Patton's Vanguard

Patton's Vanguard
Author: Don M. Fox
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 497
Release: 2015-08-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0786455160

Stirring accounts of the almost legendary campaigns of the United States Fourth Armored Division, universally recognized as "Patton's Best," from its pre-World War II origins up through its famous relief of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge are presented in this book. The break out of Normandy at Avranches, the isolation of the Brittany peninsula, the armored thrust across France, the tank battles at Arracourt that cemented the reputation of the Fourth Armored, the brutal struggle in Lorraine, and, ultimately, the legendary drive to Bastogne are among the topics. The accounts were assembled through the use of original unit combat diaries and after-action reports, memoirs of key historical figures and abundant supplementary documents and correspondences. But the essence of the book are the first-hand recollections from members of the division gathered by the author. With maps, drawings and photographs.

He Rode Up Front for Patton

He Rode Up Front for Patton
Author: Albin F. Irzyk
Publisher: Ivy House Publishing Group
Total Pages: 388
Release: 1996-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781571970077

As a young tank battalion commander in World War II, Brigadier General Irzyk witnessed the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of a concentration camp and encounters with General George Patton. The author's vivid descriptions and somber insights paint a striking portrait of life on the European front.

Patton at the Battle of the Bulge

Patton at the Battle of the Bulge
Author: Leo Barron
Publisher: Dutton Caliber
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2015-11-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 0451467884

Hitler's forces had pressed in on the small Belgian town in a desperate offensive designed to push back the Allies, starting the Battle of the Bulge. So far, the US soldiers had managed to repel waves of attackers and even a panzer onslaught, but as their ammunition dwindled, the weary paratroopers of the 101st Airborne could only hope for a miracle--a miracle in the form of General George S. Patton and his Third Army. More than a hundred miles away, Patton, ordered to race his men to Bastogne, was already putting in motion the most crucial charge of his career. Tapped to spearhead his counterstrike against the Wehrmacht was the Fourth Armored Division, a bloodied but experienced unit that had fought and slogged its way across France. But blazing a trail into Belgium meant going up against some of the best infantry and tank units in the German Army. Failure to reach Bastogne in time could result in the overrunning of the 101st--a catastrophic defeat that could turn the tide of the war and secure victory for the Nazis.

You're a Good Man, Sergeant

You're a Good Man, Sergeant
Author: Paul S. Porter
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2024-09-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 1476695709

Sergeant Paul S. Porter experienced combat like few soldiers have lived to write about. Serving with the Fourth Armored Division in Company B, 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion, Porter and his light machine gun squad entered the front line of World War II on July 17, 1944, and were soon in the thick of the action. The Fourth fought through the hedgerows of Normandy before leading Patton's Third Army in its breakout and pursuit toward the German border. The slugfests that followed as the Fourth advanced through the mud and battered villages of the Alsace-Lorraine region were Porter's most difficult of the war. For his heroic actions in combat on December 4, 1944, Sergeant Porter was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. This memoir presents the full story of Porter's extraordinary service in his own candid words, illustrated with family photographs. He paints a vivid portrait of a young man coping with the unique pressures of the battlefield. His candor when describing his officers and fellow soldiers provides a sober view of the dynamics within a team when comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and motives. Sergeant Porter has an intense desire to survive yet possesses a resolve to enter the fray and engage in combat eye-to-eye with the enemy.

Advance and Destroy

Advance and Destroy
Author: John Rickard
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 530
Release: 2011-10-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813134560

In the winter of 1944–1945, Hitler sought to divide Allied forces in the heavily forested Ardennes region of Luxembourg and Belgium. He deployed more than 400,000 troops in one of the last major German offensives of the war, which became known as the Battle of the Bulge, in a desperate attempt to regain the strategic initiative in the West. Hitler’s effort failed for a variety of reasons, but many historians assert that Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr.’s Third Army was ultimately responsible for securing Allied victory. Although Patton has assumed a larger-than-life reputation for his leadership in the years since World War II, scholars have paid little attention to his generalship in the Ardennes following the relief of Bastogne. In Advance and Destroy, Captain John Nelson Rickard explores the commander’s operational performance during the entire Ardennes campaign, through his “estimate of the situation,” the U.S. Army’s doctrinal approach to problem-solving. Patton’s day-by-day situational understanding of the Battle of the Bulge, as revealed through ULTRA intelligence and the influence of the other Allied generals on his decision-making, gives readers an in-depth, critical analysis of Patton’s overall effectiveness, measured in terms of mission accomplishment, his ability to gain and hold ground, and a cost-benefit analysis of his operations relative to the lives of his soldiers. The work not only debunks myths about one of America’s most controversial generals but provides new insights into his renowned military skill and colorful personality.

No Greater Valor

No Greater Valor
Author: Jerome Corsi
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 382
Release: 2014-11-18
Genre: History
ISBN: 1595555226

Jerome Corsi’s newest opus, No Greater Valor, examines the Siege of Bastogne—one of the most heroic victories of WWII—with a focus on the surprising faith of the Americans who fought there. In December of 1944, an outmanned, outgunned, and surrounded US force fought Hitler’s overwhelming Panzer divisions to a miraculous standstill at Bastogne. The underdogs had saved the war for the Allies. It was nothing short of miraculous. Corsi’s analysis is based on a record of oral histories along with original field maps used by field commanders, battle orders, and other documentation made at the time of the military command. With a perspective gleaned from newspapers, periodicals, and newsreels of the day, Corsi paints a riveting portrait of one of the most important battles in world history.

Patton's Prayer

Patton's Prayer
Author: Alex Kershaw
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2024-05-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 0593183770

From Alex Kershaw, author of the New York Times bestseller Against All Odds, comes an epic story of courage, resilience, and faith during the Second World War General George Patton needed a miracle. In December 1944, the Allies found themselves stuck. Rain had plagued the troops daily since September, turning roads into rivers of muck, slowing trucks and tanks to a crawl. A thick ceiling of clouds had grounded American warplanes, allowing the Germans to reinforce. The sprint to Berlin had become a muddy, bloody stalemate, costing thousands of American lives. Patton seethed, desperate for some change, any change, in the weather. A devout Christian, he telephoned his head chaplain. “Do you have a good prayer for the weather?” he asked. The resulting prayer was soon printed and distributed to the 250,000 men under Patton’s command. “Pray when driving,” the men were told. “Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. . . . Pray for victory. . . . Pray for Peace.” Then came the Battle of the Bulge. Amid frigid temperatures and heavy snow, 200,000 German troops overwhelmed the meager American lines in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest, massacring thousands of soldiers as the attack converged on a vital crossroads town called Bastogne. There, the 101st Airborne was dug in, but the enemy were lurking, hidden in the thick blanket of fog that seemed to never dissipate. A hundred miles of frozen roads to the south, Patton needed an answer to his prayer, fast, before it was too late.

Nierstein and Oppenheim 1945

Nierstein and Oppenheim 1945
Author: Russ Rodgers
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2020-06-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472840410

In January 1945, the collapse of the German front along the Siegfried Line led to a large-scale dissolution of German combat forces and capability. Pressed hard by Allied forces advancing eastward, German units often found themselves trapped west of the Rhine River. With his eye on history, US Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. was determined to be the first leader since Napoleon to make an assault crossing of the Rhine. The most logical crossing-place was at Mainz, as it served as a major railroad logistical link from west to east. However, Patton was aware that this would be obvious to the Germans, and therefore he and his staff made rapid plans for another site at Nierstein and Oppenheim, about 12 miles south of Mainz. The crossing began at 2230 hours on 23 March, when the first boats carrying 11th Infantry Regiment troops left the western bank of the Rhine. They met with little opposition; despite a few sharp counterattacks, overall resistance was light and American forces suffered few casualties. By 24 March, the US 4th Armoured Division under Brig. Gen. William Hoge crossed the Rhine and began the exploitation phase. By 26 March, the exploitation to the Main River was clearly a rout, exacerbated by additional crossings of the Rhine by other Allied units over the next few days. Illustrated throughout with stunning full-colour artwork, maps, and bird's-eye-views, this title details the complete history of this dramatic campaign.

Snow & Steel

Snow & Steel
Author: Peter Caddick-Adams
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 929
Release: 2015
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199335141

A new assessment of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest battle fought by U.S. forces in World War II, offers a balanced perspective that considers both the German and American viewpoints and discusses the failings of intelligence; Hitler's strategic grasp; effects of weather and influence of terrain; and differences in weaponry, understanding of aerial warfare, and doctrine.