Search results for ""Author Darren Neely""

The Third Armored Division, famously known as the "Spearhead Division", had an illustrious combat career in WW2\. One of only two "heavy armored" divisions of the war, the 3rd Armored joined the battle in the ETO in late June of 1944, was bloodied almost immediately and was at the front of the American advance through the hedgerows of Normandy and the rapid advance through France into Belgium by September 1944\. The 3rd was one of the first units to breach the vaunted Siegfried Line and then fought a series of back and forth battles with the German army in the Autumn of 1944 as the weather conditions and determined tenacity of the German defenders produced an Autumn stalemate. The 3rd was rushed to the Ardennes front in December of 1944 in response to Hitler's winter offensive and they famously fought battles at the defense of Hotton, Grandmenil and then pushed the Germans back to the border after vicious battles in places like Ottre, Lierneux, Cherain and Sterpigny. The early days of the Bulge battles would find the lost unit of Col Samuel Hogan's 400 men who were surrounded for days and fought their way back to friendly lines. After a brief rest and being outfitted with 10 of the T-26 Pershing tanks, the 3rd was at the spearhead of the 1st Army advance into Germany, across the Rhine and into the Harz mountains and the liberation of the Nordhausen concentration camp. This final campaign would see the highpoint of the famous Cologne tank duel between a Pershing and German panther, made famous by the recent book "Spearhead" by Adam Makos. Then, just a few weeks later the beloved commander of the division, Major General Maurice Rose, was tragically shot by a German tank commander when trying to surrender Paderborn, Germany. The 3rd would end the war at the tip of the American advance into Germany before the war ended.

Read more less

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The offensive was carried out from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945\. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg spearheaded by the feared Tiger tank. Although the Germans managed to begin their offensive with complete surprise and enjoyed some initial successes, they were not able to seize the initiative on the Western Front and would be pushed back to their starting lines as the weather cleared. Like many engagements of WW2, the Battle of the Bulge was fought and won by the soldier with the rifle, a machine-gun team, a well-coordinated mortar assault and infantry support weapons. This book will showcase all the weapons used by the soldiers in the Bulge. From rifles and heavy machine guns and mortars and artillery, as well as armored cars, self-propelled artillery and tanks. Weapons of the Battle of the Bulge will show how the battle was fought, and ultimately won, by the western Allies which included the British and Canadians in addition to American forces.

Read more less