Ike gets a great deal of blame here, IMO, for letting Monty talk him into this disaster, rather than focusing on securing the Scheldt Estuary and opening Antwerp.
And now Britain mandates that Islam take over without a shot.
I’ve read Anthony beavers the battle for Spain and his book on Stalingrad both Goodreads. Cornelius Ryan’s the last battle about the collapse of the reich was also very well written. When I get around to it I would like to read Anthony beavers book about Berlin in 1945.
That should have been written “the once invincible Wehrmacht...” After Stalingrad the German military lost every time. In Russia, in North Africa, in Sicily, in Italy, and everywhere in Europe after D-Day.
We would have been much better off if the more cooperative General Alexander had been appointed as the Brit top general. But Monty was too popular to shunt aside. Alexander was more concerned about winning the war than grabbing the spotlight.
I found it at Goodwill. Hardback, $1.00.
Oh, geez. Now I have ANOTHER book on my wish list.
Look at the retreat of the 9th and 12th armies from Berlin toward the Oder to surrender to the Americans. The 9th Army was virtually destroyed breaking out of the Halbe pocket, but whatever units survived joined the 12th Army and fought their way to the Oder to surrender to American forces.
Without air cover, terribly short of food, fuel and ammunition and hampered by refugees, they fought their through fresh Red Army divisions to reach the Oder.
I believe they suffered 30,000 casualties but inflicted another 50,000 on the Red Army.
On YouTube you can see German units crossing the remnants of a blown bridge to be disarmed by US units. They came under air attack from the Soviets and German flak units opened up across the river from the US forces, who did nothing to stop them.