The Panzer Killers

October 1, 2020
The story of Gen. Maurice Rose (1899-1945), whose division fought its way from Normandy to the German heartland during World War II. Rose, who served as an infantry officer during World War I, had distinguished himself in the North African and Italian campaigns. "He led troops under fire, created battle plans, supervised the staff, ran the division command post, and even found time to negotiate a major German component's surrender," writes Bolger, who served in the Army for 35 years and earned five Bronze Stars. In August 1944, Rose was appointed to command of the 3rd Armored Division, with the Allied offensive stalled in the Normandy hedgerows. Rose, like Patton--who recommended him for command--believed in seeing what was going on with his own eyes. In Normandy, he immediately moved the division's headquarters forward to be nearer the action; unlike the majority of generals even then, Rose routinely took his vehicle within range of enemy fire. The author follows his career from his assumption of command in Normandy through most of the major battles on the Western Front, where his division was routinely in the middle of the action. A highly private man who did not discuss personal matters even with his officers--and did not survive to write his postwar memoirs--Rose remains something of a mystery even at the end of the book. Bolger, who has himself commanded an armored division, gives a solid military insider's view of how armor, infantry, artillery, and air support cooperate on the battlefield, with interesting details on the tactics and strategy of the battles on the Western Front. He also offers pointed observations about Rose's relations with the major figures of the Allied war effort, including Montgomery, Patton, Eisenhower, Bradley, and other less-familiar figures. A fascinating look at World War II as reflected in the career of an important yet largely forgotten Allied general.

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March 19, 2021

In his latest work, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Bolger (history, North Carolina State Univ.; Our Year of War) describes the push toward and across the Rhine by the U.S. Army 3rd Armored Division between August 7, 1944, and March 30, 1945. The book's hero is division commander Major General Maurice Rose, who, in the judgment of his superiors, was an outstanding tank commander. Rose has received little attention in postwar discussions of the Rhine campaign: he was an intensely private man and was killed before the campaign was over, shot by the German tank commander who captured him riding ahead of his column. Bolger excels at the details of battle, and his assessments of Rose's superiors are decidedly unbuttoned. The most scathing are his discussions of Senior Officers Omar Bradley and Courtney Hodges. Although readers won't gain much insight into Rose's life by the end of this book, which ends in midstream with his death, it's still an exciting story well told. Eight pages are allocated to the future progress of the war and details of Rose's interment. VERDICT Enthusiasts of military history will love this book and they should for its fine details.--David Keymer, Cleveland

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