Als Untersturmführer bei den SS-Pionieren Buch

Dr. Gerhard Femppel, now 95 years old, has agreed to recount his time serving as an SS officer more than 76 years ago. The eyewitness’s recollections have been recorded across 220 pages, ensuring they are preserved for posterity.
Born in Stuttgart in 1925, Gerhard Femppel came from a humble background. He aspired to a career from a young age and was admitted to a NAPOLA school due to his strong academic performance. At 16, he volunteered for the Waffen-SS and rose to the rank of SS-Untersturmführer in record time. From December 1944, he served with the SS Panzer Division "Das Reich," initially as a platoon leader and later as a company commander. Serving as a combat engineer, he fought alongside the SS regiments "Der Führer" and "Deutschland" on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He first took part in the forest fighting during the Battle of the Bulge before being transferred to Hungary. During the Battle of Vienna, he led his company in urban combat against a force ten times the size of his own and destroyed a Russian tank from a range of just a few meters. During his service, he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class, the Close Combat Clasp, the Tank Destruction Badge, and the General Assault Badge.
With this book, we aim to provide insight into an elite unit that remains a subject of controversy to this day. Who were the men of the Waffen-SS? This book explores that question in detail through the lens of one individual’s story. His wartime diary—an extraordinary historical document—has survived to the present day; in it, Gerhard Femppel recorded his thoughts on the war. These written records are complemented by the recollections of Dr. Femppel, who can still clearly recall the events of that time, even 76 years after the war’s end. We have recorded deeply personal experiences to convey to future generations what took place back then from the perspective of a Waffen-SS soldier.
An extensive pictorial section featuring 131 images presents Dr. Femppel’s personal documents and photographs, covering the period up to the final days of the war.