E. Hunter The War Against Germany Europe and Adjacent Areas

1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-3-98826-082-6
Verlag: OTB eBook publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 440 Seiten

Reihe: Classics To Go

The War Against Germany: Europe and Adjacent Areas is a book written by Kenneth E. Hunter. It's likely a historical account or analysis of World War II, with a focus on the conflict in Europe and neighboring areas. The book provides an in-depth examination of the events, strategies, and outcomes of the war, and offers a comprehensive overview of the war effort in this region. The book aims to provide historical context, critical analysis, and an appreciation of the scale and impact of the war in Europe and adjacent areas.

Autoren/Hrsg.

E. Hunter, Kenneth

Leseproben

SECTION I
The Build-up in the United Kingdom and the Air Offensive, Europe[1]
The build-up of the United States Army in the United Kingdom, from January 1942 until June 1944, with the huge amounts of supplies necessary to equip and maintain the forces and to prepare for the invasion of northern Europe was a tremendous undertaking. It involved the transportation of men and supplies across the Atlantic during a time when the German submarine menace was at its peak. The United States Navy played a vital role in transporting men and supplies and in protecting the convoys while en route. During this period the administrative task was enormous since facilities for quartering and training such large forces and for storing supplies and equipment had to be provided within the limited area of the United Kingdom. In October 1942 some of the units stationed in the United Kingdom were sent to the Mediterranean for the invasion of North Africa. The build-up continued after this, well-trained units arriving from the United States. As the time for the invasion of France approached, battle-tested units from the Mediterranean theater were transferred to England to prepare for their part in the assault. In spite of the limited terrain available, large-scale maneuvers and realistic amphibious operations were conducted. In the early spring of 1944 joint exercises of the ground, sea, and air forces which were to make the attack in Normandy were held along the southern coast of England. The last of these exercises was held in early May, the units then moving to the staging areas and embarkation points for the invasion. While the ground forces were being equipped and trained the Allied air forces bombed the fortress of Europe. The Royal Air Force Bomber Command carried out the air assault by night and the United States Eighth Air Force by day. The first U. S. participation in the bombing of Europe from British bases was on 4 July 1942, when American crews flew six British bombers. During the fall of 1942 the Eighth Air Force prepared the Twelfth Air Force for the invasion of Africa, and it was not until the beginning of 1943 that U. S. bombers began to attack Europe from England in large-scale raids. From that time on the attacks on Germany continued with increasing intensity and shattering power until, in February 1944, the German Luftwaffe attempted to sweep the U. S. bombers from the skies over Europe. After a battle of one week’s duration over important industrial cities of Germany, the Luftwaffe was beaten and supremacy of the air was in Allied hands where it remained until the end of the war. NORTHERN IRELAND U. S. TROOPS arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first U. S. troops to cross the Atlantic after the declaration of war by the United States went to Northern Ireland in January 1942. In the same month the Special Observer Group was replaced by Headquarters, United States Armed Forces in the British Isles. Shortly thereafter the center of concentration was transferred from Ireland to England and the rapid build-up of personnel commenced. Logistical planning began in April 1942. This build-up of men and supplies was to become one of the greatest logistical undertakings in military history. Supplies were shipped from the United States in ever increasing quantities until, during the month of June 1944, approximately 1,000,000 long tons were received in the United Kingdom. NORTHERN IRELAND U. S. TROOPS marching through the streets of a town in Northern Ireland escorted by a British sergeant. The first U. S. troops to arrive in Ireland were 18 officers and 18 enlisted men, the advance party for the first contingent. By 1 June 1944 there were 1,562,000 U. S. troops in the United Kingdom. During the early months after the United States’ entry into World War II a large part of the equipment was similar to that of World War I. In the succeeding months much was done to improve all types of equipment and many of the changes may be seen in the pictures that follow in this volume. NORTHERN IRELAND TRAINING IN IRELAND, FEBRUARY 1942. Before leaving the United States members of the U. S. armed forces normally had completed their training, but to keep the men at the peak of their fighting fitness programs in firing, field exercises, and special problems were begun under varying weather and terrain conditions. Men in their late teens or early twenties made the finest soldiers as they had stamina and recuperative power far beyond that of older men. This physical superiority often determined the issue in heavy and prolonged fighting. ENGLAND INFANTRY MAN WITH WEAPONS. Soldier is holding a .45-caliber Thompson submachine gun M 1928A 1; from left to right are: 60-mm. mortar M 2, British antitank gun, .30-caliber U. S. rifle M 1 with bayonet M 1 attached, .30-caliber Browning machine gun M 1919A 4, hand grenades, .45-caliber automatic pistol M 1911A 1, .30-caliber U. S. rifle M 1903 with grenade launcher M 1 attached, .30-caliber Browning automatic rifle M 1913A 2, and 81-mm. mortar M 1 (top). Infantryman has just completed an obstacle course (bottom). SCOTLAND SOLDIERS LAND FROM AN ASSAULT BOAT during a training exercise in Scotland, July 1942. The base of fire of a rifle platoon was its automatic weapons. The riflemen concentrated their fire on the impact area blocked out by the automatic weapons. The base of fire of a U. S. rifle squad in World War II was the Browning automatic rifle (BA R). The man in right foreground is armed with this weapon. The two men behind the soldier with the BA R are armed with .30-caliber U. S. rifles M 1. GERMANY TWO TYPES OF U. S. HEAVY, FOUR-ENGINED BOMBERS. Consolidated B-24 Liberators on a bombing mission over Europe (top); Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses dropping bombs on enemy installations in Bremen, Germany, while flak bursts around them (bottom). The first U. S. air unit to engage in combat over Europe was a light bombardment squadron. Flying British planes, six U. S. crews joined six RAF crews in a daylight attack against four airdromes in the Netherlands on 4 July 1942. On 17 August twelve B-17’s, accompanied by four RAF Spitfire fighter squadrons, attacked the marshalling yards at Rouen, France, and successfully completed the first U. S. attack over Europe. From these small beginnings the number of planes taking part in the raids grew until the average per raid in 1943 was 570 heavy bombers, a figure that was to be almost doubled in 1944. ENGLAND THREE TYPES OF ESCORT FIGHTER PLANES over England. From top to bottom: Lockheed P-38 Lightning, North American P-51 Mustang, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. P-47’s were the first to join the British Spitfires in providing escort for heavy bombers, the P-38 was available in small numbers in October 1943, and the P-51 began to appear in January 1944. At first the 47’s flew top cover, but before long they began to drop down and engage the enemy fighter planes. As the war progressed the escort opened out more and more until it became a huge net to envelop the enemy. ENGLAND A BRITISH POLICE SERGEANT gives road direction to a U. S. first sergeant during a march. By the end of June 1944 there was a total of 140,656 Negro personnel in the European Theater of Operations assigned to both combat and service units. The M 1 helmet worn by the sergeant was standardized on 9 June 1941, and mass production began shortly thereafter, it replaced the earlier M 1917A 1 helmet shown in preceding pictures. ENGLAND MEMBERS OF THE FIRST OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL (OCS) in the United Kingdom decontaminating a building that has been subjected to mustard gas (top). Machine gun training at OCS (bottom). Qualified enlisted men were selected from units stationed in the British Isles and sent to this school where, upon the successful completion of the courses of instruction, they were commissioned second lieutenants in the Army of the United States. The first class began in September 1942 and there were in all seven classes, each lasting for approximately three months. The OCS in England graduated and commissioned a total of 472 men. ENGLAND A FIGHTER PILOT, Standing beside his plane in England, wearing an oxygen mask and helmet equipped with earphones. Over his leather flying jacket is a life preserver. A number of young men from the United States joined the Canadian and British air forces before America’s entry in the war. When the U. S. declared war these pilots were transferred to the U. S. air force. The strength of the U. S. air force in 1940 was about 43,000 men and 2,500 planes. In early 1944 there were 2,300,000 men and 80,000 aircraft. ENGLAND INTERIOR OF A B-17 showing two .50-caliber Browning machine guns. These planes were highly complex machines, well armed, with machine guns in front, rear, sides, top, and bottom. The man in the picture is working on the gun turret which protruded beneath the fuselage. The tank on top of this turret was for oxygen. ENGLAND AN ORDNANCE SPECIALIST in the repair of optical equipment cleans a pair of field glasses, England, September...