renown1916

So I just finished this book and it was excellent hopefully the author will still respond. First off I want to mention I haven't read very much about cold war armies either organizationally or about their tactics. Most of my questions will be about organization. The first thing I want to ask is that during the reorganization in the 1980's when British FEBA brigades lost their reserve battlegroups why was this allowed to occur. Having immediate reserves at the lowest levels to prevent a breakthrough seems like common sense if even if high HQ's have few reserves. And why did units have to ask the next higher commander if they could use their own reserves. For example a division wanting to commit their reserve brigade asking the corps commander. This seems inflexible, time consuming, and taking the initiative away from subordinates. One argument in favor of IFV's could be that the APC and fire support roles in one vehicle should decrease the number of vehicles in each battlegroups and require less fuel and spare parts compared to two vehicles. Of course this doesn't address the tactical use of IFV's According to sources, Patrick Delaforce being one, British armoured divisions during WW2 used their armoured recce regiments as a fourth tank battalion teamed. So shouldn't the total number of maneuver companies for Britain on table 9-1 be 27 not 24 as mentioned in the book? On page 163 I feel that you also contradict yourself when you say that the 24 companies of the British armoured divisions is too many but then 2 paragraphs later mention that 20-24 companies is about right. Is it because of the ratio 15 infantry and 9 tank companies or something else? Besides that I wished you had included a chart breaking down your proposed Byfleet division. Regarding the Pentomic organization used by the U.S and similarly used by the British in the 1970's why was 5 battlegroups to much in terms of span of control while a bundesheer brigade could control 4 battlegroups plus other units? And what seems to be the best number of Combat Commands/Brigade headquarters between divisions and their battlegroups? 2 or 3 intermediate HQ's? I'm trying to find Grundsatzliche zu dem organizationplan heer and Soldat im 20. Jahrhundert that you mention as being translated by Ghislaine Fluck but I can't seem to find them in English. Is this personally translated for you like Middeldorf's books? Finally is there any chance that Middeldorf's being translated and sold anytime soon? Thanks in advance and I know this post is long winded.