The GI Offensive in Europe by Peter Mansoor is a fresh examination of the United States’ infantry divisions who served in the European Theatre of Operations during WWII. Mansoor’s approach is aggressive and direct as he challenges the time honored and accepted assertions of S.L.A. Marshall, Martin Van Crevald, Russell Weighley and Trevor Dupuy in that the Allies were victorious merely because of the overwhelmingly vast amount of materials thrust at the Germans by soldiers of inferior training. While his writing is geared towards those with at least basic military knowledge, it is still engaging to the average lay person. He provides a new conclusion on how and why the American combat forces were successful in defeating the Germans in Europe. He accomplishes this through extensive self conducted research backed by his own personal experiences as a military commander. Mansoor’s focus or …show more content…
The flow is logical, starting with an introductory overview which quickly takes us to our abrupt realization in 1940 that war with Germany is imminent. His description of General Lesley McNair as being the mastermind of WWII’s combat divisions is thorough and provides enough information to the non-military reader to provide a clear visual of the U.S. Army’s training and mobilization program, the training of much needed officers along with the composition of the various divisions. Mansoor dedicates two chapters to the battles in North Africa and Sicily. He provides a detailed diatribe of the army’s divisions, their involvement, consequences of high casualty numbers, lessons learned and the soldiers’ experiences in learning to develop new combat strategies and adapt to their ever changing environment. In contrast, he also offers some criticism towards some of the senior leaders, air-ground coordination and a poor replacement
For training, the author shares the difficult task involved in the training and that went into preparing the American solider for battle in World War I from multiple levels including from Brownies’ perspective. The author gave clear and concise examples to strengthen his claim concerning the overwhelming task of training an inexperienced army. As the Snead explains, “Historians, journalists, and others have written numerous books
With careful planning, co-operation, good leadership and courage, Currie managed to bring out the characteristics of a well thought out success at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917 (Dancocks, 1985). Sir Arthur Currie’s responsibility was to command the 1st Canadian Division (Hyatt, 1987). He pushed his troops to undergo rigorous training and to prepare themselves by using a life-size course, with every trench marked by tape and a flag (Dancocks, 1985). Currie designed very accurate maps and he had a small-scale plasticine model built so that it could be studied by all soldiers. Arthur Currie insisted that his division’s knowledge of the enemy was excellent (Dancocks, 1985).
Stewart R. W. (2005). American Military History (Vol. 1). The United States Army and the
At daybreak, August 19th, 1942, the Allies began their raid on the French coastal city of Dieppe occupied by Germany. The raid has extreme Canadian significance, as it pertains to 5000 Canadians involved in the campaign, 3,350 of which became casualties and 916 died on the bloodstained beach at Dieppe. The Dieppe raid is widely considered a failure on every level and has left a dreadful mark in Canadian military history because of how poorly it panned out. Operation Jubilee remains one of the most hotly debated Allied aspects of the war. Tactically, it was a complete failure as little to no objectives were attained. This essay will explain that Dieppe failed because of the tactical errors on the part of the Allies, in conjunction with the fact the entire operation was very poorly planned out. It will do so by discussing 4 major points: poor allied planning, how Dieppe was a difficult place to attack, that the assault was launched for political rather than military reasons and finally, how it failed to upgrade morale.
Brigade General Scales, Robert H. JR. Certain Victory. The U.S. Army in the Gulf War.
In order to receive a victory in the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton used Mission Command Analysis in order to understand how he can be successful for this mission. The first thing of understanding t...
Throughout the battle, you see numerous Army Values and Warrior Ethos being used. “I will never leave a fallen comrade”, was the etho used the most, to reach the separated platoon. The battle also shows that not all tactical orders are effective, but as a leader you must never second guess yourself.
Cameron, R. S. (2003). The army vision: The 4th AD in world war II. Military Review, 83(6), 59-68
The Canadian Corps had just been given a new lease on life, whether they knew it or not. Canadian Major-General Arthur Currie and Lt.-General Sir Julian Byng and the entire Corps had been tasked with an impossible task in some opinions. Tasked they were with ...
Adams, Michael C. C. The "Best War Ever: America and World War II" Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD 1994. Bailey, Ronald H. The Home Front, U.S.A. Time-Life Publishing, Chicago, IL. 1978 Bard, Mitchell G.
Even though half of a century separates us from the unforgettable event, it left horrible memories especially in those who saw, felt and experienced World War II which was waged on land, on sea, and in the air all over the earth for approximately six years. Whether it’s a battle, hospital, or holocaust, there are so many stories from the survivors, who can teach us not only about the profession of arms, but also about military preparations, global strategies and combined operations in the coalition war against fascism.
O'Neill, William L. World War II: A Student Companion. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
Warfare was in a state of transition. Older commanders and generals in the French and British militaries were very cavalry and infantry focused. These commanders believed that cavalry, infantry, and artillery would assure victory in any circumstance, against any foe. They clung to the static tactics of the bygone World War I era. World War I had been fought primarily on French soil, and the military as well as the government never wanted that to happen again, therefore they wanted to reinforce their main border against any future German. Little did they know that only twenty two years later they would be bested by German forces in a way that would shock the world. This research will be analyzing many important assumptions, oversights,...
O’Neill, William L. World War II A Student Companion. 1 ed. William H. Chafe. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
“Two American commanders came to public attention during the North African campaign and would become two of the war’s most famous g...