- 2001/363 pages
- The Art of War
Tank Tactics:
From Normandy to Lorraine
An operational critique of the art of war as practiced by U.S. and Canadian tank commanders in France in 1944, Tank Tactics also traces the evolution of North American armored doctrine.
Jarymowycz draws on after-action reports, extensive battlefield reconnaissance (involving both Allied and German veterans), and recently discovered battle performance reviews, as well as on Allied and German interrogation reports, war diaries, and technical evaluations, to compare and evaluate combat success and failure. He provides detailed tactical diagrams and analyses of tank vs. tank engagements—and illustrates the frustrations of commanders attempting maneuver warfare under the exasperating caution of Bradley and the questionable direction of Montgomery.
This penetrating analysis features a review of tank battles in Lorraine, where 3rd Army commanders demonstrated mastery of Mission Command doctrine. Jarymowycz concludes by comparing U.S. and Soviet approaches to operational maneuver, describing creative tactical mixes found in combat commands well before battlegroups became common NATO parlance.
