Osprey Men-at-Arms 34 : The Waffen-SS

In the early 1920s, a tiny group was formed within the SA to serve as Hitler's personal bodyguard. Originally labelled the 'Stosstruppe Adolf Hitler', they later became known as the SS - Schutz Staffeln, or 'protection squads'. From these humble beginnings, the SS rose to a nominal strength of 38 divisions of over 800,000 men by 1945, representing a sizeable portion of Germany's land forces and more importantly a quarter of her tank forces and a third of her mechanised infantry. Martin Windrow examines the history, uniforms and insignia of the infamous Waffen-SS, includes details and service histories of all 38 SS Divisions and an illustrated list of rank insignia. The text is complemented by a wealth of contemporary and museum photographs clearing showing uniform detail. Also included are eight full-page colour plates by Jeffrey Burn, accompanied by twelve pages of detailed commentaries.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Evolution of the Waffen-SS
• The Divisions
• The Plates