The Defeat of the Damned

The Destruction of the Dirlewanger Brigade at the Battle of Ipolysag, December 1944

by Douglas E Nash Sr

Imprint: Casemate

304 Pages, 6 x 9 in, B&W and color illustrations

Hardcover
9781636242118
October 2023
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$37.95

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"Doug Nash addresses a crucial period of December 1944... This latest of his works, which all stand on their own merits, is the best read to date." — Marine Corps Gazette

One of the most notorious yet least understood body of troops that fought for the Third Reich during World War II was the infamous Sondereinheit Dirlewanger, or the “Dirlewanger Special Unit.” Formed initially as a company-sized formation in June 1940 from convicted poachers, it served under the command of SS-Obersturmführer Oskar Dirlewanger, one of the most infamous criminals in military history. First used to guard the Jewish ghetto in Lublin and support security operations carried out in occupied Poland by SS and Police forces, the unit was soon transferred to Belarus to combat the increasingly active Soviet partisan movement. After assisting in putting down the Warsaw Uprising during August–September 1944, by November of that year it had been enlarged and retitled as the 2. SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger. One month later, it fought one of its most controversial actions near the town of Ipolysag, Hungary, now known by its Slovak name of Šahy, between 13 and 18 December 1944. As a result of its overly hasty and haphazard deployment, lack of heavy armament, and a confusing chain of command, it was virtually destroyed by two Soviet mechanized corps.

Consequently, the Wehrmacht leadership blamed Dirlewanger and the performance of his troops for the encirclement of the Hungarian capital of Budapest during late December 1944 that led to the annihilation of its garrison two months later. The brigade’s defeat at Ipolysag also led to its compulsory removal from the front lines by General der Panzertruppe Hermann Balck and its eventual shipment to a rest area where it would be completely rebuilt, so thorough was its destruction. Despite its lackluster performance, the brigade was rebuilt once again and sent to East Prussia in February 1945, but never recovered from the thrashing it received at the hands of the 6th Guards Army in December.

"Doug Nash addresses a crucial period of December 1944... This latest of his works, which all stand on their own merits, is the best read to date." ~Marine Corps Gazette

“With the publication of this book, Colonel Doug Nash, United States Army Retired, has become the finest author in the US concerning the Waffen-SS…Nash has now written seven books in which Waffen-SS troops were major combatants. That is quite a feat, but perhaps more importantly, his breadth of knowledge and presentation cover not only personalities, but also combat operations, equipment, and organizational subjects within each book…What is most important about these works is that they touch on several complex relationships involving the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany that perhaps we should remind ourselves of—especially as we begin consuming this latest book about the Waffen-SS Dirlewanger Brigade during the battle of Ipolysag in Hungary in December 1944." ~Colonel French MacLean, author of "The Cruel Hunters: SS-Sonderkommando Dirlewanger – Hitler’s Most Notorious Anti-Partisan Unit"

“The Defeat of the Damned sparkles in its richly detailed view of the infamous Dirlewanger Brigade. This little-known German Waffen-SS unit assembled from poachers, criminals from concentration camps and SS convicts committed some of the worst killing operations in Poland and Russia. Crimes committed for the Nazi regime that imprisoned them! With its murderous path behind, the Brigade came to its end as front-line gap filler fighting Russian armies where its own losses were in the thousands. No redemption, no salvation.” ~Stephen Tyas, author of "RSHA: Reich Security Main Office, Organization, Activities, and Personnel"

“It is tempting to think that nothing is left to discover about the Dirlewanger’s Sonderkommando and his gang of convicted poachers, Waffen-SS, Police probationers and concentration camp volunteers. However, critical to its success is research using previously unsourced archival material. From the gripping narrative, one senses the desperation of the decisions and deployments made by the protagonists when the Dirlewanger Brigade played its part in the battle in December 1944 for Ipolysag in Northern Hungary.” ~Stuart B. T. Emmett, author of "Strafvollzugslager der SS und Polizei: Himmler’s Wartime Institutions for the Detention of Waffen-SS and Polizei Criminals"

"The book is replete with surprising detail such as the fact that there is only one documented war crime committed by this notorious unit in Hungary. Interesting, too, are the mass defections to the Russians on 15 December 1944 caused in part by Himmler’s decision to fill the ranks with political prisoners who in many cases held pro-Soviet views. In all a wonderfully comprehensive and detailed account of a little-known aspect of WWII history. " ~Alexandra Richie, author of the international best-sellers "Warsaw 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising" and "Faust's Metropolis: A History of Berlin"

“The detail taken from reports and the recollections of survivors is incredible, making it a really good read. Both historians and wargamers will find a lot to interest them, backed up with the few photos of the time. Well worth the read.” ~Tankette

"This is an astonishingly detailed account of the brigade’s end at Ipolysag...This book is essential reading for those who wish to understand more of Dirlewanger’s unpleasant career and to delve further into the criminality of German forces. It is a highly recommended read." ~Iron Cross Magazine