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MARINE CORPS TANK BATTLES IN KOREA

The outbreak of the Korean conflict caught America (and the Marine Corps) unprepared. The Corps' salvation was the existence of its Organized Reserve (an organization rich in veterans of the fighting in World War II), the availability of modern equipment in storage and, as always, the bravery, initiative, and adaptability of individual Marines.In this followup to his enormously successful Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific (Combined Publishing, 2000), Oscar Gilbert presents an equally exhaustive and detailed account of the little-known Marine tank engagements in Korea, supported by 48 photographs, eight original maps, and dozens of survivor interviews.Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea details every action, from the valiant defense at Pusan and the bitter battles of the Chosin Reservoir, to the grinding and bloody stalemate along the Jamestown Line. Many of these stories are presented here for the first time, such as the unique role played by tanks in the destruction of the illfated Task Force Drysdale, how Marine armor played a key role in the defense of Hagaru, and how a lone tank made it to Yudamni and then led the breakout across the high Toktong Pass.Marine tankers--individually and as an organization--met every challenge posed by this vicious, protracted, and forgotten war. It is a story of bravery and fortitude you will never forget.

Hardcover: 356 pages

Publisher: Casemate; 1St Edition edition (July 2003)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1932033130

ISBN-13: 978-1932033137

Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,366,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #119 in Books > History > Military > Korean War > Campaigns #221 in Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Conventional > Armored Vehicles #15000 in Books > History > Asia

If judged by book sales, the Korean War indeed merits the moniker The Forgotten War. However, I suspect that Oscar Gilbert's new book may be one of those rare studies that break through and reach a wider audience than either its publisher or author supposed it might.Were there really tank battles in Korea? You bet, and Gilbert's work details just about every one, from Lt. Granville G. Sweet's Thermopylae-style defense of a critical road cut at No Name Ridge through the operations at Inchon, Seoul, the frozen hell of the Chosin Reservoir, and the battles of the Jamestown line. He bases his book upon dozens of first firsthand account by the tankers themselves, who recall with vivid clarity their sacrifices and frustrations during their time on the peninsula.At the beginning of the war, the seemingly invincible enemy tanks and masses of ruthless infantry swept everything before them. Every attempt to stop the invaders had met with disaster. Hastily formed forces like the U. S. Armys Task Force Smith resisted valiantly, but the infantry was overrun in desperate rearguard battles. The few American light tanks available were contemptuously swept aside by the heavier and much better Soviet-built T-34/85.Gilbert skillfully explains how the Provisional Marine Brigade, a scratch force of new recruits and World War II veterans, was thrown into this bloody maelstrom around Pusan. The tank arm was equipped with the M26, and the Marines were determined to meet head-on and destroy the Communists and their feared armor fighting machine that had shocked the Germans when it appeared on the Eastern Front during WWII.

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