Historical Battles

[devros1]

The only reasan the germans fired on them inn the end wasn't there fault it was the airforces they didn't fire on bomb at theh germaan when they where there so the germans realised something was up

[Rhys Bevan]

I realise that no one's discussing any battles before the twentieth century. What about Agincourt? The defeat of Boudeca? The English Civil War?

There were loads of incredible tactically genius battles in medieval and ancient history.

[johnhoward]

Also at Ste. Nazaire it was the plan to crash the ship into the docks then when all the commandos left it would blow up and destroy the rest of the docks area. There were 3 Victoria Cross's given out. (the ship was an old american ship built in 1918 i believe).

[S.SGT David Bevan]

Correction Five Victoria Crosses were given out. ;D ;D

[johnhoward]

sorry i was off by two. But I was close ;D ;D

[johnhoward]

Has anybody heard of the German SS unit in Viet Nam called (please excuse the language) Battalion of the Damned. The units commander Capt. Hans Josef Wagemuller was a SS commander on the Russian front during WWII he and about 100 other SS soldiers and ran back and surrendered to the French (it was April 1945). They were given the oppertunity to face war crimes or join the foreign legion. About 900 SS soldiers took this oppurtunity and joined the legion. They fought together until their disbandment in 1954. Then 300 of them were recalled to fight under the name Task Force G. This was from 1956 to i believe when the americans arrived. if you have any questions please ask. There is a series of books about the unit. The books are part of the Devil's Guard series by George Robert Elford.

[washi]

i think the worst battles in WWII in losses, besides D-day, is Battle of the Bulge

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

In my opinion, the Battle of the Bulge wasn't that decicive. The German's would have run out of steam any how, and we had thousands of men pouring in each day. The 101st were doing what they were paid and meant to do, and personally I don't think that should really be comemorated. They were fighting old men and boys, hardly battlehardened SS stromtroopers.

Market Garden on the other hand was much differant. We took 70-80% casulties, and our men were only meant to fight two days. They lasted nine. And we were fighting SS Panzer Divisions, and several Fallschirmjäger regiments.

[☤Theodorijk Wijzemens]

I think the men of the 101st earned their awards for fighting the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of the Bulge was a kind of combat we had never fought before. Automatic weapons, accurate artillery, cold weather, and exploding trees combined with the constant threat of infantry attack and Panzer assault is certaainly nothing the Airborne were expected to deal with. It is possibly one of the worst battles we've fought. You pointed out only one weakness of the German forces, that they were inexperienced. Inexperience is only one weakness. The Allies dealt with numerous weaknesses against all odds. They certainly won their commendations.

As for Market Garden, The Axis had all the strengths they had in the Battle of the Bulge as well as very strong experienced troops. Market Garden was a good plan. However, our intelligence was completely wrong. there were more and better German troops in the area than we thought there were. It was yet another tough battle for the allies. Anyway, kudos to the American paratroopers and the British/Canadian paras.

[kurtziesal]

Bastogne was a hard fought battle and the 101t deserves the Presidential Unit Citation that they were given. My dad is a 101st veteran from Viet Nam and I know a guy who was the Commander of the 101st's (Maxwell D Taylor) Radio operator. he was with the guy on all missions. also I hope the Brits dont mind me saying this. MONTGOMERY SUCKED WITH MARKET-GARDEN. sorry about that but he got a british para division and polish para brigade from around 12,00 to 2,000

KUDOS TO LT.COL. FROST AT ARNHEM

[S.SGT David Bevan]

Actually montgomery and the Brits did exactly wat they were supposed to in market garden they failed because the Americans failed to keeep the germans from destroying the bridges wich meant thye AMERICAN and British reinforcments didnt arrive in time!!!

[☤Theodorijk Wijzemens]

Are we really go to start this age old battle between the continents? Let's not waste our time saying whose fault what was. Market Garden failed because of incorrect intelligence. Allied Soldiers of all nationalities, including Americans, were put into a dangerous position by a British General who didn't know the intelligence was wrong. Plus, Monty wanted to end the war by Christmas, and it very well might've, had the Allied intelligence been correct.

Let's not get into the nationality BS that no one wants to go shlepping through. Monty was a good general for the most part, as were Eisenhower, Patton, and Marshal. If we want to blame anyone for the failure of Market Garden, perhaps the Germans are the ones to point the finger at? Just a thought.

[S.SGT David Bevan]

Good point but the us generals also made mistakes in market garden not just monty! In fact Eisenhower wanted to end the war by christmas and Monty beted him that it wouldent end by then. As u know Monty won the bet!!!

[johnhoward]

Bevan have you read the book A Bridge Too Far, it states that the german 5th or 9th army was at Nijmegan and stopped the 82nd, the Br. 2nd Army arrived late too, also the tanks were hit in the "island" country, the armor almost made it to Arnhem, but Lt. Col. Frost had already surrendered. so it was just bad planning. I agree they did their best in planning it but there was a Lt. Col. in the British intelligence that said there was german armor in Arnhem, but Monty didnt listen. so it was just a bad operation on both parts (american and British)

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Techiniclly, if that's how you spell it, the intel was fine. Lot's of SS tanks! Monty's plan was very bold, but he had already beaten the best Axis Field Marshal, and beaten him again in Normandy. I think it is a great testemant that Monty went ahead with operation, knowing he was now facing the very man who had invented the Airbourne Operation.

The yanks didn't stop the bridges being blown, which meant they had be rebuild, or prefabs used. If they could have just sped up by one day, VE day might have come six months earlier!