Osprey Battle Orders 21 : US Armored Units in the North African and Italian Campaigns 1942-1945

The Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO) saw the first operational deployment of US armoured divisions in World War II, and the experience proved chastening for the 1st Armored Division when it suffered defeat at the hands of Rommel's Afrika Korps at the battle of Kasserine Pass. This book covers the organization of these early US armored divisions, as well as the independent tank and tank destroyer battalions that accompanied them. It details the evolution of US armoured warfare tactics and doctrine, learned from the difficult experiences of North Africa, and illustrates how they were used elsewhere in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Italian Peninsula. Text by Steven J Zaloga.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Mission
• Preparations for War
• Unit Organization
• Command and Control
• Tactics
• Lessons Learned
• Unit Status
• Further Reading
• Index