World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics (E.#124)

The massed use of tanks was one of the defining characteristics of World War II, and the armoured units that spearheaded the German 'Blitzkrieg' of 1940-41 appeared to be invincible. This book explains the development and use of the weapons issued to infantrymen to protect themselves against enemy tanks. Facing tanks at short range with light weapons demanded great skill and courage, and successful soldiers were often highly decorated for their valor. By the last year of World War II, anti-tank tactics had developed to such an extent that advancing tanks became highly vulnerable, when unsupported by their own infantry who could fight off enemy tank-hunter teams.The tank threat; Early war anti-tank defense doctrine; Characteristics & capabilities of AT weapons: AT rifles, AT rocket launchers, AT hand and rifle grenades, AT hand mines, improvized weapons (e.g. 'Molotov cocktails'); Infantry AT tactics; Late-war tank improvements; New AT weapons and 'tank-hunter' tactics; Specifics of national weapons and tactics: USA, Britain, Germany, USSR, Japan; Tables of weapons and capabilities