Hitler S Brandenburgers

‘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.

"Hitler's daring and pioneering 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, the brainchild of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris and part of his Abwehr intelligence unit, from before the outbreak of war in 1939 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. Paterson details the roles of key individuals, such as Theodor von Hippel, along with forensic details of key operations.

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.

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.

An examination of Hitler's special commando forces in the Second World War, led by Admiral Canaris, head of the German Secret Service, looking a operations which ranged over a dozen countries and three continents.

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.

Examines the training, missions, artillery, and leadership of special forces units in Hitler's army.