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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Eight bore its just been released by Netflix streaming. No doubt will be available on Disk at some point. Whole thing is worthwhile particularly the interaction with Winston Churchill. Its part of Churchills history we dont read much about. True its entertainment not pure fact still worth a look. Many sporting scenes not just the one I mentioned.
Looks like my post turned to a discussion on WW II Generals. Only 69 years old I did not know any of them. But have read a lot of the Biographies and Autobiographies. If you look at it from all sides they have their positives and negatives. The Montgomery- Patton controversy was fact, inflated by the British and American press. True they had very different styles and the armies they lead were very different. However both were competent and in Montgomerys case more so than the Generals he replaced. We all know Patton not many Americans read Montgomery.
Core issue with Montgomery is most of the war he lead a poorly equipped war weary army which lead to his being very cautious.
Boats
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Joined: Oct 2009
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2009
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Eight bore its just been released by Netflix streaming. No doubt will be available on Disk at some point. Whole thing is worthwhile particularly the interaction with Winston Churchill. Its part of Churchills history we dont read much about. True its entertainment not pure fact still worth a look. Many sporting scenes not just the one I mentioned.
Looks like my post turned to a discussion on WW II Generals. Only 69 years old I did not know any of them. But have read a lot of the Biographies and Autobiographies. If you look at it from all sides they have their positives and negatives. The Montgomery- Patton controversy was fact, inflated by the British and American press. True they had very different styles and the armies they lead were very different. However both were competent and in Montgomerys case more so than the Generals he replaced. We all know Patton not many Americans read Montgomery.
Core issue with Montgomery is most of the war he lead a poorly equipped war weary army which lead to his being very cautious.
Boats
Now there is a sensible comment, free from jingoism from any direction.
The world cries out for such: he is needed & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Core issue with Montgomery is most of the war he lead a poorly equipped war weary army which lead to his being very cautious.
Boats
I don't particularly like Montgomery and feel history has been kinder to him then it should have, but to be fair Montgomery was very much a methodical planner who was at his best in getting the Germans to break themselves on the British defenses before Montgomery would go on the offense. I will also add that by the summer of 1944, the British (and the rest of the Commonwealth) were out of men. While they would get some replacements, they had no more formed and trained divisions available for Europe. Montgomery could not afford to be daring, even if it was in his nature. Patton came up through the cavalry where speed, shock and surprise were key to a successful cavalry engagement and he applied that mindset through out his career. Almost every other Allied Army commander came up through the infantry and did not share that training or mindset.
I have become addicted to English hammered shotguns to the detriment of my wallet.
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Chantry that's a good summary of the Montgomery Patton controversy . Very different men very different situations .
Boats
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Appreciate all these perspectives of the commanders and generals and their armies. I put a lot of stock in the American historian Eric Atkinson and the British Antony Beevor, gifted writers whose impeccable research from all diaries embraces the above.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
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Core issue with Montgomery is most of the war he lead a poorly equipped war weary army which lead to his being very cautious.
Boats
And the one time he threw caution to the wind--Market Garden--the result was a disaster.
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Sidelock
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If you want to understand Montgomery start with the Biographys of the other officers around him not his own. Best one for a true picture is Freddie DeGuingard his chief of staff. DeGuingard soothed offended allied generals often. He probably knew Montgomerys WW II history better than any other.
I came away not exactly liking Montgomery instead thinking he was the right man for the job. He made mistakes no doubt about it. Taking over a bad situation in North Africa Montgomery turned it around well before we were in a position to fight the Germans.
But who am I to say, make up your own mind.
Boats
Last edited by Boats; 11/08/16 05:44 PM.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,337 Likes: 340 |
Here's another slam on Monty, one I've always liked. Churchill made this comment about General Wilhelm Ritter Von Thoma, who served with the Afrika Korps and was captured by the Brits.
Here's Churchill's quote:
"I sympathize with General von Thoma: Defeated, in captivity and... (long pause for dramatic effect) dinner with Montgomery."
Best,
Greg
Gregory J. Westberg
MSG, USA
Ret
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2015
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brits despised pumps and autos.
a true gentleman is suppose to be able to hit a bird with no more than 2 shots, thus the love of sbs's.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2013
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I had a friend I served with many years ago that was a British Army Officer from a family that was affluent and took part in the "Shooting Sports". We were talking about hunting one day and after waaaay too many Pims, I pulled out my semi-automatic to show him. He just about crapped his pants...At least now I know why.
Doubles allow you to take a brace of birds. In style...
Last edited by Ken61; 11/08/16 07:51 PM.
I prefer wood to plastic, leather to nylon, waxed cotton to Gore-Tex, and split bamboo to graphite.
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