Tank Destroyers
Tank Destroyerswere the U.S. Army's response to Germany's Blitzkrieg armored victories over Poland and France in the early years of World War II. Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair, head of army doctrine and training, decided that mobile, powerfully gunned antitank units were the best way to defeat enemy tanks. In November 1941, the War Department ordered the creation of such units, designated “tank destroyer” battalions.
Tank destroyer weapons could be either towed or self‐propelled. The towed weapons were 3‐inch artillery pieces pulled by half‐tracks. Self‐propelled tank destroyers had 3‐inch, 76mm or (late in the war) 90mm guns mounted on tank chassis within fully rotating, open‐topped turrets. These carried less armor and mounted more powerful guns than the standard M‐4 Sherman tank.
Tank destroyer units were trained to operate aggressively and en masse to destroy enemy armor. In combat, however,...
[The entire page is 315 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
