Featured battle : Chattanooga - Lookout Mountain

Part of American Civil War

Date : 24 November 1863

The first phase of the Battle of Chattanooga. Grant, now in command of all armies in the west sent Hooker to take Confederate outer defences overlooking the town on Lookout Mountain. He sent 3 divisions scrambling up the rocky slopes through the fog which later caused the battle to be known as the "Battle Above the Clouds". The 3 brigades of defenders were overwhelmed and fell back, by evening being driven back to the main positions on Missionary Ridge. Casualties were light, but the sign of a huge Union flag being unfurled at the top of the mountain the following morning dented further the moral of Bragg's Confederates for the battle to come.

Fighting Through to Hitler's Germany

Mark Forsdike
If you want to learn the real story of how the Second World war was won in Europe read this book. Packed with the personal stories of the men who were there in the First Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. The Corps, the division and the brigade barely get a mention. The action is with the battalion, companies, platoons, sections, and individuals. Advances are measured in metres and lives. A sobering statistic revealed at the end of the book is that of the 850 Suffolks who landed in Normandy only 187 made it to VE day. Also as an appendix is a list of medals and commendations awarded to members of the battalion.
A nice set of photographs and some very useful maps round out the text.
Though this book purports to be the story of one battalion of one regiment it is really the story of every one of the ‘poor bloody infantry’ of the British army who fought from Normandy to Germany. This ought to be read by everyone interested in WW2 in Europe because it acts as a reminder that when you see the arrows on a map showing the movement of a corps or division at the very sharpest point of that arrow is one man moving forward wearing a steel helmet and carrying a rifle with bayonet fixed and with his mates behind him. Without his skill and determination the arrow does not move.
We very warmly recommend Mark Forsdike’s book to you.

Pen & Sword Military, 2020