12th Ss Panzer Division Hitlerjugend by Massimiliano Afiero

12th Ss Panzer Division Hitlerjugend by Massimiliano Afiero

Formed in 1943 with the express purpose of blocking the forthcoming Allied invasion in the West, the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend carved out a reputation as one of the Wehrmacht’s foremost panzer divisions, as witnessed by its tenacious defense of Caen following the Allied invasion of Normandy.   The British Operation Goodwood against Caen in July 1944 was followed by Totalize in August, which bypassed Caen and attacked the Hitlerjugend positions. Within a week thousands of German troops were encircled in the Falaise Pocket. Around ten thousand Hitlerjugend soldiers escaped piecemeal, regrouping to fight in the battles along the Maas and the ill-fated Ardennes offensive of December 1944. Deployed to Hungary in 1945 to stem the Red Army advance, the division fought against overwhelming odds until the final battles in Austria, on Reich soil, in late April 1945. There the soldiers of the Hitlerjugend, despite the desperate situation and the superiority of the enemy, managed to achieve local success and launch desperate counterattacks even into the last weeks of the war. Packed with photographs, maps and profiles, this Casemate Illustrated title follows the actions of the 12th SS Panzer Division throughout its existence.

[A] good introduction to the combat history of a unit involved in some of WWII’s bloodiest and most critical battles* AMPS *
The author covers specific events during and after Nomandy. * Gun Mart *
[W]ith the aid of maps and crystal-clear photos in color, you will see for yourself how these kids, for the most part, do Hitler’s bidding and fight to the bitter end against overwhelming odds[.] * ARGunners.com *

Massimiliano Afiero was born in Afragola, Italy, in 1964. An information technology teacher and programmer, he has been interested in military history since his youth. He has published widely and has been involved in the editing and development of several magazines including Volontari, SGM, Ritterkreuz and The European Volunteer, and the Fronti di Guerra series. Since January 2017, he has been Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly magazine The Axis Forces.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781636243146
ISBN 10	1636243142
Title	12th Ss Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
Author	Massimiliano Afiero
Series	Casemate Illustrated
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Casemate Publishers
Year published	2023-03-23
Number of pages	128
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable