From the outset of WW2, G?rings Luftwaffe Flak units saw extensive fighting with their 2cm, 3.7cm and deadly 8.8cm anti-aircraft guns. By the time of Hitlers invasion of Russia, Luftwaffe ground forces had been expanded and were being used in both the army support and air roles.
Traces the Nazis' retreat from Normandy to Germany.
The latest addition to the popular Images of War series this is a complete record of Nazi artillery.
Graphic images, many never seen before, of German anti-tank weapons. Covers wide range of anti-tank (Pak) weapons and ancillary equipment.
Sturmgeschutz III was originally designed as an assault weapon, but as war progressed it was increasingly used in a defensive role and evolved into an assault gun and tank destroyer. By 1943 its main role was providing anti-tank support to the units in its area of operation. This consequently led to many StuGs being destroyed in battle. Nonetheless they were very successful as tank killers and destroyed, among others, many bunkers, pillboxes and other defenses.While not considered to be a true tank because it lacked a turret, the gun was mounded directly in the hull, with a low profile to reduce vehicle heights, and had a limited lateral traverse of a few degrees in either direction. Thus, the entire vehicle had to be turned in order to acquire targets. Omitting the turret made production much simpler and less costly, enabling greater numbers to be built. Most assault guns were mounted on the chassis of a Panzer III or Panzer IV, with the resultant model being called either a StuG III or StuG IV respectively. The StuG was one of the most effective tracked vehicles of World War II, and over 10,000 of them were eventually produced."
Rare and graphic images of WW2 German machine guns in action on all fronts. Informative text traces development of full range of machine guns.
Founded in 1922 the Hitler Youth movement was the second oldest Nazi group. Comprising male youths aged 14 – 18, by December 1936 membership stood at over 5 million. During the Second World War the role of Hitlerjugend evolved from assisting with the postal, train and fire services into full war fighting. Recruits went into units such as the elite 12th SS Panzer-Division 'Hitlerjugend' and we see graphic images of this Waffen-SS force in action both on the Eastern and Western fronts. Even as the Nazi cause faced inevitable defeat these units fought with fanatical and disturbing bravery and after defeat in May 1945 elements carried out guerrilla actions in the Bavarian and Austrian mountains. The reader will find much original material on this legendary but distasteful Nazi organisation.
"Drawing on a ... collection of rare and unpublished German photographs accompanied by in-depth captions and text, this book reveals the invasion from the day the Wehrmacht rolled forward across the Soviet frontier in June 1941, until it finally stalled in the depths of the worst Russian winter for more than fifty years"--Page 5