This is coolbert:
"Retreat hell, we are advancing in a different direction" - - Gen. O.P. Smith.
From a comment to the blog:
"For the record and for those not schooled in maneuver warfare: A CORPS RETROGRADE MANEUVER is probably the most difficult operation for a commander to effect successfully. Only the Germans in WWII demonstrated the capability, many instances in fact, in Modern Times.McClellan was an astute general to worry about his worst case scenario." - - Dan Kurt.
ONLY the German in WWII may not be totally correct?
That Far Eastern Command [FEC] Tenth Corps [X] encircled in the vicinity of the Chosin reservoir [1950] having to reverse course, a fighting retrograde action and a reverse amphibious operation all the while under PRESSURE
Tenth Corps consisting of the First Marine Division, elements of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry to include RCT31, two ROK divisions [Republic of Korea] and a British Royal; Marine Commando task force in danger of total annihilation able to extricate themselves, troops, a preponderance of impedimenta and an additional forty thousand [40,000] Korean refugees taken to safety, even an airfield built to fly out the wounded. That equipment and stores not removed destroyed the harbor of Hungnam blown totally to bits as a departing gesture of defiance!
Amphibious operations considered to be the MOST difficult of all military operations. A REVERSE amphibious operation intuitively understood to be that MUCH MORE DIFFICULT
If a movement to the rear is conducted according to a plan and orderly rather than disorderly that surely is an indication of superior leadership and planning and troop discipline!
Those comments of General Smith too NOT false bravado? That Marine First Infantry indeed having to reverse course and fight their way out of encirclement.
Smith too in advance having appraised the situation prior to the original northward movement of his command and selected dominant terrain to his rear as a position to be defended securing the potential line-of-retreat proving to be correct and vital
coolbert.
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1 comment:
General Smith oversaw a ROUT not a Retreat and certainly not A Corps Retrograde Maneuver.
I am traveling and don't have access to my books and files but from memory I remember that GENERAL JACK FROST had a lot to do with the UN forces survival as the Chinese DID NOT HAVE WINTER CLOTHING and most of their casualties were inflicted by COLD. The Chinese also lacked Artillery if I remember correctly. Their losses were so terrible that one or two of their divisions were disbanded after the battle. One group of Chinese blocking the way out actually froze to death in place conveniently for the UN soldiers to pass by at some bridge. The UN had total air control with land based and carrier based planes delivering hundred and hundreds of sorties daily. Air power and Naval Power saved the ground pounders for sure.
The entire operation was Cluster F**K from start to finish. Had the Chinese been better supplied Mao would have bagged most if not all of the entire UN forces.
Dan Kurt
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