Early Battles of the Eighth Army

Early Battles of the Eighth Army PDF

Author: Adrian Stewart

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0811735362

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The birth and baptism of fire of one of Britain's most illustrious military units Studded with numerous firsthand descriptions from soldiers in the African desert Head to head with Erwin Rommel in Africa, the British Eighth Army enjoyed superior numbers and a more effective air force, but despite the valor of its men, it had difficulty turning those advantages into battlefield victory because of command, equipment, and morale problems. After modest success during Operation Crusader in November 1941, the Eighth Army found itself battered and driven back for much of the ensuing year as Rommel scored victory after victory. Not until the fall of 1942 at the Alamein Line did the Eighth Army's fortunes begin to reverse.

The Early Battles of Eighth Army

The Early Battles of Eighth Army PDF

Author: Adrian Stewart

Publisher: Leo Cooper Books

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13:

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"As Adrian Stewart reveals in this account, the early history of the Desert Rats was by no means so glorious or successful. Through careful examination of the plentiful evidence, much provided by those who personally fought in North Africa, he analyses the reasons for the near catastrophic reverses in the days before Montgomery. His conclusion is that, far from being due to any lack of resolve or courage on the part of its soldiers or inadequacies of equipment, it was the failure of British generalship, particularly that of General Sir Claude Auchinleck, the Commander-in-Chief Middle East, that proved so damaging. Held in genuinely high regard for his fine qualities, The Auk found himself ill-fitted for the demands of mobile armoured warfare, and often unable to select the right subordinates. It was doubly unfortunate that he and Eighth Army faced the able and charismatic Erwin Rommel."--BOOK JACKET.

Combat Ready? The Eighth U.S. Army on the Eve of the Korean War

Combat Ready? The Eighth U.S. Army on the Eve of the Korean War PDF

Author: Thomas E. Hanson

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1603443355

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"Historians and sliders have not been kind to either [General Douglas] MacArthur or the soldiers whom he placed in harm's way in the summer of 1950 ... This study seeks to redress the imbalance that exists between fact and interpretation. For too long historians and soldiers have roundly criticized Task Force Smith's performance, extrapolated from its fate a set of assumptions about what constitutes readiness, and then used those assumptions to condemn the entire Eighth Army. The reality is much more complex. A proper examination of the historical record reveals wide disparities in the readiness and combat effectiveness of the subordinate units of America's first forward-deployed Cold War field force ... This work will demonstrate how units achieved that readiness by means of case studies of four infantry regiments, one from each of the four infantry divisions that constituted the Eighth Army in 1950. It synthesizes contemporary training doctrine, training records generated by maneuver units, unit histories, reports of inspections by outside agencies, contemporary self-assessments, and the observations of veterans who served in Japan in the fifteen months before the outbreak of the Korean War. It challenges the long-standing reputation of the Eighth Army as flabby, dispirited, and weak"--Introduction.

America's First Battles, 1776–1965

America's First Battles, 1776–1965 PDF

Author: Charles E. Heller

Publisher: University Press of Kansas

Published: 1986-12-16

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 0700602771

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This volume, a collection of eleven original essays by many of the foremost U.S. military historians, focuses on the transition of the Army from parade ground to battleground in each of nine wars the United States has fought. Through careful analysis of organization, training, and tactical doctrine, each essay seeks to explain the strengths and weaknesses evidenced by the outcome of the first significant engagement or campaign of the war. The concluding essay sets out to synthesize the findings and to discover whether or not American first battles manifest a characteristic "rhythm." America's First Battles provides a novel and intellectually challenging view of how America has prepared for war and how operations and tactics have changed over time. The thrust of the book--the emphasis on operational history--is at the forefront of scholarly activity in military history.