Seek, Strike, and Destroy: U.S. Army Tank Destroyer Doctrine in World War II

In the seventy years that have passed since the tank first appeared, antitank combat has presented
one of the greatest challenges in land warfare. Dramatic improvements in tank technology
and doctrine over the years have precipitated equally innovative developments in the antitank field.
One cycle in this ongoing arms race occurred during the early years of World War II when the
U.S. Army sought desperately to find an antidote to the vaunted German blitzkrieg. Against the
frenzied background of global war, a small group of professional officers devised the tank destroyer
as the Army’s answer to the tank.
This Leavenworth Paper analyzes the origins of the tank destroyer concept, evaluates the doctrine
and equipment with which tank destroyer units fought, and assesses the effectiveness of the
tank destroyer in battle. To the professional soldier of the 1980s, the tank destroyer experience
yields some important lessons concerning the pitfalls of formulating doctrine. The thoughtful reader
will also gain some specific insights into the problem of antitank warfare, a consideration that is
as vital to the U.S. Army today as it was half a century ago.