02-17-2006, 09:19 PM
THE HISTORY CHANNEL
February 19 - 7pm ET/PT
First to Fight: The Black tankers of WWII (PREMIERE)
When Patton's 3rd Army was stuck in France and in need of tanks, the military finally called the 761st to the front. Within days, they proved themselves in battle, leading the all-white 26th Infantry through several key towns. Over 183 days during World War II, the 761st helped liberate more than 30 French towns under Nazi control and fought with such bravery that when Hitler's Ardennes offensive created a 50-mile bulge in the Allied line, they were called to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. Tune-in to the story of the 761st Tank Battalion—the first all black tank unit ever to see combat.
Jim