Author: United States. Army. Tank Corps. 601st Destroyer Battalion
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 100
Book Description
An Informal History of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion
Author: United States. Army. Tank Corps. 601st Destroyer Battalion
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 100
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 100
Book Description
The Tank Killers
Author: Harry Yeide
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1935149733
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 357
Book Description
“A fantastic read . . . Whether your interest is armour or history I would highly recommend this book” (Military Modelling). The tank destroyer was a bold—though some would say flawed—answer to the challenge posed by the seemingly unstoppable German Blitzkrieg. The TD was conceived to be light and fast enough to outmaneuver panzer forces and go where tanks could not. At the same time, the TD would wield the firepower needed to kill any German tank on the battlefield. Indeed, American doctrine stipulated that TDs would fight tanks, while American tanks would concentrate on achieving and exploiting breakthroughs of enemy lines. The Tank Killers follows the men who fought in the TDs, from the formation of the force in 1941 through the victory over the Third Reich in 1945. It is a story of American flexibility and pragmatism in military affairs. Tank destroyers were among the very first units to land in North Africa in 1942. Their first vehicles were ad hoc affairs: halftracks and weapons carriers with guns no better than those on tanks, thin armor affording the crews considerably less protection. Almost immediately, the crews began adapting to circumstances, along with their partners in the infantry and armored divisions. By the time North Africa was in Allied hands, the TD had become a valued tank fighter, assault gun, and artillery piece. The reconnaissance teams in TD battalions, meanwhile, had established a record for daring operations that would continue for the rest of the war. The story continues with the invasion of Italy and, finally, that of Fortress Europe on June 6, 1944. By now, the brass had decreed that half the force would convert to towed guns, a decision that dogged the affected crews through the end of the war. The TD men encountered increasingly lethal enemies, ever more dangerous panzers that were often vulnerable only to their guns, while American tank crews watched in frustration as their rounds bounced harmlessly off the thick German armor. They fought under incredibly diverse conditions that demanded constant modification of tactics, and their equipment became ever more deadly. By VE-Day, the tank destroyer battalions had achieved impressive records, generally with kill-loss rates heavily in their favor. Yet the army after the war concluded that the concept of a separate TD arm was so fundamentally flawed that not a single battalion existed after November 1946. The Tank Killers draws heavily on the records of the tank destroyer battalions and the units with which they fought, as well as personal stories from veterans of the force.
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1935149733
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 357
Book Description
“A fantastic read . . . Whether your interest is armour or history I would highly recommend this book” (Military Modelling). The tank destroyer was a bold—though some would say flawed—answer to the challenge posed by the seemingly unstoppable German Blitzkrieg. The TD was conceived to be light and fast enough to outmaneuver panzer forces and go where tanks could not. At the same time, the TD would wield the firepower needed to kill any German tank on the battlefield. Indeed, American doctrine stipulated that TDs would fight tanks, while American tanks would concentrate on achieving and exploiting breakthroughs of enemy lines. The Tank Killers follows the men who fought in the TDs, from the formation of the force in 1941 through the victory over the Third Reich in 1945. It is a story of American flexibility and pragmatism in military affairs. Tank destroyers were among the very first units to land in North Africa in 1942. Their first vehicles were ad hoc affairs: halftracks and weapons carriers with guns no better than those on tanks, thin armor affording the crews considerably less protection. Almost immediately, the crews began adapting to circumstances, along with their partners in the infantry and armored divisions. By the time North Africa was in Allied hands, the TD had become a valued tank fighter, assault gun, and artillery piece. The reconnaissance teams in TD battalions, meanwhile, had established a record for daring operations that would continue for the rest of the war. The story continues with the invasion of Italy and, finally, that of Fortress Europe on June 6, 1944. By now, the brass had decreed that half the force would convert to towed guns, a decision that dogged the affected crews through the end of the war. The TD men encountered increasingly lethal enemies, ever more dangerous panzers that were often vulnerable only to their guns, while American tank crews watched in frustration as their rounds bounced harmlessly off the thick German armor. They fought under incredibly diverse conditions that demanded constant modification of tactics, and their equipment became ever more deadly. By VE-Day, the tank destroyer battalions had achieved impressive records, generally with kill-loss rates heavily in their favor. Yet the army after the war concluded that the concept of a separate TD arm was so fundamentally flawed that not a single battalion existed after November 1946. The Tank Killers draws heavily on the records of the tank destroyer battalions and the units with which they fought, as well as personal stories from veterans of the force.
Histories of American Army Units
Author: Charles Emil Dornbusch
Publisher: Washington : Department of the Army, Office of the Adjutant General, Special Services Division, Library and Service Club Branch
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
Publisher: Washington : Department of the Army, Office of the Adjutant General, Special Services Division, Library and Service Club Branch
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
United States Army Unit Histories
Author: US Army Military History Research Collection
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 480
Book Description
Contains a bibliography of U.S. Army unit histories.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 480
Book Description
Contains a bibliography of U.S. Army unit histories.
Unit Histories of World War II and After
Author: United States. Department of the Army. Office of Military History
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
United States Army unit histories
Author: George Sotiros Pappas
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 488
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 488
Book Description
United States Army Unit Histories
Author: US Army Military History Institute
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
Unit Histories of World War II
Author: United States. Department of the Army. Office of Military History
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 216
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : United States
Languages : en
Pages : 216
Book Description
Unit Histories of World War II and After
Author: United States. Military History, Office of the Chief of
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Patton's First Victory
Author: Leo Barron
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0811766071
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
American troops invaded North Africa in November 1942, but did not face serious resistance until the following February, when they finally tangled with Rommel’s Afrika Korps—and the Germans gave the inexperienced Americans a nasty drubbing at Kasserine Pass. After this disaster, Gen. George Patton took command and reinvigorated U.S. troops with tough training and new tactics. In late March, at El Guettar in Tunisia, Patton’s men defeated the Germans. It was a morale-boosting victory—the first American success versus the Germans and the first of Patton’s storied World War II career—and proved to the enemy, the British, and the Americans themselves that the U.S. Army could fight and win.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0811766071
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
American troops invaded North Africa in November 1942, but did not face serious resistance until the following February, when they finally tangled with Rommel’s Afrika Korps—and the Germans gave the inexperienced Americans a nasty drubbing at Kasserine Pass. After this disaster, Gen. George Patton took command and reinvigorated U.S. troops with tough training and new tactics. In late March, at El Guettar in Tunisia, Patton’s men defeated the Germans. It was a morale-boosting victory—the first American success versus the Germans and the first of Patton’s storied World War II career—and proved to the enemy, the British, and the Americans themselves that the U.S. Army could fight and win.