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The Tank Killers: A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force
“A fantastic read . . . Whether your interest is armour or history I would highly recommend this book” (Military Modelling). The tank destroyer was a bold—though some would say flawed—answer to the challenge posed by the seemingly unstoppable German Blitzkrieg. The TD was conceived to be light and fast enough to outmaneuver panzer forces and go where tanks could not. At the same time, the TD would wield the firepower needed to kill any German tank on the battlefield. Indeed, American doctrine stipulated that TDs would fight tanks, while American tanks would concentrate on achieving and exploiting breakthroughs of enemy lines. The Tank Killers follows the men who fought in the TDs, from the formation of the force in 1941 through the victory over the Third Reich in 1945. It is a story of American flexibility and pragmatism in military affairs. Tank destroyers were among the very first units to land in North Africa in 1942. Their first vehicles were ad hoc halftracks and weapons carriers with guns no better than those on tanks, thin armor affording the crews considerably less protection. Almost immediately, the crews began adapting to circumstances, along with their partners in the infantry and armored divisions. By the time North Africa was in Allied hands, the TD had become a valued tank fighter, assault gun, and artillery piece. The reconnaissance teams in TD battalions, meanwhile, had established a record for daring operations that would continue for the rest of the war. The story continues with the invasion of Italy and, finally, that of Fortress Europe on June 6, 1944. By now, the brass had decreed that half the force would convert to towed guns, a decision that dogged the affected crews through the end of the war. The TD men encountered increasingly lethal enemies, ever more dangerous panzers that were often vulnerable only to their guns, while American tank crews watched in frustration as their rounds bounced harmlessly off the thick German armor. They fought under incredibly diverse conditions that demanded constant modification of tactics, and their equipment became ever more deadly. By VE-Day, the tank destroyer battalions had achieved impressive records, generally with kill-loss rates heavily in their favor. Yet the army after the war concluded that the concept of a separate TD arm was so fundamentally flawed that not a single battalion existed after November 1946. The Tank Killers draws heavily on the records of the tank destroyer battalions and the units with which they fought, as well as personal stories from veterans of the force.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 10, 2020
This could be a good book. But sadly it fells short.
Author try to cram all tank destroyer units that had ever fought in WWII into this book.
The result is incoherent narrative which jump from one place to another. Never fully telling the story.
It was like reading the compilation of the scraps from the battle log of various different units.
That is quite frustrating.
However, as a military history enthusiast, I have no regret for picking up this book.
Author try to cram all tank destroyer units that had ever fought in WWII into this book.
The result is incoherent narrative which jump from one place to another. Never fully telling the story.
It was like reading the compilation of the scraps from the battle log of various different units.
That is quite frustrating.
However, as a military history enthusiast, I have no regret for picking up this book.
July 24, 2018
I loved every minute, the detail of the conflict from unit to unit, theatre to theatre drew me to those very places and put me on the ground with the men. I am a keen military vehicle enthusiast and the information provided about the evolution of the equipment they had on hand from the start of the war to the end was great and it opened my eyes up to new perspectives of the actions these men took part in and how successful they were in many cases. The chapters jump from unit to unit but the flow from North africa, Italy and on to the West is there so it's not to hard to understand. Great book.
July 2, 2018
I thought this was quite an interesting book, but I thought I'd write a little review just to note that in contrast to a lot of recent military histories, Tank Killers is more like a survey of tank destroyer operations and politics as a whole. That is, there's not much in terms of individual narratives. It's quite engaging nonetheless, however, and I'd definitely not consider it dry reading. Rather, it goes quickly, and is well-referenced for deeper dives.
April 23, 2013
Solid backing research, but I wish this had dealt more with the evolution of doctrine as the war progressed and just worked at a larger level instead of repeatedly dipping down to a small scale and quoting from unit-level AARs about what this one crew did this one time. It's too fragmented, there's too much bouncing around from the platoon level to the battalion level and as a result the big-picture stuff just seems shoehorned-in and perfunctory.
May 16, 2013
I picked this up a while ago, but did not really start it.. After just completing a couple of books on the battle of the bulge I had to get a better understanding of what they were and how they were used.... Great book with serious insight, I have coupled reading this with a book on the M10's of WWII... Great book and a good read, might be a little tough for the none history buff......
July 2, 2025
I've been fascinated by the short-lived career of the tank destroyer force since I first learned about them in the 1990s. What Yeide has done here is to pay homage to many of the TD battalions that saw action in the thick of the fighting in North Africa, Italy, and the ETO (there were many who didn't do much more than serve as mobile indirect fire artillery; Yeide mentions them in passing). Their story is a compelling one: conceived at a time when the US Army had more horses than motorized vehicles, their founder General Andrew Bruce worked out a whole doctrine on their usage that was promptly ignored as soon as they got into combat. Too often, these nimble, well-armed, thin-skinned vehicles were treated as tanks by the armor and infantry officers who ended up commanding them. It took many battles--and lots of losses--before the Army figured out the best way to mix tanks, TDs, and infantry into effective combined arms teams. They got that doctrine nailed down just in time for V-E Day... at which point it was decided to just build better tanks with better guns, and do away wih the tank destroyer arm altogether.
Yeide's recounting of the various TD actions in three theaters is very well done, and he makes it possible to follow the thread of an individual battalion or even individual TD soldiers through the whole war, which adds a very personal element to this war story. He doesn't waste time on too many of the larger strategic details because there are plenty of other books for that; he saves his words for the well-researched stories that set this book apart.
Yeide used some of the "standard" reference works about TDs and armored combat as the backbone of his narrative--Calvin Boykin's Gare Le Bete, Belton Cooper's Death Traps, and of course many of the Army's Green Books. I was a little disappointed not to see Mike Baily's Faint Praise: American Tanks and Tank Destroyers during World War II, which I consider to be the granddaddy of all books about TDs and their development and doctrine. (Disclaimer: I worked with Mike on the Anti-Armor Defense Data study for the DOAE in the late '80s, and that's why my own Against the Panzers--also not in Yeide's bibliography--has a strong TD flavor to it.)
My only other niggle is that the handful of maps in this book are just sufficient to give some strategic context to the battles Yeide discusses, but they are crude and not detailed enough. Still, if you love reading about armor in World War II you will really want to check out this excellent book.
Yeide's recounting of the various TD actions in three theaters is very well done, and he makes it possible to follow the thread of an individual battalion or even individual TD soldiers through the whole war, which adds a very personal element to this war story. He doesn't waste time on too many of the larger strategic details because there are plenty of other books for that; he saves his words for the well-researched stories that set this book apart.
Yeide used some of the "standard" reference works about TDs and armored combat as the backbone of his narrative--Calvin Boykin's Gare Le Bete, Belton Cooper's Death Traps, and of course many of the Army's Green Books. I was a little disappointed not to see Mike Baily's Faint Praise: American Tanks and Tank Destroyers during World War II, which I consider to be the granddaddy of all books about TDs and their development and doctrine. (Disclaimer: I worked with Mike on the Anti-Armor Defense Data study for the DOAE in the late '80s, and that's why my own Against the Panzers--also not in Yeide's bibliography--has a strong TD flavor to it.)
My only other niggle is that the handful of maps in this book are just sufficient to give some strategic context to the battles Yeide discusses, but they are crude and not detailed enough. Still, if you love reading about armor in World War II you will really want to check out this excellent book.
December 12, 2017
Tank Killers - The Unsung Heroes
Tank Killers: A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force, by Harry Yeide, actually deserves six stars in my mind for the sheer volume of research within its pages. Since I am currently addicted to the online game, World of Tanks (I know there are people reading this saying, ‘I feel for you buddy!’), I thought there might be a chance to pick up a few hints in the operation of Tank Destroyers from Yeide’s book. I was not prepared however for the incredible depth of history and knowledge I’d find. You will find more than just a few details about the towed guns, destroyers, and crews themselves; prepare to be taken right through the United States Army’s experience with this underreported and definitely underappreciated segment of its fighting force during the Second World War in Africa and Europe.
The average person would see a tank destroyer rolling by, and understandably mistakenly identify it as just another tank. In spite of some commanders trying to make them just that, reality was very different. First, you have to take away that picture of men encased in a heavily armoured box on tracks with a big gun sticking out in front of them, and instead, remove the ‘heavily armoured’ part, oh and while you’re at it, remove the top of the turret so everything from bombs, to hand grenades, to bird droppings can fall in amongst the crew. Then, exchange the big gun for a bigger gun, and you have the average tank destroyer. They were fast and maneuverable, although the turret rotation speed left a little to be desired. But that gun – that gun was deadly.
It took a very special breed of soldier to operate the tank destroyers, with an even more special breed operating the ‘towed’ variety of anti-tank guns. Now you have to picture the above mentioned gun, but have it just sitting on a pair of wheels and hauled around by anything from a jeep to a half-track. I can’t imagine the courage it would take to drive up to a clash line, unhook the heavy gun from the tow vehicle, manually swing it around, and then try to hit something that has probably already started shooting at you. Being assigned to a towed anti-tank gun should just include a Silver Star Medal attached to your orders because surely, you’re probably going to do something to earn one. They would be great in a defensive position, but to go chasing after the retreating enemy as they did, well, that just takes a big set of what cannons used to fire.
Frankly, if you have even a passing interesting in anything military, acquire this book. You’ll receive a ton of knowledge you probably don’t already have unless you’ve studied the art of tank killing, or at worse, you’ll be introduced to heroes of the Second World War who define the word hero.
Reviewed by Daniel L Little – December 12, 2017 – www.daniellittle.com
Tank Killers: A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force, by Harry Yeide, actually deserves six stars in my mind for the sheer volume of research within its pages. Since I am currently addicted to the online game, World of Tanks (I know there are people reading this saying, ‘I feel for you buddy!’), I thought there might be a chance to pick up a few hints in the operation of Tank Destroyers from Yeide’s book. I was not prepared however for the incredible depth of history and knowledge I’d find. You will find more than just a few details about the towed guns, destroyers, and crews themselves; prepare to be taken right through the United States Army’s experience with this underreported and definitely underappreciated segment of its fighting force during the Second World War in Africa and Europe.
The average person would see a tank destroyer rolling by, and understandably mistakenly identify it as just another tank. In spite of some commanders trying to make them just that, reality was very different. First, you have to take away that picture of men encased in a heavily armoured box on tracks with a big gun sticking out in front of them, and instead, remove the ‘heavily armoured’ part, oh and while you’re at it, remove the top of the turret so everything from bombs, to hand grenades, to bird droppings can fall in amongst the crew. Then, exchange the big gun for a bigger gun, and you have the average tank destroyer. They were fast and maneuverable, although the turret rotation speed left a little to be desired. But that gun – that gun was deadly.
It took a very special breed of soldier to operate the tank destroyers, with an even more special breed operating the ‘towed’ variety of anti-tank guns. Now you have to picture the above mentioned gun, but have it just sitting on a pair of wheels and hauled around by anything from a jeep to a half-track. I can’t imagine the courage it would take to drive up to a clash line, unhook the heavy gun from the tow vehicle, manually swing it around, and then try to hit something that has probably already started shooting at you. Being assigned to a towed anti-tank gun should just include a Silver Star Medal attached to your orders because surely, you’re probably going to do something to earn one. They would be great in a defensive position, but to go chasing after the retreating enemy as they did, well, that just takes a big set of what cannons used to fire.
Frankly, if you have even a passing interesting in anything military, acquire this book. You’ll receive a ton of knowledge you probably don’t already have unless you’ve studied the art of tank killing, or at worse, you’ll be introduced to heroes of the Second World War who define the word hero.
Reviewed by Daniel L Little – December 12, 2017 – www.daniellittle.com
March 15, 2020
Tank Killers is a good book for those who are interested in both the broad and minute details of the battles fought in the major theaters of World War II. It also focuses on the detailed aspects of modern tank warfare as it was understood during the 1930's and 40's. As I have stated in the previous reviews of similar books, I have a personal interest in this subject matter. My father fought in combat engagements with Tank Destroyer units in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. My biggest take away in reading this book was how miraculous it was that he ever came home alive after such a terrible conflagration. Dad and all the men and women that served along side him demonstrated an amazing amount of courage in standing up to tyranny and insuring that freedom and democracy stayed alive for future generations. Whenever you can take the time to thank a veteran or active member of our armed forces for their service.
April 21, 2024
This book looks at the battle experience of US tank destroyers during World War II. Tank destroyers, lightly armored vehicles with large cannons whose role is to (duh) destroy enemy tanks, are a vehicle type that became obsolete soon after the war, as their functions were subsumed within increasingly well-armed tanks. And even during the war, it’s clear that military leaders were unsure of their utility and were always trying to figure out the most effective ways to use them.
That makes this account an especially interesting history of wartime improvisation, and it includes a ton of colorful anecdotes detailing how these tank destroyer units fought. At the same time, the constant references to specific numbered battalions, divisions, etc. hurt the readability a bit if you’re not used to intense military jargon. Overall this was a valuable read for me as someone interested in WWII, but even my eyes started to glaze over a bit during the drier, more academic military details.
That makes this account an especially interesting history of wartime improvisation, and it includes a ton of colorful anecdotes detailing how these tank destroyer units fought. At the same time, the constant references to specific numbered battalions, divisions, etc. hurt the readability a bit if you’re not used to intense military jargon. Overall this was a valuable read for me as someone interested in WWII, but even my eyes started to glaze over a bit during the drier, more academic military details.
December 28, 2020
To me this was a fascinating read. The book not only goes over the tank destroyers themselves (the M3 through the M10) it also covers the doctrine that the tank killers were "supposed" to have followed as well as how they were actually employed. These machines were integral in the north African and European theaters. Stories by the men that manned them are intertwined with doctrine and production data. This story adds to the complexity of WWII and to me highlighted an area that was previously largely unknown. I enjoyed the book and would recommend highly for those wishing a diversion from standard WWII machinery and doctrine. This is a pretty deep dive into the specifics of the Tank Destroyers and their true success while augmenting traditional armor and infantry warfare.
January 25, 2018
Well written and researched book on the role and employment of tank destroyer units in the ETO by the American Army in WWII. From the M3 halftrack with a 75mm and the M6 with a 57mm to the M10, M18 and M36 self-propelled TDs, this book covers all aspects of the operations and history of the various tank destroyer battalions that the US Army deployed to the ETO (including a section at the end which lists each BN and information on its stand-up, equipment, units attached to and what campaigns or battles it took part in). Very informative on the doctrine and reality of the use of tank destroyers and how successful they were in from Africa to crossing the Rhine. Highly recommended.
March 24, 2018
Not a bad read. Enjoyef it.
Reading unit histories can sometimes be tedious, however I found the author's research on the internal political infighting over the TD's development and mission to be fascinating. The brave men that manned these thin skinned vehicles obviously made a serious contribution to our victory in Europe during WW II. The author did a great job of researching unit histories to include engagement details. Overall for the military history buff it was not a bad read. I enjoyed it!
Reading unit histories can sometimes be tedious, however I found the author's research on the internal political infighting over the TD's development and mission to be fascinating. The brave men that manned these thin skinned vehicles obviously made a serious contribution to our victory in Europe during WW II. The author did a great job of researching unit histories to include engagement details. Overall for the military history buff it was not a bad read. I enjoyed it!
August 2, 2018
The best thing I can say about this book is that it's pretty factually correct. Unfortunately it's also a pretty dry compilation of facts that seems to do it's best to avoid drawing conclusions, diving into details, or providing anything really Tank Destroyer specific. Instead it reads more like basic history of the war with occasional assurances that tank destroyers were involved. I feel like this is on the cusp of being a great book but never got there.
April 18, 2024
A thoroughly researched book on Tank Destroyer units in WW2 - good detail on why some units used self-propelled (ie, actual tank destroyer vehicles like the M10) units versus simply towed gun units - their history and use - and the logic on these units versus standard tanks. A good insight into their deployment and usage.
December 11, 2024
My grandfather is mentioned in this book and it is the only time I’ve heard any stories from battle because he just didn’t talk much about it with me. He passed when I was 16 in 1996. Thank you for giving me a piece of my grandfather. If anyone is interested my grandfather was Merl Downs in the 701st.
July 4, 2018
What are TD's
Great story of her tank destroyer units of WW11. Not a GREAT flowing read, but for ones that want to know, what it is like on a day to day in a war. Lots of details, life story of these men.
Great story of her tank destroyer units of WW11. Not a GREAT flowing read, but for ones that want to know, what it is like on a day to day in a war. Lots of details, life story of these men.
August 10, 2018
Excelente libro.
Excelente libro, una parte de la historia muy bien contada. Los mapas podrían ser un poco más detallados para explicar más a fondo el contexto y las situaciones, pero en general excelente.
Excelente libro, una parte de la historia muy bien contada. Los mapas podrían ser un poco más detallados para explicar más a fondo el contexto y las situaciones, pero en general excelente.
January 25, 2020
Excellent History
A tribute to the little known but great combat accomplishments of US tank destroyers in WWII . We always heard about tsnks, but never about the relatively more effective TDs.
A tribute to the little known but great combat accomplishments of US tank destroyers in WWII . We always heard about tsnks, but never about the relatively more effective TDs.
March 9, 2020
Interesting service not often recognised.
A bit full of similar facts but I had not been introduced to this service of our men and the fight they took to the enemy. Worth the dead.
A bit full of similar facts but I had not been introduced to this service of our men and the fight they took to the enemy. Worth the dead.
July 10, 2024
The book was a bit more oriented towards history buffs who want to know the bumper numbers of each vehicle throughout the war, rather than a story that followed a particular unit. Interesting, but not riveting.
January 18, 2018
I am reading this for my interest in WW 2 and because my dad drove a tank destroyer during WW 2. From that respective it is very interesting.
February 8, 2018
Excellent history of TD's
The boo k provided an excellent history of the TD's of WWII. Provides substantial footnotes to allow the interested reader to do follow-up research.
The boo k provided an excellent history of the TD's of WWII. Provides substantial footnotes to allow the interested reader to do follow-up research.
February 23, 2018
Interesting
So much information not shared in other historical records. The truth is apparently within an documents the modernisation of ground warfare.
So much information not shared in other historical records. The truth is apparently within an documents the modernisation of ground warfare.
March 29, 2018
Very interesting. Fairly good read. Once the army understood how to use the TD's, they did very well. They did have weakness'. I would recommend.
May 2, 2018
interesting, educationel and worth reading, especially if you have keen interest in WWII or tanks and guns in generel.
May 31, 2018
Very good history of forgotten and unsung heroes from their conception and changing doctrine thru WWII.
September 27, 2018
Something different
Am interesting read about the rarely written about tank destroys. It would be nice to read to read similar book about British YDs.
Am interesting read about the rarely written about tank destroys. It would be nice to read to read similar book about British YDs.
January 3, 2019
Fascinating
Fascinating book on a little known part of the US military in WW II. A very successful and very valuable application of what was determined to be a flawed concept.
Fascinating book on a little known part of the US military in WW II. A very successful and very valuable application of what was determined to be a flawed concept.
August 24, 2019
Nice history
Interesting account of the TDs. It shows how they were to be used and how comanders thought go use them.
Interesting account of the TDs. It shows how they were to be used and how comanders thought go use them.
January 18, 2020
Be very boring summary of antitank engagements in early World War II
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews