Merriam Press Military Monograph 101. Fifth Edition (October 2012). articles on the units, weapons, uniforms, insignia, equipment, men and activities of Germany's mountain troops. CONTENTS: Gebirgsjäger: Germany's Mountain Troops; Gebirgsjäger Weapons; Gebirgsjäger Equipment; Gebirgsjäger Awards; Story of a Jäger: Gabriel Kopold, 1st Gebirgs Division, 98th Gebirgsjäger Regiment, 12th Company; 1st Gebirgsjäger Division; 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division; 3rd Gebirgsjäger Division; 4th Gebirgsjäger Division; 5th Gebirgsjäger Division; 6th Gebirgsjäger Division; 7th Gebirgsjäger Division; 8th Gebirgsjäger Division; 9th Gebirgsjäger Division; 157th Gebirgsjäger Division; 188th Reserve Gebirgsjäger Division; 188th Gebirgsjäger Division; 100th Gebirgsjäger Regiment, 5th Gebirgsjäger Division; Hochgebirgs-Jäger Battalions; 1st Skijäger Division; Attack on Marukhkoy Pass: Caucasus, September 1942; Kriegsmarine Gebirgsjäger; Gebirgsjäger Present Their Comradeship; Gebirgsjäger References; Gebirgsjäger Photo Album. Also includes a complete reprint of "German Mountain Troops," U.S. War Department Military Intelligence Service Special Series 28, December 1944. 366 photos; 4 maps; 24 illustrations; 33 drawings; 16 tables.

Presents 25 articles on the units, weapons, equipment, uniforms and insignia, awards, operations, references. Also includes the complete U.S. War Dept. Military Intelligence Service publication, Special Series 28: German Mountain Troops, published in December 1944. 328 pages, 316 photos, 42 illustrations, 4 maps, 17 tables.

Few branches of the German armed forces were represented on so many fronts as the mountain infantrymen, or Gebirgstruppen. From the Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1940, through the invasions of the Balkans and Russia and the North African campaign, to the defence of the Reich 1944-45, the Gebirgsjäger earned a reputation for reliability and courage. Typically each trooper was a supremely fit individual: the need to cover difficult terrain in full kit, without the back-up of a motorised baggage train, demanded this. This new volume examines the recruitment, training, and combat experiences of the common Gebirgsjäger.

Within hours of the September 11 attacks, Sean M. Maloney deciphered that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were the aggressors behind the despicable act. A war in Afghanistan then was inevitable. As a military historian, Maloney was determined to go there to study and record the events for posterity, if for no other reason than the education of his future students at Canada's Royal Military College. What resulted is an in-depth and up-close look at the planning stages, deployment, and aftermath of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In Enduring the Freedom, Maloney presents a rare on-the-spot view from such important locations as Kabul, Bagram, and Kandahar. He describes the American-led intervention in Afghanistan and the conduct of the war through early 2003, then discusses the events of 2003 from the three locales in detail. Some critics contend that the war in Afghanistan is another Vietnam. Maloney rebuts that appraisal, pointing out that as opposed to the vague language of the Vietnam era, American objectives were clearly stated for Afghanistan. Those objectives were: to destroy al Qaeda's networks, training camps, resources, and communication systems; to destroy any governmental entity providing support or sanctuary to al Qaeda; and to undertake reconstruction efforts to ensure international terrorists can never again use the country as a base. The first objective has more or less been achieved. How to accomplish the last two is still widely debated, and Maloney offers some insightful thoughts and opinions. Finally, he offers educated advice going forward in the hopeful completion of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Russia and Germany, two totalitarian regimes fought a vicious relentless war for a full four years with tragic results for civilians, POWs and all combatants.