Defending Normandy Vol.1B

Defending Normandy Vol.1B continues the study of the bloody battle for the Cotentin Peninsula and its crucial port of Cherbourg. By analysing original records and accounts, the book provides an unparalleled deep dive into four more infantry divisions. The 709. Infanterie-Division defended Utah Beach on D-Day and later played a vital role in the battle for Cherbourg. After D-Day, the 243. Infanterie-Division became heavily involved in the fighting against the U.S. VII Corps, opposing the Allies well into July. The 265. Infanterie- Division could only despatch a battlegroup, but it too saw heavy fighting and represents many of the difficulties faced by German forces in the west. The 353. Infanterie-Division was sent to Normandy after D-Day, forming the backbone of the fighting in southern Cotentin in July, while other elements fought costly battles around Saint-Lô.

Combined with the two divisions covered in Vol.1A, these four infantry divisions are key to understanding the role of the LXXXIV. A.K. in the defence of Normandy, beginning in late 1942 and ending with its dramatic destruction in the Falaise Pocket in August 1944.