Arnhem A Few Vital Hours By Scott Revell, Bob Gerritsen And Niall Cherry
Arnhem A Few Vital Hours concentrates on a German unit which played a major role in fighting the 1st British Airborne Division in September 1944. This unit was the SS-Panzergrenadier-Ausbildungs und Ersatz-Bataillon 16 or to give it an English 'name' the SS-Panzer Grenadier Training and Replacement Battalion 16. This unit was, as its name suggests, a training unit and mainly consisted of 17 and 18 year olds recruits led by veterans who had all seen active service and were getting them ready for the front line. It was commanded by SS-Sturmbannführer Krafft and consisted of around 300 officers and men. It had been located in the Arnhem area. By September 1944 the unit had been warned that it would be acting as an anti-airborne landings unit, should the expected assault come. On the 17th September 1944 the unit was quickly mobilised and for a 'Few Vital Hours' during the afternoon, it stopped the 1st Airborne Division in its tracks on their way towards Arnhem. This book covers these few vital hours in detail using veterans' accounts, a diary Krafft wrote for Himmler in late 1944 and official reports. Later on in the fighting Krafft was given command of a 'Kampfgruppe' and their actions in and around the Oosterbeek perimeter are also included as well as the history of SS training in the Arnhem area; an analysis of the Krafft diary; casualties sustained by the unit and a summary of the war service of SS-Sturmbannführer Krafft. This is another excellent book from Sigmond Publishing.
This edition compromises the 2nd edition.
Code: 55393