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Saturday, 24 September 2022

WW2 American Infantry Experience in European Theatre of Operations (ETO) - Audible Book: Closing With The Enemy

I can highly recommend my current Audible book on the US Army in the ETO (European Theatre of Operations) and how they fought .. or .. rather how they changed the way they fought from the Normandy beaches, through the bocage through France and into Germany. Incredible detail, particularly with reference to the urban combat (Brest and Aachen) and the ingenuity employed (see below, another book I pick away at during car journeys and walking the dog): 


Particularly as it gives great reference to US learning experience and their adaptation in confronting challenges - on the fly changes and inventing doctrine that worked (like pulling a M12 155mm SP howitzer into a street fight to emphasise a point to some defending Germans and positioning artillery perpendicular [aka already flanking the position to be attacked] to teh axis of attack on a village, so that there is no longer a problem of short rounds [blue-on-blue] and the attacking infantry can "pounce" on still stunned defenders). 
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4 comments:

  1. Jonathan Freitag24 September 2022 at 23:37

    Sounds good!

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  2. Geordie an Exiled FoG25 September 2022 at 00:37

    I can honestly recommend it - I am even taking the dog out more often and on longer walks to get through it quicker ;) win .. win

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  3. Martin Rapier26 September 2022 at 07:54

    It is interesting that you like it. It got panned when it was originally published so I never bought a copy.

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  4. Geordie an Exiled FoG26 September 2022 at 09:55

    That is interesting .. was it panned in just the academic press or across the hobby? it is making reference to Field Regulations and highlighting the difference between "yes in theory" but "this is what we have to do here and now". It is highlighting US "mistakes" and combat evolution. It stresses Combined Arms over single arm advantages .. seems balanced to me. Some good wargaming scenarios coming out of it. It highlighted that you knew when something was going wrong .. as you started losing US Officers! It does give a scale of the US commitment in the ETO (European Theatre of Operations). Respect is due!

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