Osprey Men-at-Arms 254 : Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces

In 1938 Adolf Hitler directed two paramilitary labour organisations - the Reichsarbeitsdienst, recruits undergoing pre-military training; and Organisation Todt, a unique mobilisation of private construction firms - to support the armed forces (Wehrmacht) in their duties. Hard-pressed transport and supply units were further aided by the NSKK, the Nazi motoring organisation, and, from 1944, with military defeat looming, all manpower with any military potential was drafted into the Deutscher Volkssturm. These organisations were designated 'Wehrmachtsgefolge' (Armed Forces Auxiliaries) to give their members protection under the Geneva Convention if taken prisoner. The total strength of these organisations was about 1,200,000 in 1939, peaking in 1944 at about 3,800,000 - 40% of the size of the armed forces. Although units were generally inferior to their armed forces equivalents, their contribution to the war-effort was far from negligible. Nigel Thomas and Carlos Caballero Jurado examine the Wehrmacht auxiliary forces, accompanied by a plethora of photographs and eight full page colour plates by Simon McCouaig.

Contents

• Introduction
• The NSKK
• Transportkorps Speer
• Reichsarbeitsdienst
• Organisation TODT
• Deutscher Volkssturm
• The Plates