The military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew by the end of World War II (1939-1945) from a handful of poorly regarded infantry battalions in 1939, into a force of more than 30 divisions including units of every type. Their battlefield reputation varied widely, from the premier armoured divisions which formed Germany's utterly reliable spearheads on both main fronts, to low quality 'anti-partisan' units. The divisions covered in this second of four titles include the first mountain and cavalry units, and two of the remarkable new Panzer divisions raised in the great 1943 expansion. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections, the text details their organisation, uniforms and insignia, and summarises their battle record.
Gordon Williamson was born in 1951 and currently works for the Scottish Land Registry. 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 the author of a number of World War II titles for Osprey Publishing.
Another first class book in Osprey's SS series. I am not sure if I'd call 9th and 10th SS Panzer "elite" but that really is but a quibble. I also liked the attention paid to the atrocities committed. I was fascinated by the 6th SS. They started off poor quality but towards the end they were a fearsome opponent, a reverse of the trend evident in the other divisions.