German Mountain & Ski Troops, 1939-45 (Elite) [Paperback]

Gordon Williamson (Author), Stephen Andrew (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1996 | Series: Elite (Book 63)

Osprey's study of Germany's mountain and ski troops of World War II (1939-1945). Fighting in every theatre from the burning sands of North Africa to the icy wastes above the arctic circle the German Army's Gebirgstruppen troops were some of the most effective in the whole of the Wehrmacht. Their esprit de corps and morale were extremely high and their commanders, men such as Eduard Dietl, the 'Hero of Narvik', and Julius 'Papa' Ringel, were idolised by their men. Dietl himself was the first soldier of the Wehrmacht to be awarded the coveted Oakleaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. In this book Gordon Williamson details the uniforms, organisation and combat histories of these elite troops.

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

Gordon Williamson was born in 1951 and currently works for the Scottish Land Register. He spent seven years with the military Police TA and has published a number of books and articles on the decorations of the Third Reich and their winners. He is author of a number of World War II titles for Osprey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325721
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325722
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #906,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rather Better than Warrior 74, January 30, 2007

By 

Pardus Amicus "Alexander" (Lake Superior, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: German Mountain & Ski Troops, 1939-45 (Elite) (Paperback)

Although covering the same subject as Warrior 74: Gebirgsjager, German Mountain Trooper 1939-45, I found this Elite volume to be somewhat more focused and less repetitive, although both volumes are neccessarily brief.

Elite, extremely fit, and highly motivated but lightly equipped infantry troops mostly from Southern Germany and Austria Gebirgsjager fought in all theatres of World War 2, proving extremely effective in Norway and Greece until their eventual stop-gap employment and destruction in the Western Front.

This volume covers the main Gebirgs divisions and corps, the SS and ethnic Gebirgs formations, major campaigns, decorations and insignia, uniforms, and has the usual excellent Osprey color plates and period illustrations. However weapons, tactics, and general unit structure are not covered to a great extent, my only complaint about this otherwise excellent general reference.


Both Osprey volumes mentioned make good companions to;
Seven Days in January; With the 6th SS-Mountain Division in Operation Nordwind, 0-9666389-5-6

3.0 out of 5 stars Reprint, November 28, 2011

By 

jeff brackenridge (choctaw, ok, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: German Mountain & Ski Troops, 1939-45 (Elite) (Paperback)

This is just a more recent reprint of the older book. Little, if anything new. Needs to be updated with color pics of uniforms and equipment found in collections, museums, and online. The unit histories were superficial, but a good starting point to get to know more about the Gebirgsjaeger and Schijaeger units of the Wehrmacht, of which most were Austrian..