4.7 million Soviet troops. The effects would colour postwar European history for the next 50 years. This title examines the history of the conflict, and the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the German Army on the Eastern Front during World War II, from 1941-43. The book contains numerous illustrations and photographs throughout, incuding eight fine full-page colour plates by Stephen Andrew.



German Field Fortifications 1939–45

Author : Gordon L. Rottman

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 177 pages

File Size : 24,17 MB

Release : 2012-09-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1782004645

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Book Description

The German Army of World War II considered itself an offensive, mobile force. The experiences in the trenches in World War I had done much to shape its concept of field fortification, and its mobile warfare ethos was intended to prevent the previous war's stalemate. This book addresses frontline defensive field fortifications, built by infantrymen using local materials, and includes rifle platoon positions, trenches, crew-served weapon positions, bunkers, dugouts, shelters and more. It also covers anti-tank and anti-personnel obstacles, as well as field camouflage methods and construction methods. The integration of these positions into permanent systems and theatre-specific defences are also discussed.