The Brandenburger Commandos

Download or read book The Brandenburger Commandos written by Franz Kurowski and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2005 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A narrative detailing a clandestine operations unit ran by the German Army's intelligence service, and its exploits. It gives a rare look into the secret military operations of Hitler's Germany. Trained to be quick, mobile, self-reliant and steeped in local customs and languages, the Brandenburgers operated behind enemy lines around the world. From Western Europe to Romania, Russia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and World War II's other fronts, they seized bridges as well as other strategic targets. They engaged in sabotage, espionage, and other daring missions-often bending the rules of war in the process. Although the unit was dissolved in 1944, its tactics influenced special forces around the world both during the war and after.

Download or read book Hitler's Brandenburgers written by Lawrence Paterson and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2018-08-30 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘A fitting tribute to Germany's clandestine warriors, and a guarantee that their extraordinary efforts have not been relegated to comparative obscurity or entirely forgotten’ - David R Higgins. Hitler's daring and pioneering Brandenburgers special forces served in every German theatre of action. This is the most comprehensive account of an unusual and profoundly successful band of men. Lawrence Paterson traces the origins of the small unit, before the outbreak of war in 1939, as the brainchild of Admiral Canaris and part of his Abwehr intelligence unit through through to its breaking up in 1944 when it was largely converted to a, conventional Panzergrenadier division. At that point, many Brandenburgers transferred to Otto Skorzeny’s SS Jägdverbände. It is well-known that German troops disguised themselves as Allied troops for the Battle of the Bulge - but less well known the Brandenburger operations used such disguises - more effectively -in in advance of the Blitzkrieg in 1939-41. Despite their profound success as commando raiding troops their history has been overshadowed by equivalent Allied units and largely ignored. However, within North Africa the Brandenburgers employed similar techniques to the SAS and LRDG, at first earning Erwin Rommel’s disapproval for their unorthodox methods until he began to feel the effect of similar Allied raids. Paterson details the roles of key individuals, such as Theodor von Hippel, along with forensic details of key operations. He explodes many of the myths about the unit and provides a clear and comprehensive history of this key part of the Wehrmacht.

Download or read book Behind Soviet Lines written by David R. Higgins and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-10-20 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the summer of 1942, following the invasion of Russia the previous year, Hitler's 'Brandenburger' commando units undertook a daring operation deep inside Soviet-held territory. Disguised as members of Stalin's NKVD, the secret police dreaded by most Soviet citizens and soldiers, the Brandenburgers passed unsuspected past the Red Army's checkpoints, before launching their surprise operation to seize the vital Soviet oil facilities around Maikop – delivering them intact into Nazi hands. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this expert assessment of the Maikop operation casts new light on German special-forces operations on the Eastern Front.

Download or read book Kommando written by James Lucas and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2014-02-24 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Nazi Germany’s special forces and their efforts to reclaim military, naval and aerial superiority is recounted in this WWII history. Though Germany’s Special Forces Command had stunning capabilities, its fearsome potential was squandered due to poor coordination and planning. Units were raised ad hoc, in a desperate response to Germany's weakening position. In Kommando, historian James Lucas presents a comprehensive account of Germany's special forces and their efforts to stave off impending military defeat. At sea, flotillas of manned torpedoes and explosive motorboats were introduced. In the air, the world's first operational jet planes were grouped into special squadrons in an effort to cripple the US air offensive. On the ground, battalions of over-age men set out on foot or on bicycles towards Berlin to protect the city from the Soviet Army's tank armadas. In other parts of Germany, so-called Werewolf units recruited young people to carry out partisan warfare. Then there were the children of the Hitler Youth who committed acts of sabotage against military installations and attacked British and Americans soldiers. This classic work by a British veteran of the war presents the full story with fascinating detail and incisive analysis.

Download or read book Das Afrika Korps written by Franz Kurowski and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2010-03-23 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Action-packed history of the Germans in Africa in World War II. One of the most famous military units of all time under one of the best commanders. The early campaigns in the Western Desert, Tobruk, El Alamein, and more.

Download or read book Blood and Soil written by Sepp de Giampietro and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2019-02-28 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Available for the first time in English, a memoir of a member of the World War II Brandenburg German special forces unit. The Brandenburgers were Hitler’s Special Forces, a band of mainly foreign German nationals who used disguise and fluency in other languages to complete daring missions into enemy territory. Overshadowed by stories of their Allied equivalents, their history has largely been ignored, making this memoir all the more extraordinary. First published in German in 1984, de Giampietro's highly-personal and eloquent memoir is a vivid account of his experiences. He delves into the reality of life in the unit from everyday concerns and politics to training and involvement in Brandenburg missions. He details the often foolhardy missions undertaken under the command of Theodor von Hippel, including the June 1941 seizure of the Duna bridges in Dunaburg and the attempted capture of the bridge at Bataisk where half of his unit was killed. Given the very perilous nature of their missions, very few of these specially-trained soldiers survived World War II. Much knowledge of the unit has been lost forever, making this is a unique insight into a slice of German wartime history. Widely regarded as the predecessor of today’s special forces units, this fascinating account brings to life the Brandenburger Division and its part in history in vivid and compelling detail.

Download or read book Elite Units of the Third Reich written by Tim Ripley and published by Lewis International (FL). This book was released on 2002 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the training, missions, artillery, and leadership of special forces units in Hitler's army.