Historical Combat, War, Geopolitics History and Analysis

Nilgiri

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Any movie, article, content etc that analyses finer tactical combat on the ground, air or sea....or the larger strategy and history of warfare etc.

Let me start with one great analysis I watched recently.....this movie by itself always hits me so raw and intensely when I watch it, but now I have new details to consider next time:



@Joe Shearer @Vergennes

MOD EDIT: Added War History to Title.
 
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Nilgiri

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IMO The Germans made a mistake to not concentrate the paratroopers into one crystallized landing zone and do the appropriate concentrated and well-timed prep air-assault on that landing zones major defenses.

It ran quite contrary to how they did fall gelb ardennes punch ironically and is something to be learned from to this day.

Kudos to bravery of the local Cretan defenders @Dante80
 

Nilgiri

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Some of the details he relives as he recounts......no words to describe....

I just found the larger channel with all these interviews compiled, members might find them interesting to sub to:


@Joe Shearer @VCheng @KAL-EL @Dante80 @T-123456 @Saiyan0321 @Vergennes
 

Nilgiri

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Highest respect and honour to these Turkish veterans and martyrs of the Korean war!

Any of you Turks have a good analysis/article regd Turkish deployment and action in Korean war?
 
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Any of you Turks have a good analysis/article regd Turkish deployment and action in Korean war?


The Turkish Brigade involvement in the Korean war is so underrated even someone like me who probably is not very fond at the results of the conflict can admit their contribution was valuable for that time there is even small memorial in Manhattan with flags of all the countries including Turkey as well
 

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Some of the details he relives as he recounts......no words to describe....

I just found the larger channel with all these interviews compiled, members might find them interesting to sub to:


@Joe Shearer @VCheng @KAL-EL @Dante80 @T-123456 @Saiyan0321 @Vergennes

Nice find! Thanks for sharing.
 

Anmdt

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Any of you Turks have a good analysis/article regd Turkish deployment and action in Korean war?
https://www.historynet.com/korean-war-1st-turkish-brigades-baptism-of-fire.htm
This is the one i could get in English.

And a short passage related to Turkish POWs at Korean War available in this article:
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1222&context=etd-project

The greatest number of North Korea's prisoners was, of course, American. Of the twelve nations represented, however, the third most numerous were the Turks, with 229. The U.S. Army study found them to have been just as exemplary in prison as they were in battle. The Turks' secret weapons were discipline, great pride in their brigade, and an unbroken chain of command. The final official report contains this Turkish officer's account of his prison experience:

"I told the Chinese commander of the camp that I was in charge of my group. If he wanted anything done, he was to come to me, and I would see that it was done. If he removed me, the responsibility would fall not on him but on the man next below me, and after that on the man below him. And so on, down thru the ranks, until there were only two privates left. Then the senior private would be in charge. They could kill us, I told him, but they couldn't make us do what we didn't want to do. Discipline was our salvation, and we all knew it. If a Turk had questioned an order from his superior to share his food or lift a [stretcher], the way I understand some of your men did, he would literally have had his teeth knocked in. Not by his superior, either, but by the Turk nearest to him. The Communists made attempts to indoctrinate [us]. . .but they failed completely, and eventually gave up."

The crowning consequence of this discipline was that, although half of the 229 were wounded when captured, not one died in prison. When a Turk got sick, the rest nursed him to health. If he was ordered to the hospital, two well Turks went along to minister to him hand and foot and to carry him back to the compound when he was discharged. At mealtime two Turks were dispatched to carry the food back, and it was divided equally down to the last morsel. There was no hogging, no rule of dog eat dog, not ever. Death by "give-up-itis" was impossible. While an American might curl up alone at night and die in the bitter cold, the Turks all piled together in one corner of their cell, and every hour the two on the outside would rotate to the center of the pile. The Chinese guards actually grew to fear their Turkish prisoners, as they watched the interminable wrestling matches which kept them so tough - and, paradoxically, so loyal to one another. As a consequence of this study President Eisenhower issued the now-famous Uniform Code of Military Conduct, and the Korean experience, thank God, has not repeated itself.
 
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Nilgiri

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https://www.historynet.com/korean-war-1st-turkish-brigades-baptism-of-fire.htm
This is the one i could get in English.

And a short passage related to Turkish POWs at Korean War available in this article:
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1222&context=etd-project

The greatest number of North Korea's prisoners was, of course, American. Of the twelve nations represented, however, the third most numerous were the Turks, with 229. The U.S. Army study found them to have been just as exemplary in prison as they were in battle. The Turks' secret weapons were discipline, great pride in their brigade, and an unbroken chain of command. The final official report contains this Turkish officer's account of his prison experience:

"I told the Chinese commander of the camp that I was in charge of my group. If he wanted anything done, he was to come to me, and I would see that it was done. If he removed me, the responsibility would fall not on him but on the man next below me, and after that on the man below him. And so on, down thru the ranks, until there were only two privates left. Then the senior private would be in charge. They could kill us, I told him, but they couldn't make us do what we didn't want to do. Discipline was our salvation, and we all knew it. If a Turk had questioned an order from his superior to share his food or lift a [stretcher], the way I understand some of your men did, he would literally have had his teeth knocked in. Not by his superior, either, but by the Turk nearest to him. The Communists made attempts to indoctrinate [us]. . .but they failed completely, and eventually gave up."

The crowning consequence of this discipline was that, although half of the 229 were wounded when captured, not one died in prison. When a Turk got sick, the rest nursed him to health. If he was ordered to the hospital, two well Turks went along to minister to him hand and foot and to carry him back to the compound when he was discharged. At mealtime two Turks were dispatched to carry the food back, and it was divided equally down to the last morsel. There was no hogging, no rule of dog eat dog, not ever. Death by "give-up-itis" was impossible. While an American might curl up alone at night and die in the bitter cold, the Turks all piled together in one corner of their cell, and every hour the two on the outside would rotate to the center of the pile. The Chinese guards actually grew to fear their Turkish prisoners, as they watched the interminable wrestling matches which kept them so tough - and, paradoxically, so loyal to one another. As a consequence of this study President Eisenhower issued the now-famous Uniform Code of Military Conduct, and the Korean experience, thank God, has not repeated itself.

Yes I think I read the first account years before when I first came across the subject itself somehow...thanks for posting.

The 2nd one is new to me, I have never really read much into POW side of Korean war....but it makes sense given the stages of this conflict.

Greatest respect to all these Turkish soldiers in all disciplines of the warfront....an example to indeed for all warriors to learn from....honour, toughness and perseverance.

It is now clear as to why the Korean colonel in the video has the highest reverence for these brave friends to Korea in her time of greatest need.
 

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Bit of air combat basic analysis in real time by the pilot:


From comments of above I can post this little tidbit of pride/satisfaction here without getting Pavlovian angry trolling in some other places:

mkiSC.jpg


@Paro @Joe Shearer @Gautam @Maximilian Veers @t90tankguy @Milspec @Cobra Arbok @SHOX

Sequel vid for SU-30 MKM this time:

 

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Does it fit in here?
Operation desert storm, 1991. Day -1 air war.
 
T

triangle

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Operation desert storm, 1991. Day -1 air war.

This video shows how important precision guided missiles are, especially ballistic missiles, which could take out and/or severely hinder any airpower concentration on the ground. The air desert storm air campaign is not repeatable against an adversary with a large conventional ballistic missile arsenal like China and Iran.
 

Nilgiri

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Potential NSFW warning for some of the footage...and also the account description I proceed to give


War is cruelty - W. T Sherman

In this colourized footage (that somehow adds a realism that black and white often cannot), a few things stood out to me (though I do have more context* to go upon too):

- Panzer IV tanks on fire (not seen in this footage), they were outclassed severely by Pershings that confronted them in the armoured spearheads (leading mostly Shermans of course) of these final assaults in Germany proper after Rhine bridgeheads and crossings were finally secured and established

- There is horrific footage of a Tanker escaping his doomed Sherman with leg severed...it was his final moments of life if you read the book* Lot more details of this specific engagement are given, down to crew level.

- The Germans had pretty much fully exhausted all Tigers and Tiger IIs at this point (industries had all mostly been levelled despite Speers fight to the end on it), most Pz5/Panthers had also been used up....hence the last reserves of (mostly obsolete by now) Pz4 used.

- The Luftwaffe was pretty much non-existent at this point, Allies had full air superiority. Most 8.8 cm guns had also been lost or captured....many in delaying actions on the eastern front. Everyone that knows a small smattering of WW2 would know most infantry divisions had been destroyed at this point compared to the peak size.

- Pershing tank sheer dominance and presence is well encapsulated in the footage

- One of the engagements on a Panther tank show the glowing holes left behind by AP rounds entering as it is destroyed.

- Footage of a civilian car caught in crossfire can be seen. This was a particularly unfortunate story covered in the book*

- One can see the somber war weary faces at the end.....the soldiers have been through literal hell for a long time...each scene they have confronted has taken its toll...their eyes say everything past any smile or grimace.

War is not a thing to ever be taken lightly...it is the most extremely devastating and violent thing humans do.

Having been to Cologne (and admired its cathedral especially as you arrive by train to city centre station) in modern peaceful times, this footage hits me in a different way too.

*Book that covers the story in this footage (lead up to and engagement at Cologne Cathedral and post engagement epilogue) quite well is:

Spearhead by Adam Makos

.... very highly recommended reading from me if this subject is of interest to you.

@Joe Shearer @Saiyan0321 @Dante80 @500 @Vergennes @xenon5434 @T-123456 @Cabatli_53 @ANMDT @Saithan
 
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Nilgiri

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A larger account of the above:

 
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