Reichenberg Posted June 19, 2003 Share Posted June 19, 2003 Hi folks, While searching for non-German tank aces of WWII I stumbled right away across the name Lafayette Pool. His score goes up to 258 kills in ~80 days following June 44 in Normandy. I was getting 'some' information thru google. My question is, how to read this 258 kills? Wittmann with 141 kills and Carius with somting of 150-200 kills are relativly well documented. Their kills actually mean 'tanks'. With Pool I found the information that in these 258 kills are 3 Panthers and some Kübelwagen (jeeps) - but that's it on further information about the kills. What vehicles were counted in the American system as kills - obviously more than only tanks??? I was joking around with a friend about Pool being the one who drove his tank over the bike stand at the Eiffel-tower But no jokes about dead people and no offence. Can somebody enlighten me over here - please?!? Regards Uwe PS.: Had this in the general forum - but no answers over there. [ June 20, 2003, 07:05 AM: Message edited by: Wassermann ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Yeide Posted June 20, 2003 Share Posted June 20, 2003 It seems a tad improbable as I cannot imagine an American tank crew that could FIND that many panzers in 80 days, much less kill them. Do you have a unit number? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reichenberg Posted June 20, 2003 Author Share Posted June 20, 2003 I got the most detailed information on the page of the 3rd Armored Division Main info is: Lafayette G. Pool was born on July 23, 1919, on a farm in Odem, Texas. He graduated from high school in Taft, Texas in 1938. He attended an all boys Catholic Academy where he graduated as class valedictorian. Afterwards, he enrolled in Texas, A and I College, as an engineering major. He left college to enlist in the Army on June 13, 1941. He took basic training at San Antonio, Texas, and then was sent to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, to the newly forming 3d Armored Division. He landed with his unit at Normandy in June, 1944. As an M4 "Sherman" Tank Commander in Company I, 3d Battalion, 32d Armored Regiment, he led his crew across France and Belgium and led his Task Force in 21 separate attacks. In 80 days he and his crew destroyed 258 German vehicles, captured 250 German soldiers, and killed an estimated over 1000 German soldiers. In his final battle SSG Pool was blow from the turret of his tank and his right leg was shattered and had to be removed. He was discharged from the Army in June of 1946. He was recalled to active duty in 1948 to serve as an instructor with 3d Armored Division at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He retired from the Army on September 19, 1960 as a Chief Warrant Officer 2d Class. His military decorations included Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, French Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star, Belgium Fourragere. Lafayette Pool passed away in his sleep on May 30, 1991. You can get some more info thru the links on the page, but no info about the counting of tank / vehicle kills in the US-Army of WW II. Thanks in advance Uwe 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl60 Posted June 22, 2003 Share Posted June 22, 2003 I'm guessing that they are counting trucks,staff cars etc as well...anything with wheels and a motor. Would be interesting to see how many actual armor kills he had. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 Counting kills was big for the Germans; what with the victory rings on the barrels and all. If it was common for the Allies to do so, it hasn't really come through in most of the secondary literature. As pointed out, NW Europe wasn't exactly a target rich environment for Allied tank crews, who spent a lot of time in infantry support roles, including indirect fire (ie not in direct contact with the enemy and firing as artillery). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Why not have a chat with Mr Wilder over on B&T. He has made a scenario on the actions of Mr Pool. Chances are he has some research material on the man. The material on the homepage on Mr Pool all seems to stem from the same source; an article by a 'Sgt Woolner' in an unspecified issue of Yank from 1945. All other sources are qouoting this article. Reasonably, there will be other material at hand on the man, hopefully some official US Army such. And share what you find please. It has great promise to be interesting. Mr Pool has, according to the count, annihilated an entire full strength SS-Panzerdivision all on his own. The article reveals it is not actually a tank count, but a vehicle count just like it says ("infantry vehicles" etc). The article mentions his strafing roads at Falaise, packed with fleeing Germans. He would have been able to destroy tonnes of vehicles there. But I don't see why anybody would print a figure on how many bicycles, horsecarts and field kitchens Mr Pool shot up. So I can only deduct the claim is 258 fighting vehicles. And with that we are back at the SS-Panzerdivision. Cheerio Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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