SS Panzer Battalion (SS Wotan)

Author: Leo Kessler
First Published: 1974
Pages: 192

I was a little apprehensive choosing to read a Leo Kessler book. I remember reading a Sven Hassel book or two in my teens; they were the only other type of book my dad would read, if he was not reading a Western novel he'd picked up or borrowed from the local library at the bottom of our road. I didn't want to revisit my youth and ruin the memory I had of reading those books (I think I most likely only ever read one or two, but there's no way I can recall which ones!). At the time they seemed incredibly 'grown-up', containing bloody violence, and also being a bit rude. I hated the thought of now finding them to be not at all as adult as I had the impression all those years ago.

I decided to choose SS Panzer Battalion, which is the first - in chronological order - of the series dubbed 'SS Wotan'. There are currently over forty books in the series. Publishers Futura have gathered some of the key novels into a small collection called the Dogs of War, of which this one is book three.



Leo Kessler is one of eight pseudonym used by prolific author Charles Whiting. His books are almost entirely war stories, with a huge proportion set during Word War II. Whiting wrote nearly 300 books during his lifetime, selling over 2 million books in the ten years beginning in the seventies paperback boom of sex and violence. Interestingly Whiting stated that, like Sven Hassel, his Kessler pseudonym was created with the double-s incorporated to highlight the 'SS'.

My eBook version of SS Panzer Battalion begins with a neat introduction giving a summary of the events that preceded the start of this story. I can only guess that some of these were covered in the previous Dogs of War books, but I cannot be certain. Once you get past this intro the plot begins with the introduction of a new batch of recruits joining the SS Wotan regiment. Some of these recruits will become central characters like Schulze, the camp comedian. Many of them will die. We are also introduced to their Major, the ambitious at all costs Horst Grier, whose nickname The Vulture is given to him for his uncanny resemblance to the bird.

Along with these, we have Captain von Dodenburg and Lieutenant Schwarze, who are the officers of the regiment but whose approach differs largely. Schwarze being a far more strict disciplinarian, and von Dodenburg being more heroic and admired by his SS troops. You are taken through basic training with the recruits, not too leisurely, but just enough to get to know the characters and have a bit of fun (especially an episode involving one of the officers wives that has further consequences) before their next orders come through and they have to prepare for a secret mission against the Belgians.

The plot takes SS Wotan to the supposedly impenetrable Fort Eben Emael, a fortress guarding the junction of the River Meuse and the Albert Canal. This will be a very tough test for the newly trained soldiers. But with von Dodenberg leading from the front, maybe, just maybe they will have a chance to turn the tide in the war.

Same picture offset in later Ed.

The action is great, and very well described by Whiting, who handles individual perspectives and wider perspectives with ease. This is a very well written piece, and I felt immediately comfortable with it, which allayed those fears I had before starting. There is still bloody violence, but also some of the harsh realities of war, and some that I hadn't reckoned with, like some very uncomfortable descriptions of how venereal disease was treated in the forties!

I was pleasantly surprised just how much I enjoyed this Leo Kessler novel. I will absolutely be looking to read further episodes in the SS Wotan canon. and also it has encouraged me to look into the other books by Whiting in his various guises to see if they are as entertaining.

In eBook this cost me £2.98, which I think it was worth. The cover is a bit meh', but that's because (having had a good look on the Internet) I find I really do like the look of a lot of his old paperbacks. A shame they cannot remain, but I understand the need to bring them to a new audience.

Definitely recommended.