In the late summer of 1944, a group of
American M4 Sherman medium tanks from company I, 32nd armored Regiment
of the third Armored Division, nicknamed "Spearhead" traveled through
Dyson, Belgium near the city of Liege. The tanks were led by staff
sergeant Lafayette Pool, who served as the platoon leader despite
being a non-commissioned officer. Regardless of his rank, Pool's trusted
leadership made him just as capable as any lieutenant in the regiment. His
fellow tankers had no doubt about his skill in handling tanks and he and his crew
were about to demonstrate that once more. While the column was advancing, they
came under Fire from their Left Flank. Pool instructed the column to keep
moving and directed his own tank, which had the nickname "In the mood" painted
on its hull, to turn and address the danger. They quickly spotted an enemy unit
consisting of several armored vehicles, including halftracks and
armored cars, but no tanks. Pool and his men engaged the enemy and succeeded
in destroying around six German vehicles. The American tankers' short rampage
was abruptly ended when Pool received word that a German Panther tank had
emerged and was firing on their column. He immediately commanded his driver
to return to the safety of the column, while the M4 accelerated towards the enemy
tank with the gunner getting ready to engage. Upon arriving at the scene, pool searched the
surroundings for the Panther Tank while his loader loaded a 76 millimeter armor-piercing
round into the Sherman's main gun. Eventually Pool spotted the
enemy tank and instructed his Gunner to aim at a distance of 1,500 yards. Although it was a considerable range, a hit on
the Panther's side armor could still penetrate it. The Gunner aimed precisely and fired the gun, causing a flash in a supersonic crack and a 76
millimeter shot hit the panther, destroying it. Pool calmly returned to the front of the
column and they continued their advance. This was another achievement for one of the
most outstanding tank aces in the U.S. Army. Before we go any further, I need to take a minute to thank the
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code FACTORSE33328 for 50% off your first box. When it comes to discussing
tank aces of World War II, many people tend to focus on "Panzer
Aces" and their accomplishments. However, it is essential to note that several Allied
tankers were also outstanding tank aces, with impressive numbers of enemy tanks destroyed during
the war and Lafayette Pool was among the best. Staff sergeant Lafayette G
pool was representative of the exceptional tankers that the U.S
army produced during World War II. Born on July 23, 1919, on a farm in Odem, Texas,
Pool finished high school in Taft, Texas in 1938. Despite his efforts to enlist in the Navy, he was rejected because of an eye injury
unlike his twin brother who was accepted. He was eventually enlisted
in the Army on June 13 1941. Taking basic training in San Antonio, Texas,
before being dispatched to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana where the newly-formed
Third Armored Division was stationed. When the division was restructured in
January of 1942, Pool became a member of the Third Battalion, 32nd Armored Regiment. After being initially trained as a mechanic, pool transitioned to serving as a member of a
tank crew and later became a vehicle Commander. Pool led his men with great determination, pushing
them to their limits through rigorous training. His standards were high and he refused to
tolerate any sloppy work in maintenance, gunnery, or driving. He held his men
to the highest standards and always demanded the best from them,
achieving exceptional results. Between 1942 and 1943, the 3rd Armored
Division underwent training at the Desert Training Center in Victorville, California and
later at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. In September 1943, just before
the division departed for England, Pool was promoted to staff sergeant in Company
I of the Third Battalion, 32nd Armored Regiment. Pool was highly regarded by his superiors
that they offered him the opportunity to attend Officer Candidate School
and become a 2nd lieutenant. However, he declined this offer, as well
as a later battlefield commission in Europe stating that his goal was to be one of
the best tank crews in the division. After arriving in England, the 3rd
Armored Division continued their training in preparation for the D-Day
invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944. Following the landings, the division quickly
engaged in combat in Normandy. This marked the beginning of an 81-day tour of combat during which
Pool and his crew achieved an impressive tally. In less than three months, they managed
to destroy 258 German armored vehicles including Panzer IV and Panther tanks,
sturmgeschütz self-propelled guns, various types of tank destroyers
and half-tracked personnel carriers. Additionally they were responsible for
neutralizing several towed anti-tank guns, including at least one 88 millimeter cannon as
well as resulting in the deaths of over 1000 German soldiers and capturing 250 prisoners. Pool's tank spearheaded this task force in at
least 21 major attacks, a remarkable achievement. On June 29, 1944, the Third Battalion saw their first combat action northeast of
St. Lo, near Villier-Fossard,. During this time, Pool had a near-death
experience when his M4 tank equipped with a 75 millimeter cannon and called "In the
Mood" after the famous Glenn Miller song, was hit by a panzerfaust anti-tank weapon
while entering the village of Les Forges. Although the tank was disabled, Pool and his
crew managed to survive the attack unscathed. After surviving the attack, Pool and his crew
wasted no time in acquiring a replacement tank, which they also named "In the
Mood," to return to combat. The new M4 tank was equipped with a
longer-barreled 76 millimeter cannon, which was more effective against German armor
than the previous stubbier 75 millimeter weapon. However, the new gun was still unreliable against
the frontal armor of heavier German tanks like the Tiger and Panther except at close range.
Nevertheless, it proved to be more effective against the thinner side and rear armor of
these tanks. For instance, the 76 millimeter gun was capable of penetrating a Panther's
side armor from a distance of 2,000 yards. A clever tank commander would
always try to position their tank for a shot at the weaker
flanks of the opposing tank. While the shorter 75 millimeter gun was more
efficient in firing high-explosive rounds, American armored units preferred
to use a mix of tanks armed with 75 millimeter and 76 millimeter guns. Typically, a five-tank platoon would have one tank equipped with a 76 millimeter gun while
the others had 75 millimeter weapons. This approach made sense since tank crews
spent most of their time supporting infantry and assaulting enemy positions, rather
than engaging in tank-to-tank battles. Therefore, when enemy armor was encountered, having a 76 millimeter-armed tank like
Pool's in the platoon was advantageous. On August 7, 1944, the pivotal battle of
the Falaise Gap was underway and Pool, as usual was leading from the front. As the 3rd Armored Division was close to
encircling the Germans along with British forces, Pool and his crew closed with a group of
fleeing German troops and destroyed it. During the later stages of the Falaise fighting, Pool found himself once again at the forefront
of the battle, this time near Fromentel, France. Unfortunately, the second "In the Mood" tank was
destroyed when a group of American Lockheed P38 Lightning fighter bombers mistakenly identified
the Americans as the enemy and attacked them. Poole and his entire crew once again managed
to survive and were soon operating a third, "In the mood" tank which also
had the 76 millimeter cannon. In no time, they were back in the thick of battle. During the Colombrier battle
in France, Pool's tank, which was leading the column came dangerously
close to colliding with a Panther tank. The Panther crew fired two shots,
both of which missed their target. However, Oiler, who was serving as the gunner
managed to fire a single shot that successfully penetrated the turret and internal explosions
blew the turret clean off the hull of the Panther. Pool and his crew continued
to enjoy their good fortune. The 3rd Armored Division continued their advance
into Belgium after the fighting in France. At Namur, a small city on the Meuse River, Pool
and his crew destroyed 16 enemy vehicles in a single day which included halftracks, assault
guns and several self-propelled anti-tank guns. The division then headed eastward, towards the
German border and approached the city of Aachen. Pool was frequently in the lead, vigilant
and self-assured, perched on top of the tank. As Pool was claustrophobic,
he preferred to sit on top of the tank or stick his head
out of the commander's hatch. Despite the increased risk of enemy fire, most good tank commanders chose to do this
because it offered much better visibility. Pool's luck eventually ran out at the town
of Munsterbusch, south of Aachen, Germany, on September 19, 1944 while leading
the breakthrough through the Westwall. The crew was scheduled to return home
for a war bond tour in a few days. This time, "In the Mood" was a flank guard
for the task force rather than the leader. Pool discovered a large anti-tank
gun concealed inside a home. When Pool's loader, Boggs was sent
back for a hearing checkup before they rotated to the states, they
had a replacement loader that day. The new guy jammed the gun by
jamming a round in the breech. Unable to fire, Pool yelled to back
up, as the first shell hit the turret, blowing Pool off the tank onto the ground. He came down running, his right leg folding
like an accordion. He injected himself with morphine, sat down and attempted to cut his
shattered limb off with his pocket knife. The rest of the crew didn't realise Pool was gone. When a second round struck the tank's
exterior, the driver continued to back it up. The explosion sounded like the gong of
a massive bell and the tank was filled with the stench of burnt powder
and a shower of bright sparks. The task force commander, lieutenant Col.
Walter Richardson witnessed "In the Mood" slowly approach a cut bank and topple over,
almost upside down as if in slow motion. Richardson rushed up to Pool, and delivered
another dose of morphine. Medics arrived moments later, gave him another shot of morphine
and began working on his badly bleeding leg. Pool's battle was over. His shattered right leg was subsequently amputated and
he was discharged in June 1946. After spending 22 months in
rehabilitation and receiving a prosthesis, Pool established a gas station
and garage at his home in Sinton, Texas. He then started a number of other
enterprises before reenlisting in the Army and joining the Transportation Corps. He was able to "come home" to the 3rd
Armored Division in 1948, thanks to General Roderick Allen's intervention where he
was appointed an automotive mechanics instructor. Today, Lafayette G Pool is remembered
not only as a top tank ace, but also as a man who believed in training hard
and doing the job right the first time, because in modern combat there
may not be a second chance.
