German Army Elite Units 1939-45

Men-At-Arms 380
By Gordon Williamson
Colour Plates by Ramiro Bujeiro
Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2002
ISBN 1-84176-405-1
48 pages, softbound

Reviewed by John Prigent

Here Gordon Williamson looks at a selection of the Heer’s elite units, those with a high combat reputation and identifying insignia – cuffbands or special unit badges. Grossdeutschland is here of course, and so are Feldherrnhalle, Infanterie Regimenter 119 and 9 "List", Panzer-Grenaadier Division Brandenberg, Kavallerie Regiment 5 Feldmarschall von Mackensen, 44 Reichsgrenadier Division Hoch und Deutschmeister, 116 Panzer Division Windhund, 21 and 24 Panzer Divisions, Panzer-Lehr Division, 3 and 5 Gebirgs Divisions, and all of the Army Tiger battalions.

The predecessor units from which they grew are covered too, and brief combat histories given. The men and their insignia are well illustrated, both in wartime photographs and in closeups of preserved cuffbands and badges as well as in the excellent colour plates. Many readers will already know some of these distinctions, but good illustrations of them are hard to find in general reference books so this is a very useful addition to the bookshelf for both figure modellers and armour fans wanting to depict their tank crews "badge up". Recommended.