The British way of war in Northwest Europe, 1944-5 : a study of two infantry divisions / L. P. Devine.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Devine, L. P., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Army. Division, 43rd--History.

Great Britain.

Great Britain. Army. Division, 53rd (Welsh)--History.

Operational art (Military science)--Case studies.

Operational art (Military science).

World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Western Front.

World War, 1939-1945.

World War, 1939-1945--Regimental histories--Great Britain.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (249 p.)

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"This book examines the experience of two British Infantry Divisions, the 43rd (Wessex) and 53rd (Welsh), during the Overlord campaign in Northwest Europe. To understand the way the British fought during Operation Overlord, the book considers the political and military factors between 1918 and 1943 before addressing the major battles and many of the minor engagements and day-to-day experiences of the campaign. Through detailed exploration of unit war diaries and first-hand accounts, Louis Devine demonstrates how Montgomery's way of war translated to the divisions and their sub units. While previous literature has suggested that the British Army fought a cautious war in order to avoid the heavy casualties of the First World War, Devine challenges this concept by showing that the Overlord Campaign fought at sub-divisional levels was characterised by command pressure to achieve results quickly, hasty planning and a reliance on massive artillery and mortar contributions to compensate for deficiencies in anti-tank and armoured supportraits By following two British infantry divisions over a continuous period and focusing on soldiers' experience to offer a perspective 'from below', as well as challenging the consensus of a 'cautious' British campaign, this book provides a much-needed re-examination of the Overlord campaign which will be of great interest to students and scholars of the Second World War and modern military history in general."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Glossary

Preface

1. Introduction

2. 1918-1943: From Great War to Second World War

3. The 43rd Division's First Action

4. The 43rd Division Incorporating Lessons Learned

5. The 53rd Division's First Action to Falaise

6. Colossal Cracks I: The 43rd Division in Operation Market Garden

7. Colossal Cracks II: The 53rd Division in Operation Market Garden and the Ardennes

8. The 43rd Division Post Market Garden

9. The 53rd Division Post Ardennes: Veritable and Beyond

Conclusion

Appendix - Sketch Maps

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781474225670

1474225675

9781474225663

1474225667

OCLC:

931534062