The waffen ss fought in vietnam and kicked the vcs butt until the french citizens found out who they were and brought in french conscripts. Although unit histories and campaign studies of the various waffenss divisions and formations are commonplace, adrian gilberts work is the first operational history of the organization as a whole since george steins 1984 book the waffen ss. The real story devils guard, book 1 by eric meyer fantastic fiction. This is the naziapologia war novel that apparently inspired. This is in part because of the combat record and the elite status of many of its units, and in part because of the brutality attributed to some of its formations and the war crimes some of its members were. During world war ii, the waffen ss recruited significant numbers of nongermans, both as volunteers and conscripts. Why were nazi germanys waffenss soldiers more likely to be. Known as hitlers asphalt soldiers they fought on all the main battlefronts, but most notably in the east against the soviet union and in normandy. That being said this book is basically a book of photographs of the waffenss taken by the sskriegsberichter war reporting unit from 19401945 divided into three chapters.
Some accounts i have read is that there were probably only 60 or 70 former ss troops in vietnam and that some 37000 troops comprised of german regulars were fighting in vietnam with the legion. Early volunteers were promised that they would not leave scandinavia and that they would serve under native norwegian officers but. Feb 11, 2009 many found their way to france, often on foot, to enlist in the french foreign legion. In the early days of the normandy campaign 20 canadian soldiers, members of the north.
Many found their way to france, often on foot, to enlist in the french foreign legion. The true story of the hitlers waffen ss soldiers that joined. The book follows a nazi ss officer named hans josef wagemueller. Faithful reproduction german waffen ss soldbuch pay book. Blandford in his book says that ss soldier imbued with hatred was a rarity even during the war. The book is basically about hans joef wagemuller and describes what he and his german friends got up to while serving in vietnam. In 194445 the waffen ss formed many nominal divisions from a motley range of sources, whose battlefield value was as varied as their backgrounds. Waffenss in vietnam this business about the waffen ss fighting in viet nam comes up from time to time. Any that were alive at the end of the war and surrendered may have violated their oath.
Buechner, who wrote a book called the hour of the avenger, the ss garrison had a capacity of 1473 men. German wwii soldbuch waffenss soldier identity payment book. From german waffen ss to american green beret historynet. Waffenss simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The legion was aware of the background the germans but it also. It traces in great detail the birth of the waffen ss that became a force with which to be reckoned during the 1920s through the end of world war ii in 1945. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Waffen ss is the first definitive singlevolume military history of the organization in more than 50 years. After the second world war france lacked the will to keep fighting another war and was short on men. The books tone offers a direct and straightforward explanation for the state of affairs. We have a selection of german uniforms of the waffen ss and allgemeine ss, as well feldbluse, dienstrock, feldmantel, dot44, breeches and other ss uniforms. I have read and heard of account of former ss and german soldiers fighting in the french foreign legion in indochina. What happened to the german waffen ss soldiers after the.
Waffen ss veterans fighting vietnam axis history forum. The waffenss was the military branch of the nazi partys ss organisation. To train the arabic armies and south american armies the art of torture, how to set ieds, booby traps. Nov 14, 2017 movie scene from fury 2014 when a waffen ss officer gets executed during the city battle.
How many former ss soldiers fought in the french legion during their war in vietnam in the 50s. Unanswered questions why barbara spear webster given a in memory of on murder she wrote. Mar 14, 2014 the brief but fascinating story of james brady and frank stringer, two irishmen from the west of ireland who found themselves fighting for the waffen ss on the eastern front during the second. Waffen ss units were used to prevent mass desertions or unauthorized withdrawals. In 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. The best were built around existing western european volunteer regiments. He is one of the few italian historical researchers to have personally interviewed many veterans of the waffen ss and he has published numerous books dealing with foreign volunteers in the german armed forces during world war ii. Ive read recently of old accounts of waffen ss veterans joining up with the french foreign legion after world war two, and serving in various conflicts such as the indochina war of 1945, and the vietnam conflict. Photo of ss standartenfuhrer kurt meyer and fellow officers before the massacre.
Devils guard, by george robert elford published in 1971, is the story of a former german waffen ss officers string of nearconstant combat that begins on world war iis eastern front and continues into the book s focusthe first indochina war, as an officer in the french foreign legion. Jan 22, 2019 nine waffen ss divisions and two brigades operated in hungary near the end of the war. Did ex members of the waffen ss escape germany and join. During the period of the third reich it represented a state within a state, its military arm, the waffen ss. Following the nazi occupation of norway in 1941, the waffen ss began recruiting volunteers to serve in their ranks. Norwegian waffenss legion, 194143 osprey publishing.
With the full support of the nazi regime, the waffen ss fought on all european fronts between 1939 and 1945. Towards the end of the war in april 1945 remnants of several waffenss divisions fell back. Waffen ss and the french foreign legion stormfront. In the late 80s or early 90s the authorjust checked, 1988 wrote another book called recall to inferno that takes his story up until the americans started to become involved in vietnam. There were former waffen ss soldiers in the french foreign legion, but theres little truth to the claims that they were active during the indochina war. We are talking about the french foriegn legion here and things wre different in the legion during that time im sure. If you are asking why waffen ss solders were more likely to be shot, read this. Not even their former adversaries could deny that the waffen ss was the most efficient, fanatical, well trained and well lead fighting force ever created. From what i know of thorne, he didnt have a lot of respect for the vietnam war, but he. Jun 04, 2019 waffen ss membership totaled several hundreds of thousands of men, and any generalization is fatuous. At the end of wwii a large number of german prisoners entered the foreign legion. The waffenss in the east 19411943 and the waffenss in combat 19431945. Many an author, popular and academic, has tackled the topic of the ss and waffen ss but very few have done so in an objective fashion like stein.
In their 20 book tuntematon lauri torni unknown lauri torni, authors juha pohjonen and oula silvennoinen argue that tornis conviction for treason was justified because the ss training he received at the end of world war ii was provided to help achieve a national socialist coup in finland. Did any former wehrmacht or waffen ss soldiers serve in. The guards of the concentration camp, who were sstotenkopf soldiers, were quartered at the ss garrison, along with waffenss soldiers who had recently arrived from the front. In the early 1920s, a tiny group was formed within the sa to serve as hitlers personal bodyguard. They found themselves almost immediately in indochina. Their original job was to protect higherranking people in the ss and the nazi party. Danish volunteers of the waffen ss tells the story of freikorps danmark in pictures from 19411943. There are a number of maps of the various theatres that the waffen ss fought in but these only show the particular fronts the ss were involved in and in a general area to them, they were a little disappointing. The waffen ss committed atrocities both on and off the battlefield. The nature of the combat actions in the book seem untrue to many. Ramiro bujeiro has become a frequent and popular contributor to osprey since illustrating warrior 23.
If the ss had been left alone to handle the vc,america would not had to get in the waror should i dare say have no reason to be in the war. Waffen ss hitlers elite guard at war, 19391945 by george h. What happened with the best and the most experienced. Adrian gilbert examines the dark world war ii history of nazi germanys waffenss aka the alibi of the nation.
This is the naziapologia war novel that apparently inspired seal team 6 combat tactics. There was a 1957 issue of the iron cross which had the nazi swastika replaced. Footage of one of the best armed forces to ever walk the face of the earth. From these humble beginnings, the ss rose to a nominal strength of 38 divisions of over 800,000 men by 1945, representing a sizeable portion of germanys land forces. Waffenss in vietnam yes, the title is devils guard. This book is available on and frontline publishing. This book traces the history, organization, uniforms and equipment of the waffen ss between 1939 and 1945.
Following the nazi occupation of norway in 1941, the waffenss began recruiting volunteers to serve in their ranks. This elite wing of the nazi party counted nearly one million volunteers from all the countries of europe. A legion marching song the release of the book the devils guard. This new army grew rapidly and within six months grew to over 150,000 men. His stories of the incompetence of the french makes it clear why they lost indochina. There are many out there who dont believe that the book is based on fact, i on the other hand believe a lot of it is true, and that it has been padded out a little to make it a good read, but some of the.
The third book in eric meyers acclaimed new series on the real story. Movie scene from fury 2014 when a waffen ss officer gets executed during the city battle. Much of that unit died at the start of the battle of berlin. Towards the end of the war in april 1945 remnants of several waffenss divisions fell back into eastern czechoslovakia. It is reported in the german army archives that 2600 germans died for france in indochina. Waffenss foreign volunteers and conscripts wikipedia. This is the naziapologia war novel that apparently inspired seal. This is the naziapologia war novel that apparently. The waffen ss had a reputation for committing war crimes in occupied territory. I served in both the eastern front with the waffen ss and then with the french in indochina. Waffenss ww2 german schutzstaffel of all the german military organizations of wwii, the waffenss is one of the most widely studied. Fall in his book hell in a very small place about the siege of dien bien phu writes that while many of the french foreign legionnaires at dien bien phu were german, they were probably not waffen ss members, since most of them were in their early 20s during the battle 1953 so they would have been circa 15 years old in 1945. The waffen ss armed ss was created as the armed wing of the nazi partys schutzstaffel protective squadron, and gradually developed into a multiethnic and multinational military force of. This 32page issue identity book carried by every german ss serviceman in ww2.
It you purchase the book be prepared for lots of praise for the waffen ss and it officers. Even though they werent tested in the deadliest warrior fight club, the waffen ss and viet cong used rifles in the simulation, the sks being used by the viet cong and the karabiner 98k being used by the nazi waffen ss. If the book is a fiction,it is probably based on some facts,with some spice tossed into the mix to make a good read. The ss increased its power over the army dramatically in july 1944, as individual members of the waffen ss were attached to regular army units to improve their reliability. For many of the waffen ss soldiers this attempt to escape was to result in their slaughter. Elford is also the author of recall to inferno and. Waffenss in vietnam at the end of the war, the french roreign legion went around the camps looking for recruits, the germans were offered food and water etc if they joined, many did because it offered them a better life than in a camp.
Massimiliano afiero specializes in the history of axis units during the second world war and particularly in the waffen ss. Oct 22, 2010 the true story of the hitlers waffen ss soldiers that joined the foreign legion in vietnam following the myths and legends about nazis recruited by the french foreign legion to fight in indochina, eric meyers new book is based on the real story of one such former waffenss man who lived to tell the tale. But despite the literary efforts of robert lewis elford with his devils guard books in the 1970s and the speculation of ss veterans in the bilom bataillion dinfanterie legere doutre mer unit composed of former french milice members, collaborators and several waffen ss from the french volunteers ss charlemagne division, i havent seen. Yes and no there definetely were former members of the ss in the foreign legion, but a lot of it is based on exaggeration. There is a book about this topic and it explains how the ss used their famous 10 of your men for one of our men during war. Freikorps danmark was established as a danish corps to fight communism and, from its beginning, was controlled from denmark, being placed under the control. The organization is described as aequipment, tactics and personalities of the waffenss in the second world wara. Devils guard, by george robert elford published in 1971, is the story of a former german waffenss officers string of nearconstant combat that begins. Waffen ss officer, russia soldiers of the ss division leibstandarte ss adolf hitler soldiers of the waffen ss totenkopf division with ppsh 41 waffen ss in russia 1941 horch 901 of the 5th panzer division wiking soldiers of the waffen ss, russia 1942 waffen ss trops with mg 34 attacking village on eastern front soldiers from waffen ss regiment.
In december, 1940 heinrich himmler, head of the schutzstaffel ss, established the waffen ss. Lost honour, betrayed loyalty the memoir of a waffen. The waffenss grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during world war ii, and served alongside the heer, ordnungspolizei and other security units. Images of war the waffenss in combat by bob carruthers. Danish volunteers of the waffenss casemate publishers. Only one waffen ss division, the 20th estoniani waffen ss panzer division, fell back from poland and was positioned in liberec, north of prague, where it eventually kapitulated in the beginning of may, at the same time wagemueller claims he was there. The vietnam conflict and the soldiers of fortune who. Members of the waffen ss join the french foreign legion fighting in vietnam. You are right, many ss soldiers of the waffen ss went to vietnam. A chronology outlines the major events in the history of the waffenss from the founding of its forerunner, the ssverfugungstruppe, until may 1945 in the introduction. By october 1944 the waffen ss had grown to over 910,000 men. Jan 10, 2017 this is the naziapologia war novel that apparently inspired seal team 6 combat tactics. Devils guard, by george robert elford published in 1971, is the story of a former german waffenss officers string of nearconstant combat that begins on world war iis eastern front and continues into the book s focusthe first indochina war, as an officer in the french foreign legion. In total some 500,000 nongermans and ethnic germans from outside germany, mostly from germanoccupied europe, were recruited between 1940 and 1945.
The history of the second ss divison, 194145 by gregory louis matt. The real story devils guard, book 1 by eric meyer book cover. The legion was aware of the background the germans but it also needed the experience and expertise of these warhardened veterans of countless battles. The waffen ss was not unlike the mystique of being a seal, green beret, ranger, or marine recon. This new book has much to offer both the specialist and the general. After beginning as a protection unit for the nsdap leadership, by october 1944 the waffen ss had grown into a force of 38 combat divisions comprising over 910,000 men, including a. How many former ss soldiers fought in the french legion. Yes, there were thousands of germans in french indochina. Originally labelled the stosstruppe adolf hitler, they later became known as the ss schutz staffeln, or protection squads. The book measures in size 36cm x 26cm so some of the full page photos are excellent and show fantastic detail. Our products are designed for museums, collectors, reenacment and other theatrical purposes, as well as cinematographic and television productions. This division was made up by estonians and with very few german nationals.
Frenchmen who served in the ss or wehrmacht were either killed outright or could join the foreign legion. Few firearms in history have achieved the notoriety of the maschinengewehr 42, a generalpurpose machine gun designed in nazi germany and used extensively by the wehrmacht and the waffen ss during the second half of world war ii. There were a number of europeans in the legion etrangere foreign legion who were german army heer veterans and many of them were at dien bien phu, but it is believed that the ss veterans were, for the most part. Its formations included men from nazi germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.
The waffen ss was a paramilitary organization within the ss. One of the main myths about the battle of dien bien phu is that it was the last battle of the waffen ss or variations of that. Others were welcomed to the middle east and south america. In the netherlands the ss raised a new, understrength waffenss division in february 1945. So occasionally did the allied armies of world war ii. He was unable to return to belgium for decades after the war, having been sentenced to life imprisonment in his absence by a military tribunal at verviers on 19 february 1947 for having borne arms against belgiums allies as a member of the waffenss. Some 24,000 german soldiers the majority of which were waffen ss attempted to break out of the city through russian lines on the 11th of february 1945. The book follows a nazi ss officer named hans josef wagemueller who manages to fight his way out of. This is an exact copy of an original in the ima collection, tan cover, printed in german. From what i have read, the ss veterans preformed effectively against the vietminh. The divisions of the waffen ss were made of specially trained soldiers. Its formations included men from nazi germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands the waffen ss grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during world war ii, and served alongside the heer regular army, ordnungspolizei. This is the riveting true story of paul martelli, a fifteenyearold germanitalian, who fought in pomerania, on the eastern front, in 1945 as a member of the 33. In considering the actions of its leading personalities and analyzing its training and ideological outlook, historian adrian gilbert chronicles the battles and campaigns that brought the waffen ss.
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