Question of the Hour

[old medic]

Operation Killer Jan - Feb 1951

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/korea/ebb/ch16.htm

 

Evidence available by evening of 18 February, not only from the results of the IX Corps advance but also from the lull and lack of contact in the X and ROK III Corps zones, made clear that the Chinese and North Koreans were retiring from the salient they had created in the central region. The withdrawal fit the pattern of enemy operations observed before, especially Chinese operations, in which assault forces were obliged to pause for refitting after a week or so of battle.5

During the evening of the 18th Ridgway planned an advance designed to deny the enemy any respite in which to prepare new attacks and, in particular, designed to destroy those enemy forces moving north out of the Chech'on salient. He intended that two principal thrusts by American forces, up Route 29 from Wonju beyond Hoengsong and up Route 60 from Yongwol beyond P'yongch'ang, would block the main paths of enemy withdrawal. (Map 25) Other forces were to move through and clear the adjacent ground. Given the particular purpose of the attack, he called it Operation KILLER.6

Intelligence Problems

Ironically, as Ridgway developed the concept of Operation KILLER with confidence in the spirit of his line units, he found reason still to question the attitude of principal members of his own staff. On 18 February he received the staff recommendations he had asked for in late January on the terrain lines the Eighth Army should attempt to occupy during the spring and summer months. In sum, the staff proposed that the Eighth Army abandon offensive operations, defend in place until spring, then voluntarily withdraw to the old Pusan Perimeter.

Gen. Matthew Bunker Ridgway
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ridgway.htm

 

[Rhibwolf]

No worries on the oversight re 50 Cal.  Its all in sport.  A three Q below,

--who told the King of Naples to either fight and die, or do nothing and lose his kingdom as a larger enemy force approached?
-- what was the actual quote used? (the question above is only a summary of what he said)
--who led the approaching enemy force?

 

[rmacqueen]

No worries on the oversight re 50 Cal.  Its all in sport.  A three Q below,

--who told the King of Naples to either fight and die, or do nothing and lose his kingdom as a larger enemy force approached?
-- what was the actual quote used? (the question above is only a summary of what he said)
--who led the approaching enemy force?

Might it be Nelson, as indicated by the quote at the bottom of your profile? ;D

 

[Rhibwolf]

Oh my god!!! What a ninny I am.  :brickwall: RMacQ, I laughed so hard when I read, your post!  :rofl:
You just made my day, and I hope that my forgetfulness helped make some of your days too! :
yes, indeed - Nelson, to the king of Naples as Napoleon approached.

 

[rmacqueen]

Oh my god!!! What a ninny I am.  :brickwall: RMacQ, I laughed so hard when I read, your post!  :rofl:
You just made my day, and I hope that my forgetfulness helped make some of your days too! :
yes, indeed - Nelson, to the king of Naples as Napoleon approached.

Worse part is, one of your posts came up when I was searching for the answer and it still took me about 10 mins to figure out why :

 

[3rd Herd]

Operation Killer Jan - Feb 1951

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/korea/ebb/ch16.htm

 
Gen. Matthew Bunker Ridgway
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ridgway.htm

Not Bad Old Medic,

I was after a more Canadian perspective in that the Minister of Defence, Brooke Claxton, "especially objected to the way 'some operations in Korea have been handled or reported', including the use of heavy bombers and heavy artillery 'against defenceless villages,' dubbing the attacks with such names as Operation Killer". Further that "Mr Person also raised this matter with me...in which he was concerned about the general effect on the Canadian public if we follow the American example of emphasizing brutality in what my be close to barbarism, in these operations in Korea."(pg.84)

Bercuson David J. Blood on The Hills: The Canadian Army In The Korean War.Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999.

 

[rmacqueen]

Here is one for you.

What engagement is probably the only recorded case of cavalry capturing a naval fleet and what were the two countries involved?

 

[3rd Herd]

Guessing: The Spanish American War, and countries involved Spain, United States and place: Cuba

 

[rmacqueen]

Guessing: The Spanish American War, and countries involved Spain, United States and place: Cuba

Nope

 

[3rd Herd]

Second try:

French Cavalry Defeats Dutch Fleet?
By Peter Davis


Many sources refer to an extraordinary event at the end of the French advance into the "United Provinces" (the Netherlands) in the winter of 1794-5. It being a particularly severe winter, a significant part of the Dutch fleet, being icebound near the village of den Helder (at the tip of the peninsula between the North Sea and the Zuiderzee), was defeated and captured by French cavalry and horse artillery.

This is described by a number of 19th Century authors: the Frenchmen Adolphe Thiers Lacretelle, and François Auguste Marie Mignet, the Swiss Antoine Henri Jomini, and the Scot Sir Archibald Alison. There are also a number of paintings or drawings of the event, the most famous of which is probably the painting by Charles Louis Mozin (1806-1862) originally (and presumably still) in the collection in the Palace of Versailles. More recently, A.G.M. Macdonell, in Napoleon and his Marshals speaks of

"(when) the ragged men ... thundered on their horses across the ice to capture with naked swords the battlefleet of Holland".

Source: http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/c_jonge.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

On a related theme:

Can anyone tell me which Canadian cavalry regiment sank three German ships in Holland in 1944?

 

[stukirkpatrick]

That would be the British Columbia Regiment...  but don't forget the equally important role of its supporting infantry regiment 

 

[rmacqueen]

Second try:

French Cavalry Defeats Dutch Fleet?
By Peter Davis


Many sources refer to an extraordinary event at the end of the French advance into the "United Provinces" (the Netherlands) in the winter of 1794-5. It being a particularly severe winter, a significant part of the Dutch fleet, being icebound near the village of den Helder (at the tip of the peninsula between the North Sea and the Zuiderzee), was defeated and captured by French cavalry and horse artillery.

This is described by a number of 19th Century authors: the Frenchmen Adolphe Thiers Lacretelle, and François Auguste Marie Mignet, the Swiss Antoine Henri Jomini, and the Scot Sir Archibald Alison. There are also a number of paintings or drawings of the event, the most famous of which is probably the painting by Charles Louis Mozin (1806-1862) originally (and presumably still) in the collection in the Palace of Versailles. More recently, A.G.M. Macdonell, in Napoleon and his Marshals speaks of

"(when) the ragged men ... thundered on their horses across the ice to capture with naked swords the battlefleet of Holland".

Source: http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/c_jonge.html

Bang on.  The engagement took place Jan 23, 1795 at Texel Roads, the strait between Den Helder and Texel Island in Holland.  I just finished reading an article questioning whether any actual battle took place since the Dutch forces had already been ordered not to resist the French forces.  It suggests that it is more likely the Dutch simply surrendered the fleet.

 

[3rd Herd]

While battle drill originated with the British Army the was a specific Canadian officer and regiment who saw it become part of the Canadian army training program. If it were not for the regiment setting up a battle drill training area on their own it could be supposed that battle drill would still not be part of our infantry drills. Who was the officer and what was the regiment? Bonus if you can name the first training area.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Lieutenant Colonel J. Fred Scott, Calgary Highlanders, Burnt Wood

I l,ike the part where they were ordered NOT to do it by HQ but they did it anyways... bloody militia never does what it's told

http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/history/battle.htm

During 1941, the 47th (London) Division, a training formation of the British Army, began to demonstrate its new system of training, called "Battle Drill" to officers of the Canadian Army.  Lieutenant Colonel J. Fred Scott and Captain John Campbell of the Calgary Highlanders attended a demonstration on 8 October and found their imagination fired by what they saw.
On 22 October, Captain Campbell, Lieutenant Buchanan, and Lieutenant Nixon attended a battle drill school at Chelwood Gate, and according to unit historian Roy Farran, "No more fanatical disciples of the new system could have returned to the unit."

The Calgary Highlanders immediately set up their own Battle Drill school at Burnt Wood, and on 23 October, a demonstration was made before Colonel Ralston (Minister of Defence), General McNaughton (General Officer Commanding the Canadian forces in England), Lieutenant General Crerar (the commander of I Canadian Corps), and Major General Odlum (commander of the Second Canadian Division).  The platoon that participated in the demonstration were complimented by the senior officers.

The entire battalion began to cycle through the battle drill school in two week rotations, each course culminating in a demonstration to which officers of neighbouring units came to spectate.  While Battle Drill began to spread through the Canadian Army, opposition to it from the British War Office led to the 47th Division school being closed down in November.  "Battle Drill bibles," originally printed by the 47th Division,  had to be printed "surreptitiously" in the Calgary Highlanders orderly room, in order to be distributed to other interested Canadian units.

Opposition to the new training met with opposition in the Canadian Army as well; the First Canadian Division forbade their troops from attending the Calgary Highlanders' battle drill courses, to whom NCOs from other units were routinely invited.  By the end of December 1941, the Highlanders had sold more than 50 of their "Battle Drill bibles", twenty of them in a single day after demonstrating the new training to the Second Canadian Division on 30 December.

For the Calgary Highlanders, and indeed, the entire Canadian contingent in the UK, Battle Drill was a relief from months of monotonous training.  The War Diarist of the battalion, writing on New Year's Eve, remarked that "morale is higher than at any time in the past two and a half years.  A man is proud to say "I have taken Battle Drill" because without a doubt it is a physical accomplishment, particularly to the private.  To the Junior Leader who has added Battle Drill to his training, it is both a physical and mental achievement."

In January 1942, General Crerar wrote to the battalion to say "It is evident that a very satisfactory number, both of officers and ORs in the Canadian Corps have obtained the tactical and psychological advantages which are so evident in this particular course."  On the 16th of January, demonstrations were held for representatives of many Canadian units, with another demonstration on the 30th.  The orderly room printed 250 more copies of the Battle Drill bible.

 

[3rd Herd]

Excellent Answer , next batter up

 

[3rd Herd]

Cost one million dollars including 30,000 for building an entire village. Filmed in black and white this movie used two Canadian infantry regiments( or portions there of) as extras. What was the movies title and theme. Bonus for the location of the village and the actual Canadian regiment involved in the theme.

 

[geo]

(2 Regiments or 2 Battalions?)

 

[Rhibwolf]

need a hint mate. the best i could find was 43rd Rifles, which appears to be an "opening of the parliament" 106 yrs ago.

 

[3rd Herd]

Hint: Time Frame 1940-1942
Bonus hint my avtar on their first proposed operation in WW2 for the theme