Hi, just wanted to recommend this excellent small unit history. It's well written with good maps, tables of vehicles at various points in the unit's history, and is 'fleshed out' with contemporary accounts and post-war veteran recollections. The amount and quality of the photographs in the book is exceptional. It covers the origins and operations of the unit in extraordinary detail. I don't think it could be surpassed for what it is.
As for the unit itself, it's time behind the lines in Italy was obviously a relatively 'easy' one compared to units at various fronts in the same time period. It's tanks were 'second grade', i.e basically cast offs - e.g they received some of the Hermann Goring Division's older tanks whilst in Italy. However, the unit later fought on the Eastern Front where it was re-equipped with more modern tanks, and finally a good number of Panther's. Shortly afterwards it became the 1st Battalion of the Feldherrnhalle's Panzer Regiment and many of the soldiers were issued with the FHH cuff-title (according to the unit's veterans). At one point it also fought alongside the Waffen SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH). A superb read and highly recommended!
(The SS troops shown below on one of the unit's tanks are from the 24th Waffen SS Karstjager Mountain Division on Anti-Partisan operations.)
Link to Amazon page where it is currently available:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panzer-Abte.../dp/3936519226
Regards, Paul
As for the unit itself, it's time behind the lines in Italy was obviously a relatively 'easy' one compared to units at various fronts in the same time period. It's tanks were 'second grade', i.e basically cast offs - e.g they received some of the Hermann Goring Division's older tanks whilst in Italy. However, the unit later fought on the Eastern Front where it was re-equipped with more modern tanks, and finally a good number of Panther's. Shortly afterwards it became the 1st Battalion of the Feldherrnhalle's Panzer Regiment and many of the soldiers were issued with the FHH cuff-title (according to the unit's veterans). At one point it also fought alongside the Waffen SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH). A superb read and highly recommended!
(The SS troops shown below on one of the unit's tanks are from the 24th Waffen SS Karstjager Mountain Division on Anti-Partisan operations.)
Link to Amazon page where it is currently available:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panzer-Abte.../dp/3936519226
Regards, Paul
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