Y1806

Britain remembers a love story. Seventy-three years, two thrones, one marriage presented as close to perfect. Then there is Tobruk, May 1954. A five-year-old boy waits on the deck of Britannia after six months without his mother. By several accounts, the Queen shook his hand. That story deserves a warning before we go further. It … Read more

In August 1944, the German army was pulling out of France. The Allies had broken through Normandy, Paris had fallen, and American armies were racing east so fast that some commanders believed the war might be over by Christmas. Then Eisenhower made a decision that would shape the rest of the war. Two of his … 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 May 1945, in Bavaria, Germany, a surrender ceremony had been underway for 20 minutes. Major General Otto Schrieber, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, stood at the processing table. Behind General George Patton, 3,000 American soldiers stood in formation, watching. The morning was cold and overcast, the kind of Bavarian spring day that feels … Read more

In May 1945, in Bavaria, Germany, a surrender ceremony had been underway for 20 minutes. Generalmajor Otto Schrieber, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, stood at the processing table. Behind Patton, 3,000 American soldiers stood in formation, watching. The morning was cold and overcast, the kind of Bavarian spring day that feels as though winter … Read more

In July 1943, on a road in central Sicily, a single German machine gun position had brought an American advance to a halt for six hours. The gun sat on top of a rocky cliff about 70 meters above the road. Every approach to the cliff base was covered. Every attempt to move up the … Read more