Title: 12th Hitlerjugend SS Panzer Division in Normandy
Authors: Tim Saunders & Richard Hone
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
ISBN:978-1-52675-736-4
Pages: 315
This is a comprehensive record of the actions undertaken by 12.SS.Pz.Div in Normandy from just before Operation Overlord through to the closure of the Falaise Gap.
It starts off with a brief chapter on how the 12th SS Panzer Division came into being and a little about the training they received. It's a good insight into the reasoning behind the setting up of the division of 17 year old 'kids' and how they received help from other SS divisions to give them valuable insight and experience of what real war was actually about, and not what they had seen in the propaganda films of the day. Giving accounts of the divisions deployment to France and the Normandy area, it pulls no punches with the war crimes committed on the way to Normandy either.
The majority of the book is then written from D-Day (6th June) onwards. Giving excellent accounts of the battles from both the German and Allied sides. The constant hardships that they faced in finding food, lack of sleep, lack of ammunition and terrible orders from those back in Berlin. Losing key personnel along the way and how they overcame these problems. Like in any war, people will always step up to the mantle and make a difference.
The accounts of fighting against the British, Canadian and Polish troops with their air superiority, artillery support (Army & Navy) is truly mind-blowing. Factual numbers of personnel and tanks lost on both sides is staggering. The 12th SS Panzer Division alone lost about 8000 personnel in the 10 weeks of fighting.
Something which did surprise me was the documentation giving examples of war crimes committed by Allied soldiers. Whilst I knew it was a possibility, it is something you very rarely read about. But it goes into quite good detail behind them and also the reason why they took place (and subsequently stopped for a while).
Whilst there are quite a few pictures in it that I have seen over the years on the internet, the book has still provided a few more that I have not seen. It also gives very short explanations about certain ones in the book such as the very famous one of Sturmmann Otto Funk. He has that 1000 yard stare that you have heard about and seen with long time combat veterans. Well in the picture it explains why he has that stare.
All in all this is a fantastic book for anyone wanting to know more about the conflict with the British, Canadian and Polish armies in Normandy. I have no problem in recommending this book.
Authors: Tim Saunders & Richard Hone
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
ISBN:978-1-52675-736-4
Pages: 315
This is a comprehensive record of the actions undertaken by 12.SS.Pz.Div in Normandy from just before Operation Overlord through to the closure of the Falaise Gap.
It starts off with a brief chapter on how the 12th SS Panzer Division came into being and a little about the training they received. It's a good insight into the reasoning behind the setting up of the division of 17 year old 'kids' and how they received help from other SS divisions to give them valuable insight and experience of what real war was actually about, and not what they had seen in the propaganda films of the day. Giving accounts of the divisions deployment to France and the Normandy area, it pulls no punches with the war crimes committed on the way to Normandy either.
The majority of the book is then written from D-Day (6th June) onwards. Giving excellent accounts of the battles from both the German and Allied sides. The constant hardships that they faced in finding food, lack of sleep, lack of ammunition and terrible orders from those back in Berlin. Losing key personnel along the way and how they overcame these problems. Like in any war, people will always step up to the mantle and make a difference.
The accounts of fighting against the British, Canadian and Polish troops with their air superiority, artillery support (Army & Navy) is truly mind-blowing. Factual numbers of personnel and tanks lost on both sides is staggering. The 12th SS Panzer Division alone lost about 8000 personnel in the 10 weeks of fighting.
Something which did surprise me was the documentation giving examples of war crimes committed by Allied soldiers. Whilst I knew it was a possibility, it is something you very rarely read about. But it goes into quite good detail behind them and also the reason why they took place (and subsequently stopped for a while).
Whilst there are quite a few pictures in it that I have seen over the years on the internet, the book has still provided a few more that I have not seen. It also gives very short explanations about certain ones in the book such as the very famous one of Sturmmann Otto Funk. He has that 1000 yard stare that you have heard about and seen with long time combat veterans. Well in the picture it explains why he has that stare.
All in all this is a fantastic book for anyone wanting to know more about the conflict with the British, Canadian and Polish armies in Normandy. I have no problem in recommending this book.
:smiling5:
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