War in the Ruins: The American Army's Final Battle Against Nazi Germany

by Edward G. Longacre

 

“War in the Ruins has all the vivid narrative, historical context, and exacting military detail you would expect in a battle story. But author Edward G. Longacre’s account of the Centurymen at Heilbronn is no sterile blow-by-blow from the ‘war as chess game’ genre. It is a fully fleshed-out portrait of young American men dealing with war’s realities in one of World War II’s fieriest and unjustly overlooked land battles.”—JIM KUSHLAN, America in WWII Magazine

By April 1945, the last German counteroffensive in the west had been defeated, the vaunted Siegfried Line was no more, the Rhine River had been crossed, and major German cities were being bombed relentlessly. The war in Europe appeared to be in its final stages. As American and British armies overran central Germany, the Russians were smashing their way from the east toward Berlin. Optimism reigned up and down the Allied lines. But as the American Army’s 100th Infantry Division pushed along the west bank of the Neckar River across from bomb-shattered Heilbronn, resistance unexpectedly stiffened. In that 700-year-old city, a major industrial and communications center still operating for the benefit of the Nazi war machine, Hitler’s subordinates had battened down for a last-ditch stand. For sheer ferocity, it would exceed anything the now-battle-hardened Americans had experienced. Here, American troops faced a grueling campaign of house-to-house fighting, with Hitler Youth, Volkssturm militia, and an SS division attempting to stop the American advance at this critical sector of the European theater. Having been repeatedly targeted by Alllied aircraft, the city resembled a vast, Hellish ruin, and as American soldiers inched their way forward, they encountered booby traps, withering sniper fire, deadly Panzerfaust rounds, and a fanatical enemy. The nine-day battle for Heilbronn would be the last major combat for American troops in Europe. Within three weeks of their securing the city, Hitler would be dead and Germany defeated.

In War in the Ruins: The American Army’s Final Battle Against Nazi Germany, Edward G. Longacre recounts this neglected but essential chapter in the history of World War II, describing the 100th Division’s swift but grueling advance through the Vosges Mountains, their Rhine River crossing, the assault on the historic Maginot Line, and the ominous approach to Heilbronn. The author then describes the entire bitter battle and its aftermath, using private letters, journals, German and American action reports, and other primary source material, to establish War in the Ruins as an essential volume in the history of World War II in Europe.

 

Genres: World War II, History, Military History

410 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[Elgin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of the post D-Day US invasion through Southern France and into Germany. I have read extensively about the Ardennes and the Battle of the Bulge, but nothing about the Nazi's Operation Northwind, an offensive to the south at about the the same time as the more well known operations. The 100th Division debarked in Marseilles in November of 1944 and from December on fought almost continuously until the end of the war. The author did a fantastic job of describing the actions of the armies and divisions. The book included a very good series of maps so I was able to follow the authors narrative on maps (something I often have a hard time doing in a work with no or poor maps.) There were several good verbatim quotes. HIghly recommended to any WWII aficionado.

[Steven Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the grandson of a veteran who served in the Century Division, I was excited to read this book. Although slow to get started, it becomes engrossing in the second half, and becomes a solid study of men at war in the bloodiest conflict in human history. If you have an interest in military and world history, I highly recommend "War in the Ruins." Grade: A-

[Gregory Mcdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

It always feels strange to say that you "enjoyed" a book that deals up close and personal with the horrors that men experience in war. Perhaps,"admired" or "found informative" would be a more accurate way to assess it's quality. Mr. Longacre,known more for his Civil War centered books,does a good job here depicting the final large scale battle by the United States Army in the Europe during World War II.



The focus of the narrative is the 100th Infantry(Century)Division and it's odyssey from Marseille until it's final battle amid the bombed out ruins of the German town of Heilbronn. Along the way we learn of both the division's history and that of many of the men that faught under it's banner. Mr. Longacre does a good job of dealing with both the high ranking officers who planned the battles and with the men charged with carrying those plans to fruition one bloody yard at a time.



I learned a number of new things from this work,and for me those are usually the types of historical works that give me the most enduring satisfaction.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author reports that the US troops looted and shot wounded German soldiers. He mentions no penalty for this. I think this shows we are no way superior to our so called enemies on a moral level.

[Andrew Chmyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent