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The 84th Infantry Division In The Battle Of Germany: November 1944-May 1945
In early November 1944, five months after D-Day, the “Railsplitter” division landed on Omaha beach.
Through the course of the next six months it would see some of the most ferocious fighting of the entire war.
As soon as they landed they drove quickly into the Netherlands to prepare for an offensive into Nazi Germany.
Their movements were dramatically altered as the German forces attempted to launch a momentous counter-offensive against the allies. The 84th division was sent to Belgium to plug a gap in the Allied line and fought back against the last ditch effort of Nazi forces.
Draper takes the reader through every engagement that the division took part in from the first shots fired in anger through to crossing the Rhine into Germany and finally taking Hannover and making contact with Soviet forces in May 1945.
Lt. Theodore Draper’s book is a unique account of the allied invasion of Germany.
Rather relying on secondhand stories of the division’s actions months after the events had occurred, Draper was encouraged to go direct to the source, to the men themselves, from the commanding general to any private, for the most complete, firsthand information on every action.
This book is largely based on hundreds of pages of such interviews, most of them within 48 hours of the unit’s relief and many of them while the unit was still fighting.
“Though ostensibly a divisional history, Draper’s well-informed and interesting account is useful for an understanding of the war on the western front in general.” Robert Gale Woolbert, Foreign Affairs
“This is the whole operation of the battle of Germany on the broad and individual level, the Siegfried Line, the fight to the Rhine, the Ardennes, the mad race to the Elbo, with credit attributed to men, companies, battalions where it is due.” Kirkus Reviews
Theodore Draper was an American historian and political writer. He wrote many notable books during his career on a variety of subjects. During the Second World War he was inducted into the U. S. Army and worked in the historical section of the 84th Infantry Division. His book The 84th Infantry Division In The Battle Of Germany : November 1944-May 1945 was first published in 1946 and he passed away in 2006.
Through the course of the next six months it would see some of the most ferocious fighting of the entire war.
As soon as they landed they drove quickly into the Netherlands to prepare for an offensive into Nazi Germany.
Their movements were dramatically altered as the German forces attempted to launch a momentous counter-offensive against the allies. The 84th division was sent to Belgium to plug a gap in the Allied line and fought back against the last ditch effort of Nazi forces.
Draper takes the reader through every engagement that the division took part in from the first shots fired in anger through to crossing the Rhine into Germany and finally taking Hannover and making contact with Soviet forces in May 1945.
Lt. Theodore Draper’s book is a unique account of the allied invasion of Germany.
Rather relying on secondhand stories of the division’s actions months after the events had occurred, Draper was encouraged to go direct to the source, to the men themselves, from the commanding general to any private, for the most complete, firsthand information on every action.
This book is largely based on hundreds of pages of such interviews, most of them within 48 hours of the unit’s relief and many of them while the unit was still fighting.
“Though ostensibly a divisional history, Draper’s well-informed and interesting account is useful for an understanding of the war on the western front in general.” Robert Gale Woolbert, Foreign Affairs
“This is the whole operation of the battle of Germany on the broad and individual level, the Siegfried Line, the fight to the Rhine, the Ardennes, the mad race to the Elbo, with credit attributed to men, companies, battalions where it is due.” Kirkus Reviews
Theodore Draper was an American historian and political writer. He wrote many notable books during his career on a variety of subjects. During the Second World War he was inducted into the U. S. Army and worked in the historical section of the 84th Infantry Division. His book The 84th Infantry Division In The Battle Of Germany : November 1944-May 1945 was first published in 1946 and he passed away in 2006.
Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2009
About the author
Theodore Draper
86 books11 followersTheodore H. "Ted" Draper was an American historian and political writer. Draper is best known for the 14 books he completed during his life, including work regarded as seminal on the formative period of the American Communist Party, the Cuban Revolution, and the Iran-Contra Affair. Draper was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the 1990 recipient of the Herbert Feis Award for Nonacademically Affiliated Historians from the American Historical Association.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 2, 2021
My father knew the writer or editor as the initial story and near the end of the war the German presses manned by Germans were used in part to keep the Germans working. Sadly the books on these battles were more likely to hide the truth and glorify the upper echelons of order or disorder. My father complained of such and those who created the books for their own edification.
January 15, 2019
Must read ww2 tribute
One of the few accounts paying careful attention to the accounts of the individual soldier no matter the rank. The 84th had a special historical attachment focused on individual experience, weather heroic or human.
One of the few accounts paying careful attention to the accounts of the individual soldier no matter the rank. The 84th had a special historical attachment focused on individual experience, weather heroic or human.
August 27, 2020
I Couldn’t Put It Down
General Bolling has provided a masterful tale of his unit. After the boys got on station, the action was fast and furious. I was unable to stop myself until the section was done. This continued till the Citation Section, which was a bit more sedate.
General Bolling has provided a masterful tale of his unit. After the boys got on station, the action was fast and furious. I was unable to stop myself until the section was done. This continued till the Citation Section, which was a bit more sedate.
June 26, 2018
Gives a good understanding on the make up and workings of an army division in World War II.
Read
October 14, 2019The Fight to the Elbe
Detailed account of the 84 Infantry Division and it's fight thru Germany and it's contributions to ending Hilters hold on Europe.
Action on every page.
Detailed account of the 84 Infantry Division and it's fight thru Germany and it's contributions to ending Hilters hold on Europe.
Action on every page.
November 4, 2019
Stunning!
A first hand account of an amazing job by our troops to bring an end to the war. Excellent book.
A first hand account of an amazing job by our troops to bring an end to the war. Excellent book.
November 6, 2020
Goodreads
Good book thought needed maps to keep up with routes 5stars good back ground of unit and of individual companies 5 stars
Good book thought needed maps to keep up with routes 5stars good back ground of unit and of individual companies 5 stars
January 18, 2022
Really good
It was nice to read about all the action these men participated in right from the start when they landed. Well done.
It was nice to read about all the action these men participated in right from the start when they landed. Well done.
October 25, 2018
It was very interesting to read . My dad was in the 102nd.
He was wounded twice once in November . then in March. He told me about the Roer river crossing and how important it was.
He was wounded twice once in November . then in March. He told me about the Roer river crossing and how important it was.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews