Sent by the Iron Sky

The Legacy of an American Parachute Battalion in World War II

Sent by the Iron Sky cover

Description

Following on from the success of Ian Gardner's critically acclaimed trilogy on the exploits of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division in World War II, Sent by the Iron Sky tells their exhilarating story.

From the moment they entered the war in June, 1944, the men of 3rd Battalion were faced with brutal fighting against horrendous odds. Later in the year, nearly five months in combat with no relief lead to heavy losses that reduced them to the size of a company. Their heroic defence of Bastogne saw their division awarded a Unit Citation, a first in the history of the US armed forces, and they subsequently fought on across Europe, finishing the war occupying Hitler's mountain retreat of Berchtesgaden.

Drawing on years of research and interviews with veterans of some of the toughest battles of World War II, together with maps and over 200 vintage images, Ian Gardner brings to life some of the most bitter fighting of the war in Europe, laying bare the horrors of war, the deprivations of day-to-day living and the chaos of the front line.

Additional material includes a chapter on the fate of the men captured in Normandy and a foreword by Lee Wolverton, the grandson of the commander of 3rd Battalion, Col Robert Wolverton.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One: “Guiding Star”
Selection, training & Colonel Sink & Bob Wolverton

Chapter Two: “Get Loaded”
Deployment to UK & Ramsbury

Chapter Three: “Reclaim The Name”
D-Day & Normandy

Chapter Four: “Searching Souls”
POWs 1944 - 1945

Chapter Five: “Time is Short”
Return to UK & false alarms

Chapter Six: “Fire Like a River”
Operation Market Garden

Chapter Seven: “Words Like Stone”
Bastogne

Chapter Eight: “Dying For A Dream”
Hell Night & the final attack on Foy

Chapter Nine: “Distant Flags”
Alsace Lorraine & the Colmar Pocket

Chapter Ten: “Earth Stained Tears”
Western Germany & The Ruhr

Chapter Eleven: “A Principle of Faith”
Southern Bavaria

Chapter Twelve: “Living in the Machine”
Berchtesgaden & Austria

Chapter Thirteen: “Tho' Our Pictures Fade”
Coming Home

Product details

Published Nov 28 2019
Format Ebook (Epub)
Edition 1st
Extent 260
ISBN 9781472837394
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations Fully illustrated in colour and b&w
Series General Military
Short code GNM
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Ian Gardner

Ian Gardner served for five years in Support Compa…

Resources

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