Tank Destroyers

Tank Destroyer vehicles were new types of tanks that made their first appearance on the battlefield in World War II. As military tactics had continued to evolve and fast movement was vital, the use of tanks with infantry support became a cornerstone of ground operations. An effective fighting countermeasure to the tanks became the Tank Destroyer.

A Tank Destroyer is simply a self propelled anti tank gun. They were typically lightly armored, but much faster and maneuverable than regular battle tanks. This allowed them to work in small quarters but also at long range. They could maneuver for a shot and use hit an run tactics before a large tank could crank their turret around for a shot. These features made the tank destroyer very effective on the battlefield.

The most common U.S. tank destroyer or TD in WWI was the 3in Gun Motor Carriage M10. Later models included the 90mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 and the 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18. Some TD units were assigned to Armored Divisions, while others were attached to Infantry Units.

Combat Reels has a number of tank destroyer scenes on various films. If you are a TD enthusiast, check out the following DVDs:

1st Infantry Division in Europe Fall 1944
2nd Infantry Division in Normandy
2nd Infantry Division in Europe Fall 1944
4th Infantry Division in Normandy
9th Infantry Division in Normandy
9th Infantry Division in Europe Fall 1944
28th Infantry Division in Europe Fall 1944
30th Infantry Division in Europe Fall 1944
79th Infantry Division in Normandy
79th Infantry Division in Europe Fall 1944

36th Infantry Division Liberation of Western Europe $34.99 DVD Details

104th Infantry Division Liberation of Western Europe $24.99 DVD Details

45th Infantry Division Liberation of Western Europe $19.99 DVD Details

Many soldiers, civilians and other personalities have been identified in these DVDs Find Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Grandfathers, Famous Generals, Ike, Patton. ... Who do you see? If you see somebody you know, we want to know who you have identified, please contact us! [ More ]

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The Army Signal Corps had the duty of capturing the war in photographs and on film. These men did not carry arms, they carried cameras and many went in harms way to capture footage. We salute these men for a job well done! [ More Info ]