Winston Churchill called the European countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea as the soft under belly of Europe. In 1940 Italy invaded North Africa after declaring war on France and England. Realizing the opportunity was wide open to make the Mediterranean an Axis lake, Germany invaded North Africa in hopes of taking over the Suez Canal. Fighting with their backs up against the canal, British forces already stationed in Egypt fought tenaciously to drive the German's back toward the west. However it was clear to the Allied Command that England could not defeat Germany in North Africa on its own. So in 1942 the United States began their ground war agaist Germany with several invasions of the African continent.
Like most patriotic Americans Eliott Laqrouix from Detroit, Michigan enlisted in the army ready to do whatever was neccessary to defeat the German onslaught. With Germany now fighting on two fronts on the hot desert plains, they attacked the untested green American army at Kasserine Pass crushing them in a one sided battle. Like all the American soldiers, Corporal Laqrouix felt the sting of defeat and was willing to do what ever it took to fight back. General George Patton was rushed to the front to take charge of the beleaguered American forces to reorganize them, and take the initiative needed to help drive the vaunted German Africa Corp out of North Africa.
Corporal Laqrouix and his squad now found themselves fighting in the mountainous Island of Sicily where once again the Germans fought tenaciously hoping to keep the Allies off the European continent, but that was not to be. With Sicily in the hands of the Allies, Italy was just a short distance away across the straights of Messina. Once again Corporal Laqrouix and his men found themselves battling well trained German mountain forces in the unforgiving Italian mountain's. Cold, snow and unending mud were constant enemies forcing the men to fight and live in dreadful conditions. However Naples and Rome needed to be taken to open up sea ports and continue pushing German forces north. But suddenly the drive stopped cold forcing the Allies to invade the Italian coast near Anzio to hopefully break through the German resistance. The battles in and around Anzio were some of the toughest fighting Corporal LaQrouix and his men had endured. Their losses were incredible leaving Corporal Laqrouix wounded and cut off from his platoon. Now he had to escape back through the enemy lines under harsh conditions until he was able to rejoin his company. However with a break out of the Anzio Beachhead underway Corporal Laqrouix and some of his men find themselves in a losing situation and become prisoners. They are taken to a castle where a large amount of British POW's are already being held. Finding out there are antiaircraft batteries on the roof of the castle, Corporal Laqrouix organizes a daring escape which includes destroying the gun batteries. After a successful escape, Corporal Laqrouix and the other escapees fight German forces searching for them until they can once again join up with the allied lines.
Now sixth corp is pulled out of the fighting to reorganize for the invasion of Southern France. After overwhelming the enemy resistance, now Sergeant Laqrouix and his platoon continue driving the Germans north until the end of the war finds them at Innsbruck, Austria.
"Knocking on Hitler's back door" contains actual battle stories that were related to me by my father who fought from North Africa all the way into Germany. Anyone that likes tough gritty combat scenes fought by determined soldiers during the worst of times will enjoy this book. The characters in my book will show you the toughness and raw emotion each man faced during the day to day struggle just to stay alive. This book is a tribute to all the men that fought to Knock on Hitler's Back Door.
