Tanks were the beasts of the Second World War, machines designed to
destroy anything and anyone in their path. Throughout the summer of
1944, the Allied forces readily employed tanks and armored vehicles to
gain ground in the bloody campaign of Normandy. Heavily armed, they
provided a kind of support which no number of infantrymen could offer,
battling their way through enemy lines with their guns blazing. From the
US 2nd Armored Division named 'Hell on Wheels' to the British 'Achilles'
tank, the encounters they had in battle were explosive.
This volume of the Casemate Illustrated series explores the Normandy
invasion from the perspective of the Allied Armored divisions, looking
at how armored vehicles played a central role in the many battles that
took place. It includes over 40 profiles of tanks and armored vehicles,
from the American Sherman and Stuart tanks to the bulldozers and
amphibious vehicles designed for the beach.
With detailed diagrams and many photos illustrating the composition of
the Allied armored divisions and tank regiments present at Normandy,
this volume explains the crucial part played by tanks in gaining a
foothold in Normandy after the D-Day landings, as well as the
significance of many other types of armored vehicles.
