Tenth Mountain Division

Author : Peter Shelton
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 305 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2014-08-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9780743253536

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Climb to Conquer by Peter Shelton Pdf

Few stories from the "greatest generation" are as unforgettable -- or as little known -- as that of the 10th Mountain Division. Today a versatile light infantry unit deployed around the world, the 10th began in 1941 as a crew of civilian athletes with a passion for mountains and snow. In this vivid history, adventure writer Peter Shelton follows the unique division from its conception on a Vermont ski hill, through its dramatic World War II coming-of-age, to the ultimate revolution it inspired in American outdoor life. In the late-1930s United States, rock climbing and downhill skiing were relatively new sports. But World War II brought a need for men who could handle extreme mountainous conditions -- and the elite 10th Mountain Division was born. Everything about it was unprecedented: It was the sole U.S. Army division trained on snow and rock, the only division ever to grow out of a sport. It had an un-matched number of professional athletes, college scholars, and potential officer candidates, and as the last U.S. division to enter the war in Europe, it suffered the highest number of casualties per combat day. This is the 10th's surprising, suspenseful, and often touching story. Drawing on years of interviews and research, Shelton re-creates the ski troops' lively, extensive, and sometimes experimental training and their journey from boot camp to the Italian Apennines. There, scaling a 1,500-foot "unclimbable" cliff face in the dead of night, they stunned their enemy and began the eventual rout of the German armies from northern Italy. It was a self-selecting elite, a brotherhood in sport and spirit. And those who survived (including the Sierra Club's David Brower, Aspen Skiing Corporation founder Friedl Pfeifer, and Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman, who developed the waffle-sole running shoe) turned their love of mountains into the thriving outdoor industry that has transformed the way Americans see (and play in) the natural world.

Author : Randy W. Baumgardner
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 777 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 1998-06-01
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781618587114

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Tenth Mountain Division by Randy W. Baumgardner Pdf

This outstanding book details the incredible history of the 10th Mountain Division. Formed to fill the need for elite mountain troops, this is the story of a prestigious division, from its inception through today, including formation and early training, Camp Hale, The Kiska Mission, D-Series, Camp Swift, fighting in Europe, deactivation following WWII, and reactivation of the modern light Division. It also includes special stories written by 10th Mtn. Div. veterans, over 800 veterans' biographies, over 1,500 powerful photographs, the 10th Mtn. Div. Roll of Honor, and the National Association of the 10th Mtn. Div. Roster.

Author : Maurice Isserman
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin
Page : 341 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2019
Category : History
ISBN : 9781328871435

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The Winter Army by Maurice Isserman Pdf

"The epic story of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, whose elite soldiers broke the last line of German defenses in Italy's mountains in 1945, spearheading the Allied advance to the Alps and final victory."--Provided by publisher.

Author : Charles W. Sasser
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2009-12-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9781429985109

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None Left Behind by Charles W. Sasser Pdf

A devastating ambush in Iraq, kidnapped soldiers, and the men who wouldn't leave their comrades behind The 10th Mountain Division is known as the most deployed unit in the U.S. Army. Today, the War on Terror has drawn it to Afghanistan and Iraq. To Lieutenant Colonel Mike Infanti's unit fell the pacification of a hellish hotbed of terrorism south of Baghdad dubbed "The Triangle of Death." Of the more than three thousand Americans killed since the start of the war, more than one thousand were in this region. Colonel Infanti assigned Delta Company to the most dangerous sector of the Triangle. Delta knew they were virtually assured of getting hit on a daily basis. Each day and night became something to be dreaded and feared. In the predawn of May 12, 2007, two humvees occupied by seven soldiers and an Iraqi translator were ambushed by insurgents. When the smoke cleared, four soldiers and the translator were dead and three were missing, presumably seized by the enemy. For more than a year, Delta searched for their missing comrades, never giving up hope. Their creed of battle: None Left Behind.

Author : Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 50 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2012-10-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781849088091

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US 10th Mountain Division in World War II by Gordon L. Rottman Pdf

The 10th was the only US mountain division to be raised in World War II, and still has a high profile, being involved in operations from Iraq to Somalia and from Haiti to Afghanistan. It did not arrive in Europe until winter 1944/45, but then fought hard in the harsh mountainous terrain of Northern Italy. The division was special in a number of ways. Its personnel were selected for physical fitness and experience in winter sports, mountaineering, and hunting, unlike the rest of the infantry. It was highly trained in mountain and winter warfare, including the use of skis and snowshoes, while its organization, field clothing, and some personal equipment also differed from that of the usual infantry division. The division made extensive use of pack-mules, and its reconnaissance unit was horse-mounted, conducting the last horse-mounted charge in US history in April 1945. Featuring full-color artwork and rare photographs, this is the gripping story of the US Army's only mountain division in action during the closing months of World War II.

Author : Randy W. Baumgardner
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 214 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Veterans
ISBN : 9781563114304

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Tenth Mountain Division by Randy W. Baumgardner Pdf

This outstanding book details the incredible history of the 10th Mountain Division. Formed to fill the need for elite mountain troops, this is the story of a prestigious division, from its inception through today, including formation and early training, Camp Hale, The Kiska Mission, D-Series, Camp Swift, fighting in Europe, deactivation following WWII, and reactivation of the modern light Division. It also includes special stories written by 10th Mtn. Div. veterans, over 800 veterans' biographies, over 1,500 powerful photographs, the 10th Mtn. Div. Roll of Honor, and the National Association of the 10th Mtn. Div. Roster.

Author : Mckay Jenkins
Publisher : Random House
Page : 338 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2007-12-18
Category : History
ISBN : 9780307432377

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The Last Ridge by Mckay Jenkins Pdf

When World War II broke out in Europe, the American army had no specialized division of mountain soldiers. But in the winter of 1939–40, after a tiny band of Finnish mountain troops brought the invading Soviet army to its knees, an amateur skier named Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole convinced the United States Army to let him recruit an extraordinary assortment of European expatriates, wealthy ski bums, mountaineers, and thrill-seekers and form them into a unique band of Alpine soldiers. These men endured nearly three years of grueling training in the Colorado Rockies and in the process set new standards for both soldiering and mountaineering. The newly forged 10th Mountain Division finally faced combat in the winter of 1945, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, against the seemingly unbreakable German fortifications north of the Gothic Line. There, they planned and executed what is still regarded as the most daring series of nighttime mountain attacks in U.S. military history, taking Mount Belvedere and the sheer, treacherous face of Riva Ridge to smash the linchpin of the German army’s lines. Drawing on unique cooperation from veterans of the 10th Mountain Division and a vast archive of unpublished letters and documents, The Last Ridge is written with enormous warmth, energy, and honesty. This is one of the most captivating stories of World War II, a blend of Band of Brothers and Into Thin Air. It is a story of young men asked to do the impossible, and succeeding.

Author : Fred J. Pushies
Publisher : Zenith Imprint
Page : 130 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2008
Category : Mountain warfare
ISBN : 9781616732684

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10th Mountain Division by Fred J. Pushies Pdf

Author : Albert H. Meinke
Publisher : Trafford Publishing
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Europe
ISBN : 9781553696001

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Mountain Troops and Medics by Albert H. Meinke Pdf

Mountain Troops And Medics is a complete World War II Combat History of the U.S. Tenth Mountain Division written by Albert H. Meinke, Jr., M.D., who served as one of its front line infantry battalion surgeons during all of the division's combat in 1944-45. It unfolds as a series of interesting, true personal stories, presented in chronological order, which makes the history easy to read and to digest. The Tenth Mountain Division was a very special Army division made up of carefully selected skiers, mountaineers, and experienced outdoorsmen. Known as the "SKI TROOPS," these men trained long and hard to fight on skis and snowshoes, and to survive in below zero temperatures in mountainous terrain so hostile to military maneuvering that it was necessary to use pack mules to transport supplies, ammunition and equipment. During the winter of 1944-45 this division entered the military stalemate in the Apennine Mountains in Northern Italy, and on its first offensive cracked the German defenses to take Riva Ridge and the key mountain peaks, Monte Belvedere, Monte Gorgolesco and Monte della Torraccia. It was the first Allied division to break into the Po Valley, and first to reach and cross the wide Po River, using hastily obtained, hand-paddled assault boats. It then continued its rapid advance, as the vanguard of the Allied Armies in Italy, until it reached the Austrian border. The author not only served with the first of this division's combat troops to leave the continental United States and participated in all of the Division's major battles, but also served in every one of its special task forces deep behind enemy lines. Most of the time he was well informed about local military strategies and Division objectives. Drama, excitement, tragedy and humor are included in these stories of preparations for combat, unusual fighting conditions, care of wounded soldiers at the front, and wartime conditions in Italy. Written in non-technical language, the book is easy to read, and fulfills the requirements for an outstanding and unusual gift, especially to all World War II participants, history and military buffs, mountaineers, ski enthusiasts, and almost everyone connected with the field of medicine.

Author : Kris Tualla,Thomas Duhs
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 350 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2017-12-17
Category : Camp Hale (Colo.)
ISBN : 1977956068

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Sempre Avanti: ALWAYS FORWARD by Kris Tualla,Thomas Duhs Pdf

Skiing was Jack Franklin's passion, so when the Army came recruiting for the newly formed Ski Troopers he was all in. Training at high altitudes in the Rocky Mountains' Army camp at Camp Hale in Colorado was brutal, but the twelve thousand soldiers who trained there evolved into an elite corps, the Tenth Mountain Division, ready and eager to take on Hitler's best in the Italian Alps.Along the way, Jack formed a long-distance relationship with the woman who recruited him ~ but her East Coast socialite background was as opposite his West Coast blue-collar life as it could possibly be. With him facing impending battle against Nazi Germans in the Alps, and her going overseas with the Red Cross, there was nothing for them to do but hope and pray they would both survive.There's only one way to fight a war: sempre avanti ~ always forward.

Author : A. B. Feuer
Publisher : Stackpole Books
Page : 196 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2005-11-16
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0811732894

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Packs On! by A. B. Feuer Pdf

Relates the personal experiences of men who fought with the 10th Mountain Division in both Alaska and Italy during World War II.

Author : Justin J. Chabalko
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2019
Category : Mountain warfare
ISBN : 1940804558

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Forging the 10th Mountain Division for War, 1940-45 by Justin J. Chabalko Pdf

"As the US Army faces new and uncertain challenges across the globe, the need to create new capabilities in organizations, doctrine, and equipment is critical. As new threats in the sea, air, land, space, and cyber domains appear, it is vital for the Army to produce capable and well-equipped formations that are prepared to adapt and meet any challenges. This work examines the relationship between peace-time innovation and combat adaptation. It uses the history of the 10th Mountain Division as a historical example of how the Army faced threats in multiple areas of the world. In response, it innovated to create a new capability to fight in the mountains. Using new techniques, it recruited highly experienced volunteers, then developed training and equipment to build a new capability for the US Army. As a result of this innovation, the 10th Mountain Division exemplified a highly adaptive and successful formation in combat. The War Department's ability to leverage innovation to create an adaptive organization is relevant to the contemporary Army and how it looks at the current challenges of multi-domain battle and Army War Fighting Challenges"--

Author : Charles Hays
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2014-06-23
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781493129027

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Mules, Men and Mountains by Charles Hays Pdf

This book is a work of historical military fiction that describes the impact of ski troopers and their Mules on accelerating the end of World War II in Italy. That Great War was winding down in Europe but, in the Apennine Mountains of Italy, large quantities of Italian and Nazi soldiers were still well-entrenched. They were some of the best troops that either Benito Mussolini or Adolf Hitler could place in action against any Yankee advance. Each of them were very capable of doing considerable harm to a typical infantry division which had not been trained to fight under these harsh environmental conditions of thick snow banks, extremely low temperatures, severe freezing winds and rigorous ecological demands. This is to say that a typical infantry division and their artillery would have been seriously stalled by the deep snow drifts. As one advisor said, For the entrenched enemies, it would have been like shooting ducks in a pond. Fortunately, the US Army listened to the sage advice of their various consultants. The US Army formed their own Ski Trooper outfit to rid the mountain tops from their unwanted occupants, the soldiers of Italy and Germany. That outfit was named the Tenth Mountain Division but, as time passed on, the newsreels began to call them by a better name, they were known as Ruffners Raiders. Brigadier General David L. Ruffner was the Commanding General of the Tenth Mountain Division Artillery. Although The Tenth Division entered the combat zones rather late in the day, they still had one of the highest casualty rates for that War of all Wars. For the Mules that were involved, their loss of life was 94% since they provided such an easy target for the Snipers to kill.

Author : United States. Army. 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment,George F. Earle
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 1945
Category : World War, 1939-1945
ISBN : UOM:39015027912404

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History of the 87th Mountain Infantry, Italy, 1945 by United States. Army. 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment,George F. Earle Pdf

Author : A. B. Feuer
Publisher : Praeger
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2004-10-30
Category : History
ISBN : 0275977846

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Packs On! by A. B. Feuer Pdf

This history of the 10th Mountain Division during World War II focuses on the personal experiences of the mountain troops who served in Alaska and Italy. Feuer conveys the opinions expressed by the veterans about the conduct of the campaigns—both the good and the bad, with no holds barred. Senator Bob Dole, who was seriously wounded during the campaign, provides a foreword. This fascinating account also reveals the differences in training and strategy from those employed by German ski troops of the same era. A selection of personal photographs, useful maps, and a timeline allow the reader to follow the progress of the 10th in Italy. In addition to combat accounts, readers will find reference to the harsh realities of war, including friendly fire, dead American soldiers used for target practice, and the vengeful shooting of German prisoners.