Campaign

4 primary works • 8 total works

Battle of the Bulge 1944 (2)

by Steven Zaloga

Published 26 November 2004

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and most costly battle fought by the US Army in World War II. The Ardennes fighting was Hitler's last gamble on the Western Front, crippling the Wehrmacht in the West for the remainder of the war. This volume offers a fresh...Read more

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and most costly battle fought by the US Army in World War II. The Ardennes fighting was Hitler's last gamble on the Western Front, crippling the Wehrmacht in the West for the remainder of the war. This volume offers a fresh analysis of this crucial battle. Following on from the earlier Campaign series volume on St Vith and the Northern Shoulder, this book examines not only the defence of embattled Bastogne, but also the attempts by the Panzer divisions to break out beyond the Meuse river.

Kasserine Pass 1943

by Steven Zaloga

Published 5 May 2005

The North African campaign of November 1942-May 1943 was a baptism of fire for the US Army. After relatively straightforward landings, the US II Corps advanced into Tunisia to support operations by the British 8th Army. Rommel, worried by the prospect of an attack into his rear, decided to...Read more

The North African campaign of November 1942-May 1943 was a baptism of fire for the US Army. After relatively straightforward landings, the US II Corps advanced into Tunisia to support operations by the British 8th Army. Rommel, worried by the prospect of an attack into his rear, decided to exploit the inexperience of the US Army and strike a sudden blow against their overextended positions around the Kasserine Pass. However, due to US resilience the Germans were unable to exploit their victory, and later attacks such as at El Guettar were bloodily repulsed as the US Army began to coalesce into an effective fighting force.

Operation Dragoon 1944

by Steven Zaloga

Published 4 June 2009

Operation Dragoon, the Allied landings in southern France on August 15, 1944, was one of the most controversial operations of 1944, leading to a deep divide between United States and British planners. The US objective was to threaten the rear of the German armies occupying France by a landing...Read more

Operation Dragoon, the Allied landings in southern France on August 15, 1944, was one of the most controversial operations of 1944, leading to a deep divide between United States and British planners. The US objective was to threaten the rear of the German armies occupying France by a landing on the eastern French coast and to push rapidly northward towards Lorraine to meet up with Allied forces bursting out of Normandy. Popular Osprey author Steve Zaloga tells the story of this ultimately successful operation, from the derisive debates between the Allied commanders to the men who hit the beaches and charged ashore to help liberate occupied France.

Operation Nordwind 1945

by Steven Zaloga

Published 20 June 2010

Operation Nordwind is one of the lesser known campaigns of World War II yet one of the more intriguing. Largely overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge further north, Nordwind was the last great operation by the Waffen-SS Panzer divisions in the west, and the last time the Wehrmacht...Read more

Operation Nordwind is one of the lesser known campaigns of World War II yet one of the more intriguing. Largely overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge further north, Nordwind was the last great operation by the Waffen-SS Panzer divisions in the west, and the last time the Wehrmacht was on the offensive in the West. The campaign also highlights the difficulties of inter-Allied cooperation between the Americans and the French. This campaign has been extensively treated in German and French accounts, but is not well covered in English.

D-Day 1944

by Steven Zaloga

Published 25 July 2003

The D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, were the largest amphibious military operation ever mounted. The greatest armada the world had ever seen was assembled to transport the Allied invasion force across the Channel and open the long-awaited second front against Hitler's Third Reich. Of the landings on the...

Read more

The D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, were the largest amphibious military operation ever mounted. The greatest armada the world had ever seen was assembled to transport the Allied invasion force across the Channel and open the long-awaited second front against Hitler's Third Reich. Of the landings on the five assault beaches, Omaha Beach was the only one ever in doubt. Within moments of the first wave landing, a third of the assault troops were casualties. Yet by the end of D-Day, the Atlantic Wall had been breached and the U.S. Army's V Corps was firmly entrenched on French soil.

The D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, were the largest amphibious military operation ever mounted. The greatest armada the world had ever seen was assembled to transport the Allied invasion force across the Channel and open the long-awaited second front against Hitler's Third Reich. Of the landings on the five assault beaches, Omaha Beach was the only one ever in doubt. Within moments of the first wave landing a third of the assault troops were casualties. Yet by the end of D-Day the Atlantic Wall had been breached and the U.S. Army's V Corps was firmly entrenched on French soil.

The D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, were the largest amphibious military operation ever mounted. During the late spring and early summer of 1944, the roads and ports of southern England were thronged with the troops, vehicles, and ships of the invasion force. The greatest armada the world had ever seen had been assembled to transport U.S. 1st Army and British 2nd Army across the narrow strip of the Channel and open the long-awaited second front against Hitler's Third Reich. The events of this single day took four years of planning and organization and represented one of the most crucial moments of the entire Second World War. The landings were split into four sectors: two British/Canadian and two U.S. Omaha was the easternmost of the two U.S. beaches, and the plan was that the landing forces should rapidly link up with their fellow Americans to the west on Utah beach and the British further to the east on Gold Beach. Allied intelligence had missed and entire German division amongst the defenders at Omaha and things went badly wrong. The first wave of landings suffered heavy casualties, many of the tanks and engineers with special equipment to help the troops get off the beach were lost. The U.S. troops appeared pinned down on the beach and General Eisenhower even considered withdrawing them. However, in determined attacks the German strong points were overcome one by one. At Pointe du hoc, the U.S. Rangers had to scale vertical cliffs before making their assault. Eventually the German defenses were cracked, allowing the troops to begin to push inland.

Operation Cobra 1944

by Steven Zaloga

Published 31 August 2001

One of the most decisive months of World War II was the 30 days between 25 July and 25 August 1944. After the success of the D-Day landings, the Allied forces found themselves bogged down in a bloody stalemate in Normandy. On 25 July General Bradley launched Operation Cobra...Read more

One of the most decisive months of World War II was the 30 days between 25 July and 25 August 1944. After the success of the D-Day landings, the Allied forces found themselves bogged down in a bloody stalemate in Normandy. On 25 July General Bradley launched Operation Cobra to break the deadlock. US forces punched a hole in the German frontline and began a spectacular advance. As Patton's Third Army poured into Brittany and raced south to the Loire, the German army was threatened with encirclement. By the end of August German forces in Normandy were utterly destroyed, and the remaining German units in central and southern France were in headlong retreat to the German frontier. In this title Steve Zaloga explains how the breakout from Normandy came about.

Liberation of Paris 1944

by Steven Zaloga

Published 2 April 2008

In July 1944 of World War II (1939-1945), Operation Cobra broke the stalemate in Normandy and sent the Allies racing across France. The Allied commanders ignored Paris in their planning for this campaign, considering that the risk of intense street fighting and heavy casualties outweighed the city's strategic importance....

Read more

In July 1944 of World War II (1939-1945), Operation Cobra broke the stalemate in Normandy and sent the Allies racing across France. The Allied commanders ignored Paris in their planning for this campaign, considering that the risk of intense street fighting and heavy casualties outweighed the city's strategic importance. However, Charles de Gaulle persuaded the Allied commanders to take direct action to liberate his nation's capital.

Steven J Zaloga first describes the operations of Patton's Third Army as it advanced towards Paris before focusing on the actions of the Resistance forces inside the city and of the Free French armored division that fought its way in and joined up with them to liberate it on August 24. De Gaulle could then proclaim, Paris liberated! and one of the world's loveliest cities had survived Hitler's strident command that it should be held at all costs or reduced to rubble.

Sicily 1943

by Steven Zaloga

Published 1 January 2013