How a US Soldier's 'Landmine Trick' Defeated 25 German, Destroyed a Tank and Saved His Brothers

Discover why Technical Sergeant Van T. Barfoot, a former Civilian Conservation Corps ranger serving in the 45th Infantry Division and operating in direct violation of the US Army's 150-yard minimum engagement doctrine, walked into an open field to face a 54-ton Tiger tank at a suicidal range of 75 yards.

...transforming a desperate infantry defense into a one-man offensive that dismantled the German lines at Carano and finally broke the 121-day stalemate of the Anzio beachhead.

Explore the tactical geography of the Pontine Marshes on May 23, 1944, where Barfoot utilized his forestry training to navigate a minefield containing 72,517 Teller mines and 23,172 S-mines without engineer support. Analyze the technical capabilities of the M1A1 Bazooka and its M6A1 HEAT warhead, examining how the physics of a shaped-charge copper jet allowed a lightweight infantry weapon to immobilize a Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf.E by severing its track at the drive sprocket.

Learn about the precise sequence of combat actions where Barfoot neutralized three interlocking MG42 machine gun nests firing at 1,200 rounds per minute, captured 17 German prisoners, and killed eight enemy soldiers with a Thompson M1A1 submachine gun before single-handedly repelling an armored counterattack. Investigate the physical endurance required to conduct a 1,700-yard casualty evacuation under artillery fire immediately following eleven hours of close-quarters combat, an accumulation of feats that resulted in one of the most comprehensive Medal of Honor citations of the Italian Campaign.

...revealing how the ability to read terrain and exploit dead ground can prove superior to rigid military dogma, demonstrating that the instincts of a forester can outmaneuver the engineering of a Panzer division.

Perfect for students of anti-tank tactics, Anzio campaign researchers, and anyone interested in the combat history of the 45th "Thunderbird" Division.

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