Tours of World War 2 battlefields can be made while traveling in Europe. This web page is intended to provide background for those who have an interest in touring the battlefields.
Why My Interest In World War 2. Since I was a young boy in Louisiana in the 1940's hovered around the radio listening to World War 2 reports from London as it was being blitzed by the Germans, I have been fascinated by the war, particularly the war in the European theater. As I grew up, my interests in World War 2 was maintained by prolific reading, watching war movies, and listening to war stories from my two uncles who served in the war.
I always assumed I would be able to tour the World War 2 battlefields for myself but such was not to be. When drafted into the army in 1954, I was first assigned to Germany, but the assignment was changed before I shipped out and I ended up in the Pacific on the Island of Okinawa for a year. I loved my duty there and was able to visit many Okinawa battlefields, but it was not Europe. Later plans for European travel have not materialized yet.
Still I feel close to the European battlefields and visit them through the eyes and words of others. Additionally, my Germany in World War 2 site keeps me in touch with hundreds of war buffs each day.
This web page is dedicated to those who, like me, wish to use travel in Europe travel to tour World War 2 battlefields.
My recommendations on which European battlefields or war memorials to tour are based more on the significance of the battles rather than on which site offers the best hotel or food accommodations. A person could have a bang-up time visiting war memorials in Paris but, if their visit was limited to Paris, that person would probably not get a genuine feel for what happened in World War 2. The battlefields I would most like to tour:
Dunkirk. This is the battlefield where the Germans made their first big mistake in World War 2. General Guderian, General Rommel, and other German generals were in the process of obliterating the Allied forces in France and Guderian's Panzer divisions were poised to apply the coup de grace to the surviving British (along with some French and other nationalities) army forces trapped at Dunkirk. About 300,000 Allied troops were virtually defenseless and nervously awaited a hastily-assembled flotilla of naval and amateur craft sent to fetch them back to England. Unaccountably, Hitler ordered Guderian's Panzers to halt, giving the British time to board their vessels and return to England. When the British troops arrived in England, they were without arms as they had to abandon their weapons at Dunkirk. Still, they were home and, eventually, would be rearmed and ready for action. These troops were the elite of the British army.
The Germans needed to destroy the British forces at Dunkirk, an action that would have likely forced the English to drop out of the war. Some experts have suspected that Hitler, who had no great dislike for the British (as he did the French, Russians, etc), deliberately allowed the British to escape thinking that Churchill would sue for peace, anyway. If these were his thoughts, he badly misjudged Churchill who was as tough as they come.
If I could visit this World War 2 battlefield, I would be satisfied with just walking the Dunkirk beach where the desperate young British soldiers stood in long lines hoping to board the next available vessel. The strain on the waiting soldiers waiting on that beach battlefield must to have been horrendous.
Battle of Britain. This battle was my first taste of war as my family huddled around a battery-powered radio in Louisiana listening to the London Blitz of 1940. It seemed the air attacks would never stop and it seemed the Germans were sure to win. I saw tears in my mother's eyes as she feared the Germans would be attacking Louisiana next. (In retrospect, we had little to fear but go back in time and try to tell that to a U.S. citizen in 1940 when the Germans look invincible.)
For World War 2 tour purposes, I don't know what is available to see in London except for the London War Museum. The museum has an excellent exhibit area covering the evacuation of British children from London in 1940. It is a touching sight to see the little tots rounded up and transported to stay with their country cousins until the blitz was over. It was tough on the children but they had no choice but to go.
More than anything else, though, I would like to talk to the British old-timers and get their observations and feelings about the London blitz and, also, to find out if they had expected to be invaded at that time, and were they frightened, and how they had planned to fight back if they were invaded.
I feel close to the British people, They are our brothers and sisters or, at least, our cousins.
Normandy Beaches (Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches). This is the massive World War 2 beach battlefield where America's greatest triumph in the European Theater of World War occurred (D-day). It was also the scene of another of Hitler's great mistakes.
As the Allied troops poured ashore at Normandy, Hitler held back his Panzer divisions, convinced that the main Allied invasion would be further to the west and that the Normandy beach attacks were a feint. By the time he realized his error, the Allies had enough troops ashore to establish a firm beachhead.
I am of the opinion that the Allies had such control of the air, that even had Hitler unleashed his Panzers earlier, the Allies would have held on. But Allied casualties would have been much heavier than the thousands actually suffered and the issue would have remained in doubt longer.
All I would want to do on a Europe battlefield tour at Normandy is just walk along the beaches (same as I would do at Dunkirk) and try to get a feel for how the brave American and British troops must to have felt as they walked up on those beaches with German machine gun fire pouring death down on them.
I'm not much for cemeteries but, apparently, the cemeteries in France for the American troops that fell on those beaches are something to see. If I am on a Europe tour, I would have to visit them.
Battle of The Bulge Battlefield. This was one of the last European World War 2 battlefields. Only a crafty cornered rat could have fought back the way Hitler did at the Battle of the Bulge.
The Battle of the Bulge battlefield covers many square miles of territory but I would be most interested in visiting the town of Bastogne where the Germans asked the Americans to surrender and the American officer, although heavily outnumbered, said "nuts!" And kept fighting!
That was the spirit of America's finest generation. You don't see that kind of spirit around much anymore.
There is no reason to limit a tour of Europe to solely looking at World War 2 battlefields and cemeteries. There are also World War 1 battlefields to tour if you have the stomach to see more.
But visiting battlefields can get old as my recent trip to the Vicksburg battle site taught me. After about 2 hours of viewing, I had to get away from the site. A person needs a break!
I would not think of going to Europe to tour battlefields and not enjoy some of the fine food and wine of Paris, Rome, and/or Berlin. England also has some fine restaurants.
Ignore the comments you may have heard on the poor attitude of the French (especially comments from Rush Limbaugh). Their customs are different from those of the U.S. and they stick to them. Be a little flexible and follow their instructions in restaurants (particularly in seating) and you won't have problems. But they are not going to cater to your every wish as some American restaurants will. (I'm used to the French attitude down here in New Orleans where every restaurant has its own character and they don't change their routine for anyone -Of course, many of New Orleans best restaurants are French also.)
Also, ignore the ranting of Rush Limbaugh who does not like the French. I have no problems with the French. But then, my wife and close to one-half of the population in South Louisiana and the New Orleans metropolitan area are of French descent.
Travel in France is particularly recommended since the World War 2 battlefields of most interest to Americans are located in France. (And some of the finest restaurants!)
In addition to the famous battlefields, museums, and restaurants, there are many other famous places to visit in Europe.
1. Imperial War Museum in London, England. This museum emphasizes World War 2 as well it might as that war, and particularly the air war during the Battle of Britain, was Britain's finest hour. The museum contains the Churchill museum where visitors can see the War Cabinet Room where Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet met during the German Blitz on London in 1940. Churchill is my favorite war leader!
A most interesting exhibition - The Children's War - is now underway. It provides a moving insight into the lives of British children who were separated from their family during the Blitz and evacuated to the country. There is something about pictures of those tots having to leave home and their moms that gets to you.
1. German Battles. Many great battles were fought on the battlefields of Europe.
2. Famous Germans of World War 2. Hitler, the other German leaders, German generals, famous German women.
3. German Women . Eva Braun (Died with Hitler), Magda Goebbles (murdered her 6 children rather than have them live in a world without Hitler), Emma Goering (helped Jews), Geli Raubal (Hitler's true love?), Leni Riefenstahl (brilliant director of propaganda films), and others.
4. Ten Best Movies (part 2). Two of the best World War 2 movies - Casablanca & Cabaret - are reviewed.
5. Germany in World War 2. The causes of World War 2, the strategies used by each side, and the major events of the war involving Germany.
A tour of the World War 2 battlefields of Europe is a must for all persons interested in the war. The ideal European visit should be expanded to include visits to the great cities of London, Paris, Rome, & Berlin.
Last Updated: 05/11/08
e-mail me @ vanc13@cox.net
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