This is the second book in a series by the author that describes in detail the establishment and combat history of the 17th SS Panzer-Grenadier-Division ?Gotz von Berlichingen?. By order of Adolf Hitler, this division was established in October 1943 in France and trained there until its first actions at the beginning of June 1944. It would fight exclusively on the Western Front. In this volume, the battles of the later stages of the Normandy Campaign are looked at in-depth as the division began its fighting retreat, struggling to slow down the Allied onslaught. This account features Hitler's last gamble to turn the tide in Normandy - Operation Luttich and the subsequent raging battles in and around the Falaise Pocket. Remnants of the division retreated to the Seine and Meuse rivers. It refitted in Lorraine and the Saar for further engagements against American and Allied forces which will be covered in future volumes. Throughout, the author provides a continuous account of the overall situation on the Northwestern Front, daily and hourly reports on the actions of the division's units interspersed with many personal accounts by its Waffen SS panzer grenadiers. Maps and appendices provide a detailed picture of the division, its sub-units, and decisions undertaken by the higher command.
