Bloody Aachen

(WWII book)

review by Tony Gibbs

by Charles Whiting

Vol.3 of the West Wall series

This is book 3 of a series of 9 projected volumes, entitled ‘The West Wall Series’, covering the latter portions of WWII. The author is reputed to be Britain’s most prolific military writer, which is entirely plausible if his published list of over 250 titles is to be believed. He served in the war in an armored reconnaissance regiment attached to both U.S. and British forces. He would therefore seem eminently qualified to write any of the histories in this series, alas I am not aware of the names of the other authors.

Aachen is situated just a few miles from the Belgian/German border, in the middle of the ‘Aachen Gap’, one of two such ‘gaps’ (the other is the Metz gap) facilitating mechanized warfare advancing on the German heartland. This would seem to be ideal country to roadblock the U.S. advance, and maybe should come as no great surprise that this is exactly what occurred. The Germans fortified the city and the Americans had to go winkle them out.

As the first Americans arrived they could have just walked into the city and taken it, however they were out of ammunition and gas and were waiting for supplies. This was the time of the build-up for ‘Market Garden’, and no supplies were readily available. In the meantime German reinforcements turned up. Of course! ‘Bloody Aachen’ is an easily read book, with plenty of individual experiences from both sides, thus highlighting the truly bloody nature of house-to-house close combat.

One particular scene from the encirclement phase, which caught my attention, is of tank combat, where the American Shermans could fire six shots for every one by the German MkIV’s. Though admittedly that doesn’t help when the same Shermans encountered a couple of Ferdinands! One measure of a book that I use is how quickly I read through it- the quicker is generally the better, and this one was quick. Not light, but transporting- it carries you along with it. A good book- I like this one. Available from Combined Publishing for $27.95; 476 W.Elm Street, P.O. Box 307, Conshohocken, PA 19428 Telephone (610) 828-2595

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