ISBN 0-7509-3019-5
192 pages

Introduction; Foreword; photos; maps; OBs; Further Research; Index

Clark, Lloyd. Battle Zone Normandy: Orne Bridgehead. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2004

ISBN 0-7509-3009-58
192 pages

Introduction; Acknowledgements; photos; maps; OBs; Further Research; Index

   Producing a number of related books as a series can have benefits for a publisher, and in many cases a series can prove a boon for readers as well. Certainly publishers and readers alike found much to be pleased with in two of the most successful WWII-related libraries: the Time-Life series and the Ballantine series. The publishers reaped considerable profits from those books while readers and collectors gobbled them up. After all these years we continue to hear from folks who tell us they're still seeking a couple more volumes to complete their collections.
   Many other publishers, perhaps trying to emulate the success of those two long-lived sets, continue to put together fresh series of books. In some cases, a series can simply be the work of an author whose manuscript is too lengthy for a publisher to conveniently release as a single tome. (A good example is the Fighter Command War Diaries series by John Foreman from Air Research.) Another approach is to take an essentially unrelated group of topics and produce a multi-volume series of books unified by style and presentation. (A good example is the new Praeger series, originally the Campaign series from Osprey, recently surveyed here.) In between those two approaches, publishers sometimes take a fairly specific topic, divide it into several separate books, impose a distinctive organization and visual approach, and—voila!—announce a new series.
   That third approach is the route taken by Sutton Publishing with the new Battle Zone Normandy series. Editor Simon Trew is putting together a sequence of fourteen books covering in sum the entirety of the Normandy campaign. Individually, the books come from a variety of authors but they are all unified by the same campaign, same organizational structure, and same distinctive style of graphics.
   Sutton Publishing has been kind enough to forward the first two volumes in the series, Sword Beach and Orne Bridgehead, so here are some notes about what will surely be one of the largest entries in this year's D-Day sweepstakes.
   The books are hardcovers measuring 9.5 inches tall by 6.25 inches wide. Each runs 188 pages plus an unpaginated index of three pages. Both books sport a nearly identical structure:

Part One: Introduction
Introduction to the Battle Zone Normandy series by Simon Trew (identical in each volume)
Acknowledgements (Orne) or Foreword (Sword)

Part Two: History
84 pages divided into several chapters

Part Three: Battlefield Tours
General touring information
Specific tours

Part Four: On Your Return
Further Research (three-page essay on books and resources)
Index

   In practice, each book divides almost evenly between pages devoted to operations and pages devoted to guiding the reader with driving and walking tours through the scene of the action. While the books of the Campaign series also offer a few pages on touring, in this respect Battle Zone Normandy seems to be a little closer to the Battleground Europe volumes from Pen & Sword with their extra emphasis on battlefield tours.
   In any event, in a book of 188 pages, only 84 pages deal with combat (although the section on touring contains some further information). Of the 84 pages in the "History" section of Orne Bridgehead, a rough count shows about sixty photos (some of them taking up an entire page, and at least one two-page spread), five maps (at least one two-page spread), a couple of OB charts, and at least a half-dozen other sidebars on various topics. Bottom line: Like the Osprey/Praeger series, as well as the similar Battleground Europe books, it's safe to say these volumes are heavily illustrated.
   The photographs run the gamut: some color, some black and white, some familiar, some not, some of notable commanders, some of rank and file, some aerial views, some of attackers, some of defenders, and some "then and now" comparisons, of which there are more in the "Battlefield Tours" section of the book. Promotional blurbs for the series draw attention to the "newly commissioned" maps (from Mapping Creations Ltd) and they are quite nice: very colorful and very detailed with respect to the terrain features, and probably very useful for touring. Unfortunately, they're not especially plentiful and they can be a little tough to read when studying operations. For example, in some cases units and positions are not labeled on the map, but only given numbers which need to be checked against a key. In addition, because positions and movements of units overlay the base map, the underlying features and names are sometimes obscured by the units. All in all, though, the books feature a distinctive, above-average visual style that enhances the text and will probably appeal to most readers.
   As to the text, based on these two books the series will not break a great deal of new ground. The first chapter of Sword Beach in particular wins few points for style or content. While there's nothing really wrong with the text, the author glosses over the background material at a very basic level, leaving out so much that the narrative sounds almost as though it's aimed at a juvenile audience.

   By the end of 1942 it was clear to most British and American leaders that a powerful force would eventually have to be landed on the continent of Europe to strike at the heart of Hitler's Germany. To end the war the fight would need to be taken to the gates of Berlin itself and the Nazi Empire destroyed in its homeland. Everything else, the fighting in other theatres, the naval campaigns, the bombing war, secret operations and resistance networks, important as each of them were to the war effort, was all undertaken to keep the Germans engaged and wear them down whilst preparations were made for this one event. The war would never be over until Allied soldiers occupied every square metre of the Third Reich and Hitler had been removed from power. Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union would accept nothing short of unconditional surrender.

   Fortunately, the quality improves considerably after the introductory material. There are nonetheless more areas Ford skims over without providing much information in his volume. For example, concerning the preliminary aerial bombing of the beach he writes a single sentence: "Allied bombers droned up and down the coastline showering known positions with high explosives." Its vagueness aside, that factoid might raise an eyebrow or two, considering that elsewhere the bombers flew a single pass perpendicular to the coast, and—at least at Omaha—by being careful to avoid friendly forces heading for shore accidentally dropped their bombs too late and too far inland to damage the coastal defenses. Were the bombers more effective at Sword? Ford provides no indication, nor does he mention that the air support at Sword comprised heavy bombers followed by Typhoons.
   On the other hand, Lloyd Clark's writing proves, right from the beginning, considerably more supple, active, and engaging in Orne Bridgehead. He also eschews an abbreviated and perfunctory review of the overall background to the invasion in favor of a brief but quite satisfactory survey of the development of British airborne forces during 1940 through 1944.

   During their early days the airborne forces had to unravel a tangled skein of issues surrounding their training, planning, deployment and fighting methods. Since there was no airborne past from which to draw lessons, everything—from specialist weapons and equipment to doctrine—had to be made up as they went along. Progress was slow and the first use of these forces in February 1941 against the Tragino aqueduct in southern Italy ended in failure when all 38 paratroopers were captured. Nevertheless, faith was not lost and, on 31 August 1941, 1st Parachute Brigade was formed under Brigadier Richard Gale, consisting of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Parachute Battalions and No. 1 Air Troop, Royal Engineers. During the autumn an infantry brigade was also converted into an airlanding brigade. It was commanded by Brigadier G.F. Hopkinson and included the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (2 OBLI), and 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles (1 RUR). The result of these expansions was the establishment of an airborne division, and the father of British airborne forces, Frederick 'Boy' Browning, was promoted to the rank of major-general and appointed as 'Commander Paratroops and Airborne Troops'.
   Browning gave a great boost to the development of parachute and glider troops. In early 1942 the Army Air Corps was established to administer the parachute battalions and 2nd Parachute Brigade was formed. The rapid growth of parachute forces meant, however, that previously-existing infantry battalions had to be converted to the parachute role, rather than relying exclusively on volunteers; it was in this way that 5th and 6th Parachute Battalions were formed. Change was rapid and many questions were asked in both political and military circles about the need for airborne forces at a time when there were so many other calls on valuable resources. All the airborne fraternity were therefore relieved when the raid against the German radar station at Bruneval on the northern coast of France, by a company of 2nd Parachute Battalion in February 1942, was a great success. Bruneval revealed the potential worth of airborne warfare, yet resources were still scant. Even so Browning continued to oversee the development and growth of this new arm, not least in nurturing its relationship with the RAF. Before long 3rd and 4th Parachute Brigades were raised, the former consisting of 7th, 8th and 9th Parachute Battalions commanded by Brigadier Gerald Lathbury.

   Reading just the introductory chapters for the two volumes raises an interesting question. How will this series deal with material—such as the background and overall planning for Overlord, weapons, unit organizations, commanders, etc—which is common to all the books? Commanders such as Montgomery and Dempsey who are introduced in Sword Beach will certainly appear again in other volumes. Will the authors of those volumes also write brief biographical notes for the same officers? With just the first two books on hand, it's too soon to answer those questions.
   It is already possible, however, to begin making comparisons with some similar titles.
   Interestingly, the material covered in the first two Battle Zone Normandy volumes—Sword beach and the British airborne landings—almost precisely matches another volume (titled, logically enough, D-Day 1944: Sword Beach & the British Airborne Landings) from the Osprey/Praeger series, written by, even more interestingly, none other than Sword Beach author Ken Ford. Naturally, that opens a major opportunity for comparing and contrasting the two Sutton books with Ford's older title.
   Here's what Ford writes about the importance of Caen in the older book:

   This new British beach was designated 'Sword Beach' and it stretched from St Aubin sur Mer in the west to the mouth of the River Orne in the east. Eight miles up the Orne was the city of Caen, and from the city a network of roads radiated, linking it to all parts of Normandy. The quick capture of Caen, therefore, became of strategic importance in order to give the Allied landings a swift route into the heartland of France. The inclusion of Sword Beach in the invasion plan now made it possible to contemplate seizing Caen on the first day of the landings, before the enemy could mobilise to prevent the city falling to the Allies. Montgomery made it clear that the seizure of Caen was a D-Day objective of the highest order.

   And here's what he write about Caen in the new book:

   Crucial to the security of the beachhead was the early capture of Caen, situated 12 kilometres (km) inland of the eastern side of the amphibious landings. Caen was the centre of an important network of roads decisive to the Allied exploitation of the lodgement or to German attempts to launch effective counterattacks. To the south of the town, open flat countryside would be ideal for launching an armoured breakout. The capture of Caen and the seizing of a sizeable lodgement in this important eastern sector would be accomplished from a landing beach close to the mouth of the River Orne. This was Sword Beach. The British 3rd Infantry Division was given the task of landing on Sword, gaining a beachhead and seizing Caen on the day of the invasion.

   This is Ford's biographical sketch for General Feuchtinger in the older book:

   Many miles inland, but also in the sector opposite Sword Beach astride the River Orne, was the German 21st Panzer Division, commanded by Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger. This Panzer unit was under the control of GFM Rommel's Army Group B and was located as a mobile reserve, able to strike anywhere in Normandy that an Allied landing might take place. Feuchtinger had fought in the campaigns in the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1940 as an artillery regimental commander, and he was later wounded in Russia at the siege of Leningrad in August 1942. Although he had no experience of armoured units, he was given command of a reformed 21st Panzer Division in August 1943. He gained his promotion as a result of political connections, having been a Nazi Party organiser in the 1930s and a friend of Hitler. He was, however, not an inspired choice, and his performance as leader of the 21st Panzer Division was later called into question when he was court-martialled in March 1945.

   The paragraph about Feuchtinger in the new book is accompanied by the same photograph of the general:

   GenMaj Feuchtinger was an artilleryman and a veteran of the First World War. He became friendly with Hitler during the rise of the Nazi Party in the 1930s. At the outbreak of war he commanded 227th Artillery Regiment and fought in the 1940 battles in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, before serving with his regiment in Russia where he was wounded. In 1943 he was given command of the 21st Panzer Division, even though he had no knowledge of armoured warfare. It is thought he obtained this promotion through his Nazi Party connections.

   Here's Ford's description of the landing at Stronpoint Cod in the older book:

   Over to the left, the 2nd East Yorks touched down on Queen Red beach straight into a welter of machine gun and mortar fire. Even heavier tire criss-crossed the shoreline from 88mm and 75mm guns firing along the length of the beach from the protected confines of their concrete gun emplacements located on the edge of the dunes. Fire was returned by the tanks of 13th/18th Hussars together with the gun tanks of 22nd Dragoons and the Westminster Dragoons, but they too suffered many direct hits. The East Yorks had landed to the left of strongpoint 'Cod' and keenly felt the intense small-arms fire that came from its fortifications. One company assisted the infantry of the South Lancs in attacking the site, working its way around to infiltrate the area from the rear. After a fierce struggle 'Cod' was eventually overcome and cleared.

   And this is Strongpoint Cod in Battle Zone Normandy:

   Strongpoint Cod was situated right on the boundary of White and Red Beaches immediately in front of the assaulting troops. Its capture was the first objective of A and B Companies of 2 E Yorks, landing on Queen Red. When the Yorkshiremen stormed out of their landing craft they ran directly into its line of fire. The defenders had taken shelter in deep concrete bunkers during the bombardment and now emerged to man their weapons and deal with the invaders. Machine-gun, mortar and rifle fire now poured out of Strongpoint Cod. Most of it came straight at the two assault companies of 2 E Yorks, but the men of 1 S Lanes just to their right also felt the fury of this fire, losing A Company's OC, Major J.F. Harward, almost immediately.

   Partly because the same author wrote them and partly because both series share such a similar, heavily illustrated approach to presenting the same battle, the two volumes by Ken Ford are in many ways practically peas in a pod with little to distinguish them. Lloyd Clark's book, on the other hand, seems like the best of the three, with rather more freshness and flavor. Taken as a pair, the new releases from Sutton might get the nod over the older book simply by virtue of being, together, considerably longer than Ford's first work on the combined topics, but even that's slightly deceiving. Although the two volumes from Battle Zone Normandy contain in sum almost 400 pages, at least half of them are devoted to touring the battlefield, leaving fewer than 200 pages covering the battle in comparison to about 90 pages in the Campaign volume. Given that the Campaign volume packs the pages with considerably denser text, the two Sutton offerings combined don't really contain all that much more material about the battles than the single older volume.
   As a whole, Battle Zone Normandy with its planned fourteen volumes will undoubtedly paint a complete picture of the entire campaign. For readers specifically seeking information about battlefield tours, the Sutton books will fit the bill quite nicely. Otherwise, based on these two releases, viewed individually the books from Sutton seem competent but not especially outstanding, mostly recycle familiar material, and offer not a great deal more (tours aside) than existing books such as those of the Praeger/Osprey series relating to Normandy or the Pen & Sword Battleground Europe books covering the same territory. Moreover, there's no way these Normandy books—with relatively limited scope, superficial bibliographies, and no footnotes—can compare to titles such as Joe Balkoski's Omaha Beach, but that's probably an unfair juxtaposition insofar as Sutton Publishing has tailored this series to target a somewhat different segment of the military history market.
   If that sounds like a lukewarm recommendation, it should be further noted that the Sutton books are certainly informative and appealing enough to catch the attention of many readers. Just as the Ballantine and Time-Life books continue to hook collectors after all these years, plenty of folks should be attracted to collecting this entire series and building Battle Zone Normandy libraries for years to come, making themselves, as well as the publisher, very happy. We fully expect in ten years or so still to be hearing from collectors seeking that last, hard-to-find Battle Zone Normandy volume....
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Sutton Publishing.
   Thanks to Sutton for providing these review copies.