This book is the official unit photo history of an Elite SS Panzer Division in World War Two. First formed in 1933 as a 250 man company under the command of Hitler,s old Party Comrade Joseph "Sepp" Dietrich, it was initialy intended to be Hitler's personal bodyguard unit. Hence the name "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" means quite literaly,"Bodyguard Adolf Hitler"; and it was the only unit in the Wehrmacht to be so honored as to be allowed to use the personal name of the German Fuhrer in their official title. Expanded to regimental streangth by wars outbreak, they carried their title with pride into combat in nearly every important campaign throughout the war; steadily expanded and improved along the way. Poland 1939, France 1940, the Balkans and Russia 1941; this Elite unit spearheaded the German Blitzkrieg that made military history. When the tide began to turn, this elite unit one of a handful of "fire brigade" units sent to quell hot spots on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. In this capacity this unit fought in all the major battles of the last years of the war, delivering ferocious counter-attacks time and again. Some of the most famous frontline combat leaders of the Waffen-SS earned their Knights Cross Awards for valor in action while serving in this unit. Joachim Peiper, Fritz Witt, Michael Wittmann, Max Wunsche, MartinGross, Max Hansen, Sepp Dietrich, Hugo Kraas, and Otto Kumm all saw action with this Elite Panzer Division. Because this unit photo history was primarily compiled from collections of the veterans themselves, most of the some 650 photos contained in this books were previously unpublished; published in this book for the first time.
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