The story
Adolf Hitler missed a chance to end the war in the Soviet Union when he refused to allow Ribbentrop to travel to Stockholm to meet with Soviet Minister Vladimir Dekanov who was willing to negotiate. On the same day, the last of the German armies which took part in the drive to the Caucasus retreated to the Crimea. In total 240,000 troops, 16,000 wounded and 27,000 civilians were evacuated along with 75,000 horses and vast numbers of vehicles and supplies.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.