SSgt Lafeyette Pool (1 Viewer)

[binder001]

We often hear so much about Wittmann, Barkmann, and other Nazi tankers, I was wondering - Is anyone on this board familiar with Lafeyette Pool. one of the top US tankers of WW2? He was top scoring tanker of 3rd Armored Division. He originally deployed to France with an M4 or M4A1, which was knocked out during his first day in combat by five hits from Panzerfausts, one of which proved fatal to the tank. Pool received one of the first 102 M4A1 tanks with 76mm gun in July 1944 as a replacement. Being in Item Company, 3rd Battalion, 32nd Armor, he gave the tank an I name – "In the Mood." During their 84 days in combat, Pool's "In the Mood" and its crew knocked out 258 enemy vehicles, including at least four Panther tanks, an entire company of SS Panzergrenadiers mounted in Sd.Kfz. 251 halftracks, as well as capturing 250 Germans and killing 1,200. His tank was responsible for the near total destruction of the German LXXIV Corps headquarters during its attempt to escape encirclement, fighting a running gun battle with the Germans while chasing them along a road for more than 15 kilometers.

Much of the above was from comments by Cookie Sewell in a review of a new model of Pool's tank.

Anybody else have any good stories about Allied tankers?

 

[sceic2]

He must have been one very lucky cookie. The attrition rate for Shermans was horrible and to have so much success is briliant and very fortunate to have survived. Michael

 

[Louis Badolato]

He was more than just lucky, to knock out 258 armored vehicles, including 4 far superior Panthers, he had to be very very good. I am glad you posted his information, because I had never heard of him. I wonder, after that first day, how many more Shermans were shot out from under him?

 

[binder001]

1- yes the Sherman had a high loss rate, but look at tank crew casualties from the Germans, Americans and British. The tanks get chewed up but often most of the crew can escape to fight another day. Sherman tank crewmen got real fast at getting out!

2- Apparently "In The Mood" was only Pools second tank. His career came to an end when a hidden tank or AT gun got his tank. I believe that one many was killed and Pool and his gunner were wounded. Pool ended up losing a leg. He lived long enough to get to see a demonstration of the M1 Abrams tank and was quite impressed.

Creighton Abrams was also reportedly quite a "tank ace" in addition to commanding his battalion. The US just didn't keep "kill" stats for tanks like the flyboys did.