Bridges give allies fast track to Baghdad (John Keegan)

Daily Telegraph ^ | March 24th, 2003 | John Keegan

[Sabertooth]

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[CrimeOf73]

Have you and MadIvan worked out some kind of deal for sharing rights to posting UK newspaper articles? ;-)

[Wavyhill]

Essentially this is the desert version of MacArthur's island hopping campaign in the Pacific. Rush forward and bypass the enemy troops who can't do much anyway, in pursuit of the main objective (in this case, Baghdad).

[Sabertooth]

Have you and MadIvan worked out some kind of deal for sharing rights to posting UK newspaper articles? ;-)

First and fastest. He's beaten me a few times today, so I'm glad I searched beforehand.

[Sabertooth]

Essentially this is the desert version of MacArthur's island hopping campaign in the Pacific.

I think that's a good analogy, right down to the meticulous minimization of casualties.

Hopefully, we won't have so many surrender stragglers in this campaign. Or a cargo cult.

[Wavyhill]

Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "surrender stragglers"? I know what cargo cults are.

[Sabertooth]

Oh, remember the Japanese troops who lived in caves for decades, until getting offical orders from their commanders to finally surrender? I think the last of them was discovered in about '73.

[AzJohn]

Thanks for all the pings. You're certainly keeping us well informed about this war.

[gore3000]

Thanks for posting this. There has been too much pessimism the last couple of days because of a few casualties and some propaganda moves. We are doing extremely well. We have been doing pretty much as we like, the enemy has not dared to face us and in less than a week we have him pretty well cornered in Baghdad. What more could we have expected?

We should not think of the Iraquis resorting to guerilla tactics as a sign of trouble but as a sign that the enemy is resorting to desperate measures so soon.

[edwin hubble]

"Essentially this is the desert version of MacArthur's island hopping campaign in the Pacific.
...
I think that's a good analogy, right down to the meticulous minimization of casualties. "

I would say we're doing much better than in the Pacific in WWII on casualties.
Tarawa and Iwo Jima had tragic and devastating casualties (among others).

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Maedhros]

The casualty difference is largely due to a key difference between the Japanese and the Iraqis : the former fought to the bitter end, while the latter are a bunch of surrender monkeys.

[Sabertooth]

I would say we're doing much better than in the Pacific in WWII on casualties.
Tarawa and Iwo Jima had tragic and devastating casualties (among others).

Oh, to be sure. However, as I've understood things, MacArthur's efforts to minimize casualties were unprecedented at the time.

[Victoria Delsoul]

The operation will not be complete for seven to 10 days. Meanwhile, there is no sign of a front being opened from H3, though it is possible that airmobile units may be based there to fly to the coming battle around Baghdad when or before it starts. The focus of action lies, therefore in the south. It must be recognised that the allies have had one tremendous piece of good fortune, which is to have captured the bridges across the Euphrates at Nasiriyah before they were blown.

Thanks for the update. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[polemikos]

It now seems certain that, because of a Turkish refusal to grant staging facilities, there will be no northern front involving US armoured units.

A relief valve for the RG to high-tail it out of Baghdad?
They'll long for home and head for Tikrit.
Once they're out in the open, they're easier targets.

[x1stcav]

"It is inconceivable that Saddam cannot have realised how important it was to keep the invaders west of the Euphrates, the great moat protecting Baghdad. He must have issued condign orders about protecting the bridges for as long as possible, and blowing them when the defence failed. Why his orders were not obeyed is the chief mystery of the campaign so far. Among his many other anxieties at the moment must be the suspicion of treachery."

Am I missing something? Are we not still west of the Euphrates?

[Pelham]

The story of war is the tale of river crossings.

[The Old Hoosier]

We've supposedly crossed. Some of our troops.