L0810

In May 1945, Germany was collapsing. Supply lines were broken, and no food was reaching many towns. In the small town of Kronberg, the fighting had moved through two weeks earlier. Most buildings were still intact, but the people were starving. German soldiers had taken what they could before retreating. The Americans set up a … Read more

In October 1944, Patton's Third Army had been advancing across France for weeks. The pace left little room for anything not directly tied to continuing the attack. Mail was delayed, supply lines were stretched, and the administrative machinery that connected soldiers to their families back home was operating at a fraction of its normal capacity. … Read more

In November 1944, a supply inspection of a forward infantry unit outside Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, uncovered a discrepancy that the inspecting officer could not explain through normal consumption patterns. The unit's ration records showed a sustained shortfall over the previous three weeks, amounting to roughly 15 percent of its total food allocation. The shortage was regular … Read more

In December 1944, the German offensive through the Ardennes had been underway for three days and had already achieved more than most German planners considered realistic. Allied defensive lines had cracked, American units were surrounded, and the town of Bastogne was encircled and holding out. No one could say with confidence how long Bastogne could … Read more

In February 1945, in Germany, a corporal named Ray Tipps stood accused of stealing military property. The charge was specific: he had taken food from the Third Army supply depot on three separate occasions over the previous two weeks. The items included canned goods, bread, and powdered milk, and their total value was enough to … Read more

In March 1945, in Germany, First Sergeant Leonard Cole was facing a disciplinary hearing that would most likely end with his reduction in rank. The charge was insubordination. He had refused a direct order from a lieutenant during a patrol, used language the report described as threatening, and done both in front of six other … Read more

By late April 1945, the war in Europe was effectively over. Germany was collapsing, and Allied armies were sweeping across what remained of the Reich, liberating camps and accepting surrenders by the thousands. Most German commanders saw the writing on the wall. They surrendered peacefully, handed over their prisoners, and avoided unnecessary bloodshed. They wanted … Read more