Book Review of
German Mountain Troops 1939-42
Author: Yves Beraud
Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-61200-910-0
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN: 978-1-61200-910-0
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright 2020
German mountain units had their genesis in Germany’s experience of World War I, where several significant battles saw large numbers of troops fighting in the mountains. By the end of World War II, the Wehrmacht had 15 mountain divisions and a multitude of small units including some Austrian units that had been incorporated into the German Army after the Anschluss.
These mountain units operated in hostile environments, on all fronts during World War II. Due to their training, equipment, and adaptability, the Gebirgstruppen were elite troops transported to fight in all the “Hot Spots”. In the first years of the war, mountain troops would play a part in the invasions of Poland, Norway, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, Crete, the Soviet Union and Finland.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is based in Pennsylvania, USA.
This book is soft-cover with fold-over tabs on the front and back covers. It is of 128 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows 3 black and white wartime photos of mountain troops.
At the top is a photo of troops marching down a street passing battle damaged buildings. Below on the left is a German 5 man gun crew, in the center is a German soldier using a flame thrower and to the far right is two soldiers seated at a table with one reading maps.
At the top of the back cover there is a black and white photo of soldiers marching on a city street with one soldier standing in the foreground.
Below is a black and white photo of officers having a meeting in a field.
The book is the culmination of four decades of research and the support of many veterans and collectors. It describes the uniforms, equipment, and operations of these specialist units during the pre-war period and the early years of World War II.
The text is complemented by 145 black and white and 93 color photos, taken at the front, including modern photos and 7 color photos of uniform details. Including 4 color photos of Edelweiss unit badges.
Pictures are of troops, weapons and vehicles, a graveyard. At the end of the book there is an appendix that is 2 pages of organization charts, a 2nd appendix that is 3 pages of tactical symbols, a 3rd appendix that is abbreviations, a page and a half of sources, half a page list of periodicals and a 3 page index.
THE AUTHOR:
Yves Beraud comes from a family with a history of service in mountain units. He was a senior officer of the French Army. Now retired, he has had several studies published, in a number of languages, focusing particularly on mountain troops.
This is a great picture album of German Mountain Troops. It will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
On the fold-over flap on the back cover there is 4 black and white cover arts of other Casemate Men – Battles –Weapons series books: The 3rd SS Panzer Regiment, Day Fighter Ace of the Luftwaffe 1939-42, Operation Typhoon and From Moscow to Stalingrad.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, who sent me this review sample. All of their book titles can be seen on their site at:
German mountain units had their genesis in Germany’s experience of World War I, where several significant battles saw large numbers of troops fighting in the mountains. By the end of World War II, the Wehrmacht had 15 mountain divisions and a multitude of small units including some Austrian units that had been incorporated into the German Army after the Anschluss.
These mountain units operated in hostile environments, on all fronts during World War II. Due to their training, equipment, and adaptability, the Gebirgstruppen were elite troops transported to fight in all the “Hot Spots”. In the first years of the war, mountain troops would play a part in the invasions of Poland, Norway, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, Crete, the Soviet Union and Finland.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is based in Pennsylvania, USA.
This book is soft-cover with fold-over tabs on the front and back covers. It is of 128 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows 3 black and white wartime photos of mountain troops.
At the top is a photo of troops marching down a street passing battle damaged buildings. Below on the left is a German 5 man gun crew, in the center is a German soldier using a flame thrower and to the far right is two soldiers seated at a table with one reading maps.
At the top of the back cover there is a black and white photo of soldiers marching on a city street with one soldier standing in the foreground.
Below is a black and white photo of officers having a meeting in a field.
The book is the culmination of four decades of research and the support of many veterans and collectors. It describes the uniforms, equipment, and operations of these specialist units during the pre-war period and the early years of World War II.
The text is complemented by 145 black and white and 93 color photos, taken at the front, including modern photos and 7 color photos of uniform details. Including 4 color photos of Edelweiss unit badges.
Pictures are of troops, weapons and vehicles, a graveyard. At the end of the book there is an appendix that is 2 pages of organization charts, a 2nd appendix that is 3 pages of tactical symbols, a 3rd appendix that is abbreviations, a page and a half of sources, half a page list of periodicals and a 3 page index.
THE AUTHOR:
Yves Beraud comes from a family with a history of service in mountain units. He was a senior officer of the French Army. Now retired, he has had several studies published, in a number of languages, focusing particularly on mountain troops.
This is a great picture album of German Mountain Troops. It will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
On the fold-over flap on the back cover there is 4 black and white cover arts of other Casemate Men – Battles –Weapons series books: The 3rd SS Panzer Regiment, Day Fighter Ace of the Luftwaffe 1939-42, Operation Typhoon and From Moscow to Stalingrad.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, who sent me this review sample. All of their book titles can be seen on their site at:
Highly recommended.