None the less, to you, my oldest friend, thank you.
Wikipedia is a wonderful thing and I have used it as my first port of call for much of the research for the series. Use it and support it.
My thanks to the US Army Center of Military History and Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library websites for providing the out of copyright images.
Thanks also go to the owners of www.thesubmarinesailor.com, from which site I obtained some of my quotes.
I have also liberally accessed the site www.combinedfleet.com, from where much of my Japanese naval information is sourced.
All map work is original, save for the Château outline, which derives from a public domain handout.
Particular thanks go to Steen Ammentorp, who is responsible for the wonderful www.generals.dk site, which is a superb place to visit in search of details on generals of all nations. The site has proven invaluable in compiling many of the biographies dealing with the senior officers found in these books.
If I have missed anyone or any agency I apologise and promise to rectify the omission at the earliest opportunity.
Author’s note.
The correlation between the Allied and Soviet forces is difficult to assess for a number of reasons.
Neither side could claim that their units were all at full strength, and information on the relevant strengths over the period this book is set in is limited as far as the Allies are concerned and relatively non-existent for the Soviet forces.
I have had to use some licence regarding force strengths and I hope that the critics will not be too harsh with me if I get things wrong in that regard. A Soviet Rifle Division could vary in strength from the size of two thousand men to be as high as nine thousand men, and in some special cases could be even more.
Indeed, the very names used do not help the reader to understand unless they are already knowledgeable.
A prime example is the Corps. For the British and US forces, a Corps was a collection of Divisions and Brigades directly subservient to an Army. A Soviet Corps, such as the 2nd Guards Tank Corps, bore no relation to a unit such as British XXX Corps. The 2nd G.T.C. was a Tank Division by another name and this difference in ‘naming’ continues to the Soviet Army, which was more akin to the Allied Corps.
The Army Group was mirrored by the Soviet Front.
Going down from the Corps, the differences continue, where a Russian rifle division should probably be more looked at as the equivalent of a US Infantry regiment or British Infantry Brigade, although this was not always the case. The decision to leave the correct nomenclature in place was made early on. In that, I felt that those who already possess knowledge would not become disillusioned, and that those who were new to the concept could acquire knowledge that would stand them in good stead when reading factual accounts of WW2.
There are also some difficulties encountered with ranks. Some readers may feel that a certain battle would have been left in the command of a more senior rank, and the reverse case where seniors seem to have few forces under their authority. Casualties will have played their part but, particularly in the Soviet Army, seniority and rank was a complicated affair, sometimes with Colonels in charge of Divisions larger than those commanded by a General. It is easier for me to attach a chart to give the reader a rough guide of how the ranks equate.
Also, please remember, that by now attrition has downsized units in all armies.
Book Dedication
I do not know their names, or in what capacity they all serve, but I do know that they are there and are constantly vigilant.
I also know that if it were not for them, then all our lives would be affected more openly by world events and the actions of a few lunatics.
The war on terror continues without break, day in, day out, and sometimes we lose.
In honesty, I think we all know that some will get through; to be successful all the time is impossible.
Some home grown fanatic will not be spotted in time, or a group will manage to slip through the net, and outrages will be visited upon us, all in the name of something or other that has motivated some imbecile to take innocent lives.
However, I have no doubt at all that the efforts of those I cannot name have prevented many outrages and will continue to do so.
So, I take this opportunity to go on the record and address those who protect us from the evils of terrorism, fanaticism, and the brutality of the warped mind.
No matter what your agency or your contribution, I thank you all.
May I remind the reader that his book is written primarily in English, not American English. Therefore, please expect the unashamed use of ‘U’, such as in honour and armoured, unless I am using the American version to remain true to a character or situation.
By example, I will write the 11th Armoured Division and the 11th US Armored Division, as each is correct in national context.
Where using dialogue, the character uses the correct rank, such as Mayor, instead of Major for the Soviet dialogue, or Maior for the German dialogue.
Otherwise, in non-dialogue circumstances, all ranks and units will be in English.
Book #1 – Opening Moves [Chapters 1-54]
Book #2 – Breakthrough [Chapters 55-77]
Book #3 – Stalemate [Chapters 78-102]
Book #4 – Impasse [Chapters 103 – 125]
Book #5 – Sacrifice [Chapters 126 – 148]
Book #6 – Initiative [Chapters 149 – 171]
Book #7 – Endgame [Chapters 172 – 199]
Map
Chapter 172 – THE STRAIGHTS
Never was anything great achieved without danger.
1509 hrs, Monday, 19th August 1946, Chateau de Versailles, France.
Kenneth Strong, Chief of Military Intelligence to NATO, stood as his visitor was ushered in.
“General Gehlen. Good afternoon. Tea?”
The head of the Germany’s Military Intelligence Section shook his head.
“I’m afraid not, General Strong. I’ve only a little time. This is an unofficial call, as I told your aide… I must not be missed.”
In itself a curious statement, and one that piqued Strong’s interest.
“Well, that’s got my attention. I’m all ears, General.”
No words came by way of explanation.
Instead, Gehlen extracted a set of pictures from a grey folder and set them out on the desk.
“What am I looking at, General?”
“The Soviet Union’s May Day parade this year. I can only apologise, but I did not have sight of these pictures until yesterday, otherwise I would have brought them to you much earlier.”
Strong was puzzled.
“But we had a briefing document through, with pictures your agents took on the day… didn’t we?”
Gehlen sat back in his seat and shrugged.