2013 - May Theme Read - The Battle of the Bulge

[happy]

carl wrote: "I always think of the US Civil War General George McClellan when discussions of Monty start up."

I agree - with the caveat that he actually used his army when he had it trained up :)

[happy]

Geevee wrote: "Thanks gents - an interesting discussion. What is interesting is that many British veterans spoke highly of Monty. Clearly there would have been many who didn't but some good performances, some l..."

I agree with those points - though I really don't know much about Lord Gort (He was enobled, wasn't he?)

The other thing I think is that after Alamein, Monty was basically unfirable, unless he lost a major battle.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Hi Happy, Gort was a Lord and was an amazing soldier. I read a book recently on him and my review is here. I would certainly recommend it: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[happy]

That looks good - the TBR list grows ever longer.

About the only things I know about Lord Gort was gleaned from Keegan's

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I enjoyed Geevee's review, makes me want to buy a copy so I will have to search around for a reasonably priced second hand copy.

by John Colville

[Tionne]

I found a tiny, yellowed paperback at the library called The Men of BastogneThe Men of Bastogne by Fred MacKenzie. It is tattered and torn, but so far it is fantastic. (I know its not May yet, but hey, I have to take it back soon). He was the only newspaper correspondent with the paratroopers in Bastogne, and he tells the story of what it was like to be surrounded (and shelled)by enemy troops for so long. I really like this book so far, (I'm not that far in yet) he's only just begun to explain how the men took off to Bastogne with no winter clothes or ammo. I'm almost afraid of tearing up this book, it is in such rough condition. But it also makes me love it more. It has been well-read. It looked awfully neglected and even had the envelope with the dates stamped on it. No one has checked it out since 1992. Until they put a barcode on it, which was about 5 years ago. Long stretch of no one reading it. Anyway, to get back on to the subject, the intro is by Gen. A.C. McAuliffe, of the "Nuts!" fame. If you get a chance to read it, I recommend it to you all. I shake my head while reading it, wondering how they held out for so long. Amazing men and amazing leaders. And that Never Give Up attitude.

[Tionne]

Sorry for the repeat on the title, I thought I was posting a pic of the cover. Hang on, here it is.

[Tionne]

Oh well, no pic. I can't win today. hahaha

[Laurel]

Tionne wrote: "I found a tiny, yellowed paperback at the library called The Men of BastogneThe Men of Bastogne by Fred MacKenzie. It is tattered and torn, but so far it is fantastic. (I know its not May yet, but ..."

Thanks for sharing this...what a great anecdote...that little book sitting on that shelf for all that time.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Nice story Tionne, I've found a new cover for the book and a review:


by Fred MacKenzie
Review:
“On December 17, 1944, the Germans burst out of the Belgian Ardennes with a quarter of a million men. The 101st Airborne Division near Rheims found itself cut off, poured into Bastogne and environs to make a stand after confronting the enemy vanguard. Commanding General McAuliffe's dramatic ""I'm staying"" was furthered by his singular, spirited single word reply to the German ultimatum: ""Nuts!"" The 101st performed so valiantly that Supreme Headquarters, which had considered them a lost cause, felt that Patton's Third Army might reach them in time. Forthcoming: air supplies and support. Christmas marked the turning point, when the Germans made their bid to breach the perimeter defense and overrun the town; it failed. With soldiers on the ground whose flesh had become granite, with the 9th Air Force above, the siege ended on December 26th, Mr. MacKenzie was the only news correspondent at Bastogne; his reconstruction is close-up to the men, in particular the officers. It lacks style, but not conviction, at times gets carried away with the drama of events, is essentially competent feature journalism.” – Kirkus Review

[Tionne]

Thanks, Aussie Rick! I hope someone picks it up and enjoys it!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

You never know :)

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Nice anecdote Tionne and hopefully the karma of you reading it will see someone else pick it up. I often stand books I've read in the library displays in the relevant department and that works sometimes.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

I've decided that I'll start the month with this by Donald R. Burgett

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

A good selection Geevee, I have a few other book commitments to clear before I can start my theme read but I hope to be joining you guys soon.

[Tionne]

Great pick, Geevee! I just reread Currahee! about two weeks ago. I read it right out of high school and have been interested in paratroopers ever since. I just snapped up his The Road to Arnhem last week to read (although he wrote the one about Bastogne second, chronologically Holland came after Normandy so I thought I'd read this one next and the Bastogne one third). Plus I was hoping to get them read before/during the May read. Enjoy! I'll catch up soon!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Theme month for May kicks off soon, which book or books do you have lined up to read and share some comments on regarding the 'Battle of the Bulge'?

[happy]

I'll be reading this one for the theme read



It's been on been on my TBR list at the library for a while. The theme read is an excellent excuse to get it off of the list and actually read :D

[Laurel]

I am reading . I also have Happy' s book from the previous post, but I am not sure that I will get to it. I have challenges running in other groups.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I know, so many books to read! I'm keen to read No Silent Night as well so I hope you are enjoying it Laurel.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Laurel wrote: "I am reading . I also have Happy' s book from the previous post, but I am not sure that I will get to it. I have challenges ru..."

They look good Laurel - I think we all struggle with reading commitments in other groups - but then that's probably not a surprise as we're all bibliophiles :)

[Laurel]

Geevee wrote: "Laurel wrote: "I am reading . I also have Happy' s book from the previous post, but I am not sure that I will get to it. I hav..."

Too true!

[A.L.]

You've all made some great suggestions. So many choices . . .

I think I'll pick up , because I really enjoyed The Liberator: One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau, by the same author, or , because it has a cool title and it's hard to go wrong reading about the 101st. I might be a little late starting though--need to finish up another book first.

[Tionne]

I have that book on the list for May as well, A.L. Right now I'm about halfway through . Really great book. I can't wait to get started on ! It looks fantastic, and Kershaw is a terrific author.

[happy]

I can enthusiastically recommend The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon. I've liked everything of Mr. Kershaw's that I've read.

I think
is a must read.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Started

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Totally agree with you Happy about The Bedford Boys, a great read.

Mike keep us posted on The Longest Winter.

[Singleton]

I really liked The Longest Winter and have added The Bedford Boys to my tbr-list.

Started my Bulge read yesterday:


This January, whilst walking through the snow-covered Ardennes I stumbled upon a momunent to the 551st battalion at the place they made a bayonet charge. I am thus looking forward to read the history of this battalion.
From the maps I've already found out a good deal of the book is dedicated to the forest and villages I've walked through in january.

Moreover, their main battle took place two miles to the north from the site of their bayonet charge. It was here I managed to get my car stuck in the snow, at night, on an unpaved road. That was about three years ago. My tendency to visit these place in "Bulge-weather" and their actions being fought in a roughly three by three mile area makes me want to know more desperately.

Thusly I am looking forward to reading this book a lot.

[Tionne]

I lived my entire life a little over an hour away from Bedford and until they started building the National D-Day Memorial there, I had no idea. Then everyone started talking about it. If you ever get a chance to visit the D-Day Memorial, do so. You will never regret it. My grandfather used to take me there and we'd spend hours milling around and talking to vets. I haven't been in about 10 years, so it makes me sad that probably not many of the vets can make it out there to talk to people. I know my grandfather and his buddies went often. But back to the book, I have never been prouder than where I'm from than when I first picked it up.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Two great personal stories there Singleton and Tionne, thanks for sharing those accounts.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Tionne and Singleton, as Rick says great stories and one of the reasons I like this site is the connections people have to the books, characters, places and the history of the war in general.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Read and reviewed The Longest Winter http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Compelling reading, just couldn't put it down. An amazing story and so glad Mr. Kershaw took the time to tell it so well.

Now on to . Definitely not as fun or easy to read as Mr Kershaw but chock-a-block with details and comprehensive view of the event.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Very good review Mike.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good review Mike, now I'm in a quandary about which damn book to read!

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

AR, nice quandary and you will have a good read, whichever way you go.

Reading Hitler's Last Gamble: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945. Published 10 years before The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon but nice to see the 394th I&R gets a good accounting in that book as well.

Mr Dupuy's book answers a question I had on why the 394th I&R was attacked by infantry first and not by the Panzer Kampfgruppen. He implies the 6th Panzer Army tactics sending the infantry in first was due to lessons learned at Kursk in July '43. Blitzkrieg doctrine was "in flux". A new tactic had the infantry go in first, open a breach and then the panzers would exploit breakthroughs.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Makes sense, clear anti-tank weapons, etc.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I'm having problems finding my copy of No Silent Night! Lost somewhere in the library and bugger if I can find it!

by Leo Barron

How are other members going with their 'Battle of the Bulge' book?

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

For those who are reading about the Battle of the Bulge, here are a few video clips to get you in the right frame of mind:


1944-45 Ardennes - The Last German Offensive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HxFo5...

Ardennes Offensive 1944-1945
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sbqL...



And from the History Channel:

The Battle of The Bulge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vml-Ja...

[happy]

just came in for me on an ILL at the library, so I will be reading two books for our theme read :)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good news Happy and I've managed to find my copy of No Silent Night so I will try and start that tomorrow and join you guys in discussing this battle and our relevant books.

by Leo Barron

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

This is a good story by Donald R. Burgett.

It is a first person account and like many of these accounts with dialogue added, as it's unlikely Mr Burgett could recall or recorded exact conversations during action, although the events and actions and people are accurate and taken from his recording of the battle just a couple of years later.

The tension he creates when describing the advance to contact or going firm and holding a defensive line is excellent; as is the descriptions of his feelings under fire and when facing enemy armour.

Two thirds in and the 101st with the 10th Armoured and 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and other units are now surrounded and holding Bastogne and the surrounding area under heavy German probing actions and attacks.

Mr Burgett is generous to the supporting units; who for me often get forgotten in this battle. He is never particularly happy with higher command and certainly does not hide his distaste for the constant changes of command and how the 101st have been used prior to deployment to Bastogne.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for the details on Seven Roads to Hell, it sounds like a pretty good account.

I've just started reading; No Silent Night and so far, so good.

by Leo Barron

[Tom]

I have started to read 'Battle for the Rhineland' a shorter general book that covers the topic.

by R.W. Thompson

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Sounds like a good book Tom, I hope you enjoy it.

In my book one of the main protagonists from the German side is Oberst Heinz Kokott, commander of the 26th Volksgrenadier Division, who has been directed to capture Bastogne with Lieutenant General Bayerlein's Panzer Lehr Division.

Some info on Oberst Heinz Kokott:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Ko...

According to the authors of No Silent Night Kokott was the brother-in-law of Heinrich Himmler.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I took this picture in 1990 when doing a battle tour of the Ardennes. This is supposedly one of Patton's Sherman tanks, it is situated in the main square at Bastogne.



It's a bit hard to see in this photo but the side armour of the tank has been penetrated by a shell to the right of the unit insignia.

[Tionne]

Geevee wrote: "This is a good story by Donald R. Burgett.

It is a first person account and like many of these accounts with dialogue added, as..."

Geevee,
I love Burgett's books. I'm sitting here looking at but alas, I haven't finished my Bulge reading material yet. So I'll get to it. I loved his book, Currahee! because of the very reasons you mentioned. He tells it how he, an enlisted man, see it. He gets disgusted at many things, and spares no one his criticism. Or like you say, he gives props to the support groups! I really enjoy his writings. Currahee! was probably the first WWII book I read, and have been hooked ever since. I loved the font of it, it looked like a typewriter font and it was easy to picture him sitting at home after the war, typing out his story. I hope to read the rest of his books after I'm finished with the May read.

Aussie Rick, fantastic pic! Thanks for sharing!

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Great pic, AR!

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Tionne wrote: "Geevee wrote: "This is a good story by Donald R. Burgett.

It is a first person account and like many of these accounts with dia..."

I just googled to see if he was still alive and i'm pleased to see he is. I've also seen he has a 4th book so I have added that to my TBR.

[Tionne]

Yes! He has a website and a fan club! :-)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I'm enjoying my book covering the fighting around Bastogne. The authors have made the point of ensuring the reader is aware of the other units (Glider infantry, armoured units, artillery and the fighter squadrons of the USAAF) involved in this cruelling battle besides the 101st Airborne, a nice change.