by Allyn Vannoy and Jay Karamales, ISBN 0-7864-0129X, $42.50. Yes, this is an expensive book. However, this book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in WW2 tactical combat. This book details eight separate ETO battles where American Infantry fought against superior German armored forces. This includes Mortain, Arnaville, Schmidt, Lucherberg, Hosingen, Krinkelt/Rocherath, Dom Butgenbach and Butzdorf. It does not examine the overall picture of American anti-armor combat, but goes into goes into depth on the progress of these specific actions. While the book is not an in depth examination of the anti-tank weapons available to the GI, it does provide some very useful tidbits such as the use of Discarding Sabot 57mm ammo which could penetrate 6 inches of armor. This is a valuable study combining all available information from period records on the events in question. It is very much a scholarly work and is not designed for someone who wants an easy-to-read book on killing German tanks. It is, however, a good book to show to those who believe German Panzers ruled the battlefield. Sometimes they did... but more often it was the American G.I. that was better. Order it here
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His new book ventures from the airborne troops, as Bando turns his talents to the tankers of the 2nd Armored Division. he has interviewed more than 300 veterans of this operation to put the events of one operation in perspective. The focus of the book is one night in late July 1944. Elements of Combat Command B of the 2nd Armored Division had swung around the German line and taken up positions some 12 miles behind the German line as part of Operation Cobra..
The German forces, many of them highly trained and from elite units, attempted to retreat South through the thin line of the 2nd Armored. What took place was a confusing series of dramatic nighttime firefights which left over a thousand Germans killed, 200 taken prisoner, and many tanks and vehicles destroyed. On the American side only 16 men were killed, 22 wounded, and 5 tanks destroyed.
This action, called "Death Night" by the author, is a marvelous example of how American forces were able to hold their own, or best, the German military. This book is a great example of small unit actions, which has been meticulously pieced together by the author.
There are some great personal photos in this book which will not be found anywhere else. Unfortunately, it seems that Bando had fewer of this type of photo to work with than in his previous books. There are a bit too many "portrait type" photos of soldiers mentioned in the text, and not enough shots from the field. A minor point, and possibly due to what Bando had to work with. To make up for this, he did find some great period color shots taken by one of the men that was there.
My one only real criticism of the book is that you really have to sit with the book in one hand, and a map of the area in the other. There is not one map in the book, and it makes it hard to follow the action. I would suggest for anyone really serious about this period of history to go and get the Michelin map of the area before you start the book, then follow the actions on that. Personally, I would have preferred to see some maps of the action, rather than the modern photos by the author showing where the actions took place.
Maps and photos aside this is an important work documenting a little, but important, action in WW2. If I had my wish it would be original books like this that make the best seller list, rather than the rehashed, recopied junk that gets pawned off the public.
Iron Knights, by Gordon Blaker, $39.95, ISBN1572491221. This nice thick hardcover book is the history of the 66th Armored Regiment, that served in the 2nd Armored Division in WW2. Technically considered the Army's oldest Armored regiment, the book covers from the WW1 inception through the end of WW2. The photos are nice, previously unseen personal ones rather than the same old Signal Corps shots. Good stories from WW2 vets. Well worth reading Order it here
Death Traps, by Benton Cooper, $28.95, ISBN 0-89141-670-6 It's about time we had a memoir dealing with armored vehicle maintenance. The subject is extremely important to the understanding of tank warfare, but constantly gets skipped over for more glamorous tales of combat. The author was the liaison between a Combat Command in the 3rd Armored Division, and the ordnance battalion that repaired the tanks. As such, he was in a unique position to shuttle back and forth from the front lines to the rear area, where the hard work of keeping the tanks running was done. For any WW2 Armor historian this book is a must. It's got a lot of minor facts scattered throughout that help you understand the "oily side" of armored warfare. It fills a critical gap in WW2 literature, and I hope that its success will being forth other support related memoirs. For those interested in only German Panzers, this book provides some quite interesting material on enemy armor as well. Wonder what might happen if a Sherman fired a few 75mm white phosphorus rounds at a King Tiger? It happens in this book. You'll also read about the author's tests of captured panzerfausts against German armor, the entry of the Pershing tank into combat, and the 3rd Division experiment of the "Super-Pershing." The author does take George Patton to task for delaying the deployment of the Pershing tank to the ETO. Although I am not convinced that Patton can be given 100% of the blame for this, I'd certainly like to see some research done about the decision to slow production. Cooper's book certainly provides some good evidence for what the Pershings might have done had they gotten to Europe sooner, and in greater numbers. I really can't say enough about memoirs like this that provide a slightly different view of the war. If you avoided this book because you thought it would be a boring treatise on engine wear, go back and pick it up. Its a truly unique and valuable work on a subject deserving more attention. Order it here
He Rode up Front for PattonBy Brig Gen Albin Irzyk,You say you want a first person account of what it was like to fight in an tank unit in WW2? Here's a new one that deserves attention!
Although written in the third person, this book captures an astounding amount of detail from the wartime exploits of the author as he rises through the ranks commanding various tank units in the 4th Armored Division. The style may put some people off, but there is a wealth of detail in here, and anyone interested in the 4th Armored, or its battles (with an emphasis on the Bulge) needs to know about this book. Two complaints: 1. no Photos, and 2. it is printed in a hard to read sans serif font.Order it here
Caissons across EuropeBy Richard Hardison, ISBN 089015-758-8, $21.95. The memoirs of an officer in the 399th Armored Field Artillery Bn. As such one of the only AFA memoirs I know of. He was in the Service Battery, so it is more concerned with the administrative activities than those of the firing batteries, but still its quite good. There are scads of interesting stories here. Some of the best, that are told in only a few short lines, deal with the post-war period in Germany. Also some very good portrayals of 'old Army' types in the pre-Europe period. Order it here
The View from the Turret: the 743rd Tank Bn during WW2, by William Folkestad, ISBN 1-57249-001-2, $24.95. Written by the son of a 743rd vet, this book covers the history of the 743rd through the entire war. The 743rd was one of the amphibious tank battalions on Omaha Beach. There is some very good firsthand info obtained from the vets in this book, however I must warn that there are also some repeated errors from older sources(the erroneous landing chart from Cross-channel attack is one). Still, a must have for anyone into armor and D-day.Order it here.
Strike Swiftly: the 70th Tank Bn during WW2, by Marvin Jensen, ISBN 0891416102, $24.95. Written by a 70th vet (a cook no less!), this book covers the history of the 70th from North Africa through Germany. This was the amphibious tank battalion on Utah Beach. It landed in much better shape that its Omaha cousins, but never seems to get as much respect. A good all around view of a Tank Bn in WW2, and again, a must for those into armor and D-day. Order it here
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