The history of the World War II Luftwaffe bomber unit Kampfgeschwader 51 "Edelweiss" is documented here from its formation in 1937 until Germany's surrender in 1945. Flying He 111s and Ju 88s, KG 51 was always committed over the war zone "hotspots" and earned a reputation as a "fire brigade" on every front--whether in France, over England, in the Balkans, or in the expanses of the Russian Front. Towards the end of the war, KG 51 also flew the legendary Messerschmitt Me 262 on operations. Based on war diaries, combat reports, and personal accounts, the author factually and vividly tells the...

Long considered the definitive book on DKW (Dampf-Kraft-Wagen), this classic book is now available in a complete English language edition. Featuring over 640 color and black and white images, this book covers all of the automobiles and motorcycles manufactured by the legendary DKW from its founding in the early twentieth century to its closing in the 1960s. Described in detail are the technical developments of the famed two-stroke engine, thanks to which DKW earned its excellent worldwide reputation. Prior to World War II, DKW was the world's largest producer of motorcycles with great success...

Take a detailed look into the brutal anti-partisan warfare in Yugoslavia during the Second World War. The SS war against the partisans, dubbed Bandenkampf (literally "fight against bandits") at the time, differed greatly from the conventional war at the front. The 24. Waffen-Gebirgs Karstjager]-Division der SS anti-partisan unit was mostly comprised of ethnic Germans from Romania and operated in the Karst border area of Austria, Yugoslavia, and Italy from 1943 to 1945. This is not only a history of this SS division--including details of formation, training, commanders, and operations--but...

Take a rare look at a little known Third Reich badge awarded to volunteers from the occupied eastern territories who served in various German formations. As the German military situation worsened in 1942, Hitler authorised formation of so-called eastern units made up of Slavic volunteers. With the number of eastern volunteers rising rapidly and many of them already having distinguished themselves in action, the question of how to honour their service arose. In July 1942, Hitler ordered the awarding of the Decoration for Eastern Peoples. Those permitted to be awarded included Turkish units,...