The Tank Killers: A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force

tank warfare in World War II

Yeide's 'Tank Killers' is 'intended...[to be] both a broad history of the Tank Destroyer Force and a representative look into the world of men who fought in the TD battalions.' The TDF was formed in the early days of the North Africa campaign when Allied Forces faced the vaunted German Panzers. Involved in the war in Europe on all fronts including the Italian campaign, D-Day, and the invasion of Germany, the TDF always had an eclectic, ad hoc character to it. Faced with the seemingly incongruous requirements of greater mobility than the German tanks to find them and then outmaneuver them and at the same time powerful enough weapons to destroy the enemy tanks, the TDF made do with armed Jeeps, artillery, tanks, anti-tank mines and hand-placed explosives. The Force was filled with personnel with varied specialties and combat experience brought in from varied Army units. As important as the TDF was in taking out the deadly German tanks commonly threatening to stop advancing infantry, the Force was never smoothly integrated into the regular combat forces. It was disbanded shortly after World War II ended. Yeide is an author of a previous work on U. S. tank warfare in Europe whose history of this brief, but crucial Army tank force contains enough material on individual soldiers, tactics, and combat for any World War II and military history buff. What is new and most captivating about it, though, is the continuing innovation and scrappiness of the men of the Tank Destroyer Force as they gained more information about their foe, weapons evolved, and terrains and other conditions changed during the course of the War.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

From the horse's mouth

Thoroughly enjoyable read if you're into military history and strategy.
Conceptual development of a strategy does not always materialize on the battlefield. This book illustrates the importance of flexibility on the battlefield. While American tanks were clearly outgunned - lighter tanks allows American tanks to fight on different fields.
If cohesive unit and platoon radio communication were available there would be significantly less lives lost.

Excellent for military history buffs or those looking for more information on the Tank Destroyer force of WW2.

I thought it was well done. I always find it interesting that people involved in the same operation can have such different views, and the personall accounts of the soldiers mentioned had some very different opinions of things, from their account of Anzio to opinions on Patton. Yeide uses the soldier's accounts instead of recounting popular opinion, so his writing adds a balanced view of some parts of WW2 history. A history of the tank destroyer force is long overdue, and anyone who has an interest in armored warfare should make time to read this book. As both a military history buff and a miniatures wargamer, I found many things of interest.

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