The military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew from only a handful of battalions at the outbreak of war in 1939 to hundreds of thousands of troops in dozens of divisions.

The battlefield reputation of the premier armoured and mechanised divisions would become second to none; lavishly equipped and regarded as utterly reliable, they were thrown into many desperate battles on both Western and Eastern fronts, often achieving remarkable results.

Illustrated with rare photographs, this first of four Men-at-Arms titles details the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the Waffen-SS.