Patton Unleashed: Patton's Third Army and the Breakout from Normandy, August-September 1944

This is an illustrated account of the armoured battles of the US Third Army in August-September 1944 during which US tanks reached the German border and would have advanced farther east, and possibly have shortened the war, were it not for fuel shortages and bickerings within the Allied High Command. The book takes a critical look at US armoured doctrine during the latter stages of World War II and the leadership of Patton himself. Analysis is made of American tanks, artillery and self-propelled guns to determine how they compared to their German rivals and, illustrated throughout with colour maps, allows the reader to more fully understand the movement of units on the ground and the fluid nature of the fighting. First hand accounts from members of the Third Army are included, sharing their thrill of outflanking German forces in France and approaching the German border and their bitter disappointment as their tanks ground to a halt due to lack of fuel and essential supples with the reader.

Tim Ripley
Hardcover 224 pages 2003