Hitler's Armed Forces Auxiliaries: An Illustrated History of the Wehrmachtsgefolge, 1933-1945

by Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage

Overview

The story of Hitler's Wehrmachtsgefolge (armed forces auxiliaries) is less well known than that of Germany's other armed forces in World War II, such as the panzer divisions, the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine. The Organization Todt (construction company), Reichsarbeitsdienst (labor service), Nationalsozialistische Kraftfahrer Korps (driver's corp) and Volkssturm (people's militia) were given the status of armed forces auxiliaries to protect their members under the Geneva Conventions should they be taken prisoner. By 1944, the Wehrmachtsgefolge comprised 40 percent of the German armed forces, and their contribution to the war effort was far from negligible. This illustrated history documents the development, structure and organization, uniforms, regalia and technical data of these units and discusses their role in the war and during the prewar period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476620886
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	11/20/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Historian, writer and illustrator Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage is the author of numerous books. His interests include World War II and medieval and French history. He lives in Groningen, Netherlands.
Historian, writer and illustrator Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage is the author of numerous books. His interests include World War II and medieval and French history. He lives in Groningen, Netherlands.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments delete v
Introduction delete 1
Chapter 1: Organisation Todt delete 5
Fritz Todt delete 5
Autobahns (Motorways) delete 6
The West Wall delete 9
Fritz Todt’s Mysterious Death delete 13
Albert Speer and Xaver Dorsch delete 16
The OT During the War delete 20
Structure of the OT delete 21
OT-Militia (OT-SK) delete 25
Ranks of the OT delete 26
Uniforms and Insignia delete 27
Cadres and Slave Labor delete 33
Fortifications delete 38
U–Boat Pens delete 43
Protection of Industry delete 48
Revenge Weapons delete 49
Hitler’s HQ Bunkers delete 52
Public Shelters and ­Anti-aircraft Towers delete 54
Aftermath delete 57
Chapter 2: Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF) and Reicharbeitsdienst (RAD)—German Labor Front and National Work Service delete 59
Creation and Purposes of the DAF delete 59
Robert Ley delete 60
Organization of the DAF delete 62
DAF Werkscharen delete 67
Schönheit der Arbeit delete 68
Kraft durch Freude (KdF) delete 68
Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD) delete 73
Women’s Labor Service delete 77
Structure of the RAD delete 78
Prewar Tasks of the RAD delete 81
The RAD at War delete 84
Pro-Nazi Foreign Labor Services delete 86
Militarization of the RAD delete 87
Ranks of the RAD delete 89
Uniforms of the RAD delete 91
Insignia, Flags and Dagger of the RAD delete 100
Chapter 3: Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrer Korps (NSKK) delete 104
Origins of the Motorized Corps delete 104
Structure of the NSKK delete 107
Prewar Tasks of the NSKK delete 108
Marine-NSKK delete 114
NSKK and Organisation Todt delete 114
The NSKK at War delete 115
Foreign Volunteers delete 117
Transportkorps Speer delete 120
Militarization of the NSKK delete 122
Ranks delete 123
Insignia delete 124
Uniforms delete 129
Aftermath delete 136
Chapter 4: Deutscher Volkssturm (German Popular Home Guard) delete 138
Situation in the Winter of 1944–45 delete 138
Creation of the Volkssturm delete 138
Command delete 141
Organization delete 142
Uniforms delete 144
Ranks delete 149
Weapons delete 149
The Volkssturm at War delete 154
Aftermath delete 156
Chapter 5: Other Military Affiliated Units delete 158
Sturm Abteilung (SA) delete 159
Waffen SS delete 162
Hitler Youth (HJ) delete 168
Nazi Flyers Corps (NSFK) delete 170
National German Railway Company (DRG) delete 178
Ordnungspolizei (Orpo) delete 182
German Postal Service delete 185
Conclusion delete 189
Appendix: World War II Chronology delete 193
Bibliography delete 201
Index delete 203