Casemate Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea - Casemate UK

[Julien]

Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea

ISBN : 9781612005317

Casemate UK

 

 

 

The US  Marine Corps is fairly unique in that where ever they operate they generally rely on their own Air Power and own support elements including heavy armour, today operating the M1 Abrams in this role.  Korea would seem a strange place for tank battles with its mix of mountains and paddy fields but the USMC tankers would servce with distinction.

 

 

In Korea initially the US Marine tankers were thrown into defending the Pusan perimeter. He hastily formed tank crews were put in new M26 tanks through which they only fired 4 main rounds rounds in training.  However as in a many things it came down to the me more than the equipment. Most if not all of the officers and senior NCOs were WWII veterans, both active duty and reserves. Indeed the leader of the Pusan defence 2nd Lt Sweet was a former enlisted man, wounded at Pearl Harbour and then a veteran in Tanks at Guam and Iwo Jima. Newly qualified members while not veterans were inspired by these men and the traditions of the Corps. For the USMC tankers the war in Korea became defined by three phases;

 

• To kill enemy tanks in the defence of Pusan.
• To stage the amphibious landing at Inchon.
• Laterly to provide support and mobile artillery of the infantry.

 

 

The book covers these and other areas of the war in eight major chapters.

1. Repeating History: The unexpected war.
2. One Company's War: The Defence of Pusan
3. The Master Stroke : Inchon & Seoul
4. The Lowest Circle of Hell: The Chosin Reservoir Encirlement
5. Deliverance: The Chosin Reservoir Beakout
6. Lives for real estate : Offensives & counteroffensives 1951-52
7. Backs to the River - Jamestown Line 1952-53
8. Warriors Depart: Armistace & Withdrawl.

 

This book is a reprint in an A5 softbound format by with 293 pages with two section of black & White photographs. The author Oscar Gilbert is an ex Marine himself and winner of the 2016 General Grenne award for outstanding non fiction for his book on USMC Tanks on Tarawa (Also available through Casemate)

 

 

 

Conclusion

If you're interested in The Korean War, Tanks, or the US Marine Corps, this is an interesting book on an interesting subject that should give you some hours of entertainment, and remain on hand as a reference for the modeller or historian. Korea has for too long been called the forgotten war, and these USMC tankers probably forgotten more than most.

 

Highly Recommended.

 

Review sample courtesy of