WW2 words of wisdom from veteren

[patrickl]

“If you encounter a unit you can’t identify, fire one round over their heads so it won’t hit anyone.

“If the response is a fusillade of rapid, precise rifle fire, they’re British.

“If the response is a s**tstorm of machine-gun fire, they’re German.

“If they throw down their arms and surrender, they’re Italian.

“And if nothing happens for five minutes and then your position is obliterated by support artillery or an airstrike, they’re American.”

[:D]

[Chris21wen]

[:D]

[wdolson]

In the AH General issue for the introduction of ASL, they had a bit from an interview with a German who had faces the British, Russians, and Americans. He said the British could be predictable, but they were extremely disciplined and they would hold up under fire amazingly well. He said the Russians were fanatical whether on defense or offense.

When he got to the Americans he paused a bit and said that he did face American soldiers on the battlefield, but it was usually difficult to see them with all the artillery, aircraft, tanks, etc. He said the American strategy was essentially to throw everything at the enemy and then accept their surrender.

Sounds like a similar story.

Bill

[Big B]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

In the AH General issue for the introduction of ASL, they had a bit from an interview with a German who had faces the British, Russians, and Americans. He said the British could be predictable, but they were extremely disciplined and they would hold up under fire amazingly well. He said the Russians were fanatical whether on defense or offense.

When he got to the Americans he paused a bit and said that he did face American soldiers on the battlefield, but it was usually difficult to see them with all the artillery, aircraft, tanks, etc. He said the American strategy was essentially to throw everything at the enemy and then accept their surrender.

Sounds like a similar story.

Bill

I've read that before [;)]

It reminded me of of something I read that I found surprising - given the US Marine Corps reputation.
I was reading Utter's Battalion, 2/7 Marines in Vietnam 1965-66. In it the author mentioned how the US Army at the time looked down upon the tactical practices of Marine officers - as behind the times and too costly in lives, while the impression of the Marines themselves seems to have been the Air Cav was most impressive.
Given the Marines image as legendary fighters, I was a bit taken aback by this.

B