Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to the swarms of us. Osprey continues to expand their Fortress series with the 109th book in this installment. The Fortress Series examine the fortifications and defense structures of opposing forces. In this case the Atlantic wall which at the time was the most fortified defense in Europe. This “wall” proved successful in forcing the allied forces to find an alternate route after several scuffles forced them back.

For the Fortress series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Background

A variant of the M60 main battle tank featuring a low-profile turret, a 152mm main gun capable of firing conventional rounds, and the MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank missile system, the M60A2 was queued up as an interim solution while the MBT-70 was under development. Despite its advanced technology, the “Starship” did not live up to expectations and was eventually phased out of active duty units by 1981.

This book is a description of the changes in equipment, uniforms, and tactics of the allied troops from the landing at Normandy to VE day on May 8, 1945. Experience, technological improvements, and the seasoning of troops in battle brought about these changes. The book is mostly in text with supporting photos and color plates of soldiers’ uniforms and equipment. The book primarily focuses on infantry, but there are also sections on armor and field artillery. The book emphasizes tactics and use of equipment.

The book has sections on the US infantry, Free French Forces, the British/Canadian Army Group and the British 79th Armored Division.