The Army's armored force was officially "born" July 10,1940, quietly revolutionizing modern methods of war. Before armored warfare, American troops had limited ability to speedily and decisively maneuver to and penetrate the enemy's defensive lines. Before World War I, horse-mounted cavalry performed what is now the tank's role: maneuvering and breaking through enemy infantry to attack lines of communication and means of support in the rear. The entrance of machineguns and closed fronts on the battlefield made cavalry too vulnerable for this task, while armor was ideal for it.
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