Michael O. (modorney) reviewed Disaster at D-Day: The Germans Defeat the Allies,June 1944 (Greenhill Military Paperbacks) on + 6 more book reviews
An excellent, detailed narrative of a possible scenario. I would question the ability of the Germans to supply 30 divisions without railroads, and with marginal roads, especially without any air presence. Even with Luftwaffe coverage, the supply chain would be limited.
With excellent naval gunfire coverage, it would be difficult for Germany to retake the last ten miles from the shore. Allied forces could be stopped, but not be pushed back.
As far as the political settlement without Hitler and with Rommel, that is certainly speculative. Stalin often said Eisenhower is willing to fight Germany down to the last Russian, and as long as Germans and Russians were killing each other, Eisenhower would have been willing to let Germany plink off a thousand allied soldiers a month in Normandy, while Germany and Russia were killing a thousand soldiers an hour. America feared both Germany and Russia, and felt that a sheer reduction in Germany's population was one way to prevent Germany from creating WW III. And, Hitler was only one of a unified high command, the allies did not want any of the top dogs around, killing Hitler was not a solution.
As far as the style of the book, I would have added many more maps.
With excellent naval gunfire coverage, it would be difficult for Germany to retake the last ten miles from the shore. Allied forces could be stopped, but not be pushed back.
As far as the political settlement without Hitler and with Rommel, that is certainly speculative. Stalin often said Eisenhower is willing to fight Germany down to the last Russian, and as long as Germans and Russians were killing each other, Eisenhower would have been willing to let Germany plink off a thousand allied soldiers a month in Normandy, while Germany and Russia were killing a thousand soldiers an hour. America feared both Germany and Russia, and felt that a sheer reduction in Germany's population was one way to prevent Germany from creating WW III. And, Hitler was only one of a unified high command, the allies did not want any of the top dogs around, killing Hitler was not a solution.
As far as the style of the book, I would have added many more maps.
