Hitler's Secret Commandos: Operations of the K-Verband

By: Helmut Blocksdorf

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Synopsis: An extensive history of the amphibious attack unit created by Nazi Germany during World War II.Hitler&’s Secret Commandos is the history of the K-Verband naval commando unit, established in 1943 to wreak havoc amongst invading allied forces involved in amphibious landings or actions, against German-occupied coasts. Following the Italian and British example, the basic idea was for a small, exceptionally well-trained and reliable commando force using the maximum element of surprise. Midget U-boats and small torpedo-carrying craft along the lines of the &“explosive boats&” used by the Italian Navy were designed for individual operations while a naval assault troop was formed for missions against important enemy operational targets near the sea after being landed from naval vessels offshore. Using German archive material, first-hand accounts and other published material this is the first comprehensive history of the K-Verband. It charts the development, structure, selection, training and equipment the Commando unit used together with a detailed narrative of the operations undertaken. The material has been translated from a German text, previously published in Germany with wide acclaim.