Hitler's Defeat on the Western Front, 1944–1945

By Hans Seidler

This WWII pictorial history vividly captures the Allied liberation of Europe from Normandy to Berlin through rare wartime photographs.
 
With this volume in the Images of War series, readers witness the intensity of the fighting as Allied forces make their way from the beaches of Normandy through France and the Low Countries and finally into Germany itself.
 
Despite demoralizing withdrawals and reversals, the German military forces—including the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, Hitlerjugend, and Volkssturm—continued to inflict significant losses on their superior enemies. But when the Allies crossed the Rhine in early 1945 with the Russians closing on Berlin from the East, the shattered remnants of Hitler’s once all-conquering forces had nowhere to go. Though fanatical elements of Nazi guerrillas continued to fight to the death, most of the survivors accepted surrender. The graphic images in this volume capture the drama of that historic period.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jan 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781526731586

Book preview

IMAGES OF WAR

HITLER’S DEFEAT ON THE WESTERN FRONT 1944-45

RARE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM WARTIME ARCHIVES

Hans Seidler

First published in Great Britain in 2019 by

PEN & SWORD MILITARY

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright © Hans Seidler, 2019

ISBN 978-1-52673-157-9

eISBN 978-1-52673-158-6

Mobi ISBN 978-1-5267-3-159-3

The right of Hans Seidler to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

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Contents

Introduction

Prelude to Disaster

Chapter One

Defending Northern France

Chapter Two

Battles in Holland and Belgium

Chapter Three

Defending the Rhine

Chapter Four

Last Battles in the West

Appendix One

Weapons Composition, 1944

Appendix Two

Composition of an Infantry and Panzergrenadier Division

Appendix Three

Order of Battle: 6 June 1944

Appendix Four

Order of Battle: Holland, September 1944

Appendix Five

Order of Battle: Ardennes, 15 December 1944

Appendix Six

Order of Battle: Defence on the Western Front, March &April 1945

Introduction

Hans Seidler’s Hitler’s Defeat on the Western Front 1944–45 is another volume in the popular Images of War series. Drawing on rare and previously unpublished photographs accompanied by in-depth captions and text, this book is a compelling account of the last year of the German army’s fight for survival against overwhelming odds on the Western Front. Each photograph fully captures the strain, chaos and tragedy of those last terrible months of the war as Heer, Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe, Hitlerjugend, Volkssturm and other units, some of which were barely trained conscripts, defended the shores of Normandy, battled across France into Holland, and fought the final battles in a bombed and blasted Reich. In the last year of the war German infantry divisions tried in vain to form some kind of defensive line along a widening front. While exhausted and demoralised, with skeletal units that had been fighting for survival for weeks, they fought back tenaciously causing significant losses to the Allies in a desperate attempt to fend off destruction. What was left of the German army either fought to the death or were captured during Operations Lumberjack and Plunder.

Prelude to Disaster

The opening months of 1944 for the German soldier was a ominous prospect. Out on the Russian and Italian Fronts they had been fighting desperately to maintain cohesion and hold their meagre positions that often saw thousands perish.By May 1944 on the Eastern Front the Wehrmacht were holding a battle line more than 1,400 miles in overall length, which had been severely weakened by the overwhelming strength of the Soviet forces. To make matters worse, during the first half of 1944, troop units were no longer being refitted with replacements to compensate for the large losses sustained. Supplies of equipment and ammunition were so insufficient in some areas of the front that commanders were compelled to issue their men with rations. As a consequence many soldiers had become increasingly aware that they were in the final stages of the war, and this included battle-hardened combatants. They had also realised that they were now fighting an enemy that was far superior to them. As a consequence in a number of sectors of the front, soldiers were able to realistically assess the war situation and save many lives that would have normally been lost fighting to the last man.

Yet, in spite of the adverse situation in which the German soldier was placed during the first half of 1944, he was still strong and determined to fight with courage and skill. By the end of May 1944 the Germans had expended considerable combat efforts lacking sufficient reconnaissance and the necessary support of tanks and heavy weapons to ensure any type of success. Both the Russians and the Allies had constantly outgunned them, and the Luftwaffe air support was almost non-existent. The short summer nights had also caused considerable problems for the men as they only had a few hours of darkness in which to conceal their night marches and construction of field fortifications. Ultimately, the German soldier in the summer of 1944 was ill-prepared to defend against any type of large-scale offensive. The infantry defensive positions relied upon sufficient infantry ammunition supply and the necessary support to ensure that they would able to hold their fortified areas. Without this, the German war effort was doomed. Commanders in the field were fully aware of the significant problems and the difficulties imposed by committing badly equipped soldiers to defend the depleted lines of defence. However, in the end, they had no other choice than to order their troops to fight with whatever they had at their disposal.

To make matters worse, the German soldiers had the added worry of an imminent threat of invasion from the west, which would drain resources from an

Reviews for Hitler's Defeat on the Western Front, 1944–1945

[fionaanne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very informative and mostly entertaining autobiography, although the narrative starts to drag for the last hundred pages or so. Scott Kelly shares a great deal of his personal life in addition to detailing his exploits in space (mostly his time on the ISS where this book appears to have been written) and the training that brought him there.

I received a free copy of this book for review from the publisher.

[melsmarsh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

He is the very model of perseverance and evidence that you can have a rocky start but still manage to go up into space. Nice little book.I saw on Goodreads that a parent wanted to give this to their 11 year old who is space obsessed. If you are going to give this to younger readers, this is a PG-13 book. Thus there is some cursing, references to being drunk, a mouse dissection, and a little sexual innuendo but nothing was graphic. They probably have seen (and heard) worse on TV.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

 What a fascinating look at life in space! From the mundane aspects of fixing the toilets to the beauty of watching the earth from the international space station, this memoir is incredible. There are slow moments, but the majority is honest to the point of being a PR nightmare. I loved seeing the international cooperation and learning what an astronaut’s life is truly like, struggles and all. Kelly’s time in space is intense and made me appreciate the small things.

[eowyna_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is presented as two, semi-independent stories, in alternating chapters. The first story is that of the astronaut's approximate year on the International Space Station, in 2015 - 2016. The second story is his life, and how he got to that point. Both stories are fascinating.Astronaut S. Kelly had a very different route, motivation, and experience than Astronaut Massimino, in the last comparable book I read, though they were in the same astronaut class. Both books conveyed uniquely, to the best of their ability, the humbling, stunning, beautiful, amazing experience of being in space, of seeing the Earth from outside its envelope, of the sheer difficulty of moving, let alone working, in a space suit. They both emphasized the teamwork inherent in a situation such as theirs.Besides spending a very long time on the ISS, Kelly also flew the shuttle on the Hubble repair/upgrade that updated their gyros, before Massimino's repair journeys. He was pilot then, not one of those doing the Hubble EVAs.Fascinating book, glad I read it.The quote from this that speaks to me at the moment is, "I've learned that most problems aren't rocket science, but when they are rocket science, you should ask a rocket scientist." In other words. seek out experts.One of the more humorous quotes, based on serving with the Russians on the ISS, and thus needing to learn the language, is, " I've learned that Russian has a more complex vocabulary for cursing than English does, and also a more complex vocabulary for friendship."

[yukon92 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story told by Astronaut Scott Kelly. I really appreciate how easy he made it to understand the very technical aspect of flying in Space!

[clamairy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was awesome and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's narrated by the author, and though someone else might have added more spark to it, I found his dry humor that much more hilarious during the funny bits. And there are some seriously funny bits. (Especially when he's recounting his bizarre dreams in space.) It's definitely worth the time.

[glennbell_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I learned a lot about the current space program by reading this book. The story of Scott Kelly’s life was interesting. He seems like a pretty good guy, who turned out okay after a poor start in school. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the space program.

[boredness-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like Scott Kelly was really here telling me his story. He has a great way of writing that keeps you interested and entertained. I liked reading about his journey in space from the very beginning to the present. I could easily imagine what the space station looked like and how tough it would be to live in space. I highly recommend this book and would probably enjoy reading it again.

[kimberleyr. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well written and an interesting view into life on the international space station that you wouldn’t otherwise get. He’s led an interesting life. I read this faster than I expected.

[nova_mjohnson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great biography that details not only a record setting exploration of space, but also how a slacker kid could grow up to join the Navy, become a fighter pilot, and command the International Space Station. Easy to read and very enjoyable.

[kinwolf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very informative read about what it is to be an astronaut, but told in a very neutral tone. We are left wondering if Scott really had fun during his many trips to space. He wasn't bored, that's for sure, but his tone isn't either that of someone estasic. But in any case, this book had some fun chapters to read through and some fun facts about the russians :)

[carolibrarian-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Scott Kelly is a twin, his brother is also an astronaut. Follow Scott Kelly as he spends a record amount of time on the ISS International Space Station. I enjoyed reading about the life on the space station and what it must do to your psyche. I do not think it is for everyone, although, I am sure everyone would love to be there. Wide open spaces on the outside. Sometimes, feeling like tiny spaces on the inside.Endurance takes you on the journey of not only the space travel, but also a look into his life growing up. This is a great companion book for my library copy of Journey to the Stars. I started with the picture book and continued to the young readers edition.Thank you Librarything for the chance to read this wonderful journey.

[meltonmarty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great way to learn about space exploration, the NASA system, the international cooperation in current space endeavors, and the personal sacrifice and challenges of being an astronaut. I was impressed with the readability of this book, the number of young women astronauts, the difficulties of Kelly's childhood, and the overall positive point of view.

[shelbycassie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Scott Kelly is funny at times yet very informative. The chapters alternated between his life before his year in space and his year in space. He was respectful to his ex-wife instead of blaming. He was respectful of other people's opinions even when those opinions differed from his. It was thrilling to be with him on his voyages and feel what he felt while he was gone.

[boundtogetherforgood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I truly enjoyed learning about the International Space Station by reading this book by American astronaut, Scott Kelly. I was slightly familiar with him, pretty much only knowing that he had a twin brother named Mark, who is also an astronaut. That NASA can study twins and space travel through these two men is amazing.The book definitely held my attention. Kelly describes life aboard the ISS, as well as his life outside of being an astronaut.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Scott Kelly's Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery examines not only his role in the One-Year Mission aboard the International Space Station (with Mikhail Korniyenko as his fellow experimental subject on ISS and his brother, Mark Kelly, remaining on Earth as a control subject), but also serves as a memoir in which he examines the paths that led him from work as an EMT to the U.S. Navy and eventually NASA. Kelly discusses how he learned to value a challenge and, while many of his experiences may not have been his first choice, he set about to master them when they presented themselves.Kelly draws upon Alfred Lansing's Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage as a parallel to some of the challenges he faced on the remote ISS (the title similarity is obvious, but Kelly also brought Lansing's book into space among his personal items). He also references Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, both as an inspiration for him to join NASA and for the frankness with which he describes his experiences. The NASA that Wolfe described is long-gone, but Kelly describes a vibrant, flawed, but well-meaning professional organization that can achieve great things if it again received the level of public support (funding) it enjoyed during Project Mercury. Kelly doesn't shy away from pointing out areas for improvement, but he also extends this constructive criticism to himself, and this honesty makes his book all the more compelling. He also relates stories that will make the reader laugh out loud before explaining something that will inspire. A must-read for those interested in human spaceflight.

[erickas-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Just, wow.

This memoir is a page-turner from start to finish, and I appreciated that it wasn't structured chronologically, but rather followed Kelly's storytelling with flashbacks and flashforwards to create a riveting narrative.

Endurance is not just about Kelly's time on the ISS, but also delves into the training that led up to his becoming an astronaut. All of Kelly's experiences, from his time as an EMT on an ambulance to his career in the military flying fighter jets, contributed to his skill of calm focus in the face of extremes necessary to command the ISS. He also gives credit to those who molded and guided him on his journey, including his mom, who became the first female police officer in their home town of West Orange, New Jersey.

As "civilians," we're fortunate to have this intimate glimpse into day-to-day life in space, and how the astronaut-adventurers come together to handle adversities, from space walk repairs to those dreaded phone calls from earth that something may be wrong with their loved ones back home. Endurance provides food for thought about our relationships with other nations and how precious our home planet truly is.

I had to carry a book of tape flags with me while reading this because I had to mark so many eye-opening passages that I didn't want to forget. I tortured my family with expositions and factoids that began, "Listen to this, I read in Scott Kelly's book . . . "

Without a doubt, you want to read this.

Many thanks to BookishFirst and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

[dra_gone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gave me insight on what it's like to be an astronaut. The images taken from space are amazing!

[janarose1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Scott Kelly spent a year at the International Space Station. This book outlines his journey to the space station as well as time spent inside. I thought this book was so-so. It was very repetitive and talked in minute detail about mundane topics. Other topics were breezed over, creating an unbalanced feel to the book. Overall, not a book I would re-read or recommend.

[sandrabrower · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As someone who has attended so many shuttle launches (one of which was Mr. Kelly’s flight in 1999) and landings and dreams of what its like to be in space, I was stoked to find out I was being given Endurance by Scott Kelly to review.I find outer space fascinating I follow the flight paths of the International Space Station (ISS)(which oddly enough will be crossing over my home at 6:22 p.m. tonight, and I am planning on watching it travel along on its journey with my high power binoculars). This book adds to my fascination.Retired Astronaut Scott Kelly is the longest occupying American resident of the ISS with 340 straight days in 2015-2016.Endurance is his memoir of that record-breaking stay and the rest of his “Lifetime of Discovery.”Selected to a "year-long mission" starting with Expedition 43, he then commanded Expedition 44 and 45, Mr. Kelly had put into practice what it was like to live on the Space Station two years before with his 5 months stay on the ISS during Expedition 26. His life journey through hardships in his childhood, his service in the Navy as a Pilot, fighting Prostate Cancer and those months of Expedition 43 prepared him for what came next.Endurance is the closest I will ever get to space and I ate up every word Mr. Kelly wrote. His struggles from being away from his family, his relationships, his joys, his mental and physical health, working with various countries Astronauts delving in Biomedical Engineering, his vivid explanations of the day to day jobs he completed were like a sci-fi novel turned reality.Can you imagine what it would be like to look at the earth and see it in all its glory, it’s distinguishing attributes? You don’t have to, Mr. Kelly gives you his view and feelings on what it is like. He makes you feel as if you are there, working, playing and traveling through zero gravity. The knowledge that you don’t have control over anything that happens on earth to your family is something that Mr. Kelly finds out about when his sister-in-law Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords is shot in Arizona at a Safeway grocery store parking lot meeting with constituents. Mr. Kelly had a few months left of his stay.A few things of what Mr. Kelly says of that experience, while leading the nation in a moment of silence concerning the horrific assassination attempt and deaths of six people and 13 injured that day in Tucson struck me as something to really chew on and change, and also some huge foreshadowing, “Those of us who have had the privilege to look down on the Earth from space get the chance to take a larger perspective of the planet and the people who share it. I feel more strongly than ever that we must do better” He explains after the moment of silence "on the space station, we followed our normal routine. But I knew that on Earth somethings would never be the same.”Mr. Kelly’s life experiences told throughout this book show everyone that someone can come from obscurity and land into whatever they dream of becoming and beyond those dreams. This book is worth reading especially if you have any inkling of journeying from your own life to someone else’s and obviously if you love space exploration. This book hits one of my top five memoirs. Read it, you won’t regret it.Thanks to Bookish First for sending me a copy of Endurance: A Year in Space, A lifetime of Discovery I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book was given to me in lieu of my honest opinion.

[debkrenzer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot! It was very interesting and held my interest throughout. Scott Kelly is a very funny guy and I liked how put that into the book. I learned a lot about the space industry. Most of it, I didn’t know. I certainly didn’t realize that there are still astronauts and that we are using Russia’s facilities. I now a little secret about dill, as well. Ha!! I think it’s great that we are cooperating with Russia in order to learn more about space and the secrets it holds. So many different things that I learned about were very extraordinary. A really good book that I enjoyed very much. Thanks to Bookish for providing me with a free copy of the book (a hard copy) in order for me to review.

[preetalina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The day this book came out, I got to see Commander Scott Kelly being interviewed by Neil deGrasse Tyson at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. It was an interesting interview, to say the least. Kelly is a man with a super dry sense of humor, which I quite enjoyed.

His memoir is a no-nonsense account of his year in space, interspersed with the story of his life. I'm unsurprised that this was a book written by someone in the military. Not to say that there isn't anything other than the direct recounting of the story—he gets animated when we talks about some of the really annoying issues he faces while in the ISS, or emotional when he talks about his daughters, for example.

Also, the super dry humor that I mentioned above also sneaks into the book. Blink and you'll miss it but it's certainly there. I thought it was pretty amazing that what you see in person is something that you find in the book. Often that kind of humor is hard to put to a page, in my opinion.

This book is billed as a memoir and it certainly is that. The story of the year Kelly spends in space is interspersed with the story of him growing up and his path to becoming an astronaut. But what I really enjoyed about it is how much I learned about what living on the International Space Station really means. You've probably heard it plenty of times, but it can never be overstressed: Living in space(ish) means that you can never ignore the details, no matter how small. Indeed, the small details are the ones that could kill you. And there's so much we take for granted about living here on Earth, with gravity, so much we never think about, and you just can't live like that in space.

For example, maintaining the CO2 levels can be a Herculean task. If they go up just 1 or 2mm, it can change everything about everyone's mood, cause headaches, impair cognitive function, etc. There's a machine called the Seedra (CDRA: Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly) which is supposed to remove the CO2 but it constantly breaks down and needs to be fixed. And you can't call the neighborhood SEEDRA repairperson! It's up to the team on board to fix it.

These kinds of details really made the book interesting for me. Another fascinating aspect was the comparison to how the Russians do things. With the space shuttle program in retirement, all trips to and from the ISS are done through Russia's Soyuz vehicles. So at least in terms of the space program, we have a close relationship with Russians, and part of the crew on the ISS is made up of Russians. Kelly is friends with many of them and has spent time in Russia. He often describes the differences between how our 2 countries do things or how those relationships are maintained when things on the (literal) ground are more than rocky. When you're floating 240miles above the surface of the Earth with 5 other people, you have no choice but to get along because relying on each other is literally a matter of life or death.

I highly recommend this book.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Knopf Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

[bobbieharv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book - looked forward to reading it every night. Very interesting the way he alternated chapters about his early life, his training, his personal life, and his year in space. I was just fascinated by every detail of life in zero gravity, and he obliged with lots of detail! My only wish (not strong enough to remove half a star) is that we could have found out more about his life after his return - like what happened when he went to the ER for his swollen legs and rash (the way the book began)? But hopefully he'll write a sequel, about the twin comparisons (would also like more about being a twin, but this is pretty much off-subject).

[dknight0918 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy memoirs, science, space travel, military, and/or overcoming obstacles. I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad to have had the chance to read it. I loved learning more about Scott’s life. I liked the alternating chapters about his year in space and his life leading up to his year in space. Definitely a must read for future astronauts and/or pilots. The pictures were breathtakingly beautiful. I am glad those were included. His descriptions made it easy to picture space, though. He is a very brave man. I have a lot of respect for him and the astronauts and cosmonauts. I hope we do make it to Mars. I am not sure that I would want to travel in space, personally, though. Thanks to Bookish First for the free copy in exchange for my review.

[grumpydan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of Scott Kelly’s one year living on the International Space Station. He also alternates with his life prior to that year, which lets the reader get a feel of the person he is. If one ever wanted to know what it is like in space, he tells it like it is. It is very hard work, no gravity and much redundancy (to protect themselves). One must be strong both physically, mentally and psychologically to be an astronaut. He made you feel you could have been there, when he describes life on the station. It was also interesting how the Russians and Americans differ in their approach to space travel. I couldn’t be away from my loved ones for that long. I found his memoir to be not only informative but inspiring.

[nhlsecord · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Scott Kelly has written an excellent, detailed description of his experiences as a pilot and astronaut. I appreciated his description of a somewhat difficult childhood, his difficulty with concentrating on school work, and finally getting the impetus he needed after reading Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff. After deciding that he wanted to be a pilot and astronaut, he figured out exactly what he needed to do to attain his goal, and he did it. If for only that reason, this book is an excellent guide for deciding what you want to do and how to get it done, in the same manner as Chris Hadfield's An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.Endurance is chock full of information about the education and training as a Navy pilot and astronaut, as well as a detailed account of the work done during a year of life on the space station. These men and women are astonishing for their differences in attitude from country to country, and also their strength of character and physical endurance, and their ability to work hard day after day and still get along with one another in less than ideal conditions.I was never bored reading it, I didn't skim over any of it (rare for me), and I'm sorry I have to return this copy to the library.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook and while it was interesting material, I found that I didn't really like the author narrating his own audiobook. There were a lot of "I didn't mind"s that came up within the memoir, and just something about the way he said it (and that it was said so many times) began to bother me. The book spans him first learning about being an astronaut (from the book "The Right Stuff") to spending the year aboard the ISS and returning to earth.

[clue_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Endurance is a memoir written by astronaut Scott Kelly, the man who has spent more time in space than any other American astronaut. He spent one year on the International Space Station, an experiment conducted so scientists could determine how and if the human body can survive long term in space. Mark Kelly, Scott's twin, was also part of the study but he stayed on earth so that the changes in Scott's body could be measured against his twin's.In addition to a fascinating record of Kelly's year in space, the book is also about his life before he became a Navy pilot. A poor student, there were two occurrences in his young life that caused Kelly to decide to seek the near impossible goal of becoming an astronaut. The first was his mother's success in becoming the first woman police officer in West Orange, NJ in the 1970s. He watched her practice for the physical test day after day on the obstacle course his policeman dad had built in the back yard, and recognized that fierce dedication and determination caused her to meet the goal. Then, as a failing and directionless college student, he casually picked up a copy of Tom Wolff's book The Right Stuff and on reading the last line decided he was going to be an astronaut. Both his life journey and his space journey are incredible.Written in a straightforward way, the book is easily readable. I do have one quibble and that's with the progression of the story. It seems very popular in fiction now to move back and forth between the past and present. Unfortunately, this was written the same way and I thought it caused the reader to have to sometimes think about what time frame a new chapter was about. Are we on the ISS or are we in flight school twenty years before? Otherwise a winner.