4th Armored Division in World War II (Spearhead) [Paperback]

George Forty (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spearhead | Publication Date: January 23, 2009

          Like other volumes in the Spearhead series, this book takes readers to the cutting edge of warfare–for a close look at the make-up, operations, and performance of a military unit operating independently and forcefully at the forefront of battle. With a focus on aspects of war that most narrative histories omit–logistics and supply lines, communications, battlefield terrain, and command and control–this book offers an unparalleled view of the experience of the 4th Armored Division in World War II. Included are a brief history of the unit, its theater of operations, and the combat situations it faced first spearheading Patton’s Third Army in its race across France, then leading the attack to relieve the embatttled Screaming Eagles ofthe101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, and finally into the heart of the Reich itself, crossing into Czechoslovakia by VE Day. Copiously illustrated with photographs, organizational diagrams, tables, and unit markings (both tactical and individual), the book covers every aspect of this unit’s role in the war, from training and strategic planning to engineering and execution. It is an unusually detailed account of the true nuts and bolts behind the drama of the 4th Armored Division in World War II.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

        George Forty OBE spent 30 years as a British army officer in the Royal Tank Regiment before becoming curator of the Bovington Tank Museum, where he was the inspiration for its growth in the 1980s and 1990s. His first book was on the Desert Rats (with whom he served postwar) and was published by lan Allan Publishing in 1976; since then he has written over 50 more, including Patton’s Third Army at War and handbooks of the World War II armies of Britain, Japan, and the United States.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press (January 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076033160X
• ISBN-13: 978-0760331606
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #558,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile primer, April 19, 2011

By 

Dave Schranck "Dave" (Anaheim Ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: 4th Armored Division in World War II (Spearhead) (Paperback)

This book is an Osprey look-alike. It has the same dimensions and a somewhat similar format of a Campaign but with 128 pages. Those extra 32 pages provides fuller profiles of key officers, more maps, more photos, a little bit more operational dialog and a detailed organizational chart. In "Origins" the activation, training and pre-war history of the division in the US is explained. Generals Patton and Wood are introduced as well and they will be prominent throughout much of the book. It also shows the Division insignia and markings as well as clothing and personal weapons. Besides talking about the 4th AD, artillery, cavalry reconnaissance and tank destroyers are briefly covered. Personalities discussed include Baird, Wood, Hoge, Clarke, Irzyk, Gaffey, Abrams and Patton. The three Medal of Honor recipients are also discussed.

The 4th AD missed the Normandy landings but it did come ashore in mid July and took part in Operation Cobra that led to Brittany and the race to the Seine. The significant engagements driving through France are described. The key objectives in southern Brittany like Rennes, Lorient, Nantes are tasked for the 4th AD. Avranches, Troyes, Nancy and Singling are also other engagements that are also covered before the Ardennes Offensive begins. Also, the tortuous 150 mile drive north through Belgium to relieve Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge is prominent. The crossing of the German border, racing east toward the Elbe and finally its drive into Czechoslovakia at war's end completes the battle history.

The battle history is good but not as comprehensive as hoped for. The detail level is sufficient to satisfy the casual reader but experienced readers will want more. The many photos were good but if you've read a lot of US Armored history or specifically the 4th AD then you will have seen some of these photos. There are eleven colored 2-D maps. The maps have good eye appeal and are helpful but some of them could've shown greater detail.

The last chapter, "Assessment" is five pages long and does a nice job of summarizing the Campaigns the division was in as well as casualties both suffered and inflicted. The 4th Armored Division received praise from other US divisions as well as the French and even the Germans. It was one of the Elite divisions in the US Army and anyone who is interested in armor or armor tactics in all its facets would do well on reading about this division.
The book also provides a suggested reading list and a few websites to visit if you want to learn more. "Patton's Vanguard" by Don M Fox is on this list and comes highly recommended if a more robust study is desired.
As a primer this book will give a new or casual student a good start but if you want to go deeper into the division's history then one of the books on the list will be necessary.

3.0 out of 5 stars 'Once-Over Lightly' History of a Crack Division!, November 17, 2011

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 4th Armored Division in World War II (Spearhead) (Paperback)

The 4th Armored Division was, arguably, the finest armored division in the U. S. Army in World War II. Entering combat in July 1944, the division spearheaded the Third Army drive across France and into Germany. Logging some 230 days of combat, it was the only armored division to be awarded the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation. Noted armor authority George Forty provides a comprehensive summary of the combat life and times of the 4th Armored in this 2008 Zenith Press release, part of their 'Spearhead' series.

After discussing the unit's origins, author Forty describes its pre-war training, combat service in the ETO, the division's equipment/clothing/insignia, its postwar duty in Germany and an assessment of the division's performance. The success the division achieved was, in large part, due to the stateside training it received and the brilliance of its second commander, John Wood. Christened the "Rommel of the American forces," Wood led the 4th longer than any other CG before being sent stateside due to combat exhaustion.

Given the broad canvas he has to cover, author Forty does a workmanlike job of presenting the many facets of the unit's history. I would have liked more pages devoted to the combat narrative and less to summaries of the unit's Table of Organization.

The book is nicely illustrated with b&w and color photographs, maps and artwork.

While 4TH ARMORED DIVISION IN WORLD WAR II is neither exhaustive nor definitive, it does serve as a useful 'one-stop shopping guide' to this legendary unit. Recommended.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but lacking, April 10, 2009

By 

Gary E. Binder "Gary from Nebraska" (Waverly, NE USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 4th Armored Division in World War II (Spearhead) (Paperback)

The US Army's 4th Armored Division landed in France in 1944. The unit first saw action in the breakout from Nomandy and was in almost continuous action until the end of the war. They were the cutting edge of General George Patton's Third Army through Europe. 4th Armored was one of the most successful and most aggressive divisions and produced a number of notable US armored commanders. There have been a number of books that provide the history and insight into this famous organization. Unfortunately this book does not bring much new to the table. It DOES provide a decent history of the 4th Armored Division. Unfortunately the photo material for the book is generally either "generic" or has been published previously (and often commmonly). One thinks that the 4th Armored deserved a bit better effort - this book is good, but not evidently a "labor of love". Within the size and price for the book it is a good value for someone who is not familiar with the 4th Armored and may serve to tell more Americans about this division.