Baxter, Ian Images of War. Waffen-SS in Normandy, 1944. Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives

In June 1944, Operation "Overlord", the greatest amphibious invasion ever, initially overwhelmed the German Normandy defences. To attempt to stabilise the situation, Hitler deployed his elite Waffen-SS divisions to avert the crisis.
This classic "Images of War" book describes how the formidable Leibstandarte, Das Reich, Hitlerjugend, Hohenstaufen and the Frundsberg SS divisions with supporting Wehrmacht divisions fought fanatically despite facing overwhelming enemy airpower and determined well-led Allied armies. Mounting losses and supply and fuel problems culminated in the Falaise Pocket defeat, when twenty-five out of the thirty-eight German division were completely destroyed. As a result, the remaining Waffen-SS units had to be reluctantly withdrawn and transferred back to Holland and Belgium to recoup, or sent to the Eastern Front to attempt to stem the relentless Soviet advance.
With many rare and unpublished photographs with detailed captions, "Waffen-SS in Normandy" is a graphic account of the Waffen-SS operations in Normandy and their subsequent retreat through France.

The mounting losses and supply and fuel problems culminated in the German defeat in the Falaise pocket, when 25 of the 38 trapped German divisions were completely annihilated. As a result, the remaining Waffen SS units had to be reluctantly withdrawn and redeployed to Holland and Belgium to recuperate, or were sent to the Eastern Front to try to halt the relentless Soviet advance.
Featuring many rare and unpublished photographs with detailed captions, this is a vivid account of the Waffen-SS operations in Normandy and their subsequent retreat through France.