VICTORY WAS BEYOND THEIR GRASP WITH THE 272ND VOLKS-GRENADIER DIVISION FROM THE HURTGEN FOREST TO THE HEART OF THE REICH

Book Type: S

By Douglas Nash. As the Allies arrived at the frontiers of Germany itself in the last autumn of WWII, the Germans responded with a variety of initiatives designed to regain the strategic initiative. While the "Wonder Weapons" such as the V-2 missile are widely recognized, the Volks-Grenadier divisions (VGDs) are practically unknown. Often confused with the "Volkssturm," the Home Guard militia, VGDs have suffered the undeserved reputation as second-rate formations, filled with young boys and old men suited to serve only as cannon fodder. This ground-breaking book shows that VGDs were actually conceived as a new, elite corps loyal to the National Socialist Party and equipped with the finest weapons available. Come follow along with the soldiers of the 272nd VGD's Füsilier Company from their first battles in the Hürtgen Forest to their final defeat in the Harz Mountains . . . learn the enormous potential of VGDs . . . and feel their soldiers' heartbreak at their failure. As told through the eyes of German soldiers, Nash gives the first full accounting and range of experience of a Volks-Grenadier division. In detailing the experience of one such division in the Hürtgen Forest, Nash has opened a new window into the bloody fighting at the end of World War II. He also helps to explain why it was that the western allies failed to exploit their successes of the summer and autumn of 1944 and lost their momentum amid the cold, sodden, dreary forests that ranged along the German border. The Volks-Grenadier divisions, even at this late stage of the war, could call on skilled commanders, outstanding small-arms weaponry, and a pool of determined soldiers. 22 maps, 88 photos, 3 illustrations. 412 pp.