IMPACT: THE BATTLE STORY OF THE TENTH ARMORED DIVISION.

LesterM. Nichols '40. New York: Bradbury, Sayles,O'Neill, 1954. 356 pp. $7-50.

There has been tremendous progress during the past decade or so in the technique of writing military history. This is owing in part to the fact that the historians of World War II are in many instances veterans of the conflict and thus familiar with the war at first hand. In any case, they have had access not only to voluminous documentary sources, but also to information supplied by those who actually did the fighting. Another trend is evident in the emphasis which is being given to the study of operations at the lower military levels, thus avoiding exclusive concentration upon considerations of over-all strategy at the higher echelons of command.

Impact: the Battle Story of the TenthArmored Division, by Lester M. Nichols, 40, reflects both of these trends. Major Nichols was press officer of the unit in question during its period of combat service, which has given him access to a vast amount of official documentary material. But the study of documents has been supplemented by personal interviews with a large number of surviving men and officers of the Division. As a result, Major Nichols' account comes very close to the basic realities of warfare as revealed in the day-by-day operations of a combat unit.

The Tenth Armored Division, frequently referred to as "the Tigers," landed at Cherbourg in September, 1944, and during the next few months was engaged almost continuously in the offensive operations involved in the penetration of the Siegfried Line and the actual invasion of Germany. Its long smashing drive carried it by the end of the war through southern Germany to the vicinity of the Brenner Pass. The Tenth Armored Division appears to have served in the role of "trouble-shooter," and the Germans nicknamed it the "ghost division" due to its frequent and unexpected appearances in critical sectors. Major Nichols gives a vivid and fascinating account of the slamming, slashing tactics characteristic of tank units in modern war. For most readers the high point of the narrative will be the chapters dealing with the epic defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-1945.

The many illustrations and battle maps and diagrams are an outstanding feature of the volume and contribute greatly to the value and interest of the narrative. There are many personal details and incidents which will appeal more to veterans of the Division than to the average reader, but as a description of the stark realities of war at the tactical level, seen through the operations of an outstanding combat unit, Major Nichols account can be warmly recommended. It is a notable contribution to the ever-growing literature of World War II.