The overall performance of the waffen ss had been mediocre during these campaigns. With the germans increasingly desperate, the once fixed racial lines were also becomingblurred, something not lost on bemused waffen ss. Ss were better trained, more fanatical, had the best weapons and tanks. Third reich books german fallschirmjager, waffen ss.
The book follows a nazi ss officer named hans josef wagemueller who manages to fight his way out of. Waffenss or any schutzstaffel veterans in the united. He is one of the few italian historical researchers to have personally interviewed many veterans of the waffenss and he has published numerous books dealing with foreign volunteers in the german armed forces during world war ii. In the final years of the war many places in the waffen ss were filled by the fanatics of the hitler youth. The disaster that was the vietnam war the new york times. From what i know of thorne, he didnt have a lot of respect for the vietnam war, but he. The ss in indochina myth began even before the release of the novel the devils guard.
Early volunteers were promised that they would not leave scandinavia and that they would serve under native norwegian officers but. Its about nazis, mainly waffen ss, who escape from germany after wwii and join the french foreign legion. Feb 02, 2012 i was a little apprehensive about buying this book at first as i thought it might be a repeat of what i had read before on the ss. Find the best routes, compare hundreds of transport options and book your flights, trains, buses and ferries. Waffen ss knights and their battleswhich is by peter mooney. So occasionally did the allied armies of world war ii.
It originated from sovietbloc communist sources and the pcf french communist party in france itself. This is the naziapologia war novel that apparently inspired seal team 6 combat tactics. This book is about all norwegian and german medals, badges and pins, worn on norwegian ss uniforms under the second world war. As nazi expansion continued, so did the widening makeup of the ss, and the group began to incorporate mercenary dutch, finns, norwegians, and danes. If we dont have it in stock, our system will not let you order it. Much of that unit died at the start of the battle of berlin. Feb 11, 2009 many found their way to france, often on foot, to enlist in the french foreign legion. In 1962, after requests from the us and the republic of vietnam rvn, australia sent 30 military advisors to assist with the training of the rvn army. Armor battles of the waffen ss, 194345 stackpole military history series by will fey book description. Only one waffen ss division, the 20th estoniani waffen ss panzer division, fell back from poland and was positioned in liberec, north of prague, where it eventually kapitulated in the beginning of may, at the same time wagemueller claims he was there. The ss was the single most powerful political organization within the third reich and consisted of the allgemeine ss, totenkopfverbande, and the waffen ss.
It participated in battles on both the eastern and western fronts. After beginning as a protection unit for the nsdap leadership, by october 1944 the waffen ss had grown into a force of 38 combat divisions comprising over 910,000 men, including a. Devils guard, by george robert elford published in 1971, is the story of a former german waffenss officers string of nearconstant combat that begins. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. A chronology outlines the major events in the history of the waffenss from the founding of its forerunner, the ssverfugungstruppe, until may 1945 in the introduction. Rikmenspoel tries to do what many authors before have tried to write a thorough overview of the waffenss. Following the myths and legends about nazis recruited by. The vast majority of waffen ss men had thus been exposed to nazism in one way or another. For items with sizes, our system will only show sizes instock on the drop down menu. How many former ss soldiers fought in the french legion during their war in vietnam in the 50s. Following the myths and legends about nazis recruited by the french foreign legion to fight in indochina, eric meyers new book is based on the real story of one such former waffenss. In the netherlands the ss raised a new, understrength waffen ss division in february 1945. Not even their former adversaries could deny that the waffen ss was the most efficient, fanatical, well trained and well lead fighting force ever created. After the second world war france lacked the will to keep fighting another war and was short on men.
What happened to the german waffen ss soldiers after the. Waffen ss hitlers elite guard at war, 19391945 by george h. Initially the conflict was between france and south vietnam, fighting against north vietnam. Mortar gunner on the eastern front new from greenhill books. Others were welcomed to the middle east and south america. Search and book flights, trains, buses and ferries in asia. Towards the end of the war in april 1945 remnants of several waffenss divisions fell back into. Waffen ss veterans fighting vietnam axis history forum. Its also available at both aberdeen and histirica bookstores. I have read many accounts of the ss organization, personalities, campaigns etc. Eastern front sniper new from schiffer wilfried sonnenthals memories of the w ss. Devils guard, by george robert elford published in 1971, is the story of a former german waffen ss officers string of nearconstant combat that begins on world war iis eastern front and continues into the book s focusthe first indochina war, as an officer in the french foreign legion. Therefore, joining the waffen ss for these men was likely to have been more than a question of military ambition. Waffenss at war by robert michulec stephen andrew book.
In the late 80s or early 90s the authorjust checked, 1988 wrote another book called recall to inferno that takes his story up until the americans started to become involved in vietnam. Footage of one of the best armed forces to ever walk the face of the earth. Although i dont think either side would be able to take. The books tone offers a direct and straightforward explanation for the state of affairs. If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.
Many found their way to france, often on foot, to enlist in the french foreign legion. Members of the waffen ss join the french foreign legion fighting in vietnam. The waffen ss was a part of the german schutzstaffel or ss, which saw its rise during the late 1920s and early 1930s. He created film for the university promoting the national socialist doctrine writing articles in ssleithefte at the same time wrote the book pamphlet judenfibel as a reference to the jews. Few firearms in history have achieved the notoriety of the maschinengewehr 42, a generalpurpose machine gun designed in nazi germany and used extensively by the wehrmacht and the waffen ss during the second half of world war ii. The history of the second ss divison, 194145 by gregory louis matt. Oct 06, 2019 waffen ss divisions 712 order of battle waffen ss divisions 7 prinz eugen 12 hitlerjugend the waffen ss divisions from this and the previous page were germanys most. Aug 23, 2010 but it tells us no more about the ss than we already knew. One of the main myths about the battle of dien bien phu is that it was the last battle of the waffen ss or variations of that. The fourth book in eric meyers acclaimed new series on the real story behind the ss in vietnam. Towards the end of the war in april 1945 remnants of several waffenss divisions fell back. The waffen ss in the east 19431945 by nicholas milton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. These are riveting combat narratives about the weapons and warriors of some of historys bloodiest conflicts.
An epic tragedy sits a minute story that captures the essence of the book. We are aware of 10 similar reference publications related to german soldiers ww2, wss. The waffenss armed ss was the armed wing of the nazi partys schutzstaffel ss, protective squadron. The waffen ss was not unlike the mystique of being a seal, green beret, ranger, or marine recon.
The poor initial performance of the waffen ss units was mainly due to the emphasis on political indoctrination rather than proper military training before the war. The true story of the hitlers waffen ss soldiers that. I am aware of lauri torni, the finnish, turned ss, turned us army soldier who died in vietnam. The vietnam conflict and the soldiers of fortune who. Waffenss in vietnam this business about the waffen ss fighting in viet nam comes up from time to time. The organization is described as aequipment, tactics and personalities of the waffenss in the second world wara.
The paperback of the waffenss uniforms in color photographs. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. Its the first in the series to describe their events in the. But units in the ss, especially the ss einsatzgruppen, were responsible for the mass murder of tens of thousands of civilians in eastern europe and russia as part of adolf hitlers final solution. Its formations included men from nazi germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. They were heavily involved in the commission of the holocaust through their participation in mass shootings, antipartisan warfare, and in supplying guards for nazi concentration camps they were also responsible for many other war crimes. The vietnam conflict and the soldiers of fortune who became. This book is the complete history of the 6th ss gebirgs mountain division nord in wwii. With the full support of the nazi regime, the waffen ss. Sspanzerdivision hohenstaufen was created midwar and therefore much less photographed than other waffen ss divisions so original wartime pictures are hard to find. The activities of hiag, a german lobby group founded by former highranking waffen ss officers in 1951, have shaped much of this portrayal. In addition, the 35th ss police grenadier division was organized from german policemen in early 1945, although it only reached regimental strength.
Many an author, popular and academic, has tackled the topic of the ss and waffen ss but very few have done so in an objective fashion like stein. Vietnam here you will find our range of vietnam conflict uniforms, and equipment, including original items. In their 20 book tuntematon lauri torni unknown lauri torni, authors juha pohjonen and oula silvennoinen argue that tornis conviction for treason was justified because the ss training he received at the end of world war ii was provided to help achieve a national socialist coup in finland. The marines were also well trained, good shots, had the best weapons too but i think the ss would win in terms of killing. This is the naziapologia war novel that apparently. This was the only unit made up of members of the police that had been incorporated into the waffen ss.
Sspanzerdivision hohenstaufen was a waffenss armoured division of nazi germany during world war ii. Known as hitlers asphalt soldiers they fought on all the main battlefronts, but most notably in the east against the soviet union and in normandy. Its widely accepted that the vietnam war started shortly afterward in 1959. Blandford in his book says that ss soldier imbued with hatred was a rarity even during the war. Devils guard and millions of other books are available for instant access. There were a number of europeans in the legion etrangere foreign legion who were german army heer veterans and many of them were at dien bien phu, but it is believed that the ss veterans were, for the most part. Vietnam war era uniforms, including some quality tiger stripe gear, synonymous with the conflict.
The battlefield reputation of the premier armoured and mechanised divisions would become second to none. Interesting early history of the mess that the americans later wound up in. Did ex members of the waffen ss escape germany and join. Freikorps danmark was established as a danish corps to fight communism and, from its beginning, was controlled from denmark, being placed under the control of the ss division totenkopf and 1. The true story of the hitlers waffen ss soldiers that joined the foreign legion in vietnam. Richard j evans is regius professor of history at the university of cambridge. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. This elite wing of the nazi party counted nearly one million volunteers from all the countries of europe. Examining the elite axis waffen ss and finnish guerrillas by nick h.
The viet mihn were later renamed or replaced by the viet cong. Did ex members of the waffen ss escape germany and join the. This is the photographic history of the waffen ss in combat on all fronts. Heres what historian and author of the excellent book on the th ss, himmlers bosnian division had to say on the subject of ss in the ffl. Waffenss or any schutzstaffel veterans in the united states army after world war ii. Jun 04, 2019 waffen ss membership totaled several hundreds of thousands of men, and any generalization is fatuous. He is one of the few italian historical researchers to have personally interviewed many veterans of the waffen ss and he has published numerous books dealing with foreign volunteers in the german armed forces during world war ii. Our website maintains a live uptodate stock status. Aug 07, 2011 who would win in equal numbers with each nations best technology. May 15, 2017 it is reported in the german army archives that 2600 germans died for france in indochina. In the end, the question he poses at the beginning of the book still needs a convincing answer. There is a book about this topic and it explains how the ss used their famous 10 of your men for one of our men during war. What happened with the best and the most experienced. The short six year history of the waffen ss spanned triumph and disaster, and their story can be traced through these powerful images, which clearly document the reality of combat from 1940 to 1945.
I vow to you and to the leaders that you set for me, absolute allegiance until death. One waffen ss division was designated the ss panzer grenadierpolizei division. Aberjona press the waffenss encyclopedia is a revised addition of waffenss the encyclopedia which was written and published for a military book club in 2002. Faithful reproduction german waffen ss soldbuch pay book. Unanswered questions why barbara spear webster given a in memory of on murder she wrote. You are right, many ss soldiers of the waffen ss went to vietnam. Despite being disdained by the german armys professional officer corps, the military branch of the nazi ss security organisation grew from an initial strength of. Danish volunteers of the waffenss tells the story of freikorps danmark in pictures from 19411943. The legion was aware of the background the germans but it also needed the experience and expertise of these warhardened veterans of countless battles. The basic premise of this novel is that its not actually a novel, but based on the experiences of a real person and the author simply spiffed it up. If not, its about waffenss escaping germany after the war and fighting with the french foriegn legion against the viet mihn in the 1950s. In this illustrated study of the dutch waffen ss legion and brigade, specialist massimiliano afiero explores the full history of this important formation from its establishment in 1941 until it was incorporated into the nederland division in 1944. The waffen ss a european history edited by jochen bohler and robert gerwarth. Norwegian waffenss legion, 194143 osprey publishing.
Is there anyone else noteworthy that was an ss turned u. From german waffen ss to american green beret historynet. Massimiliano afiero specializes in the history of axis units during the second world war and particularly in the waffen ss. Im going to be getting this book within the next few months. In hungary, other dutch ss troops in the wiking division engaged in a vain attempt to hold off advancing russian armies before the soviet forces drove them into austria and american internment.
Find schedules and fares, book flights, trains, buses and ferries. Black service uniform, lah guard uniform, ss earthgrey service uniform, model 1936 field service uniform, 19391941 by michael d. Massimiliano afiero specializes in the history of axis units during world war ii and particularly in the waffen ss. From what i have read, the ss veterans preformed effectively against the vietminh. Frenchmen who served in the ss or wehrmacht were either killed outright or could join the foreign legion. Herbert was assigned to the leibstandarte ss adolf hitler german for adolf hitlers bodyguard regiment was a unit of the ss. At the end of wwii a large number of german prisoners entered the foreign legion. Units of the waffenss took part in most of the major military campaigns of world war ii. Following the nazi occupation of norway in 1941, the waffen ss began recruiting volunteers to serve in their ranks. This is the riveting true story of paul martelli, a fifteenyearold germanitalian, who fought in pomerania, on the eastern front, in 1945 as a member of the 33. How many former ss soldiers fought in the french legion. This division was made up by estonians and with very few german nationals. Fall in his book hell in a very small place about the siege of dien bien phu writes that while many of the french foreign legionnaires at dien bien phu were german, they were probably not waffen ss members, since most of them were in their early 20s during the battle 1953 so they would have been circa 15 years old in 1945. Danish volunteers of the waffenss casemate publishers.
One that i highly suggest you will want in your library is a book i have talked at length about with several bookstore owners i have been buying from. The waffen ss committed atrocities both on and off the battlefield. This book traces the history, organization, uniforms and equipment of the waffen ss between 1939 and 1945. Yes and no there definetely were former members of the ss in the foreign legion, but a lot of it is based on exaggeration. The third book in eric meyers acclaimed new series on the real story behind the ss in vietnam.
There were former waffen ss soldiers in the french foreign legion, but theres little truth to the claims that they were active during the indochina war. This is an exact copy of an original in the ima collection, tan cover, printed in german. Illustrated with detailed artworks of vehicles and their markings, waffenss divisions. Any that were alive at the end of the war and surrendered may have violated their oath. The book is basically about hans joef wagemuller and describes what he and his german friends got up to while serving in vietnam. To train the arabic armies and south american armies the art of torture, how to set ieds, booby traps. The waffen ss, the military branch of the paramilitary ss organisation of nazi germany, is often portrayed uncritically or admiringly in popular culture.
There are many out there who dont believe that the book is based on fact, i on the other hand believe a lot of it is true, and that it has been padded out a little to make it a good read, but some of the. Buy waffen ss books and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay. This 32page issue identity book carried by every german ss serviceman in ww2. Beaver and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Arrested by the gestapo he was pressed into service for the ss in 1941. Us vietnam uniforms epic militaria javascript seems to be disabled in your browser. Originating in hitlers personal bodyguard, the waffen ss armed ss was expanded as a fourth branch of the wehrmacht and became regarded as the tough elite of the german armed forces. Real war stories told by real soldiers for readers who want to know what it was like to be in the thick of battle. German books, kalendars, magazines and modern reference books books. Waffenss in vietnam yes, the title is devils guard. It was a waffen ss security and combat formation which saw action on both the eastern and western fronts during world war ii. The origins of the waffenss can be traced back to the selection of a group of 120 ss men in march 1933 by.
Known as hitlers asphalt soldiers they fought on all the main battlefronts, but most notably in the. The waffen ss armed ss was created as the armed wing of the nazi partys schutzstaffel protective squadron, and gradually developed into a multiethnic and multinational military force of. A romanian waffenss soldier in wwii stackpole books. Massimiliano afiero specializes in the history of axis units during world war ii and particularly in the waffenss. The first systematic paneuropean study of the hundreds of thousands of nongermans who fought either voluntarily or under pressure for the waffen ss. German wwii soldbuch waffenss soldier identity payment book. All the badges are in color and there are pictures of the backside. The section includes uniforms worn by the us army including special forces, and also some vietcong equipment.
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