Das Wunder von Dünkirchen

Das Wunder von Dünkirchen PDF Author: Hauke Friederichs
Publisher: Aufbau Digital
ISBN: 3841226523
Category : History
Languages : de
Pages : 345

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Book Description
Bestsellerautor Hauke Friederichs erzählt die dramatischen Ereignisse des Sommers 1940, als die Schrecken des Krieges den Westen erreichen: Anne Frank, vor den Nationalsozialisten geflohen, wird in den Niederlanden von ihren Verfolgern eingeholt, NS-Gegner Lion Feuchtwanger kommt in ein südfranzösisches Lager, Anna Seghers fürchtet in Paris die vorrückende Wehrmacht – und abertausende Soldaten ziehen sich nach Dünkirchen zurück, wo sie von den deutschen Truppen eingeschlossen werden. Erst im allerletzten Moment werden Briten und Franzosen von der Marine evakuiert. Durch Winston Churchills Erfolg schöpft Großbritannien neuen Mut und setzt den Kampf gegen die Nationalsozialisten fort – entschiedener denn je. Das „Wunder von Dünkirchen“ verändert den Krieg. „Es gelingt Friederichs, Weltgeschichte über das Schicksal einzelner Menschen greifbar und erfahrbar zu machen.“ dpa über „Funkenflug“

Das Wunder von Dünkirchen

Das Wunder von Dünkirchen PDF Author: Hauke Friederichs
Publisher: Aufbau Digital
ISBN: 3841226523
Category : History
Languages : de
Pages : 345

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Book Description
Bestsellerautor Hauke Friederichs erzählt die dramatischen Ereignisse des Sommers 1940, als die Schrecken des Krieges den Westen erreichen: Anne Frank, vor den Nationalsozialisten geflohen, wird in den Niederlanden von ihren Verfolgern eingeholt, NS-Gegner Lion Feuchtwanger kommt in ein südfranzösisches Lager, Anna Seghers fürchtet in Paris die vorrückende Wehrmacht – und abertausende Soldaten ziehen sich nach Dünkirchen zurück, wo sie von den deutschen Truppen eingeschlossen werden. Erst im allerletzten Moment werden Briten und Franzosen von der Marine evakuiert. Durch Winston Churchills Erfolg schöpft Großbritannien neuen Mut und setzt den Kampf gegen die Nationalsozialisten fort – entschiedener denn je. Das „Wunder von Dünkirchen“ verändert den Krieg. „Es gelingt Friederichs, Weltgeschichte über das Schicksal einzelner Menschen greifbar und erfahrbar zu machen.“ dpa über „Funkenflug“

Dunkirk 1940: 'Whereabouts Unknown'

Dunkirk 1940: 'Whereabouts Unknown' PDF Author: Tim Lynch
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750964537
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 378

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Book Description
They called it 'the slaughter of the innocents'. The barely trained and poorly equipped men of the Labour Divisions were never meant to fight, but when the German blitzkreig sliced through the Allied armies they were all that stood in the way of the annihilation of the British Expeditionary Force. Paying with their lives they bought precious time as the army fell back towards Dunkirk, and long after the last of the little ships reached home, the men of the Labour Divisions fought on. Dunkirk 1940: Whereabouts Unknown uses official reports, diaries and personal accounts to tell the story of the chaos, terror and heroism of the amateur soldiers of 137th Infantry Brigade during the fall of France.

Retreat & Rearguard: Dunkirk 1940

Retreat & Rearguard: Dunkirk 1940 PDF Author: Jerry Murland
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473881048
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
The dramatic story of how a quarter million men were evacuated from the coast of France—and how the British Expeditionary Force fought on. This book, part of the Retreat and Rearguard series, covers the actions of the BEF during the retreat from the Dyle Line to the evacuation points of Dunkirk, Boulogne, Calais, Saint-Valery-en-Caux, and finally the Cherbourg Peninsula. Some of the engagements are relatively well known (Cassell, the Arras counter-attack, and the notorious Le Paradis SS massacre), but the author has unearthed many less known engagements from the long and painful withdrawal. While the main Dunkirk evacuation from the port and beaches was over by early June, elements of the BEF fought on until June 21. In relating those often heroic actions, this book catches the atmosphere of desperate defiance that typified this never-to-be-forgotten period.

Dünkirchen 1940

Dünkirchen 1940 PDF Author: Robert Kershaw
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472854403
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
'Kershaw's book is a welcome rebalancing; a thoughtful, well-researched and well-written contribution to a narrative that has long been too one-sided and too mired in national mythology.' - The Times The British evacuation from the beaches of the small French port town of Dunkirk is one of the iconic moments of military history. The battle has captured the popular imagination through LIFE magazine photo spreads, the fiction of Ian McEwan and, of course, Christopher Nolan's hugely successful Hollywood blockbuster. But what is the German view of this stunning Allied escape? Drawing on German interviews, diaries and unit post-action reports, Robert Kershaw creates a page-turning history of a battle that we thought we knew. Dünkirchen 1940 is the first major history on what went wrong for the Germans at Dunkirk. As supreme military commander, Hitler had seemingly achieved a miracle after the swift capitulation of Holland and Belgium, but with just seven kilometres before the panzers captured Dunkirk – the only port through which the trapped British Expeditionary force might escape – they came to a shuddering stop. Only a detailed interpretation of the German perspective – historically lacking to date – can provide answers as to why. Dünkirchen 1940 delves into the under-evaluated major German miscalculation both strategically and tactically that arguably cost Hitler the war.

The Western Dunkirk Corridor 1940

The Western Dunkirk Corridor 1940 PDF Author: Jerry Murland
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526743213
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
The story of 144 Brigade’s defense of Wormhoudt and Bambecque must rank in importance alongside the defense of Cassel and Hazebrouck by 145 Brigade; however, what is often forgotten in the uncertainty that surrounded Wormhoudt and Bambeque is the heroic defense of West Cappel and Vwyfeg (les Cinq Chemins today) by the Welsh Guards and the 1/Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (1/F&F Yeomanry). Brigadier Norman’s composite brigade was the final piece in the jigsaw of defense on the western flank of the Dunkerque Corridor and, after the last stand of the 2/Royal Warwicks and the 8/Worcesters, Norman’s Brigade, held the line south of Bergues, containing the attacking German units at great cost, until the perimeter at Dunkerque had been established. He and the remnants of his brigade left Yvfweg just as the Germans were entering it from the south. The full story of the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkerque can be read in Battleground Europe: The Dunkerque Perimeter and Evacuation 1940. The defense of Wormhoudt in 1940 has long been associated with the massacre of British servicemen after they had surrendered and been taken prisoner. The events in the barn at La Plaine au Bois will always be considered one of the most appalling acts of the Second World War, carried out by elements of the Liebstandarte Regiment, in what looked very much like revenge; a massacre that was almost second nature to this group of fanatical followers of Adolf Hitler. Up against the regular troops of the 2/Warwicks and their supporting units, the Liebstandarte found no easy victory at Wormhoudt in an encounter that saw their regimental commander, Gruppenführer Otto ‘Sepp’ Dietrich, having to take shelter in a roadside ditch away from the fury of the Cheshire machine gunners. Then again, what is often overshadowed by the events in the barn is the series of other murders of civilians and British soldiers that took place as the Liebstandarte overwhelmed the fragile defense of the Warwicks. Captain ‘Tony’ Crook, the Warwicks’ Medical Officer, draws attention to just one of these incidents as he was marched into captivity past the bodies of A Company men, who he felt sure had been murdered in cold blood. Another incident involving the Worcesters at Bambecque is related by Lieutenant Roger Cleverley of C Company, who writes in his diary that all the wounded were shot by a commander of the Liebstandarte. Apart from hearsay and diary entries, there is little other evidence to support the deaths of these men but, in the opinion of the author, there is no doubt whatever that many British soldiers met a premature end after they had surrendered in the fields and on the pavements of Wormhoudt and Bambecque.

The Dunkirk Perimeter and Evacuation 1940

The Dunkirk Perimeter and Evacuation 1940 PDF Author: Jerry Murland
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473852242
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description
The history of a disastrous WWII setback, including numerous photos, maps, and information for visitors. This book tells the story of the fierce fighting around the Dunkirk Perimeter during May and June 1940 between the retreating British Expeditionary Force and its French allies and the advancing German army. This grievous military setback was soon transformed into a morale-boosting symbol of the resilience of the British against a Germany that had crushed so many nations in a matter of weeks. With over 200 black and white photographs and fourteen maps, this book looks at the units deployed around Dunkirk and Nieuport and their often desperate actions to prevent the inevitable advance of German forces opposing them. The evacuation of the BEF from the beaches east of Dunkirk is covered in detail from the perspective of the Royal Navy and from the standpoint of the soldier on the beaches. Also included are details for travelers to the sites involved. In addition to visits to the relevant cemeteries, the book includes three appendices and two car tours, one tour covering the whole of the Dunkirk perimeter and the other covering Ramsgate and Dover, although there is plenty of scope for walking in both tours. There is also a walk around De Panne, which takes the tourist along the beach that saw so much of the evacuation, and into the back areas of the town where the Germans left their mark when clearing up after the British had gone.

Air Battle for Dunkirk, 26 May–3 June 1940

Air Battle for Dunkirk, 26 May–3 June 1940 PDF Author: Norman Franks
Publisher: Grub Street
ISBN: 1909166499
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
A gripping account of the Royal Air Force’s daring exploits during the heroic evacuation of Allied troops from France in World War II. “Where is the RAF?” was the oft-quoted question asked by soldiers waiting on the beach at Dunkirk, to where they had retreated following the German blitzkrieg through northern France, and where they were now being pounded by the Luftwaffe. The air forces were there, as Norman Franks proves, detailing the outstanding achievements of the Allied pilots who fought, using outmoded tactics, against enemy pilots who had earlier had easy victories over the Polish, Dutch and Belgian air forces. The RAF’s achievement reminds us just how close Britain came to disaster in June 1940. “An absorbing read, which vindicates the RAF.” —RAF Historical Journal “Leveraging mission logs and splicing firsthand written accounts, the narrative is both cohesive and seamless. The details are incredibly rich, yet not burdensome.” —Air & Space Power Journal “With the recent release of the blockbuster film on the same subject, Franks’ recounting of the air battle for Dunkirk is timely for those who left the movie theater wanting more . . . Air Battle for Dunkirk is recommended for those who loved the film and wanted more context. This book is especially recommended for those who are interested in aviation history.” —Nicole Granados, Picture This Post

Dunkirk

Dunkirk PDF Author: Hugh Sebag-Montefiore
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141906162
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 720

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Book Description
* * * Special 75th Anniversary Edition * * * Hugh Sebag-Montefiore's Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man tells the story of the rescue in May 1940 of British soldiers fleeing capture and defeat by the Nazis at Dunkirk. Dunkirk was not just about what happened at sea and on the beaches. The evacuation would never have succeeded had it not been for the tenacity of the British soldiers who stayed behind to ensure they got away. Men like Sergeant Major Gus Jennings who died smothering a German stick bomb in the church at Esquelbecq in an effort to save his comrades, and Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews VC who single-handedly held back a German attack on the Dunkirk perimeter thereby allowing the British line to form up behind him. Told to stand and fight to the last man, these brave few battalions fought in whatever manner they could to buy precious time for the evacuation. Outnumbered and outgunned, they launched spectacular and heroic attacks time and again, despite ferocious fighting and the knowledge that for many only capture or death would end their struggle. 'A searing story . . . both meticulous military history and a deeply moving testimony to the extraordinary personal bravery of individual soldiers' Tim Gardam, The Times 'Sebag-Montefiore tells [the story] with gusto, a remarkable attention to detail and an inexhaustible appetite for tracking down the evidence' Richard Ovary, Telegraph Hugh Sebag-Montefiore was a barrister before becoming a journalist and then an author. He wrote the best-selling Enigma: The Battle for the Code. One of his ancestors was evacuated from Dunkirk.

Dunkirk and the Little Ships

Dunkirk and the Little Ships PDF Author: Philip Weir
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1784423769
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 113

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Book Description
During 1940 the German army swept with devastating speed across the Low Countries and into northern France and drove Allied forces back into a small pocket around Dunkirk. Without a swift withdrawal across the English Channel, the latter faced certain death or capture. The evacuation plan – Operation Dynamo – initially calculated that 45,000 men might be rescued, but between 26 May and 4 June 338,226 men were in fact brought back to England. Naval historian Philip Weir shows how this was made possible by a vast armada of disparate vessels including destroyers, minesweepers, fishing vessels and, most famously of all, the privately owned 'Little Ships'. He explores the vessels' various roles within the evacuation, and their subsequent fates, including preservation and participation in commemorative return runs to the port, which now take place every five years.

Frankforce and the Defence of Arras 1940

Frankforce and the Defence of Arras 1940 PDF Author: Jerry Murland
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473852706
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
There is no other city in France that has the same associations in time of conflict that the British have with Arras. Since the campaigns of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in the early 18th century, British soldiers have fought in and around Arras, occasionally as an enemy but, more often, as defenders of French and Allied democracy. Battlefield visitors to the area will immediately recognize the names of towns and villages that were as significant to the men of Marlboroughs army as they were to those who fought in the First and Second World Wars.This book serves both as guide to the Second World War battlefields that surround the city and its environs as well as detailing the actions of the British armored attack of 21 May 1940. The book looks at the strategic situation that led up to the famous Arras counterstroke and, using material that has not been published before, examines the British and German actions between 20 and 23 May. The only Victoria Cross action that took place during this time is looked at in detail; as is the fighting that took place in Arras and during the breakout.Despite its shortcomings, the counterstroke achieved the essential element of surprise and caused widespread alarm amongst the German command and hit Rommels 7th Panzer Division at precisely the moment when his armored units were ahead of the infantry and gunners. The British infantry fought well and both the Durham battalions were fortunate that their commanding officers and senior NCOs were men who had already fought in one conflict and possessed the determination to rally their less experienced junior ranks and fight on regardless. Such was the case with the two tank battalions, although sadly they lost both their commanding officers and over half the tanks that went into the engagement. The attack did enable the British to tighten their hold on Arras albeit temporarily and, as is often cited, built doubts in the minds of German High Command as to the speed of their advance and contributed to the subsequent Hitler halt order of 24-27 May.The author has gone to some lengths to track down accounts from those individuals who served in the area during May 1940 and fought the enveloping tide of the German advanceThe book is supported by three car tours, one of which takes the visitor along the tragic path taken by the Tyneside Scottish on 20 May and two walking routes, which concentrate on Arras.137 black and white photographs (integrated) and a number of maps derived from regimental histories; and six tour maps provide the battlefield visitor with illustrations of the battlefields as they were in 1940 and as they are today.