This paper focuses on the formulation of doctrine since World War II. In no comparable period in history have the dimensions of the battlefield been so altered by rapid technological changes. The need for the tactical doctrines of the Army to remain correspondingly abreast of these changes is thus more pressing than ever before. Future conflicts are not likely to develop in the leisurely fashions of the past where tactical doctrines could be refined on the battlefield itself. It is, therefore, imperative that we apprehend future problems with as much accuracy as possible. One means of doing so is to pay particular attention to the business of how the Army's doctrine has developed historically, with a view to improving methods of future development.
Merriam Press World War 2 History Series Also includes details of the effect of climate and terrain upon development trends (jungle, cave, desert, and arctic warfare). Written utilizing numerous source documents, listed in the footnotes. The material published in this Monograph is a complete reprint of the text of Chapter 1 ("Review of Ordnance Research and Development in World War II") of a manuscript in the National Archives (Records Group Number 156, Box A746). The author was not identified on the copy we worked from, although it seems likely this manuscript was written by an officer (or historian) of the U.S. Army's Ordnance Department, since the author obviously had access to most, if not all, Ordnance Department records. While no date is given as to when the manuscript was originally prepared, it would seem likely that it was written not long after World War II. It was not declassified until 27 September 1958. Although much more could obviously be written about the Ordnance Department's research and development role in World War II, this work is certainly of immense value because of its almost exclusive use of original source documents, as well as having been written shortly after the events occurred. Contents Introduction Chapter 1: The Situation in 1940 Chapter 2: The Effect of Climate and Terrain Upon Development Trends: Jungle Warfare, Cave Warfare, Desert Warfare, Arctic Warfare Chapter 3: The Course of Development: Combat Vehicles, Motor Transport Vehicles, Artillery, Small Arms, Aircraft Armament, Artillery Ammunition and Bombs, Small Arms Ammunition, Rockets, Fuels and Lubricants, Rubber, and Steel, Ballistics Chapter 4: Unfinished Business, 1945 134 photos and illustrations
If the machine gun changed the course of ground combat in the First World War, it was the tank that shaped ground combat in World War II. The tank was introduced in World War I in an effort to end the stalemate of the machine gun versus barbed-wire trenches, and by World War II, the tank’s mobility and firepower became a rolling, thundering difference-maker on the battlefield. In this detailed, deeply researched, and heavily illustrated book, tank expert Richard Anderson tells the story of how the United States developed its armored force, turning it into a war-winning weapon in World War II that powered American ground forces and supplied armies around the world, including the British and Soviets. For decades, American tanks of World War II have been undervalued in comparisons with German and Soviet tanks—and it’s true that the best of American armor tended to underperform the best of German and Soviet armor during the war. That’s because the U.S. had a different goal: not only to create battleworthy tanks like the Sherman, and to develop other tanks, but also to supply American allies with serviceable, combat-ready tanks. The United States did all this, but until now the complete story of American tanks in World War II has yet to be told. Anderson’s book is deeper and more thorough a chronicle of American tanks in World War II than has ever been done. This book is colorful, vivid, and thought-provokingly insightful on how the U.S. produced a tank force capable of conducting its own battlefield efforts and sustaining key allies around the world. This will be the go-to volume on American tanks for years to come.
In the seventy years that have passed since the tank first appeared, antitank combat has presented one of the greatest challenges in land warfare. Dramatic improvements in tank technology and doctrine over the years have precipitated equally innovative developments in the antitank field. One cycle in this ongoing arms race occurred during the early years of World War II when the U.S. Army sought desperately to find an antidote to the vaunted German blitzkrieg. This Leavenworth Paper analyzes the origins of the tank destroyer concept, evaluates the doctrine and equipment with which tank destroyer units fought, and assesses the effectiveness of the tank destroyer in battle.
