Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In most instances, a single author receives credit for writing a work of history. The reality is that many people contribute to the final product, and I would like to express my gratitude, only hoping I do not leave out anyone. In the first instance, I must thank Dr. Spencer Tucker, the editor of this series. He invited me to write this book and offered encouragement during the three-year project, and he also provided the contact to Larry Hoffman of Paso Robles, California, who drew the maps. Military history without maps is like painting without color, and Larry did some great work. In Germany, Martha Caspers and Renate Jansen of the Federal Archive system were instrumental in providing assistance at the Photographic and Military Archives, respectively. In one of those lucky coincidences that often make or break a project, the archivist of The Citadel, Jane Yates, put me in touch with one of the researchers at her institute, Lieutenant Commander Andre Pecher, of the German Navy. Commander Pecher, who was doing research on Vice Admiral Friedrich Ruge, steered me toward some invaluable works by that author, who had participated in Albion. Later, Commander Pecher assisted in helping me get rights to publish some photographs . The library staff at The Citadel, notably Jane Buskirk, Betsy Carter, Deborah Causey, and Kathleen Turner, worked wonders with interlibrary loan. The project might have been stillborn had it not been for my research assistant in St. Petersburg, Elizaveta Zheganina. Drs. Randy Papadapolous and H. P. Willmott put me in touch with her. She opened doors in the Russian State Naval Archive and Naval Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Russian State Military Archive in Moscow, acquiring and translating XACKNOWLEDGMENTS the Russian records. David Glantz and Dr. Bruce Menning turned me toward some good sources. Katrin Äär, archivist of the Saaremaa Museum in Kuressaare, helped with some photographs and information about the Executive Defense Committee of the Baltic Islands Defense Position. When it came to editing, Rosemary Michaud, a writer in Charleston, proved indomitable at finding repeated words and turning stodgy prose into what I hope is a readable account that honors the brave sailors and soldiers of both sides who participated in Albion. My colleague Kyle Sinisi proved adept at inserting some degree of consistency in terminology and numbers. The staff at Indiana University Press, led by Bob Sloan, were wonderful to work with from the first day of the project, making the publication process painless. With endless patience, copy editor Carol Kennedy tried to make my writing confirm to the Chicago style. Financial assistance came from The Citadel Foundation and Dean Al Finch of the School of Humanities and Social Studies at The Citadel. Finally, my wife, Sara, and son, Michael, offered love, confidence, encouragement, and patience over many years, and it is to them that this book is dedicated. operation albion ...