Fragment : Download Fragment
Binding : Paperback
Distributievorm : Boek (print, druk)
Formaat :
170mm x 240mm
Aantal pagina's :
571
Uitgeverij :
Timo R. Worst
ISBN :
9789492475541
Datum publicatie : 11-2016
GUSTAV KNITTEL - Career, crimes and trial - paperback (english)
career, crimes and trial of ss-sturmbannführer gustav knittel, commander of the aufklärungsabteilung ‘lssah’
Timo R. Worst • Boek • paperback
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https://knittelbooks.com/
SUMMARY
In the summer of 1946, Gustav Knittel, a 31-year old former SS officer from the Bavarian town of Neu-Ulm, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders his battalion had committed in and around the Belgian town of Stavelot during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. The author, Timo R. Worst, reconstructed Knittel’s personal life, his military career in the Waffen-SS and both his personal involvement in the grim story of that horrendous week in the Ardennes and the role the men under his command played in the murder of over a hundred civilians and unarmed prisoners of war.
Not content with the published works about the beastly behaviour of the SS in Stavelot and the surrounding hamlets, he felt compelled to visit the Ardennes himself, to search the archives and ultimately to contact veterans of Knittel’s battalion and to consult his family. By providing the available pieces of the puzzle, Worst allows the reader to follow Knittel’s footsteps: his entry in the SS, the units he led traversing Europe from France and Greece to Italy, Ukraine and Belgium, the men under his command, the battles he fought and awards he won, but also his doubts about the outcome of the war and how this effected his state of mind, the massacres, his arrest, the trial and his post-war life.
The resulting book enables the reader to see through the multiple smoke screens created not only by Knittel, his defence lawyers and his wartime comrades, but also by his captors, his interrogators and the prosecution, all who knowingly fudged, were evasive or downright lied about the facts in order to ensure the success of their own personal motives and political agendas. - Productinformatie
- Inhoudsopgave
CONTENT
YOUTH
1.1 Childhood and school years
1.2 The Allgemeine SS
1.3 SS-Standarte ‘Deutschland’
1.4 Officer course at the SS-Junkerschule in Bad Tölz
1.5 Motorcyclist
GLORY
2.1 Baptism of fire
2.2 Formation of the Aufklärungsabteilung ‘LSSAH’
2.3 Operation ‘Marita’
2.4 The invasion of the Soviet-Union
2.5 Formation of the 3. (le. SPW) Kompanie
2.6 Turning the tide at Kharkiv
2.7 The ‘Schrippenbäcker von Ulm’ becomes battalion commander
2.8 Operation ‘Citadel’
2.9 Disarming the Italians and guarding their ‘Duce’
DOUBT
3.1 The Soviet Juggernaut
3.2 “You want to call yourself Leibstandarte?”
3.3 The German Cross in Gold and the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross
3.4 The long road to marriage
3.5 Rebuilding the Aufklärungsabteilung in Belgium
3.6 Invasion!
3.7 Operation ‘Lüttich’
3.8 Hell in the Falaise Pocket
3.9 Doubts about the Final Victory
HORROR
4.1 The horrible week in the Ardennes begins
4.2 The massacre in Wéreth
4.3 “They’ve killed a good few at the crossroads”
4.4 The killings in la Vaulx Richard
4.5 The American counterattack on Stavelot
4.6 Back to Stavelot
4.7 The advance on Stavelot
4.8 The war crimes in Ster, Renardmont Parfondruy and Trois-Ponts
4.9 Failed attempt to outflank the defenders
4.10 The massacre in the garden of the Legaye house
4.11 The American response
4.12 The murders near the Château de Petit-Spay
4.13 The American attacks on Ster, Renardmont and Parfondruy
4.14 Stavelot is lost
4.15 Retreat from the Amblève Pocket
DISILLUSION
5.1 Until the end of the war
5.2 The search for Knittel
5.3 Imprisonment in Ulm
5.4 Schwäbisch Hall
5.5 On trial
5.6 War Criminals Prison No. 1
5.7 The lone wolf - Reviews
(9,3
uit 11 reviews)
Wil je meer weten over hoe reviews worden verzameld? Lees onze uitleg hier.
23-07-2022
Career, crimes and trial of SS Sturmbannfuhrer
Just received in the mail today and I can’t wait to start reading. Thank you for the prompt delivery
Geplaatst door Kraig Kiefer
Waardeert het boek met een 10 uit 10
12-07-2020
Methodically researched & written
An excellent book indeed, methodically researched en written. The book goes into great detail about this Waffen-SS officer, his SS armoured reconnaissance unit’s history, its battles and the unit’s infamous atrocities. Fascinating personal testimonies from those who took part are inserted into the precise historical text. Maps are included to easily follow the flow of the unit’s combat. I am particularly interested in the Ardennes Offensive in 1944 which this book covers in an in-depth way with blow by blow accounts and completes an unwritten chapter of this unit’s Ardennes campaign. I feel is a must have if interested in this battle or this SS Officer or the unit he commanded. Highly recommended.
Geplaatst door Stephen Andrew
Waardeert het boek met een 10 uit 10
27-10-2019
Timo just getting warmed up
I can only imagine the research put into this book, well done Timo, looking Forward to your next!
Geplaatst door Jim uit Wiesbaden , leeftijd 60-69
Waardeert het boek met een 10 uit 10
17-10-2019
Gustav Knittel
I have yet to start reading the book, just joined my backlog of titles! This said however, on first glimpse and flick through it looks as if this is going to be a good read; I much prefer actual accounts and unit histories when reading. There are photos within that I haven't seen before showing the authors attention to detail and well researched personal accounts which I am hoping will add the quality to the book. I will hopefully start this soon and will be better placed to provide a review then.
Geplaatst door Andrew Batcock
Waardeert het boek met een 6 uit 10
17-08-2017
Anyman´s story is everyman´s story.
There is a lot to say in both style and substance about your book. The phasing and tempo of writing is truly noteworthy. The book read as a novel! But this is 'old dry stuff' and you had undertaken to have the protagonist a non flamboyant man long dead that very few really knew. Amidst 'SS superstars' and over published battles. Content wise, where there was simply nothing, despite the STUNNING amount of unpublished original research you've personally conducted, you very skillfully edited in other author's work properly annotated/attributed. The footnotes are spectacular. I judge books by the footnotes. I spend more time in the footnotes than the narrative. That is scholarship right there. Now for my unanticipated observations. There is an old saying: 'if properly written......anyman's story is everyman's story'. This is the authorship perspective and duty of novelists vice historians. I found myself very sympathetic to Gustav Knittel. This guy was surprisingly a very sound and solid junior officer, combat officer and battalion commander. That means more than anything from my own (laughable in comparison) perspective as a former Marine officer. He earned the best combat command legitimately as the world then turned to shit and all of the superstars vanished. Along with momentum, supplies, the ability to train his unit and everything else vanishing as well. The burdens on this guy were incredible, endless and thankless. He was caught in a bizarre personal/professional dilemma wherein he was never to be the golden boy Meyer, he was whispered to have gone soft (by mostly a bunch of green replacements) and yet his command would never let him go......because he was too valuable and effective of a commanding officer! As the friggin roof is coming down. I was really affected by the narrative of his later years. It was very very saddening. And very believable. A sad denouement of which many many men can relate. A denouement, which to me show him a tragic and contemplative man. Your book, to me, begs serious human issues and evoked both empathy and sympathy for Knittel. Yes it can be said he was a 'lug', or that he went 'soft' or that he was a 'criminal', but walk a mile in this man's shoes. He got dealt a tough thankless hand of cards and I think, warts and all, this guy stood tall and got fucked.
Geplaatst door Steve Algorri
Waardeert het boek met een 9.5 uit 10
14-01-2017
Excellent !
I just finishing reading the book, EXCELLENT ! It satisfies the un-initiated persons´curiosity but also the history experts´questions at the same time. I had more than a few blanks filled in for me inside the covers and that is getting hard to do at this point in my research. The best thing in the book were all of the personal anecdotes. I always love those the best as they bring the dates and places ´alive´for me. Well done Timo !
Anecdotes
Geplaatst door Jerry Rutman uit -
Waardeert het boek met een 9.5 uit 10
09-12-2016
Gustav knittel review
Zeer goed werk van Timo Worst wat betreft bronnenonderzoek en het samenbrengen hiervan. Een boek voor geinteresseerden in de geschiedenis van de Leibstandarte en de diverse slagen waarin deze betrokken was en in het bijzonder in de officier en man Gustav Knittel. Een zeer gespecialiseerde biografie voor de krijgskundige fijnproever.
Geplaatst door B. Ferdinand van A.
Waardeert het boek met een 9 uit 10
25-08-2016
A superb book!
The author has been researching and working on this book for many years - the result is well worth the wait. The book succeeds, not just as the life story of one SS officer, but also as a wartime history of the Aufklarungsabteilung of the Leibstandarte SS. the reader is taken through their campaigns including France 1940, the Eastern Front and Normandy. Rather than simply a 'unit history' of dates and incidents, Timo Worst skilfully weaves personal accounts and memoirs into the narrative which is entirely 'readable'. This is not one of those WW2 books which one has to work through as a sense of duty. Of course, many of us have been keenly awaiting the 'Ardennes 44/Battle Of The Bulge' section of the book and the result here is a triumph. Actions which are only peripherally mentioned in other histories are clearly analysed and described in detail. The recollections of Knittel's former aide, with whom the author was fortunate enough to correspond, are especially valuable here. Of course, the terrible atrocities committed against Belgian civilians are described in unflinching detail, and the author has succeeded in an even-handed treatment of this most controversial area. The reader must ultimately decide. The whole story is held together by the thread of Knittel - in many ways enigmatic ( I was astonished at the story of his marriage ). All in all, a remarkable book. For anyone who is interested in the Waffen-SS and - especially - for any 'Bulge' enthusiast, I recommend it highly as an essential purchase !
Skilful use of in-depth research.
Relevant photographs.
Geplaatst door Martin Bull. uit London , leeftijd 60-69
Waardeert het boek met een 9.5 uit 10
18-08-2016
A comprehensive account of a paradoxical man
Timo Worst has managed to not only document details of Knittel's career, but also to present "the man" behind the name. Readers looking for minute information about dates, leaders, units, and military actions will find it here - extensively researched, documented, and written. And those readers looking for the human factor - the anecdotes, the loss, the nicknames, the romances - they will also find it here. Priceless candid photos nicely complement the archival photos, and provide a subtle perspective not seen in the Kriegsberichter files. In fact, the personality of the men seems through much clearer in these candids. The maps are exceptionally well done and easy to follow - all you need is google satellite and street view to follow LSSAH's deadly swath through the war years. Quotes from the veterans are abundant and give insight to the feel of an action, both at the time and decades later. I can't imagine a more comprehensive yet readable account of Gustav Knittel's life and military career. Well done!
Geplaatst door Ann Hamilton Shields uit Washington DC
Waardeert het boek met een 10 uit 10
16-08-2016
An unbiased piece of heavily researched history
Timo Worst's book "Career, crimes and trial of SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel" is one of the better world war 2 biographies I have read in a long time. It is an unbiased piece of heavily researched history, that presents all aspects of the man, both the good and the bad, without any judgement or over-emotional language. I have read biographies before that either try to glorify the subject by downplaying the negative aspects of the person's life, or the opposite, where they focus primarily on the negative and not much else. For example the biographies by Marcel Stein tend to focus only on the negative aspects of their lives at the expense of a more detailed history. Whereas, Newton's Model bio, and Melvin's Manstein bio present all aspects of the individuals in question. The entire life of the individual is presented in a non biased fashion, where the positive and negative are detailed in proper context. They are not hagiographies but neither are they "hit pieces." Then there are the books that are primarily focused only on the "positive" aspect of the individual's life, such as their military career, without mention of possible war crimes and other negatives. Books primarily on certain WSS personalities, though well researched, at times tend to "gloss over" these "inconveniences." This is unfortunate since it only lessens the true historical worth of the author's intense labors. Worst's book is the perfect example of how a military biography should be written. The amount of source material, and first person accounts is amazing enough as it is. But the presentation of a definitely controversial subject in such a professional manner is even more amazing. Along with the previous books mentioned by Melvin and Newton, Danny Parker's Peiper biography is another example of a professional piece of historiography. A good comparison between a professional unemotional book and the opposite would be comparing Parker's book with a previous Peiper bio that was released a few years ago. Both books contain a lot of the same material, however Parker's book comes off as being the professional piece of history, whereas the other reads quite poorly due to its extremely opinionated and emotional language. Both Parker and Worst have been able to write non biased history, presenting all the facts as objectively as possible without the emotionalism that sometimes pervades this subject. The portions of the book that Timo has posted on this message board should show adequate proof of the style and substance of the book. Worst details Knittel's life from beginning to end, with great focus on his combat career as well as post war tribulations. It is a truly fascinating story of a man living in a violent time, and the consequences of actions that can never be undone. The book is not pretentious, and does not pretend to claim any form of moral authority. It simply tells a brilliantly fascinating story of a tragedy...
Geplaatst door Klaus Richter uit U.S.A.
Waardeert het boek met een 9.5 uit 10
18-07-2016
Absolute aanrader, een must read.
De moordpartijen van Peiper in de Ardennen tijdens het Duitse offensief van december 1944 zijn meerdere malen beschreven, ontkent en opnieuw onderzocht. Na de oorlog werd Peiper berecht en met hem stonden zijn superieur Diettrich en zijn ondergeschikte Knittel voor een Amerikaanse rechter. Knittel werd beschuldigd van deelname aan de moorden die in opdracht van Peiper waren begaan. Knittel was daar niet bij en ontliep de doodstraf. Knittel had geluk, hij was namelijk wel betrokken geweest bij moorden op Amerikaanse krijgsgevangenen en op Belgische burgers. Timo R. Worst beschrijft in zijn boek de geschiedenis van deze Waffen-SS-officier. Knittels loopbaan, zijn ondergeschikten, zijn gevechten aan het Oostfront, in Frankrijk en België werden uitgebreid onderzocht. Het boek is een minutieus verslag van Knittels leven, zijn oorlog en zijn daden. Een uitzonderlijk boek! Een aanrader die vlot wegleest.
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Geplaatst door Alex Dekker uit Alkmaar , leeftijd 40-49
Waardeert het boek met een 9.5 uit 10
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