I'd already read the second book in the 29th Infantry Division trilogy, as they don't need to be read in sequence. This book once again describes the heroism of the "Greatest Generation." Casualties on Omaha beach were very heavy. This due to numerous failures, such as the bombing which occurred further inland. And then there were the hedgerows, which were unexpected. Other mistakes were also made. By the time the 29th Division captured St. Lo, battalions were only company-sized. And most of the men remaining were replacements received after D-Day.

But then, as I've read in numerous places, battle plans don't survive the first shot. As one 29th Division regimental commander told his officers in a briefing. He showed them the battle plan, as thick as one of the old major city phone books. And then he threw it to the ground and told them it wouldn't survive the first shot and they'd have to improvise. And that's what the men of the 29th did. As you will learn in this book.

At least a couple of chapters do an excellent job explaining the differences in the organization and armaments of the American and German divisions. One important difference was the significant difference in machine guns at the company level. An American infantry company would be lucky to have two machine guns supporting it. Whereas a German infantry company had one per squad.

Share/Like this Review?