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Patton's Vanguard: The United States Army Fourth Armored Division
Stirring accounts of the almost legendary campaigns of the United States Fourth Armored Division, universally recognized as "Patton's Best," from its pre-World War II origins up through its famous relief of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge are presented in this book. The break out of Normandy at Avranches, the isolation of the Brittany peninsula, the armored thrust across France, the tank battles at Arracourt that cemented the reputation of the Fourth Armored, the brutal struggle in Lorraine, and, ultimately, the legendary drive to Bastogne are among the topics. The accounts were assembled through the use of original unit combat diaries and after-action reports, memoirs of key historical figures and abundant supplementary documents and correspondences. But the essence of the book are the first-hand recollections from members of the division gathered by the author. With maps, drawings and photographs.
496 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 26, 2016
A general history tells dozens of heroic deeds and praises them. A unit history tells hundreds and considers them all part of the job. The outstanding record of the 4th U.S. Armored Division in the European Theatre of Operations doubles as an immersion in the gritty reality of small unit tactics. Lieutenants don’t get to fall on the field of honor as they lead the final charge; they take a sniper bullet in the head first. The grizzled NCO who saves the day may be awarded that medal, but he’s likely to die in the next encounter before it can be presented to him.
The foreword mention of the rare Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation, only awarded twice on divisional level during World War II, sets the tone for a tale of excellence through teamwork as the key to success. This tone is carried through in a brief look at the training phase in the homeland under the philosophy of the division’s ‘father’, Major General John Wood.
The level of improvisation at times surpassed the conditions within the Reichswehr.Where Guderian’s disciples used wooden silhouettes or dummies of tanks, the future tank crews of the Fourth sometimes moved as one body, holding each other by the shoulder like the blind of Bruegel the Elder as they trotted the Mojave desert. Nevertheless, combined arms cooperation and swift exploitation of any weaknesses in the enemy line reached a high level. Of long-term importance was the excellent relationships fostered between the ‘core’ units of the division and the ‘attached’ units, who felt part of the team rather than a disposable convenience. Small things could make the difference, such as not “buttoning up” (closing the hatch) while pushing forward.
Once across the Atlantic, there was no romantic Phony War period. The English buildings were marked by the Blitz. The tankers saw the battle-scarred air fleet return from the first D-Day run while training on Salisbury Plains. On July 19th, Omaha Beach was still littered with debris of the landing. Bradley’s policy of blooding new units saw the armoured infantry battalions baptized by German shells in the old-fashioned role of doughboys in slit trenches. There was some panic among the green troops, some wild rumors about broken lines, but in general they stood their ground well. It became clear that the role of the Fourth Armoured, at least prior to the Breakout in Normandy, would not be that of dashing mechanized cavalry.
Fox still credits their overall performance with one of many useful end-of-chapter recapitulations: Due to their courage and aptitude under fire, by the end of the final day of july 1944, the city of Avranches was secured. The road into Brittany and the interior of France was open, courtesy of the Fourth Armored Division.. Once Middleton of VIII corps put it in the saddle, it showed the future of U.S. armoured doctrine by frustrating the German defenders as much as Wood’s direction had frustrated the umpires during the large-scale exercises in the Tennessee Maneuver Area: Rennes was a major objective that was captured at moderate cost. The division had demonstrated how the right combination of speed, maneuver and firepower could outwit the enemy and save lives. What could’ve been a costly frontal assault instead became a grand encirclement that cut off and demoralized the enemy.
Fox feels comfortable reciting the reminiscences of veterans (he interviewed or corresponded with 20 surviving officers to supplement the available memories in ink). They range from the sobering to the incredible. On one end, an officer spots a lone disabled Tiger in a field, its powerful main gun still sighted on a line of five Shermans on a distant ridge, each shot clean through the big white American star which graced their front armor. It was proof enough to give the divisional tank park a paint job. On the other, the division artillery liaison, Major Charles Carpenter, kept in touch with the tank battalions in a customized Piper Cub with 6 bazookas rigged under the wings, to do a XIX Tactical Air Command act of his own which earned him the nickname “Bazooka Charlie”.
Sometimes he gets carried away. Systematically decimating 350 German Landser packed onto a train by disabling the locomotive, then raking the cars one by one with machine guns will give even a seasoned GI pause for thought, but not bloody likely about the “just and noble cause”(p.75)! It is possible to use a certain amount of hyperbole in a unit history, but on page 70 Fox blunders with an offhand remark about the failure to close the gap between Argentan and Falaise that makes no sense whatsoever, it jumps out from the page: “In some respects, by making this decision, Eisenhower and his top generals returned the favor that Hitler had granted the British at Dunkirk in 1940 . That myth has been busted since the late 80’s, harking back to original post-war statements by Hitler’s generals. Similarly, the phrase “In retrospect it is really quite remarkable that Hitler was able to foresee where the front would stabilize and where his opportunity would reside” graces page 131. Such foresight on Hitler’s part in mid-September is a factoid that most solid accounts of the Ardennes offensive will contest.
“P” Wood was a good friend of George Patton, which did not prevent him from being relieved from command shortly before the Bulge, a subject which Fox tackles with indignation but is unable to clarify. Roughly the final third of the book is dedicated to the Fourth’s famous drive on Bastogne, after which things come to an abrupt end. A proper unit history would’ve seen it through to the occupation of Germany and its 1949 deactivation.
P.S. A critical source (available online) here, with links to the AirLand battle doctrine of the mid-80s, is “ the Fourth Armoured Division in the Encirclement of Nancy ” by Dr. Christopher R. Gabel, Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavensworth, Kansas, april 1986.
The foreword mention of the rare Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation, only awarded twice on divisional level during World War II, sets the tone for a tale of excellence through teamwork as the key to success. This tone is carried through in a brief look at the training phase in the homeland under the philosophy of the division’s ‘father’, Major General John Wood.
The level of improvisation at times surpassed the conditions within the Reichswehr.Where Guderian’s disciples used wooden silhouettes or dummies of tanks, the future tank crews of the Fourth sometimes moved as one body, holding each other by the shoulder like the blind of Bruegel the Elder as they trotted the Mojave desert. Nevertheless, combined arms cooperation and swift exploitation of any weaknesses in the enemy line reached a high level. Of long-term importance was the excellent relationships fostered between the ‘core’ units of the division and the ‘attached’ units, who felt part of the team rather than a disposable convenience. Small things could make the difference, such as not “buttoning up” (closing the hatch) while pushing forward.
Once across the Atlantic, there was no romantic Phony War period. The English buildings were marked by the Blitz. The tankers saw the battle-scarred air fleet return from the first D-Day run while training on Salisbury Plains. On July 19th, Omaha Beach was still littered with debris of the landing. Bradley’s policy of blooding new units saw the armoured infantry battalions baptized by German shells in the old-fashioned role of doughboys in slit trenches. There was some panic among the green troops, some wild rumors about broken lines, but in general they stood their ground well. It became clear that the role of the Fourth Armoured, at least prior to the Breakout in Normandy, would not be that of dashing mechanized cavalry.
Fox still credits their overall performance with one of many useful end-of-chapter recapitulations: Due to their courage and aptitude under fire, by the end of the final day of july 1944, the city of Avranches was secured. The road into Brittany and the interior of France was open, courtesy of the Fourth Armored Division.. Once Middleton of VIII corps put it in the saddle, it showed the future of U.S. armoured doctrine by frustrating the German defenders as much as Wood’s direction had frustrated the umpires during the large-scale exercises in the Tennessee Maneuver Area: Rennes was a major objective that was captured at moderate cost. The division had demonstrated how the right combination of speed, maneuver and firepower could outwit the enemy and save lives. What could’ve been a costly frontal assault instead became a grand encirclement that cut off and demoralized the enemy.
Fox feels comfortable reciting the reminiscences of veterans (he interviewed or corresponded with 20 surviving officers to supplement the available memories in ink). They range from the sobering to the incredible. On one end, an officer spots a lone disabled Tiger in a field, its powerful main gun still sighted on a line of five Shermans on a distant ridge, each shot clean through the big white American star which graced their front armor. It was proof enough to give the divisional tank park a paint job. On the other, the division artillery liaison, Major Charles Carpenter, kept in touch with the tank battalions in a customized Piper Cub with 6 bazookas rigged under the wings, to do a XIX Tactical Air Command act of his own which earned him the nickname “Bazooka Charlie”.
Sometimes he gets carried away. Systematically decimating 350 German Landser packed onto a train by disabling the locomotive, then raking the cars one by one with machine guns will give even a seasoned GI pause for thought, but not bloody likely about the “just and noble cause”(p.75)! It is possible to use a certain amount of hyperbole in a unit history, but on page 70 Fox blunders with an offhand remark about the failure to close the gap between Argentan and Falaise that makes no sense whatsoever, it jumps out from the page: “In some respects, by making this decision, Eisenhower and his top generals returned the favor that Hitler had granted the British at Dunkirk in 1940 . That myth has been busted since the late 80’s, harking back to original post-war statements by Hitler’s generals. Similarly, the phrase “In retrospect it is really quite remarkable that Hitler was able to foresee where the front would stabilize and where his opportunity would reside” graces page 131. Such foresight on Hitler’s part in mid-September is a factoid that most solid accounts of the Ardennes offensive will contest.
“P” Wood was a good friend of George Patton, which did not prevent him from being relieved from command shortly before the Bulge, a subject which Fox tackles with indignation but is unable to clarify. Roughly the final third of the book is dedicated to the Fourth’s famous drive on Bastogne, after which things come to an abrupt end. A proper unit history would’ve seen it through to the occupation of Germany and its 1949 deactivation.
P.S. A critical source (available online) here, with links to the AirLand battle doctrine of the mid-80s, is “ the Fourth Armoured Division in the Encirclement of Nancy ” by Dr. Christopher R. Gabel, Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavensworth, Kansas, april 1986.
June 23, 2017
A unit history that tells the story of the Fourth Armored Division from its initial formation through its role as Patton's Vanguard in relieving the besieged 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. You'll learn a lot about the composition of an armored division, armored tactics, and how the combined forces of tanks, armored infantry, anti-tank weapons, artillery, and tactical air support are best used. And you'll learn a lot about the German's equipment and tactics.
The Fourth's initial commander, John "P" Wood, was a close friend of George Patton and a great innovator. He was loyal to the men of his division to a fault. Patton had to relieve Gen. Wood from command after he clashed one too many times with his Corps commander when the Third Army's race across France had slowed to a bloody crawl through Lorraine, hampered by a shortage of fuel, poor weather, and stiffening German resistance.
The author clearly admires Gen. Wood but he is fairly objective in assessing the merits of Patton, Wood, and their subordinate commanders. You'll read about the exploits of Creighton Abrams, namesake of the U.S. Army's current main battle tank, as well as the individual exploits of officers and men who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, or the Bronze Star.
The scope of the story varies, with whole chapters being devoted to battles that you probably never heard of. There are maps interspersed throughout the book but it can be a challenge at times to try to follow the paths of the various combat commands.
The Germans had good reason to fear the Fourth Armored Division, or "Roosevelt's Butchers". The Fourth played a key role in thwarting more than one of Hitler's counterattacks.
I recommend reading this book. Chances are that, like me, you'll learn a lot about the Fourth Armored Division one of the best, if not the best, armored divisions in World War II.
The Fourth's initial commander, John "P" Wood, was a close friend of George Patton and a great innovator. He was loyal to the men of his division to a fault. Patton had to relieve Gen. Wood from command after he clashed one too many times with his Corps commander when the Third Army's race across France had slowed to a bloody crawl through Lorraine, hampered by a shortage of fuel, poor weather, and stiffening German resistance.
The author clearly admires Gen. Wood but he is fairly objective in assessing the merits of Patton, Wood, and their subordinate commanders. You'll read about the exploits of Creighton Abrams, namesake of the U.S. Army's current main battle tank, as well as the individual exploits of officers and men who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, or the Bronze Star.
The scope of the story varies, with whole chapters being devoted to battles that you probably never heard of. There are maps interspersed throughout the book but it can be a challenge at times to try to follow the paths of the various combat commands.
The Germans had good reason to fear the Fourth Armored Division, or "Roosevelt's Butchers". The Fourth played a key role in thwarting more than one of Hitler's counterattacks.
I recommend reading this book. Chances are that, like me, you'll learn a lot about the Fourth Armored Division one of the best, if not the best, armored divisions in World War II.
September 13, 2020
This gave me greater insight into what my great-grandfather's battalion was doing in the last months of his life and in his final battle when he was Killed In Action. However it had no specific information that I could find about my Great-Grandfather. His name is no where to be found but I was able to get information about where he likely was and the conditions of battle underwhich he was killed. While in the book there is only the summary of "14 casulaties" for what I believe was his final battle, no names. I am fairly certain my great-grandfather Toney P. Versey was among those casulaties. I would recommend this book if you have interest in the actions of the 4th armored division (which includes the 51st AIB). It didn't have all the information I had hoped to gain, but it was still very informative and educational.
November 12, 2019
Military & WW2 & history buffs should read this book! A great read!
April 10, 2012
Fox's history of the Fourth Armored Division during World War II is good, but not great IMHO. He covers the majority of the highlights - the five months or so from their landing in continental Europe through the Battle of the Bulge - but nothing beyond. I would like to have seen the finish at the end of the war, but none of that was provided.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews