Book Review of
The Black Bull
From Normandy to the Baltic with the
11th Armoured Division
Author: Patrick Delaforce
Pen & Sword Military Books
ISBN: 978-1-52678-428-5
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright 2010
ISBN: 978-1-52678-428-5
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright 2010
HISTORY:
General “Pip” Roberts’ 11th Armoured Division, famous for its Black Bull insignia, was in the thick of the action from June 1944 until VE Day. The division took part in the three desperate break-out battles in Normandy (Operations EPSOM, Goodwood and Bluecoat) and then made what was known as the “Great Swan” in Amiens, before taking Antwerp.
It fought on the right flank for Market Garden, provided back-up in the Ardennes and was there for the final slog into Germany where it discovered the horrors of Belsen.
By the time it reached Lubeck and the Danish frontier, the division had suffered 10,000 casualties, with almost 2,000 lost in action, and the hardships of a winter campaign, of being wounded, comradeship and fighting fear.
Contributions are included from twelve of the regiments, who proudly wore the sign of the Black Bull. First-hand accounts from troop commanders and riflemen, bombardiers and signalmen, tank crews, as well as its dashing GOC, are brought together to reveal what life was like at the sharp end.
Above all, this is a story of inspiring courage and comradeship, fittingly told by a distinguished historian who fought with the division.
General “Pip” Roberts’ 11th Armoured Division, famous for its Black Bull insignia, was in the thick of the action from June 1944 until VE Day. The division took part in the three desperate break-out battles in Normandy (Operations EPSOM, Goodwood and Bluecoat) and then made what was known as the “Great Swan” in Amiens, before taking Antwerp.
It fought on the right flank for Market Garden, provided back-up in the Ardennes and was there for the final slog into Germany where it discovered the horrors of Belsen.
By the time it reached Lubeck and the Danish frontier, the division had suffered 10,000 casualties, with almost 2,000 lost in action, and the hardships of a winter campaign, of being wounded, comradeship and fighting fear.
Contributions are included from twelve of the regiments, who proudly wore the sign of the Black Bull. First-hand accounts from troop commanders and riflemen, bombardiers and signalmen, tank crews, as well as its dashing GOC, are brought together to reveal what life was like at the sharp end.
Above all, this is a story of inspiring courage and comradeship, fittingly told by a distinguished historian who fought with the division.
THE AUTHOR:
Patrick Delaforce served with the Royal Horse Artillery of the 11th Armoured Division as a troop leader in Normandy and Forward Observation Officer in Holland and Germany during WWII.
He was awarded the Bronze Cross of Orange-Nassau and twice mentioned in dispatches during the campaign. He then joined the 7th Royal Horse Artillery. After leaving the army he worked a a port wine shipper and then in advertising before becoming a professional author.
In addition to his two Second World War divisional histories of the 7th Armoured Division, he has written over twenty military history books as well as a number of travel books and biographies: “Wellington The Beast”, “Smashing the Atlantic Wall”, “Churchill’s Secret Weapons”, “Monty’s Highlanders” and “Monty’s Marauders” are all available under the Pen & Sword imprint. He died in 2018.
Patrick Delaforce served with the Royal Horse Artillery of the 11th Armoured Division as a troop leader in Normandy and Forward Observation Officer in Holland and Germany during WWII.
He was awarded the Bronze Cross of Orange-Nassau and twice mentioned in dispatches during the campaign. He then joined the 7th Royal Horse Artillery. After leaving the army he worked a a port wine shipper and then in advertising before becoming a professional author.
In addition to his two Second World War divisional histories of the 7th Armoured Division, he has written over twenty military history books as well as a number of travel books and biographies: “Wellington The Beast”, “Smashing the Atlantic Wall”, “Churchill’s Secret Weapons”, “Monty’s Highlanders” and “Monty’s Marauders” are all available under the Pen & Sword imprint. He died in 2018.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 252 pages in 6”x 9 ¼” page format and there are 13 maps.
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 252 pages in 6”x 9 ¼” page format and there are 13 maps.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a British Comet tank moving over rubble. It is overall olive-drab, white a white number 53 on the left side of its nose and a yellow square with a black bull on it on the right side of the nose.
At the top of the page there is a black and white photo of tanks moving across a field under fire.
The bottom of the back cover has another black and white photo of tanks moving across a field.
The book contains 44 black and white dark and grainy photos of men, a lCT landing craft arriving at Normandy, a 6th Airborne glider crashed near Caen, a German Pz.Kpfw. IV in flames, captured Germans at Normandy, Sherman tanks at Le Desert during Operation Bluecoat, a group shot of the men of Fox Troop, 1st Battery, 13th Regiment, a half-track entering Antwerp, a sergeant riding a motorcycle, troops having lunch, Royal Army firing at enemy pillboxes in Holland, a sign that 612th Squadron built while under fire that says “Veulen, One –mile, by courtesy of Red Bull 41 (hope you get there quicker than we did)”, a photo of Author Patrick Delaforce and Marie Deschamps in Brussels – November 1944, children’s Christmas party given at Helmond 1944, a British soldier cooking a German pig, a tank crew at Bakel – September 1944, Brigadier General Roscoe Harvey making an inspection of 23rd Hussars, Ypres 1944. The picture is blurred for security reasons, 1st Battery, 13th HRA officers – Astens Holland – February 1945, 15/19th KRH officers relaxing near Bardowick –April 1945, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry tank brewed-up south of Udem – red cross ambulances queue up in the background to collect casualties, 15/19th KRH tank crew – Hermannshof- March 1945, a 15/19th Challenger A 30 tank and crew after breaching the Schlieffen Line –Heilmannshof –March 1945, a Jagdpanzer IV of 116th Panzer Division knocked out by C Squadron 15/19th KRH –March 1945, Comet tanks with 15/10TH KRH after Rhineland battle en route to Belgium – March 1945, American built Bailey bridge over the River Rhine –March 1945, 15/19th KRH on the bank of the River Rhine – March 1945, 6th Airborne gliders near hamminkeln River Issel – March 1945, 15/19th KRH giving support tanks to infantry with their 95mm howitzers in the Teutoburger Wald battle – April 1945, a Challenger and Cromwell of 15/19th KRH on the Teutoburger Wald – April 1945, 11th Squadron of the 15/19th KRH at work on their Sherman ARV – Teutoburger Wald – April 1945, a tank crew of this unit, a captured V-2 rocket site near Leese – April 1945.
This is a book that will be of great interest to military historians. But probably of lesser interest to modelers, like myself. Due to the pictures being dark and grainy and not very clear. Recommended to the military historians primarily.
I want to sincerely thank the folks at Casemate for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Pen & Sword Books and all Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
At the top of the page there is a black and white photo of tanks moving across a field under fire.
The bottom of the back cover has another black and white photo of tanks moving across a field.
The book contains 44 black and white dark and grainy photos of men, a lCT landing craft arriving at Normandy, a 6th Airborne glider crashed near Caen, a German Pz.Kpfw. IV in flames, captured Germans at Normandy, Sherman tanks at Le Desert during Operation Bluecoat, a group shot of the men of Fox Troop, 1st Battery, 13th Regiment, a half-track entering Antwerp, a sergeant riding a motorcycle, troops having lunch, Royal Army firing at enemy pillboxes in Holland, a sign that 612th Squadron built while under fire that says “Veulen, One –mile, by courtesy of Red Bull 41 (hope you get there quicker than we did)”, a photo of Author Patrick Delaforce and Marie Deschamps in Brussels – November 1944, children’s Christmas party given at Helmond 1944, a British soldier cooking a German pig, a tank crew at Bakel – September 1944, Brigadier General Roscoe Harvey making an inspection of 23rd Hussars, Ypres 1944. The picture is blurred for security reasons, 1st Battery, 13th HRA officers – Astens Holland – February 1945, 15/19th KRH officers relaxing near Bardowick –April 1945, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry tank brewed-up south of Udem – red cross ambulances queue up in the background to collect casualties, 15/19th KRH tank crew – Hermannshof- March 1945, a 15/19th Challenger A 30 tank and crew after breaching the Schlieffen Line –Heilmannshof –March 1945, a Jagdpanzer IV of 116th Panzer Division knocked out by C Squadron 15/19th KRH –March 1945, Comet tanks with 15/10TH KRH after Rhineland battle en route to Belgium – March 1945, American built Bailey bridge over the River Rhine –March 1945, 15/19th KRH on the bank of the River Rhine – March 1945, 6th Airborne gliders near hamminkeln River Issel – March 1945, 15/19th KRH giving support tanks to infantry with their 95mm howitzers in the Teutoburger Wald battle – April 1945, a Challenger and Cromwell of 15/19th KRH on the Teutoburger Wald – April 1945, 11th Squadron of the 15/19th KRH at work on their Sherman ARV – Teutoburger Wald – April 1945, a tank crew of this unit, a captured V-2 rocket site near Leese – April 1945.
This is a book that will be of great interest to military historians. But probably of lesser interest to modelers, like myself. Due to the pictures being dark and grainy and not very clear. Recommended to the military historians primarily.
I want to sincerely thank the folks at Casemate for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Pen & Sword Books and all Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at: