Review - Gebirgsjaeger im Bild

Gebirgsjaeger im Bild – 6. SS Gebirgsdivision Nord 1940-1945
Author: Alfred Steurich
ISBN: 3-920677-31-5
Publisher: Nation-Europa Verlag



This book is a photographic history of the 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division ‘Nord’, a mountain division of the Waffen-SS, and was intended to be a completion to the book ‘Kampf unter dem Nordlicht’, the official unit history by Franz Schreiber, the last commander of the division. There are 223 pages and 350 photographs.

It begins with a short 3 page history of the division, and photographs of the transportation of SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 6 and 7, Nord’s main elements which were later renamed 11 and 12 SS-Gebirgs-Regiment, to Finland. The bulk of the book depict the Nord in action in Lapland, in North-Eastern Finland, against Soviet troops. Photographs of the Lapland environment and weather, Finnish and Wehrmacht comrades in arms and Soviet prisoners are also included. Afterwards the withdrawal from Finland in Operation ‘Birke’ in September-November 1944 is depicted, as well as a Waffen-SS mountain training school. The book concludes with unfortunately a small amount of photographs of Nord’s fighting in the west in 1945, probably due to the fact that the desperate situation of 1945 did not allow for much photography, but at the end there are some interesting photographs of division veterans and cemeteries of the unit. There are 16 color photographs, but they show the Lapland environment, cemeteries and veterans.

There is an English translation of the history, as well as the captions, in the back of the book, although the captions are much briefer than the German ones and some are done in poor English. Another drawback is Nation-Europa Verlag’s usual poor paper quality for high quality photograph books.

Overall, this book is still a must for those interested in the Nord, or the fighting in Lapland, and is relatively affordable at around 40 Euros.

MD12

 

I'm going to second that review. It's a great photo record of the Division!

 

That was quick, Tom! Where did you find it! It normally isn't available in model stores, except in Europe, where I found mine. It's also not easily available in English in Amazon.

MD12

 

I've had my copy for a couple of years. I forget where I actually picked it up. I probably searched through ABE Books.

 

That might be the next book to come... Great review

 

I got that book along with some others Waffen SS Pioniere im Bild for one .The other books on SS Nord are Seven Days in January and Black Edelweiss