Authors
MASSIMILIANO AFIEROThis book is a detailed history of the 23rd Waffen-SS Division "Nederland," the Dutch volunteer SS combat formation. Employed exclusively on the Eastern Front, except for a brief period in Croatia, the "Nederland" formations participated in many of the most difficult defensive battles on the north eastern front: Leningrad, the Narva bridgehead, the Tannenberg line, Dorpat in Kurland, Pomerania, and the Oder front, until the desperate battle of the Halbe Pocket where the remnants of the division managed to avoid total annihilation, escaping the Soviets and surrendering to American forces. In all of these battles the "Nederland" volunteers showed their valour as true Waffen-SS combatants, always in the front lines and always under constant enemy pressure. This complete treatment fills a large gap in Waffen-SS history. Informative appendices not only relate to the unit's operational history, but also provide details on some of its members, as well as uniforms and insignia. AUTHOR: Massimiliano Afiero is a historical researcher on the Axis forces of the Second World War, and for at least thirty years has contributed to numerous military history magazines, publishing hundreds of articles and about thirty books, with particular emphasis on Waffen-SS units. 390 b/w images