Casemate Publishing

The Day of The Panzer A Story of American Heroism And Sacrifice In Southern France

by  Jeff Danby

Reviewed By  Jack Bruno, IPMS# 25313

MSRP: $32.95 ISBN: 978-1-932033-70-0 Website: www.casematepublishing.com One of the advantages of being a member of the Military Book Club is that sometimes you can take a chance on a book you didn't know about and find out during and after reading it that it was riveting and made you aware of events you took for granted. This is the story of units of the U.S. Third Infantry Division during Operation Anvil, the Invasion of Southern France after D-Day.....a story that is often neglected. This epic battle saw many lost opportunities fly by in a most intriguing sequence of events in the town of Allan, France in August of 1944. The brilliant rear guard action by the German's prevented the bulk of the German 19th Army from being captured and destroyed on their retreat from France. The story unfolds during Anzio and the training afterwards up to the landings in Pampelonne Bay. The engagements themselves are told at platoon level and gets you acquainted with several individual acts of bravery on both sides of the line. The author started this endeavor in an effort to find out how his own Grandfather, 1st Lt. Edger Danby, was killed in Allan when a German Panther Tank ambushed his Sherman. The book is filled with likable characters that really make you care about what they are going through and selfless acts of sacrifice that include the civilian population of Allan including Partisan factions that were involved in the area. The author also brings the action right into your living room as you feel that you are right there. This is very well done and gives the reader a much broader vision on the "forgotten" Invasion of France. I loved it and I think you will too. My thanks to Casemate Publishing for the chance to read this interesting history.