German Army Elite Units 1939-45

Description

In World War II a number of German Army units and divisions were classed as elites, and were distinguished by special insignia of various kinds. For some this status was simply a matter of lineage - e.g. the Infantry Regiment 'List', which traced its identity to the Bavarian unit with which Hitler had served in World War I. Some, like the 'Grossdeutschland' and Panzer-Lehr divisions, were raised from particularly high grade personnel. Other titles honoured extraordinary battlefield exploits or heroic sacrifice, like the 'Brandenburg' and 'Hoch und Deutschmeister' divisions. This fact-packed introduction to these famous units is illustrated with rare photographs and detailed colour plates.

Gordon Williamson was born in 1951 and currently works for the Scottish Land Register. He spent seven years with the military Police TA and has published a number of books and articles on the decorations of the Third Reich and their winners. He is author of a number of World War II titles for Osprey. Ramiro Bujeiro, has illustrated many Osprey titles including Warrior 23: US Marine in Vietnam and Elite 68: The Military Sniper since 1914. He is an experienced commercial artist who lives and works in his native city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His main interests are the political and military history of Europe in the first half of the 20th century.