It Will All be Over By Easter, Says Analyist [Greatest Advance in History of Warfare]

Manawatu Evening Standard (New Zealand) ^ | March 25, 2003 | Piers Reid

[ewing]

The United States ground led assault on Iraq is 'the greatest advance in the history of warfare,' even compared with the German blitzkrieg of Europe in World War 2 a Massey University defence analyist says.

Piers Reid of the University Centre of Defence Studies said that United States coalition forces are 'going forward at an incredible rate.'

Dr. Reid, a former New Zealand army chief, predicted the war in Iraq would be wrapped up in a few weeks.

He said the superior firepower of Amercian forces was advancing virtually unchecked in the desert.

'The Americans own the desert,' If the Iraqis try and stall the Americans in the desert they just get shredded.

Dr. Reid said although pockets of resistance might remain all over Iraq, the Iraqi 'political apparatus' would succumb quickly after coming in for heavy attack from coalition bombing.

Dr. Reid also said that Saddam Hussein was counting on the fact that the coalition would have a low threshold for pain, but had miscalculated.

[ewing]

Of course, I would give some credit to Patton marching 100 miles a day in heavy snow continuiously..

Credit the Brits and Aussies for their support as well!

[Riley]

Of course, I would give some credit to Patton marching 100 miles a day in heavy snow continuiously..

Absolutely. Patton understood speed and shock- and used them at every opportunity- much to the chagrin of other Allied officers who preferred a more methodical approach.

[ewing]

The early 1940's version of 'Shock and Awe..'

[ez]

"But it's all falling apart!!" Helen Thomas

[Credo]

There is nothing like the 3rd Army's March in the Ardennes in history. I'd also say the Wermacht was a more capable foe than the Iraqis. Not to take anything away from V Corps, the 3rd ID, I MEF and the Brits today. I hope they use Patton as their example and inspiration. Fortune favors the bold.

[ewing]

But Maureen Dowd says its another Vietnam! (same thing she said about Afghanistan)

[Riley]

I think that its fair to say that Patton's ideas of tactical conduct have a visible influence on contemporary operations with heavy forces, particularly in open desert terrain.

And Patton was influenced by Rommel.

[ewing]

[OKSooner]

Yes, and Rommell was influened by Guiderian, and Guiderian was influenced by, believe it or not, the writing of a young frog officer named Charles de Gaulle.

Or so I've been told...

[ewing]

I don't know if even Rommell could/would have marched his boys a 100 miles in heavy snow per day..

[Guillermo]

Yeah but we didn't have to deal with their guerilla tactics like we are now.

[Credo]

Agreed. The Coalition forces advance is remarkable. You just have to think of the technology in 1944. M1 Tanks can roll like 50 miles an hour. The old Shermans maybe could hit 15 to 20. They were also outgunned by the Germans.

I guess both advances are unique magnificent accomplishments. They both have their unique challenges. Patton certainly didn't have to deal with the PC, Meals on Wheels, Kumbaya garbage, the current ground commanders are facing.

[VRWC_minion]

Dr. Reid also said that Saddam Hussein was counting on the fact that the coalition would have a low threshold for pain,

This is Clinton's and his supporting liberals fault. Those peaceniks protesting have blood on their hands too bad they'll never face it.

[Riley]

I don't know if even Rommell could/would have marched his boys a 100 miles in heavy snow per day..

Perhaps not, but he ably demonstrated maneuver warfare in the French campaign in 1940.

[goldstategop]

Saddam's last mistake was parading our POWs on his TV.

[bert]

I would advise checking on the 1844 Winfield Scot campaign to capture Mexico City and unseat the dictator Santa Anna.

The paralells are striking and I am confident that General Franks is walking in General Scott's shoes as he fights the Euros diplomatically while striking an enemy capital with long supply lines. He had the support of the US Navy and the US Marines as he assulted the Halls of Montezuma.

To summarize, Franks is duplicating the campaign of Scott.

[section9]

The paralells are striking and I am confident that General Franks is walking in General Scott's shoes as he fights the Euros diplomatically while striking an enemy capital with long supply lines. He had the support of the US Navy and the US Marines as he assulted the Halls of Montezuma.

Now this is a novel assertion!

Hmmmm, I'll have to be naughty and post the map...

The paralell that I see is that we are approaching the enemy from several different directions at once with a great, decisive battle (Resaco de La Palma, iirc) before the capitol city.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[JohnGalt]

Actually, Guderian was a disciple of Sir Liddell Hart who wrote extensively on the subject. Rommel's Infantry Tactics concurrently detailed his own success leading Austiran troops on the Southern Front of Austria and Italy in the First World War; Rommel was a natural fit for frontline tank commander, but was never quite the intellectual that Guderian was.

De Gaul mostly wrote about French defense issues and advocated the importance of a reorganization around the tank unit-- less tactical, more organizational.

[Jumper]

Rommell had the opportunity to fight in the Desert and was outstanding given the lack of morale, logistics and Italian's.... Given the task of buidling the Atlantic Wall in which he had no belief, he put into place formidable defenses. I've walked Normandy.

[A2J]

Credit the Brits and Aussies for their support as well!

And don't forget the French for not showing up.