Information on the armored division
These famous photos show medics of the 4th Armored Division treating a wounded man on a sidewalk. They were taken on July 30th, 1944 in a street in the city of Coutances, France. After doing some more research, I found that an incredible amount of photos (as well as color film) were taken in the …
Let’s talk about the logistics of the medical service. From complete medical chests and bottles of whole blood to every first-aid kit and can of foot powder ever used, all the medical items needed to be brought towards the front before any medic could use them to treat casualties. So having a medical supply system …
Logistics Series. Part III: Medical supplies and the 46th Armored Medical Battalion Read More »
“My men can eat their belts, but my tanks got to have gas” – General George S. Patton Jr. Patton spoke these words on 2 September 1944. With the breakout of Normandy and the race across France during August 1944, the allied armies had outrun the transport capabilities of their logistical support. The quote shows …
“Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics”. There are several variations of this quote (do amateurs talk strategy or tactics? And do professionals talk or study logistics?) It is also attributed to more than one man. Whoever may have spoken (a variation of) these words, he understood a key point in military operations: without a solid …
Logistics Series. Part I: Basic logistics in an armored division. Read More »
To understand the story of the medical service of the 4th Armored Division it can be very helpful to have a brief overview of the division’s actions. I will present you with a timeline, showing the main dates of interest in the division’s history. I would like to start, however, by giving you an idea …
4th Armored Division “By their deeds alone”: a brief overview of the division’s actions. Read More »
As this research focusses on the medical service within the 4th Armored Division (4th AD), let us talk a bit about the organization of the 4th AD. We can understand the story of the medics better when we understand the “bigger picture” of the division they worked in.