The formation of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division was inspired by Finland’s success during the Soviet Union's invasion in 1939, where Finnish ski troops effectively used winter terrain to overcome Soviet armored divisions. Recognizing the strategic value of such a unit, Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole, founder of the National Ski Patrol, lobbied for a similar division in the U.S. Army. His efforts eventually led to the formation of specialized mountain warfare troops. In 1941, the War Department authorized the formation of experimental ski patrols, and by 1942, the 87th Mountain Infantry was created. Recruited primarily from skilled skiers, this unit was stationed at Camp Hale in Colorado. The 10th Light Division (Alpine) formed in 1943. Later renamed the 10th Mountain Division in 1944, it became a critical component of U.S. mountain and winter warfare capability. The division was involved in key operations, including the invasion of Kiska in the Aleutians and battles in Italy.
160 Pages, 7 x 10 in, 200 photographs, maps and illustrations
This is a hardback book from Casemate in the Illustrated Special series. And it is an incredible read. Lavishly illustrated with period images, veteran photos, re-enactors, and preserved equipment, this really is true to the description of Illustrated and Special.
There is a brief introduction that gives an overall history of the 10th Mountain Division which, while concise, sets the groundwork for what is to come. Each piece of equipment is well explained and detailed, with supporting images, whether period images or preserved equipment, and covers everything the 10th Mountain used or evaluated for use, not just the "sexy" stuff like guns. There are some very unique images, I particularly liked the images of the various snow tractors such as the M7 - no, not the Priest, the snow tractor, see below, among others. The M28 Weasel gets a mention, along with things like the T27 and T28.
The images are all clear and cover various pieces of equipment from various angles, and, importantly for modelers, the majority are in color. The author, Charles C Roberts Jr, has gone to great lengths to source accurate and clear images.
There is some very good, detailed analysis of different pieces of equipment, like ski bindings, page 41, rucksacks / Haversack - see below, among others, and an in-depth discussion on the sinking of a DUKW, pages 137-142, complete with images of the DUKW in-situ on the lakebed.
The text itself is an easy read, well written, and stays on point to the title, see a sample page below.
Easily recommended to persons interested in the 10th Mountain Division or US units from WWII, you're not going to be disappointed with this title.