Stackpole Military History Series – serie

Before dawn on December 16, 1944, German forces rolled through the frozen Ardennes in their last major offensive in the west, thus starting the Battle of the Bulge, which would become the U.S. Army’s bloodiest engagement of World War II. Catching the Allies by surprise, the Germans made early gains, demolished the inexperienced U.S. 106th Infantry Division, and fought hard, but American counterattacks--and tenacious resistance in towns like Bastogne--combined with mounting German casualties and fuel shortages to force the German Army into a retreat from which it never recovered.

Although naval development before World War II focused on aircraft carriers, the British nevertheless had seventy battleships--larger and more powerful than ever before--under construction when war broke out in 1939. The war would hasten the battleship’s decline, but not before producing dramatic moments at sea around the globe: the hunt for the Bismarck, the sinking of the Scharnhorst, the defeat of the Graf Spee, and the earth-shattering bombardments on D-Day. Peter C. Smith recounts these and other stirring episodes of naval combat with verve and authority.

On the morning of August 8, 1944, the Canadian Army roared into action in Operation Totalize, a massive armored attack that aimed to break through enemy defenses south of Caen and trap the Germans in Normandy by linking up with Patton’s U.S. Third Army. After initial gains, the assault lost momentum and failed to achieve all of its objectives. Brian A. Reid’s landmark account covers the strategic context and planning of this controversial operation, details the actions of the men who fought and bled in this sector of Normandy, and sheds new light on who killed German panzer ace Michael Wittmann.

Shocked by the carnage of World War I--much of which was waged on its own soil--France constructed a vast network of forts in the years before World War II. Among these was the Maginot Line, the last of the great gun-bearing fortifications, but France also built defenses along its coasts and in North Africa. This fully illustrated volume describes the design and construction of these fortifications, reviews French defensive doctrine and strategy, and explains why these efforts proved unable to halt the German blitzkrieg in the spring of 1940.

After the Soviets trapped the German 6th Army at Stalingrad, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein and his Army Group Don orchestrated a dramatic reversal of fortune between November 1942 and March 1943, enabling Germany to regain the initiative on the Eastern Front and continue fighting for two more years. Sadarananda relies on an in-depth analysis of war diaries to piece together the course of this pivotal campaign and shows how Manstein brilliantly anticipated Soviet moves and effectively handled an indecisive Hitler.

Although the history of armor in World War II has captured the attention of countless authors, no one has yet chronicled the extensive use of tanks in the Pacific, until now. In comprehensive detail Gene Eric Salecker describes the exploits of American tanks on the jungle islands where troops engaged in savage combat and encountered unforgiving weather and terrain. Stationed in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked the islands in 1941, the U.S. Army s independent tank battalions fought from the very start of the war. From New Guinea and the Solomons to the Ryukyus, American armor proved instrumental in winning World War II in the Pacific.

Before Allied soldiers set foot on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, American and British bombers helped pave the way by pounding German positions on the shoreline and farther inland, a vital mission that continued as the troops waded ashore and the battle beyond the beachhead began. In this lively look at D-Day in the air, eight different bomber crews--three American and five British--tell their unforgettable stories from inside B-17s, B-24s, Lancasters, and Halifaxes.

Low-level strikes by British torpedo-bombers against enemy naval vessels ranked among the most dangerous aerial tactics developed during World War II. But the risks frequently paid off, whether in the attack by a single bomber on the German battleship Lützow, the torpedoing of the Gneisenau, or the crippling blows against Rommel’s supply lines to Africa. Colorful in its depiction of aircrew life and stirring in its descriptions of torpedo-bombers in combat, Ship-Busters is a classic account of World War II in the air.

The panzergrenadiers were the foot soldiers who went into battle alongside the Third Reich’s feared tanks. Whether in the Wehrmacht or Waffen-SS, these troops endured all the horrors of infantry combat--fighting hand-to-hand, storming enemy positions, and rescuing fallen comrades--but they did so in the shadow of thundering giants like the Tiger and Panther. Kurowski tells the stories of some of the very best of these mechanised infantrymen, bringing them and their actions to life.About the AuthorFranz Kurowski served as a reporter in the German Army in World War II and is also the author of Jump into Hell and Infantry Aces.

From the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, through Japan’s surrender in September 1945, the Americans and Japanese conducted a total of twelve combat parachute drops in the Pacific theatre of World War II, seven by the U.S. and five by Japan. Filling a glaring gap in the historical record of the war and relying largely on the words of the participants, Gene Eric Salecker recounts all twelve drops, placing each in the context of the campaign, explaining why each succeeded or failed, and highlighting the courage and esprit de corps of paratroopers on both sides.About the AuthorGene Eric Salecker is also the author of Rolling Thunder against the Rising Sun.

During the Second World War, military gliders were used for carrying troops and heavy equipment silently into a combat zone. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes and once released from the tow craft near the front, they were to land on any convenient open terrain close to target, hopefully with as little damage to cargo and crew as possible. The one-way nature of the missions meant that they were treated as disposable, leading to construction from common and inexpensive materials such as wood.Landing by parachute caused the troops to be spread over a large drop-zone, however, gliders could land troops in greater concentrations precisely at the target landing area. Furthermore, the glider, once released at some distance from the actual target, was effectively silent and difficult for the enemy to identify.This book presents details of glider craft from both sides, featuring all significant glider operations of the war, such as Eben Emael, Crete, Sicily, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, the Battle of the Bulge, the Eastern Front, and more. These stories of elite glider troops in the thick of battle are impressively illustrated with photos of the gliders and their crews, and also feature detailed first-hand accounts from decorated gliders. This is a revealing account of the backbone of airborne operations, the success of many of which would have failed, if it had not been for the glider troops.About the authorJames Mrazek also wrote The Fall of Eben Emael. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

By the end of 1941, having suffered significant setbacks in its offensive to take Moscow, the German Army and its armoured forces began to lose their aura of invincibility, both to the Allies and the German home front. This book, part of the Third Reich’s attempt to bolster morale, showcases the actions of the 3rd Panzer Division. The division performed well in the early phases of Operation Barbarossa but experienced grave hardship in the drive on Moscow.Written by war correspondents who watched the battles unfold firsthand, Panzer Wedge has a unique“you-are-there” perspective that captures the heady spirit of the offensive’s beginning as well as the dogged fighting that brought it to a halt. The book will appeal to anyone who enjoys accounts of World War II combat, especially tank warfare, and to historians researching how the war effort was reported on the German home front. It offers significant insight into the conflict that has so long captured the imagination of history enthusiasts everywhere. About the AuthorLt. Fritz Lucke served with the German Army during World War II.Robert Edwards, a retired U.S. Army armour officer, has taught at West Point. He lives in Navarre, Florida.Michael Olive has been researching military history for decades, with a focus on tanks and aircraft. He lives in British Columbia.

Compelling account of the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union The Soviets expected to crush Finnish forces in mere days, but the Finns broke the Red Army's advance and held out for almost four months Authentic depiction of frontline fighting in the harshest of conditions Based on eyewitness testimony, war diaries, battle reports, and other records

Battling frigid weather, malnutrition and the constant onslaught of enemy fire, those who took part in the pivotal Battle of Stalingrad were sujected to some of the most challenging conditions of the battlefield. At times during the five bloody and desperate months of the conflict the average Soviet soldier’s life-expectancy dropped to just under 24 hours. Of the 91,000 German soldiers captured over the course of the battle only 5,000 survived to return to their homeland. It is thought that nearly two million lost their lives as a result of the deadly clash between the advancing German forces and the Soviet Union. This is the story of the German forces caught in the midst of one of the bloodiest battles the world has ever seen.The Wehrmacht stormed into Stalingrad on the back of a series of strategic bombings that saw the city reduced to a warren of ruins and rubble. The battle, fought across the city from building to building, often resulted in German forces holding over 90% of the territory. Despite support from the air, the German offensive was unable to force the Soviet defenders to give up their position on the west bank of the Volga. After months of fighting in the freezing Russian climate and facing devastating food shortages, the German hold on Stalingrad began to slip, paving the way for a Soviet victory.Here, Stackpole presents this stunning compilation of firsthand German accounts from the battle. Winter Storm depicts the life of German soldiers trapped in the city by Soviet forces to confront not only enemy troops but also extreme hunger and frigid weather. Few accounts communicate in such vivid detail the horrors German forces encountered in the hopeless closing days of the Battle of Stalingrad. Rare photographs punctuate the text bringing to life this truly desperate period of the war. Winter Storm is an indispensable account for anyone who seeks to understand the life of a soldier caught up on a merciless battlefield in a conflict that will forever be remembered as the turning point of World War II.

* Myth-busting account of the summer of 1943 on the Eastern Front, one of World War II's turning points* Includes the Battle of Kursk* Special focus on the notorious 3rd SS Panzer Division"Totenkopf"

On August 19, 1943, two days after the famous Schweinfurt-Regensburg raid, bombers and fighters of the U.S. Eighth Air Force launched attacks against German airfields in Holland – a mission they thought would be easy, a so-called milk run, but it proved to be anything but. In this fascinating new title Ivo de Jong provides detailed historical context and numerous firsthand accounts of aerial combat from diaries, letters, after-action reports, and interviews with pilots and crews on both sides to thrust readers into the dangerous world of aerial warfare. With numerous illustrations this book will appeal to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the air battles of World War II.

This is Operation Barbarossa as experienced by the soldiers of the 3rd Panzer Division and reported on the German homefront. After smashing its way deep into Soviet territory during the summer of 1941, the tanks of the division encountered difficulties as they got closer to Moscow, eventually being halted not far from the Soviet capital. Written by eyewitnesses to the invasion, these accounts chronicle the Division’s exploits as the pace of advance slowed and the ravages of winter began to be felt. Two panzer experts have provided commentary, placing these events in their historical context and providing details about commanders, vehicles, and more.

According to bestselling author Douglas Brinkley, Col. Robert W. Black “is the dean of Ranger history,” and Black proves it in this history of the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion in World War II. Based on original documents from Allied and German sources, after-action reports, and interviews with surviving veterans, The Battalion follows this elite unit of Rangers through eleven months of almost constant action: scaling the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day (depicted in the movie Saving Private Ryan), battling through the hedgerows of Normandy, slogging through the Hürtgen Forest, fighting at the Battle of the Bulge, and racing to the Rhine and into Germany. Nearly a thousand men saw combat with the 2nd Rangers: 158 were killed, and 758 received Purple Hearts. From the four-man patrol that captured a German garrison of more than 800 men to the innovative combined-arms tactics that paired the Rangers with the charging metal steeds of a U.S. cavalry unit, the battalion trained, fought, and in many cases gave their lives while upholding the Ranger credo of“Rangers lead the way!”

This book describes the action in the area southeast of Malmedy during the final stage--Christmas 1944 through the end of January 1945--of the Battle of the Bulge, focusing on the operations of the German 3rd Fallschirmjäger (Paratroop) Division. This is the story of bitter combat in the snow-encrusted Ardennes by soldiers who would never become household names like the generals--Eisenhower and Patton, Rundstedt and Dietrich--who commanded them but who nevertheless deserve to be remembered by history for their brave actions in trying times. The book relies heavily on the words of the soldiers themselves, the Germans and Americans who slogged through the snow and fought desperately.

These are the stories Vietnam vets tell each other at reunions and over beers.Episodes of valor, hardship, humor, and everything in between from more than forty veterans of the Vietnam WarCovers all branches of service and all areas of operation in Southeast Asia

For nearly three years, August 1941 to March 1944, 47,000 Spanish soldiers served under German command on the Russian front, two of those years con­tinuously in the line in the siege of Leningrad. There were 22,000 casu­alties, of which 4,500 were killed in ac­tion or died of wounds, disease, or frost­bite. Fewer than 300 prisoners of war finally were repatriated in 1954. The story of these Spanish volunteers told here, largely from original Spanish and German archival sources, in the graphic detail of a military history cover­ing the major battles of the Russo-German war, gives an entirely different perspective to the siege of Leningrad which is neither Communist nor Nazi but Mediterranean. Thinking of themselves as warriors, as opposed to soldiers, the Spaniards fought with great courage and dash. Masters of improvisation, they lived off the countryside, regarded the Russians as human beings, and often formed strong bonds with the peasants--so strong that the Russian population often protected the Spaniards from both the Red Army and the partisans.

Providing an in-depth examination of the bloody battle of Brandywine and other military engagements that resulted in the British capture of Philadelphia, McGuire weaves surviving first-hand accounts into the compelling story of the fight for the Continental capital. Covering all sides, from the soldiers in the battlefields to civilian witnesses, McGuire’s account of the campaign for Philadelphia is a must-read for military history and Revolutionary War scholars. “The Philadelphia Campaign is first-rate, an absorbing work of tenacious research and close scholarship. Thomas J. McGuire knows the time of the American Revolution and has been over the ground in and about Philadelphia in a way few writers ever have. But it is his empathy for the human reality of war and the great variety of people caught up in it, whether in the service of the king or the Glorious Cause of America, that makes this book especially alive and memorable."--David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of John Adams and 1776

The French city of Sedan, located near the Belgian border, played a key role in Germany’s plans for a blitzkrieg assault on Allied forces in France. This engaging narrative details the small-unit actions near Sedan during the 1940 campaign for France and recounts the fighting in and around the city by German panzer forces under the famous Heinz Guderian. In addition to an analytical reconstruction of the battle, this account provides a detailed explanation for why the battle and related events occurred. Offering an examination of both sides of the conflict, from privates up to generals, this book is recommended reading by both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. According to the Journal of Military History, “Doughty’s lively study should appeal to soldiers and civilians.”

This rare memoir is the gripping account of a foreigner who served with the Germans on the Eastern Front and provides a vivid, firsthand description of World War II combat. Sigmund Heinz Landau, a Romanian fighting with the Waffen SS, was a participant at the siege of Budapest and the final battle for Berlin in 1945. His account of his actions in these conflicts shares valuable insights for readers into what motivated soldiers to fight on behalf of Nazi Germany.

A concise history of the development and use of incendiary weapons--flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, napalm, and more--by the American military in the twentieth century, with a focus on World War II.• Describes how the U.S. created its incendiary weapons program virtually from scratch during World War II• Pivotal episodes include Omaha Beach on D-Day and the skilled performance of an armored flamethrower battalion in the Pacific• Also covers the history of incendiaries from ancient times to World War II and through Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm

With candor and humor, American infantryman Jack Dower describes his narly fifteen months spent as an unwilling guest of the Third Reich after his company lost its way behind enemy lines near Anzio, Italy, in February 1944. From forced labor and grueling marches, to the camaraderie shared between fellow prisoners, to a few unexpected instances of decency from German guards, Dower's memoir is a testament to the adaptability and courage of the World War II prisoner of war. The late Jack Dower, a native of Connecticut, served with the 45th Infantry Division in World War II.

Maj. Ron Beckett had already served two tours in Vietnam when he received orders to return in April 1969. As the district senior advisor in the remote, rural Dinh Quan District of Long Khanh Province, he would face a demanding and dangerous assignment on the front lines of pacification.• A sometimes critical, sometimes humorous, always honest memoir of the American campaign to win Vietnamese hearts and minds• Details Beckett's and his team's efforts to support combat missions, gather intelligence, improve infrastructure, develop the local economy, and above all gain the trust of a people whose language they did not speak

This classic of military history tells the exciting story of the fall of St. Lô, the first major objective of the invading American armies in Normandy in June of 1944. Although St. Lô was intended to be taken within days of the landing, stubborn German resistance postponed the town's fall until July 18. The author describes the bloody action that took place in the thirty days in between as he led his battalion, dubbed "The Indestructible Clay Pigeons."