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    Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, 1941–1945
    Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, 1941–1945
    Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, 1941–1945
    Ebook247 pages2 hours

    Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, 1941–1945

    By Ian Baxter

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    About this ebook

    “An incredible up close and personal look . . . [at] the men, machines and operational history of the Waffen-SS.”—MSC Review Connect
     
    This book in the popular Images of War series covers the deeds of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. With extensive text and in-depth captions with many rare and unpublished photographs, it is an absorbing analysis of the part they played on the Eastern Front. It reveals in detail how this elite band of men fought during the opening phase of Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia, how it supported and took part in the victory at Kharkov, Demyansk and other battles in the Soviet Union. The book reveals the Waffen-SS’s role at Kursk and how it was forced to withdraw in the face of overwhelming enemy superiority and were rushed from one danger zone to another to plug gaps in the front. Often these troops faced an enemy ten-times their strength, and it was for this reason they were feared and respected by their enemy. Although by early May 1945, the Waffen-SS was all but destroyed, having battled across half Russia and gone on to protect the withdrawals of the rest of the German Army to the very gates of Berlin.
     
    “In addition to the images we get a fairly extensive appendix showing the order of battle of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front and details on uniforms, weapons and equipment. The book would be very useful as a visual aid for living history exponents and model makers.”—War History Online
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateFeb 24, 2014
    ISBN9781473834453
    Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, 1941–1945
    Author

    Ian Baxter

    Ian Baxter is a military historian who specialises in German twentieth-century military history. He has written more than fifty books. He has also reviewed numerous military studies for publication, supplied thousands of photographs and important documents to various publishers and film production companies worldwide, and lectures to various schools, colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland.

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      Book preview

      Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, 1941–1945 - Ian Baxter

      First published in Great Britain in 2014 by

      PEN & SWORD MILITARY

      An imprint of

      Pen & Sword Books Ltd

      47 Church Street

      Barnsley

      South Yorkshire

      S70 2AS

      Copyright © Ian Baxter, 2014

      PAPERBACK ISBN: 978-1-78159-186-4

      PDF ISBN: 978-1-47383-621-1

      EPUB ISBN: 978-1-47383-445-3

      PRC ISBN: 978-1-47383-533-7

      The right of Ian Baxter to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in

      accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

      A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

      means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage

      and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

      Typeset by Concept, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD4 5JL.

      Printed and bound in England by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY.

      Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the imprints of Pen & Sword Archaeology, Atlas, Aviation,

      Battleground, Discovery, Family History, History, Maritime, Military, Naval, Politics, Railways, Select,

      Social History, Transport, True Crime, and Claymore Press, Frontline Books, Leo Cooper,

      Praetorian Press, Remember When, Seaforth Publishing and Wharncliffe.

      For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact

      PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED

      47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England

      E-mail: enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk

      Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

      Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter One

      Poland and the Invasion of Russia, 1939–42

      Chapter Two

      Battles, 1942–43

      Chapter Three

      Last Years of the War

      Appendix I

      Waffen-SS Weapons and Equipment

      Appendix II

      Ranks

      Appendix III

      Waffen-SS: Kursk Order of Battle

      Appendix IV

      Waffen-SS Divisions: Order of Battle, 1943–45

      Appendix V

      Combat Uniforms of the Waffen-SS, 1943–45

      Introduction

      This book in the popular Images of War series covers the deeds of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front. From the outbreak of war in Poland to the invasion of the Soviet Union two years later, it provides a comprehensive record of the elite Waffen-SS units that fought in the East until 1945. Drawing on many rare and unpublished photographs, it presents a visual account of these formations that fought in many of the key battles including Kharkov, Kursk, Cherkassy, the defence of Poland and the Baltic states to Budapest, and finally the bitter and bloody battles that were fought through Germany and finally to the gates of the destroyed German capital. The book will appeal to any reader with an interest in the exploits of these hardened elite soldiers of the Reich.

      About the Author

      Ian Baxter is a military historian who specializes in German twentieth-century military history. He has written more than forty books including ‘Wolf’: Hitler’s Wartime Headquarters, Poland – The Eighteen-Day Victory March, Panzers in North Africa, The Ardennes Offensive, The Western Campaign, The 12th SS.Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend, The Waffen-SS on the Western Front, The Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, The Red Army at Stalingrad, Elite German Forces of World War II, Armoured Warfare, German Tanks of War, Blitzkrieg, Panzer-Divisions at War, Hitler’s Panzers, Panzer Markings of World War Two, German Armoured Vehicles of World War Two, German Guns of the Third Reich and most recently The Last Two Years of the Waffen-SS At War, SS of Treblinka, Höss – creator of Auschwitz, Auschwitz Death Camp, Battle of the Baltics, Battle for the Reich, Last Years of the German Army and Concentration Camp Guards. He has also written over 100 articles including ‘Last Days of Hitler’, ‘Wolf’s Lair’, ‘Story of the V1 and V2 Rocket Programme’, ‘Secret Aircraft of World War Two’, ‘Rommel at Tobruk’, ‘Hitler’s War with his Generals’, ‘Secret British Plans to Assassinate Hitler’, ‘SS At Arnhem’, ‘Hitlerjugend’, ‘Battle Of Caen 1944’, ‘Gebirgsjäger at War’, ‘Panzer Crews’, ‘Hitlerjugend Guerrillas’, ‘Last Battles in the East’, ‘Battle of Berlin’, ‘Destruction of Busse’s Ninth Army’ and many more. He has reviewed numerous military studies for publication and supplied thousands of photographs and important documents to various publishers and film production companies worldwide.

      Chapter One

      Poland and the Invasion of Russia 1939–42

      During the early hours of 1 September 1939 the German army attacked Poland. To carry out the invasion the force was divided into two Army Groups: Army Group North, consisting of the Third and Fourth armies under the command of General Fedor von Bock; and the Southern Army Group, consisting of the Eighth, Tenth and Fourteenth armies commanded by General Gerd von Rundstedt. From north to south, all five German Army Groups surged over the frontier and began to achieve their objectives almost immediately.

      For the invasion of Poland Hitler placed the Leibstandarte and the SS Verfügungs Truppen (SS Replacement Troops – later Waffen-SS) under the operational control of the army high command. Himmler was ordered to retain command of the Totenkopfstandarten and advance through Poland undertaking police and security duties. While the SS took a very limited part in the Polish campaign they, nonetheless, were active. However, their losses were greater than their Heer counterparts due to inadequate training that did not teach more professional, rational and cautious conduct on the battlefield.

      One concentration of SS troops that saw extensive action in Poland attacked from East Prussia under the command of General Georg von Kuechler’s Third Army. Von Kuechler’s army made a number of attacks south from the Prussian border in the direction of Warsaw against the Polish Group Narew and Modlin Army. Under Kuechler’s command were seven infantry divisions, an ad hoc Panzer division consisting of SS-Panzer Division Kempf which incorporated SS-Panzer Regiment Deutschland and four brigade-size commands, all divided under three corps.

      During the course of the first day five of Von Kuechler’s infantry divisions and the SS-Panzer Division Kempf, nicknamed Division-Kempf by its troops, advanced south at breakneck speed until they smashed headlong into a number of well-fortified positions around the area of Mława. Immediately Division-Kempf, that had been leading the furious drive south, was given the task of destroying the permanent fortifications which consisted of a number of heavily-fortified pill-boxes. For the next few days Kempf, supported by divisional artillery, became increasingly embroiled in a number of savage engagements until the Polish forces finally surrendered.

      By 5 September Von Kuechler’s force alone had captured 15,000 prisoners and were driving the Modlin Army back. Panzer division Kempf had broken through and its spearheads were less than 35 miles from Warsaw. Already some forward units were reporting that they had reached strong defensive positions on the River Narew. In the following days there would be thousands of German troops crossing the river, moving east of Warsaw.

      Elsewhere the SS fought with great courage and zeal. During the early part of the invasion the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler was attached to the 17. Infanterie-Division with the main objective of providing protection for the southern pincer’s flank. The regiment was embroiled in a number of fierce engagements against some staunch Polish cavalry. At Pabianice, a town near Łódź, the Leibstandarte fought off elements of the Polish 28th Infantry Division and the Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade.

      A few days later the Leibstandarte found itself fighting in and outside the suburbs of Warsaw. The 103rd SS-Leibstandarte artillery

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