STURMARTILLERIE DE LA WAFFEN-SS Vol. 4 Hohenstaufen - Frundsberg

In this fourth and penultimate volume of the series on the Sturmgeschütze of the Waffen-SS, Pierre Tiquet turns his attention to two celebrated armoured divisions, at one time grouped together within the II. SS-Panzer-Korps: the 9. and 10. SS-Panzer-Divisionen, respectively named "Hohenstaufen" and "Frundsberg".

Despite the fairly rapid disbanding of their assault gun Abteilungen, these armoured vehicles were far from disappearing from the order of battle of both divisions: they would then equip the 7th and 8th companies of SS-Panzer-Regimenter 9 and 10 — virtually until the end of the conflict. These StuG. 40s distinguished themselves against Soviet armour in Galicia in April 1944, and with equal brilliance the following summer on l'Invasionsfront, where they were first committed against the British salient launched south-west of Caen in late June 1944.

Alongside the Panzer IVs, and later the Panthers of SS-Pz.Rgt.9 and the Tigers of s.SS-Pz.Abt. 102, the assault guns were not found wanting at Hills 112 and 113, achieving scores sometimes higher than those of the battle tanks.

From autumn 1944, the 9. and 10. SS-Pz.Div. would fight separately until the end of the conflict, the assault guns continuing to fight hard in the Ardennes and in Hungary for "Hohenstaufen", and in Alsace and Pomerania for "Frundsberg".

The author sought to publish as many unpublished photographs as possible, alongside precise biographies of the principal officers associated with the assault guns: Rolf Tammling, a former Sturmartillerist from Das Reich — a close comrade of "Teddy" Telkamp —, Rudolf Rettberg, Magnus Flor, Bernhard Bauer, Otto Meyer, Otto Paetsch, Willi Stock, Walter Bestmann and Alfred Alius.