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world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics Gordon L. Rottman, 2013-08-20 The battlefield interaction between infantry and tanks was central to combat on most fronts in World War II. The first 'Blitzkrieg' campaigns saw the tank achieve a new dominance. New infantry tactics and weapons – some of them desperately dangerous – had to be adopted, while the armies raced to develop more powerful anti-tank guns and new light weapons. By 1945, a new generation of revolutionary shoulder-fired AT weapons was in widespread use. This book explains in detail the shifting patterns of anti-tank combat, illustrated with photographs, diagrams and colour plates showing how weapons were actually employed on the battlefield. |
world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Japanese Tank Tactics Gordon L. Rottman, Akira Takizawa, 2011-03-15 Expert author and tactician Gordon L Rottman & Akira Takizawa provide the first English-language study of Japanese Army and Navy tank units, their tactics and how they were deployed in action. The Japanese army made extensive use of its tanks in the campaigns in China in the 1930s, and it was in these early successes that the Japanese began to develop their own unique style of tank tactics. From the steam-rolling success of the Japanese as they invaded Manchuria until the eventual Japanese defeat, Rottman provides a battle history of the Japanese tank units as they faced the Chinese, the Russians, the British and the Americans. |
world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Infantry Tactics Stephen Bull, 2021-05-27 Despite all technological advances, final mastery of any battlefield depends upon the tight-knit group of footsoldiers trained to manoeuvre, shoot and dig in. This first of a two-part study examines the methods by which the Western infantry of World War II - the German, British and US armies - actually brought their firepower to bear. Drawing upon period training manuals for the evolving theory, and on personal memoirs for the individual practice, this first book covers the organization and tactics of the squad of ten or a dozen men, and the platoon of three or four squads. The text is illustrated with contemporary photographs and diagrams, and with colour plates bringing to life the movement of soldiers on the battlefield. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Infantry Tactics of the Second World War Stephen Bull, Gordon L. Rottman, 2008-07-22 Regardless of technological and doctrinal advances, final mastery of any battlefield ultimately depends upon the tight-knit group of soldiers trained to direct fire, move, take ground and hold it. This book examines the infantry combat methods of World War II. It draws on the training manuals of the time and first-hand accounts of frontline action and covers the organization and tactics of squad, platoon, company and battalion. It identifies the differences between German, American, British and Japanese approaches and demonstrates how these evolved in the face of changes in the battlefield environment. Motorized infantry tactics are also covered together with each army's responses to the continuously growing challenge and shifting patterns of anti-tank combat and combined operations with armor. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Panzer Tactics Wolfgang Schneider, 2020-09-01 Ultimate inside view of the blitzkrieg in World War II Diagrams, maps, and schematics illustrate key principles Hundreds of rare photos show Panzers and crews in action Wolfgang Schneider has written the definitive account of German small-unit armor tactics. Using period training manuals, after-action reports, countless interviews with Panzer veterans, and his own experiences as an armor commander in the modern German Army, Schneider describes World War II Panzer tactics, coupling his narrative with scores of illustrations that highlight armor concepts. Schneider covers the major types of small-unit operational art-offensive and defensive-and also discusses road marches, reconnaissance, command and control, working with other arms of service, life in a tank, armor training, gunnery, and the future of armor. The book provides useful insight into armor tactics for both the layman and the armor enthusiast. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Seek, Strike, and Destroy Christopher Richard Gabel, 1986 In the seventy years that have passed since the tank first appeared, antitank combat has presented one of the greatest challenges in land warfare. Dramatic improvements in tank technology and doctrine over the years have precipitated equally innovative developments in the antitank field. One cycle in this ongoing arms race occurred during the early years of World War II when the U.S. Army sought desperately to find an antidote to the vaunted German blitzkrieg. This Leavenworth Paper analyzes the origins of the tank destroyer concept, evaluates the doctrine and equipment with which tank destroyer units fought, and assesses the effectiveness of the tank destroyer in battle. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Tactics Roman Johann Jarymowycz, 2023 An operational critique of the art of war as practiced by U.S. and Canadian tank commanders in France in 1944, Tank Tactics also traces the evolution of North American armored doctrine. Jarymowycz draws on after-action reports, extensive battlefield reconnaissance (involving both Allied and German veterans), and recently discovered battle performance reviews, as well as on Allied and German interrogation reports, war diaries, and technical evaluations, to compare and evaluate combat success and failure. He provides detailed tactical diagrams and analyses of tank vs. tank engagements--and illustrates the frustrations of commanders attempting maneuver warfare under the exasperating caution of Bradley and the questionable direction of Montgomery. This penetrating analysis features a review of tank battles in Lorraine, where 3rd Army commanders demonstrated mastery of Mission Command doctrine. Jarymowycz concludes by comparing U.S. and Soviet approaches to operational maneuver, describing creative tactical mixes found in combat commands well before battlegroups became common NATO parlance. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Warfare Christer Jorgensen, Dr. Chris Mann, 2001 This military history provides the reader with a guide to tank warfare, including the development of tank tactics and strategy. Also included are details of great tank battles such as Cambrai, Kursk, Chinese Farm and the Gulf War. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Russian Tanks of World War II Tim Bean, Will Fowler, 2002 At the start of the campaign on the Eastern Front, in the earliest days of Operation Barbarossa, it was the German armour that swept all in front of it as the Wehrmacht drove eastwards in an unrelenting advance on Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad. The ill-prepared and under-resourced Russian forces were forced to retreat. Gradually, the balance of the war swung in favour of the Russian forces, whose strength both in numbers and equipment proved decisive in the ultimate defeat of the German forces in the east. Critical in the Soviet victory was its armour; tanks such as the T-34 proving the equal, if not better than, some of the tanks available to the Germans. This authoritative history of the Soviet forces before and during World War 2, reveals the development of their tactics in the early post-revolutionary era right through to the ultimate victory in Berlin in May 1945. The dramatic struggle of the tank crews against the German advance is told through some 200 contemporary photographs, many of which have never been seen before.The photographs include images of tank training in the 1920s and 1930s, on active service, and many compelling pictures from some of the major tank battles of the day. Over the past five years, aided by the opening up of archives in Russia previously closed to western experts, there has been a massive growth in interest in the events that occurred on the Eastern Front. Russian Tanks is an important addition to the literature currently available, exploring as it does, the vitally important Soviet armour of the period. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Warfare Jeremy Black, 2020-10-27 “An “insightful and informative” overview of the role of tanks in combat from the First World War to the present day (Dennis Showalter, author of Armor and Blood). The story of the battlefield in the twentieth century was dominated by a handful of developments. Foremost of these was the introduction and refinement of tanks. In Tank Warfare, Jeremy Black, a recipient of the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize from the Society for Military History, offers a comprehensive global account of the history of tanks and armored warfare in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. First introduced onto the battlefield during World War I, tanks represented the reconciliation of firepower and mobility and immediately seized the imagination of commanders and commentators concerned about the constraints of ordinary infantry. The developments of technology and tactics in the interwar years were realized in the German blitzkrieg in World War II and beyond. Yet the account of armor on the battlefield is a tale of limitations and defeats as well as of potential and achievements. Tank Warfare examines the traditional narrative of armored warfare while at the same time challenging it, and Black suggests that tanks were no “silver bullet” on the battlefield. Instead, their success was based on their inclusion in the general mix of weaponry available to commanders and the context in which they were used. “An excellent overview of the subject.” —Alaric Searle, author of Armoured Warfare: A Military, Political and Global History |
world war 2 tank tactics: US Marine Corps Tanks of World War II Steven J. Zaloga, 2012-01-20 During World War II, the US Marine Corps formed six tank battalions that battled through the harsh conditions of the Pacific Theatre. Using the same basic tanks as the US Army, notably the M3 and M5A1 light tanks and the M4 Sherman medium tank, the marines made both technical and tactical innovations to make them more effective in the fight against the Japanese. Deep wading equipment, flamethrower tanks, and even wooden armor all became part of the Marine arsenal. This book examines the tactics and technology that made the US Marine Corps tank service unique in the annals of warfare. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Warfare Tim Ripley, 2003 Tank Warfare looks at the way that tanks changed warfare from their first introduction on the static Western Front of World War I, through the proving ground of World War II, where the tank became the queen of the battlefield, to its more dangerous position on the modern battlefield. Today, the tank is still a major asset but against it there has evolved a range of defensive antitank options - light infantry-borne antitank weapons, mines, attack helicopters, and tank-busting aircraft - that do much to dull its edge of invincibility.Each chapter in Tank Warfare examines carefully the evolution of tanks in the period, illustrating the seminal types, and looks at the changes to the threats against armor, assessing the improvement of the tank's physical and tactical defenses against such threats. It is intelligently written, cogent, and extremely well illustrated and it provides a much-needed discussion of a vital component of land warfare. Tim Ripley is a research associate at Lancaster University's Centre for Defence and International Security Studies (CDISS) in the United Kingdom. Over the past decade he has traveled extensively in the Middle East and Balkan region as a correspondent for Janes's Defence Weekly, Jane's Intelligence Review and Flight International. |
world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Street-Fighting Tactics Stephen Bull, 2012-12-20 From Cassino to Stalingrad, many of the most famous and brutal battles of World War II were fought in the burnt out remains of cities. In a continuation of the tactics mini-series, this book analyzes the physical tactics of the close-quarter fighting that took place in ruined cities during World War II. Street-to-street fighting in cities was not a new development, but the bombed-out shells of cities and advances in weaponry meant that World War II took such strategies to a new level of savagery and violence. Packed with eye-witness accounts, tutorials from original training manuals, maps, and full-colour artwork, this is an eye-opening insight into the tactics and experiences of infantry fighting their way through ruined cities in the face of heavy casualty rates and vicious resistance. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front, 1941–1942 Robert Forczyk, 2014-02-24 The author of Case White: The Invasion of Poland delves into the strategy and weaponry of armored warfare during the early years of the Russo-German War. The German panzer armies that swept into the Soviet Union in 1941 were an undefeated force that had honed their skill in combined arms warfare to a fine edge. The Germans focused their panzers and tactical air support at points on the battlefield defined as Schwerpunkt—main effort—to smash through any defensive line and then advance to envelope their adversaries. Initially, these methods worked well in the early days of Operation Barbarossa and the tank forces of the Red Army suffered defeat after defeat. Although badly mauled in the opening battles, the Red Army’s tank forces did not succumb to the German armored onslaught and German planning and logistical deficiencies led to over-extension and failure in 1941. In the second year of the invasion, the Germans directed their Schwerpunkt toward the Volga and the Caucasus and again achieved some degree of success, but the Red Army had grown much stronger and by November 1942, the Soviets were able to turn the tables at Stalingrad. Robert Forczyk’s incisive study offers fresh insight into how the two most powerful mechanized armies of the Second World War developed their tactics and weaponry during the critical early years of the Russo-German War. He uses German, Russian and English sources to provide the first comprehensive overview and analysis of armored warfare from the German and Soviet perspectives. His analysis of the greatest tank war in history is compelling reading. Includes photos |
world war 2 tank tactics: Toward Combined Arms Warfare Jonathan Mallory House, 1985 |
world war 2 tank tactics: Dubno 1941 Alexey Isaev, 2019-02-15 In June 1941 the quiet cornfields and towns of Western Ukraine were awakened by the clanking of steel and thunder of explosions; this was the greatest tank battle of the Second World War. About 3,000 tanks from the Red Army Kiev Special Military District clashed with about 800 German tanks of Heeresgruppe South. Why did the numerically superior Sov |
world war 2 tank tactics: The Tank Killers Harry Yeide, 2005-01-19 “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. |
world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Infantry Tactics Stephen Bull, 2021-05-27 Despite all technological advances, final mastery of any battlefield depends upon the tight-knit group of footsoldiers trained to manoeuvre, shoot and dig in. This first of a two-part study examines the methods by which the Western infantry of World War II - the German, British and US armies - actually brought their firepower to bear. Drawing upon period training manuals for the evolving theory, and on personal memoirs for the individual practice, this first book covers the organization and tactics of the squad of ten or a dozen men, and the platoon of three or four squads. The text is illustrated with contemporary photographs and diagrams, and with colour plates bringing to life the movement of soldiers on the battlefield. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Panzer Tactics Oskar Munzel, 2021-06-30 “This is a great work on a small slice of operations on the Eastern Front during the first two years of the [second world] war.” —A Wargamers Needful Things This book discusses a number of operations undertaken by the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps in the direction of the Black Sea in 1941 and 42. It explores the tactics used and why they were successful, based on the detailed combat reports prepared by the corps staff immediately after each battle. Die Wehrmacht im Kampf is a series published in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s. Written by ex-members of the German army in WWII, it provides important information not available elsewhere on the German army’s perspective of many crucial campaigns and battles. None of the volumes have previously been available in English. Each volume has a modern introduction by Professor Matthias Strohn, expert on the German army. “. . . the author is able to both instruct and mentor the reader on elements of operations that only one who has experienced the cauldron and stress of battle can truly appreciate.” —The Military Reviewer |
world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Desert Tactics Paddy Griffith, 2013-01-20 A fascinating insight into the dangers and difficulties of operating within the desert terrain From 1940 to 1943 North Africa saw the first major desert campaign by modern mechanised armies. The British, Italians, German Afrika Korps and US Army all addressed and learned from the special problems human, logistical, mechanical and tactical of the desert environment, most significantly fighting in a terrain empty of resources and offering little chance of concealment. In this compact yet detailed volume, Paddy Griffith traces the fast-learned development in armour, artillery and infantry tactics in this exceptional arena. Featuring illustrations throughout, the book explores major engagements in the North African theatre, which involved some of the greatest tacticians of World War II in one of the pivotal theatres. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tactical and Technical Trends United States. War Dept. General Staff, 1943-08 |
world war 2 tank tactics: Soviet Defensive Tactics At Kursk, July 1943 Colonel David M Glantz, 2015-11-06 In his classic work, On War, Carl von Clausewitz wrote, “As we shall show, defense is a stronger form of fighting than attack.” A generation of nineteenth century officers, nurtured on the study of the experiences of Napoleon and conditioned by the wars of German unification, had little reason to accept that view. The offensive spirit swept through European armies and manifested itself in the regulations, plans, and mentality of those armiehe events of 1939, 1940, and 1941 in Poland, France, and Russia respectively again challenged Clausewitz’ claim of the superiority of the defense and prompted armies worldwide to frantically field large armored forces and develop doctrines for their use. While blitzkrieg concepts ruled supreme, it fell to that nation victimized most by those concepts to develop techniques to counter the German juggernaut. The Soviets had to temper a generation of offensive tradition in order to marshal forces and develop techniques to counter blitzkrieg. In essence, the Soviet struggle for survival against blitzkrieg proved also to be a partial test of Clausewitz’ dictum. In July 1943, after arduous months of developing defensive techniques, often at a high cost in terms of men and material, the Soviets met blitzkrieg head-on and proved that defense against it was feasible. The titanic, grinding Kursk operation validated, in part, Clausewitz’ views. But it also demonstrated that careful study of force organization and employment and application of the fruits of that study can produce either offensive or defensive victory. While on the surface the events of Kursk seemed to validate Clausewitz’ view, it is often forgotten that, at Kursk, the Soviets integrated the concept of counteroffensive into their grand defensive designs. Thus the defense itself was meaningless unless viewed against the backdrop of the renewed offensive efforts and vice versa. What Kursk did prove was that strategic, operational, and tactical defenses could counter blitzkrieg. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Bloody Triangle Victor Kamenir, 2008 The first in-depth account of one of the great tank battles of WWII, when more than 2000 German and Soviet tanks met in northwestern Ukraine in 1941. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks Dmitri? Fedorovich Loza, 1996-01-01 Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza has carefully crafted his World War II experiences with U.S.-provided Sherman tanks into a highly readable memoir. Between the fall of 1943 and August 1945, Loza fought in the Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. He commanded a tank battalion during much of this period and had three Shermans shot out from under him. Loza's unit participated in such well-known combat actions as the Korsun-Shevchenkovskiy Operation, the Jassy-Kishenev Operation, and the battles for Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. Following the German surrender, Loza's unit was sent to Mongolia, where it participated in the arduous trek across the Gobi Desert to attack the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria. This is the first available detailed examination of the Red Army's exploitation of U.S. war matiriel during World War II and one of the first genuine memoirs available from the Russian front. Loza also provides firsthand testimony on tactical command decisions, group objectives and how they were accomplished, and Soviet use of combat equipment and intelligence. Only after the collapse of the USSR and concomitant relaxing of prohibitions against publication of materials related to the Lend-Lease Program there could this account be made available Dmitriy Loza served as an instructor at the Frunze Academy after the war, retiring in 1967 with the rank of colonel. He resides in Moscow. James F. Gebhardt, now a defense contractor at Fort Leavenworth, is a Vietnam veteran. He is the author of Blood on the Shores: Soviet Naval Commandos in World War II. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tanks of the Second World War Thomas Anderson, 2017 * A gold mine for those interested in history and technology * Perfect for modellers * Authentic accounts of war time experiences * Lists all the tanks used by both Allied and Axis powers |
world war 2 tank tactics: Second World War Infantry Tactics Stephen Bull, 2012-07-19 This wide-ranging military study examines WWII infantry tactics and operations on both sides through the battlefields of Europe. The dirty and dangerous frontlines of World War II belonged to the men who fought in the infantry. Yet the history of infantry tactics is too rarely studied and often misunderstood. Stephen Bull corrects this oversight with an in-depth account of infantry theory and combat experience, covering the British, German, and American Armies in the European theater of operations. Bull’s close analysis of the rules of engagement, the tactical manuals, the training, and the equipment is balanced by vivid descriptions of the tactics as they were tested in action. These operational examples show how infantry tactics on all sides developed as the war progressed, and they give a telling insight into the realities of infantry warfare. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Lightning War Time-Life Books, 1989 Chronicles the rise and eventual fall of Nazi Germany during World War II. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Soviet Night Operations in World War II Claude R. Sasso, 1982 |
world war 2 tank tactics: Death Traps Belton Y. Cooper, 2003-04-29 “An important contribution to the history of World War II . . . I have never before been able to learn so much about maintenance methods of an armored division, with precise details that underline the importance of the work, along with descriptions of how the job was done.”—Russell F. Weigley, author of Eisenhower’s Lieutenants “Cooper saw more of the war than most junior officers, and he writes about it better than almost anyone. . . . His stories are vivid, enlightening, full of life—and of pain, sorrow, horror, and triumph.”—Stephen E. Ambrose, from his Foreword “In a down-to-earth style, Death Traps tells the compelling story of one man’s assignment to the famous 3rd Armored Division that spearheaded the American advance from Normandy into Germany. Cooper served as an ordnance officer with the forward elements and was responsible for coordinating the recovery and repair of damaged American tanks. This was a dangerous job that often required him to travel alone through enemy territory, and the author recalls his service with pride, downplaying his role in the vast effort that kept the American forces well equipped and supplied. . . . [Readers] will be left with an indelible impression of the importance of the support troops and how dependent combat forces were on them.”—Library Journal “As an alumnus of the 3rd, I eagerly awaited this book’s coming out since I heard of its release . . . and the wait and the book have both been worth it. . . . Cooper is a very polished writer, and the book is very readable. But there is a certain quality of ‘you are there’ many other memoirs do not seem to have. . . . Nothing in recent times—ridgerunning in Korea, firebases in Vietnam, or even the one hundred hours of Desert Storm—pressed the ingenuity and resolve of American troops . . . like WWII. This book lays it out better than any other recent effort, and should be part of the library of any contemporary warrior.”—Stephen Sewell, Armor Magazine “Cooper’s writing and recall of harrowing events is superb and engrossing. Highly recommended.”—Robert A. Lynn, The Stars and Stripes “This detailed story will become a classic of WWII history and required reading for anyone interested in armored warfare.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[Death Traps] fills a critical gap in WWII literature. . . . It’s a truly unique and valuable work.”—G.I. Journal |
world war 2 tank tactics: The Infantry's Armor Harry Yeide, 2010 Tanks, amphibian tanks, and amphibian tractors in action in all theaters, from Africa and Europe to the Pacific How the battalions fought the war, often in the tankers' own words Crystal-clear maps The U.S. Army's separate armored battalions fought in obscurity by comparison with the flashy armored divisions, but they carried the heavier burden in the grim struggle against the Axis in World War II. The battalions participated in every armored amphibious assault that the army conducted. They did most of the bloody work in Italy, made vital contributions in France, and constituted the entire effort in the Pacific. |
world war 2 tank tactics: The Red Army and the Second World War Alexander Hill, 2019-02-07 In a definitive new account of the Soviet Union at war, Alexander Hill charts the development, successes and failures of the Red Army from the industrialisation of the Soviet Union in the late 1920s through to the end of the Great Patriotic War in May 1945. Setting military strategy and operations within a broader context that includes national mobilisation on a staggering scale, the book presents a comprehensive account of the origins and course of the war from the perspective of this key Allied power. Drawing on the latest archival research and a wealth of eyewitness testimony, Hill portrays the Red Army at war from the perspective of senior leaders and men and women at the front line to reveal how the Red Army triumphed over the forces of Nazi Germany and her allies on the Eastern Front, and why it did so at such great cost. |
world war 2 tank tactics: The Tank War Mark Urban, 2014-04-03 Drawing on a wealth of research, from interviews with surviving members to a treasure trove of rarely used archive material, Mark Urban has produced an unflinchingly honest, unsentimental account of the 5th RTR's wartime experiences. Capturing both characters in their crew and exploring the strategy behind their success, 'The Tank War' is not the story of an elite unit, but something more amazing: a regular unit of average men, thrust into war, who pulled together to achieve extraordinary things. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Panther vs Sherman Steven J. Zaloga, 2011-03-15 Steven J Zaloga offers a fascinating comparison between the two most important tanks involved in the crucial fighting of 1944, the American Sherman and the German Panther. Placing the reader in the heart of this battle between quality and quantity Zaloga uses a compelling account of the ferocious fighting during the Battle of the Bulge to explain the successes and failures of each tank, highlighting the fact that a tank can only be as good as its crew, weighing up the impact of low morale, high cost and mediocre crew training on the Panther's superiority. With full-colour battlescenes, technical drawings, photographs, digital gunsight views, extracts from crew training manuals and real combat reports, this book brings the titanic battles between the Panther and Sherman to life. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Breaking the Mold Kendall D. Gott, 2006 Few lessons are as prevalent in military history as is the adage that tanks don't perform well in cities. The notion of deliberately committing tanks to urban combat is anathema to most. In Breaking the Mold: Tanks in the Cities, Ken Gott disproves that notion with a timely series of five case studies from World War II to the present war in Iraq. This is not a parochial or triumphant study. These cases demonstrate that tanks must do more than merely arrive on the battlefield to be successful in urban combat. From Aachen in 1944 to Fallujah in 2004, the absolute need for specialized training and the use of combined arms at the lowest tactical levels are two of the most salient lessons that emerge from this study. When properly employed, well-trained and well-supported units led by tanks are decisive in urban combat. The reverse also is true. Chechen rebels taught the Russian army and the world a brutal lesson in Grozny about what happens when armored units are poorly led, poorly trained, and cavalierly employed in a city. The case studies in this monograph are high-intensity battles in conflicts ranging from limited interventions to major combat operations. It would be wrong to use them to argue for the use of tanks in every urban situation. As the intensity of the operation decreases, the 2nd and 3rd order effects of using tanks in cities can begin to outweigh their utility. The damage to infrastructure caused by their sheer weight and size is just one example of what can make tanks unsuitable for every mission. Even during peace operations, however, the ability to employ tanks and other heavy armored vehicles can be crucial. Breaking the Mold provides an up-to-date analysis of the utility of tanks and heavy armored forces in urban combat. The U.S. Army will increasingly conduct combat operations in urban terrain, and it will be necessary to understand what it takes to employ tanks to achieve success in that battlefield environment. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Tactics Roman Jarymowycz, 2008-12-17 Explores the doctrinal, strategic, and tactical ideas behind World War II tank combat Contains detailed maps and diagrams Critiques the performances of commanders like George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and others Focusing on five Allied tank operations from July to September 1944--Operations Goodwood, Cobra, Totalize, and Tractable and Patton's tank battles around Arracourt--armor expert Roman Jarymowycz draws on after-action reports, extensive battlefield reconnaissance, recently discovered battle performance reviews, and war diaries to evaluate the successes and failures of the art of armored warfare as practiced by Allied tank commanders in France in 1944. |
world war 2 tank tactics: The Day of Battle Rick Atkinson, 2008-09-16 In the second volume of his epic trilogy about the liberation of Europe in World War II, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Atkinson tells the harrowing story of the campaigns in Sicily and Italy. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front, 1943–1945 Robert Forczyk, 2016-03-30 The author of Case White offers an extensive history of German and Soviet armored warfare toward the end of World War II. By 1943, after the catastrophic German defeat at Stalingrad, the Wehrmacht’s panzer armies gradually lost the initiative on the Eastern Front. The tide of the war had turned. Their combined arms technique, which had swept Soviet forces before it during 1941 and 1942, had lost its edge. Thereafter the war on the Eastern Front was dominated by tank-led offensives and, as Robert Forczyk shows, the Red Army’s mechanized forces gained the upper hand, delivering a sequence of powerful blows that shattered one German defensive line after another. His incisive study offers fresh insight into how the two most powerful mechanized armies of the Second World War developed their tank tactics and weaponry during this period of growing Soviet dominance. He uses German, Russian, and English sources to provide the first comprehensive overview and analysis of armored warfare from the German and Soviet perspectives. This major study of the greatest tank war in history is compelling reading. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Kursk 1943 Anders Frankson, Niklas Zetterling, 2016-12-05 The battle at Kursk in 1943 is often referred to as the greatest tank battle in the history of warfare. This volume makes extensive use of German archival documents as well as various Russian books and articles. As well as an account of the battle, it addresses methodological issues. |
world war 2 tank tactics: World War II Weapons Arnold Ringstad, 2015-08 This title examines the major weapons used during World War II, focusing on their development, strategy and tactics, and their effect on the course of the war. Narrative text, historical photographs, and primary sources assist the reader in report writing. |
world war 2 tank tactics: Handbook on Japanese Military Forces United States. War Department, 1944 |
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479 likes, 2 comments - volleyballworld on May 25, 2025: "Early Bird Gets the Deal! Save 20% OFF all plans with code 20EARLY — but hurry, it disappears after May 31! Lock it in now - …
Thick World (@thickthickworld) • Instagram photos and videos
350K Followers, 787 Following, 1,270 Posts - Thick World (@thickthickworld) on Instagram: "𝗗𝗠 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼 *Advertise Your business/products with us*"
Volleyball World | TAURONLIGA FINALS – GAME ... - Instagram
Apr 18, 2025 · 439 likes, 0 comments - volleyballworld on April 18, 2025: " TAURONLIGA FINALS – GAME 2 KS Developres Rzeszów took the first step toward the title with a dominant 3-0 win …
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46M Followers, 1,638 Following, 121K Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from WorldStar Hip Hop / WSHH (@worldstar)
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Volleyball World | ️ Tickets on sale and venues ... - Instagram
May 28, 2025 · 2,362 likes, 6 comments - volleyballworld on May 28, 2025: "🎟️ Tickets on sale and venues confirmed for the Women’s World Championship Thailand 2025 🇹🇭! The tournament …
Hannah Brooks (@hannah_brooks_world) - Instagram
1M Followers, 479 Following, 1,079 Posts - Hannah Brooks (@hannah_brooks_world) on Instagram: "World traveler 🌎 Gym bunny 💪 Golfer ⛳️"
Volleyball World on Instagram: "1️⃣ Month to Go til World …
Jun 7, 2025 · 709 likes, 5 comments - volleyballworld on June 7, 2025: "1️⃣ Month to Go til World #Volleyball Day! 🗓️ Mark your calendars — on 7 July 2025, we’ll make history with the very …
Scarlett Johansson (@scarlettjohanssonworld) - Instagram
4M Followers, 49 Following, 3,120 Posts - Scarlett Johansson (@scarlettjohanssonworld) on Instagram: "This is a Fan account♥️ I'm not Scarlett Johansson She is on @theoutset 🤍 …
Nandiniii (@nandiniguptaa13) • Instagram photos and videos
145K Followers, 1,094 Following, 697 Posts - Nandiniii🕊 (@nandiniguptaa13) on Instagram: "Femina Miss India World ️ Reach out to janhvi.galani@wwm.co.in …
Volleyball World | Early Bird Gets the Deal! Save ... - Instagram
479 likes, 2 comments - volleyballworld on May 25, 2025: "Early Bird Gets the Deal! Save 20% OFF all plans with code 20EARLY — but hurry, it disappears after May 31! Lock it in now - …
Thick World (@thickthickworld) • Instagram photos and videos
350K Followers, 787 Following, 1,270 Posts - Thick World (@thickthickworld) on Instagram: "𝗗𝗠 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼 *Advertise Your business/products with us*"
Volleyball World | TAURONLIGA FINALS – GAME ... - Instagram
Apr 18, 2025 · 439 likes, 0 comments - volleyballworld on April 18, 2025: " TAURONLIGA FINALS – GAME 2 KS Developres Rzeszów took the first step toward the title with a dominant 3-0 win …