In the early years of the Third Reich, Hermann Göring, one of the most notorious leaders of the Third Reich, worked to establish his own personal army to rival Himmler's SS and Reichswehr. The result: a private Prussian police force which grew into one of the most powerful armored units in Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht.
This unit fought throughout the Second World War, meeting Anglo-American forces in vicious battles across the European theatres of Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy before finally being defeated by the Red Army on the Eastern Front. The Hermann Göring Panzer Division incorporates technical details of these battles with the turbulent politics and Machiavellian maneuvering of Hitler's inner circle, giving military-history enthusiasts fresh insights into the development and role of this unusual division through the war.
Drawing on firsthand accounts and extensive archive material, World War II historian Lawrence Paterson presents a comprehensive and unbiased history of the establishment of the famous Fallschirm-Panzer Division.
Otto Kretschmer was only in combat from September 1939 until March 1941 but was Germany's highest-scoring U-boat commander, sinking forty-seven ships. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days.
After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe, he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. In December 1934, he was transferred to the light cruiser Köln, then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling U-boat service. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force.
He demonstrated a cool approach to combat: his mantra 'one torpedo for one ship' proved that the best way for his boat to succeed against a convoy was to remain surfaced as much as possible, penetrating the convoy and using the boat's high speed and small silhouette to avoid retaliation.
His nickname 'Silent Otto' referred to his ability to remain undetected and his reluctance to provide the regular radio reports required by Dönitz. Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military.
