A review of the new Osprey title, Operation Totalize detailing the Canadian drive to seal the Falaise pocket.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

one more ww2 battle.

I haven't read the book yet but from reading the review, I'm not looking forward to it. Nowhere in the review did I read one mention of LtGen Guy Simonds, 2nd Canadian Corps commander. TOTALIZE was Simonds' battle. Period. He planned it and he commanded it. There weren't two Canadian armoured divisions but instead, 4th Canadian Armoured Division and the 1st Polish Armoured Division. And then there's the oft repeated claim that the Northamptonshire Yeomanry accounted for Wittmann's destruction. This harkens back to the early 1980's 'After The Battle' article which didn't incorporate any Canadian research, virtually ignoring the participation of the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment. Subsequent well published research indicates that the latter were most probably responsible for Wittmann's demise. However, that's not to take away from Ekins' destruction of three other Tigers in that action.

If this is the calibre of the research in this book, one is best advised to save their money and instead pick up a copy of 'No Holding Back: Operation Totalize, Normandy, August 1944' by Brian Reid for a well balanced and well researched treatment of the battle.

Cheers,

Chris

I agree Chris.

Although I'm not so up to speed on the detail of Totalize as yourself I still switched off once I read the Joe Ekins/Michael Wittmann sentence.

I clearly remember watching a very good documentary on the demise of MW and it seemed pretty conclusive that the Sherbrooke Fusiliers took him out.

Maybe some decent photo references in the book though. I've a Tasca Sherman V in the stash waiting to be built.

Best wishes

Des