Massimiliano Afiero Knihy

This illustrated title details the campaign history, uniforms, and insignia of a major foreign volunteer formation of the Waffen-SS before its final transformation into a full division in the winter of 1944.

"At the start of the German occupation of Belgium in May 1940, Flemish recruits from northern Belgium - considered by the Nazis to be 'Germanic' - were accepted individually into Waffen-SS units. After Hitler's invasion of the USSR in June 1941, additional recruits from the French-speaking south (Wallonia) were also drafted in. Both communities formed volunteer 'Legions' to fight (according to Goebbels' propaganda machine) 'for European civilization against the Bolshevik threat'. The Flemish Legion was incorporated into the Waffen-SS and the Walloon Legion into the German Army. Both served on the Russian Front in 1942-43. The Walloon Legion was then transferred into the Waffen-SS (the decorated Walloon officer, Leon Degrelle, became a publicized 'poster boy' for foreign SS volunteers). Both Legions were then redesignated as SS Assault Brigades and, from then onwards, saw extremely heavy fighting in the Ukraine and on the Baltic front. In autumn 1944, their survivors were withdrawn from the front and incorporated into two new SS Divisions: 27. 'Langemarck' and 28. 'Wallonien'. This new account, featuring detailed color plates of uniform and insignia, recounts the battle history of the French and Flemish-speaking Belgian SS, up to their final transformation into full divisions in the winter of 1944/45." --Amazon.com

Eighty years ago, exactly in the summer of 1941, on June 22, 1941, German military forces invaded the Soviet Union, beginning one of the largest military campaigns of the entire Second World War. We will start from this issue of the magazine to retrace the fundamental stages of the war on the Eastern front, dealing, as always, mainly with foreign voluntary units. Let's now analyze the contents of this new issue of the magazine. Let's start with the history of the Walloon Legion on the Eastern front, we continue with the second part of the history of the Frikorps Danmark, with the use of the Nord Division in the summer of 1941 on the Finnish front and finally we close with an article dedicated to the insignia used by the Italian volunteers in the Waffen SS.

In this number: We begin with a long and interesting work on the employment of the Totenkopf division during the counter-offensive on the Ukrainian front between February and March 1943, following the SS-Panzer-Korps. This is followed by the biography of Egon Christophersen, a Danish non-commissioned officer first in the Wiking division and then in the Nordland division, who distinguished himself during the fighting on the Narva front, earning himself the Knight's Cross. We continue with an article on the Tunisia campaign, fought by the Italian-German forces between the end of 1942 and the spring of 1943. We close with the second part of the article dedicated to the Wiking division in the Caucasian regions in the summer of 1942.

In this issue we start with an article dedicated to the use of the SS Totenkopf division on the Western Front in the spring of 1940. This is followed by the history of the bersaglieri (light infantry) units of the Republic Sociale Italiana, in particular ofthe 'Italia' division, with many unpublished photos. The biography of this issue is dedicated to one of the most important characters in the history of Waffen‐SS, Paul Hausser. We continue with the second part of the article dedicated to the recruitment of the Cossacks into the German armed forces and finally we close with an interesting article dedicated to the Panzerfaust, the deadly German anti‐tank weapon.

Let's start with the formation of the SS Division Nord in 1941, on the eve of its employment on the Finnish front. Following is the biography of Josef Rollecke, a man decorated with the Knight's Cross, of the 3. SS-Panzer Division 'Totenkopf'. We continue with the first part of an in-depth study on the history of Frikorps Danmark, the Danish volunteer formation. Another biography dedicated to Georg Keppler, commanding officer of the Waffen-SS follows. The study dedicated to Italians decorated with the Iron Cross is certainly interesting and we close with the fifth and last part of the article dedicated to the employment of the Cossacks in the German armed forces.

We begin with the deployment of the Wiking Division in the Caucasus regions in the summer of 1942. Following is the biography of Bruno Hinz, an SS officer, who served first in the Wiking Division and then in the Götz von Berlichingen. We continue with the employment of the Italian volunteers who served in the Waffen SS on the Nettuno front in the spring of 1944. We then return to talk about the Polizei Division, dealing with its operational employment on the Leningrad front between the summer of 1942 and January 1943. We conclude with an article dedicated to the Legionary War Cross, intended for French volunteers who fought on the Eastern Front alongside the German armed forces.

Focusing on Italian volunteers in the Waffen-SS during World War II, this study explores the involvement of Italians in various SS formations, including the SS Legion "Italiana" and the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division "Italienische Nr.1." It highlights individual experiences through extensive interviews with veterans and provides historical context for these units. The book is enriched with photographs from private collections, offering a unique visual perspective on this often-overlooked aspect of Italy's wartime history.

The narrative focuses on the Italian military campaign in the Balkans from October 1940 to spring 1941, detailing the initial invasion of Greece and the ensuing Greek counter-offensive that led to Italian setbacks in Albania. It highlights the pivotal role of German forces in spring 1941, which enabled a renewed Italian offensive, culminating in the invasion of Yugoslavia. The book offers a comprehensive look at the strategic maneuvers and challenges faced by Italian troops during this tumultuous period of World War II.

Focusing on the Italian military's involvement in World War II, this volume provides a detailed examination of their formation, structure, and operations alongside German forces in Russia from Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 until their defeat in early 1943. It offers a thorough exploration of the unique dynamics and contributions of the Italian contingents during this critical period of the war, making it an essential resource for understanding their role in the larger conflict.