A companion volume to our very successful In a Raging Inferno - Combat Units of the Hitler Youth, Hans Kissel's study offers a highly detailed account of the German Volkssturm, or Home Guard. Formed from men unfit for military service, the young, and the old, this ad-hoc formation saw extensive combat during the desperate defense of the Reich, 1944–45.

The author describes the Volkssturm’s training, leadership, organization, armament and equipment, in addition to its active service on both the Eastern and Western fronts. The text is supported by an extensive selection of appendices, including translations of documents and many fascinating eyewitness combat reports. This edition also includes over 150 previously unpublished b/w photos, and 4 pages of specially commissioned color uniform plates by Stephen Andrew.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Publishers’ Note
• Foreword
• Creation & Organisation of the Volkssturm
  • 1 Territorial Militias
  • 2 Creation
  • 3 Leadership
  • 4 Military Organisation
  • 5 Registration and Recruitment
  • 6 Armament and Equipment
  • 7 Training
  • 8 Legal Status of members of the Volkssturm
  • 9 Tasks carried out by the Volkssturm within the framework of the Wehrmacht 57
• The Volkssturm in Action
  • 10 Border areas of Silesia (December 1944-January 1945)
  • 11 Security garrisons along the Austrian border (December 1944-March 1945)
  • 12 East Prussia (October 1944-April 1945)
  • 13 The Wartheland, east of the Oder and the Oder Front (January-April 1945)
  • 14 Pomerania (February-March 1945)
  • 15 The Neiße Stellung (February-April 1945)
  • 16 Breslau (January–6 May 1945)
  • 17 Western Front ( January-April 1945)
  • 18 Fighting spirit, combat value, casualties
  • 19 Conclusion
• Volkssturm Uniforms & Equipment
• Appendices
  • I Instruction to the Party Chancellery 1 September 1944; Directive issued by the Party Chancellery 27 September 1944
  • II Decree of the Führer 25 September 1944 concerning the formation of the Volkssturm
  • III Instructions for implementation relating to the Führer Decree concerning the formation of the Volkssturm 27 September 1944
  • IV Instructions for implementation relating to the Führer Decree concerning the formation of the Volkssturm 10 October 1944
  • V Instructions for implementation relating to the Führer Decree concerning the formation of the Volkssturm 3 November 1944
  • VI Telegram from Reichsleiter Bormann 1 October 1944
  • VII Circular regarding the Volkssturm 23 February 1945
  • VIII The numbers of the Gaue
  • IX Incorporation of various groups and workers into the Volkssturm
  • X Volkssturm weapon requirements 30 November 1944
  • XI Armament of the Volkssturm 8 December 1944
  • XII Order for the formation of the Volkssturm 16 October 1944
  • XIII Directive of 1 December 1944 concerning the status of members of the Volkssturm
  • XIV Legal directives of 24 February 1945 concerning the Volkssturm
  • XV Directive of 16 March 1945 concerning service penal code for the Volkssturm
  • XVI Announcement regarding enlistment in the Volkssturm
  • XVII Recollections of Rudolf Pietsch regarding the Volkssturm in Oppeln, Upper Silesia
  • XVIII Account of Paul Flegel, former commander of Volkssturm Battalion Habelschwerdt
  • XIX Report of a meeting of Defence District XVII, Vienna, 25 March 1945
  • XX Report of Waldemar Magunia regarding the Volkssturm in East Prussia 1944/45
  • XXI Documents relating to the Volkssturm of the Wartheland
  • XXII Extracts from the account of Friedrich Helmigk relating to the fighting in the Obrastellung between Schwerin/Warthe and Schwiebus, 21 January–28 February 1945
  • XXIII History of Volkssturm Battalion 22/I ‘Oberdonau’
  • XXIV Memoir of Rudolf Hönicka, Volkssturmmann in Volkssturmbataillon z. b. V. Hessen II
  • XXV Actions of the Volkssturm in the Neisse Stellung near Guben
• Notes
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Map showing the Soviet assault on eastern Germany January-March
• Plates