Senior officers of the Hitlerjugend in Normandy, June 1944. Max Wünsche (left) engages in an animated discussion with Kurt Meyer (right) while the divisional commander, Fritz Witt (center) looks on. (Bundesarchiv)
Armored vehicles of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen move up to crush the lightly held British defenses around Arnhem. The swift deployment of German armor was a key factor behind German success in the battle. (Bundesarchiv)
US soldiers surrender to Kampfgruppe Peiper at Stoumont, 19 December 1944. Given the massacre of US troops near Malmédy two days earlier, the concerned expression of the leading captive is well founded, although in this instance the US prisoners received good treatment. (Bundesarchiv)
Soldiers of the Hitlerjugend Division, captured by US forces during the Battle of Elsenborn Ridge, December 1944. The captives’ youthful appearance reflects the desperation of Nazi Germany in the final stages of the war, when the very young and very old were thrown into battle in a futile attempt to hold the Allied advance into Germany. (US Army)
An American soldier surveys the aftermath of the Malmédy massacre, where men of the Leibstandarte, under the command of Jochen Peiper, shot and killed eighty-six recently surrendered US troops on 17 December 1944. Repeated battlefield atrocities committed by the Waffen-SS were a feature of the campaigns fought on both Western and Eastern Fronts. (US Army)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A WORK OF this nature relies heavily on published and other documentary material and I would like to thank the following archives and libraries: the National Archives (UK); the National Archives and Records Administration (US); the Imperial War Museum; the British Library; and the London Library. My gratitude extends to the knowledgeable and highly efficient staffs of these institutions. Among a number of individuals who helped with the project I must single out Herbert Walter (ex-Leibstandarte/Hitlerjugend) who answered many questions during an extended interview in the now distant past. And, of course, I would like to acknowledge the various copyright holders who have kindly given me permission to use material in the book.
I would like to thank my agent Andrew Lownie and the staff at Da Capo and Perseus books, who include my editor Bob Pigeon, Amber Morris, and Annette Wenda. The maps were expertly drawn up by Ed Darack. Finally, a mention must be made to my immediate family, not least for great forbearance over an extended period.
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