Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS

By Antonio J. Muñoz

Book Overview

This history of obscure Waffen-SS units has all the elements of a war novel: ambushes, glider assaults, rescues, courage, betrayal. Included are Turkic, Hungarian, Serbian, Czech and Russian... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739408178
• ISBN13: 9780739408179
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Axis Europa Inc
• Length: 405 Pages
• Weight: 3.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Wonderfully detailed book on some little known Waffen-SS combat formations

Mr. Munoz has done a great piece of work with this book, providing quite detailed information on a number of lesser-known Waffen-SS combat formations. It's a coffee-table book, with hundreds of photos, maps and illustrations combined with quite a number of first-hand accounts as well as records of combat engagements and broad unit histories. It IS a history of the formations, it is NOT an overview of the Waffen-SS or a history of the war in any broad sense. There's also all sorts of little bits of interesting information tucked away here and there - on the origins and formation of the Brandenburgers and some of their early missions, including one on the eastern front where they posed as NKVD troops and ordered Soviet forces around. Another example - aimed and accurate fire - an example was given (first-hand account) of trained and experienced Waffen SS troops fighting the Russians near the end of the war, with a Waffen SS company firing aimed shots every 10 seconds (per trooper), with around 100 Waffen-SS soldiers putting around 1,000 Russian soldiers down in a couple of minutes. All sorts of bits and pieces like this in there, giving you very detailed information as well as good unit overviews. Highly recommended if this is a subject that interests you.

Will appeal to WW II buffs and serious scholars alike

A very complimentary foreword to Forgotten Legions was written by Samuel W. Mitcham JR, an internationally recognized authority on Nazi Germany and the Second World War. He is the author of over thirty books on the subject and has appeared on the History Channel and National Public Radio. A former Army helicopter pilot and company commander, he is a graduate of the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College. Here's part of what he says: "Forgotten Legions is the best English-language book on the armed SS that has been released in several years. It is one of those rare books that will appeal to WWII buffs and serious scholars alike. It is a solid and important contribution to the literature of Nazi Germany and the history of the Waffen-SS. Antonio J. Munoz is to be commended for a job well done." Sept 1990.

Forgotten Legions

If you want to know the forgotten units of the Waffen SS, this is the book that you should have. In the pages about SS paratroopers, Jagdverbaende, and festung units you will read many lively stories about their actions. Unfortunately, after that pages, the book start dry--like the stories about 'Kama', 'Skanderbeg', 'Karstjaeger', and 30th SS. Other weakness that disturbed your when read this book are:1. too many blank pages2. there are some information in its appendixes that didn't have relation with the contents, like information about the Death's Head unit.I think it is better for the writer to wrote about other forgotten units like Roumanians dan Bulgarians SS units or some SS junior divisions [30's series, like 'Nibelungen', '30 Januar', 33rd (Hungary Nr. 3)and 35th SS Divisions, etc.]than to waste pages for nothing. Anyway, while the book couldn't give full information about each of the units, it is still great for a start to know theirs stories.

The Forgotten Legions

The "Forgotten Legions" by Antonio J. Munoz appears to be a very-well researched book on obscure units of the Waffen SS. My father fought against the 30th Waffen SS division during the Battle of the Bulge. It was another bulge known as the Colmar Pocket. Munoz shows the divisions formation, training, and problems coming together as a unit of the SS. His documentation and maps are good and you get a real feel for the introduction of the unit into combat. It is interesting to see the fanatacism of the Russian SS troops jumping into and onto the allies tanks. For further information on the unit and the Battle of the Colmar Pocket refer to the website of the ... 36th Infantry Division. I would appreciate the author's e-mail. Mine is GregColmar@hotmail.com