Codename Operation Shingle, otherwise known as the Battle of Anzio, was fought from January 22, 1944 to June 5, 1944. This was an interesting battle in that it combined tenacity, courage, and of course botched leadership. It is also interesting for this writer because my father fought in this battle and three others in the Italian Campaign. Let’s read on as we at Aces High continue to review some of the major battles during World War 2.

American forces under the command of Major General John Lucas intended to outflank the German forces and move swiftly towards Rome, the ultimate goal of the Italian Campaign. It didn’t work out quite the way it was written up in the planning room.

This amphibious landing could only succeed if it was done without the enemy being aware of it AND if the invading force moved quickly once it had landed. If those two things did not happen the German forces would be able to dig in and defend from the surrounding mountains and then all plans would be forsaken and a long, drawn out battle would ensue. And that is exactly what happened.

The landing went off without a hitch and the Germans were completely unaware of it; jeep patrols were sent out and encountered no opposition all the way to the outskirts of Rome. The stage was set for a highly successful operation; unfortunately, Major General Lucas exercised caution and the delay proved very costly. By the time Lucas decided to move on to Rome the Germans had dug in and a lengthy battle followed with daily shelling of the beachhead and deplorable conditions for the American forces.

Lucas was eventually relieved of duty and replaced by Major General Lucian Truscott and in May of 1944 the Allied forces broke out of the trap and moved towards Rome and captured that city on June 4^th.

Casualties were listed as 43,000 for the American forces and 40,000 for the Germans. What was apparent then and more apparent now in hindsight is that the American losses should have never been that high; a cautious commander cost the lives of quite a few Americans during that long battle.

Understanding history helps any serious gamer or game creator to better appreciate the context within which the game is played. HiTech Creations understands this and Aces High is easily the best combat flight simulator on the market because of the attention to detail by the creators. Flight simulators World War 2 style don’t get any better than Aces High.

World War 2 Flight Simulators are only as good as their parent company. To make a good flight sim it takes excellent attention to detail, great technical knowledge, but also a love of the subject matter.

Aces High, the one and only product made by HiTech Creations, has been the leader of the combat flight simulator pack for almost a decade now and the secret ingredient used in making Aces High is a love of all things related to World War 2.

With that in mind we bring you another snapshot of a major battle in World War II; today we look at the Battle of the Bulge.

Fought between December 16^th, 1944 and January 25^th, 1945, the Battle of the Bulge (aka the Ardennes Offensive) was the largest and bloodiest battle fought by Americans during World War 2. American forces numbered approximately 840,000 men to approximately 300,000 German troops. When the battle ended the United States had suffered 89,500 casualties and the Germans an equal number.

This major German offensive near the mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium began poorly for the United States which was caught completely off-guard in the initial attack. It was only as weather improved, allowing for the superior U.S. air forces to do significant damage, and the arrival of reinforcements by General Patton and the Third Army, that the battle turned in favor of the Allied forces.

After a resounding defeat, the German army was left severely depleted and the American forces launched a major counter-attack of their own, eventually leading to the end of the war in Europe. One side note of interest: the Battle of the Bulge marked the first significant use of black troops in combat, helping to pave the way towards de-segregation in the armed forces.

Aces High is as close as you can get to actual combat. Planes flown are created in exacting detail, as are all land vehicles and ships. A flight simulator World War 2 version needs to be as close to the real thing as possible and that is where Aces High far outshines the competition.

In this high tech world of ours it is not hard to find the technicians to develop a war

Special events for our flight simulators World War 2 style, Aces High, continue this month. We have an SEC on Sunday the 25^th, an Extreme Racing Event on the 27^th, and the final Snapshot of the month on the 28^th.

Combat flight simulators come and go on the market but Aces High is still number one, partly because of our Special Events program. This is one World War 2 Flight Simulator that does not let its fans down. Aces High, war games at its best.

If you are a fan of Flight Simulators World War 2 style then you should check out the Special Events being offered the remainder of the month on Aces High, the number one combat simulator on the market.

Tomorrow, the 20^th, we will have an Extreme Air Racing event at 10 p.m. EST and tomorrow, the 21^st, we have a Snapshot taking place at the same time.

Special Events have become so popular that we have increased the number that we offer each month. This is a great way for gamers to take on the world in our World War 2 Flight Simulator, so sign up now and see what all the war games excitement is about.