The Tank Destroyer Battalions of World War II

The Tank Destroyer Battalions of World War II

The tank destroyer battalion was a type of unit used by the United States Army during World War II. The unit was organized in one of two different forms—a towed battalion equipped with anti-tank guns, or a mechanized battalion equipped with armored self-propelled guns.

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The tank destroyers battalions were formed in response to the German use of massed formations of armored units early in WW2. The concept envisioned the battalions acting as independent units that would respond at high speed to enemy tank attacks. In this role they would be attached to divisions or corps. In practice, they were usually attached to infantry divisions and used akin to artillery on the counterattack. Over one hundred battalions were formed, of which more than half saw combat service. The force would be disbanded shortly after the end of the war as the concept had been shown to be obsolete to new methods of warfare.
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