THE AXIS FORCES - Extraordinary Stories and Battles 1939-1945

This gripping and compelling work presents numerous feats of arms by the Axis forces (Germany, Italy, Japan, Finland and others) that are often little known. It uncovers incredible and extraordinary stories, highlighting the military qualities of Axis elite troops fighting under difficult conditions, yet frequently carrying the day through their audacity.

Operation Gleiwitz, in 1939, illustrated the effectiveness of German commandos. The heroic Finnish resistance against the Soviet army, from December 1939 to March 1940, highlighted the mobility of motivated troops against a more numerous but less mobile adversary. The audacious German airborne operations of May 1940 underscored the combat quality of parachute troops, as did the conquest of Crete in May 1941.

The Italian human torpedoes of Prince Borghese struck fear into the powerful British fleet in the Mediterranean. Italian cavalrymen distinguished themselves in East Africa, as did Italian paratroopers in North Africa. In Tunisia and Sicily, Italian troops put up fierce resistance. On the Soviet front, the Italian army fought with great bravery.

Japanese paratroopers achieved remarkable victories in Asia, as did Italian submariners in the Atlantic. Operation Eiche was marked by the liberation of Mussolini by a German commando unit. The German, Italian, Finnish and Japanese air forces multiplied their victories in the skies. During the Battle of Berlin, the French Waffen SS fought like lions, as did the Decima Mas naval infantry at the Battle of Tarnova in 1945.