Yossarian
Forum Resistance Leader
So I re read for the 2nd Time Jeff Shaara's God's and Generals and came to an interesting question.
During the battle of Chalon's in 451 Roman infantry marched on foot throughout their entire order of Battle.
1864 Infantry Forces of Sherman's Army marched on foot into Savannah Georgia. Confederate forces literally on foot marched into battle in Gettysburg from Virginia all the way into Pennsylvania.
Although by this time Railroads did offer rapid movement for both sides the majority of infantry force deployment was achieved by literally hoofing it to the next theater of operations.
Even with the U.S. Navy's increasingly effective Naval Blockade of the south limiting supplies. "Such as adequate footwear" Confederate troops sometimes marched barefoot.
Fast forward to 1939 and we all have seen newsreels of German Panzer's rolling into Poland. While although the Blitz did involved mass mechanized forces. German infantry once again mainly marched to Warsaw. Even more German supplies were primarily delivered by horse as opposed to large mechanized supply lines.
Fast forward to 1943 and the Soviets first serious of counter offensives involved much of the same, troops delivered supplies via horses. Not until later in the war did the Soviets utilize large amounts of trucks delivered under Lend Lease from the U.S. and U.K. to streamline force deployment and logistics.
1967 into the Tet offensive, NVA troops marched along the Ho Chi Min trail delivering troops and supplies all along the South Vietnamese theater of operations.
Fast forward again to today, with the world's modern infantry offered a myriad of delivery methods that would have made General Sherman envious. Is the deployment and mobility of Infantry forces still the same?
Meaning does modern infantry deploy , move and operate along these same lines? Does the modern Infantryman spend most of his time on foot moving throughout the field of operations?
Or are we in new territory? Just a thought.
Any insight is appreciated.
-Yo.
During the battle of Chalon's in 451 Roman infantry marched on foot throughout their entire order of Battle.
1864 Infantry Forces of Sherman's Army marched on foot into Savannah Georgia. Confederate forces literally on foot marched into battle in Gettysburg from Virginia all the way into Pennsylvania.
Although by this time Railroads did offer rapid movement for both sides the majority of infantry force deployment was achieved by literally hoofing it to the next theater of operations.
Even with the U.S. Navy's increasingly effective Naval Blockade of the south limiting supplies. "Such as adequate footwear" Confederate troops sometimes marched barefoot.
Fast forward to 1939 and we all have seen newsreels of German Panzer's rolling into Poland. While although the Blitz did involved mass mechanized forces. German infantry once again mainly marched to Warsaw. Even more German supplies were primarily delivered by horse as opposed to large mechanized supply lines.
Fast forward to 1943 and the Soviets first serious of counter offensives involved much of the same, troops delivered supplies via horses. Not until later in the war did the Soviets utilize large amounts of trucks delivered under Lend Lease from the U.S. and U.K. to streamline force deployment and logistics.
1967 into the Tet offensive, NVA troops marched along the Ho Chi Min trail delivering troops and supplies all along the South Vietnamese theater of operations.
Fast forward again to today, with the world's modern infantry offered a myriad of delivery methods that would have made General Sherman envious. Is the deployment and mobility of Infantry forces still the same?
Meaning does modern infantry deploy , move and operate along these same lines? Does the modern Infantryman spend most of his time on foot moving throughout the field of operations?
Or are we in new territory? Just a thought.
Any insight is appreciated.
-Yo.
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