Theirs the Strife: The Forgotten Battles of British Second Army and Armeegruppe Blumentritt, April 1945

- Blurb -

Early April 1945 and the British Second Army is over the Rhine and advancing across the North German Plain. Its objective is Schleswig-Holstein, with the rivers Weser, Aller and Leine the only remaining obstacles of significance before the Elbe. German forces appear to be in total disarray and British confidence is high, but tempered by the fear of becoming a casualty with the end of the war within touching distance. Unknown to the British, a new division formed from naval personnel and supported by a Waffen-SS battalion of Hitler Youth, and some of the last available Tiger and Panther tanks, has been deployed westwards to the Weser and charged with its defence. Despite their inexperience, these are well-motivated troops and determined to acquit themselves to the best of their ability in what will, in all likelihood, be their first and last battle. The destruction of a Churchill tank on the outskirts of Minden on 6 April marks the opening of 11 days of fierce action, and for all the combatants the war is very far from over. Meticulously researched and published in the 75th anniversary year of the events it describes, Theirs the Strife tells the story of a series of bitter actions fought by VIII and XII Corps to cross the three rivers. Historians have paid little attention to these final weeks, with the few British narratives hurrying from the Rhine to the surrender on Luneburg Heath and at best making only passing reference to the actions fought en route. AUTHOR: John Russell was educated at Sherborne School and has a degree (BA - Geography, Archaeology, Modern History) from Durham University. He was commissioned into The Queen's Regiment in 1974 having attended RMA Sandhurst. His operational service career included Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Afghanistan. 75 b/w photographs, maps