The Waffen-SS

In the early 1920s, a tiny group was formed within the SA to serve as Hitler's personal bodyguard. Originally labelled the ""Stosstruppe Adolf Hitler,"" they later became known as the SS ? Schutz Staffeln, or ""protection squads."" From these humble beginnings, the SS rose to a nominal strength of 38 divisions of over 800,000 men by 1945, representing a sizeable portion of Germany's land forces and more importantly a quarter of her tank forces and a third of her mechanised infantry. Martin Windrow provides a splendid in-depth review of the history, uniforms and insignia of the infamous Waffen-SS of World War II. The Waffen-SS Paperback edition by Martin Windrow

Ilustração: Jeffrey Burn