Overview

This work is one of a selection of titles that illustrate the history, organization, uniforms and insignia of the armed SS battalions. In the pre-war years the SS-Verfugungstruppe, as the only Nazi party organization trained and equipped along military lines, represented the first steps towards a parallel army under Nazi control. The early units and formations are covered in detail, with comprehensive descriptions, tables and illustrations of all types of uniforms, insignia, accoutrements, band items and standards. The first SS regiments - the Leibstandarte, Deutschland, Germania and Der Fuherer - would see combat in the first campaigns of the war and later evolved into the Waffen-SS, the elite organization, which became a vital fourth armed service during the years 1942-1945.