Hitler's forgotten general 'almost caused D-Day delay to 1945'

Over 81 years ago, the D-Day landings on the Normandy beaches were a key turning point in World War 2, as the Allies invaded Europe and began the year-long push back to Berlin.

Yet according to the author of a new book, Operation Overlord could have been delayed to 1945 due to the military prowess of Hermann Balck.

The subject of a new book, Hitler's Forgotten General, the less-well-known German officer was only given his first divisional command in mid-1942.

Yet within three years, he would become one of just 27 men to be awarded the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, putting Balck alongside Erwin Rommel.

He was the most successful German general fighting Stalin's Russian tank divisions on the Eastern Front. Balck even defied Himmler at one point, due to his hatred of the SS, but survived repercussions due to Hitler's patronage.

Speaking exclusively with the Daily Express, the new biography's author Philip Kay-Bujack said that new evidence has emerged about Balck's true contributions to keeping Germany from defeat during 1944 and 1945.

The historian said: "A little-known fact is that while he was standing in for a Corps Commander in southern Italy in September 1944, the US and UK forces decided to land at Salerno, and it was Balck who nearly drove them back into the sea. Despite commanding only three weakened divisions and coping with huge volumes of Allied naval gunfire and bombing raids, Balck caused General Mark Clarke to start to issue orders for an emergency withdrawal. Had this happened 24 hours later, the ripple effects would have caused the Allies to seriously reconsider their plans for the Normandy landings and they may have failed in Italy altogether."

The author added: "Hermann Balck put into practice at Salerno what Rommel was not allowed to do in Normandy - and had Hitler and Kesselring sent the reinforcements he requested - the Salerno landings would have failed miserably."

Hermann Balck: Hitler's Forgotten General by Philip Kay-Bujak is out now.