Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: With the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division from the Huertgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich

by Douglas E Nash Sr

Overview

"…this is a must-read." — NYMAS Review

As the Allies were approaching the German frontier at the beginning of September 1944, the German Armed Forces responded with a variety of initiatives designed to regain the strategic initiative. While the "Wonder Weapons" such as the V-1 flying bomb, the V-2 missile and the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter are widely recognized as being the most prominent of these initiatives upon which Germany pinned so much hope, the Volks-Grenadier Divisions (VGDs) are practically unknown. Often confused with the Volkssturm, the Home Guard militia, VGDs have suffered an undeserved reputation as second-rate formations, filled with young boys and old men suited to serve only as cannon fodder. This groundbreaking book, now reappearing as a new edition, shows that VGDs were actually conceived as a new, elite corps loyal to the National Socialist Party composed of men from all branches of Hitler's Wehrmacht and equipped with the finest ground combat weapons available.

Whether fighting from defensive positions or spearheading offensives such as the Battle of the Bulge, VGDs initially gave a good account of themselves in battle. Using previously unpublished unit records, Allied intelligence and interrogation reports and above all interviews with survivors, the author has crafted an in-depth look at a late-war German infantry company, including many photographs from the veterans themselves. In this book we follow along with the men of the 272nd VGD's Fusilier Company from their first battles in the Huertgen Forest to their final defeat in the Harz Mountains. Along the way we learn the enormous potential of VGDs . . . and feel their soldiers' heartbreak at their failure.

Among Douglas Nash’s previous works is Hell’s Gate: The Battle for the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944, a work unsurpassed for insight into the other side of the hill in WWII.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781636240541
Publisher:	Casemate Publishers
Publication date:	09/13/2021
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	621,798
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Doug Nash is a West Point graduate and a retired U.S. Army colonel with 32 years of service including assignments in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Cuba, and Uzbekistan. He served in a variety of armored cavalry, armor, and special operations units, including Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations. He recently retired after serving 10 years as the senior historian of the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. His works include Hell’s Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp, and the From the Realm of a Dying Sun trilogy as well as numerous magazine articles.

Table of Contents

Illustrations vii

Foreword viii

Prologue ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Guide to Tactical Symbols xvi

Maps xvii

1 The Story of a Suitcase 1

2 The Volks-Grenadier Division 6

3 Origins and Lineage of Fusilier Company 272 36

4 Of Mortal Coil-The Men of Fusilier Company 272 52

5 Arrival in the Hürtgen Forest 66

6 The Battle for Bergstein 82

7 Fight for Control of the Kali River Gorge: The Assault on "Castle Hill" 99

8 Two Divisions Collide at Kesternich 117

9 The Defense of Kesternich 139

10 The Interlude of January 1945 184

11 The Americans Drive on the Dams 208

12 Withdrawal Beyond the Roer 231

13 The Retreat to the Rhine 252

14 The Battle for Hönningen 277

15 Last Stand on the Wied Defense Line 289

16 From the Hürtgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich 305

Epilogue 319

Endnotes 325

Appendices

A Command and Staff, 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division 339

B Yolks-Grenadier Division Crew-Served Weapons 342

C Standard Organization of a Yolks-Grenadier Division and a Fusilier Company 343

D Yolks-Grenadier Division Numbering 345

E Higher Headquarters of the 272nd Yolks-Grenadier Division from 2 November 1944 to 12 April 1945 348

F Table of German Rank Equivalents 349

G Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold Holders, 272nd Yolks-Grenadier Division 350

H Fusilier Company 272 Casualties and Replacements, September 1944-March 1945 351

Bibliography 352

Index 365

Editorial Reviews

"The author does a fine job of moving from the overall picture of the front to the very small actions that took place."

A Wargamers Needful Things

"This book is the product of a unique set of documents acquired by the author soon after the Cold War ended. Extensive records of the unit, its members, and its actions reveal much about the Volks-Grenadier divisions and their operations. The author's further research filled in additional details, making the book an interesting study of a small German unit in combat."

WWII History Magazine

"In this new edition of his text, author Douglas E. Nash investigates the contribution of the Volks-Grenadier Divisions (VGDs) of the German army to the Nazi war effort throughout World War II. Beginning with their first battles in the Hürtgen Forest and culminating in their final defeat at the hands of United States forces in the Harz Mountains, the author reveals the true nature of the VGDs as elite ground forces selected from all branches of the Wehrmact to serve the interests of the National Socialist Party. The author is a retired U.S. Army Colonel currently employed by the U.S. Navy’s Marine Corps University in Virginia."

ProtoView

Nash has an excellent eye for tactical situations and the ability to describe and analyze them clearly… For students of the German army in World War II, as well as students interested in the late 1944 campaign, Victory Was beyond Their Grasp is a must read.

Parameters - Richard L. Dinardo

Nash illustrates clearly the late 1944 situation of the German Army in the west in ways not always considered… To be sure, the book does assume that the reader is familiar with the 1944 campaign in the west. Even the novice, however, would profit from Nash’s knowledge of the German Army, its men and equipment at that stage of the war. Thus, for both students of the German Army in World War II as well as those interested in the late 1944 campaign, this is a must-read.

The NYMAS Review

"In this new edition of his text, author Douglas E. Nash investigates the contribution of the Volks-Grenadier Divisions (VGDs) of the German army to the Nazi war effort throughout World War II. Beginning with their first battles in the Hürtgen Forest and culminating in their final defeat at the hands of United States forces in the Harz Mountains, the author reveals the true nature of the VGDs as elite ground forces selected from all branches of the Wehrmact to serve the interests of the National Socialist Party. The author is a retired U.S. Army Colonel currently employed by the U.S. Navy’s Marine Corps University in Virginia."

Protoview

Nash illustrates clearly the late 1944 situation of the German Army in the west in ways not always considered… To be sure, the book does assume that the reader is familiar with the 1944 campaign in the west. Even the novice, however, would profit from Nash’s knowledge of the German Army, its men and equipment at that stage of the war. Thus, for both students of the German Army in World War II as well as those interested in the late 1944 campaign, this is a must-read.

NYMAS Review