Defending Fortress Europe: The War Diary of the German 7th Army, 6 June-26 July 1944

US Army historian Mark Reardon departs from familiar convention by combining a mixture of modern scholarship with primary source material written over 65 years ago. The primary source material consists of the record of daily activities, covering the period from 6 June to 26 July 1944, compiled by a staff officer from the 7th Army s operations and planning section. This record, known as the Kriestagebuch (Daily War Diary), served not only as a historical reference, but also as an aide-memoire for the commanding general and his staff. Material from Army Group B and OB-West opens each chapter, providing a context for the 7th Army war diary that follows.

Reardon adds introductory chapters to set the scene for the combat to begin on 6 June. In the concluding chapters he describes subsequent action and analyzes Normandy in a broader perspective.