11 August 2019
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One of the often peddled myths of the Normandy campaign is that the Germans were allowed to escape, almost unscathed, from the Falaise Pocket.
Author: Yves Buffetaut
Reviewed by: Duncan Evans
One of the often peddled myths of the Normandy campaign is that the Germans were allowed to escape, almost unscathed, from the Falaise Pocket. The reality was different, as this illustrated guide to the Normandy campaign from 25 June onwards makes clear. Once the Allies had pushed the Germans back, it was simply a matter of time before increasingly superior forces trapped them in a pocket at Falaise. The German counter-attack was swiftly destroyed by overwhelming Allied air power, Typhoons causing havoc. What then followed was over 100,000 German troops trying to escape while being pressed on all sides. Standing in their way was a Polish division which managed to hold them up to the extent that 50,000 Germans surrendered, 10,000 were killed while the remaining 50,000 managed to escape.
Eisenhower himself described the area as one of the greatest killing fields of the entire war, leaving the area described as unhealthly, requiring months for it to be cleaned up.
This glossy, illustrated title features all the leaders, profiles the tanks and vehicles, and mixes the history with copious photos from the area. It's a handy guide to the end of the Normandy campaign.
• Casemate Illustrated
• ISBN 978-1-6120-0727-4
• 130 pages • Softcover • £19.99
As reviewed in The Armourer July 2019
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