New issue of ARMOR available

June 2, 2017 by Leave a Comment

A new issue of ARMOR, the journal of the US Armor Branch is available for download at the eARMOR website.  Here is the table of contents for this issue.

armor spring 2017Protecting the Tail of the Tiger: Reshaping the Way We Train Logistics
by CPT Travis Michelena

Defeating the Battalion Tactical Group
by CPT Nic Fiore

Strength Punishes, Speed Kills: the Stryker Weapons Troop at National Training Center
by CPT Jared Wayne

2017-2018 Armor Training and Leader Development Strategy Released

Bringing the Future Back to Combat Systems: Recognizing the Need for a New Main Battle Tank
by MAJ Michael J. Trujillo

Army Design Methodology for the Regionally Allocated Battalion
by LTC Christopher S. Mahaffey, MAJ John W. Denney and 1LT Victoria C. Hulm

The Reconnaissance and Security Strike Group: A Multi-Domain Battle Enabler
by MAJ Nathan A. Jennings

Maneuver Leaders’ Role in Observation Planning
by LTC Jack D. Crabtree, LTC Jonathan A. Shine and CPT George L. Cass

Lessons for Today from Umayyad Invasion of Gaul
by CPT Thomas W. Doherty

Future Special Operations Forces and Conventional Forces Interdependence
by LTC Casey Galligan and CW5 Dennis Castellanos

Overtasking and Its Effect on Platoon and Company Tactical Proficiency: an Opposing Forces and Observer / Coach / Trainer Perspective
by CPT J. Scott Metz

Maneuver and Intelligence: Bridging the Gap for Unified Land Operations
by MAJ James A. Kolky and MAJ Michael J. Trujillo

Filed Under: Book News Tagged With:

From the Vault: Sherman gun camera

May 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Here is another article found in a 1944 issues of Army Ordnance magazine.  This piece describes a gun mounted camera system used to test the effectiveness of the Sherman gun stabilizer.

Camera gun tests tank stability

Filed Under: From the Vault

“Mad Money” Host criticized by Poland for propagating myth of Polish cavalry attacking German Panzers

May 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

0_5fdf6_6072963c_LIt’s probably been a while since the Battle of Krojanty in 1939 made the news, but that is what recently happened according to a blog post on the website of FP (Foreign Policy) magazine.  The post states that Mad Money host Jim Cramer used the myth of Polish Cavalry attacking German Panzers as a metaphor for the struggling department store Macy’s.  This prompted a response from the Polish Embassy in Washington that he apologize for the comments, which they regard as “unnecessary, inaccurate, and insensitive.”

The notion of Polish Cavalry charging German tanks during the 1939 campaign is a rather enduring one in the popular consciousness, despite having been debunked repeatedly by military historians.  Nazi propagandists created the story of the Polish Army deploying cavalry against German tanks as part of their attempt to effort to present the WWII Wehrmacht as an ultra-modern, mechanized force.  The reality was that much like the Polish Army, the majority of the Wehrmacht relied on horses for transport.

Article Excerpt:

On May 11, Mad Money host Jim Cramer compared the struggling department store Macy’s to Poland’s early efforts against the German Wehrmacht in World War II. “Macy’s is like the Polish Army in WWII — it tried to field cavalry against German tanks and it did not end well,” he said.

The Polish Embassy in Washington issued a fiery response to Cramer, demanding he apologize for comments that were “unnecessary, inaccurate, and insensitive.”

Cramer was recycling an oft-cited tale of Polish lancers who supposedly charged German tanks at the outset of World War II — making it the very epitome of blinkered futility.

The problem is that never actually happened, and it’s become a huge sore spot for Poland ever since.

Read the full post here.

For more information on the Polish Cavalry vs Panzer myth, check out this article from a 1984 issue of ARMOR authored by Steven Zaloga.

Filed Under: Historical Vehicle News Tagged With: , , ,

From the Vault: Drilling Holes with the M4 Medium Tank

May 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

We recently came across this article in a 1944 issue of Army Ordnance magazine.  It relates an interesting story of how a M4 Medium was used to shoot holes in the ground, helping a group of Sea-bees break up volcanic ash for use in road building.

Digging holes with the M4 Medium Tank 1Digging holes with the M4 Medium Tank 2

Filed Under: From the Vault Tagged With: ,

Book Alert: Panzerkampfwagen IV: The Backbone of Germany’s WWII Tank Forces

May 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

A new entry in the Legend of Warfare: Ground Forces series on the German Panzer IV tank has been released.  Written by David Doyle, Panzerkampfwagen IV: The Backbone of Germany’s WWII Tank Forces (Legends of Warfare: Ground Forces) is published by Schiffer Military History and is a 112 page hardcover.

Publishers Description:

The Panzerkampfwagen IV, or Panzer IV as it is more popularly known, formed the backbone of Germany’s tank formations during WWII. With production totaling more than 8,500, the Panzer IV was the most plentiful German tank of the war, and the only German tank that remained in production for the duration of the conflict. Through more than 180 photos, this volume chronicles the design, development, and operational deployment of this ubiquitous German tank. This material is arranged in nine chapters, each focusing on a specific production model (Ausführung) of the tank. Comprehensive tables reveal the details of the performance and technical specifications of each variant. A concise, easy to read text, and detailed photographic captions expose the secrets of this iconic tank.

Filed Under: Book News, New Book Alerts Tagged With: , ,

Inside the Chieftain’s Hatch: Strv 103C part 3

May 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

The third and final installment in the Chieftain’s series on the Swedish S-Tank.

Filed Under: Historical Vehicle News Tagged With: ,

From the Vault: Wartime ads featuring Sherman Tanks (and other AFVs)

May 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Here are a few examples of WWII wartime ads featuring US tanks or tracked vehicles that we found while digging around the internet.  Click on an image to enlarge.

Filed Under: From the Vault, Historical Pictures, Modern Vehicle News

Book Alert: The History of the Panzerwaffe: Volume 2: 1942–45

May 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Osprey Publishing has released a follow-up book to Thomas Anderson’s History of the Panzerwaffe.  This new book, The History of the Panzerwaffe: Volume 2: 1942–45 covers the later half of the Second World War.  Unlike the slender softcover series books that they are mainly known for, this Osprey offering is a 304 page hardcover.  Thomas Anderson is a German researcher of armored vehicle history, having written several Osprey titles on German WWII armor.

Publishers Description:

The final years of World War II saw the legendary Panzerwaffe face its most difficult challenges, with Allied troops landing at Normandy and storming across the continent, and the Russians gaining the upper hand on the Eastern Front. As Germany fought fiercely to hold on to the advantages gained in the early years, they relied heavily on the Panzer IV, the Panzer V Panther, and the StuG III–the backbone of their infamous armored divisions–to hold back their advancing opponents. This second volume on the Panzerwaffe offers a comprehensive guide to the final years of Germany’s most famous fighting force, covering the further use of the Panzer IV, the role played by the StuG III assault gun, and the battlefield debut of the formidable Panther. Explosive combat reports and rare archive photographs help uncover the final years of the Panzers, from their defense against the D-Day landings and the role they played in the Ardennes Offensive, to their valiant last stand in Berlin.

Filed Under: Book News, New Book Alerts Tagged With: ,

Photo of the Day: Revolving Turret Armored Motor Car

May 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Today’s POTD is borrowed from the facebook page of Steven Zaloga.  Here is his description of the vehicle.

Aside from finding obscure Russian half-track armored car drawings, I located a lot of stuff on early US AFVs at NARA over the past few days. Most of it amplifies information on well-known types, but there is an occasional surprise. Here’s the “Revolving Turret Armored Motor Car” offered by Consolidated Motor Corp. to the Army. This seems to be the same vehicle attributed to Federal Motor Truck Co., which should not be a surprise as the individual behind these ventures was the same: C. K. Thomas. One of these was donated to the Armored Motor Battery of the NY National Guard, the first significant armored unit in the US Army which took part in the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916.

18517994_1945455972358449_706112608747940648_o

Filed Under: Photo of the Day Tagged With: ,

Top Five Tanks: Lindybeige at the Tank Museum

May 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Youtube personality “Lindybeige” takes a trip through the Bovington tank museum to show off his five favorite tanks.  Actually, only three of the vehicles in his list are technically tanks since the Jagdpanther is a tank destroyer and the Universal Carrier is a….universal carrier.  Of the three actual tanks he picked, the WWI era Mark IV, the Churchill, and the S-tank, only one of them has a turret.  Does Lindybeige hate turrets?  Inquiring minds want to know….

Filed Under: Historical Vehicle News Tagged With: , , ,
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