German divisional histories - quality and availability

[trollelite]

Well, nebel guys.... You expect too much from them, one day perhaps you would miss the days they reprint several division histories per year, because this year there is no such titles, only tons of kurowski.

The only thing I miss is 76 division book, something like bittere pflicht?? This one usually cost 30 in 2005 and I think too expensive, now they soaring up to more than 60...

[Jan-Hendrik]

Flechsig has the next run with K-BS on the way , as you already mentioned .

The prices are going far above the rim at moment , the latest peaks were von Plato's 5.PzDiv. and Roth's PzRgt.25 being sold for 150 Euros each


Jan-Hendrik

[Richard Hargreaves]

1 Geb Div (Kaltenegger) is hit and miss, 3 Geb Div is excellent as is 4 Geb Div.

Hi halder,

How would you rate the old Podzun-Pallas Geb.Div. histories compared with Stocker (Kaltenegger...)?

Marko

I've only seen Lanz's book which was very very very dry, but spot on for accuracy. I prefer the Kaltenegger book, but it's flawed. His later work is much much better.

[Jan-Hendrik]

Got today Neumanns 2nd Volume about 4th Panzer , wow , thats more a KTB than a usual Divisionschronik !

Really impressed ,

Jan-Hendrik

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

I've got Neumann's two books, the KTB format really makes it easier for someone like me, with poor German language skills, to follow what is going on. Polish Militaria published 5(!) booklets full of photos from the 4. PD archive, with most of the photos being shot between the spring of 1943 and February of 1945. These booklets are mostly out of print, I believe, but the most interesting photos were then published in two booklets by Concord in the USA. The Polish books have English captions, so that shouldn't stop anyone who can't read Polish from trying to track them down, but the Concord set is probably much easier to find. Either set (or both) make a nice companion to Neumann's works, as you can then get a view of the various battlefields on which 4. PD fought.

[Richard Hargreaves]

I've just managed to pick up the two Neumann volumes on 4th Panzer for less than £30. God bless Ebay...

10th ID isn't bad, but it's like most of the Podzun books, very dry

I should have Paul's history of 9 Infanterie Regiment within the week, so I'll let people know if it's any good.

[trollelite]

Podzun's books are usually not very dry, they draw from memories, without the benefication of KTBs. Those primarily based on KTB, such as 101th and 225th, are much drier.

Well, the 4th pd price is impressive. Even that guy print those books himself, the price cannot be said as excessive.

[Richard Hargreaves]

Paul's history of 9th Potsdamer Infanterie Regiment has just arrived. Outstanding. Filled with personal reminiscences, diary entries, combat reports, etc. Easy to read, easy to follow. A very worthwhile investment. The only downside on my second-hand copy is that the owner has annoying marked most of the pages up with pencil.

[Wolf]

The only thing I miss is 76 division book, something like bittere pflicht?? This one usually cost 30 in 2005 and I think too expensive, now they soaring up to more than 60...

Bittere Pflict by Jochen Löser is not bad. Focused on the 76. Infanterie Division, it is pretty detailed and has plenty of interesting acounts of various soldiers of the division, mostly officers.

I have division histories for 1. Infanterie, 30. Infanterie, 71. Infanterie, 79. Infanterie, 3. Inf/mot/PzGren, 10. Inf/mot/PzGren, 17. SSPzGren, 4. Panzer, 14. Panzer, 24. Panzer, 12 SS Panzer..., there is a slightly stronger anti-war message in Bittre Pflict than these others IMHO - maybe because it was written in the 1980s...?

Sidenote, I think I saw Lösers name in the after texts for the movie Stalingrad...

[trollelite]

Any divisional history can contain more or less anti-war feeling, even those of waffen ss. The only exception is the pure KTB sort such as 4th pd. It also depends on what you understand as "anti-war" or war-wear

[Richard Hargreaves]

17 SS is a very good history. Forgot to mention that one earlier. Finally got my hands on 4 Pz Div, which is exceptional as a source (not especially readable though). 6 Pz Div is in the post. I have high hopes.

[trollelite]

Karl Ruef's book is really very sensational.

[Richard Hargreaves]

Karl Ruef's book is really very sensational.

Is that the 3 Geb Div one? Odyssee or something similar? I was very impressed with it; the only downside was it didn't cover Poland, but the account of Norway was excellent.

[Richard Hargreaves]

I now have Brennpunkte, the history of 6th Panzer Division by Wolfgang Paul. Excellent book, well worth the investment. Plenty of first-person accounts, diary/report extracts, maps and photos. Just how I like a divisional history to be...

[Jan-Hendrik]

Well, Paul's Brennpunkte is on my list, maybe next month

I hope next week my newest "find" will arrive:

Ludwig Wolf Rußland-Polen-Ostpreußen/1943- 1945 Tagebuchaufzeichnungen AR 337 und 299

The Author served as Batteriechef in both AR's, only 100 copies were printed in 1986

Jan-Hendrik