<div>The author of Tanks in Hell tracks ten years of tank warfare in Vietnam, combining firsthand accounts from veterans with analysis of tactics and strategy. In 1965 the large, loud, and highly visible tanks of 3rd Platoon, B Company, 3rd Tank Battalion landed across a beach near Da Nang, drawing unwelcome attention to America&rsquo;s first, almost covert, commitment of ground troops in South Vietnam. As the Marine Corps presence grew inexorably, the 1st and 3rd Tank Battalions, as well as elements of the reactivated 5th Tank Battalion, were committed to the conflict. For the United States Marine Corps, the protracted and bloody struggle was marked by controversy, but for Marine Corps tankers it was marked by bitter frustration as they saw their own high levels of command turn their backs on some of the hardest-won lessons of tank-infantry cooperation learned in the Pacific War and in Korea. Nevertheless, like good Marines, the officers and enlisted men of the tank battalions sought out the enemy in the sand dunes, jungles, mountains, paddy fields, tiny villages, and ancient cities of Vietnam. Young Marine tankers fresh out of training, and cynical veterans of the Pacific War and Korea, battled two enemies. The battle-hardened Viet Cong were masters of the art of striking hard, then slipping away to fight another day. The highly motivated troops of the North Vietnamese Army, equipped with long-range artillery and able to flee across nearby borders into sanctuaries where the Marines were forbidden to follow, engaged the Marines in brutal conventional combat. Both foes were equipped with modern anti-tank weapons, and sought out the tanks as valuable symbolic targets. It was a brutal and schizophrenic war, with no front and no rear, absolutely no respite from constant danger, against a merciless foe hidden among a helpless civilian population. Some of the duties the tankers were called upon to perform were long familiar, as they provided firepower and mobility for the suffering infantry in a never-ending succession of search and destroy operations, conducted amphibious landings, and added their heavy guns to the artillery in fire support missions. Under constant threat of ambushes and huge command-detonated mines that could obliterate both tank and crew in an instant, the tankers escorted vital supply convoys, and guarded the engineers who built and maintained the roads. In their &ldquo;spare time&rdquo; the tankers guarded lonely bridges and isolated outposts for weeks on end, patrolled on foot to seek out the Viet Cong, operated roadblocks and ambushes, shot up boats to interdict the enemy&rsquo;s supply lines, and worked in the villages and hamlets to better the lives of the brutalized civilians. To the bitter end&mdash;despite the harsh conditions of climate and terrain, confusion, endless savage and debilitating combat, and ultimate frustration as their own nation turned against the war&mdash;the Marine tankers routinely demonstrated the versatility, dedication to duty, and matchless courage that Americans have come to expect of their Marines.</div>

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Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam

<div>An award-winning military historian delivers &ldquo;an excellent read&rdquo; on tank combat in the Forgotten War based on interviews with veterans who were there (MAFVA.org). The outbreak of the Korean conflict caught America (and the Marine Corps) unprepared. The Corps&#39; salvation was the existence of its Organized Reserve (an organization rich in veterans of the fighting in World War II), the availability of modern equipment in storage and, as always, the bravery, initiative, and adaptability of individual Marines. In this follow-up to his enormously successful Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific, Oscar Gilbert presents an equally exhaustive and detailed account of the little-known Marine tank engagements in Korea, supported by forty-eight photographs, eight original maps, and dozens of survivor interviews. Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea details every action, from the valiant defense at Pusan and the bitter battles of the Chosin Reservoir, to the grinding and bloody stalemate along the Jamestown Line. Many of these stories are presented here for the first time, such as the unique role played by tanks in the destruction of the ill-fated Task Force Drysdale, how Marine armor played a key role in the defense of Hagaru, and how a lone tank made it to Yudamni and then led the breakout across the high Toktong Pass. Marine tankers&mdash;individually and as an organization&mdash;met every challenge posed by this vicious, protracted, and forgotten war. It is a story of bravery and fortitude you will never forget.</div>

Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea

<div>&ldquo;Together these books provide the definitive history of the USMC&rsquo;s tank forces . . . Very highly recommended&rdquo; (Military Modelcraft International). Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea: A detailed and gripping account of the little-known Marine tank engagements during the Korean War, from the valiant defense at Pusan and the bitter battles of the Chosin Reservoir to the bloody stalemate along the Jamestown Line. Oscar E. Gilbert unfolds the unique role played by tanks in the destruction of the ill-fated Task Force Drysdale, how Marine armor was a key factor in the defense of Hagaru, and how a lone tank made it to Yudamni and then led the breakout across the high Toktong Pass. Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam: In 1965 the large, loud, and highly visible tanks of 3rd Platoon, B Company, 3rd Tank Battalion landed across a beach near Da Nang, drawing unwelcome attention to America&rsquo;s first, almost covert, commitment of ground troops in South Vietnam. Marine Corps tankers sought out the enemy in the sand dunes, jungles, mountains, paddy fields, tiny villages, and ancient cities of Vietnam, dealing with guerrilla ambushes from the Viet Cong and the long-range artillery capability of the North Vietnamese Army. Marine Corps Tank Battles in the Middle East: In America&rsquo;s longest continual conflict, armored Marines became entangled in guerrilla war amid the broiling deserts, ancient cities, and rich farmlands of Iraq, and in the high, bleak wastes of Afghanistan. Fighting a fanatical foe who brutalized civilians, planted sophisticated roadside bombs, and seized control of entire cities, the Marine Corps tankers cleared roads, escorted convoys, conducted endless sweep operations to locate and destroy insurgent strongholds, protected voting sites for free elections, and recaptured and rebuilt urban centers, even adding a new trick to their repertoire: long-range surveillance. Tanks in Hell: On November 20, 1943, the 2nd Marine Division launched the first amphibious assault of the Pacific War, directly into the teeth of powerful Japanese defenses on Tarawa. In that blood-soaked invasion, a single company of Sherman tanks, of which only two survived, played a pivotal role in turning the tide from looming disaster to legendary victory.</div>

The Marine Corps Tanks Collection

<div>&ldquo;An amazingly detailed account of the American Expeditionary Force at Belleau Wood in 1918&rdquo; from the authors of Tanks in Hell (Books Monthly). &ldquo;Retreat, hell! We just got here!&rdquo; The words of Capt. Lloyd Williams at Belleau Wood in June 1918 entered United States Marine Corps legend, and the Marine brigade&rsquo;s actions there&mdash;along with the censor&rsquo;s failure to take out the name of the brigade in the battle reports&mdash;made the Corps famous. The Marines went to war as part of the American Expeditionary Force, bitterly resented by the Army and Gen. Pershing. The Army tried to use them solely as labor troops and replacements, but the German spring offensive of 1918 forced the issue. The French begged Pershing to commit his partially trained men, and two untested American divisions, supported by British and French units, were thrown into the path of five German divisions. Three horrific weeks later, the Marines held the entirety of Belleau Wood. The Marines then fought in the almost-forgotten Blanc Mont Ridge Offensive in October, as well as in every well-known AEF action until the end of the war. This book looks at all the operations of the Marine Corps in World War I, covers the activities of both ground and air units, and considers the units that supported the Marine brigade. It examines how, during the war years, the Marine Corps changed from a small organization of naval security detachments to an elite land combat force. &ldquo;The goal of revealing the thoughts and actions of individual soldiers in battle is achieved admirably here.&rdquo; &mdash;The Journal of America&rsquo;s Military Past</div>

First to Fight

<div>&ldquo;For all the history buffs on warfare of the last century, Tanks is a perfect choice . . . packed with fascinating information&rdquo; (San Francisco Book Review). This Casemate Short History&mdash;by the authors of Tanks in Hell: A Marine Corps Tank Company on Tarawa&mdash;provides an informative and entertaining introduction to this iconic weapon of the last hundred years. Tanks first ventured into battle on the Somme in 1916, and by the end of the war, countries were beginning to choose &ldquo;heavy&rdquo; or &ldquo;light&rdquo; tank designs to suit their preferred doctrine. Design then stagnated until World War II brought about rapid change. Tanks would prove integral to fighting in almost every theater; the Germans swept across Europe using tanks to spearhead their blitzkrieg method of war, until Soviet tanks proved more than their match and led to some epic tank battles on a huge scale. After World War II, tank designs became increasingly sophisticated and armor undertook a variety of roles in conflicts, with mixed results. American armor in Korea was soon forced into an infantry support role, which it reprised in Vietnam, while Soviet armor was defeated in guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan. However, tanks played a pivotal role in the American &ldquo;shock and awe&rdquo; doctrine in two wars in Iraq, and tanks remain a crucial weapons system on the battlefield. &ldquo;Comprehensive despite its conciseness. For example, it addresses the employment of tanks in lesser-known conflicts such as the Indio-Pakistani and Sino-Vietnamese wars. The book provides context for contemporary tank operations and offers a perspective on the way ahead.&rdquo; &mdash;Military Review</div>

Tanks

<div>&ldquo;Persuasively tells the savage partisan war in the Carolina backcountry . . . [during] the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution&rdquo; (Military Review). Following their defeat at Saratoga in New York in 1777, the British decided to implement a southern strategy against the American insurgents, a plan to &ldquo;roll up&rdquo; the rebellious colonies from Georgia through the Carolinas to Virginia. Untrained Patriot militiamen&mdash;occasionally stiffened by contingents of the Continental Line&mdash;were pitted against Britain&rsquo;s Cherokee and Creek allies, and Loyalist militia and British regulars led by Gen. Cornwallis and his two ablest subordinates, Patrick Ferguson and the ruthless Banastre &ldquo;Bloody Ban&rdquo; Tarleton. In October 1780, the Loyalist militia was virtually destroyed at King&rsquo;s Mountain. Other defeats at Blackstock&rsquo;s Farm and Cowpens, and a pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse, gutted the British southern army and drove Cornwallis north to encirclement and surrender at Yorktown. This study uses battlefield terrain analysis and the words of the officers and common soldiers, from pension records and little-known interviews, to bring to life the crucial role of one militia regiment&mdash;the Second Spartans of South Carolina&mdash;that fought in virtually every action of the vicious backcountry war that decided the fate of America. Or, as one private in the Second Spartans said, expressing admiration for his colonel: &ldquo;a few Brave Men stood true for the cause of liberty.&rdquo; &ldquo;A serious book for those with a serious interest in the southern campaigns of the Revolutionary War . . . Many thanks to the Gilberts for shedding new light on the role of the Second Spartan Regiment.&rdquo; &mdash;War in History</div>

True for the Cause of Liberty

<div>&ldquo;An easily accessible short history&rdquo; of offensive military operations on hostile shores from the authors of First to Fight: The U.S. Marines in World War I (Midwest Book Review). One of the most difficult types of warfare to master, landing on a hostile beach requires scrupulous planning and intense coordination between the air, sea, and land forces. With a history reaching back to the Persians landing on the Greek shores at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, it was the First World War that marked the beginning of modern amphibious warfare, with the Royal Marines combining their efforts with the Royal Navy. Despite the disastrous Gallipoli amphibious operation to seize the Dardanelles Straits in 1915, the Royal Navy and US Marine Corps continued to develop new landing crafts through the interwar years. The Second World War proved more successful for amphibious warfare, with the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941 crushing the American forces defending the Pacific islands and the D-Day landings by the Allied troops in 1944 initiating the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. This accessible short history looks at the historical development of amphibious warfare, telling the stories of particular landings and the units that have taken part in this unique type of warfare. The Royal Marines and US Marine Corps continue to evolve and play a crucial role in defense today, with specialized amphibious warfare ships being deployed to enable elite forces to respond promptly to threats across the globe. &ldquo;A brief but very useful overview of an important aspect of modern warfare.&rdquo; &mdash;Baird Maritime</div>

Amphibious Warfare

<div>An extraordinary slice of untold WWII history: how unproven Marines driving untested Sherman tanks turned the tide against Japan in the Battle of Tarawa. In May 1943, a self-described &ldquo;really young, green, ignorant lieutenant&rdquo; assumed command of a new US Marine Corps company. His even younger Marines were learning to operate an untested weapon, the M4A2 &ldquo;Sherman&rdquo; medium tank. Just six months later, the company would be thrown into one of the ghastliest battles of World War II. On November 20, 1943, the 2nd Marine Division launched the first amphibious assault of the Pacific War, directly into the powerful Japanese defenses on the atoll of Tarawa. In that blood-soaked invasion, a single company of Sherman tanks&mdash;of which only two survived&mdash;played a pivotal role in achieving a legendary victory. In this fascinating study, Oscar E. Gilbert and Romain V. Cansiere use official documents, memoirs, and interviews with veterans, as well as personal and aerial photographs, to follow Charlie Company from its formation. Tracing the movement, action, and fall of individual tanks, Tanks in Hell offers &ldquo;a personal, beach-level view of the Marine island campaign&rdquo; (Marine Corps History). </div>

Overdrive

Tanks in Hell

<div>In this &ldquo;compelling read,&rdquo; the former Marine artilleryman examines modern tank strategies through true stories of battle in Iraq and Afghanistan (Military Modelcraft International). In the aftermath of Vietnam a new generation of Marines was determined to wage a smarter kind of war. The tank, the very symbol of power and violence, would play a key role in a new concept of mobile warfare, not seen since the dashes of World War II. The emphasis would be not on brutal battles of attrition, but on paralyzing the enemy by rapid maneuver and overwhelming but judicious use of firepower. Yet in two wars with Iraq, the tankers, as well as the crews of the new Light Armored Vehicles, quickly found themselves in a familiar role&mdash;battering through some of the strongest defenses in the world by frontal assault, fighting their way through towns and cities. In America&rsquo;s longest continual conflict, armored Marines became entangled in further guerilla war, this time amid the broiling deserts, ancient cities, and rich farmlands of Iraq, and in the high, bleak wastes of Afghanistan. It was a familiar kind of war against a fanatical foe who brutalized civilians, planted sophisticated roadside bombs, and seized control of entire cities. It has been a maddening war of clearing roads, escorting convoys, endless sweep operations to locate and destroy insurgent strongholds, protecting voting sites for free elections, and recapturing and rebuilding urban centers. It&rsquo;s been a war in which the tanks repeatedly provided the outnumbered infantry with precise and decisive firepower. The tankers even added a new trick to their repertoire&mdash;long-range surveillance. Our fights against Iraq in 1991 and in the post-9/11 years have seen further wars that demanded that unique combination of courage, tenacity, professionalism, and versatility that makes a Marine no better friend, and no worse enemy. This book fully describes how our Marine Corps tankers have risen to the occasion.</div>

Oscar E. Gilbert
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Books By Oscar E. Gilbert (9 Books)