World War II Diaries:The Complete War Report
1944 September
E61 Apr 1, 2018
On the Western Front in northern France, General Eisenhower sets up his headquarters in the city of Reims. A great student of history, he is trying to emulate Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who defeated the Romans at Cannae in south eastern Italy, in a battle considered as one of the greatest tactical displays in military history. Hitler has lost all trust in his Commanders and so he exerts very tight control over all military operations. He orders the troops defending the French cities of Dunkirk and Calais to fight to the last man, and repeats this to his men in Holland holding positions on Walcheren Island, strategically located at the mouth of the Scheldt River, the entrance to the deep water Belgian port of Antwerp. Certain officers have tried repeatedly to assassinate Hitler, as part of a conspiracy that now spreads across the nation. Some important German generals have even deserted the front lines.