Moving the US to a war footing before and during the Second World War was probably the largest industrial shift in American history. In rural Wisconsin, the largest munition factory in the world sprung up as if out of nowhere, just one of many military facilities the size of cities built to help meet the needs of a global war.
By September of 1944, the Western Allies had broken out of the Normandy beachehead, and suddenly and quickly moved across northern France . By September 7th, the 90th division was stretched across the northern sector on Patton’s Third Army’s left, advancing slowly northeast. As they did so the German defenders made a risky attack in an effort to spoil the allied advance, cutting through Allied lines in a surprise action at the small town of Mairy-Mannville.