c. 200 illustrations

Military historians, students, and enthusiasts alike will enjoy this unique opportunity to read in-depth and heavily illustrated analyses of two of Hitler’s most feared fighting units, the Leibstandarte (Hitler’s elite bodyguard) and the Waffen-SS Armoured Elite, Das Reich.

Initially the SS-Stabswache Berlin—an SS guard that formed a cordon around the Führer at the Nuremberg rallies—Hitler’s bodyguard became the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler in 1933. It took a leading role in internal affairs but also took on a military role during the war, as a motorised regiment during the invasion of Poland, the Low Countries, and France; a brigade during the conquest of the Balkans; a motorised division during Operation ‘Barbarossa’; and an SS-Panzergrenadier Division during 1942. In 1943 it reformed in Italy, becoming 1st SS-Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, and fought in Italy and Russia before being transferred to Normandy. Destroyed in the Falaise Pocket, after a further refit it saw action again in the Ardennes, before moving to Hungary. What was left of the division finally surrendered to US forces at Linz.

Raised in Holland in 1939, Das Reich became one of the deadliest of Hitler’s tank divisions. After taking part in the Blitzkrieg of the west, it fought in the Balkans and Russia, staying on the Eastern Front until October 1943 and taking part in the major battles of Kharkov and Kursk. By the time it went to southern France to refit, strength was down to 2,500 effectives. Das Reich was expected—by both German and British analysts—to take three days to reach the invasion beaches. In fact, the move took much longer. Hampered by the resistance and Allied fighter-bombers, the march will be remembered for the outrages at Oradour and Tulle. In Normandy, Das Reich was destroyed by the time the Falaise Gap was closed. It would spend the last days of the war fighting in Hungary and Austria, where it surrendered.