Harvey Krasner was a bow gunner on a Sherman tank during World War II. / Photo provided by Harvey Krasner
HARVEY KRASNER
Age: 85
Hometown: Born in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Residence: Rancho Mirage
Military branch: U.S. Army; 756th Tank Battalion, attached to 3rd Infantry Division.
Years served: January 1943 - February 1946
Rank: Corporal
Family: Wife Sharlyn; five children, Jill Hammer of Encino and Dru Miller of Lake Stevens, Wash., Bret and Dana Tack of Thousand Palms, Steve and Jane Tack of Camarillo, and Kristy and Allen Crabtree of Missoula, Mont.
About this series
Staff writer Denise Goolsby will profile desert veterans from World War II Wednesday through Sunday through the end of 2010 — the 65th anniversary of the end of the war. Contact her at (760) 778-4587 or via e-mail at denise.goolsby@thedesertsun.com
Coming tomorrow
U.S. Army veteran Bob Hemstreet of Palm Springs
More
U.S. Army Corporal Harvey Krasner was a gunner in a tank battalion, fighting with the famed 3rd Infantry Division as it battled its way across France, Belgium and Germany during World War II.
The 3rd Infantry, considered one of the most successful of all Army divisions during the war, is one of the few American divisions that fought the Axis on all fronts, according to historical records.
Soon after entering the military ranks in January 1943, Krasner was selected for the Army Special Training Program (ASTP) after scoring well on an aptitude test. He was sent to the University of Pennsylvania for his Army education, but after three months, the program was disbanded.
Replacements were badly needed on the front lines in Europe.
Krasner was sent to advanced infantry training, and in November 1943, was transferred to tank warfare training.
He volunteered to move to tanks because it meant at least three more months of training, buying him time before he'd have to join the battle in Europe.
“I would do anything not to go overseas,” he said.
In August 1944, the day finally came for Krasner to shove off, leaving Fort Meade, Maryland on a Liberty ship for an eight-day voyage across the Atlantic.
“It seemed like we got there overnight because I didn't want to be there,” he said.
Krasner, a member of the 756th Tank Battalion, participated in five amphibious landings.
The battalion fought in European campaigns including Southern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe.
Krasner's job classification — medium tank crewman — qualified him to “do anything in a tank except command it,” Krasner said.
At one point, “they asked for a volunteer,” he said. “One of our tanks had run out of gas. We took a jeep loaded with gasoline,” to the stranded tank.
“I didn't think it was that dangerous,” he said. “I didn't realize there were enemies all around. I had no idea. I was driving the jeep and the master sergeant was in the other seat.”
The NCO seemed to be edgy and he kept looking around nervously.
“I noticed he was very, very watchful,” Krasner said.
For their actions — getting the gasoline to the guys in the isolated tank — they were awarded a Bronze Star.
At night, the tank crew would try to find a big, open-ended barn — where the temperatures were 10 to 15 degrees warmer inside.
“When darkness fell, we backed one end of the tank into the barn — it prevented people from seeing us,” he said.
One night, “we backed into this large barn and we all tried to get some sleep,” he said. “One person was on guard. During the night, a couple of hours later, we heard a tank back in on the other end. We thought it was one of our guys. At dawn, the guy who was on guard duty saw that the silhouette was not one of our tanks.”
It was a German Tiger tank, a monster — loaded with twice the armor and twice the firepower of the Sherman tank, he said.
The German tanks were outfitted with 88 mm guns — the U.S. model had 75 mm guns, he added.
“They had more range, more velocity,” Krasner said. “The tank itself was almost impenetrable. If we met a Tiger or a Panther (tank) one-on-one or two-on-one, we would run.”
“They were aware of us the same time we were aware of them,” he said.
As the tanks prepared to take aim on each other, the Sherman tank was suddenly at an advantage.
“The roof (of the barn) was held up by long pillars,” he said. “That's what saved our lives.”
When the turret on the Tiger traversed, swinging its cannons around toward the Americans, it got stuck.
“Their gun was so long it ran into a pillar,” he said.
Another time, Krasner's tank took a direct hit from an 88.
“It disabled the track so it wouldn't move,” said. “We were trained to bail out. We got out of there fast. When I bailed out the hatch came down and hit me on the head. It cut my head and I went to a field hospital. The guys there stitched it up.”
Krasner, who downplayed the injury, stayed there over night.
“The next morning, a colonel walked in with a sergeant, who was carrying a basket of Purple Hearts,” Krasner said.
There was a line of cots in the hospital tent.
“He threw Purple Hearts on all of the beds,” he said.
“My Bronze Star and Purple Heart were very suspect,” Krasner said. “Fortunately, they were each worth five points when it came to being discharged.”
