[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles and the occasional radio broadcast delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
MARKET-GARDEN Operations, September 1944
American Capture of Peleliu, September 15-26, 1944
Northwestern Europe, 1944: 6th and 12th Army Group Operations, 15 September-7 November 1944
Northwestern Europe, 1944: 21st Army Group Operations, 15 September-15 December 1944
Eastern Europe, 1941: Russian Balkan and Baltic Campaigns – Operations, 19 August-31 December 1944
The Western Pacific, New Guinea, and the Philippine Islands: Allied Advances to the Palaus and Morotai, 30 July-17 September 1944 and Air Attacks on the Philippines, 7-22 September 1944
Northern Italy 1944: Allied Advance to Gothic Line, 5 June-25 August and Gains 29 August-31 December
China, 1941: Operation Ichigo, April-December 1944 and Situation 31 December
China-Burma, 1941: Third Burma Campaign – Slim’s Offensive, June 1944-March 1945

[Stosh]

Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, the German general in charge of the defense of Brest, was a really interesting character-not without his faults (he appears to have been a pretty hard-core racist, even by the standards of his time), but also with some admirable qualities (he rose through the ranks starting as essentially a cabin boy in the WWI German navy, and apparently was known for his loyalty to those down the ranks from him).

He was almost assassinated by the Resistance around the time of Normandy (they got his driver); had that action been successful, there’s no telling if Brest would have held out for a month-and-a-half, and had it fallen early, there’s a good chance the logistical advantage resulting would’ve significantly shortened the war in Europe.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Great, vividly related story on your page 5, of the Major General and his Colonel using just nine men to trap and kill hundreds of Germans and destroy their vehicles, without losing a single man.

Hilariously, every one of the three Lieutenants and six Privates is fully named and their hometowns listed, but neither the very brave and clever tommy gun-wielding General nor the Colonel are identified in any way.

Inasmuch as this action occurred in a rear area after the main body of the general's division had already recently moved out, it's easy to imagine that this vivid reporter himself was also present and observed it all first-hand.