Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Devers.

This is coolbert:

Thanks to a book review by David A. Powell as seen at Strategy Page and extracted from same!

"From Victory to Stalemate: The Western Front, Summer 1944, Decisive and Indecisive Military Operations, Volume 1", by Charles J. Dick.

"Why the War in the West Didn't End by Christmas"

"From Victory to Stalemate is an examination of American and British military operations in Northwest Europe over the late summer and early fall of 1944; with a specific focus on the Allied conduct of operations, and how Allied campaign decisions contributed to – or detracted from – final victory over the German army on the Western Front."

That question what has been asked ever since 1945 - - could Germany have been defeated far sooner and with less loss of life if Ike and his most senior commanders were agile, dynamic, aggressive?? ALLIED SENIOR COMMANDERS POOR PRACTITIONERS OF THE OPERATIONS ART??

"Operational art is the use of military forces [on a large scale] to achieve strategic goals through the design, organization, integration, and conduct of strategies, campaigns, major operations, and battles."

Two things from my perspective always are ignored when discussing the allied campaign in western Europe from the time of the Normandy landings forward. 1. Eisenhower having three army groups under his command [as of 15 September]. 2. The Devers Plan and the possibility for quick victory seems to be totally neglected by the historians and experts.


The Devers Plan. In the nutshell, that Third Army of Patton placed under operational control of Devers. Sixth Army Group would cross the Rhine, moving north on the east bank while Third Army also moving north, but on the west bank of the Rhine, objective Mannheim and Worms. German units much further north finding their rear in peril, compelled to retreat in a manner that might cause disintegration in the German ranks. NOT TO MENTION the Devers Plan occurring before the German Ardennes Offensive of 1944 and FORESTALLING SAME?

Eisenhower evidently having had the Devers Plan presented to him but Ike politely dismissing out-of-hand. Eisenhower cautious and for good reason!

coolbert.


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