The Meindl Division

In January 1942, new units had to be formed urgently to make up for the shortage of manpower on the Eastern Front. The victory promised by Hitler for December 1941 was far from won. Paratroopers were called upon to fight as elite infantry at the hotspots of northern Russia. But their fighting value could not compensate for their insufficient numbers. The Luftwaffe's personnel being considerable, its commander, Reichsmarschall Göring, put out a call to all its branches for the formation of ground combat units. First, soldiers assigned to rear-area static units would form infantry battalions, which would be distributed among the Luftwaffe's frontline regiments. Trained in fifteen days by the Fallschirmjäger officers of General Meindl, four initial units were thrown into the heart of the battle in the Staraja Russa area, south of Leningrad.

Four regiments were sent as reinforcements and would be grouped under the command of General Meindl. United, they took the name "Division Meindl". The myth of the Luftwaffe field divisions was born. The author recounts in detail the engagement of these soldiers (Jäger) during 1942. They would distinguish themselves despite their lack of weapons and equipment. The book also depicts the harsh reality of the front endured by these soldiers, who had only a single uniform and boots whose seams could not withstand the climatic conditions. Many veterans interviewed provide their testimonies and previously unpublished photographs.