Boats ordered by the 82nd Airborne under commander James “Slim Jim” Gavin, in Nijmegen the day before failed to arrive until afternoon and a hasty daylight assault crossing was ordered. At about 15:00, the 3rd Battalion, 504th PIR , commanded by Major Julian Aaron Cook , began their assault across the Waal. The American paratroopers were… Read more »
Joseph Bürckel was born in Lingenfeld, in the Bavarian Palatinate, as the son of a tradesman. From 1909 to 1914 he studied to become a teacher in Speyer. He took part in the First World War as a volunteer. After the war, he continued his training as a teacher and graduated in 1920. From 1921 on… Read more »
The Royal Dutch Brigade ‘Princess Irene’ (PIB) was a Dutch army component that originated from Dutch troops who could escape their mainland in May 1940 and consisted of individual civilians and student escapees, (see Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema), to England and Dutchmen from abroad who fulfilled their duty of service at the brigade or volunteered at… Read more »
On August 15 a second invasion, Operation Dragoon, succeeded in southern France. Everywhere within that country, German infantry and armored units were in retreat. The Allies’ greatest obstacle was logistics: keeping their mechanized and motorized divisions supplied with fuel, food, ammunition and other necessities. The Red Ball Express , made up of nearly 6,000… Read more »
German submarine U-864 was a Type IX U-boat of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine in World War II. She throughout her entire career under command by Korvettenkapitän Ralf-Reimar Wolfram departed from Kiel on 5 December 1944 on her last mission, to transport to Japan a large quantity of mercury and parts and engineering drawings for German jet fighters. While returning to Bergen, Norway to repair… Read more »