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Worst Move by any of the generals in the war

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by SlickAG, Mar 12, 2001.

  1. Tomcat

    Tomcat The One From Down Under

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    Good point Joe, But once they were on the shore there was no stopping them, so they had to stop them at the beachs, and taking on tanks while assualting a beach would have been one hell of a battle for the allies:)
     
  2. Joe

    Joe Ace

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    But would Rommel have enough tanks to blanket all the beaches with them?
    It would only be about the same amount of difficulty in taking out bunkers and pillboxes. Remember, tanks get easily bogged down on sand, so they would have to stay put just off the beach, maybe behind the sea wall, where they are quite vulnerable to Naval fire. And remember, once the allies get four or five men on shore, they take out a pillbox and let another five advance ect ect. Even if he did move his tankeys onto the beaches, Rommel (and the Third Riech) where doomed.
     
  3. Tomcat

    Tomcat The One From Down Under

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    Well that would be a process of elimination, they were guessing between the Pais de Calais and Normandy, since they allowed the most freedom once they land, as well as being close to england for supplies and they needed the large harbour's capable of sustaining the amount of supples needed for the invasion.

    I didn't mean move them on the sand, but more in a reserve position behind the beach, but not as far as they were, this way they could support the infantry defending at least the trenchs behind the frontal bunkers.:)

    But I do suppose that you are right, the naval fire would be a big problem, and if that wasn't bad enough, then the air force would have been the problem. BUt I just think that had they been in a better or closer role they could have done more damage.

    It probably is a good thing that they were where they were. If they hadn't the invasion could have failed.:D
     
  4. freebird

    freebird Member

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    Market Garden was not a failure in reality.
    Monty didn't get his Rhine crossing in 1944, but neither did Bradley or Patton


    The possible strategic exploitation of a successful Market Garden had already been compromised by Ike and Bradley, so no.
     
  5. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    That's an awfully warped version of "reality" in my book. Market Garden had some short and long term objectives. It didn't succeed in any of them. That qualifies as a failure in my book. That no one else crossed the Rhine in 44 doesn't diminish this. When you combine it with there being at least one superior alternative that was ignored, the conclusion is inescapable.
    How so?
     
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  6. freebird

    freebird Member

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    Which alternatives do you refer?
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2018
  7. freebird

    freebird Member

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    Three things to remember here:

    1. Monty didn't plan the airborne operation Market (Garden)
    2. Monty wasn't in command of Market Garden
    3. Monty wasn't the person who decided to order it to proceed
     
  8. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

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    Weren't both the First Allied Airborne Army (Brereton) and British Second Army (Dempsey) under command of 21st Army Group (Montgomery)?
     
  9. freebird

    freebird Member

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    No, absolutely not.

    Zaloga - "US airborne divisions in the ETO, p. 57"

    US Airborne Divisions in the ETO 1944–45
     
  10. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    Clearing the approaches to Antwerp would be one.
     

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