Chapter Summaries

German forces halted their pursuit to secure crossings over the Saint Croix River and prepare a major offensive against the US 5th and 6th Army Corps. As German armor crossed, American commanders fortified Topsfield and Princeton and called for reinforcements.

• German commanders halted the advance, ordered infantry to cross the Saint Croix River, and had engineers build pontoon bridges for heavy equipment.
• Marshal Guderian ordered the 8th Army Corps to cross by the following night and attack the US 5th Army Corps, while the 3rd and 13th Army Corps prepared to attack the US 6th Army Corps.
• Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott rejected another counterattack and ordered the US 5th Army Corps to defend Topsfield.
• The US 6th Army Corps chose to defend Princeton and, like Truscott, requested reinforcements.
• The American General Staff sent the 8th and 11th Army Corps south, while the US Army Air Corps could not stop German troops from crossing the river.
• German armored divisions and Mechanized Infantry Divisions began crossing the Saint Croix River in an orderly fashion.

German forces attacked the US positions at Topsfield after crossing the Saint Croix River, using artillery and air power to break through the defenses. As Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott committed his remaining armored forces to strike the German flank, Marshal Guderian ordered German armored and mechanized divisions to meet and destroy them.

• Marshal Guderian ordered German divisions to attack Topsfield while German artillery and aircraft bombarded the US defenses.
• German mechanized infantry and infantry advanced under tank, aircraft, and helicopter support, overrunning US anti-tank positions and breaking through the defensive line.
• Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott concluded the US positions could not hold and ordered the 5th Armored Division, 41st Mechanized Infantry Division, and 42nd Mechanized Infantry Division to attack the German flank.
• Marshal Guderian ordered the 8th Armored Division, 88th Armored Division, 73rd Mechanized Infantry Division, and 74th Mechanized Infantry Division to engage the US armored forces.

German aircraft and armored forces devastated the US tanks attacking the German assault on Topsfield, leaving the American units badly outmatched. The US crews were ordered to close the distance with the German tanks, whose King Tigers could destroy M26s from 1,200 meters.

• The US 5th Armored Division charged the German flank while the 41st and 42nd Mechanized Infantry Divisions guarded its sides.
• German Dive Bombers and armed helicopters attacked first, destroying more than a hundred US tanks before the tank battle fully began.
• The 8th Armored Division and 88th Armored Division advanced, and German tank crews hurried to reach the battlefield before the aircraft destroyed all their targets.
• King Tiger tanks destroyed US tanks with 105mm cannons, including an M26 at 1,200 meters, while American crews struggled to penetrate German armor.
• A US armored forces officer ordered the tanks to close the distance so their cannons could hit and penetrate German tanks.

German tanks and armed helicopters overwhelmed the US 5th Army Corps’ armored forces, forcing Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott to order a retreat from Topsfield. The retreat turned into a rout as the German 8th Army Corps pursued and destroyed the corps’ main force.

• A King Tiger destroyed an M26 tank, then survived a 90-millimeter shell that bounced off its sloped frontal armor before destroying the attacking M26.
• German tanks and armed helicopters inflicted heavy losses on the US armored forces, and frightened US crews fled, exposing their tanks’ sides and rears to German fire.
• An officer told Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott that the 5th Armored Division had lost more than sixty percent of its tanks and that German forces were pursuing them.
• After hearing that the frontline was breaking and Topsfield could not be held, Lucian Truscott ordered an immediate retreat.
• US troops withdrew from Topsfield without organizing a rearguard, and the German 8th Army Corps pursued and wiped out the US 5th Army Corps’ main force.

After destroying the US 5th and 6th Army Corps, German commanders moved to encircle the eight remaining American Army Corps in Maine. As the German offensive began, General Marshall ordered two more Army Corps north to reinforce them, but German forces threatened to block their way.

• Marshal Guderian reported that the US 5th Army Corps was retreating and the US 6th Army Corps had been wiped out, then requested an attack on the eight remaining American Army Corps in Maine.
• Field Marshal Manstein ordered German Army Corps to pursue the retreating Americans, block reinforcements, and attack the forces trapped in Maine with English and Welsh support.
• On April 15, German 8th and 13th Army Corps attacked the US 8th Army Corps as German 14th and 15th Army Corps began another offensive.
• Major General Eisenhower and Lieutenant General Joseph McNarney urged General Marshall to rescue the American forces in Maine, and Marshall ordered the 24th and 25th Army Corps north.
• German 3rd Army Corps moved south to intercept the American reinforcements while the encirclement of the forces in Maine began.

German forces and their British allies crushed US units across the northeastern front, trapping the remaining American troops in northern Maine. US relief corps failed to break through at Portland, leaving the encircled force to face annihilation.

• German 8th and 13th Army Corps broke the US 8th Army Corps after its reinforcements were delayed by German air attacks, forcing the survivors to flee north.
• German Army Group C defeated the US 18th and 19th Army Corps and advanced into Michigan, while Army Group A drove US forces back through Vermont and New York.
• German forces routed the US 7th and 9th Army Corps, while the German 14th and 15th Army Corps and British 1st Army Group defeated the US 12th and 13th Army Corps.
• German and British forces compressed fewer than a million US troops into a small encirclement in northern Maine, where they abandoned much of their heavy equipment.
• The US 24th and 25th Army Corps failed to break through the German 3rd Army Corps at Portland despite attacking for several days, as German naval, air, and Marine forces reinforced the defenders.

The encircled US forces in Madawaska faced dwindling supplies, relentless German bombardment, and no feasible escape as their commanders rejected orders to break out. A German assault destroyed the encircled force, while German advances elsewhere left the Republic of America with little hope.

• US Army commanders learned that reinforcements were blocked at Portland and argued over whether to hold out or attempt a breakout.
• Lieutenant General Robert Eichelberger reported that General Staff Headquarters ordered a southward breakout, but the commanders judged it suicidal and made no plan to carry it out.
• German bombardment and air raids intensified the next day, killing many US troops and further damaging their morale.
• German and allied forces attacked Madawaska, broke through the US defenses, and drove many US units to surrender.
• By evening, the German military had eliminated the encircled US forces, completing the destruction of all ten US army corps deployed in Maine.
• Army Group A continued toward Washington after victories in New York and Vermont, while Army Group C advanced across the Great Lakes region.

After the German army destroyed the US defenses in Maine, General Marshall ordered forces in the Northeast to retreat and reported the military’s enormous losses to President Roosevelt. Roosevelt called for the remaining troops to gather near Washington for one last fight before negotiations, and Marshall agreed to try.

• Major General Eisenhower told General Marshall that German forces had overrun Maine and many US units had surrendered.
• General Marshall ordered the 24th and 25th Army Corps and troops in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island to retreat to New Jersey, abandoning the defense of New York.
• General Marshall and Major General Eisenhower went to the White House after the President requested their presence.
• General Marshall told President Roosevelt and his officials that the United States had lost 3.8 million troops, including many who had surrendered.
• Secretary of State Hull suggested seeking another way out as officials doubted the United States could defeat Germany or preserve the Republic of America.
• President Roosevelt asked General Marshall to concentrate forces around Washington and fight once more to improve their negotiating position, and Marshall agreed to try.

President Roosevelt ordered the remaining US forces to assemble in Washington for a final battle against Germany, hoping to win a dignified peace. Field Marshal Manstein ordered the German Army Groups and Puppet Troops to march on Washington, setting the stage for the decisive battle.

• President Roosevelt ordered General Marshall to gather the US Army in Washington, where more than three million troops assembled and more were still arriving.
• Field Marshal Manstein met with Marshal Guderian, Marshal Blomberg, and Marshal Rommel at German North American Theater Headquarters in New York to discuss the final battle.
• The German marshals judged the American forces to be weak despite their numbers and agreed that concentrating them in Washington would make it easier to defeat them.
• Field Marshal Manstein ordered the German forces to march on Washington, and German Army Groups A, B, and C and the Puppet Troops began advancing.

President Roosevelt rallied US troops to defend Washington as Field Marshal Manstein prepared a German attack and ordered air raids. General Marshall and Major General Eisenhower inspected the US defenses, leaving the final battle looming.

• President Roosevelt urged Americans to fight the Germans for their country and freedom, and US soldiers renewed their resolve.
• Field Marshal Manstein dismissed Roosevelt’s speech and asked when the German army groups would reach their designated areas.
• A general reported that Army Groups B, A, and C would arrive in three days, five days, and a week, respectively, and that supplies for the Washington attack were nearly ready.
• Field Marshal Manstein ordered the German Air Force to bomb Washington before the army arrived.
• General Marshall inspected the US defensive line north of Washington, while Major General Eisenhower described the assembled forces and fortifications as strong enough to stop the Germans.

The German Air Force bombed Washington for a week, devastating US defenses and morale. On May 24, 1941, Germany’s three Army Groups began their ground offensive, advancing behind a massive artillery barrage and armored forces.

• US anti-aircraft troops opened fire on German aircraft, but German fighters and dive bombers attacked and suppressed their positions.
• German bombers devastated Washington’s defensive sectors and destroyed buildings including the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Pentagon.
• After a week of bombing, Germany’s three Army Groups launched their offensive against Washington, while puppet troops guarded nearby rivers to block US troops from escaping.
• German artillery from fifteen armies bombarded the US positions for an hour, then shifted fire toward the rear.
• A German front-line commander ordered the attack, and German soldiers advanced behind armored forces against the US positions.

German armored forces launched a major offensive against American defenses north and northeast of Washington, with air and helicopter attacks weakening the front before the tanks advanced. The German ground assault broke through the American positions despite limited German losses.

• German commanders sent a third of their armored strength, including King Tiger, Tiger, and Panther tanks, toward the American lines north and northeast of Washington.
• German Air Force aircraft and helicopters attacked American positions, destroying firing points and inflicting heavy casualties.
• General Marshall noticed the aerial assault and General Henry Arnold ordered the remaining Army Air Corps aircraft into battle, forcing German aircraft and helicopters to pull back.
• German tanks bombarded American firing points as American troops managed to destroy one Panther tank with a rocket before German infantry killed the launcher team.
• German armored forces overwhelmed the American defenses, which did not hold for long before the Germans tore through them.

German tanks and infantry broke through the first US defensive line, inflicting heavy losses and causing the defenders to flee. At Washington, General Marshall ordered a major armored counterattack to try to halt the German advance.

• German King Tiger tanks and accompanying infantry overran US positions, crushing the defenders’ resistance and forcing the remaining troops to retreat.
• A US anti-tank gun crew saw its 57mm shell bounce off a King Tiger’s frontal armor, further undermining US morale.
• General Marshall reported that the first defensive line had fallen and doubted the second could stop the German offensive.
• Major General Eisenhower and Lieutenant General Leslie McNair urged the US command to commit armored forces, while Lieutenant General Joseph McNarney warned that US armor was inferior to Germany’s.
• General Marshall ordered seven Armored Divisions and fourteen Mechanized Infantry Divisions to prepare for a counterattack in one hour.

On May 24, 1941, the US Army launched a massive armored counterattack against the German advance near Washington, but the German forces withdrew in good order to draw the Americans into a long-range tank battle. German heavy tanks devastated the advancing US armor, leaving the counterattack in a massacre.

• The US Army sent seven Armored Divisions and fourteen Mechanized Infantry Divisions to counterattack the German assault on its second line of defense.
• German aircraft spotted the US armored formation, and the German infantry and Armored Forces began an orderly retreat to widen the engagement distance.
• US soldiers mistook the retreat for a German defeat, while their tank crews pursued the withdrawing German armor.
• At over 1,200 meters, German King Tiger and Mighty Tiger tanks fired while reversing and destroyed US tanks with their superior guns and armor.
• US commanders ordered their tanks to close the distance, but German fire continued to devastate the American armored forces.

American and German armored forces fought a massive tank battle as German reinforcements and aircraft increased the pressure on the Americans. The fighting ended at sundown with far greater American losses, and most American units were unable to withdraw.

• An American M26 destroyed a King Tiger with a shot to its side, but German Panther tanks counterattacked and inflicted heavy losses on the American armor.
• German commanders sent five Armored Divisions and ten Mechanized Infantry Divisions into battle, while German aircraft and armed helicopters attacked American tanks.
• American and German tanks fought at close range, with both sides suffering heavy losses and American casualties remaining much higher.
• After an hour, German reinforcements attacked from the flank and threatened to encircle the American force.
• American commanders requested help, and General Marshall sent another five Armored Divisions and ten Mechanized Infantry Divisions to rescue them.
• The battle continued until sundown, when most American armored units had been destroyed or were unable to withdraw.

After a devastating defeat in the tank battle, US forces lost the will to fight as the German military advanced toward Washington. Field Marshal Manstein ordered his troops to close in and prevent the American forces from escaping, while an entire US division surrendered.

• US soldiers began leaving their trenches and surrendering as the German military attacked the third line of defense outside Washington.
• German officers discussed how the previous day's tank battle had shattered US morale and left the American forces unable to resist effectively.
• Field Marshal Manstein ordered the German military to accelerate its advance and seize the third line before sunset.
• Field Marshal Manstein directed forces southeast, south, and southwest of Washington to block any US retreat and help encircle the troops there.
• The commander of the US 156th Division surrendered his more than ten thousand soldiers, and a German major general accepted the division's surrender.

As German forces broke through Washington’s third defensive line and began bombarding the city, General Marshall and his officers concluded that the US Army could no longer resist and needed to seek surrender. The bombardment devastated the remaining defenses and left the army’s morale at rock bottom.

• Major General Eisenhower reported that German troops had broken through the third line and were nearing downtown Washington as US units surrendered in large numbers.
• Lieutenant General Joseph McNarney and Lieutenant General Leslie McNair told General Marshall that the army had lost the will to fight and could not stop the Germans.
• General Marshall agreed that seeking surrender was the only remaining option, and Major General Eisenhower urged him to tell President Roosevelt that the army could no longer continue fighting.
• German artillery began a large-scale bombardment of Washington, shaking the generals’ headquarters and confirming that the city was within range.
• After several hours of bombardment, German shells had nearly destroyed the US defenses and further crushed the army’s morale.

After Germany’s bombardment stopped, General Marshall met President Roosevelt in the ruined White House and explained that the American army could no longer fight. Roosevelt decided that the defeated United States had to seek peace from Germany, though he feared the Germans would destroy the country regardless.

• General Marshall traveled through the devastated streets of Washington to meet President Roosevelt in the White House basement.
• General Marshall told Roosevelt that American forces had lost the will and ability to continue fighting, with soldiers and even entire units surrendering.
• Roosevelt regretted his past decisions but accepted responsibility for the defeat, while Marshall defended his choices.
• Roosevelt summoned the Cabinet and declared that the United States had to beg Germany for peace.

President Roosevelt and senior American officials accepted that the United States had lost the war and decided to seek peace with Germany. Roosevelt appointed Secretary of State Hull to negotiate, leaving America’s continued existence uncertain.

• President Roosevelt told the assembled officials that the German offensive had made further resistance pointless and accepted responsibility for challenging Germany.
• Secretary of State Hull and other officials shared responsibility for the decision to go to war, and no one objected when Roosevelt proposed seeking peace.
• Roosevelt said America should accept Germany’s demands as far as necessary to preserve the Republic of America.
• Hull suggested concessions involving territory, reparations, and military restrictions, and Roosevelt agreed to consider them.
• General Marshall asked who would negotiate, and Roosevelt ordered Hull to lead the talks with full authority.
• Hull accepted the assignment and said he would seek favorable terms.

As German forces neared Washington, the United States asked to begin peace talks. Oscar rejected negotiations and declared that America had only one option: unconditional surrender.

• Manstein suspended the ground offensive while German artillery and aircraft continued bombarding Washington to conserve German lives and use up ammunition.
• On May 29, Secretary of State Hull crossed into German lines under a white flag and requested peace talks on behalf of the American president.
• Manstein agreed to relay Hull’s request to the homeland, while believing Germany would impose severe terms on the defeated United States.
• After receiving Manstein’s telegram, Oscar asked his officials whether to negotiate and then refused peace talks, demanding America’s unconditional surrender.