Task Force Hogan: The World War II Tank Battalion That Spearheaded the Liberation of Europe

(Hardback)

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A fourth-generation soldier tells the story of his fathers tank battalion, the Spearhead, that selflessly led the charge on the front lines from Normandy into Germanyagainst impossible odds, technologically superior weaponry, and a fanatical enemy on its home turfand the heroes whose sacrifice won World War II.

At twenty-eight, Sam Hogan is one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the US Army. The West Point graduate from Texas stands in the commanders hatch of his Sherman tank, behind him a steel wedge of seventeen other Shermans of his tank battalion. Two weeks after the now-infamous D-Day landings, Sam is preparing to give the order to advance into the German defenses that enclose the Normandy beachheads. Ahead of Sam lies seemingly impossible odds for survival: technologically superior Nazi tanks, camouflaged anti-tank guns, and infantry armed with new anti-tank rockets. But Sam has prepared for this moment for the past seven years.With a guttural call to move out accompanied by diesel fumes and the squeak of tank treads, Sam and his men begin their long journey to liberate Europea journey from which many of them would not return.

So begins the story of Sam Hogan and his colorful band of tanker heroes of the Third Armored Divisionthe Spearheadas they battle on the front lines of some of the wars toughest fights, from Normandy to the Elbe to the Battle of the Bulge. The soldiers of Task Force Hogan come from all walks of life. There are cooks, tankers, infantrymen, salty old sergeants, and wet-behind-the-ears lieutenants. In common, they have a sense of duty to each other and their country, and the struggle against the most sinister enemy modern history has ever produced.

In Task Force Hogan, the story of Sam and his band of heroes comes to life through the writing of his son, Will Hoganaided by never-before-seen letters, military dispatches, journal entries, and interviews with surviving family of the Task Force. These were the soldiers at the tip of the spear, brave enough to lead the charge and fight against insurmountable odds, and often paying the ultimate price, while liberating French villages and concentration camps as they rolled towards Germany to ultimately win the war. In the pages of this book, Will Hogan finally gives these unsung soldiers the voice and memorial that they all deserve.

Reviews

Powerful, needful, detailed, and moving, Task Force Hogan is a must-read for fans of World War II nonfiction. The author is a well-credentialed Army veteran who writes with a skillful hand. His respect for the subjecthis father and his tank battalionclearly shines through. Marcus Brotherton, New York Times bestselling author of Shiftys War and A Bright and Blinding Sun Wars are won by bravery, smarts, and determination. In the toughest battles of World War IINormandy, the Siegfried Line, the Bulge, the Rhine crossing, and beyondone famous outfit set the standard for all the rest. Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armored Regiment reflected the inspiration and perspiration of their tough, unrelenting commander: Lieutenant Colonel Sam Hogan. This is their story, told as only Sam Hogans son can tell it. A combat veteran himself, Will Hogan takes us into the heart of his fathers war. Ride with Task Force Hogan! Daniel P. Bolger, author of The Panzer Killers and Lieutenant General, US Army (retired) For so many of us, our fathers and grandfathers never spoke about their service during the deadliest conflict in human history. Gratefully, William Hogan absorbed the fabled exploits of his father's gallantry with the Third Armored Division and seeks to share them now. An energetic tale of the Allied spearhead across Western Europe, Task Force Hogan stands as a vivid exemplar of family history as a meaningful narrative of men at war. Jared Frederick, author of Dispatches of D-Day and Fierce Valor