Iron Knights

by Gordon A. Blaker

From its baptism of fire in the mud of the Western Front in 1918 to its triumphant march into Berlin in July 1945, this is the story of the U.S. 66th Armored Regiment. It was the only American heavy tank unit to see combat in World War I, and between the two wars, the regiment served as a laboratory for new ideas and equipment. After training under Gen. George S. Patton, the 66th distinguished itself in numerous battles during World War II, earning six battle streamers for the unit and a Medal of Honor for one of its officers.

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2008

Reviews

[Chase Richburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I haven’t read anything like it before (outside of Popski’s Private Army, but even that is quite different) but did so because my great grandfather served in the 66th. He is mentioned by his last name, Riley, on P.168 while in Tunisia.

[Rowan Vosberg]

very intruiging

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 66th Armored Regiment has a long history, with origins dating back to World War I, but this book focuses mainly on World War II. The origins of the unit and a bit of history on armored warfare in World War I are covered, as well as the regiment's activities during the inter-war years. The inter-war years were pretty slow reading and not very exciting, but once the unit shipped out to Africa in 1942 the narrative really picks up. What follows is a fairly detailed account of the regiment's service in the European Theater until they're sent back to the U.S. in 1946. Lots of personal accounts from letters, diaries and after-action reports give the reader a very personal view of how the tankers lived and fought, and there is an extensive collection of photos as well.

While I wish there would have been a bit more detail in some areas, as well as some more personal recollections, the author does a great job of keeping the narrative moving and it never gets bogged down in technical aspects or endless statistics. Since I haven't read much about American tankers in World War II, this book provided a great snapshot of what armored combat was like from the American POV. Worth picking up!

[William J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In September 1972 I reported to B Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor, 2nd Armored Division Fort Hood, Texas. I spent two years in the Battalion as a Tank Platoon Leader M60A1 Tanks, Support Platoon Leader and Battalion S4 (shortage of Captains). I had to read about the exploits of this unit in World War II.
Excellent detail about the Regiment's exploits in WWII and much of their training program in preparation for war and during breaks between fighting. I'm proud to have served in the Regiment.