Blue Division Soldier 1941–45

Spanish Volunteer on the Eastern Front

Blue Division Soldier 1941–45 cover

Description

The all-volunteer 'Blue Division' was a formation that allowed Franco's technically neutral Spain to support Nazi Germany's invasion of Russia. Following initial training in Germany, the Blue Division's units were sent to the Eastern Front in August 1941, where, after a 40-day march to the front, the Division fought in several major actions including Leningrad. In 1943, with the tide turning against the Axis forces in Russia, the Division was ordered to be withdrawn, yet many men chose to stay on and serve with the Volunteer Legion. Even after the collapse in the East, some volunteered to serve with Waffen-SS units through to the fall of Berlin in 1945. This book narrates the experiences of the common soldier, exploring his motivation for serving the Wehrmacht, and detailing his dramatic experiences in a brutal and hostile theatre of World War II.

Product details

Published Sep 20 2013
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 64
ISBN 9781849081146
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 50 b/w; 8 col
Series Warrior
Short code WAR 142
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Illustrator

Ramiro Bujeiro

Ramiro Bujeiro has become a frequent and popular…

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