The year 1944 begins well for the Allies after German defeats in Stalingrad, North Africa and Sicily. Italy has been invaded and dictator Benito Mussolini deposed. The bomber offensive is dealing a mighty blow to the Nazi war machine. Allied fortunes in the Atlantic have shifted. And in the Pacific, the American island-hopping campaign is inching toward Japan. The war is far from over, but the Axis is clearly losing at last. It is time to strike what will prove to be the decisive blow in Europe.
