The Tank In Attack

The Tank In Attack (also known as Tank Attacks or Panzer greift an ) is an unfinished book on armored tactics and warfare by Erwin Rommel. It was to be the follow-up and companion work to his earlier and highly successful Infantry Attacks. It is believed he started it while commandant of the War Academy at Wiener Neustadt in 1938, though he may have started it earlier during his time as an instructor at the Potsdam War Academy (35-37). His career as a military theorist and instructor, however, was forced to take a back seat to his duties as a commander and soldier. For the next several years he was too busy as a practitioner of armored warfare to write about it. Following the end of the North African Campaign in 1943, he again started work on it, drawing upon his, by now, extensive experience and notes. But once more war, along with ill-health, interfered as he was put in charge of the defense of Normandy in 1944. After his staff car was strafed by an RCAF Spitfire fighter on 17 July of that year, he again started on the work while recuperating from his injuries. But he was soon implicated in the July 20 Plot against Hitler and compelled to commit suicide on 14 October. The Tank In Attack exists only in the form of scattered manuscripts and notes, but due to the fame of its author, it has achieved legendary status as a work of military literature.

Related Topics:
Erwin Rommel - Infantry Attacks - 1938 - North African Campaign - 1943 - Normandy - 1944 - RCAF - Spitfire - 17 July - July 20 Plot - Hitler - 14 October

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