Armor Attacks: The Tank Platoon: an Interactive Exercise in Small-unit Tactics and Leadership

Test your knowledge of armor tactics and judgment by negotiating this interactive story. Make the wrong choice and suffer defeat or death, make the right choice and savor victory!

In this unique, interactive story, you are the leader of a U.S. Army M1 Abrams tank platoon. Throughout the text, you will have an opportunity to make life-or-death decisions, and the events that unfold will be dictated by the choices you make. As you progress through the book, you will learn important tactical and operational lessons. Whether or not you are—or want to be—a tank platoon leader you will find this book highly entertaining and instructive.

There are two operations to survive—an assault and a counter-reconnaissance mission. In each you must bring your knowledge and judgment to bear on the scenario in order to achieve the objective. If you choose wrong, defeat and even death may be your fate. If you succeed, you can savor the taste of victory and live to fight another day. The scenarios are highly realistic, and there are maps and appendices with detailed specifications of the hardware involved to help you make informed decisions.

Written before Operation Desert Storm, and published in 1991, the military technology in Armor Attacks may be dated by today’s standards, but the need for human leadership and effective, rapid decision-making has not changed. Armor Attacks was recognized as an invaluable teaching tool by United States Military Academy, West Point and was used to teach cadets the essential skills of leadership, decision-making and tactics—a decade of USMA leaders trained with this book. To supplement the original text, this new edition includes the West Point instructor reference guide, which explains and amplifies the teaching points of each scenario encountered.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword by Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, USA (Ret)
Preface
Introduction
Map Symbols
Armor Attacks
Appendix A: Weapons Data
Appendix B: U.S. Unit Organizations
Appendix C: Threat Unit Organizations
Appendix D: Troop-Leading Procedures
Appendix E: Tank Fighting Positions
Appendix F: Order Formats
Glossary
Decision Charts

John Antal is a soldier, military historian, and leadership expert. He served 30 years in the US Army as a combat arms officer, senior staff officer, and commander. He has commanded units from platoon level through regiment and served on corps and multinational staffs. In his post-Army career he has become a video game producer, military consultant and author of thirteen books and hundreds of articles on military and leadership subjects.