Command Decisions (Hist. Chan U.S.) 10:30 p.m. PDT

[John Kettler]

Just saw the first run of this new program, the initial episode of which was the Battle of the Bulge. The premise is that you have to make various command choices, which are then compared with the historical ones. Some of the questions are good, but others rely on false premises (no mention was made, for example, of committing the cooks and clerks to frontline battle) or are outright wrong (no mention of all the bridges destroyed in Peiper's face). Those problems notwithstanding, most of the footage is fresh, pertinent and highly immersive: American artillery from pack howitzers through 8" guns, including Long Toms in winter camouflage and 90 mm AA deployed for ground combat; Panzerscheck and bazooka firings; 88 firings, including Pak 43; gripping firefight footage; Shermans of several sorts, Panzer IVs, StuGs, Jagdpanzer IVs, Marders, M-10s, M-5s, M-8 ACs, etc. You'll see Nebelwerfer and Calliope firings. I'm strongly disinclined to believe the Stukas shown were used, though. Modders will find much of interest. Well worth a look! Classical warfare enthusiasts watch Decisive Battles (Cannae)

first at 10 p.m. PDT. Check local listings if not in Pacific time zone.

Regards,

John Kettler

[ July 24, 2004, 12:08 AM: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[Spook]

Yeah, some good footage indeed, but similarly I thought some of the questions were stupid in their contrivance. The primary stupid ones:

1) What should the US soldiers use for winter camo -- painted uniforms, bedsheets, or captured German winter camo? Like "Ike" would've made the call on that one.

2) Should Bastogne been evacuated, booby-trapped, or held onto? Not obvious to those without a map as to see Bastogne's value as a road junction, so the "stand fast" rationale wouldn't had been any more obvious.

3) Should the defense of Strasbourg been made outside or inside the town? Again, not obvious without a map or force dispositions. Perhaps US forces could've set it up as another Bastogne and caused the attacking Germans similar problems trying to lay siege to it, for all that the program conveyed for background information.

4) What should the air forces focused on bombing -- troops, roads, or fuel convoys? Stupid question in the main. Sure, roads (the "right answer") and supply/fuel convoys were appropriate for bombers to focus on, but fighter-bombers were numerous enough to provide CAS to work over German troops at that same time. As what the 2nd Panzer learned in earnest at Celles.

5) And the Grand Poobah idiot question -- What should the US counterattack been like --- to cut off the Bulge, go around it, or push it in? Geez, the knee-jerk assertion of the historic "push it back" was just plain dumb IMO. Not that trying to attack from the base of the Bulge (north & south) didn't have its hazards and limits, but the "push it back" caused worse US casualties than the earlier defense phase, and let more German troops escape than what might've been the case otherwise.

[rleete]

I agree with both. Some of the footage was stuff I'd never seen before, and generally a decent production.

But the questions were led to get the "right" answer (at least to me, and I'm no grog). They also appeared to be vast oversimplifications, as Spook has said.

Pictures for grogs, narration for the youngsters. I may watch it again, but next time with the sound off.

[Spook]

Originally posted by rleete:

Pictures for grogs, narration for the youngsters. I may watch it again, but next time with the sound off.

Intriguing idea.

[Runyan99]

Yeah, it kind of sucked.

[Breakthrough]

Nor bad for a half-hour show. The footage was the best part.

[Publius Cornelius Patton]

Originally posted by Spook:

4) What should the air forces focused on bombing -- troops, roads, or fuel convoys? Stupid question in the main. Sure, roads (the "right answer") and supply/fuel convoys were appropriate for bombers to focus on, but fighter-bombers were numerous enough to provide CAS to work over German troops at that same time. As what the 2nd Panzer learned in earnest at Celles.

Well, I had answered "fuel convoys." As the saying goes "Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics." I guess you're right about the fighter bombers- let the big bombers blow up the fuel, have the fighter-bombers take out the grunts and tanks.

Originally posted by Spook:

5) And the Grand Poobah idiot question -- What should the US counterattack been like --- to cut off the Bulge, go around it, or push it in? Geez, the knee-jerk assertion of the historic "push it back" was just plain dumb IMO. Not that trying to attack from the base of the Bulge (north & south) didn't have its hazards and limits, but the "push it back" caused worse US casualties than the earlier defense phase, and let more German troops escape than what might've been the case otherwise.

Amen to that. At the end of the program, it remarked that the Germans were tired of the offensive, surrendered, etc. So wouldn't they have surrended quicker if they had been cut off?

God bless,

"Publius Cornelius Patton"

[BigMik1]

Originally posted by rleete:

I agree with both. Some of the footage was stuff I'd never seen before, and generally a decent production.

But the questions were led to get the "right" answer (at least to me, and I'm no grog). They also appeared to be vast oversimplifications, as Spook has said.

Pictures for grogs, narration for the youngsters. I may watch it again, but next time with the sound off.

I totally agree with this......I love the pictures, but I can open anyone of my WW2 books and get more info than I get from the show.

BigMik1