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Gregory L. Mattson

The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the elite of Hitler’s armies in World War II. SS- Das Reich is an in-depth examination of the second Waffen-SS unit to be formed. The book explores the background to the unit’s formation, including its origins as the SS-VT Division, the men it recruited, the key figures involved in the division throughout its war service and its organization. It also looks at the specialist training of the Waffen-SS, and the uniforms and insignia of the unit. SS-Das Reich provides a full combat record of the division, which fought on both fronts during World War II. The book outlines the unit’s involvement in the invasion of Poland, the fall of France, the invasion of the Soviet Union, the battles of Kharkov and Kursk, the defence of Normandy, the Ardennes offensive, the fruitless attempt to relieve Budapest and its final days defending Vienna. The division’s darker side is also revealed, with an examination of its role in the massacre of French villagers at Oradour-sur-Glane in June 1944. Illustrated with rare photographs, SS-Das Reich is a definitive history of one of Nazi Germany’s elite combat units of World War II.

Amber Books Ltd

Waffen-SS Divisional Histories

SS-Das Reich: The History of the Second SS Division, 1933–45

Rupert Butler

‘Whoever has the youth has the future. My teaching will be hard. Weakness will be knocked out of them. A violently active, dominating, brutal youth – that is what I am after. ’

– Adolf Hitler

The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the elite of Hitler’s armies in World War II. SS-Hitlerjugend is an in-depth examination of the unit formed in 1943 from veterans of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division and members of the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) organization. The majority of the recruits were 17-year-old volunteers who were fanatically devoted to the Nazi cause and to Hitler personally. The book explores the background to the unit’s formation, the type of young men it recruited, the key figures involved in the division and its organization. It also looks at the uniforms and insignia that members of the division wore to distinguish themselves on the battlefield.

SS-Hitlerjugend also provides a full combat record of the division, which fought on both fronts in World War II. The book outlines the unit’s involvement in the defence of Normandy, when Allied troops were shocked by the youth of the enemy and their willingness to accept appalling losses; the battle for Caen and the catastrophe of the Falaise Gap; refitting in Germany before the Ardennes offensive; and its service on the Eastern Front at the end of the war, fighting to recapture Budapest.

Illustrated with rare photographs, SS-Hitlerjugend is a definitive history of one of Nazi Germany’s most fanatical fighting units.

SS-Hitlerjugend: The History of the Twelfth SS Division, 1943–45

‘I swear to thee, Adolf Hitler, as Führer and Chancellor of the German Reich, loyalty and bravery. I vow to thee, and to the superiors whom thou shalt appoint, obedience unto death, so help me God. ’ 

– SS Oath of Loyalty The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the elite of Hitler’s armies in World War II. SS-Leibstandarte is an in-depth examination of the first Waffen-SS unit to be formed, the SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. The book explores the background of the unit’s formation, including its origins as the Führer’s bodyguard, the men it recruited, the key figures involved in the division, its organization, training, uniforms and insignia. 

SS-Leibstandarte also provides a full combat record of the division, which fought on both fronts during World War II. The book outlines the unit’s involvement in the fall of France, its service on the Eastern Front, the desperate attempts to throw the Allies out of Normandy after D-Day, and the final, fruitless attempts to relieve Budapest and save Vienna from the Red Army. 

Illustrated with rare photographs and written by an acknowledged expert, SS-Leibstandarte is a definitive history of one of Nazi Germany’s most effective fighting units of World War II.

SS-Leibstandarte: The History of the First SS Division, 1933–45

Chris Mann

The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the élite of Hitler’s armies in World War II. SS-Totenkopf is an in-depth examination of one of the most famous – or rather, infamous – of these divisions: the ‘Death’s Head’ division. The book explores the background to the unit’s formation from the early concentration camp guards; the men it recruited and the level of brutalisation to which they became accustomed; the key figures involved in its history, such as Theodor Eicke, its founding commanding officer; and the division’s organization. It also looks at the training regimen of the Waffen-SS, and the uniforms and insignia that members of the division wore.
SS-Totenkopf also provides a full combat record of the division, which fought on both fronts during World War II, increasingly serving as a ‘fire brigade’ unit as the war turned against Germany, plugging gaps wherever they appeared in the front. The book outlines the unit’s involvement in the invasion of Poland, the fall of France, the invasion of the Soviet Union, the battle of Kharkov, the defence of Warsaw, and the final fruitless attempt to relieve Budapest in the last days of the Reich.
Illustrated with rare photographs and written by an acknowledged expert, SS-Totenkopf is a definitive history of one of Germany’s leading fighting units of World War II.

SS-Totenkopf: The History of the 'Death's Head' Division 1940–46

The 5th SS Division Wiking was the first 'international' – i.e. largely non-German – Waffen-SS division and the only German panzer division comprised largely of foreign troops. Approximately 75 per cent of the division's strength were non-German nationals, all volunteers, and the majority from occupied countries like Belgium, Holland, France, Denmark, and Norway. 
The Wiking division operated exclusively on the Eastern Front during World War II, where the division quickly earned itself a deserved combat reputation but also served as a 'finishing school', spinning off a host of additional Waffen-SS divisions. While Germany was on the offensive in the East, Wiking served as a spearhead for Operations Barbarossa and Citadel. Later in the war it served as a defensive 'fire brigade', plugging gaps in the line as needed in response to Soviet attacks: breaking out of the Cherkassy pocket and defending Budapest as part of the Sixth SS Panzer Army, before its tattered remnants ended the war attempting to postpone the inevitable in Berlin. 
Part of the SS Divisional Histories series, SS-Wiking is fully illustrated with rare Eastern Front photographs, many of which have never been published before. It also includes numerous maps and biographies of the key personnel, including such figures as Josef Mengele, Leon Degrelle, Felix Steiner and Herbert Gille.