The 761st “Black Panther” Tank Battalion in World War II -- An Illustrated History of the First African American Armored Unit to See Combat
By Joe Wilson, Jr.
With an Afterword by Joseph E. Wilson, Sr.
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers
Overview
The 761st “Black Panther” Tank Battalion in World War II by Joe Wilson, Jr. offers a detailed and comprehensive history of the first African American armored unit to enter combat. This illustrated work recounts the exploits of the 761st Tank Battalion, which fought major engagements in six European countries, participating in four major Allied campaigns. The battalion, assigned to the Third, Seventh, and Ninth Armies, inflicted 130,000 casualties on the German army and captured or destroyed thousands of weapons, despite facing severe weather, difficult terrain, heavily fortified enemy positions, and extreme shortages of replacement personnel and equipment. The battalion's casualty rate was nearly 50 percent.
Richly illustrated and including many interviews with surviving members of the 761st, this book highlights the remarkable contributions of the “Black Panthers,” whose motto was "Come Out Fighting." It also covers the efforts that led to the 761st receiving a Presidential Unit Citation in 1978, 33 years after the end of World War II, and the posthumous Medal of Honor awarded to Sergeant Ruben Rivers in 1997, 53 years after he gave his life on the battlefield.
Publication Details
- Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers
- Publication Year: 2004
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: Varies by edition
- Illustrations: Richly illustrated with photographs
- ISBN: Available on the publisher's website
Reviews
- “Lavishly illustrated with photos of the participants... well documented, with a good bibliography. Recommended.” — Choice
- “One of those well-documented labors of love... heavily illustrated work.” — C&RL News
- “A worthwhile book of tank combat.” — The Military Book Review
- “Complete history.” — Fore Word Magazine
- “Your book on the 761st is excellent. It is the best researched and best written book on the battalion... it should stand as the definitive history of the unit.” — Baron Bates (Son of the late Colonel Paul L. Bates, the 761st commander)