The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943 (James Holland, 2017)

(613 pages.)

Second of a trilogy; first is mentioned here; third not yet available and I'm looking forward to it.

Again focusing often on supplies - this distinguishes his work from others I've read.

Emphasizes importance of the Battle of the Atlantic - something I've not really focused on much.  

Also in Mediterranean - ships and aircraft - so often the focus is on the ground battles - but support from other services were key.

German industry advanced and features wonderful workmanship.  But industries are fragmented - many automakers as compared to just a few in the U.S. This meant many types of vehicles with differing parts and maintenance requirements - a nightmare - compounded by complex (beautiful!) designs that could work well enough even if simplified for cheaper/faster manufacture.

Germany in general less mechanized than it advertised (and has been widely believed, certainly by me).  To offset vehicle shortage - stripped conquered territories of vehicles (especially France) - meaning another long list of individual models with their own parts and maintenance challenges.

Britain better-positioned for domestic food supply, manufacturing capacity - certainly in comparison to Germany - Battle of Atlantic was key to keeping things moving.

In midsection of book - I much liked how the author moved from topic to topic explaining how key elements were developing across the same compressed timeline in 1942 - gave me a better sense of this.  The scale of activity is almost incomprehensible - you can see how it took an entire-country effort.  Items in play (and this excludes extensive "War in the Pacific" activities) - working with French resistance; setting up special units for sabotage such as the Norway heavy water plant; accelerating atomic bomb efforts; home front production in US - near-miraculous advances in ship-building, largest factory (Willow Run) for B-24s; Monty takes over in north Africa and defeats Rommel; Operation Torch - three separate armadas heading to north Africa, including first US ground troops; building up bomber capabilities and hitting German cities; German forces in massive combat with Russians and bogging down as approaching Stalingrad, etc.  Incredible.