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Tank Destroyer Forces
Detailed history of the U.S. Army's Tank Destroyers during World War II. The book features more than 2,000 photographs, some in color, accompanied by maps, personal stories, charts, and nearly 1,000 individual biographies of Tank Destroyer veterans. A roster of almost thirteen thousand members of the various individual TD battalion associations is also included.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1992
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April 23, 2020
A detailed and complete history of the U.S. Army tank destroyers during world War II. I'll spare you a re-telling of the origins of the tank destroyers, the tactical doctrine that did not survive contact with the Germans and the various vehicles and weapons developed for ,and by, the tank destroyers. The tank destroyers provided much needed direct fire support to the infantry (as well as indirect) and they played a crucial role in many World War Two battles; the most notable of which would have to the Siege of Bastogne, when they gave the lightly armed paratroopers firepower against the heavier German formations.
Despite this the tank destroyers never received the attention that were given to the tanks and other weapon systems of World War II. Perhaps because the TD's were a solution looking for a problem or that they looked like tanks, were used like tanks and therefore ,in the minds of many, were tanks. Whatever the reason there was a dearth of material with a dedicated focus on the tank destroyers. Lonnie Gill changed that with the publication of his book in 1992.
Beautifully illustrated with over 2,000 photos, maps and charts the book is a mix of unit battle histories, personal reminiscences of veterans, an examination of the formation of the tank destroyer school (tactical doctrine, training) and the various weapons used by the TD's.
Though only 305 pages in length the book is oversized and the pages have very tight print with a generous amount of information. The book is a high quality printing with glossy pages and quality binding. Turner Publishing is a boutique operation (which has been expanding in the past few years) that initially specialized in historical works during it's early years (established in 1984). Often the printing run was very small and aimed at very specific topics....such as U.S. Army Tank Destroyers in World War II. As a result this is a very hard book to find and one should expect to pay a significant sum if a copy is located. However I was lucky. I'm one of those irritating people who found my copy (still in the shrink-wrap) at a yard sale; priced for the very low sum of $5.00. I didn't even blink an eye about the price before pulling out my wallet.
If you have an interest in World War Two, mechanized warfare, a taste for eclectic reading or just like owning high quality books I recommend Tank Destroyer Forces of WWII (U.S. Army only).
Despite this the tank destroyers never received the attention that were given to the tanks and other weapon systems of World War II. Perhaps because the TD's were a solution looking for a problem or that they looked like tanks, were used like tanks and therefore ,in the minds of many, were tanks. Whatever the reason there was a dearth of material with a dedicated focus on the tank destroyers. Lonnie Gill changed that with the publication of his book in 1992.
Beautifully illustrated with over 2,000 photos, maps and charts the book is a mix of unit battle histories, personal reminiscences of veterans, an examination of the formation of the tank destroyer school (tactical doctrine, training) and the various weapons used by the TD's.
Though only 305 pages in length the book is oversized and the pages have very tight print with a generous amount of information. The book is a high quality printing with glossy pages and quality binding. Turner Publishing is a boutique operation (which has been expanding in the past few years) that initially specialized in historical works during it's early years (established in 1984). Often the printing run was very small and aimed at very specific topics....such as U.S. Army Tank Destroyers in World War II. As a result this is a very hard book to find and one should expect to pay a significant sum if a copy is located. However I was lucky. I'm one of those irritating people who found my copy (still in the shrink-wrap) at a yard sale; priced for the very low sum of $5.00. I didn't even blink an eye about the price before pulling out my wallet.
If you have an interest in World War Two, mechanized warfare, a taste for eclectic reading or just like owning high quality books I recommend Tank Destroyer Forces of WWII (U.S. Army only).
Displaying 1 of 1 review