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Ss-Totenkopf: The History of the 'Death's Head' Division 1940-45
This illustrated history explores the SS-Totenkopfs formation, the men it recruited, key leaders, and its organization, as well as specialized training, uniforms, and insignia. Completely illustrated with photos from European archives, the book also provides full combat and casualty records for the division, which fought on both of the Eastern and Western Fronts.
- GenresWorld War II
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2001
14 people want to read
About the author
Chris Mann
107 books9 followersThis is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Chris Mann
For the military historian, see Chris Mann
For the military historian, see Chris Mann
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 18, 2022
This is my fourth book in this series of Schutzstaffel (SS) warfighters and I appreciate these books. They give in-depth history of the SS, its beginnings, and overall involvement in the war.
This particular division was created initially at Dachau to administer the entire concentration camp system. As a branch of the armed Waffen-SS they were guards part of the organization called SS-Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head Units). The book explained the training, indoctrination, and overall function in the concentration camps. Eventually men hardened from camp life, disciplined, and readied were transferred to form the combat unit 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf for the remainder of the war.
The next chapter talked about the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and their engagements from 194o-45. These include pushing east into Poland, rolling over west into the Netherlands and France, pushing up through the Baltics, Operation Barbarossa, Kharkov and Operation Citadel, Kursk, and their final actions against the unstoppable Soviet offensive.
The last chapters gave short summaries of the key leadership players within the division and an overview of the weapons and firepower systems.
Overall a really good book on the unit without overkill on details. The pictures alone are worth viewing. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Waffen-SS. Thanks!
This particular division was created initially at Dachau to administer the entire concentration camp system. As a branch of the armed Waffen-SS they were guards part of the organization called SS-Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head Units). The book explained the training, indoctrination, and overall function in the concentration camps. Eventually men hardened from camp life, disciplined, and readied were transferred to form the combat unit 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf for the remainder of the war.
The next chapter talked about the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and their engagements from 194o-45. These include pushing east into Poland, rolling over west into the Netherlands and France, pushing up through the Baltics, Operation Barbarossa, Kharkov and Operation Citadel, Kursk, and their final actions against the unstoppable Soviet offensive.
The last chapters gave short summaries of the key leadership players within the division and an overview of the weapons and firepower systems.
Overall a really good book on the unit without overkill on details. The pictures alone are worth viewing. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Waffen-SS. Thanks!
January 9, 2012
It gives you a glimp of the reality, in a common anglo-american way.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews