Bad news, even historical bad news, "never come single spies but in battalions". Thus, tonight on Channel Five they are showing "A Bridge Too Far", the rather good film made by the late Richard Attenborough, based on the doomed military thrust to Arnhem in 1944 in which American and British paratroopers were dropped at key bridge points along a single road down which an armoured formation was supposed to drive like a dagger towards the heart of Germany. Even an ex-Corporal, like me, could see the potential problems in that manoeuvre! It was Montgomery's plan provoked, one suspects, not so much on strategy as on his monstrous ego in which he was determined to beat Eisenhower to the killer blow against Germany. Anyway, it ended as just another entry on the long list of British military cock-ups.
By coincidence this week, I came across a book review from the July edition of The Spectator dealing with yet another Churchillian cock-up of the first order. The book is called "Anatomy of a Campaign: The British Fiasco in Norway, 1940" and is written by John Kiszely. It details yet another example of Churchill's rash impetuosity of exactly the sort he first demonstrated at Gallipoli in WWI. To be fair, the calamity was aided and abetted by the usual collection of dead-beat dummies who ran our military services at the time. Even so, one is left wondering how Churchill ever reached the premiership given his record of gross errors.
"one is left wondering how Churchill ever reached the premiership given his record of gross errors"
A prerequisite, I would have thought, given the quality of politicians over the years . . .
Posted by: The Jannie | Saturday, 14 October 2017 at 22:27
beat Eisenhower to the killer blow
Do you not mean Patton? Eisenhower was the CinC.
Posted by: AussieD | Sunday, 15 October 2017 at 02:30
David
When I was on vacation in Europe I drove up that road to Arnhem.
The former tank platoon leader in me was saying NO!!
The former anti-tank platoon leader in me was saying YES!!
The ground off the road was too soft. The trees lining the road would prevent the turrets from swinging to engage. But there were for far more good at AT positions than there would have been guns.
That was a death trap.
The British armor still did better than one would expect but they didn't have a chance of success.
Posted by: Hank | Sunday, 15 October 2017 at 05:47
Hank I have also driven that road back in the 90's. To do what was asked of the Brit armour is a bit like asking a warship to navigate up a canal with hostile artillery either side of you. No place to go but straight ahead and no room to manouvre.
Given the circumstances from a sailor's point of view the Brit armour did well - the planners to put it mildly not so well.
Also from a sailor's point of view the Norwegian campaign went well and looking at the Fjord on which Narvik stands the Kriegsmarine put themselves in a position which was going to get them severely beat up and that is what happened.
Posted by: AussieD | Sunday, 15 October 2017 at 07:28
"It's a tragedy that the urge to plan is so great in a nation so incapable of it."
Epitaph for Blighty as the Seasoned Ostfront veterans of two SS Panzer divisions close in from every side.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Monday, 16 October 2017 at 09:36
Growbag Grayling gets soaked and sweaty "taking back the controls" of Blighty's newest train set ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/16/great-western-railway-high-speed-train-launch-falls-flat-commuters/
Another cock-up done well.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 17 October 2017 at 00:00