How a US Soldier`s 'Human Target Trick' Killed 19 Germans in a 200-Yard Charge at Anzio

Описание: Discover why a single infantry sergeant, armed with a short-range submachine gun designed for urban warfare, voluntarily challenged the mathematical certainty of death across the flat, coverless wheat fields of Cisterna.

...defied the ballistic superiority of the German MG42 to single-handedly shatter the stalemate of the Anzio beachhead, proving that sheer psychological momentum can sometimes override the geometry of prepared defensive fire.

Explore the tactical nightmare of May 24, 1944, as the US 3rd Infantry Division attempted to breach the Hitler Line after four months of encirclement. Learn about the extreme topographical disadvantages of the Pontine Marshes, where Mussolini’s land reclamation projects created a "billiard table" terrain that offered the German 362nd Infantry perfect fields of fire for their 7.92mm machine guns. Features a granular analysis of Sergeant Sylvester Antolak’s suicidal 200-yard charge against two entrenched positions putting out 1,200 rounds per minute. Analyze the mechanical limitations of the Thompson M1A1, a 4.5-kilogram weapon firing .45 ACP rounds with an effective range of only 150 meters, pitted against optics-assisted heavy weapons deadly at over a kilometer. The narrative details the physiological defiance required to absorb three separate bullet impacts—including a hit that shattered the right arm bone—and the improvisation of wedging a submachine gun under a wounded armpit to force the surrender of ten veteran German paratroopers. Examines the firsthand account of future Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy, who witnessed the event, and the strategic consequences of Company B’s breakthrough which facilitated the capture of Rome just two days before the Normandy landings.

...revealing why the ultimate breaker of defensive deadlock is not always artillery saturation, but the singular, irrational willingness of a leader to trade his life for yardage.

Perfect for students of the Italian Campaign, tactical analysts of World War II infantry combat, and researchers of the Medal of Honor's most extreme citations.

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