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Title: Seven Days in January: With the 6th SS-Mountain Division in Operation NORDWIND
ISBN: 0966638964
Author:
Wolf T. Zoepf
Theodore Mataxis
Publicate Date: 2001-04
Publish: 2001-04
List Price: $12.95
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $10.25
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $21.63
Amazon Merchant Price: $10.36
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Good book, poor binding
The book was good but the binding gave out almost right away. I have a nice collection but this book looks bad because the pages are all falling out.
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2: Must read for anyone interested in the ETO
The author of this book, Wolf Zoepf, was an officer (battalion adjutant actually) in the 6th SS Mountain Division. He has written what can only be characterized as a classic in military history about the role of the SS Nord division in Operation Nordwind. Nordwind was the last major German offensive in the West during WWII, starting a week or more after the much more celebrated Ardennes offensive. The goal of Nordwind was to punch through the Allied lines in the Alsace region and recover this mountainous terrain to anchor the German defense of the Fatherland. It was also hoped that a direct route through the Vosges mountains could be opened to permit German armored reserves to break out into the plains in France.
There are so many things to love about this book. First, it really is a tribute to the fine soldiers of the 6th SS Mountain Division and to the brave Americans (primarily from the 45th and 70th IDs) who opposed them. Zoepf pays a great tribute to the skill, courage, and determination of all the combatants. Second, this book contains one of the best, most detailed discussions (analyses really) of the tactical situation at virtually every stage of the fighting. I've read so many military histories in which attacks failed because of bad weather, poor logistics, etc., but the details are never explained. With great detail, Zoepf describes how (and why) tank support didn't show up, the effect of losing radios, lack of ammo, the complications of coordinating attacks. As you read this book you will, I believe, get a sense of how it must have been for individual company commanders and why some things succeeded and others failed. Third, this is an extremely well written book. It is detailed and compelling, but easy and enjoyable to read. You may well read the whole thing in one sitting.
The perspective of the book is divided pretty much 50/50 from the German/American perspective. The first 20-30% of the book is a history of SS Nord from its disastrous attack on Salla in 1942 until Nordwind. The 6th SS Mountain Division spent most of the war in Finland and the Soviet Union above the Arctic Circle battling the terrain and climate as much as the Red Army. When it arrived on the Western front in late 1944, it was probably one of the best units in the German Army. After the discussion of the history of SS Nord, the rest of the book is divided into one chapter per day (i.e. seven days!). This isn't so much a complete history of Operation Nordwind, but is primarily the story of the role of two battalions in this operation. Enough large scale description of the entire operation is given to put the role of the 1st and 3rd battalions of the 12th SS regiment's advance on Wingen-sur-Moder into perspective, but you'll have to look elsewhere for a complete story on Nordwind. Without giving too much away, two mountain battalions advance via a night march through the mountain in winter to an important cross roads (Wingen-sur-Moder) with orders to hold the town until relief arrives and German armored reserves can pass through the town on their way to the plain. Can they hold out until relief arrives, or will then be surrounded and destroyed by the Americans?
This is destined to be a classic in military history I believe. All of the other Amazon reviews are enthusiastically positive as well. This book would be a good companion to Johann Voss's memoir Black Edelweiss (I think you can buy them together). My only negative complaint about the book is that the ending is rather abrupt. A few more pages could have been added to tie everything together. According to the dust jacket, the author passed away only three weeks after the book was completed. Perhaps he intended to add a bit more? In any case, this is really a must have for anyone who reads/collects books about the ETO. Highly recommended.
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3: Very detailed account of te battle from a senior officers perspective
This was an interesting book, but it is not much of a first hand account. The author obviously went through a lot, but he was at a very high command level and his participation in the battles were very limited and in all honesty not very entertaining. If you want an exciting book to read about Nord and what it was like to be a soldier, I highly recommend "Black Edelweiss." This book is a very detailed account that often goes over the logistics of the battle and the planning on both sides. A great resource for somebody doing research for something larger concerning the western front late in the war, but not a page turning thriller likely to keep you up all night.
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4: Excellent book, first hand memoirs of great historical interest
This book is remarquable.
The author is an excellent writer. The book is well written and of great historical value for people interested in the battle of the low Vosges.
The book describes the battle of Wingen sur Moder from the point of view of a very young German officer leading a whole battalion.
In January 1945, Wingen was 2 miles behind a stabilized front line. It was the hardest Winter of the century in Alsace. The aim of the Germans was to seize a valley in order to send 2 tank divisions to take Strasbourg. The 6th SS mountain division which has been fighting the Russians for 4 years were sent to take Wingen. They slipped through the main front line and took half of Wingen.
The memoirs available on line of the veterans of the 70th infantry division describe the battle seen from the US side. Wolf Zoepf gives us a stunning description from the German side, from a battalion commander view.
Leaving a few miles from Wingen, I was truelly impressed by the precision of the description of the battlefield.
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5: A little known, 7 days battle, is expertly analysed in the operational and tactical level
Although the emphasis that this book gives to the "technical" aspects of the operation "Nordwind" and the fine accuracy of the terminology may cause some readers to avoid it, it is a very interesting and thought provoking analysis of the battles that the famous 6th SS Mountain Division fought in Alsace. The first 56 pages are devoted to that division's operations in Finland where, in late 1944, it was forced to retreat under attrocious conditions. Transferred to the Western Front, it participated in the operation "Nordwind" fighting excellently against the US 70th and 45h Infantry Division and causing many days of alarm and consternation to its opponents. Unfortunately for the 6th SS Mountain Division, the success it achieved outflanking the US positions and capturing Wingin-sur-Moder, proved to be just another "lost victory" since the other German divisions didn't advance in the same depth. The author was a junior officer in the Division "Nord" and he wrote this book with the help of many German and US first hand accounts, presenting a complete picture of the battle, from both sides of the hill. The book contains dozens of excellent three dimension maps, some two dimension maps and a few black and white photos. There is also an appendix with the German and US equivalent ranks. The book is higly recommended to the serious students of military history, since it is not only a battle story but a very critical and professional analysis of the operational and tactical factors that led the battle to its outcome.
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