Böcker av Rolf Michaelis

This book is a rare memoir from a Waffen-SS soldier who fought for six years in some of the most savage fighting on the Russian front during WWII. A volunteer, initially in the SS-Heimwehr Danzig, which became part of the SS-Totenkopf-Division in 1939, he took part in the campaign against Poland as a motorcycle messenger, and was wounded for the first time during the France campaign of 1940. In 1943, he took command of a group of young recruits on the Mius Front in Russia. By the time he was wounded for the third time in the summer of 1944, he had been decorated with both Iron Cross grades and two Tank Destruction Badges. In February 1945, he saw action in Hungary with the 9.SS Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen, and later ended the war as an American POW.

Albert Schwenn was called up by the SS Cavalry Replacement Battalion in Warsaw in October 1942, and in March 1943, was seconded to the SS Cavalry Division. Schwenn gives a vivid account of the brutal combat on the Russian front, and especially operations against partisans, where he took part in so-called pacification actions behind the front lines. In August 1943, his division was transferred to the front near Kharkov. After recovering from wounds received during the Soviet offensive, he served as an instructor, lastly with the SS Cavalry Replacement and Training Regiment in Bohemia. In addition to nearly three months of action during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, Schwenn also took part in operations during the Prague Uprising in May 1945. Because of his participation in operations against partisans in 1943, he was given a death sentence, and ultimately served nearly eleven years as a POW in the USSR.

Translation of: Heinrich Himmler: die Konzentration der Exekutivgewalt im Nationalsozialismus.

Orginally published as Die uniformspezifischen Abzeichen der Waffen-SS, Ã2010 by Rolf Michaelis, Berlin, Germany.

Take a rare look at a little known Third Reich badge awarded to volunteers from the occupied eastern territories who served in various German formations. As the German military situation worsened in 1942, Hitler authorised formation of so-called eastern units made up of Slavic volunteers. With the number of eastern volunteers rising rapidly and many of them already having distinguished themselves in action, the question of how to honour their service arose. In July 1942, Hitler ordered the awarding of the Decoration for Eastern Peoples. Those permitted to be awarded included Turkish units, Cossack units, Crimean Tatar units, Auxiliary Police (Schutzmannschaft) Battalions, unarmed auxiliaries (Hilfswilligen, or Hiwis) in German units, and domestic security units in the operations zone. Very rare examples of actual badges, award documents and soldbuchs, and never before seen war era images are presented here.

"A detailed look into the brutal anti-partisan warfare in Yugoslavia during the Second World War. The SS war against the partisans, dubbed Bandenkampf (literally "fight against bandits") at the time, differed greatly from the conventional war at the front. The 24. Waffen-Gebirgs [Karstjager] -Division der SS anti-partisan unit was mostly comprised of Yugoslav recruits and operated in the Karst border area of Austria, Yugoslavia, and Italy in 1943-1945. This book is not only a history of this infamous SS division - including details of formation, training, commanders, and operations - but is also a look at the German Anti-Partisan War Badge in Gold, and its recipients from the unit. Very rare examples of actual badges as well as award documents and soldbuchs are presented, and includes nerve before seen war era images." --- from back cover.

"During World War II nearly every Wehrmacht solider outside of Germany came into contact, either directly or indirectly, with the nearly one-million partisans throughout Europe. Operations against these "bandits" usually fell outside the rules of war, and those who fought saw images of incredible cruelty. Those rules of war, and those who fought saw images of incredible cruelty. Those German soldiers and police members who fought against the partisans were qualified to receive anti-partisan badge. This concise book discusses the award's three grades and includes rare documents and war-era photographs." --- from back cover.

Roughly 40,000 Latvians served in the Waffen-SS from 1943 to the end of war in the 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr.1) and 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr.2). They fought in Russia, Latvia, West Prussia and eventually Berlin in April 1945. This book is the complete operational history of this little-known unit and includes first-hand accounts, maps, and very rare war-era photographs, and soldbuchs.

In the follow-up to German attacks in World War II, Ethnic Germans all over Europe were drafted into the German military from all of the occupied countries. Nearly 650,000 from all occupied countries men were put into Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, and Order Police service. For the most part they fought in their own units or were used as replacements in Reichsdeutsche units. This book details each country and unit from all service arms and includes rare documents, soldbuchs, and war-era photographs.

First established by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918, the badge for wounded soldiers was reestablished by the Wehrmacht during the Spanish Civil War, and then later at the beginning of the Second World War. It was awarded in three grades depending on the number and/or type of injuries in wartime. This concise book discusses the awards various grades and includes rare documents and war-era photographs.

Following the high casualties in close-quarter combat in Russia, in 1942 the Wehrmacht established the Close Combat Badge in three grades and was awarded to those after a specific number of battles. This concise book discusses the awards various grades and includes rare documents and war-era photographs.

In the First World War German soldiers received the Iron Cross for valor. During the Second World War there were many additional decorations established to award various deeds in combat. The German assault badges in its various grades were awarded for participation in specific numbers of combat assaults. This concise book discusses the awards various types and grades and includes rare documents and war-era photographs.

The close-range engagement of tanks became extremely important mainly because of the Soviet T-34 and KV-I tanks, which for a long time were superior to all German tanks and anti-tank guns. Frequently employed in small groups of three to five tanks to support the infantry, these Russian tanks could often be put out of action with close-range weapons. This book provides a concise account of Tank Destruction Badge, and the close-range combating of tanks. In addition to a description of the special badge and the most commonly used weapons, it includes operational accounts by recipients of the badge.

In the years between 1940 and 1945, a total of approximately 12,500 Belgians served in the Waffen-SS, a number roughly equal to the strength of an infantry division in 1944. Because of political and social problems and different objectives of the volunteers, however, the men were not combined in a single unit, rather they were deployed in three different formations. This book describes the major units of the Waffen-SS in which the Belgian volunteers were concentrated, where they were deployed, and the battles they took part in. It also explains the reasons why the men served in three different Waffen-SS divisions.

Hitler created the Sniper Badge on August 20, 1944, to impel soldiers to train and be used as snipers. Thus the strategic importance of single combat was stressed in highly stylized propaganda. Since the soldiers themselves to a special extent were in sight of the enemy troops, unlike the members of other service arms, experienced the death of their enemies directly, the numbers of volunteers did not reach the planned extent. In this concise history, this badge, as well as the actions of German snipers, is examined and includes color images of badges, weapons, awards, soldbuchs, and war era photos.

Translation of: Die Kavallerie Divisionen der Waffen-SS / Michaelis-Verlag.

This new book is a concise combat history of the six Waffen-SS panzergrenadier divisions in World War II. The formation and combat histories of each are discussed in detailed text, along with maps and rare photographs and includes: the 4th SS-Polizei Panzergrenadier Division; 11th SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland"; 16th SS-Panzergrenadier Division "ReichsfÃ"hrer-SS"; 17th SS-Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen"; 18th SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division "Horst Wessel"; 23rd SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division "Nederland".

This new book covers the little known combat operations of the German Ordnungspolizei (Order Police - regular uniformed police) during World War II. Discussed are unit formations, personalities, and operations including frontline combat, security duties in occupied countries, as well as the participation of some battalions in ethnic cleansing atrocities. Also included are very rare photos, documents, soldbuchs and maps.