Ardennes 1944 Peiper & Skorzeny (Elite) [Paperback]

Jean-Paul Pallud (Author), David Parker (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: May 28, 1987

From the earliest planning stages of the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes during World War II (1939-1945), Hitler was convinced of the importance of taking the Meuse bridges. He resolved that, when his forces broke through the US lines, one special unit should be dressed in American uniforms and issued with American weapons and vehicles. In this guise they could take advantage of the surprise and shock of the breakthrough, and move forward to the Meuse bridges as if they were retreating Americans. Jean-Paul Pallud details their organisation and the fateful sequence of events that followed.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Jean-Paul Pallud graduated as a physicist at Grenoble in 1973. Since 1976 he has written many articles on the Second World War. A regular contributor to After the Battle magazine, he was technical advisor for their book Panzers in Normandy, and author of their monumental work The Battle of the Bulge: Then and Now. He flies light aircraft as a hobby. Jean-Paul Pallud currently lives in France with his wife and three chidren.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 28, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850457408
• ISBN-13: 978-0850457407
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #693,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Wargamers, May 21, 2002

By 

Fustrated Miner "dpfan1" (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ardennes 1944 Peiper & Skorzeny (Elite) (Paperback)

This book is great for wargamers and others interested in two of the key German forces in WW II's Battle of the Bulge. Kampfgruppe Peiper is shown with great detail as to what types and quantities of tanks and troops were at specific places at specific times. The battles at Stoumont and La Gleize are well documented and the writing style will put you in the heat of battle. You will want to supplement this fine book with another Osprey title, The Ardennes Offensive,VI Panzer Armee.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Osprey books, October 19, 2010

By 

illusion buster (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ardennes 1944 Peiper & Skorzeny (Elite) (Paperback)

To me his is one of the best Osprey books I have seen the color plates alone are almost worth the price of the book. You get 16 armored vehicles, 4 of the vehicles are German armor disguised as American Armor. The German armor yellow seems too light in the plates but other than that they are very well rendered. You also get 9 very well done German soldiers by Ron Volstad. There is also a nice selection of photos for such a short book (64 pages).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Part of the Battle of the Bulge, October 24, 2010

By 

Jeffrey Swystun (Ottawa & New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ardennes 1944 Peiper & Skorzeny (Elite) (Paperback)

When I was ten and began building models of tanks from WW2, I wished I could afford an Osprey book based on the vehicle or the battles it fought. The illustrated publisher's quick histories, full-color artwork plates, maps and photographs are unique and entertaining. They, more often than not, provide a great entry point to a particular piece of history (though sometimes the authors have more passion than expertise).

This particular work unveiled an aspect of the Battle of the Bulge that I was not entirely clear on. Hitler commissioned SS Commando Otto Skorzeny to create a special unit to disrupt and gain key points behind Allied lines. What made this unique is that they would pass themselves off as Americans wearing US uniforms and using US weapons and vehicles. What I did not know was that this largely failed and the unit was reconstituted into the overall attacking force which then supported Joachim Peiper's Kampfgruppe. I actually confused the massacre at Malmedy thinking that disguised Germans had carried it off but it was actually forward elements of the regular German force.

The work is interesting as it covers the attempt to hobble together English-speaking combatants from the German ranks while scrounging up captured equipment, how they reshaped the hulls of Panther tanks to resemble M10 tank destroyers, used specific markings so they were not engaged by their own troops, and it debates the cause of the Malmedy massacre. The author also disputes the now famous photography of Peiper supposedly checking his progress against a road sign as not being him (I have seen it referenced in so many works as him that this is very curious). Overall, there is decent detail and great photos.

I do worry about Osprey's format overall. They are pricey publications for their length and they need to rethink their offer in this digital world or may lose relevance.