CONCORD 6506 MARCH OF THE DEATH'S HEAD DIVISION

Photographs and four colour uniform plates of the "Totenkopf" unit in action. The Death's Head Division's baptism of fire came in May 1940 in France, where its men fought with courage and zeal. The Division was part of the reserve in Operation Barbarossa but at the Luga Line, the Totenkopf fought against suicidal Russian resistance. In 1942, the Division was involved in the Demyansk Pocket battles and suffered heavy casualties. After re-fit, the "Totenkopf" joined other crack Waffen-SS units in the battles of Kharkov and Zitadelle in 1943. After Kursk, the Division would never again possess anything like the strength it had at the beginning of 1943. With the general withdrawal of German forces in 1944, the "Totenkopf" fought rearguard actions at Grodno and Warsaw. In 1945, the unit defended Budapest and finally surrendered to the Americans near Vienna. The book features many unpublished photographs, especially the ones taken at the Demyanks Pocket during the winter months of 1942. The four colour plates are illustrated by Stephen Andrew, a good reference source for uniform, equipment and weapons of the "Totenkopf" soldiers in France 1940, Russia 1941, Poland 1944 and Hungary 1945.