Has the US Army ever gone into a war without its head up its butt, tactically speaking?*
After Bunker Hill George Washington thought all he needed to do was dig in and wait for the Bloody Backs to come to him, to which General Howe replied, 'Let me introduce you to the flanking maneuver, Mr Washington, Esquire, etc etc.. It always worked splendidly against the French.'
We have chronicled here before how catastrophically wrong Pershing was about Open Warfare. The British tried to warn him, 'My dear General Pershing. Arraying a battalion in lines of companies and having them walk toward the German trenches is...Sorry I am trying to think of the proper word...suicidal...yes I know Trench Warfare is a long slog but we have these trenches for a reason. Don't you boast about being no stranger to trenches owing to your own Civil War? Vicksburg, Petersburg, all that?...You know about the Somme, right?'
Going into Double-U Double-U Eye, Eye, the US Army believed in attack the diversionary effort should be on the flank and the main effort on the front. Also, tanks shouldn't fight other tanks, hence the Sherman and the Priest. Again, the British, 'Excuse me, Cigar Chomping American general....yes, prim and posh British General here...splendid thank you...Yes it is good of you to win this war for us too...Thanks so much...I am told you are launching a frontal assault against Jerry's position over there. Have you heard of Jerry's 88 mm field gun? Oh you haven't?...Well...you're going to do it anyway...I shall send my graves registration unit over to help...Yes you do that...Cheers.'
Then there's Vietnam. 'Ah...mons General, qu'est-ce que c'est, Eastmoreland? Your firepower is of virtually know use when trying to win les hearts and minds of les publique...ah oui of les victore nou know petit...As you wish.' When the French are telling you how to lose a war, believe them. They know of what they speak.
Which just goes to show that the Army, America really, has a staggering consistent record of ignoring sound advice.
*Desert Storm, obviously.
Meh, every army makes that mistake. The Somme happened because the British were still convinced frontal attacks would work. They learned. The Germans developed Blitzkrieg but never learned how to counter it or keep innovating. They lost.
ReplyDeleteQuite right.
ReplyDelete