{"title":"Books by Massimiliano Afiero","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780764354632","title":"The 3rd Waffen-SS Panzer Division \"Totenkopf,\" 1943-1945","description":"One of the most infamous of all Waffen-SS formations, the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division “Totenkopf” has always been identified as the very essence of the notorious “Black Order.” Associated with war crimes in official historiography, formed initially with personnel coming from guard units from concentration camps, the unit was nevertheless able to prove itself on the battlefield, distinguishing itself in all of the main campaigns in which it fought, from France to the Russian front. This second of two volumes analyzes the summer 1943 campaign that followed Kursk, until the end of the war: from its operations on the Mius front, to the fighting in the Kharkov area, on the Dnieper River, its transfer to the Polish front, and its subordination to IV.SS-Panzer-Korps, the fighting on the Hungarian front to liberate Budapest, and then its participation in the Frühlingserwachen (“Spring Awakening”) offensive, until the final fighting in Austria and the surrender. The volume includes a series of appendices covering order of battle, lists of award recipients, and details of uniforms and insignia pertaining to the division.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294719029621,"sku":"9780764354632","price":45.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764354632_1d957383-6750-4512-b9e6-403de3f4ebb7.jpg?v=1786015739"},{"product_id":"9780764367809","title":"11th Waffen-SS Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division “Nordland”","description":"The 11th SS Freiwilligen (Volunteer)  Panzergrenadier Division “Nordland” was formed in 1943. Despite what the  name indicated, this was not an all-volunteer or fully Nordic unit. The  ranks were filled with men from across Europe, many of them conscripts.  A cadre of Norwegians in the Regiment 23 “Norge” and Danes in the  Regiment 24 “Danmark” formed the backbone of the new division.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Nordland was deployed in antipartisan operations in Croatia in the fall  of 1943. In 1944 the division saw hard fighting and heavy casualties  against the Red Army at Leningrad, Narva, Tannenberg, and Kurland. In  1945, Nordland, a division comprising mostly non-Germans, was among the  final formations to continue the fight in Berlin. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This new illustrated history of the division includes more than 500  photos from the most-extensive private collections in Europe, along with  extensive maps and tables. Appendixes provide a clear explanation of  the division's order of battle, a full lists of award recipients, and a  glossary of ranks and insignia.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294740427125,"sku":"9780764367809","price":40.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764367809_2f530af9-017f-4c40-a543-71756eebd006.jpg?v=1786015914"},{"product_id":"9780764361708","title":"The 4th Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division \"Polizei\"","description":"The Polizei Division first took shape in 1939, drawing manpower from the civilian police. In February 1942, the unit was transferred to the Waffen-SS and redesignated SS-Polizei-Division(4.SS). The former policemen appeared on the Western Front in 1940, before being shipped to the Leningrad sector in 1941. Polizei remained on the Eastern Front for the duration of the war, including deployments in Greece, the Banat (Romania), Hungary, and Pomerania, before finally surrendering just northwest of Berlin. The subject is examined through many personal recollections, hundreds of photos and maps from private collections, and period documents, including extracts from official bulletins and the division’s war diary. A brief history of the Polizei II division is included as an appendix.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294853902709,"sku":"9780764361708","price":45.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764361708_73e489b0-d2d9-4496-bb31-931f5486ab21.jpg?v=1786015804"},{"product_id":"9780764362958","title":"The 29th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division \"Italienische Nr.1\": And Italians in Other Units of the Waffen-SS","description":"The Italian government signed an armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943, but that did not mean the war was over in Italy. Italians continued to fight on both sides for the duration of the war. This study is focused on Italian volunteers in formations of the Waffen-SS. These include the SS Legion \"Italiana\" and 29th Waffen Grenadier Division \"Italienische Nr.1.\" Beyond the explicitly Italian units, handfuls of men found their way into other divisions, such as the 4th SS Panzergrenadier Division \"Polizei,\" 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division \"Reichsführer-SS,\" the Karstwehr Battallion (later 24th SS Gebirgsjäger Division \"Karstjäger\"), and even the famous 1st SS Panzer Division \"Leibstandarte.\" This work includes histories of the Italian Legion and the 29th Division, extensive interviews with Italian SS veterans from various units, and many excellent photographs from private collections in Europe.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294859604341,"sku":"9780764362958","price":31.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764362958_c718107e-a582-4415-90da-565b47da11a3.jpg?v=1786015827"},{"product_id":"9781472840325","title":"Dutch Waffen-SS Legion \u0026 Brigade 1941–44","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGoebbels’ 1941 propaganda campaign to present Germany's invasion of the USSR as a battle for European civilization against Asian barbarism convinced many men in occupied 'Germanic' European countries, such as Scandinavia and the Low Countries, to volunteer to fight on the Russian Front.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the strongest national legions of such a kind was raised in the Netherlands, where it was supported by a large pro-Nazi movement led by Anton Mussert. The 3,000-man Netherlands Volunteer Legion fought on the Leningrad front in regimental strength, from the Red Army's winter 1941\/42 counter-offensive until April 1943. The survivors were then reinforced to form a 5,500-strong Panzergrenadier Brigade, and after anti-partisan service in Croatia, they returned to Army Group North as part of Steiner's III SS Panzer Korps, fighting in the most arduous battles of 1943–44 until driven back into Pomerania. In the final months of the war the division formed the nucleus of the new 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division 'Nederland'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 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. Contemporary photographs and full-colour illustrations support the text and reveal key details including aspects of uniform and insignia.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300138824053,"sku":"9781472840325","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472840325_1b86598c-2ba8-4b5c-b230-a5690c33884e.jpg?v=1786020740"},{"product_id":"9781472862983","title":"Germany’s French Allies 1941–45","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fully illustrated study of the Wehrmacht's French volunteer units and their actions on the Eastern Front and in North Africa during World War II.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is little known that, in late 1941, French volunteer units were among Wehrmacht troops defending Germany in the first bitter winter on the Eastern Front, and also among the last fighting for Berlin in April 1945. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, some 13,000 Frenchmen enlisted in the ‘\u003ci\u003eLégion des volontaires français contre le bolchévisme\u003c\/i\u003e’ (LVF), which was reformed as the Wehrmacht’s Infanterie-Regiment 638 and posted to Russia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis volume examines the involvement of French volunteers, not only on the Eastern Front, but also in the ‘\u003ci\u003ePhalange Africaine\u003c\/i\u003e’ in Tunisia and in the ‘\u003ci\u003eLégion Tricolore\u003c\/i\u003e’, a short-lived military organization under the control of the French Vichy government. Using archive photographs and specially commissioned artwork, it casts a new light on forces fighting for the Axis and studies the French personnel’s equipment, insignia and uniforms while describing their involvement in some of the most gruelling battles of World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301047021941,"sku":"9781472862983","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472862983_6026728f-9fb8-4509-9e26-5f68ab9c1e0e.jpg?v=1786021196"},{"product_id":"9781636241685","title":"12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend","description":"Created in 1943 from members of the Hitler Youth born in 1926, the division was attached to I SS Panzer Corps in March 1944 and transferred to Normandy. Based around Caen, it was intended to repel a possible and expected invasion from the sea. When the invasion came in June, it was one of the two closest panzer divisions to the landing beaches. The defensive battles that took place in Normandy, particularly the four battles around the city of Caen, saw the young soldiers of the Hitlerjugend demonstrate determined resistance, conceding only due to being greatly outnumbered. After the battles fought in Normandy, the division was withdrawn first to the Franco-Belgian border, where it was engaged in hard defensive fighting and then to Germany for reorganisation.  Other difficult and demanding battles followed during the offensive in the Ardennes, on the Bastogne front, in Hungary and finally the last battles fought in Austria, on the sacred ground of the Reich, where the soldiers of the Hitlerjugend, despite the desperate situation and the superiority of the enemy, managed to achieve local success and launch desperate counterattacks even into the last weeks of the war, in the name and in defense of their homeland. Packed with photographs, maps and profiles, this Casemate Illustrated follows the actions of the 12th SS Panzer Division throughout its existence.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302469415285,"sku":"9781636241685","price":24.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781636241685_a5cfb8ff-3130-445c-8bb9-3879b94ff7c0.jpg?v=1786023633"},{"product_id":"9781636244655","title":"The Waffen-SS in Poland, 1939","description":"During the Polish campaign, SS combat units were seconded to various formations of the Heer. Still considered more parade troops than frontline soldiers, they did not prove a decisive factor in the fighting, but the campaign was important for their transformation into real fighting units. They were criticized for their losses, and the officers were blamed, being considered poorly and inadequately trained. The SS officers in turn accused Heer commanders for sacrificing SS troops in suicidal missions. Himmler became convinced that if his units were used autonomously they could have better demonstrated their full potential, leading him to push for the SS to be considered a separate fighting force.Fully illustrated, this Casemate Illustrated describes the actions of the SS units that fought on the front line in Poland, primarily the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, the SS-Verfügungstruppen and the SS-Heimwehr-Danzig.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304489300341,"sku":"9781636244655","price":24.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781636244655_5ebea315-71b2-4dbd-9841-72d265c4baca.jpg?v=1786023706"},{"product_id":"9781913336165","title":"Luck Was Lacking, But Valour Was Not","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56309417083253,"sku":"9781913336165","price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781913336165_57d57837-381a-41d0-9f21-07d79abb2a2c.jpg?v=1786030612"},{"product_id":"9781915070869","title":"Snow, Ice and Sacrifice","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56309436678517,"sku":"9781915070869","price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781915070869_59f5a4d1-351d-4880-b6ac-820a8f1aaea2.jpg?v=1786030479"},{"product_id":"9781636244396","title":"The Waffen-SS at Kharkov","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt the beginning of 1943, the German armed forces were in crisis on the southern front in Russia. The Soviets had launched a series of offensives from November 1942 that pushed the Germans back hundreds of kilometers. The Germans had no more significant reserves available, and enormous breaches had opened between defensive lines. In early January 1943, the Soviets attacked again, with the aim of reconquering the industrial city of Kharkov and destroying the remaining German and Axis troops in southern Ukraine, including the 4. Panzerarmee, 1. Panzerarmee, Armeeabteilung Hollidt and Armeeabteilung Fretter‐Pico. After the encirclement of 6. Armee at Stalingrad and the destruction of the Axis forces there, the loss of these four armies would certainly have led to German defeat on the Eastern Front. Believing victory was near, Stalin and his generals decided to launch their new offensives even before the garrison of Stalingrad surrendered. The main effort fell on Army Group Don, newly formed and with little forces available. Facing a massive offensive, Commander Erich von Manstein was ordered to hold the city at any cost, risking the destruction of two divisions of the Waffen‐SS and the “Grossdeutschland” army division. SS Panzer Corps commander Paul Hausser disobeyed Hitler’s order and ordered the retreat from Kharkov, saving the two SS divisions. This meant that Manstein had at his disposal forces needed to launch his counteroffensive. The subsequent battles for Kharkov saw the three divisions of the Waffen‐SS—Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Das Reich and Totenkopf— fighting together for the first time. In the first phase of the offensive, the SS Das Reich and Totenkopf marched 100 kilometers south of Kharkov, blocking the Soviet army from capturing the bridges over the Dnieper River, while the Leibstandarte successfully defended the corps supply base in Krasnograd. After protecting the bridges over the Dnepr, the Das Reich and Totenkopf units headed north and regained control of the vital railway network south of Kharkov. The Soviet 3rd Tank Army was forced to abandon its attack against Krasnograd to regroup south of Kharkov and protect the city from Hausser’s divisions. At that point the Leibstandarte joined the other divisions of the corps SS to eliminate Soviet forces and recapture Kharkov. With its reconquest, Southern Ukraine returned firmly under German control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a fully illustrated account of the decisive victory attained by the SS Panzer Corps divisions at a time of serious crisis for the Axis forces.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312692474229,"sku":"9781636244396","price":24.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781636244396_e7f4fa10-14ed-42f3-af5b-632d76c709b5.jpg?v=1786023697"},{"product_id":"9781804515303","title":"The Italian Army in the Balkans 1940-41","description":"The book describes the Italian military campaign in the Balkans, between October 1940 and spring 1941, starting first with the invasion of Greece in 1940, with the Italian offensive and the subsequent Greek counter-offensive, with the consequent folding of the forces Italian in Albania. Then in the spring of 1941, thanks also to the intervention of the German forces on the Balkan front, the offensive was resumed, with the Italian forces that also invaded Yugoslavia.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312975688053,"sku":"9781804515303","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804515303_b0bc147d-aaf5-4c46-9dc6-4cec6b461678.jpg?v=1786027060"},{"product_id":"9781804518083","title":"The Italian Army in the Battle for Sicily July-August 1943","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368177676661,"sku":"9781804518083","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804518083_d4e1a6fa-f236-40f4-9ec1-710d1f63e9cc.jpg?v=1792424244"},{"product_id":"the-7th-waffen-ss-volunteer-gebirgs-mountain-division-prinz-eugen","title":"The 7th Waffen- SS Volunteer Gebirgs (Mountain) Division \"Prinz Eugen\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 7th Waffen SS Mountain Division was raised for war in the rugged terrain of Yugoslavia. The unit included a huge number of \u003cem\u003eVolksdeutsche\u003c\/em\u003e, ethnic Germans recruited from outside the Reich. After numerous anti-guerrilla operations in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia, towards the end of the war it was employed against units of the Bulgarian Army and Red Army forces in the difficult mission of covering the withdrawal of German forces retreating from Greece and Albania. It was one of the few Waffen-SS formations to be used in offensive actions during the final phases of the war. Prinz Eugen fought a brutal, ugly war in the Balkans; it was an effective combat force, but also capable of extreme cruelty towards prisoners and civilians.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work is the most extensive illustrated history of the unit to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57481508651381,"sku":"9780764352218","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764352218.jpg?v=1786089776"},{"product_id":"17th-waffen-ss-panzergrenadier-division-gotz-von-berlichingen","title":"The 17th Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division \"Götz von Berlichingen\"","description":"The 17th Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier Division “Götz von Berlichingen” was one of the few SS formations to be employed exclusively on the western front during World War II. From the time of its formation in France in 1943, “Götz von Berlichingen” saw bitter and bloody fighting in Normandy, the Seine front, Metz, the Saar, the Palatinate, and later the defense of the west wall until the final battles in Germany. Despite the overwhelming superiority of Allied forces, the units that comprised the division always managed to offer dogged resistance, counterattacking ferociously, and defending every foot of ground with great courage and determination. The units of “Götz von Berlichingen” received praise, not only from the German high command, but also earned the respect of its Allied adversaries. Detailed operational history, rare combat images, maps, and personality profiles make this book the definitive history of “Götz von Berlichingen.”","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57481514844533,"sku":"9780764354502","price":40.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764354502.jpg?v=1786089781"},{"product_id":"3rd-waffen-ss-panzer-division-totenkopf-1939-1943","title":"The 3rd Waffen-SS Panzer Division \"Totenkopf,\" 1939-1943","description":"One of the most infamous of all Waffen-SS formations, the 3rd SS-Panzer Division “Totenkopf” has always been identified as the very essence of the notorious “Black Order.” Associated with war crimes in official historiography, formed initially with personnel coming from guard units from concentration camps, the unit was nevertheless able to prove itself on the battlefield, distinguishing itself in all of the main campaigns in which it fought, from France to the Russian front. This first of two volumes tells the story of the “Totenkopf” from 1939 to 1943: from the campaign in Poland in 1939; its employment on the Western Front in 1940; to the early campaigns on the Russian Front. Volume one culminates in the bitter fighting on the Demjansk front and to the Kharkov counteroffensive in 1943, finally ending with Operation Zitadelle. As with all of the volumes in this series, the detailed history of the division is accompanied by many first-hand accounts, documents, extracts from official reports, and from the division’s war diary, and by over 860 photographs and maps.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57481516351861,"sku":"9780764354625","price":45.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780764354625.jpg?v=1786089783"},{"product_id":"birth-and-fall-of-an-empire","title":"Birth and Fall of an Empire","description":"Analyzes the principal Italian military operations in East Africa, with particular focus on the period between 1940 and 1941.Italy’s colonial adventure in East Africa, which had begun in the previous century and which ended abruptly with the disastrous defeat at Adua in 1896, regained impetus with the advent of Fascism which subsequently opened a campaign to expand Italian holdings in the so-called ‘Horn of Africa’. With the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935–1936, Italy invaded the Empire of Ethiopia and its territory and, along with Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, formed the Italian East African Empire. Between 1936 and 1940, numerous operations were conducted against Ethiopian resistance which erupted throughout the country. With the start of the Second World War, Italian East Africa was cut off and had to operate independently without aid and supplies from the mother country. Nevertheless, during the early phases of the conflict, a series of offensive operations were carried out which led to the conquest of Kassala and of British Somaliland. The inevitable and massive British counteroffensive followed which in the space of a few months completely overwhelmed Italian forces in East Africa which, nonetheless, fought valiantly, especially at Keren. Following the fall of Addis Ababa, Italian resistance continued first at Amba Alagi and then in the Gimma region and finally at Gondar, where Italian soldiers fought gloriously despite the odds.In Birth of an Empire: The Italian Army in East Africa 1935–1941 authors Ralph Riccio and Massimiliano Afiero ably analyse principal Italian military operations with a particular focus on the period between 1940–1941.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487955788149,"sku":"9781804512357","price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804512357.jpg?v=1786355181"},{"product_id":"snow-ice-and-sacrifice","title":"Snow, Ice and Sacrifice","description":null,"brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487972565365,"sku":"9781804515716","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804515716.jpg?v=1786355216"},{"product_id":"the-italian-army-in-the-battle-of-the-alps-1940","title":"The Italian Army in the Battle of the Alps 1940","description":"On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on France and England, siding alongside its German ally which had been at war since September 1939. Abandoning the policy of non-belligerence and keeping faith with the Pact of Steel signed with Germany Hitler, fascist Italy went to war after the German armies had already conquered half of Europe. A short but tough campaign to fight especially due to the nature of the terrain, which put the Italian troops to the test, who ultimately emerged victorious.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487974826357,"sku":"9781804516669","price":29.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804516669.jpg?v=1786355224"},{"product_id":"ss-wiking-division-in-world-war-ii","title":"The SS 'Wiking' Division in World War II","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSure to appeal to all those interested in Germany’s armed forces in World War II, this book investigates the SS ‘Wiking’ Division, from its origins to its ultimate role as a Panzer division.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One of the most famous divisions in the Waffen-SS, ‘Wiking’ was the first officially to accept non-German volunteers in unit strength. ‘Wiking’ was committed to the June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, making rapid advances until the Wehrmacht was halted that November. In 1942 the division took part in Germany’s advance in the south-east, before spending winter in the Caucasus mountains. The Red Army’s victory at Stalingrad in February 1943 prompted a major German withdrawal into Ukraine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJanuary 1944 found ‘Wiking’ encircled in the Cherkassy (aka Korsun) ‘Pocket’, where the division led the breakout in the following month. By August, rebuilt as a Panzer division, ‘Wiking’ was back in action in Warsaw. In December, the division was sent towards encircled Budapest, but was driven back in early 1945. Defeated again in March, ‘Wiking’ retreated into Austria, the remnants surrendering in May.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e All aspects of the division’s combat service are described and illustrated in this absorbing study, drawing upon the latest scholarship. Eight plates of specially commissioned full-colour artwork depict uniforms, personal equipment, weapons, personalities and insignia relating to this formidable Waffen-SS division at war in World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504989708661,"sku":"9781472875129","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472875129.jpg?v=1786953909"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-massimiliano-afiero.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}