German Army Mountain Soldier of World War II

The Mountain Troops of the German Army in World War II were an elite of a special kind. Unlike the Panzer units, they did not field the mot modern equipment of their day. Unlike the Waffen-SS, they were not hand-picked for their Nazi loyalty. If anything, the respect attracted by their special cap and their Edelweiss insignia was earned by rather old-fashioned miltiary virtues - by sheer physical prowess, in uniquely testing conditions. The Gebirgsjager had to be able to do what other soldiers did - but in places where no other soldiers had the strength and the skills to go, and often in weather no other soldiers could face. This book identifies, describes, explains and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and equipment that distinguished the Army Gebirgstruppen from the rest of the Wehrmacht. It represents a deeply researched and detailed reference for collectors of uniform items and decorations. Richly illustrated with 300-plus photographs, including rare images, some of them provided by surviving veterans.