22 Ibid., p. 416
23 Liddell Hart papers, translations of Army Group B reports (loc. cit.), quoted in Cooper, p. 510
24 Guderian, Panzer Leader (op. cit.), p. 445
25 Irving (op. cit.), p. 686
26 Warlimont (op. cit.), p. 451
27 Bradley (op. cit.), p. 376
28 Blumenson, Patton Papers (op. cit.), vol ii, p. 521
29 Baker MS (op. cit.)
11. The Road to Falaise
1 Warner, interview with the author (loc. cit.)
2 Richardson, interview with the author (loc. cit.)
3 Signal M69, Montgomery papers, quoted in Hamilton, Montgomery: Master of the Battlefield, p. 768
4 See How, Normandy: The British Breakout
5 Letter to Brooke, 26.vii.83, quoted in Hamilton (op. cit.), p. 780
6 Stacey, The Canadian Army in World War II, vol. iii, p. 275
7 Hamilton (op. cit.), p. 779
8 Ibid.
9 Stacey (op. cit.), p. 252
10 Ibid., p. 263
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid., p. 276
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid., p. 266
12. The Gap
1 PRO WO205/1021 (Interrogation of Meyer)
2 Ibid. (Interrogation of Meindl)
3 Scott (op. cit.), p. 129
4 Woollcombe (op. cit.), p. 107
5 Komarek, unpublished MS loaned to the author
6 For an extreme and extraordinary example of fanciful thinking about the failure wholly to destroy the German army at Falaise, see Richard Rohmer, Patton’s Gap (London, 1981).
7 Bradley (op. cit.), p. 337
8 It is odd that while Chester Wilmot wrote with great frankness in 1952 about the difficulties and shortcomings of the Allied armies in north-west Europe, in more recent years most narratives have focused overwhelmingly upon the alleged virtues and vices of the commanders on both sides, and lapsed into comfortable platitudes when discussing the relative fighting performance of the armies engaged.
9 Stacey, The Canadian Army in World War II, vol. iii, p. 275
10 Liddell Hart, History of the Second World War, p. 543
11 Williams, interview with the author (loc. cit.)
12 Gavin, On to Berlin, p. 121
Glossary
ADGB Air Defence of Great Britain
ANVIL Codename for the Allied invasion of southern France, later designated DRAGOON
AOC Air Officer Commanding
AVRE Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers – Churchill tank mounted with Petard short-range heavy mortar, and various devices for bridging and ditching
BAR Browning Automatic Rifle – American squad light machine-gun
Battalion Basic infantry unit of 600–1,000 men in all armies in Normandy, sub-divided into four rifle companies and a support company of 100-plus men each, with organic anti-tank guns, heavy machine-guns and mortars. Companies were divided into platoons of three or four rifle squads, each commanded by a corporal – or an NCO in the German army.
Bazooka American infantry anti-tank rocket-projector
BEF British Expeditionary Force
BGS Brigadier General Staff
Bren .303 British squad light machine-gun
Brigade British nomenclature for a formation normally composed of three infantry or tank battalions – roughly equivalent in strength to a German or American regiment
CC Combat Command
CIGS Chief of the Imperial General Staff
COBRA American breakout operation, 25–29 July
Corps A group of divisions assembled under the command of a lieutenant-general, their number and identity varying constantly according to the task for which the corps is being employed.
COSSAC Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander
CP Command post
CSM Company Sergeant-Major
DCLI Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
DD Duplex-Drive amphibious Sherman tank
DF Defensive fire
Division The basic formation through which all armies are controlled, commanded by a major-general and comprising 12–18,000 men. A British armoured division in Normandy normally comprised two tank brigades, one infantry. The Americans preferred to divide the armoured division into two ‘Combat Commands’ (CC), A and B, each in the hands of a brigadier-general.
DUKW Duplex-Drive amphibious truck
EPSOM 2nd Army’s attacks to the Orne and beyond, 26 June to 1 July
Flail Tank mounted with chains on a revolving drum for minesweeping
FORTITUDE Allied deception plan for OVERLORD
FUSAG First US Army Group – the fictitious army commanded by Patton, whose supposed threat to the Pas de Calais was central to FORTITUDE
GOODWOOD British attack on the Bourge´bus ridge, 18–21 July
GSO General Staff Officer (grades I, II or III)
HE High Explosive
Kangaroo Canadian infantry armoured personnel carrier improvised from self-propelled gun mountings
KOSB King’s Own Scottish Borderers
KRRC King’s Royal Rifle Corps
KSLI King’s Own Shropshire Light Infantry
LCA Landing Craft Assault
LCI Landing Craft Infantry
LCT Landing Craft Tank
LCVP Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel
LST Landing Ship Tank
ML Motor launch
NCO Non-commissioned officer
NEPTUNE Naval assault phase of OVERLORD
ODs American army combat clothing
OKW Oberkommando der Wehrmacht – high command of the German armed forces
OP Observation post
OSS Office of Strategic Services, the American wartime foreign intelligence service
Panzerfaust German hand-held infantry anti-tank weapon
Petard Short-range tank-mounted heavy mortar
PIAT Projector Infantry Anti-Tank – British hand-held platoon anti-tank weapon
POINTBLANK Pre-OVERLORD strategic bombing of Germany
Priest British self-propelled mounting for 25-pounder
PT Patrol Torpedo boat
RAC Royal Armoured Corps
RAOC Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Regiment American or German equivalent of a British brigade, normally composed of three battalions, commanded by an American brigadier-general or German colonel
REME Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
ROUNDUP Plan for an Allied invasion of Europe in 1943, superseded by OVERLORD
RTR Royal Tank Regiment
SAS Special Air Service
SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
SOE Special Operations Executive
Spandau Allied shorthand for German MG 34 or MG 42 machine-guns
TOT Time On Target concentrated artillery, a speciality of American gunners, although practised by all armies
TOTALIZE Canadian army attack towards Falaise, 8–11 August
TRACTABLE Canadian attack towards Falaise, 14–16 August
Vickers British .303 water-cooled heavy machine-gun – the infantry battalion support weapon
Acknowledgements
The men who fought in Normandy are today 40 years older than they were in 1944, but it is astonishing how vividly retentive are their memories. All those listed below – American, British, German, French – contributed to the narrative above, either through personal interviews, diaries, contemporary letters, or correspondence. I have omitted their ranks and decorations, which would otherwise overwhelm these pages. To each of them I offer my gratitude, and my admiration for what they endured.
L. W. Ainslie 5th Kings Regiment
W. Anderson 5th Battalion
Abraham Arditti 101st Airborne Div.
D. W. Armstrong REME
R. A. H. Arnold 3rd Infantry Div.
A. Ashley 3rd Infantry Div.
T. K. Atherton 93rd LAA Regt.
Julian Bach
Charles F. Baldwin
S. Bamber RAMC
Alan Barber RAF
G. Barden Armoured Div. Guards
D. Barker 6th Airborne Div.
C. Barnby 1st Royal Norfolks
Mrs N. F. Barnes 6th Airborne Div.
H. T. W. Barter 49th Div.
Bill Bartlett USAAF
Hubert S. Bass 82nd Airborne Div.
T. R. Beason RE
Chris Belcher 2nd Armored Div.
William T. Belvin 2nd Infantry Div.
M. Bennett Royal Navy
Arthur Berry
R. L. Beverley RAF
Richard Bills US Navy
D. G. Bion 5th RTR
Peter Birkett Tyneside Scottish
Norman Bishop US Navy
Edward J. Bisso Jr
A. Blooman RAOC
B. Boden
Robert Bogart 1st Infantry Div.
J. Bond RASC
G. A. Bone RAF
Frank Booth RASC
G. Ascher 357th Infantry
L. Bour 1st Infantry Div.
G. A. D. Bourne Royal Navy
R. I. M. Bowen RAF
G. Braysford Royal Engineers
Dr Warren E. Breniman
C. Brewer No. 12 Field Surgical Unit
G. Brice 246th Coy RE
A. Briggs
A. D. Briggs RE
D. Brinkman
D. G. Brown 5th RTR
J. Brown 11th Armoured Div.
A. J. Brown 3rd Infantry Div.
John Brown 11th Armoured Div.
W. Brown 3rd Canadian Div.
H. Brown
G. Bruce Royal Engineers
Randall Bryant 9th Infantry Div.
Mrs Jean Buck
B. E. Buck REME
Eric Bulman
M. A. Burgess
James N. Burt 2nd Armoured Div.
Jesse T. Butler 9th Infantry Div.
R. W. Campbell 6th Airborne Div.
W. A. Carter
Arthur L. Chaitt 1st Infantry Div.
Mrs M. Chandler
O. H. Clark
Roy Clark Royal Navy
S. R. Cockaday 3rd Div. Provost Coy
Al Cohn US Navy
W. A. Coke Royal Marines
Frank Colacicco 1st Infantry Div.
Harry Collins 6th Airborne Div.
Robert L. Conway 5th Engineer Special Brigade
James William Cook Royal Navy
Leo Cooper
John Purley Cooper Jr. 29th Div.
Paul W. Corrigan 3rd Armored Div.
John Craig
E. A. Crofts
R. B. Crosby Essex Yeomanry
Robert Michael Crossley
Rupert Curtis Royal Navy
Milton Dank
Mrs Margaret Darley-Bentley
W. Davies RAF
Harold Davies 7th Armoured Div.
William E. Davis Royal Artillery
Frederick Davis RE
E. Dearsley
Bernard W. Deehan 2nd Armoured Div.
M. Delaney Armoured Div.
Ronald C. Denhand RAF
James Dobie The Kings Regiment
George W. Dohmann 9th Infantry Div.
H. H. Downs RAF
F. G. Dubber 165th HAA Regt. RA
G. T. Duckworth RAF
Hayes W. Dugan 3rd Armored Div.
Martin Dumoch US Navy
Steve Dyson 5th RTR
C. J. Eason 2nd Lincolnshires
J. Eccles
Alec Ecclestone Royal Navy
J. Edmondson 2nd Armoured Guards Div.
J. E. Edney 7th Armoured Div.
Sidney Eichen 30th Infantry Div.
William J. Eisemann US Navy
J. H. Ellis 1st Ox & Bucks
F. K. Faulkner REME
K du B. Ferguson RAF
W. M. H. Flory RAF
Mrs M. Floyd-Norris QAIMNS/R
A. H. Forrest RASC
J. S. Forster Royal Signals
E. A. Fowles RAF
Edward T. Francis 47th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Jerrold Freeman RAF
W. M. Frick 79th Infantry Division
R. Frith Royal Navy
Robert Frost Royal Navy
Col. William B. Gara 1st Infantry Div.
Wayne Garrets 90th Infantry Div.
G. George 6th Airborne Div.
E. H. Gibbs 9th Beach Group
A. C. Gigg 50th Infantry Div.
J. A. Gill 2nd Infantry Div.
A. F. Gillespie RASC
L. C. Gimbert RASC
Doug Ginder 3rd Div.
Joe Glavan 35th Infantry Div.
J. G. Glixby Royal Tank Regiment
Don Gordon Royal Engineers
Richard Gosling Essex Yeomanry
J. W. Goulder Royal Navy
Henry Grant 3rd Canadian Division
Mrs M. Z. Gray
J. Greenfield 116th HAA Regt.
N. Griffin Royal Signals
G. Griffin 43rd Infantry Div.
L. Griffiths 2nd Army HQ
Heinz Gunther Guderian 116 Panzer Div.
Helmut Gunther 17 SS Panzergren. Div.
William I. Hahn US Navy
L. Haines 2nd/60th Rifles
J. G. Hanson RAF
Mrs Edward W. Harrison
Robin Hastings 6th Green Howards
R. E. Hauchan Royal Navy
J. A. Hawkes Royal Marines
S. D. Hayden 49th Div.
A. Heal Royal Engineers
Richard Heap
John Hein 1st Infantry Div.
Pamela Hensy QAIMNS/R
Harry Herman 9th Infantry Div.
Andrew Hertz 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion
Heinz Hickmann Luftwaffe Parachute Div.
Lindley R. Higgins 12th Infantry Rgt.
H. Highwood Queens Regiment
George Hird RAOC
R. A. Hoar Royal Artillery
H. W. S. Hodd
Dr Adolf Hohenstein 276th Infantry Div.
Alan W. Holmes RASC
F. A. Honey Royal Engineers
G. B. Honour Royal Navy
S. Hooker 6th Airborne Div.
Charles T. Horner
H. Horsfield Royal Marines
James Houston Royal Navy
R. A. Howard Army Air Corps
W. T. Hoy REME
D. J. Hudson ACC
B. Hudson Staffordshire Yeomanry
D. S. Huett Armoured Div.
J. A. Hughes Royal Marines
G. E. Humnas RAOC
S. F. Humphrey 344th Indep. Searchlight Battery RA
J. H. Humphries 50th Div.
Mrs N. S. Hyde-Ferte
H. M. Irwin
J. L. Irwin 45th RM Commando
Jackson 50th Division
Harolds L. Jett US Navy
Frank A. Jobson 6th Airborne Division
Mrs Susan Johnson ATS
A. E. Johnson 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
R. Johnson 24 Base Section Royal Signals
A. Johnson Durham Light Infantry
G. R. Johnson 5th RTR
Carl R. Jones USAAF
Albert M. Jordan 2nd Armored Div.
T. Josephs 29th Infantry Div.
Kurt Kauffman Panzer Lehr
J. E. Kean 3rd Recce Regiment
R. O. Keeffe RASC
G. Keighley Sussex & Surrey Yeomanry
Dennis Kelley 9th Infantry Div.
Lt. H. G. Kenyon Royal Navy
Henry W. Kilburg 875th Ordnance Battalion
R. R. Killona 237th Engineer Combat Battalion
Jerry W. Komarek 2nd Armored Div.
Vincent A. Kordack 6th Beach Battalion US Navy
Warner Kortenhaus 21st Panzer Div.
Hal Kosut 979th Batt.
Edward B. Kovar 110th AAA Batt.
Walter Kruger 12th SS Panzer Div.
D. Lancaster
Mrs J. Lang WAAF
Helmut Lang Army Group B Headquarters
Fritz Lang
angke 2nd SS Panzer Div.
T. Langston RA
Bruce A. Larose 1st Infantry Div.
J. Law 147th Regiment RAC
P. Lawton 49th West Riding Div.
J. E. Leather 4th Ox & Bucks
R. D. Lee 1st Ox & Bucks
A. Lee 1st Middlesex
J. M. Leggate FRCS 46th Field Surgical Unit
Edward M. Leitch 2nd Army Troop
Andrew J. Lento 4th Infantry Div.
P. Leslie 79th Armoured Div.
Arthur Lester
J. Leverett 6th Airborne Div.
C. T. Lightman 11th Royal Scots Fusiliers
Mrs R. Lindner QAIMNS/R
Theodore S. Liska 4th Infantry Div.
Dominic J. LoPiccolo 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion
S. Lockwood 4th CLY
Donald E. Loker US Navy
Len Lomell
J. S. Longster Suffolk Regt.
A. V. Looker 1st KOSB
Rev. T. H. Lovegrove 6th Green Howards
W. W. Lund 6th Airborne Div.
R. Lyon REME
P. R. Maclver 8th Armoured Brigade
James G. Macpherson Merchant Navy
Maj. Gen. John J. Maginnis
J. S. Malkin 7th Field Reg. RA
G. C. Mantripp Royal Navy
Arlo J. Markestad 29th Infantry Div.
P. Marshall 78th Coy. Royal Engineers
E. A. Martin 3rd Infantry Div.
W. Martin
S. B. Mason
L. F. Matthews Royal Navy
John A. McAllister 29th Infantry Div.
Robert McCosh
Andrew McFadzean 29th Infantry Division
John P. McGirr 65th Armored Field Artillery Batt.
Dr Marie McHugh
L. J. McLaughlin 9th Infantry Div.
Alan W. McQuillin RAF
S. Mills Royal Marines
James H. Moninger Jr. 79th Infantry Div.
Bidwell Moore 1st Infantry Div.
G. Moore Royal Engineers
David Morgan REME.
W. T. Morgan REME
Ted Morris
H. J. Morris Jones 746th Tank Batt.
G. W. Moses
R. Mosse Guards Armoured Div.
Anthony Mott 500th Div. RHR
F. L. Muttor 1st Infantry Div.
Lt. Gen. Samuel L. Myers
Philip D. Myers 78th Armored Field Artillery Batt.
W. E. Needier
A. L. Neely
Albert E. Nelson RCAF
D. C. Newton 6th Airborne Div.
Ralph A. Nichols US Navy
A. E. Nicholson RAMC
Ronald N. Palmer RMAS
J. Parkinson Royal Engineers
L. S. Parnell RAOC
A. Pascarell 487th Bomb Troop
Lt. Brewster G. Pattyson US Coast Guard
Joseph K. Perkins 29th Infantry Div.
R. Perkins
G. J. Peters 2nd Warwicks
N. C. Phillips
Overlord (Pan Military Classics) Page 49