Operation Swallow: American Soldiers' Remarkable Escape from Berga Concentration Camp

by Mark Felton

Overview

The true and heroic story of American POWs' daring escape from a Nazi concentration camp.

In this little-known story from World War II, a group of American POW camp leaders risk everything to save hundreds of fellow servicemen from a diabolical Nazi concentration camp. Their story begins in the dark forests of the Ardennes during Christmas 1944 and ends at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp in the spring of 1945. This appalling chapter of US military history and uplifting Holocaust story deserves to be widely known and understood.

Operation Swallow provides a historical, first person perspective of how American GIs stood up against their evil SS captors who were forcing them to work as slave laborers. A young GI is thrust into a leadership position and leads his fellow servicemen on a daring escape. It is a story filled with courage, sacrifice, torture, despair, and salvation. A compelling narrative-driven nonfiction book has not been written that takes the reader deep into the dark story of Operation 'Swallow' and Berga Concentration Camp—until now.

Written from personal testimonies and official documents, Operation Swallow is a tale replete with high adventure, compelling characters, human drama, tragedy, and eventual salvation, from the pen of a master of the modern military narrative.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781546076445
Publisher:	Center Street
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	443,662
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

MARK FELTON is a well-known British historian and the author of twenty books, including international bestsellers Zero Night, The Sea Devils, and Castle of the Eagles. Felton regularly contributes to periodicals and often appears as a historical expert on television specials for Discovery, History Channel, PBS, Quest, and American Heroes Channel. He lives in England.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Hold the Line! 1

Chapter 2 Surrounded! 16

Chapter 3 Go West! 30

Chapter 4 The Alamo 42

Chapter 5 Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread 53

Chapter 6 The Long March 66

Chapter 7 Friendly Fire 80

Chapter 8 A Christmas Story 92

Chapter 9 Abandon Hope 104

Chapter 10 Chief Man of Confidence 117

Chapter 11 Herr Buchmuller Recommends 132

Chapter 12 The Reprisal 144

Chapter 13 Blue Sunday 154

Chapter 14 Berga 167

Chapter 15 The Devil's Mountain 175

Chapter 16 Mutiny 187

Chapter 17 The Dogs of War 198

Chapter 18 Breakout 211

Chapter 19 Forgive Us Our Trespasses 223

Chapter 20 The End of the Line 234

Chapter 21 Deliver Us from Evil 245

Epilogue 255

Acknowledgments 259

Bibliography 261

Endnotes 265

Index 281

About the Author 291

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Mark Felton:

"Zero Night reminds us that the real Allied escapees were often far more enthralling and admirable than movies' characters could ever be."—The Wall Street Journal

"The story of the greatest escape of World War II has been told for the first time."—Daily Mail, on Zero Night

"A remarkable story of wartime bravery and escape."—The Herald, on Castle of the Eagles

"A stunning true story."—Daily Record, on Castle of the Eagles

From the Publisher