Archive for 2013
Invite the Mob Over for Boxing Day in the UK
BUY ON AMAZON UKPurchase Direct from My Website
kaput or in mob terms "rubbed out."
The longer you wait to buy the higher the price rises. This one day sale lasts only till 11PM tonight. Then it's all over,
The story:
The bodies are piling high -- 36 unsolved gangland murders at last count -- and FBI Supervisor Hans Bauer has to do the unthinkable: put tough, independent Special Agent Frank Murray back on the squad he was twice kicked out of, Organized Crime.
Mafia Kingpin Nick Scarponi is back from prison and orchestrating the bloodiest reign of mob killings in Philadelphia history and Frank Murray, who tossed Scarponi in the can three years earlier, is his #1 target.
The taunt, tense, visually gritty story leaps off the page and grabs you by the throat. The action-packed tale could only be crafted by someone who knows the art of cinematic pacing--acclaimed Director and Emmy® nominated filmmaker, Robert Child.
Blood Betrayal is a classic, big city mafia crime story that cuts to the bone. It feels all too real because it is. The story is based on an historic FBI prosecution and investigation led by Charles "Bud" Warner the real life Frank Murray. FBI Director William Sessions, Attorney General Janet Reno and President Bill Clinton commended him for his extraordinary work on this case.
Blood Betrayal is a thrill ride of twists and turns and vividly drawn characters such as "Center City" Charlie, mob con man Nick "The Crow" Consiglioni and Murray's wife, Marlene, a gold-digger whose affair with a doctor is brought to a screeching halt by Murray in a scene that has to be read to be believed.
Former Philadelphia resident and director David Lynch chillingly described the city during the time of Blood Betrayal: "It was a very sick, twisted, violent, fear-ridden, decadent, decaying place. I felt like I was constantly in danger. But it was so fantastic at the same time. The people had stories etched in their faces."
Summon your courage and enter this world if you dare.
Invite the Mob Over for Christmas Eve
Today only, beginning at 9AM, Blood Betrayal, is part of a Kindle Countdown Deal. The longer you wait to buy the higher the price rises. This one day sale lasts only till 11PM tonight. Then it's all over, kaput or in mob terms "rubbed out."BUY ON AMAZON
Purchase Direct from My Website
The story: The bodies are piling high -- 36 unsolved gangland murders at last count -- and FBI Supervisor Hans Bauer has to do the unthinkable: put tough, independent Special Agent Frank Murray back on the squad he was twice kicked out of, Organized Crime.
Mafia Kingpin Nick Scarponi is back from prison and orchestrating the bloodiest reign of mob killings in Philadelphia history and Frank Murray, who tossed Scarponi in the can three years earlier, is his #1 target.
The taunt, tense, visually gritty story leaps off the page and grabs you by the throat. The action-packed tale could only be crafted by someone who knows the art of cinematic pacing--acclaimed Director and Emmy® nominated filmmaker, Robert Child.
Blood Betrayal is a classic, big city mafia crime story that cuts to the bone. It feels all too real because it is. The story is based on an historic FBI prosecution and investigation led by Charles "Bud" Warner the real life Frank Murray. FBI Director William Sessions, Attorney General Janet Reno and President Bill Clinton commended him for his extraordinary work on this case.
Blood Betrayal is a thrill ride of twists and turns and vividly drawn characters such as "Center City" Charlie, mob con man Nick "The Crow" Consiglioni and Murray's wife, Marlene, a gold-digger whose affair with a doctor is brought to a screeching halt by Murray in a scene that has to be read to be believed.
Former Philadelphia resident and director David Lynch chillingly described the city during the time of Blood Betrayal: "It was a very sick, twisted, violent, fear-ridden, decadent, decaying place. I felt like I was constantly in danger. But it was so fantastic at the same time. The people had stories etched in their faces."
Summon your courage and enter this world if you dare.
Pennsylvania Congressmen Gerlach and Fattah Recogize the Wereth 11
Two Pennsylvania Congressmen, Jim Gerlach and Chaka Fattah issued a joint press release today announcing their introduction of a resolution formally recognizing the service of the Wereth 11. The full press release is below.
CONTACT:
610.594.1415 or 610.223.1767 (cell)
610.594.1415 or 610.223.1767 (cell)
Allyson Freeman, Communications Director (Rep. Fattah)
202.225.4001
202.225.4001
Gerlach, Fattah recognize service and sacrifice of black soldiers massacred during Battle of the Bulge
WASHINGTON – As we near the 69th anniversary of one of the decisive battles in Europe during World War II, U.S. Reps. Jim Gerlach (PA-6th District) and Chaka Fattah (PA-2nd District) have introduced a resolution that would formally recognize the valor and sacrifice of 11 black soldiers captured, tortured and ruthlessly executed by Nazi troops in a pasture in Wereth, Belgium on the second day of the Battle of the Bulge.
The resolution, H. Con. Res. 68, also calls on the U.S. Senate’s Armed Services Committee to revise a 1949 subcommittee report to include an appropriate recognition of the massacre of the 11 black soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army who were beaten, stabbed and shot multiple times at the hands of their Nazi captors almost seven decades ago on December 17, 1944. The original subcommittee report documented a dozen similar massacres during the Battle of the Bulge, but did not include any reference to the killings in Wereth.
The 11 soldiers massacred, known as the “Wereth 11”, were: Curtis Adams of South Carolina; Mager Bradley of Mississippi, George Davis Jr. of Alabama; Thomas Forte of Mississippi; Robert Green of Georgia; James Leatherwood of Mississippi; Nathaniel Moss of Texas; George Motten of Texas; William Pritchett of Alabama; James Stewart of West Virginia; and Due Turner of Arkansas.
“Our country shall be forever grateful to every member of the ‘Greatest Generation’ who contributed to the defeat of fascism in Europe and laid down their lives so that future generations could enjoy the blessing of freedom,” Gerlach said. “Every now and then, it takes history a while to accurately reflect the monumental moments that have helped chart its course. That’s certainly the case with these 11 black soldiers who courageously fought on the front line in the Ardennes against a relentless enemy and eventually made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow soldiers and our nation. This resolution is a tribute nearly seven decade overdue. And it is indeed a privilege to work with my colleague, Congressman Fattah, to ensure that the story of the exemplary service and incredible sacrifice of these 11 black soldiers is always remembered.”
Fattah added: "The valiant efforts and unequal sacrifice of the Wereth 11 soldiers deserves to be commemorated in our country’s history. These are men whose heroic story has been lost to time, but whose names must be honored, and whose accounts we must share today and into the future. I am proud to join with my colleague Rep. Gerlach in paying reverence to their courage and bravery, recalling their lives of service, and ensuring their story fighting for freedom over tyranny is told for decades to come."
Historians note that that the Battle of the Bulge began December 16, 1944 as Nazi Germany launched an aggressive assault on American and Allied Forces in Belgium in a desperate attempt to shift the momentum of the war back in Germany’s favor. While Nazi tanks and troops initially overran many battalions, American and Allied Forces rallied and eventually prevailed in Belgium, advancing into Germany and toppling the brutal Nazi regime.
A 1949 Senate Armed Services Committee documented and investigated 12 incidents of Nazi troops massacring captured American troops and Belgian civilians during the Battle of the Bulge, but the Committee’s report omitted the killings in Wereth, and history nearly overlooked the horrific deaths of the 11 members of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion.
Wereth resident Herman Langer, whose father had provided bread and shelter from the bitter cold to the 11 African-American soldiers just before they were captured, was the first to formally pay tribute in 1996 by placing a cross in the pasture where the massacre occurred.
Fifteen years later, Norman Lichtenfeld, the son of a Battle of the Bulge veteran, helped raise money to buy the property and erect a permanent memorial in Wereth.
# # #
Wereth Eleven Story Sparks Congressional Action
Six years ago in 2007 Congresswoman, Carolyn McCarthy, of New York spearheaded a Joint Congressional Resolution to honor the service of America's WWII glider pilots. The catalyst for her steering of the bill through the armed services committee was the release that spring of my film with Inecom Entertainment, Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of WWII. The glider pilots were one of the few remaining front-line units in WWII which had never had their service recognized. Congresswoman McCarthy was able to schedule the vote on the bill on the same day of Silent Wing's release, March 20, 2007. The measure went on to pass unanimously.
 |
| Jim Gerlach |
On behalf of the production team and myself we are equal parts humbled and thrilled that our production may have played a small role in bringing the virtually unknown story of the Wereth Eleven to the attention of the American public and Congress. And the potential to literally rewrite the historical record with the addition of the Wereth Eleven war crime to the official 1949 Congressional Report is an incredible development that none of us would have ever imagined when we began the project.
In closing I'll just leave you with the rallying cry that drove my team forward in bringing the story of the Wereth Eleven to life, "It's For the Men."
Today Marks the 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address
It was one of the great turning points in American history: a clash of ideologies that spilled over from the political arena and onto the battlefield, where over half a million lives were lost. The war between the Union and the Confederacy saw the country divided along geographical, racial and industrial lines, and few were spared the decision of where to pledge their loyalty. Communities were torn apart, families broken and cities destroyed.
Now, travel back to this most significant of times and experience the Civil War as you've never seen it before. This premium collection - comprising a feature-length DVD, a 24-page history of the entire conflict, and a set of rare replica memorabilia and battle maps - pays tribute to the war that divided, almost destroyed, and ultimately defined our nation. Release marks the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address.
The feature-length documentary Gettysburg: The Boys In Blue & Gray presents the crucial battle of the war as described by the soldiers who took part, with dramatic reconstructions and archive material bringing you closer than ever to the action.
Additionally, a 24-page illustrated history of the conflict provides in-depth detail and context to the events of 1861-5, looking at the key engagements and personalities that shaped the outcome of the war.
Also Includes numerous pieces of rare memorabilia sourced from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC. - a selection of lovingly recreated replica memorabilia and battle maps that brings history alive as you've never seen it before, with letters revealing personal and military insights into the war that turned brother against brother.
This DVD features Closed Captioning
Tag :
Civil War,
Gettysburg 150th
In Today's USA Today: The Wereth Eleven
If you want to read the story online go to this LINK.
PBS Releases "Gettysburg and the Civil War" DVD October 15th
Gettysburg and the Civil War
It was one of the great turning points in American history: a clash of ideologies that spilled over from the political arena and onto the battlefield, where over half a million lives were lost. The war between the Union and the Confederacy saw the country divided along geographical, racial and industrial lines, and few were spared the decision of where to pledge their loyalty. Communities were torn apart, families broken and cities destroyed.
Now, travel back to this most significant of times and experience the Civil War as you've never seen it before. This premium collection - comprising a feature-length DVD, a 24-page history of the entire conflict, and a set of rare replica memorabilia and battle maps - pays tribute to the war that divided, almost destroyed, and ultimately defined our nation.
Release marks the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address.
The feature-length documentary Gettysburg: The Boys In Blue & Gray presents the crucial battle of the war as described by the soldiers who took part, with dramatic reconstructions and archive material bringing you closer than ever to the action.
Additionally, a 24-page illustrated history of the conflict provides in-depth detail and context to the events of 1861-5, looking at the key engagements and personalities that shaped the outcome of the war.
Also Includes numerous pieces of rare memorabilia sourced from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC. - a selection of lovingly recreated replica memorabilia and battle maps that brings history alive as you've never seen it before, with letters revealing personal and military insights into the war that turned brother against brother.
Tag :
Civil War,
Gettysburg 150th
Wereth 11 Selected to Screen at the Disney Lot in Hollywood
 |
| Walt Disney Studios, Los Angeles |
GIFF Chooses Wereth as the "Best of the Best."
My production team and I received some tremendous news last week the film which I wrote and directed, The Wereth Eleven, was chosen by the GI Film Festival as, in their words, the "Best of the Best" and they have announced a gala screening of the film at the legendary Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood (actually Burbank) on November 2nd.
The Emmy® nominated film won the Founders Choice Award at the GI Film Festival in Washington, DC in 2011. The festival organizers have chosen Wereth to screen as part of a special "Veterans Week Best of GI Film Festival" event in Los Angeles. The festival runs over two days November 1st and 2nd. Wereth will screen Saturday evening, Nov. 2, at 5:30P just prior to the closing VIP Party.
Tickets are $12 and available at this link, GIFF - LA
About The Wereth Eleven:
Robert Child, Director
GIFF 2011 Winner, Founder’s Choice
The Wereth Eleven retraces the steps eleven black GI's from the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion took when their unit was overrun by Germans at the start of the Battle of the Bulge. Their 10-mile trek from their battery position to Wereth, Belgium would be the last journey of their lives as a local resident turned them in to an SS scouting party. Subsequently all eleven were butchered and killed in one of the least understood, as well as unknown, war crimes of WWII.
Explore More:
Watch a panel discussion about the Wereth Eleven held at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans when the film made it's premiere there. Click Here.
An Offer You Can't Refuse - FREE. Read Blood Betrayal this Weekend
Spend this Labor Day Weekend with the mob.
Download Free Here
From today through Sunday grab a copy of Blood Betrayal, the FBI Thriller I wrote based on the true story I optioned from former Special Agent with the Philadelphia FBI, Charles Bud Warner. This book has never been part of the special Amazon promotion until now and I hope you can download a copy. If you do all I request is a review if you can spare the time as we are building the buzz to turn this story into a movie.
Here is more about the book:
The bodies are piling high -- 36 unsolved gangland murders at last count -- and FBI Supervisor Hans Bauer has to do the unthinkable: put tough, independent Special Agent Frank Murray back on the squad he was twice kicked out of, Organized Crime.
Mafia Kingpin Nick Scarponi is back from prison and orchestrating the bloodiest reign of mob killings in Philadelphia history and Frank Murray, who tossed Scarponi in the can three years earlier, is his #1 target.
The taunt, tense, visually gritty story leaps off the page and grabs you by the throat. The action-packed tale could only be crafted by someone who knows the art of cinematic pacing--acclaimed Director and Emmy® nominated filmmaker, Robert Child.
Blood Betrayal is a classic, big city mafia crime story that cuts to the bone. It feels all too real because it is. The story is based on an historic FBI prosecution and investigation led by Charles "Bud" Warner the real life Frank Murray. FBI Director William Sessions, Attorney General Janet Reno and President Bill Clinton commended him for his extraordinary work on this case.
Blood Betrayal is a thrill ride of twists and turns and vividly drawn characters such as "Center City" Charlie, mob con man Nick "The Crow" Consiglioni and Murray's wife, Marlene, a gold-digger whose affair with a doctor is brought to a screeching halt by Murray in a scene that has to be read to be believed.
Former Philadelphia resident and director David Lynch chillingly described the city during the time of Blood Betrayal: "It was a very sick, twisted, violent, fear-ridden, decadent, decaying place. I felt like I was constantly in danger. But it was so fantastic at the same time. The people had stories etched in their faces."
Summon your courage and enter this world if you dare
Washington Crossing Book Released
Purchase At Amazon
*Below is an excerpt from the book as well as an except from the forthcoming audiobook which will be released in September and lastly the film's trailer based on the filming that has already been done.
Washington's Crossing: America's First D-Day (excerpt)
FORTRESS YORKTOWN, OCTOBER 1781
It is late afternoon, a six man British burial party
concludes a graveside service for one of their own guarded by two Continental
soldiers. The still smoldering ruins of Fortress Yorktown silhouette them. Outside a white clapboard colonial home
American troops stand watch as British prisoners shuffle past.
Victorious American general George Washington, forty-nine,
arrives at the home on foot flanked by six aides. The American guards salute
and part to allow him to enter the home.
Inside, defeated British commander, forty-three year old
Charles Cornwallis stands near the hearth as British officers move quickly
past. As Washington enters the room stills.
Cornwallis moves graciously to meet his former enemy with an
extended hand. General Washington accepts it with a slight bow.
“Lord Cornwallis, it seems your health is restored,” as
Washington tweaks the British commander about his absence during the surrender
ceremony. Cornwallis, wincing at the slight, says, “Yes, General, thank you, I
am quite fit.”
LATER, DINING ROOM
General Washington commands the head of a long table flanked
by both American and French officers on his left and across from them British
officers to his right. The mood is subdued and formality prevails. Lord
Cornwallis sits opposite Washington at the other end of the table. A courier
enters with a dispatch that requires Washington’s signature. Signing,
Washington is interrupted by Cornwallis who takes advantage of the momentary
lull. The defeated commander raises his goblet of wine.
“Gentlemen, if I may take this opportunity,” men quiet and
turn towards Cornwallis as Washington sits back. “When the illustrious part
that your Excellency has borne in this long and arduous contest becomes a
matter of history, I dare say fame will gather your brightest laurels from the
banks of the Delaware rather than from those of the Chesapeake.”
Shocked silence descends as Cornwallis has extended
Washington an extraordinary compliment. Men look to one another then turn
anxious for Washington’s reaction.
Washington lifts his glass. Officers on both sides follow
suit as the General chooses his words carefully.
“Perhaps, your Lordship, our darkest hour revealed our
greatest courage.”
Cornwallis nods; impressed by Washington’s humble honesty
and his words bring forth warm acknowledgements from all gathered.
As the men from both side concentrate on their meal,
Washington’s mind drifts back five years earlier to the banks of the Delaware
River.
NEW JERSEY SIDE OF THE DELAWARE RIVER
On the fast running river, Continental troops under fire
clamor into small wooden boats. A vanguard of British light infantry in their
red uniforms appears in the trees. They begin to fire at Washington’s escaping
troops. Several Americans are hit. Washington’s maritime expert, Colonel John
Glover, from Massachusetts hurries the General into the last boat. With relief
Washington turns to Glover.
“It seems, John, that your maritime skills have preserved
this army once again.”
Glover smiling, replies, “Aye, and I pray your Excellency
does not continue to make this a habit.”
A British ball hits the head of a nearby man in the boat
with a crack. He falls lifeless into the
rushing current. They are not out of danger yet. Washington’s men scramble for
their muskets and begin to fire back at the British now crowding the river’s
edge. Soon Washington is safely
out of British musket range and he slumps a bit from exhaustion but catches
himself and looks about him. His men look to him for strength he reminds
himself to remain steadfast.
The Continentals had been chased across the length of New
Jersey for more than a month from Fort Lee in the north to Trenton in the
south. Finally they are able to put a river between them and the British if
only temporarily.
Sneak Listen to the D-Day Audiobook Releasing Later this Month
Tag :
War and Military,
WWII
.99 Cent Sale for a limited time. Rush On Boys Kindle Edition
Go to Amazon.
And don't forget the audiobook as well!
Audible and itunes.
Gettysburg 150th DVD, Order Now on Standard or Blu-Ray DVD
CLICK TO ORDER HERE.
Gettysburg Event Wraps
And the weather held until the very last moment at the close of Pickett's Charge when the the heavens opened up and the rains came - just as they did at the real battle 150 years ago.
The Battlecast has the full 2-hour program of the preshow, presentations and Pickett's Charge. If you did not see it live you can watch the whole event again by subscribing at GettysburgBattlecast.com
Below are just some of the tens of thousands of photos taken at the event - and these are of my hard working crew.
Behind the scenes in the control room of the Gettysburg Battlecast.
A couple of my embedded cameramen. Clay and John.
The camera van and gear.
The Crowds and the event.
Battle Highlights from the 150th Gettysburg Reenactment
Gettysburg Audiobook Now Available
Get it on Audible.com
Catch me Tonight 6/30 on Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM at 9:55P
I will be speaking with host, Steve K. Bannon this Sunday night June 30th at 9:55P EST on the upcoming Gettysburg 150th anniversary celebrations and all the excitement including the Battlecast.
Hope you can tune into on Satellite Radio to XM Patriot Ch. 125
Tag :
Film,
Gettysburg 150th
Catch Me on "Breitbart News Sunday" Tonight on XM Patriot Ch. 125
Hope you can tune into on Satellite Radio to XM Patriot Ch. 125
Released Today in Honor of D-Day. D-Day In 90 Minutes.
Bill Bradle and I hope you have a chance to download the book which hit Amazon sites across the world today.
Purchase on Amazon.
Tag :
War and Military,
WWII
Catch me tonight on Sirius XM Patriot Breitbart News Sunday
More info here.
Tag :
Gettysburg 150th
D-Day in 60 Minutes Releasing Next Week on the 69th Anniversary
Next week I will be releasing D-Day In 60 Minutes which is my first collaboration with writer William Bradle. It is actually the first in a series of books we have decided to write together called, "The 60 Minute History Series".
People are busier today than ever and there is often no time to read a 300 page history book so this series is an answer to that need. The quality will be extremely high and the books accurate and compelling. They will be broad topics but the detail within them will be razor sharp.
There is a large history audience that has somewhat been left behind by outlets such as the History Channel and other networks which craves more and more historical content but in a an hour-long length. Our opinion is if the reader knows going in they can finish the book in an hour they will set aside time for it as they used to do with great History Channel programs. And this has somewhat been proven by other shorter history book series.
Each book in the series will also be produced as an audiobook and I am seeing great growth with the audiobooks I have released so far this year. And the D-Day audiobook should release in July.
Hopefully you will consider picking up D-Day In 60 Minutes which hits bookstores next week.
People are busier today than ever and there is often no time to read a 300 page history book so this series is an answer to that need. The quality will be extremely high and the books accurate and compelling. They will be broad topics but the detail within them will be razor sharp.
There is a large history audience that has somewhat been left behind by outlets such as the History Channel and other networks which craves more and more historical content but in a an hour-long length. Our opinion is if the reader knows going in they can finish the book in an hour they will set aside time for it as they used to do with great History Channel programs. And this has somewhat been proven by other shorter history book series.
Each book in the series will also be produced as an audiobook and I am seeing great growth with the audiobooks I have released so far this year. And the D-Day audiobook should release in July.
Hopefully you will consider picking up D-Day In 60 Minutes which hits bookstores next week.
Below is a preview of what you'll see in an excerpt from Chapter One.
Chapter 1-Why? (D-Day In 60 Minutes)
“I have
therefore decided to strengthen the defenses in the West.” Adolf
Hitler
D-Day is the most crucial battle of World War II for size,
complexity and importance because—
-It was to date the largest amphibious invasion in history,
-Ten Allied nations had troops in the fight,
-160,000 troops landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944: 73,000
Americans, 62,000 British and 21,000 Canadians,
-24,000 American, British and Canadian paratroopers dropped
behind the lines the night before the invasion,
-American soldiers smoked 20 million cigarettes a day.
Eisenhower smoked eighty a day,
-104 American gliders landed behind enemy lines,
-The Allies had 11,590 aircraft in the sky during D-Day. The
Germans had two,
-180,000 German troops were in France with the great majority
in Pas de Calais,
-The Germans thought the Allies would attack Pas de Calais,
21 miles from England. The Allies attacked Normandy, 90 miles away,
-Ships totaled 6,939 ranging in size from the dreadnought
battleship USS Texas 573 long to the
Higgins boat at 36 feet long,
-500 US soldiers died at Omaha Beach, total Allied
fatalities on June 6 were 2,500. 37,000 Allied soldiers would die in the
two-month Normandy campaign to follow,
-C rations came in round cans. The soldiers preferred flat,
rectangular cans but there was not enough machinery in the US to produce flat
cans,
-German E boats killed 700 troops in April 1944 practicing a
landing at Slapton Sands. Hitler noticed the similarity between the Normandy
beaches and Slapton Sands. He ordered more troops to Normandy,
-Hitler thought he could stop the Allies at the beach.
Stalin wasn’t sure the Allies would ever invade.
And then there is geography.
The impact of the Normandy Invasion on the war boils down to
geography. When Allied planning began in 1943, German and Japanese progress had
stalled: the German advance in Russia ground to a halt outside Moscow, German
forces surrendered at Stalingrad and their tank tactics failed at Kursk. The
Marines stopped the Japanese advance and started island hopping in the Pacific
on their way to the islands of Japan. Churchill called the time, “This is not
the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of
the beginning.”
As with Japan in the Pacific, there were a lot of miles
between the Germany’s enemies and the homeland. Allied forces were in Italy,
but Rome is a thousand miles from Berlin. The Russians were advancing but still
1,200 miles from Berlin. More importantly, they were 1,600 miles from the
industrial heart of Germany, the Rhine-Ruhr district. Without the industrial
capacity of the Rhine-Ruhr, the German army and air force would not have the
weapons to fight; the war would be over.
The southeastern tip of England is less than 300 miles from
the Rhine-Ruhr district. The shortest path to victory lay through France and
Hitler knew it.
In a November 1943 Fuhrer Directive he wrote, “but now a
greater danger appears in the West--An Anglo Saxon landing! In the East, the vast extent of the territory
makes it possible for us to lose ground, even on a large scale, without a fatal
blow being dealt to the nervous system of Germany. It is very different in the
West...everything indicates that the enemy will launch an attack against the
Western front...in the spring. I can therefore no longer take responsibility
for further weakening the West...for it is here that the enemy must and will
attack...that the decisive battle against the landing forces will be fought.”
The shift to the
West was, in Hitler’s mind, only temporary. He told his commanders, “The
destruction of the enemy’s landing attempt means more than a purely local
decision on the Western Front. It is the sole decisive factor in the whole
conduct of the war and hence in its final result. Once defeated, the enemy will
never again try to invade...And invasion failure would also deliver a crushing
blow to British and American morale.”
With the defeat
of the invasion, Hitler would turn his forces back on the Russians saying, “So
the whole outcome of the war depends on each man fighting in the West, and that
means the fate of the Reich as well!”
Hitler saw the
battle coming; he had the enemy, the time and the place correct and still
failed. He had the foresight but not the means to stop the invasion because he
lacked resources. Hitler was facing and fighting the enemy on three land
fronts—Russia, the Mediterranean and now the threat to Western Europe. At the
same time, there was fighting on the home front as the British bombed military
and civilian targets at night and the Americans bombed during the day.
Hitler had to
prioritize, all of the fighting and defending required men and material. In
late 1943 he picked the Western front to receive the logistical support to try
and stop the invasion he saw coming.
But was the
invasion important to the Allies? It certainly was not to the United States
Army Air Corps. The senior officers of the air force were convinced that
around-the-clock bombing of Germany would bring the country to it’s knees. And
they were probably right.
The main reason
for the invasion was to keep Russia in the war. Hitler knew the Allies were a
marriage of convenience—he believed the capitalist societies of the United
States and the United Kingdom were actually the natural enemies of the
communist regime of the Soviet Union. The Cold War that ensued after World War
II would prove him right.
In addition,
Germany and Russia had as recently as 1941 been allies themselves, signing the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact in August of 1939 that carved up Poland.
If Stalin grew tired of the tremoundous casualties he was incurring or became
convinced he could not trust the United States and Britain to wage war on
Germany aggressively, a separate peace with Germany might be possible. Getting
Russia out of the war would allow Hitler to take on the United States and the
UK. Or, in his twisted mind, he perhaps could convince the Americans and
British to ally with capitalist Germany against communist Russia. As early as
1928 Hitler wrote that Germany and England should be allies and perhaps unite
against even the United States—“If England remains true to her great world
political aims, her potential enemies will be France and Russia in Europe and,
in the other parts of the world, especially the American Union in the future.”
The invasions of
North Africa, Sicily and Italy did nothing to prove the mettle of the British
and Americans to Stalin. And he cared less about the sacrifices of the Marine
Corps in the Pacific. Stalin could do the math as easily as anyone else, and
only a stab at the Ruhr valley would keep him in the war. That is why the
British and Americans invaded Normandy.
Tag :
War and Military,
WWII
Free Weekend Promotion. Get 2 Books that Honor Our Soldiers
In honor of our soldiers this Memorial Day Weekend, my distributor, Janson media is running a FREE Kindle promotion. Download the books, Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of WWII and Lincoln and Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom which are both based on my award-winning films.
SILENT WINGS:
From the early race to build gliders to the D-Day invasion at Normandy and Nazi Germany's final surrender, Silent Wings, reveals the critical role gliders played in World War II offensives. Through interviews with glider vets as well as WWII war correspondents, Walter Cronkite and Andy Rooney, the book places the reader right at the center of the action in the dangerous world of the American glider pilot.
During WWII, 6000 young Americans volunteered to fly large unarmed cargo gliders into battle. For these glider pilots every mission was do-or-die. It was their task to repeatedly risk their lives landing the men and tools of war deep within enemy-held territory, often in complete darkness, using only a stopwatch to navigate. Thousands of lives were saved and battles won because of their efforts. In fact, one pilot interviewed said - the 'G' in their emblem didn't stand for glider; it stood for 'guts'.
LINCOLN and LEE
It's September 17, 1862 and President Abraham Lincoln needs a victory in order to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and end slavery in the South. But Robert E. Lee has other plans - invade the North.
"Articulate and gut-wrenching...a must for any history buff." --Jordan Riefe, "ABC Radio Network"
"A collection of highly regarded historians offer educated insight into the bloodiest day in American history." --Jason Buchanan, "All Movie Guide"
From the early race to build gliders to the D-Day invasion at Normandy and Nazi Germany's final surrender, Silent Wings, reveals the critical role gliders played in World War II offensives. Through interviews with glider vets as well as WWII war correspondents, Walter Cronkite and Andy Rooney, the book places the reader right at the center of the action in the dangerous world of the American glider pilot.
During WWII, 6000 young Americans volunteered to fly large unarmed cargo gliders into battle. For these glider pilots every mission was do-or-die. It was their task to repeatedly risk their lives landing the men and tools of war deep within enemy-held territory, often in complete darkness, using only a stopwatch to navigate. Thousands of lives were saved and battles won because of their efforts. In fact, one pilot interviewed said - the 'G' in their emblem didn't stand for glider; it stood for 'guts'.
It's September 17, 1862 and President Abraham Lincoln needs a victory in order to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and end slavery in the South. But Robert E. Lee has other plans - invade the North.
"Articulate and gut-wrenching...a must for any history buff." --Jordan Riefe, "ABC Radio Network"
"A collection of highly regarded historians offer educated insight into the bloodiest day in American history." --Jason Buchanan, "All Movie Guide"
