GUSTAV MERTSCH - The Artillery of the Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler"

Through a fascinating collection of testimonies and numerous photographs from veterans of the "LSSAH" division, the German author Thomas Fischer takes us into the world — often poorly understood — of artillery… and what is more, that of the 1st Waffen-SS division! A welcome change from the Panzers or the Grenadiere, the world of the Artilleristen is just as fascinating: observation, fire direction, deployment of the guns, preparation of shells, and the "intimate", even "affectionate" bond of the Kanonier with his gun or howitzer…

An East Prussian "Spartan", an artilleryman from the very beginning and an extremely strict troop commander, Gustav Mertsch was determined not only to engage his guns from the rear in plunging fire, but also as often as possible in direct fire, pounding certain targets at almost point-blank range. During certain engagements, the artillerymen would sometimes use their Karabiner, particularly on the Eastern Front, so unexpectedly close could the enemy approach.

Through this work, the reader will grasp the crucial importance of artillery, both in defence and in attack, during the brief Balkans Campaign of Spring 1941 as well as during the gruelling months spent across the vastness of the Eastern Front. We also encounter the Artillerie-LAH in Normandy, during its deployment south of Caen in late June/early July 1944. Severely wounded on Norman soil, Gustav Mertsch is withdrawn from the so-called "Invasionsfront" and never returns to the Leibstandarte. After the war, he settled in Hanover. Aware of having been a very harsh Kommandeur, Mertsch preferred to avoid contact with his former soldiers of the Artillerie-LAH.