Freetime Books | New Books - Fast Delivery | 2nd Armored Division

2nd Armored Division - 'Hell on Wheels'

$24.95

Spearhead - Book 10
By Steven Smith
Published in 2003 by Ian Allen Publishing, UK
Softcover, 96 Pages
Size - 25cm * 19cm

The US 2nd Armored Division, nicknamed 'Hell on Wheels', fought with distinction in the European Theatre of Operations and was the first US division to reach the Elbe and to enter Berlin. It was commanded by the charismatic Major-General George S Patton Jr from January 1941 to February 1942.

Elements of 2nd Armored first saw action in North Africa, landing at Casablanca, 8 November 1942, and later taking part in the fighting at Bela, Tunisia, but the division as whole did not enter combat until the invasion of Sicily, where it performed well. After the Sicillan campaign, the division trained in England for the invasion of Normandy, landing on D+3, and going into action near Carentan; it would go on to play a significant role in the Falaise Gap battles, subsequently racing across France through Balgium and into Germany at Schimmert on 18 September 1944.

The division also played an important role during the Ardennes offensive, blunting the German Fifth Panzer Army's penetration of American lines and going on to reduce the Bulge in January. The 2nd crossed the Rhine on 27 March and was the first US division to reach the Elbe at Schonebeck on 11 April.

Spearhead looks at the cutting edge of war, units capable of operating completely independently in the forefront of battle. The series examines the unit's:

Origins and history

Organisation, order of battle and how this changed

Battle history, theatre by theatre

Insignia and Markings

Top people biographies of commanders and personalities

Each book ends with an assessment of unit effectiveness – as seen by itself, its opponents and the wider viewpoint of history – and a full reterence section including:

Critical bibliography

Relevant museums or exhibits

Website links

Re-enactment groups

Memorials

Fully Illustrated with 86 black/white photos, 11 colour photos and 6 maps.