The Panzer Killers: The Untold Story of a Fighting General and His Spearhead Tank Division's Charge into the Third Reich
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- Create Date：2021-05-19 18:31:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Daniel P. Bolger
- ISBN：B084V8CP7X
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Summary
A general-turned-historian reveals the remarkable battlefield heroics of Major General Maurice Rose， the World War II tank commander whose 3rd Armored Division struck fear into the hearts of Hitler's panzer crews。
Two months after D-Day， the Allies found themselves in a stalemate in Normandy， having suffered enormous casualties attempting to push through hedgerow country。 Troops were spent， and American tankers， lacking the tactics and leadership to deal with the terrain， were losing their spirit。 General George Patton and the other top U。S。 commanders needed an officer who knew how to break the impasse and roll over the Germans--they needed one man with the grit and the vision to take the war all the way to the Rhine。 Patton and his peers selected Maurice Rose。
The son of a rabbi， Rose never discussed his Jewish heritage。 But his ferocity on the battlefield reflected an inner flame。 He led his 3rd Armored Division not from a command post but from the first vehicle in formation， charging headfirst into a fight。 He devised innovative tactics， made the most of American weapons， and personally chose the cadre of young officers who drove his division forward。 From Normandy to the West Wall， from the Battle of the Bulge to the final charge across Germany， Maurice Rose's deadly division of tanks blasted through enemy lines and pursued the enemy with a remarkable intensity。
In The Panzer Killers， Daniel P。 Bolger， a retired lieutenant general and Iraq War veteran， offers up a lively， dramatic tale of Rose's heroism。 Along the way， Bolger infuses the narrative with fascinating insights that could only come from an author who has commanded tank forces in combat。 The result is a unique and masterful story of battlefield leadership， destined to become a classic。
Two months after D-Day， the Allies found themselves in a stalemate in Normandy， having suffered enormous casualties attempting to push through hedgerow country。 Troops were spent， and American tankers， lacking the tactics and leadership to deal with the terrain， were losing their spirit。 General George Patton and the other top U。S。 commanders needed an officer who knew how to break the impasse and roll over the Germans--they needed one man with the grit and the vision to take the war all the way to the Rhine。 Patton and his peers selected Maurice Rose。
The son of a rabbi， Rose never discussed his Jewish heritage。 But his ferocity on the battlefield reflected an inner flame。 He led his 3rd Armored Division not from a command post but from the first vehicle in formation， charging headfirst into a fight。 He devised innovative tactics， made the most of American weapons， and personally chose the cadre of young officers who drove his division forward。 From Normandy to the West Wall， from the Battle of the Bulge to the final charge across Germany， Maurice Rose's deadly division of tanks blasted through enemy lines and pursued the enemy with a remarkable intensity。
In The Panzer Killers， Daniel P。 Bolger， a retired lieutenant general and Iraq War veteran， offers up a lively， dramatic tale of Rose's heroism。 Along the way， Bolger infuses the narrative with fascinating insights that could only come from an author who has commanded tank forces in combat。 The result is a unique and masterful story of battlefield leadership， destined to become a classic。
Reviews
Dan
，
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy of this new military history。 The Panzer Killers: The Untold Story of a Fighting General and His Spearhead Tank Division's Charge into the Third Reich by Daniel Bolger is a new history that tells two tales。 One is a history of the 2nd Armored Division from the Normandy landings to the ending days of the Second World War in Germany。 The second is a biography of a little known Brigadier General Maurice Rose and his importance to My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy of this new military history。 The Panzer Killers: The Untold Story of a Fighting General and His Spearhead Tank Division's Charge into the Third Reich by Daniel Bolger is a new history that tells two tales。 One is a history of the 2nd Armored Division from the Normandy landings to the ending days of the Second World War in Germany。 The second is a biography of a little known Brigadier General Maurice Rose and his importance to the division and to the war in general。 The research is in-depth with new information on Rose and how it made the man that he became， a leader of men。Mr。 Bolger is an author who suffers not fools， and is quick to point out， on both sides many of the mistakes both honest and ego driven that lead to men dying for no reason。 Mr。 Bolger is very in the ground the smell of diesel， fire， gun smoke and other war odors to numerous to mention fill the pages。 This is a bloody book， not afraid to say what a tank battle will look like on the casualties， nor the survivors。 Numerous familiar faces show up Patton， Dick Winters， Monty， but it's Mr。 Bolger's attention to both General Rose and the tank crews that really make this book。 A perfect Father's Day gift for the historian or for those just interested in World War II。 。。。more
Joyce
，
432 pages5 starsFunny， I don't remember ordering this book， but it turned out to be very good。 This book is about a little known hero， Brigadier General Maurice Rose during the time he served in WWII。 Also mentioned is Dick Winters' 101st Airborne “Band of Brothers。” as well as Omar Bradley， General Bernard Law “Monty” Montgomery， General Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower， the Battle of Carentan and other battles in Normandy。 The book is a little dry， but is basically battle-driven， so there are many batt 432 pages5 starsFunny， I don't remember ordering this book， but it turned out to be very good。 This book is about a little known hero， Brigadier General Maurice Rose during the time he served in WWII。 Also mentioned is Dick Winters' 101st Airborne “Band of Brothers。” as well as Omar Bradley， General Bernard Law “Monty” Montgomery， General Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower， the Battle of Carentan and other battles in Normandy。 The book is a little dry， but is basically battle-driven， so there are many battles and a lot of action。 The fear and horrible consequences of war is fully illustrated。 Those poor men must have been terrified， but they were very brave and acted regardless of their own safety。 Mr。 Bolger did a great job telling Rose's story and his part in WWII。 The book is very well footnoted and is noted by chapter for ease of finding information。 There is also a nice listing of the leadership of the Third Armored Division。I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton/Dutton Caliber for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read， enjoy and review。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
John
，
The Panzer Killers: The Untold Story of a Fighting General and His Spearhead Tank Division's Charge into the Third Reich by Daniel P。 Bolger is the story of Major General Maurice Rose and the American 3rd Armored Division during World War II。 It begins a month after D-Day with the Allies stalled in the hedgerow country of surrounding Normandy。 What was needed was a fighting general who could break the stalemate and get the Army moving。 The man picked by General George S。 Patton and other top com The Panzer Killers: The Untold Story of a Fighting General and His Spearhead Tank Division's Charge into the Third Reich by Daniel P。 Bolger is the story of Major General Maurice Rose and the American 3rd Armored Division during World War II。 It begins a month after D-Day with the Allies stalled in the hedgerow country of surrounding Normandy。 What was needed was a fighting general who could break the stalemate and get the Army moving。 The man picked by General George S。 Patton and other top commanders was General Maurice Rose。 I have read a lot about this part of the European Theatre， but I admit that I had never heard of General Rose。 This is probably the case for most。 This is unfortunate given the key role played by him and his division in winning the war。 It is good to see him get his due。 Like Patton， Maurice Rose chose to lead from the front。 He was constantly out in front of his division， scouting， and moving from unit to unit。 Also， like Patton he looked the part of the dashing general with his 。45 automatic at his side， immaculate uniform， polished brown cavalry boots and green helmet with the single silver star。 But there the similarly ends。 Unlike Patton he was extremely private and never called attention to himself。 Even those on his staff closest to him barely knew him。 Rose was raised by Jewish parents。 His father was a rabbi。 Perhaps this accounts for the ferocity and intensity of his drive against the hated Germans。 I say perhaps because Rose never discussed it or his background。 His focus was on winning the war and in this he was all business。 To accomplish his mission， he handpicked the officers to lead the men under him。 It was not until late in the book that a letter home to his wife and young son suggested another， softer side to the man。 From the hedgerows of France to the Battle of Bulge and the drive to the Rhine the book closely follows Rose and the 3rd Armored Division。 Although the author uses Maurice Rose as the centerpiece of his narrative it is not a biography of Rose。 And although it covers the overall European Theater operations in a general sense， it is mostly only concerned with the role of the 3rd Armored Division。 I was not very familiar with this division， so I learned a lot and their record is impressive。 This was somewhat a tough read for me。 The author has done a most thorough job of research， but unless you are a military historian it at times seems too detailed。 I enjoyed the author’s thoughts on the other Allied generals and appreciated that he did not pull any punches as to their faults。 He also does a fine job of describing battlefield tactics as it comes to armored warfare and the advantages of the various Allied and German tanks and weapons。 This is understandable as he himself a retired general and Iraq War veteran。 Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Caliber Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
William Harris
，
I recently finished reading an ARC of Daniel P。 Bolger's upcoming "The Panzer Killers，" to be published by Dutton Citadel （a Penguin imprint）。 The book is something of an irreverent military history of General Maurice Rose and the 2nd Armored Division。 I do not use the term "irreverent" in any kind of a pejorative sense but rather because I found the author's views of Allied military leadership in the ETO singularly refreshing。 Too often， Bradley， Montgomery， Eisenhower and the rest （with the so I recently finished reading an ARC of Daniel P。 Bolger's upcoming "The Panzer Killers，" to be published by Dutton Citadel （a Penguin imprint）。 The book is something of an irreverent military history of General Maurice Rose and the 2nd Armored Division。 I do not use the term "irreverent" in any kind of a pejorative sense but rather because I found the author's views of Allied military leadership in the ETO singularly refreshing。 Too often， Bradley， Montgomery， Eisenhower and the rest （with the sole exception of Patton） are allowed to coast on their supposed accomplishments， and this author is having none of that。 The result is a fascinating study of one American armored division's experience in the European theater that doesn't pull any punches。 While Bolger puts things into context within the Normandy invasion and the attack into the Third Reich， this is not his strength。 He is most illuminating when focusing tightly on the operational history of the the 2nd Armored。 He has a fascination with General Rose and uses that to anchor his tale。 I would recommend the book principally to those who already have a familiarity with some of the massive amount of literature available on this subject since that allows for the best appreciation of the author's accomplishment in looking at things from a fresh perspective。 If you are looking for a biography of General Rose or a comprehensive examination of the 2nd Armored in a broader context， this may not be precisely what you are after; nonetheless， I find the author's insights useful and frequently illuminating， principally as they reflect upon Allied military leadership in Europe， warts and all， as it were。 。。。more
Ron
，
If you are seeking a story about one of the least well-known American generals of World War II， The Panzer Killers will give it to you。 You will find tales of daring， tales of bravery， desperate charges， exultation， and tragedy in this tale of one general and his well-led division。 Maurice Rose took command of the 3rd Armored Division in Lighting Joe Collins' VII corp during the Normandy Campaign right after Operation Cobra got rolling。 Rose had worked under Patton in North Africa and Sicily bef If you are seeking a story about one of the least well-known American generals of World War II， The Panzer Killers will give it to you。 You will find tales of daring， tales of bravery， desperate charges， exultation， and tragedy in this tale of one general and his well-led division。 Maurice Rose took command of the 3rd Armored Division in Lighting Joe Collins' VII corp during the Normandy Campaign right after Operation Cobra got rolling。 Rose had worked under Patton in North Africa and Sicily before coming to England to take part in Overlord。 So he brought experience and insight into German tactics when he was transferred from 2nd Armored Combat Command A to head the 3rd Armored Division。 Rose worked his officers to ensure that they would do what he wanted when he wanted it done。 And he did not sit behind the lines in a command post drawing lines on the map。 Instead， he and a small group would be moving from unit to unit， assessing how the attack was going， who needed more prodding， or when to halt and switch tactics。 It was dangerous to be in Rose's command group as the 3rd Armored fought their way through France， into Netherlands and Belgium。 The 3rd Armored took part in the Hurtgen Forest attack and helped stem the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge。 Then came the plunge into Germany proper。 The 3rd Armored followed the 104th Infantry across the Roer River and finally had a chance to cut loose again。 The Pershing tanks （the few that made it to Europe） proved their worth in the taking of Cologne。 The 3rd Armored crossed the Rhine at Remagen and moved out in March 1945 into the German hinterland。 In the Wild West of the last days of the war， Rose overplayed his hand。 He and his small command group was ambushed by a group of Germans and he was killed。 He was one of the few American generals killed in action during World War II。 The 3rd Armored finished the war under General Doyle Hickey。 Daniel P。 Bolger， an experienced armor commander， examines how Maurice Rose shaped the 3rd Armored Division to be a model of a well drilled fighting division。 Bolger nicely uses documentation personal stories to provide a rounded look at both the 3rd Armored Division and General Maurice Rose in action。 So， if you are looking to fill a gap in your knowledge of American fighting generals and their units， do pick up The Panzer Killers。 You will not be disappointed！Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title！ 。。。more
Brandon
，
I'm familiar with the 3rd Armor Division。 I've driven down Spearhead Division Rd on Fort Knox。 Until I picked this book up， I'd never heard of MG Maurice Rose。As a student of history， particularly military history， and possessing a deep admiration for the Soldiers that fought in both World Wars， I was particularly interested in reading this book。 LTG Bolger （RET） did an excellent job of balancing historical accuracy （this book is exceptionally well cited） and maintaining a compelling narrative t I'm familiar with the 3rd Armor Division。 I've driven down Spearhead Division Rd on Fort Knox。 Until I picked this book up， I'd never heard of MG Maurice Rose。As a student of history， particularly military history， and possessing a deep admiration for the Soldiers that fought in both World Wars， I was particularly interested in reading this book。 LTG Bolger （RET） did an excellent job of balancing historical accuracy （this book is exceptionally well cited） and maintaining a compelling narrative that does not read like an after action report。 I found myself picking this up to make progress at every opportunity， even occasionally while on teleconferences。 I think this would most appeal to those interested in military history， and to a lesser extent limited biographies， but absolutely worth reading for those that are。 I've already recommended it to some fellow Service Members， and likely will to others as well。 。。。more
Fire
，