Impact

Originally published in the 1950s, this book is the official unit history for the 10th Armored Division in World War II. The 10th Armored Division served in the ETO."e;Major Nichols was press officer of the unit in question during its period of combat service, which has given him access to a vast amount of official documentary material. But the study of documents has been supplemented by personal interviews with a large number of surviving men and officers of the Division. As a result, Major Nichols' account comes very close to the basic realities of warfare as revealed in the day-by-day operations of a combat unit.The Tenth Armored Division, frequently referred to as "e;the Tigers,"e; landed at Cherbourg in September, 1944, and during the next few months was engaged almost continuously in the offensive operations involved in the penetration of the Siegfried Line and the actual invasion of Germany. Its long smashing drive carried it by the end of the war through southern Germany to the vicinity of the Brenner Pass. The Tenth Armored Division appears to have served in the role of "e;trouble-shooter,"e; and the Germans nicknamed it the "e;ghost division"e; due to its frequent and unexpected appearances in critical sectors. Major Nichols gives a vivid and fascinating account of the slamming, slashing tactics characteristic of tank units in modern war. For most readers the high point of the narrative will be the chapters dealing with the epic defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945.The many illustrations and battle maps and diagrams are an outstanding feature of the volume and contribute greatly to the value and interest of the narrative...It is a notable contribution to the ever-growing literature of World War II."e;-Wayne E. Stevens