How a US Captain's 'Trench Trick' Killed 41 Germans in 47 Minutes and Saved His Brother In Arms

Описание: Discover why Captain William Wylie Galt, a Montana rancher and student of animal husbandry who served as a battalion staff officer rather than a frontline commander, utilized the principles of cattle herding to execute one of the most lethal close-quarters armor actions of the Italian Campaign.

...transforming a standard M10 Tank Destroyer into a devastating trench-clearing implement that violated established standoff doctrine but neutralized a supposedly impregnable German fortification on the Caesar Line.

Explore the tactical deadlock at Villa Crocetta on May 29, 1944, where the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment faced the entrenched veterans of the German 362nd Infantry Division. Analyze the technical limitations of the M10 Tank Destroyer—specifically its open-topped turret and thin 19mm hull armor—which US Army doctrine dictated should be used for long-range engagement rather than close assault.

Learn how Galt, serving as the battalion S-3 Operations Officer, commandeered Lieutenant John S. Jarvie’s vehicle from the 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion to break the stalemate after three failed infantry assaults. Examine the specific "ranch geometry" tactic employed: positioning the 29.6-ton vehicle perpendicular to the German zigzag trench to physically block the western exit with the hull while covering the eastern escape route with the 76.2mm main gun. Detail the ballistics of the Browning M2HB .50 caliber machine gun used by Galt to eliminate 40 trapped enemy soldiers in three minutes of sustained fire, and the final impact of the German shell that ended the engagement but cemented a legacy that would quietly rewrite tank destroyer tactics for the remainder of the war.

...revealing how the agricultural logic of spatial control can prove superior to rigid military dogma, demonstrating that the ability to manipulate an enemy's movement is just as lethal as superior firepower.

Perfect for students of armored warfare doctrine, Italian Campaign researchers, and anyone interested in the 34th "Red Bull" Division.

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