Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: With the 272nd VolksGrenadier Division from the Huertgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich,Used

this is a mustread.' NYMAS ReviewAs the Allies were approaching the German frontier at the beginning of September 1944, the German Armed Forces responded with a variety of initiatives designed to regain the strategic initiative. While the 'Wonder Weapons' such as the V1 flying bomb, the V2 missile and the Messerschmitt Me262 jet fighter are widely recognized as being the most prominent of these initiatives upon which Germany pinned so much hope, the VolksGrenadier Divisions (VGDs) are practically unknown. Often confused with the Volkssturm, the Home Guard militia, VGDs have suffered an undeserved reputation as secondrate formations, filled with young boys and old men suited to serve only as cannon fodder. This groundbreaking book, now reappearing as a new edition, shows that VGDs were actually conceived as a new, elite corps loyal to the National Socialist Party composed of men from all branches of Hitler's Wehrmacht and equipped with the finest ground combat weapons available.Whether fighting from defensive positions or spearheading offensives such as the Battle of the Bulge, VGDs initially gave a good account of themselves in battle. Using previously unpublished unit records, Allied intelligence and interrogation reports and above all interviews with survivors, the author has crafted an indepth look at a latewar German infantry company, including many photographs from the veterans themselves. In this book we follow along with the men of the 272nd VGD's Fusilier Company from their first battles in the Huertgen Forest to their final defeat in the Harz Mountains. Along the way we learn the enormous potential of VGDs . . . and feel their soldiers' heartbreak at their failure.Among Douglas Nashs previous works is Hells Gate: The Battle for the Cherkassy Pocket, JanuaryFebruary 1944, a work unsurpassed for insight into the other side of the hill in WWII.Table of ContentsIllustrationsForewordPrologueAcknowledgmentsGuide to Tactical SymbolsMaps1. The Story of a Suitcase2. The VolksGrenadier Division3. Origins and Lineage of Fsilier Company 2724. Of Mortal CoilThe Men of Fsilier Company 2725. Arrival in the Hrtgen Forest6. The Battle for Bergstein7. Fight for Control of the Kall River Gorge: The Assault on Castle Hill8. Two Divisions Collide at Kesternich9. The Defense of Kesternich10. The Interlude of January 194511. The Americans Drive on the Dams12. Withdrawal Beyond the Roer13. The Retreat to the Rhine14. The Battle for Hnningen15. Last Stand on the Wied Defense Line16. From the Hrtgen Forest to the Heart of the ReichEpilogueEndnotesAPPENDICESA. Command and Staff, 272nd VolksGrenadier DivisionB. VolksGrenadier Division CrewServed WeaponsC. Standard Organization of a VolksGrenadier Division and a Fsilier CompanyD. VolksGrenadier Division NumberingE. Higher Headquarters of the 272nd VolksGrenadier Division from 2 November 1944 to 12 April 1945F. Table of German Rank EquivalentsG. Knights Cross and German Cross in Gold Holders, 272nd VolksGrenadier DivisionH. Fsilier Company 272 Casualties and Replacements, September 1944March 1945BibliographyIndex