DAY OF THE PANZER: A Story of American Heroism and Sacrifice in Southern France | 
| Author: Jeff Danby
Publisher: Casemate
Category: Book
List Price: $32.95
Buy New: $19.58
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Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 26174
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 350
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 193203370X
Dewey Decimal Number: 355
EAN: 9781932033700
ASIN: 193203370X
Publication Date: May 2008
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New in new dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 350 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade.
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Product Description
This is a rarely detailed "you are there" account of World War II combat, describing a brief but bloody tank/infantry action in August 1944. Based on six years of research-drawing from interviews, primary documents, and visits to the battlefield-"The Day of the Panzer" transports the reader into the ranks of L Company, 15th Regiment, Third Infantry Division, and its supporting M4s of the 756th Tank Battalion as they grapple head-on with the Wehrmacht. L Company was nearly wiped out during the bloody Anzio breakout of May 1944. Under the fiery leadership of Captain James "Red" Coles, the unit was rebuilt and molded into a tough, colorful bunch in preparation for "Operation Dragoon." On August 15, 1944, they hit the beaches in southern France, joined by the tank crews of 2nd Lt. Andrew Orient's 3rd Platoon, all veterans of Cassino. After overcoming pockets of resistance along the coast, the tanks and infantry swept inland, nipping at the heels of the retreating German Nineteenth Army. A sudden German artillery salvo dispatched six L Company men and left Lt. Orient dead. 1st Lt. Edgar Danby, an armor instructor (the author's grandfather), was flown in from Italy to replace him. Despite logistics problems, the Third Division forged north through the Rhone River valley until they found the Germans holding fast, L Company and its supporting tanks leading the regimental charge. In the haste and chaos of the day, they managed to slip the German rearguard and unwittingly attacked the German LXXXV Armeekorps headquarters in the small town of Allan. Both sides were shocked by the ferocity of the battle. Led by a rampaging Panther tank, the Germans counterattacked, knocking out the Sherman of Lt. Danby while threatening to cut L Company's positions in half. Surrounded and facing annihilation-but steeled by the courageous leadership of Captain Coles and others-L Company held fast despite dead and wounded on all sides and 13 men captured. The seemingly unstoppable Panther, stalking the battlefield like some black knight from a Teutonic fantasy, continued to hold off American reinforcements in the morning, until the Armeekorps headquarters executed a withdrawal. In this book, the minute-by-minute confusion, thrill and desperation of WWII combat is placed under a microscope, as if the reader himself were a participant. In this small but singular battle, the courage of US troops in their liberation of France is given full due. REVIEWS "Danby resurrects the forgotten campaign of World War II in this excellent popular history... a sprightly and evocative tribute to the troops of Operation Dragoon." Publishers Weekly, 05/2008
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| Customer Reviews:
A great read July 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this book with some hesitation because I felt the title sounded like a "B grade" movie. My fears were totally unfounded because the book was excellent. The author follows a small group of soldiers during a relatively short period of time during the campaign in Southern France. In the early parts of the book he does a good job quickly and clearly putting the campaign, and the battle that will become the later focus of the book, into their historical context. He also introduces the soldiers and civilians who will be the main characters in the story. He has a real gift for bringing the characters to life. He deftly describes their pre-war backgrounds, World War II experiences, and the jobs that they are expected to perform in the upcoming battle. Once the table has been set he gives a detailed acount of the battle in and around the village of Allan. He describes the battle in such a way that you can follow what happened at the same time that you can appreciate the confusion that the soldiers must have felt. His description of the destruction of the tank in which his own grandfather was killed was stunning. It happens so suddenly that I had to re-read the passage to be sure of what I had read. I think this reflects how the people who experienced the events must have felt. Anyone who is a student of WW II will enjoy this book.
All Things Come to a Moment in Time July 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Jeff Danby has done a masterful job of story telling. His book revolves around a small-unit action--essentially an American rifle company and a handful of Shermans and M10 tank destroyers--that lasted but a day and a night. Danby creates believable portraits of his real-life heroes, and weaves together the tales of the American, German, and French participants as they all plunge unknowingly toward the moment they came together in Allan, France. His prose is evocative, and once the action begins, absorbing. This is a great book!
great book June 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
very well written and enjoyable book.ready for the authors next!you will not be disappointed.similar to the ambrose style in that he does an excellent job giving the "big" picture as well as making you feel like you were in the foxhole with the infantry but reads more fluid than ambrose. jeff danby is sure to be a name familiare to all of our bookshelves.
Something Completely New, Freshly Presented June 20, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Day of the Panzer is unlike any other WWII book I have read, and I have read hundreds. In a nutshell, it explores the invasion of Southern France after D-Day, and the thrust inland, following (more or less) a few select unit and individuals as they drive fatefully toward their destiny in the small farming town of Allan, where veteran German infantry and a Panther tank await them.
The result is a focused, tightly wound series of chapters about the battle that erupts there. The author follows the men (and many locals) on their experiences, which includes grenade attacks, tank-to-tank battles, POW issues, executions, and heroics you have never heard of before. If you enjoy small-unit tactics--think Band of Brothers in Carentan, Episode 3--you will love Day of the Panzer.
This book also includes wonderful photos you have never seen, and great original maps--and a cool original drawing by the author of a German Panther. Buy and read this book. You will not be disappointed.
(By way of disclaimer, I read the initial manuscript and helped provide guidance and developmental editing for the author. I have never met Jeff Danby, and do not profit from the sale of this book. tps)
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