Overwhelmed by the strength of the Allied air and ground forces, following the D-Day landings and subsequent bitter fighting in Normandy, the Germans were compelled to abandon their efforts to hold France and much of the Low Countries and retreat to the Rhine. The Wehrmacht Archive helps reveal the experience of German soldiers and armed forces personnel as they withdrew through a remarkable collection of translated original orders, diaries, letters, after-action reports and other documentation. The book also draws upon Allied technical evaluations of weapons, vehicles and equipment, as well as transcripts of prisoner of war interrogations. The reader will learn from official documents about the Germans' efforts to cope with Allied air and artillery superiority, create new tactical methods for all arms and maintain discipline in the face of superior numbers. SELLING POINTS: . The second volume in the ground-breaking Wehrmacht Archive series . An outstanding collection of translated original orders, diaries, letters, and after action reports . Includes a precis of a speech broadcast by Goebbels on 27 October 1944 setting out Germany's current position Order of the Day issued by Field Marshal Walter Model on 9 November 1944 . An unrivalled view of the liberation of Europe from the German perspective . Provides insights into how the German armed forces were regarded during this period of defeat and retreat 60 illustrations