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In 2019, the bestselling book Spearhead introduced history buffs to a unit of overlooked heroes—the tankers of the 3rd Armored Division—and their hard-charging commander, Gen. Maurice Rose. Now, Gen. (ret.) Daniel Bolger gives us The Panzer Killers, focusing on Rose and his legendary exploits that would shape the division he named "Spearhead."
We're proud to offer this new book with an exclusive bookplate autographed by two of Gen. Rose's "Panzer Killers": tank gunner Clarence Smoyer and loader-turned-gunner, Walter Stitt, both of whom appear in the short film below.
Includes a COA // shipping added in checkout // ships bubble wrapped & boxed
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A general-turned-historian reveals the remarkable battlefield heroics of Major General Maurice Rose, the World War II tank commander whose 3rd Armored Division struck fear into the hearts of Hitler's panzer crews.
Two months after D-Day, the Allies found themselves in a stalemate in Normandy, having suffered enormous casualties attempting to push through hedgerow country. Troops were spent, and American tankers, lacking the tactics and leadership to deal with the terrain, were losing their spirit. General George Patton and the other top U.S. commanders needed an officer who knew how to break the impasse and roll over the Germans—they needed one man with the grit and the vision to take the war all the way to the Rhine. Patton and his peers selected Maurice Rose.
The son of a rabbi, Rose never discussed his Jewish heritage. But his ferocity on the battlefield reflected an inner flame. He led his 3rd Armored Division not from a command post but from the first vehicle in formation, charging headfirst into a fight. He devised innovative tactics, made the most of American weapons, and personally chose the cadre of young officers who drove his division forward. From Normandy to the West Wall, from the Battle of the Bulge to the final charge across Germany, Maurice Rose's deadly division of tanks blasted through enemy lines and pursued the enemy with a remarkable intensity.
In The Panzer Killers, Daniel P. Bolger, a retired lieutenant general and Iraq War veteran, offers up a lively, dramatic tale of Rose's heroism. Along the way, Bolger infuses the narrative with fascinating insights that could only come from an author who has commanded tank forces in combat. The result is a unique and masterful story of battlefield leadership, destined to become a classic.
- Each bookplate is hand-signed by two of the last living Spearhead tankers:
Clarence Smoyer
One of America’s most celebrated tank gunners, Clarence served in Shermans in France and Belgium before being awarded one of 20 T26E3 Pershings shipped to the ETO. He claimed five enemy tanks in battle and is the hero of the bestselling book "Spearhead." In 2019 he was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" for Valor for knocking out the German Panther tank at the Cologne cathedral.
Rev. Walter Stitt
First a Sherman tank driver, then promoted to a gunner, Walter served in Easy Company, 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division. He fought from Normandy to Mons to the Bulge where he was wounded by a Panzerfaust, losing his third tank of the war. Evacuated to England, Walter recovered from the injuries sustained in the Bulge and was then assigned to the 8th Air Force's 95th Bomb Group as a bomb loader where he remained for the rest of the war.