Five Stars to Victory From Normandy to the Mulde With Men and Tanks of “Task Force Lovelady”

Documenting the first American troops to cross the German border in World War II.

“This brief tribute can only be dedicated to those who will never wear five bronze stars on their European Theater of Operations ribbon, indicating that they had fought in five major campaigns; for they are dead or crippled. It was their blood which traced a sanguine trail from the beaches of Normandy to the banks of the River Mulde. Their shattered bodies make the friendly soil of France and Belgium priceless to the few who remain alive and unmaimed to wear their decorations in memory of these, the fallen comrades of Task Force Lovelady.” – Dedication, Five Stars to Victory.

This uncommon map documents the World War II campaign of Task Force Lovelady (TFL), one of the various operational units that comprised the Third Armored ‘Spearhead’ Division in the ETO. Under the command of Lt. Col. William B. Lovelady, the 2nd Battalion of the 33rd Armored Regiment contributed significantly to Allied success. The route of TFL is colored in blue, with enemy actions and defensive emplacements noted according to the legend in the lower center. Nearly fifty different important events are numbered and identified along the lower edge of the sheet. Piercing the Siegfried Line and The Battle of the Bulge, two important achievements, are highlighted with magnifying insets.

The map was designed by Chief Warrant Officer A.J. Palfey, a member of Task Force Lovelady. According to an official unit history, Palfey experienced significant action during the war. In one engagement, he was one of a few battalion staff members who remained uncaptured after killing a German and hiding under a pile of potatoes!

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