Makos puts the reader in the seat next to Smoyer as he lines up enemy targets with his gun sights. His duel with a German Panther tank during the Battle of Cologne was caught on film by a combat photographer and shown on news reels across the United States. His precision marksmanship and quick thinking made him one of the best gunners in Sherman and Pershing tanks. This exciting story focuses on Clarence Smoyer, perhaps the most famous American tank gunner of World War II. His newest book, 'Spearhead,' puts the reader inside an American tank as it rumbles into Germany during the closing days of combat. The bestselling author's first book, 'A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II,' brought to life the experiences of young men flying over Europe in a B-17 bomber and the German pilot who spared their lives. Soon, there will be none.įortunately, Adam Makos is here to tell their stories.

It's been nearly 74 years since that conflict ended and most of those who remain are now well into their 90s.

World War II veterans are dying at a rapid rate. 'Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy and a Collision of Lives in World War II,' by Adam Makos.

Cologne tank battle