Armored Warfare (Military History)

Introduction

There are various ways to approach an all-encompassing subject such as armored warfare. Few authors treat the subject as an entity separate from other issues, and so comprehensive discussions of armored warfare are rare. Typically, armored warfare is most accurately and comprehensively discussed within the context of other, more specific issues such as battles, campaigns, leaders, and wars. Specific studies of a more technical nature, describing the history of individual organizations or the specifics of armored vehicle development, are also important elements of understanding this subject. An aspect of armored warfare that is important to keep in mind when researching the subject is that few if any militaries consider armored warfare a type of warfare. Rather, most modern military forces refer to the very mobile operations of armored vehicles not as “armored warfare,” but rather as “modern combined arms warfare.” This bibliography focuses exclusively on sources available in the English language, which is a significantly large volume of work and addresses most of the major armored-warfare issues.

General Overviews

Overviews of armored warfare generally take one of two themes to guide their discussion. The first is the theme of doctrine, which analyzes the approach toward armored warfare in individual countries. The other major theme is a chronological analysis of tank design. Mixed within these two broad approaches are introductions to the major individuals who made contributions to the nature of armored warfare history, as well as the battles and campaigns in which armored forces played a major part.

Technical Studies

Technical studies, though not exclusively, tend to emphasize advances in technology as the driver of change. The story of armored war is one of increasingly advancing technology and the adjustment of doctrine and organization to those technological changes. House 1984 takes a broad view of armored warfare and places the changes in armored warfare within the context of ground warfare in general. House thus places a great deal of emphasis on general ground warfare doctrine. Macksey 1988 and Ogorkiewicz 1960 both focus more specifically on technological advances in armored vehicles. Weeks 1975 makes a contribution by focusing on the nemesis of tank systems, the anti-tank forces, doctrine, and technology.

House, Jonathan M. “Towards Combined Arms Warfare.” M.A. thesis, US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1984.
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A chronological evaluation of the evolution of tactics and operations as armies adapt to new technologies. Armored forces are central to the narrative but not the only ground force technology evaluated. Despite its age, still a standard work.
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Macksey, Kenneth. Tank versus Tank : The Illustrated Story of Armored Battlefield Conflict in the Twentieth Century. Topsfield, MA: Salem House, 1988.
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A good introduction to the main battle tank for the uninitiated in the subject. Focused on tank battle between individual tanks. Good general information on maintenance, operations, design, and employment. Updated editions have appeared through 2002.
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Ogorkiewicz, Richard M. Armoured Forces : A History of Armoured Forces and Their Vehicles. New York: Arco, 1960.
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Though dated, this book is a treasure of vehicle technical development, as well as doctrine by country through World War II.
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Weeks, John S. Men against Tanks: A History of Anti-Tank Warfare. New York: Mason-Charter, 1975.
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Traces the evolution and employment of anti-tank forces and weapons beginning with World War II through the early anti-tank guided missiles of the 1970s. Dated but important perspective of armored warfare.
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Doctrinal Studies

Doctrinal studies emphasize the concept over other factors. The focus of doctrinal studies is general debate and discussion regarding how best to use available armored technologies to meet the needs of the army and the national security requirements of various nations at different points in time. Doctrinal studies do not ignore other factors affecting warfare, but concepts are the central trend in this approach to the history of armored war. Gudmundsson 2004 is the most current and comprehensive discussions of the evolution of armored warfare doctrine. Dyster 1984 and Stone 2000 focus primarily on the Anglo-American experience. Perrett 1995 is a good general work, which, like Gudmundsson, is fairly comprehensive, but it is meant for a general audience.

Dyster, Paul A. “In the Wake of the Tank: The 20th-Century Evolution of the Theory of Armored Warfare.” PhD diss., Johns Hopkins University, 1984.
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Originally published in 1931, focuses on the first eighteen years of the tank in British service.
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Gudmundsson, Bruce I. On Armor. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004.
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An Important and scholarly examination of the mechanized forces and the main battle tank within the context of the military challenges of the 20th century. Represents the latest scholarship.
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Perrett, Bryan. Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare Case Studies. London: Arms and Armour, 1995.
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Good general history of the development of tanks and armored tactics, based on a survey of armored battles from World War I through the first Gulf War.
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Stone, John. The Tank Debate: Armour and the Anglo-American Military Tradition. Abingdon, UK: Harwood Academic, 2000.
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Overview of the role of the tank in doctrine, and tank design challenges in Western armies since World War II. Places the tank within the context of military service traditions and battlefield use since World War II, with an emphasis on British and American views.
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Special Studies

Some armored war studies fall well outside the two broad categories of Technical Studies and Doctrinal Studies. Citino 1994 is purely a reference for the student of armored warfare. Estes 2000, Gott 2006, and Wright 2000 look at the very specialized issues of armored war in the context of amphibious operations and the mission of the US Marine Corps, armored war in the urban environment, and the psychological and cultural dimensions of armored war.

Citino, Robert M. Armored Forces: History and Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1994.
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Very comprehensive and well-researched history and reference. Covers armored battles, equipment, doctrine and leaders from World War I through the first Gulf War (1991). Identifies most important sources.
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Estes, Kenneth. Marines under Armor: The Marine Corps and the Armored Fighting Vehicle, 1916–2000. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000.
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Well-researched book focusing on technical development, acquisition, and doctrine. Not a detailed combat history.
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Gott, Kendall D. Breaking the Mold: Tanks in the Cities. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2006.
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Well-written and researched primarily from secondary sources, this is nonetheless an important work that, through a series of five case studies, demonstrates the criticality of armor to successful urban warfare.
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Wright, Patrick. Tank: The Progress of a Monstrous War Machine. London: Faber & Faber, 2000.
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Interested critical history of armor focused on the evolution of tank design from World War I through the Israeli Merkava tank.
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Anthologies

Though there not many anthologies that are important in the history of armored warfare, those that have been published are some of the most important and best-quality works available. Harris and Toase 1990, Hoffman and Starry 1999, Krause and Phillips 2005, and Winton and Mets 2000 all demonstrate that when the editors attract true subject experts, each individual chapter in the anthology is far superior than what generally is created by a single author.

Harris, J. P., and F. H. Toase, eds. Armoured Warfare. New York: St. Martin’s, 1990.
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Excellent anthology covering all the major aspects of armored warfare from World War I through the Cold War face-off between NATO and the Soviet Union in central Germany, including chapters on the Israeli experience and Soviet armor maneuver concepts. Individual chapters focus on armor developments in specific countries during different eras.
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Hoffman, George, and Don Starry, eds. Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of the U.S. Armored Forces. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999.
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Excellent comprehensive anthology in fourteen chapters covering such diverse subjects as Marine Corps armor, armor in the Korean War, armored artillery, the M113 armored personnel carrier, and the first Gulf War.
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Krause, Michael D., and R. Cody Phillips, eds. Historical Perspectives of the Operational Art. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, 2005.
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Scholarly examination of the evolution of operational level warfighting in four countries: France, Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Over half of the case studies highlighted in the sixteen examples focus on operational-level armored warfare.
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Winton, Harold R., and David R. Mets, eds. The Challenge of Change : Military Institutions and New Realities, 1918–1941. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2000.
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Excellent articles on the interwar transformation of the major armies of the world. Examined are the French, German, British, Soviet, and US armies. The individual chapter authors are all superb historians who are experts in their field, including James Corum, Dennis Showalter, Jacob Kipp, and Eugenia Kiesling.
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World War I

World War I saw the origin of the idea of a mechanized fighting vehicle and its introduction into battle. Almost all works covering armored warfare in this period focus on the armored forces of Great Britain and the United States. Several historical debates are concerned with this period. One is over the potential of the tank in World War I combat. Early writers, such as J.F.C. Fuller (see Fuller 1920), were tank advocates who saw the tank as having unrealized potential to greatly influence the World War I battlefield. Others, such as the historian Bryn Hammond (see Hammond 2010) take the view that except for its technology, the tank changed the dynamics of the war very little. The Battle of Cambrai is the most famous and most important use of armor in World War I. The traditional view is that Cambrai demonstrated the potential of tanks in battle (see Cooper 2010), while others view Cambrai’s actual importance as overblown (see Hammond 2009). Tanks were employed extensively by the allies in the last years of the war, and that employment is well documented by Fuller 1920, Glanfield 2006, and Mitchell 1933, who focus on the British forces, and by Williams-Ellis and Williams-Ellis 1919 and Wilson 1989, who cover the American tank forces.

Cooper, Bryan. The Ironclads of Cambrai. Bransley, UK: Pen and Sword, 2010.
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The standard, generally accepted version of the battle. First published in 1967, this well-written narrative was the first complete history of the battle. Dated, but still useful as a starting point
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Fuller, J. F. C. Tanks in the Great War, 1914–1918. London: J. Murray, 1920.
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Consider it a primary source that becomes the foundation of Fuller’s vision of the role of armor in future wars. Fuller’s analysis right after the war of the origins and the major battles involving tanks in World War I.
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Glanfield, John. The Devil’s Chariots: The Birth and Secret Battles of the First Tanks. Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2006.
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Excellent history of the British tanks from the initial concept through fielding in World War I.
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Hammond, Bryn. Cambrai 1917: The Myth of the First Great Tank Battle. London: Phoenix, 2009.
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Makes the case that the tank was largely irrelevant to the outcome of the Battle of Cambrai, but that the battle did fix the tank in the imagination of military leaders and the public for further development.
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Mitchell, F. Tank Warfare: The Story of the Tanks in the Great War. Stevenage: Spa & Tom Donovan, 1933.
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Non-academic but interesting general description of the British Tank Corps in action in World War I. Includes discussion of French and American tank operations and the German reaction.
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Williams-Ellis, Clough, and Amabel Williams-Ellis. The Tank Corps. New York: Doran, 1919.
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Very interesting account focused on the British tank corps in World War I, written right after the war. Includes perspectives on the French and US tank corps as well as the German perspective of Allied armored operations.
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Wilson, Dale. “Treat ‘em rough!” The Birth of American Armor, 1917–20. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1989.
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Important work on the history of the US Tank Corps in World War I. Very effective at demonstrating the role of Colonel G. S. Patton.
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Interwar Doctrine and Force Development

The interwar years were a period of great turbulence within the world’s armies. They were buffeted by a variety of factors: the experience of World War I, internal army debates regarding technology, the pull of tradition and service culture, uncertainty about the future, very constrained resources, and lack of popular support. How armored forces developed uniquely in various countries during this period provides case studies for the process of military transformation. The history of the armored forces in this era also is absolutely essential to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the same forces in combat in World War II. The years 1918 to 1941 have become one of the most popular periods for research on armored warfare. Murry and Millet 1996 cover the evolution of armored forces well and place ground warfare within the context of changes that were simultaneously occurring across all forms of warfare and in all the military services. The following subsections cite works by country.

Murray, Williamson, and Millet, Alan R. Military Innovation in the Interwar Period. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
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Includes a very good chapter on the development of armor. Places the development of armor within the context of other major doctrinal and technical developments in the interwar years. Also provides a framework for analyzing the influences on military transformation.
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Germany

The two works mentioned in this section are the standard-setters regarding the development of armored war in the German army before World War II. The subtle difference between the two approaches is that Citino 1999 emphasizes training and exercises as influences on the development of concepts, while Corum 1992 places more emphasis on the World War I experience and the leadership of von Seekt.

Citino, Robert M. The Path to Blitzkrieg: Doctrine and Training in the German Army, 1920–39. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 1999.
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With Corum 1992, one of the most important works covering Germany’s armor reforms. Focuses on the relationship between doctrine and training exercises.
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Corum, James S. The Roots of Blitzkrieg: Hans von Seeckt and German Military Reform. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1992.
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The authoritative work on the post-World War I German army reforms, including the birth of the Panzer arm.
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Great Britain

The major theme of the scholarship on British armored forces in the years between the two world wars is explaining how the British lost their preeminence in armored war. Most of the authors agree on the general circumstances—poor leadership, lack of resources, strategic situation, misunderstanding of the World War I experience, or military culture and traditions—but they disagree regarding which factor was most important. The issue of the decline in British armor is directly addressed by Beale 1998, Harris 1995, and Larson 1984. Macksey 1981, Ross and Clarke 1976, and Winton 1988 all focus on the roles of various leaders in the advance and decline of British armor forces.

Beale, Peter. Death by Design: British Tank Development in the Second World War. Stroud, UK: Sutton, 1998.
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Examines the issue of the British army’s flawed tank design and its operational consequences during World War II.
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Harris, J. P. Men, Ideas, and Tanks : British Military Thought and Armoured Forces, 1903–1939. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995.
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Looks at the cutting-edge armor doctrine work done by Great Britain in the 1920s and explains how the British army lost its doctrinal lead in the 1930s.
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Larson, Robert H. The British Army and the Theory of Armored Warfare, 1918–1940. Newark, NJ; Associated University Presses, 1984.
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Takes on the issue of why the premier tank force of World War I was not capable of anything better than mediocrity in World War II. Larson’s conclusion, after examining all the possible explanations, is that the British army was wedded to the World War I concept of the meticulous attrition-based strategic approach, which did not consider bold and decisive battle.
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Macksey, Kenneth. The Tank Pioneers. New York: Jane’s, 1981.
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Limited in scope and as reference, Macksey’s work is one of the first that examines the development of armor in the interwar years. Primarily focused on the British experience.
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Ross, George M., and Campbell Clarke. The Business of Tanks, 1933 to 1945. Ilfracombe, UK: A. H. Stockwell, 1976.
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Very interesting inside look by a British Ordinance officer who was involved in the technical and business aspects of tank design and production in Great Britain in the interwar years and later as liaison to the US Army, working within the tank and automotive industry during 1942–1945.
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Winton, Harold R. To Change an Army: General Sir John Burnett-Stuart and British Armored Doctrine, 1927–1938. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988.
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An examination of armor development in Great Britain between the wars, with a heavy emphasis on the various personalities and issues, focused on Sir John Burnett-Stuart, a moderate convert to the idea of mechanization. Winton makes the point that the British army led the development of armor doctrine through the early 1930s and points to the issue of imperial defense as a unique British constraint on armor development.
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Soviet Union

Armored warfare development in the Soviet Union during the interwar years was very advanced. Most of the scholarship on this period compares it favorably with the efforts occurring in Germany, as described in Habeck 2003. The other focus of historians looking at the Soviet army of this period is why, if the army understood the concepts of armored war, the Red Army fared so poorly in the opening months of World War II. This question is answered in Erickson 1962 and Stoecker 1998, which look the inevitable negative impact of Soviet politics on the military.

Erickson, John. The Soviet High Command: A Military-Political History, 1918–1941. New York: St. Martin’s, 1962.
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This study of the Soviet military in the interwar years is still the most important work on the subject and is the place to begin research. Based on interviews, some Soviet sources, and German archives.
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Habeck, Mary R. Storm of Steel: The Development of Armor Doctrine in Germany and the Soviet Union, 1919–1939. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2003.
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Well-researched work (first published 1996) that describes in detail the simultaneous developments of armored warfare concept in both Germany and Russian and links them to the inspiration of the British.
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Stoecker, Sally. Forging Stalin’s Army: Marshal Tukhachevsky and the Politics of Military Innovation. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1998.
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Well-researched using the former Soviet and German archives, this work traces the transformation of the Soviet army from an infantry army of peasants into a modern tank army focused on operational maneuver. Stoecker highlights Soviet Field Marshal Tukhachevsky as the architect of these reforms.
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United States

Events in the United States receive less scrutiny than those in some other countries because the United States did not begin to put significant emphasis and resources into conducting armored war until after war broke out in Europe. Gabel 1981 addresses how the GHQ maneuvers were one factor that helped facilitate the US fielding of a relatively capable armored force in a short time. Two of the other works cited are two sides of the same coin: Gillie 1947 details the important but steady progress made by Adna Chaffee in developing a small modern armored nucleus upon which to build the Armored Corps of the future; and Johnson 1998 documents the military bureaucracy and traditions that were the greatest obstacle to large-scale innovation before 1940.

Cameron, Robert S. Mobility, Shock, and Firepower: The Emergence of the U.S. Army’s Armor Branch, 1917–1945. Washington, DC: Center for Military History, 2008.
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Comprehensive, well-researched, and very detailed description of the development of American armored forces and their employment in World War II. The definitive work on this period of the history of US armored forces.
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Gabel, Christopher R. The U.S. Army GHQ Maneuvers of 1941. Washington, DC: Center for Military History, 1981.
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An important look at the US Army’s experiments with armored force doctrine and organization just before hostilities began.
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Gillie, Mildred H. Forging the Thunderbolt. Harrisburg, PA: Military Service Publishing, 1947.
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The essential starting reference for the founding of the US armored corps that fought in World War II.
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Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers : Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917–1945. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998.
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Makes the argument that internal bureaucracy was the largest factor inhibiting tank development in the US Army, as opposed to the idea that the availability of resources or national anti-military attitudes were the major obstacles.
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World War II Armored Forces

The armored forces of World War II are perhaps the most famous armored formations of all time, and indeed among the most famous military formations in history. Many of them, particularly the Panzer forces of the German Wehrmacht, have inspired their own significant cult of historians. Surprisingly, no historian has yet to publish a comprehensive history focused exclusively on the armored forces of the Soviet Union, which arguably, with the Panzer forces, were the most technologically advanced and most proficient.

Germany

German arored forces in World War II are extensively covered in the literature. Edwards 1998 is a good general history for the beginning student. Experts will refer to Jentz’s two-volume history of the Panzer troops (Jentz 1996a, Jentz 1996b). While Jentz is a completely comprehensive history, Schneider 2005 focuses exclusively on tactical techniques.

Edwards, Roger. Panzer: A Revolution in Warfare, 1939–1945. London: Arms and Armour, 1998.
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A concise, well-illustrated general history and reference to the Panzer Arm.
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Jentz, Thomas L. Panzertruppen 1: The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany’s Tank Force, 1933–1942: Formations, Organizations, Tactics, Combat Reports, Unit Strengths, Statistics. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1996a.
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Excellent edited reference work based almost entirely on translated original German sources. Written for the expert.
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Jentz, Thomas L. Panzertruppen 2: The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany’s Tank Force, 1943–1945: Formations, Organizations, Tactics, Combat Reports, Unit Strengths, Statistics. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1996b.
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This second volume of Jentz’s excellent edited reference work, based almost entirely on translated original German sources (see Jentz 1996a), continues the history of the Panzertruppen through the end of the war. Like the first volume, it is written for the expert.
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Schneider, Wolfgang. Panzer Tactics : German Small-Unit Armor Tactics in World War II. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 2005.
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Expert description of German World War II armor tactics, based almost exclusively on primary sources.
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Great Britain

Both authors who address the subject of the British armor forces in World War II, Fletcher (Fletcher 1989 and Fletcher 1993) and Smithers 1987, focus on the theme of the British armored force’s inability to produce a proficient main battle tank over the course of the war.

Fletcher, David. The Great Tank Scandal: British Armour in the Second World War. Vol. I. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1989.
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Examines the system and decisions influencing prewar British tank design.
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Fletcher, David. The Universal Tank: British Armour in the Second World War. Vol. II. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1993.
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Examines the system and decisions influencing British tank design after entering into World War II.
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Smithers, A. J. Rude Mechanicals: An Account of Tank Maturity during the Second World War. London: Leo Cooper, 1987.
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A World War II British tank veteran examines the causes of the British inability to produce a quality British tank during the war, and in the process evaluates British tank designs of the war.
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Italy

Surprisingly, while no historian has tackled the subject of the battle history of the Soviet armored force, two historians have addressed the Italian armored corps. Sweet 1980 explains its mediocrity, while Walker 2003 makes a case (though a weak one) that it was as good as its peers in other countries.

Sweet, John J. T. Iron Arm: The Mechanization of Mussolini’s Army, 1920–1940. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1980.
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Explains why, despite great government emphasis, the Italian army was only able to produce a mediocre tank force.
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Walker, Ian. Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini’s Elite Armoured Divisions in North Africa. Ramsbury, UK: Crowood, 2003.
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Important but somewhat biased and ineffective effort to argue for the high quality of Italian armored units in North Africa.
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United States

The United States produced various different types of armored forces for World War II. All are adequately covered in specific histories: Baily 1983 is the best history of the American army tank forces; Gilbert 2001 adequately covers Marine Corps tank units; and mechanized cavalry forces are very well covered by Hoffman 2006 and Morton 2009. In addition, Salecker 2008 ensures that often-neglected army tank units in the Pacific Theater are adequately covered. Sorley 1992 not only highlights the World War II career of Creighton Abrams, one of the most important American armor leaders of the 20th century, but also demonstrates the influence of the American World War II experience on subsequent armored force development.

Baily, Charles M. Faint Praise: American Tanks and Tank Destroyers during World War II. Hamden, CT: Archon, 1983.
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An important work that addresses the controversial question of why the US Army did not field a successful heavy tank until very late in World War II.
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Gilbert, Oscar. Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo, 2001.
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Based on contemporary accounts, official histories, and interviews, Gilbert’s work is a solid popular history of Marine Corps tanks fighting in support of Marine infantry in the Pacific island battles.
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Hoffman, George. Through Mobility We Conquer: The Mechanization of the U.S. Cavalry. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2006.
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The definitive account of the transition of the US cavalry from horse to mechanized. The book covers leaders, bureaucratic attitudes and bias in the army, the development of doctrine, and a combat history of the cavalry in western Europe during World War II.
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Morton, Matthew Darlington. Men on Iron Ponies: The Death and Rebirth of the Modern U.S. Cavalry. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2009.
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A thoroughly researched account of the transition of the US cavalry from horse to mechanized, including a straightforward account of the combat operations of the mechanized cavalry in Europe.
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Salecker, Gene Eric. Rolling Thunder against the Rising Sun: The Combat History of U.S. Army Tank Battalions in the Pacific in World War II. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 2008.
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A good general history of the army tank battalions.
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Sorley, Lewis. Thunderbolt: From the Battle of the Bulge to Vietnam and Beyond, General Creighton Abrams and the Army of his Times. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.
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Important biography describing the US Army’s foremost armor advocate after World War II. Important for its description of Abrams’s World War II career and his advocating of the development of the M1 tank after the Vietnam War.
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Selected World War II Battles and Campaigns

World War II was truly the armored war. No conflict before or since has fielded armored formations of the size as those of the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. The war saw these vast formations confront each other in a variety of tactical situations, creating ideal conditions for analysis.

Eastern Front

For more than two decades, the story of the Eastern Front was the story of the Panzer forces fighting against astronomical odds. That one-sided and distorted image of the war in the East has been corrected since 1990, as scholars have taken an interest in the Soviet perspective and have had access to the Soviet archives. This has resulted in a more balanced understanding of the war in the East and new respect for the accomplishments of the armored forces of the Red Army, as indicated in Armstrong 1994.

Armstrong, Richard N. Red Army Tank Commanders: The Armored Guards. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1994.
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Through the lives and accomplishments of the six men who commanded the six Soviet Guard Tank Armies, the author provides a superb analysis of the highly competent Soviet armored forces in World War II.
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1941–1942

Much of the debate regarding the war on the Eastern Front revolves around the question of where and when the Germans lost the war. A significant number of scholars believe that the war was lost in the opening phase—Operation Barbarossa in 1941. All the books focused on the early part of the war support this theory (see Dvoretsky and Fugate 1997. Glantz 2001. Kamenir 2008. Megargee 2006. Stahel 2009, and Stolfi 1991). However as indicated in this section, that scholarship is not unanimous regarding specifically when and where during the seven months of German offensive operations the fatal mistake was made.

Dvoretsky, Lev, and Bryan Fugate. Thunder on the Dnepr: Zhukov, Stalin and the Defeat of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1997.
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The authors make a very convincing and well-researched case for the decisive battle during Operation Barbarossa being the Soviet counterattack and defense on the southern flank of Army Group Center. They attribute Barbarossa’s failure to brilliant prewar preparation on the part of the Soviets.
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Glantz, David M. Barbarossa: Hitler’s Invasion of Russia, 1941. Charleston, SC: Tempus, 2001.
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Very impressively researched (as are all Glantz’s works) but somewhat controversial account of the invasion of Russia. Glantz contends that Soviet forces at the battle of Smolensk disrupted the German offensive sufficiently to cause its failure. All of Glantz’s works on the Eastern Front are important to the historiography of armor in World War II.
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Kamenir, Victor. The Bloody Triangle: The Defeat of Soviet Armor in the Ukraine, June 1941. Minneapolis: Zenith, 2008.
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Valuable for its detailed description of one of the war’s first large-scale clashes between Soviet and World War II German armor.
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Megargee, Geoffrey P. War of Annihilation: Combat and Genocide on the Eastern Front, 1941. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.
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Megargee adds genocidal policies as well as logistics and poor operational decision making to the list of failures of the German high command that contributed to the failure of Barbarossa.
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Stahel, David. Operation Barbarossa and Germany’s Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
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The latest contribution on Barbarossa. Well-researched and supports the view that Smolensk was the key battle of the war in that it caused the failure of Barbarossa.
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Stolfi, R. H. S. Hitler’s Panzers East: World War II Reinterpreted. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991.
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One of the first works that makes the clear claim that the Germans lost the war not in 1942 at Stalingrad, but rather in August 1941 during Operation Barbarossa.
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1943–1945

Although the battle of Kursk in 1943 is recognized as a singular achievement of the Red Army and the beginning of the end for Germany, the battles that follow Kursk are equally impressive and demonstrate the practice of armored war at the highest levels by both the attacking Soviets and the defending Germans. David Glantz (see Glantz 1991 and Glantz and House 1999), undoubtedly the foremost historian of the Eastern Front, describes the great armor battles of 1943, including the greatest armor battle in history, Kursk. Nash 2006 provides a detailed account of one of the many brutal all-arms battles of 1944, and Le Tissier 1996 describes the large maneuver battles of the final months of the war on the Eastern Front.

Glantz, David M. From the Don to the Dnepr: Soviet Offensive Operations, December 1942–August 1943. London: Frank Cass, 1991.
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Highly detailed account of the Soviet army’s development of what became its armored operational technique following the battle of Stalingrad. All of David Glantz’s works on the Eastern Front are important to the historiography of armor in World War II.
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Glantz, David M., and Jonathan H. House. The Battle of Kursk. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999.
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The definitive study of the largest and perhaps most important battle of armored forces in history, the battle of Kursk, 1943.
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Le Tissier, Tony. Marshal Zhukov at the Oder. The Decisive Battle for Berlin. London: Praeger, 1996.
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A very solidly researched account of the fall of Berlin. Preferable over other equally scholarly accounts because its focus is on the major maneuver battles around the Oder River, which set up the final assault on the city.
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Nash, Douglas. Hell’s Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, January to February 1944. Southbury, CT: RZM Imports, 2006.
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An extremely detailed account of the 1944 battle, which depicts the tactical challenges and techniques of armored warfare on the Eastern Front in 1944.
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Western Front

The history of the Western Front tends to focus on the experiences of the American armored forces, which as time passed became proportionally the largest component of the Allied command. Harry Yeide (Yeide 2003, Yeide 2004, Yeide 2008) has produced solid general battle histories of the major American armored organizations outside the armored division structure, which in fact made up the largest numbers of the American armored force. Jarymowycz 2001 describes Allied tactics, and Cooper 1998 describes the robust logistics capability inherent in the Allied armored force, which permitted the force to sustain significant loses and still maintain its combat power.

Cooper, Belton Y. Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1998.
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A first-person recounting of the logistics support (fuel, maintenance, ordnance, and trained competent personnel) necessary to sustain a fast-moving armored offensive.
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Jarymowycz, Roman J. Tank Tactics: From Normandy to Lorraine. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2001.
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Important and well-researched critical examination of the tactical techniques of US Army employment of armor in western Europe.
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Yeide, Harry. Steel Victory: The Heroic Story of America’s Independent Tank Battalions at War in Europe. New York: Presidio, 2003.
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Well-researched in primary documents, popular history of the major contributions of the independent tank battalions in Europe. A good introduction to the subject.
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Yeide, Harry. The Tank Killers: A History of America’s World War II Tank Destroyer Force. Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004.
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Well-researched in primary documents, popular history of the major contributions of the US Army tank destroyer forces in Europe. A good introduction to the subject.
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Yeide, Harry. Steeds of Steel: A History of American Mechanized Cavalry in World War II. Minneapolis: Zenith, 2008.
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Good introductory popular history to the role of US mechanized cavalry in World War II. Includes some discussion of the cavalry reconnaissance elements supporting infantry divisions that is not in other accounts.
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1940

The Allied experience on the Western front begins in 1940 with the defeat of the French, primarily through the application of new concepts of armored war led by the Panzer forces. The classic study Horne 1969 documents the campaign for France, while Doughty 1990 highlights the critical battle at Sedan and the differences in doctrine that led to the German success.

Doughty, Robert Allan. The Breaking Point: Sedan and the Fall of France, 1940. Hamden, CT: Archon, 1990.
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A strongly researched and detailed examination of the battle of Sedan, the critical battle in the 1940 campaign for France. The author examines the battle primarily through the examination of French army doctrine contrasted with German armor-focused doctrine.
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Horne, Alistair. To Lose a Battle: France 1940. New York: Little Brown, 1969.
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Detailed examination of the crushing defeat of the French by the German Panzer spearheads in 1940. The definitive book on the battle for France.
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1944

The most important armored battles on the Western Front are arguably those that took place in the summer of 1944 as the Allies attempted to break out of Normandy and German armor attempted to destroy the beachheads while they were still vulnerable. Bando 1999, Carafano 2000, and Miller 1988 describe the American armor in action in Normandy; Buckley 2004 covers the British efforts; and Reynolds 1997 provides the German perspective.

Bando, Mark. Breakout at Normandy: The 2nd Armored Division in the Land of the Dead. Osceola, WI: MBI, 1999.
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A detailed account of the little-known tactical armor battles that occurred immediately after the breakout and allowed the breakout to become the success that it was.
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Buckley, John. British Armour in the Normandy Campaign, 1944. London: Frank Cass, 2004.
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The definitive account of the employment of British armor in the Normandy campaign. Buckley argues effectively against the popular notion of the ineffectiveness of British armor.
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Carafano, James Jay. After D-Day: Operations Cobra and the Normandy Breakout. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2000.
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An examination of American command during the breakout of the Normandy beaches. Argues that the flexibility of the American arm was the key to success of the offensive that broke out of the beachhead in Normandy.
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Miller, Robert A. August 1944: The Campaign for France. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1988.
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Popular history that captures well the tempo of events and the employment of US armor during the breakout from Normandy.
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Reynolds, Michael. Steel Inferno: I Panzer Corps in Normandy. New York: Sarpedon, 1997.
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Well-researched version of the Normandy battles from the point of view of the SS Panzer divisions. Reynolds makes the point that these units were not second-rate, but rather the elite of the veteran German army and hence a significant threat to Allied success. He also points out that the units were not destroyed by the Allied breakout from the beaches, but rather the core lived to fight another day.
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The Korean War

The few efforts to describe armor operations in Korea are average at best. None of the works on the Korean War—Balin and Zaloga 1994, Gilbert 2003, and Mesko 1984—is in depth or scholarly; they emphasize equipment and photographs.

Balin, George, and Steven Zaloga. Tank Warfare in Korea, 1950–53. Hong Kong: Concord, 1994.
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A short illustrated popular history of the equipment and major armor operations of the Korean War.
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Gilbert, Oscar. Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea. Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2003.
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Based on official histories and interviews, the author presents a comprehensive and authoritative history of US Marine armor in Korea, beginning with the mobilization of the Marine Corps Reserve and covering every major combat experience (and many minor ones) of Marine tankers during the Korean War.
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Mesko, Jim. Armor in Korea: A Pictorial History. Carrollton, TX: Squadron Signal, 1984.
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A popular history of the equipment and major armor operations of the Korean War.
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The Vietnam War

One of the facts of the Vietnam War is that many US Army leaders initially believed the terrain and weather created conditions that precluded the effective use of armored formations. One of the historiographic issues of the war is the veracity of this view. One reason this issue remains unresolved is that truly good research on armor operations in the Vietnam War remains to be done. Starry 1980 and Gilbert 2007 are good-quality but not comprehensive accounts of the armor operations in Vietnam. The remaining works on armor forces in Vietnam—Arnold 1987, Dunstan 1982, Grandolini 1996, and Mesko 1982—are all general histories emphasizing pictures and equipment.

Arnold, James R. The Illustrated History of The Vietnam War: Armor. New York: Bantam, 1987.
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A short popular history of the employment of armor in Vietnam.
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Dunstan, Simon. Vietnam Tracks. Armor in Battle, 1945–1975. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1982.
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Very comprehensive popular history of armored forces and their employment in Vietnam. The book covers the armored forces of all the major combatants, including those from Australia, North Vietnam, the United States, the Republic of Vietnam, and France.
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Gilbert, Oscar. Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam. Drexel Hill, PA: Casemate, 2007.
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Based on official histories and interviews, the author presents a comprehensive and authoritative history of US Marine armor in Vietnam from the first arrival of the Marine tanks, to the final turnover of the war to the South Vietnamese.
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Grandolini, Albert. Armor of the Vietnam War. Hong Kong: Concord, 1996.
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General, hobby-oriented history of armor in the Vietnam War.
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Mesko, Jim. Armor in Vietnam: A Pictorial History. Carrollton, TX: Squadron Signal, 1982.
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A popular history of equipment and major armor operations of the war.
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Starry, Donn. Armored Combat in Vietnam. New York: Arno, 1980.
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The best and most comprehensive account of the role of American armored units in Vietnam. Starry commanded the premier American army armored unit in the war, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Reprint of the US government publication Mounted Combat in Vietnam, 1978.
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The Arab Israeli Wars

Since World War II the great battlefields of armor operations have shifted to the Middle East. The Arab-Israeli wars have generated numerous good histories, but specific studies of armor operations remain rare. Asher and Hammel 1987 is one of the few histories that focuses specifically on an armored force battle. Studies of the Israeli armored forces are also rare, Eshel 1989 being the only notable source. One reason for this may be that the history of the armored battles and the armored force are very well covered in more general histories of the wars and of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Herzog 1982 is the most notable in that regard, while Gabriel 1984 and Oren 2002 are typical of the integration of armored operations into most general military histories of Israeli operations.

Asher, Jerry, and Eric Hammel. Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle that Saved Israel. Pacifica, CA: Pacifica Military History, 1987.
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Well-written popular history of the largest tank battle of the post-World War II era. Based primarily on interviews with combatants and Israeli sources, this work contends that the bulk of the 1,500 tanks Syrian tanks destroyed in the 1973 battle for the Golan Heights were destroyed by Israel tank fire and not by the Israeli Air Force.
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Eshel, David. Chariots of the Desert: The Story of the Israeli Armoured Corps. London: Brassey’s Defence, 1989.
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A well-written popular history of the Israeli armor force and its vehicles from 1948 to the invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
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Gabriel, Richard A. Operation Peace for Galilee: The Israeli-PLO War in Lebanon. New York: Hill & Wang, 1984.
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Good general history of the invasion of Lebanon, though it was written too soon after the war.
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Herzog, Chaim. The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East from the War of Independence through Lebanon. New York: Random House, 1982.
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The definitive account of the Arab-Israeli wars from 1948 to 1982. Includes a detailed account of all the major Israeli armored operations of the period.
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Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
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The definitive account of the decisive battles of the Six Day War. These actions earned the Israeli armored corps a place among the best tank forces in history.
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Us–Iraqi Wars

The US military has fought two major wars in Iraq since 1990, and both involved the extensive use of armored forces on both the operational and tactical levels. Those operations have been extensively documented and demonstrate that the American armored force has emerged as the latest elite armored force, generally excelling at both the operational and tactical levels of war. Atkinson 1993 provides a very good comprehensive account of the Desert Storm (first Gulf War) ground war. Carhart 1994 and Macgregor 2009 contribute excellent, detailed accounts of tactical armor operations during Desert Storm. Armor operations since the 2003 invasion of Iraq have yet to be studied thoroughly. Two efforts that describe armor in the initial invasion are Zucchino and Bowden 2004 and Lacey 2007. Both are focused on the 3rd Infantry Division. Subsequent operations of armored forces in the counterinsurgency phase of the war have yet to be addressed comprehensively.

Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
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Well-told general history of the war.
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Carhart, Tom. Iron Soldiers: How America’s 1st Armored Division Crushed Iraq’s Elite Republican Guard. New York: Pocket Books, 1994.
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Very good interview-based narrative covering the preparations and combat actions of the US Army’s premier armored division during Desert Storm.
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Lacey, Jim. Takedown: The 3rd Infantry Division’s Twenty-One Day Assault on Baghdad. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2007.
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A well-researched, detailed and clear account of the planning, preparation, and operations of the 3rd Infantry Division during the initial offensive to capture Baghdad in 2003.
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Macgregor, Douglas. Warrior’s Rage: The Great Tank Battle of 73 Easting. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2009.
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The author was a participant in the described battle and is an established military analyst. Based on interviews, and official records, this is a good description of one of the most dramatic tactical engagements of Operation Desert Storm.
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Zucchino, David, and Mark Bowden. Thunder Run: The Armored Strike To Capture Baghdad. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004.
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Detailed account, based primarily on interviews, of the 3rd Infantry Division’s attack to Baghdad in 2003. Places great emphasis on the use of armored vehicles in the context of urban warfare.
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Armor Organization Histories

Many armored forces of significant size (down to separate battalion level in the US armored forces) generate and publish unit histories. German and American organizations of World War II, in particular, inspired numerous organizational histories. Unit histories vary in quality and scope. Many are intended primarily for veterans and are hastily assembled in the midst of or immediately after combat. Others are assembled by professional historians after meticulous research. Interviews with veterans, unofficial logs, and letters are often important sources for unit histories, and therefore they often contain primary source information not available in the official records. The best of the unit histories are gold mines of data. Unit histories, by their nature, focus almost exclusively on tactical battle. The representative unit histories in this section illustrate some of the best sources of this genre.

United States

American unit histories fall into several categories. Most of the World War II histories are produced for or by veterans. They range widely in quality, but Houston 1977 is one of the best examples of this type of organizational history. Others, such as Patterson 2008, are produced for a general audience. By far the bulk of American armor unit histories focus on World War II; the exception is some excellent organization histories published about units participating in Operation Desert Storm, of which Bourque and Brown 2002 is an excellent example.

Bourque, Stephen, and John S. Brown. Jayhawk: The VII Corps in the Persian Gulf War. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 2002.
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Superbly researched history of the American VII Corps and associated units during Operation Desert Storm.
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Houston, Donald E. Hell on Wheels: The 2d Armored Division. San Rafael, CA: Presidio, 1977.
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A very detailed day-by-day account of the 2d Armored Division’s experience in World War II, written by the division historian with the assistance of the division records and interviews with veterans. One of the best of the postwar histories written for veterans.
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Patterson, Eugene C. Patton’s Unsung Armor of the Ardennes: The Tenth Armored Division’s Secret Dash to Bastogne. Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2008.
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Better-than-average short popular history of the US 10th Armored Division, focused on its role in the defense of the Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
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Germany

German organizational histories, like American ones, are often produced by and for veterans’ organizations. Most German organizational histories make extensive use of photos and original documents and are therefore of very high quality. Luther 1987 and Spaeter 1992 represent the generally high quality of German organizational histories. Histories are available on most of the German World War II armor formations.

Luther, Craig W. H. Blood and Honor: The History of the 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitler Youth,” 1943–1945. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender, 1987.
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Well researched in German records and among veterans, this history follows the unit from its formation through its destruction in the battle of Normandy in 1944. The author places special focus on the war crimes of the division and the massacre of Canadian prisoners of war in Normandy.
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Spaeter, Helmuth. The History of the Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland. Vol. 1. Translated by David Johnson. Winnipeg, Canada: J.J. Fedorowicz, 1992.
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Continued in Volume 2 (1995) and Volume 3 (2000). Superbly detailed history of the most powerful regular German army Panzer formation of World War II. Based entirely on primary sources and lavishly supplemented with maps.
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Great Britain

British organizational histories are not as common as American or German. However, two histories of the Royal Tank Regiment are excellent: Liddell Hart 1959 and Macksey 1979.

Liddell Hart, Basil Henry. The Tanks: The History of the Royal Tank Regiment and its Predecessors, Heavy Branch, Machine-Gun Corps, Tank Corps, and Royal Tank Corps, 1914–1945. 2 vols. London: Cassel, 1959.
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Comprehensive, detailed narrative of the Royal Tank Regiment and associated organizations from their creation in World War I through the conclusion of combat operations in World War II.
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Macksey, Kenneth. The Tanks: The History of the Royal Tank Regiment, 1945–1975. London: Arms and Armour, 1979.
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Macksey continues the detailed history of the Royal Tank Regiment through the Cold War.
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Cold War Armor Doctrine

The Cold War was an important part of the history of armored war, even though the belligerents never entered into actual hostilities with each other. The war stimulated technological advances and, most important, an intense evaluation of operational doctrine. Citino 2004, Simpkin 1984, and Romjue 1984 look at the very sophisticated doctrinal visions of armored war developed by the United States and the Soviet Union over the period of the Cold War.

Citino, Robert M. Blitzkrieg to Desert Storm: The Evolution of Operational Warfare. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2004.
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The author provides an insightful and well-researched history demonstrating how some armies have achieved operational success since World War II and others have not. His insights into Israeli success are particularly important to the understanding of the evolution of armored warfare in the post-World War II period.
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Simpkin, Richard E. Red Armour: An Examination of the Soviet Mobile Force Concept. Oxford: Brassey’s Defence, 1984.
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A well thought-out and researched history and analysis of the evolution of Soviet armored warfare from the interwar years through the early 1980s.
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Romjue, John L. From Active Defense to Airland Battle: The Development of Army Doctrine, 1973–1982. Fort Monroe, VA: Historical Office, US Army Training and Doctrine Command, 1984.
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Explains the post-Vietnam US Army doctrinal debates within which armored warfare and employment of tanks was central. Also addresses the dilemma presented to the US forces in Germany by the massive Soviet armored formations in eastern Europe.
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Tank Design and Development

An important aspect of armored warfare is the technical capabilities of the tanks themselves, as well as the development processes that produce the tank for the force. The technical capabilities of the tanks are important for several reasons. First, they are a physical manifestation of the army’s vision of armored warfare. For example, an army that envisions employment of armor in swift hit-and-run operations against unprotected targets will develop tanks that are fast and lightly armed and armored—as occurred in Germany and the United States in the 1930s. The technical capabilities of the tanks also may have a direct impact on the course of battle. One of the areas of historical concern in this regard is the impact of the less than robust capabilities of the American Sherman tank on the course of the war on the Western Front during World War II. Historians of armored warfare cannot avoid the question of how the capabilities of the Sherman tank affected the tactical outcome of battles. Technical capabilities also reflect the quality of the army’s strategic force structure and logistics process, indicating whether the strategic planners of the army correctly understood and forecast the requirements of the tactical battlefield. Thus, a constant thread in the history of armored warfare is the how and to what degree technical capabilities of the tanks affected battle at the tactical level, and operations at the operational and strategic level of war. Hogg 1980 provides an overview of the relationship between tank design and operational doctrine. Macksey and Batchelor 1971 is important for those beginning to research armored warfare because it is one of the few works that simply and clearly explain basic tank functions and operations. Milsom 1970 provides a clear illustration, using the Russian experience, of how technology and doctrine influence and complement each other.

Hogg, Ian V. Armour in Conflict: The Design and Tactics of Armoured Fighting Vehicles. London: Jane’s, 1980.
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Hogg’s work is a clear and simple chronological description of the development of armor technology and corresponding doctrine through 1980: a good overview.
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Macksey, Kenneth, and John H. Batchelor. Tank : A History of the Armoured Fighting Vehicle. New York: Ballantine, 1971.
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A good introduction to tank design from a technological point of view. This book explains the purpose and function of basic tank components and characteristics.
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Milsom, John. Russian Tanks, 1900-1970: The Complete Illustrated History of Soviet Armoured Theory and Design. London: Arms and Armour, 1970.
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A very complete examination of tank design from operational doctrine through production. The first part of the book examines Soviet operational concepts and the infrastructure designed to support those concepts. The second part illustrates by type the Soviet vehicles to execute the concepts in part one of the multi-part design. Heavily illustrated.
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To 1945

The development of armored vehicles through 1945 was driven initially by a vision of the employment of armored formations during the interwar years, and then by the actual battlefield conditions. Interestingly, despite the influence of doctrine, the dominant factor driving tank design, as indicated in the works cited in this section, was the ability to defeat the opposing force’s main battle tanks. Works on specific vehicle types vary widely in quality. Numerous relatively low-quality, inexpensive technical descriptions exist, of which Fletcher 2006 is a good example. Most important vehicles have a least one medium-quality work that provides detailed technical descriptions and relates the technical capabilities to operations; Baryatinskiy 2007 is a good example. The best of the technical works on armor vehicles through 1945 are represented by Hunnicutt 1978 and Hunnicutt 1988, as well as Jentz 1995, Jentz and Doyle 1997, Jentz and Doyle 2000, and Jentz 2001. Unfortunately, Hunnicutt and Jentz focus exclusively on American and German armor, respectively. Many famous and important types, such as the Soviet T-34, lack a detailed treatment.

Baryatinskiy, Mikhail. T-34 Medium Tank, 1939–1943. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan, 2007.
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Probably one of the best treatments of the T-34/76, but still just an average technical book that is part of a series on Soviet armor that includes most of the major World War II and postwar vehicles. Not as complete or as detailed as the best works on German and American tanks.
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Fletcher, David. Cromwell Cruiser Tank, 1942–1950. Oxford: Osprey, 2006.
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This book is typical of the readily available technical references available on virtually all armored vehicles. Fletcher’s work provides a general overview of vehicle technical capabilities and employment while in service. These types of references are adequate for the hobbyist and as a supplement to other research.
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Hunnicutt, R. P. Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1978.
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Hunnicutt’s volumes on American military vehicles (there are nine in all) set the standard for all military vehicle technical histories. The Sherman volume has 576 pages and includes more than 1,300 black-and-white photos and twelve color plates.
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Hunnicutt, R. P. Firepower : A History of the American Heavy Tank. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1988.
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The best single volume on the technical development of the U.S. heavy tank.
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Jentz, Thomas L. Germany’s Panther Tank: The Quest of Supremacy: Development, Modifications, Rare Variants, Characteristics, Combat Accounts. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1995.
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The best one-volume technical history of Germany’s most important main battle tank in World War II.
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Jentz, Thomas L., and Hilary Louis Doyle. Germany’s Tiger Tanks: Vk45.02 to Tiger II Design, Production & Modifications. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1997.
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Jentz creates the equivalent of the Hunnicutt series with his three-volume treatment on the tiger tanks. Extraordinary research in original German technical manuals, photos from surviving original tanks, and a full technical history are contained in this volume.
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Jentz, Thomas L., and Hilary Louis Doyle. Germany’s Tiger Tanks D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production & Modifications. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2000.
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A continuation on the model of Jentz and Doyle 1997.
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Jentz, Thomas L. Germany’s Tiger Tanks: Tigers at the Front. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2001.
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Photo book complementing the previous two in the series and focused on tiger tanks in combat.
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After 1945

In the long period of peace after World War II, tank design drifted somewhat from its initial focus on tank-against-tank combat that was so important during World War II. First-class main battle tanks did not meet in large-scale combat until the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when both the Israeli and Arab forces were for the first time equipped with modern first-rate US and Soviet equipment. The poor performance of the US battle tanks in that war drove the development of the US M1 Abrams main battle tank, as indicated in the works cited in this section. Post-World War II tanks have not been examined in as detailed a manner as the World War II generation of tanks. The technical history of the M1 has been analyzed by numerous authors, including Green 2005, Hunnicutt 1990, and Kelly 1989. Detailed technical histories do not exist for most post-1945 combat vehicles, though general technical works focused on photographs are available for virtually all important types.

Green, Michael. M1 Abrams at War. Minneapolis: Zenith, 2005.
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Comprehensive and well-illustrated technical history of the M1 Abrams tank that includes its performance in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Hunnicutt, R. P. History of the American Main Battle Tank. Vol. 2, Abrams. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1990.
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Equal to all the previous volumes of this series, but unfortunately it was published too early to include issues related to the Abrams tank in combat and the latest model updates.
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Kelly, Orr. King of the Killing Zone: The Story of the M-1, America’s Super Tank. New York: W. W. Norton, 1989.
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A very detailed and insightful description of the complex process that resulted in the development of the US Army’s premier main battle tank. One of Kelly’s contentions is that the M1 design was a high priority because of the direct intervention of the army Chief of Staff, General Creighton Abrams.
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Important Narratives

Armored warfare is a function of a confluence of various factors, including technology, doctrine, leadership, and training. Another important component of armored warfare is the individual soldier manning the armored vehicle or leading the armored formation. Some narratives place the armored crewman as the most important element of successful armored operations. Many armored forces have achieved battlefield success despite adverse tactical situations and technologically inferior tanks. Victory under adverse conditions is often attributed to the quality of the armored crewmen and the armored leader. Both the German Panzer forces and the Israeli Tank Corps built their formidable reputations to a large extent on the quality of their soldiers. To understand this dynamic of armored warfare, battle narratives by the soldiers who participated in it are absolutely essential. This section contains only a representative sample of some of the best published battlefield narratives.

World War II

World War II inspired the most, and some of the best, narratives of armored warfare. Guiderian 1952 (by a Panzer Army commander) and von Mellenthin 1954 and Guderian 2001 (by division staff officers) provide excellent views of German armored warfare and the high and middle levels of command. Robinette 1958, von Luck 1989, and Triplet and Ferrell 2001 provide the American and German views of armor command at the middle level. Finally, Hartman 2003 and Loza 1996 give the perspective of officers and enlisted men at the lowest tactical level from the American and Russian points of view, respectively.

Guderian, Heinz. Panzer Leader. New York: Dutton, 1952.
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The classic recounting of the creation of the German Panzer forces and their employment in combat during World War II, by the most famous Panzer leader.
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Guderian, Heinz. From Normandy to the Ruhr With the 116th Panzer Division. Bedford, PA: Aberjona, 2001.
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The Panzer battles against the Americans and the British as recalled in great detail by a senior staff officer.
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Hartman, J. T. Tank Driver: With the 11th Armored from the Battle of the Bulge to VE Day. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
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An American tank crewman’s view of armored warfare in the last six months of World War II.
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Loza, D. F., and James F. Gebhardt. Commanding the Red Army’s Sherman Tanks. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1996.
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A Soviet tank company commander’s experiences leading lend-lease Sherman tanks against the Wehrmacht.
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Robinett, Paul M. Armor Command : The Personal Story of a Commander of the 13th Armored Regiment, of the CCB, 1st Armored Division, and of the Armored School during World War II. Washington, DC: McGregor & Werner, 1958.
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Early US armor experiences of a regimental commander as the US Armored Corps formed, deployed, and entered combat in North Africa.
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Triplet, William S., and Robert H. Ferrell. A Colonel in the Armored Divisions: A Memoir, 1941–1945. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2001.
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The experiences of Triplet as a part of the army’s force development process are as important as the second half of the book, focused on his service as a combat command commander in the 7th US Armored Division.
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von Luck, Hans. Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1989.
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Brilliant narrative on commanding German panzer and reconnaissance forces through World War II at the company through Kampfgruppe level, and on almost all battlefronts.
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von Mellenthin, F. W. Panzer Battles. A Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1954.
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A German general staff officer’s analysis of the employment of armor in the major campaigns of the war from Poland to the Ardennes. Excellent descriptions of the role of armor in the German defensive battles on the Eastern Front. A classic.
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Post-World War II

Post-World War II narrative accounts of armor warfare are not as numerous but are still excellent. Conroy 2005, Kahalani 1984, and Mahler 1986 all provide excellent tactical level perspectives in three very different wars. Clancy and Franks 1997 is one of the few senior armor officers’ accounts of modern armored warfare.

Clancy, Tom, and Frederick Franks. Into the Storm; A Study in Command. New York: Putnam, 1997.
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General Franks’s narrative of his career as an American armor officer, with a focus on his role as the VII Corps commander during Operations Desert Storm.
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Conroy, Jason. Heavy Metal: A Tank Company’s Battle to Baghdad. Dulles, VA: Potomac, 2005.
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A US tank company commander describes the opening maneuver phase of the invasion of Iraq and the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division’s drive to Baghdad.
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Kahalani, Avigdor. The Heights of Courage: A Tank Leader’s War on the Golan. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1984.
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Clear and impressive story from the point of view of a tank battalion commander of the Israel Defense Forces fighting on the Golan Heights during the 1973 war.
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Mahler, Michael D. Ringed in Steel: Armored Cavalry, Vietnam 1967–68. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1986.
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An American armored cavalry officer describes the experience of armored cavalry troops during the Tet Offensive.