The Falaise Pocket or Battle of the Falaise Pocket (12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy. A pocket was formed around Falaise, in which the German Army Group B , with the 7th Army  under Generaloberst Friedrich Dollmann,  and the Fifth Panzer Army, under General of Panzer Troops Heinrich Eberbach formerly Panzergruppe West were encircled by the Western Allies. The battle is also referred… Read more »

In the 1930s Hermann Goering, after having observed Soviet airborne infantry maneuvers, became committed to the creation of Germany’s airborne infantry. He ordered the formation of a specialist police unit in 1933, devoted to protecting Nazi party officials. The unit carried out conventional police duties for the next two years, but in 1935, Goering transformed it into Germany’s first dedicated airborne… Read more »

Americans bomb Germans for first time, August 17th 1942 On this day, 8th Air Force bombers  , dispatched from their bases in England, fly the first American bombing raid against the Germans, targeting the Wilhelmshaven port. Of 64 planes participating in the raid, 53 reached their target and managed to shoot down 22 German planes—and… Read more »

Author Ian Fleming based his character “007” on the Yugoslavian-born spy Dusko Popov (1912-1980). Popov spoke at least five languages and came up with his own formula for invisible ink. He was the first spy to use microdots, or photos shrunk down to the size of dots. He obtained information that the Japanese were planning… Read more »

Adolf Hitler was born in Austria-Hungary in 1889, however his family moved to Germany when he was three-years-old. From a young age, he became obsessed with German Nationalism, and early on expressed strong anti-Semitic sentiments. Some of his views can be construed as vague, as he also stood staunchly opposed to both capitalism and communism…. Read more »

Meyer, Kurt Adolph Wilhelm – Nationality Germany -Ranking Obergruppenführer der Waffen SS. Kommandeur 12 SS LSSAH, “Hitlerjugend”. -Born 23-12-1910, Jerxheim, Sachsen-Anhalt. -Died 23-12-1961, heart attack, age 51. -Buried Hagen, Stadtfriedhof. Meyer, Kurt Adolph WilhelmGermany SS ObergruppenführerWaffen SS Meyer, Kurt Adolph Wilhelm “Panzermeyer”, born 23-12-1910 in Jerxheim, Sachsen Anhalt, came from a lower class family. His… Read more »

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war,   and Germany’s subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its height from mid-1940 through to the end… Read more »

The SS ran a brothel named “The Kitty Salon” for foreign diplomats and other VIPs in Berlin. It was wiretapped, and 20 prostitutes underwent several weeks of intense indoctrination and training. They were specifically trained to glean information from clients through seemingly innocuous conversations. WWII resulted in the downfall of Europe as a centre of… Read more »

Calvin Graham was only 12 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart before the Navy found out how old he was. Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler’s deputy in the Nazi party, was the last person to have been incarcerated in the Tower of London. While… Read more »

The most decorated unit ever in S. history is the 442nd regimental Combat Team, whose motto was “Go for Broke.” It consisted of Japanese-American volunteers. Together they won 4,667 major medals, awards, and citations, including 560 Silver Stars (28 of which had oak-leaf clusters), 4,000 Bronze Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, and one Medal of… Read more »