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GROSS DEUTSCHLAND PANZER DIVISION | To Sink a Warship | I Rember: Anzio | Battle of Shanghai, 1932
The Strategy & Tactics of World War II #20 OCT–NOV 2011
GROSSDEUTSCHLAND
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WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 3
The Strategy & Tactics
of World War II
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20 | OCT–NOV 2011
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Gross Deutschland Panzer: Design Corner
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An Analysis of Hitler’s Elite by Joseph Miranda & Tactics and World at War magazines. We value critical
Identified by some historians as the analysis over summaries alone. Maximum word count is 500.
single most elite combat formation in 50 Contact Chris Perello at chris@christopherperello.com
the entire German ground force, we Mega Feedback Please submit all other questions or comments to our free
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provide an analysis of that infamous unit.
by Roger Mason 54
PUBLISHER
Game Preview Dr. Christopher Cummins
22
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
I Remember: Sgt. John Shirley 55 Callie Cummins
& the Anzio Battle Sleds Observation Post
SENIOR EDITOR
This is the story of a failed attempt • Strategic Backwaters Ty Bomba
at battlefield improvisation, as told Djibouti: Running the
EDITOR
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• Weapons & Tactics Callie Cummins
30 Tank & Anti-Tank Tactics in Burma COPY EDITORS
Analysis: The 1932 Shanghai Incident by Raymond E. Bell, Jr. Jon Cecil, Dave Kazmierczak, Tim Tow
A strong argument can be made • Technology Backdate SENIOR GAME DEVELOPER
World War II actually began in China Trains Over Beaches Eric Harvey
in the early 1930s. This is an analysis by Mark Day MAP GRAPHICS

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Gross Deutschland Panzer:
An Analysis of Hitler’s Elite
By Roger Mason

Origins & Combat History
I
n general, in the early and mid- with the arrival of Hitler, the unit was
1930s the German military was continually expanded throughout the
divided into two groups. The first rest of the decade. By January 1939 it
was a false front of units that repre- was renamed Infantry Regiment Gross
sented the forces allowed post World Deutschland (Greater Germany). It
War I treaties. The second group was was by then a stand-alone regiment
made up of the ever more powerful and with a full complement of support and
numerous sea, air and ground forces administrative units. The soldiers of the
being developed behind the scenes. regiment were allowed to wear green
More particularly, Berlin was a center and silver cuff and shoulder tabs bearing
of international attention as Hitler their unit’s name and initials as evidence
gained and consolidated power, and of their elite status. The unit was also
the face of the German Army there was unique in that, even as it expanded,
the Wachtruppe Berlin (Berlin Guard it was allowed to continue to draw
Troop). Drawn from regiments across from the pick of recruits from all over
the country on a rotating basis, that Germany, while the other formations in
unit provided ceremonial and military the army were territorially recruited.
security in the capital city. Starting

After the surrender of France the back north to take part in the renewed
regiment prepared to take part in the drive on Moscow. By mid-October it
invasion of England. When that opera- had reached the city of Tula, south of
tion was cancelled, it was transferred Moscow. Tula was an important rail and
to a camp at Le Valdahon on the Swiss road junction, and its capture was criti-
border. There the mission was to train cal to the final assault on Moscow. The
for Operation Felix, a projected attack regiment took part in repeated attempts
on Gibraltar. That was cancelled when to capture the city, but the overall
Hitler decided to invade the Balkans. offensive ground to a halt with the onset
In early April 1941 the regiment of winter weather and Tula remained
was moved by rail first to Vienna, then in Soviet hands. That period was
to Budapest, and then to Szegedin in significant because it marked the first
Romania. On 11 April it participated in time a major portion of the unit had to
the invasion of Yugoslavia. Resistance be replaced due to deaths and injuries.
was light and Gross Deutschland moved
quickly, seizing the town of Pancevo 1942
on the Danube. Its battalions were Fighting continued with the regiment
An officer of the II Panzer Regiment detailed to provide security during on the defensive, which further reduced
“Grossdeutschland” sporting the the initial occupation of Belgrade. its strength until, by the end of February,
Grossdeutschland cuff title.
On 15 June the regiment was moved it was spent. The 2nd Battalion was
to Warsaw. There it was assigned to disbanded and the two remaining bat-
France & the Balkans the reserve of 2nd Panzer Army. talions were reformed into a single unit.
Though the regiment didn’t take part By the end of that month the last assault
in the 1939 Polish campaign, by the next Barbarossa gun in the regiment had been destroyed.
year the high command determined it On 27 June 1941 the regiment The regiment was then pulled
was ready for more than ceremonial and crossed into Russia as part of Army out of the line and reorganized, and
security duties. Hitler was also interested Group Center. After heavy fighting a decision was made to upgrade it to
in seeing his favorite units received a around Minsk the unit crossed the divisional strength. Tanks, artillery,
mixture of combat and parade ground upper Dnepr River, advancing as far flak, engineers and support staff were
experience. The regiment was therefore as the town of Yelnya, where a large- added. It was redesignated Motorized
attached to Panzer Group Kleist. scale Soviet counterattack stymied Infantry Division Gross Deutschland.
That larger formation spearheaded further German movement east toward The various new components were
the invasion of the West and crossed Moscow. Fighting continued through the brought together, and in the first week
the Meuse River to participate in the summer, including a deflection to the of June the division joined XXIV Panzer
decisive flanking maneuver beyond south to take part in the Kiev encircle- Corps as part of Army Group South.
the north end of the Maginot Line. ment. The regiment was then ordered
Men of the panzer regiment check their equipment.

By the end of June the division was
in pursuit of the Soviet units retreating
into Voronezh, while much of the rest
of Army Group South moved across the
Donets River and then toward Stalingrad
and the Caucasus. During August the
division was withdrawn and sent north
to Rzhev to reinforce Army Group Center.
The Soviets began putting pressure
on Rzhev to prevent the establishment
of a German base for a new assault
on Moscow. In that sector the division
became part of XXVII Army (Infantry)
Corps. After a month of inconclusive
fighting, the division was again pulled
back to rest and refit. Parts of it were sent
to reinforce several infantry divisions
that had been mauled in the fighting.
In November the Soviets launched
a major offensive in which the 86th
Infantry Division was crushed. The
only unit close enough to intervene
was 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier
Regiment of Gross Deutschland. Bitter
fighting occurred in the Lutchessa
River valley, lasting nearly a month,
with the panzer grenadiers suffering
serious losses. The division was
withdrawn once again to rest and refit.
1943
The division moved to Smolensk and
then railed to Volchansk, near Belgorod.
By February the Gross Deutschland was
back on the attack between Belgorod
and Kharkov. At that time the division
received its first Tiger tanks and an
additional artillery battalion, just in time
for the new German offensive to retake
Belgorod and Kharkov. The Germans
recaptured those places, thereby achiev-
ing their last major victory in Russia.
From mid-March to the end of June
the division was refitted and reinforced,
with the infantry given greater numbers
of halftracks to improve cross-country
mobility. The Gross Deutschland was
also redesignated Panzer Grenadier
Division Gross Deutschland, and
it was moved to positions north
of Tomarovka in preparation for
Operation Citadel. The panzer regiment
received new Mark V Panther tanks.
Operation Citadel was intended
to reduce the Kursk salient, which
posed a threat along the boundary
line between Army Groups Center
and South. The plan for the offensive
was to pinch off the salient from the
north and south, thereby destroying
the forces the Soviets would need
for their next winter offensive.
The Gross Deutschland was
selected as the spearhead of the
southern attack. The division moved GD grenadiers moving cross-country on foot.

Organization & Equipment The Mark VI Tiger was a heavy tank was a small tank destroyer, based on
of the Panzer Grenadiers weighing 62 tons and armed with an 88mm captured Czech chasses, which was also used
cannon. The division’s panzer regiment had successfully as an infantry-support assault
The purpose of the panzer grenadier divi- four companies of Mark IVs and Vs and two gun. The Hetzer carried a 76mm gun.
sions was to provide a mobile combined-arms companies of Mark VIs. Tigers assigned The artillery regiment was equipped with
force that could fight in concert with armored directly to a division were rare, because most both towed and self-propelled artillery (SPA).
divisions as well as on their own. Army plan- of them were deployed in separate battalions The regiment had two batteries of SdKfz
ners originally intended those divisions would that were kept under direct control of army or 124 Wespes and one battery of SdKfz 165
be fully equipped with mechanized infantry army group commanders (for commitment at Hummels. The Wespe was based on a Mark II
transport as well as tanks; however, in 1939 the decisive times and places within larger battles). Panzer chassis and armed with a 105mm how-
mechanization process remained far from com- The grenadier regiment had its troops itzer. The Hummel was based on both Mark III
plete. The Polish campaign included everything mounted in SdKfz. 251 Hanomag halftracks. and IV chassis and carried a 150mm howitzer.
from fully mechanized divisions to others exclu- Those vehicles were lightly armored and could The Hummels were often accompanied by
sively using horses pulling wagons for their carry 12 infantrymen. The grenadier units were Munitionstrager, which were gunless models
transport. For average units that kind of mix also supplied with trucks and other prime used to carry extra ammunition. Those ammuni-
didn’t change throughout the course of the war. movers. The prime mover was the SdKfz. 9 tion carriers could be converted by giving
Panzer grenadier divisions were intended Famo heavy halftrack. They could pull artillery, them guns retrieved from disabled Hummels.
to provide a force that could operate at the supply wagons or even tow disabled tanks. The division was further strengthened
same speed as tanks; so elite divisions such Unlike the Hanomag, it had no side armor and by an assault gun brigade comprised of three
as Gross Deutschland were well equipped was equipped with three open bench seats for batteries of Sturmgeschutz IIIs. They were
with the vehicles needed to make possible its crew. Flatbed Famo could mount a light flak based on the Panzer Mark III chassis, with first
that type of rapid movement. In 1943 the gun, a crane for vehicle repair and engineering a short-barrel and then a long-barrel 75mm gun.
division was composed of four regiments: the tasks, or serve as a tank recovery vehicle. The low silhouette made it difficult to target
panzer regiment, the grenadier regiment, the The fusilier regiment had more troops and an effective tank killer. For Kursk the regi-
fusilier regiment and the artillery regiment. in Hanomags, a full flak section and an ment had 35 of those guns with long-barrel 75s.
The panzer regiment was equipped anti-tank battalion. They also had a variety The table of organization was rounded
with Mark IV, V and VI tanks. The Mark of trucks, both German and captured enemy out by an engineer battalion that had one
IVs were armed with excellent long-barrel models. The flak section had more Famo Hanomag-mounted and three truck-mounted
75mm cannon. The Mark V was known as with towed 88mm multi-purpose (anti- companies. The rest of the division was com-
the “Panther,” weighed 44 tons and had armor/anti-aircraft) guns along with smaller prised of miscellaneous support troops. Some
better sloped armor than its predecessors. caliber rapid-fire weapons on flatbeds. of the most important were the vehicle recovery
In May 1943 the first Tigers were delivered The anti-tank battalion was equipped crews with mobile workshops that returned
to the Gross Deutschland Division. with towed anti-tank guns and the damaged tanks and vehicles to the fight. ★
Jagdpanzer SdKfz.139 Hetzer. The Hetzer
The famous Hanomag transport.

Hummel Wespe

» continued from page 9
off on the morning of 4 July, but the
effort literally bogged down when
the new Panthers became trapped
by muddy conditions and previously
undetected minefields. In eight days
of fierce fighting the division suffered
heavy casualties and was pulled back.
After a short rest the division was
sent north to Karachev to stabilize
the front in that area. From there the
division fought a continuous rearguard
action back to the Dnepr River. That
included heavy fighting during August
at Akhtyka. The division covered
the withdrawal to the Kremenchug
bridgehead, then south through
continuous fighting to Mischurin Rog.
The year ended with German retreats
along the entire front, during which the
division gained the nickname the “Fire
Brigade” for its repeated deployment
to the points of greatest threat.
1944
In January the division moved
south toward the Crimea to slow the
advance there of 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian
Fronts. The division was relieved and
sent to Hungary in March. Next they
participated in heavy defensive fighting
in the Carpathian Mountains at Targul
Frumos, where some of its formations
were entirely wiped out. The remnants
of the division were pulled back for
refitting and regrouping. By summer the
Gross Deutschland had moved back to
the front and took part in the defense
of East Prussia. In October the division
fought in the Memel bridgehead. In
November the unit was redesignated
a panzer corps, combining the Gross
Deutschland and Brandenburg Divisions.
The stalled advance toward Kursk.

Inc.
1945 Schneider, W. (2005). Panzer Tactics: German Small Unit
By March the division was down to SELECTED SOURCES Armor Tactics in World War Two. Mechanicsburg, PA:
Erickson, J. (1983). The Road to Berlin. London, UK: Cassell Stackpole Books.
4,500 men and a handful of vehicles, Books. US War Department (1990). Handbook on German Military
with most finally surrendering to the Hastings, M. (2005). Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, Forces. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State Univ. Press.
1944-45. New York, NY: Random House. Williamson, G. (2002). German Army Elite Units, 1939-45.
Soviets at Pillau; however, approximately Hoffmann, P. (2000). Hitler’s Personal Security. New York, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing.
800 escaped west and surrendered to NY: De Capo Press. Bull, S. (2005). World War Two Infantry Tactics: Company
Lucas, J. (1982). War on the Eastern Front: 1941-1945, The and Battalion. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing.
the British. Those who surrendered to German Soldier in Russia. New York, NY: Bonanza Glantz, D. & House, J. (1999). The Battle of Kursk. Lawrence,
the Soviets remained in various gulags Books. KA: Univ. of Kansas Press.
Sajer, G. (2000). The Forgotten Soldier. Dulles, VA: Potomac
until the mid-1950s. Only a handful of Books.
survivors returned to Germany. ✪ Scheibert, H. (1987). Panzer Grenadier Division Gross
Deutschland. Carrollton, Tx: Squadron Publications

Hitler’s Other Favorites with the word “Stalingrad” on it was worn
on the soldiers’ shoulder straps and garrison
Gross Deutschland was one of a group caps. The division spent much of 1943 and
of German Army and Air Force units that 1944 fighting in Italy before being transferred
came to be considered elite by Hitler and the to Hungary, where it remained until retreating
high command. They were often connected west and surrendering to the US Army in 1945.
directly to Hitler in some way, and their (often
officially declared) elite status indicated an Infantry Regiment “List”
elevated sense of personal loyalty to him. Hitler wanted to commemorate his World
Hitler’s favorites were thus bestowed with War I unit, the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment
unique uniform items that helped distinguish “List” (named for its founding colonel). Though
them from the soldiers of other units. They disbanded in 1919, by 1939 the unit had been
also received a steady stream of the best reactivated and incorporated into the 57th
equipment available. At the same time, though, Infantry Division, and it fought in the invasion
they were committed to relentless combat of France. It participated in the invasion
that often decimated their ranks. In cycles of of Russia and fought at Kursk in 1943. The
near-destruction and regrouping that ran to entire division was awarded a dark green cuff
the end of the war, Hitler always found the band with its name in silver embroidery.
resources and personnel to rebuild them. In February 1944 the division was trapped
As regular units shrank from combat losses, in the Cherkassy Pocket and only escaped after
the elites grew in relative combat power and suffering heavy casualties. It was trapped again
battlefield significance. While a regular army at Minsk with nearly a total loss of personnel.
panzer division might be reduced to two-dozen It was reconstituted and sent back to Russia,
tanks and assault guns, an elite unit would where it barely escaped destruction during
be kept much nearer to full strength. Because the follow-on Soviet offensive. The remnants
of Hitler’s confidence in their abilities, they into two new panzer divisions and upgraded of the division continued fighting until 8 May
were routinely sent to emergencies that again to a panzer corps. In May 1945 the 1945, when they surrendered to the Soviets.
developed on every front. That practice in corps surrendered in Czechoslovakia.
turn often resulted in heavy losses to the
units, which would then restart the cycle of Hoch und Deutschmeister
rebuilding and emergency recommitment. Division
The Hoch and Deutschmeister (Infantry)
Feldherrnhalle Division Division traced its roots to elite units of the
The Feldherrnhalle (Commanders’ Hall) was Austrian Army formed in the 18th century to com-
originally a ceremonial pavilion on the main bat the Turks, and which were fully incorporated
plaza in Munich, Bavaria. The location became into the German Army at the time of the 1938
the flashpoint of a bloody confrontation during Anschluss. (The name is probably best translated
the failed 1923 Munich “Beer Hall” Putsch. as the “Supreme and German Master Infantry
Later, Hitler made it into a Nazi shrine commem- Division.”) The division participated in the inva- Hermann Goering Parachute
orating the storm troopers killed in the incident. sion of Poland and France, and was eventually Panzer Division
Hitler had earlier planted the seed of transferred to the eastern front where it was In 1933 Hermann Goering became the head
this division when he established a special assigned to 6th Army for the drive on Stalingrad. of all police in Prussia, which included Berlin.
Sturm Abteilung (SA or Assault Detachment) There it was cited for bravery while attempting He raised a battalion for special assignments
guard unit to protect the offices of the Nazi to prevent the encirclement of 6th Army. That and to serve as his personal guard unit. In 1934
Party. They were soon unofficially called sacrifice was favorably noted by Hitler. that unit was enlarged and given full military
the “Brownshirts,” due to their distinctive The division was therefore reconstituted training. It was then called Landespolizeigruppe
uniforms. With the start of the war the SA after Stalingrad and reorganized under the General Goering (National Police Group
was folded into the regular German Army. title Reich Grenadier Division Hoch and General Goering). When Goring took over the
Many of the members of the original guard Deutschmeister, and was awarded a black cuff Luftwaffe, the unit went with him. It became
unit were then formed into the 271st Infantry band bearing that name. A blue Maltese cross a full regiment that included paratroops and
Regiment, which was in turn attached to the 60th
Infantry Division. That regiment was given the
honorary title of the Feldherrnhalle Regiment.
After the 1940 fighting in France, the regi-
ment was bounced from division to division and
served on the Russian front. In 1943 it returned
to the 60th Division, which was then being
reorganized as a panzer grenadier unit. That
entire reorganized formation received the title
Feldherrnhalle, along with a unique brown cuff
band with the name inscribed in silver thread.
In 1944 the division was absorbed into
the 13th Panzer Division, which then took on
the honorific title. Additional panzer units
were added, and the division was broken Men of Infantry Regiment List.

Offensive Operations
The Germans gave great thought to the development of their offensive doctrine
during the prewar years. The foundation of it was Auftragstaktik (mission-oriented
tactics), a system originally devised by the Prussian Army in the mid-19th century. That
meant orders to small units provided the overall objective and the intention of the
higher-level commander, but the small-unit commanders were in turn left free to develop
a solution based on the situation as they saw it evolving during combat.
HG Division in Italy. Because Gross Deutschland was a panzer grenadier (mechanized
infantry) unit, its particular offensive doctrine became a mixture of armor and
heavy flak units. Those flak formations were infantry solutions. The mid-war addition of armored transport vehicles for
detailed to provide anti-aircraft protection for the infantry allowed them to cooperate more closely with the tanks.
Hitler when he was in Berlin, on his train, or All offensive planning began with the identification of a Schwerpunkt (main point of
at his mountaintop retreat at Obersalzburg. concentration). Within and near that Schwerpunkt, units were assigned specific avenues
The regiment fought in France and the early of advance to decrease confusion and the possibility of friendly fire situations.
stages of the Russian campaign. They wore a Armored offensive tactics were in turn based on the idea of continual move-
standard German army uniform with Luftwaffe ment. Three specific forms of attack were: meeting engagement, hasty attack
wings on the breast and a blue cuff band with and deliberate attack. The meeting engagement was intended to allow lead
“Hermann Goering” sewn on it. The heavy flak units to quickly transition, upon first contact with a moving enemy, to offensive
units were attached to panzer units in Army operations before the surprised enemy could organize his response.
Group South during 1941, until they were The doctrine further dictated that, in fluid tactical environments, battalion
withdrawn to transition into a brigade. Goering commanders must be prepared to attack even when their units weren’t at optimal
then decided he rated an entire division named strength or properly concentrated. German armor units therefore conducted
after him. So various miscellaneous units were extensive training in transition from march columns to hasty attack formations.
collected and supplemented by experienced Deliberate attack was used when facing an enemy in a prepared defense. Different
armored crew from the army. Thus the Hermann parts of the overall attacking formation would then be assigned individual Schwerpunkt,
Goering Parachute Panzer Division was born. based on the exact type of defensive position each one would be facing.
In early 1943 components of the division That general approach in turn led to the development of the Kampfgruppe (KG or battle-
were sent to North Africa, where they were group) concept. In theory it involved carefully selecting units, equipment and personnel from
captured when Axis forces surrendered in as wide an overall spectrum as possible in order to optimally customize a force for the mission
Tunisia. The division was then sent with new at hand. By 1944, however, KG had generally deteriorated in practice into hastily collecting
Tiger I tanks to Sicily, where it fought stubbornly any survivors and vehicles and throwing them back into battle as ad hoc reinforcements. ★
against the Allied invasion. The division suc-
cessfully retreated to mainland Italy, where it
fought at Salerno and Anzio. It was withdrawn
from Italy and rebuilt in time to defend
Warsaw against the Soviet offensive there.
In late 1944 the division was divided
into separate panzer and panzer grenadier
divisions and was redesignated Panzerkorps
Hermann Goering. During the final weeks of
the war it fought a delaying action back to
Dresden, where it was finally surrounded by
the Soviets. The survivors were shipped to
Siberia, where most perished in the gulags. ★
Final preparations for an attack.

Defensive Operations Forward blocking positions were hardened In the main defensive line, tanks were used
sites sometimes supported by tanks. “Hardened” in three types of positions: open, hull down and
While Hitler had envisioned staying on on the eastern front, however, was a far cry from concealed. Open was never the best option
the strategic offensive until final victory, by Atlantic Wall type fortifications. They were usu- because of the obvious threat to survivability.
the winter of 1941-42 the issue of large-scale ally just dug in positions that made use of local Hull down offered the best protection for tanks
defensive operations was current and terrain advantages. The mission of the blocking and assault guns, because full concealment
contentious. Hitler generally insisted ground positions was to break up the overall momentum (which restricted mobility) was only good
once taken must be held at all costs. His com- of the enemy attack and channel it into smaller until the shooting started. Tanks hull down
manders preferred the ebb and flow of elastic areas that counterattacks could then destroy on the edge of towns or in tree lines were
defense, which offered greater opportunities piecemeal. Blocking positions might use tanks, sometimes able to get off the first shot during
for preserving personnel and equipment while assault guns or towed guns for support. enemy attacks and then get away before heavy
generating chances for eventual counterattack. Once the enemy got past the forward return fire could be brought against them.
For the Gross Deutschland Division, defensive blocking positions, they hit the main defensive Counterattacks came in two forms: planned
tactics became the key to survival. area. That was ideally to be set up as a defense and hasty. Planned counterattacks often
From the German doctrinal perspective the in depth with three lines: the forward security coincided with favorable terrain features that
ultimate goal of defensive operations was the position, the main battle line and the rear area. allowed the defenders opportunities to try
deployment of available forces in such a way The forward security area was usually to stop their retreat and retake the initiative.
as to create the opportunity to counterattack. only lightly held. The German goal within that Decisions were made ahead of time establishing
Defenders were to fight from blocking positions area was to further harass the enemy what the limits of such counterattacks would be.
with the coordination of personnel, equipment forces that had already been broken up and Hasty counterattacks were based on local condi-
and resources coming from “coordination points” channelized by the blocking positions. tions and opportunistic timing. Commanders
(Anschlusspunkt). Those coordination points The overall depth of a properly constructed were expected to seize unanticipated opportuni-
were the flipside of the offensive Schwerpunkt. German defensive position meant attackers ties to attack and thereby regain the initiative.
The primary mission of the coordination were never to be sure when they would hit As the war progressed the issue of fighting
point was to maintain the cohesion of the the main battle line. That initial contact was from encirclements also grew in importance.
overall defense. It maintained contact with intended to be a severe shock to them. When encircled the first step was the preserva-
neighboring units and shared local intelligence. The rear areas were organized to tion of morale and the prevention of “encircle-
That was especially important in regard to resupply the forward defense positions and ment fever” (Kesselfieber). It was found that the
observed changes that might impact neighboring provide staging areas for further counterat- knowledge among the soldiers their unit was
units, such as enemy forces redeploying. tacks. The access routes were chosen to cut off could easily result in panic that greatly
Whenever possible, that reporting was provide the greatest protection for troops diminished their survival potential. The key was
facilitated by hardwire communication lines. and equipment moving between them. providing as much information as possible to

the soldiers. The better they understood the The second type of encirclement defense and the use of the panzerfaust man-carried
situation, the more they were likely to hang on. involved conducting active operations to anti-tank weapon. The panzerfaust was a 13
If the encircled force was relying on break the enemy line and thus regain freedom lb. disposable steel tube with an explosive
outside forces for their rescue, an airfield of movement. Initially all disabled vehicles shaped-charge on its end. When fired, a rocket
generally had to be maintained. Resupply were cannibalized to provide maximum fuel charge propelled the explosive head up to 200
was prioritized as ammunition then food. Any and spare parts for the others. The point feet and, when well handled, it was capable
planes that landed always left with whatever of greatest weakness in the enemy line of defeating any tank armor of the day.
wounded could be carried. Aerial resupply was determined, and the breakout was The problem with German defensive
proved successful in smaller pockets, but was coordinated with the nearest friendly force. techniques was they required time to effectively
unsuccessful for large pockets like Stalingrad. The third strategy was the mobile pocket. prepare. As the pace of Soviet offensives accel-
The Germans developed three defensive That approach was selected when the nearest erated in late 1943, there was less and less time
strategies for breaking encirclements. The friendly forces weren’t strong enough to attack to do that. In practice, then, when attacked, the
first was a hedgehog defense, where troops toward the pocket, or if the distance that had strongest surviving units were hastily collected
dug in to await relief from outside forces That to be covered in order to escape was too great in groups and rushed to locations where break-
was used when holding a position deemed for a single thrust from inside the pocket. As throughs were occurring. That usually meant a
critical or when trapped units were too the pocket moved, battlegroups were sent out handful of tanks or assault guns were rapidly
weak to conduct their own breakout. to shield it from the direct impact of an attack shifted from crisis to crisis as the defenders
If the position was critical, the problem and conceal the intent of the movement. tried to slow the enemy offensive. Defensive
became determining when the defenders As the war progressed, training and operations based on strategy and training
had become too weak to assist in, or conduct equipment were developed to deal with were thus replaced by hasty improvisation. The
on their own, a break out. Indecision the realities of defensive operations. Gross strength of the Soviet offensives, combined
in that regard ultimately determined Deutschland recruit training included extensive with the diminishing resources of the defenders,
the fate of 6th Army at Stalingrad. practice in preparing hasty defensive positions resulted in the defeat of the German Army. ★
Oberst Karl Lorenz, commander of the Grossdeutschland Panzer Regiment, meeting with the crew of a Panther in south Russia.

Command & Control secondary unit was placed midway to relay mes- When advancing, the company com-
sages. That became more and more important manders would lead in their vehicles. If
Elite units like the Gross Deutschland on the eastern front, where subordinate units reconnaissance platoons located the enemy,
were prized by the high command for their were often spread over large frontages. the company command vehicles would move
ability to move rapidly while engaging in a One problem with the battalion to the location providing the greatest visual
variety of operational and tactical situations. radio net came from the fact over access. The rest of the company would move
Efficient command and control was critical a dozen sub-units and their personnel had forward and past them to the attack.
to those high-tempo operations. When the access to it. That included everyone from Good reconnaissance was an important
Germans used mission-oriented tactics, company commanders to forward air controllers. part of command and control. Armor and
battalion commanders had great latitude in Combat situations demanded strict radio panzer grenadier units conducted two types of
how their operations were conducted. To discipline, and radio silence while on the reconnaissance. Combat reconnaissance was
accomplish that, a standard headquarters move often also needed to be maintained. always focused on providing the commander
organization for the battalion was developed. Units might be ordered to set their sets only knowledge of the whereabouts and strength
Each battalion had its headquarters to receive; however, that stricture could of the enemy. Terrain reconnaissance
company. The headquarters company had four be broken if a unit discovered the enemy identified the roads and paths the follow-on
platoons: signals, armored reconnaissance, was moving forward to make contact. units should take. That included the location
engineer, and air defense. Later in the war Besides radios, command and control was of river fords, the quality of the roads, and
the signals platoon was sometimes placed also conducted using hand signals, flags and terrain suitable for blocking positions if the
directly within the command group. lights. Hand signals were common among advance turned into a defensive operation.
In an armored unit the battalion commander smaller units. Flag signaling was eventually When transitioning to hasty attack, the bat-
had three tanks: the command tank in which he discarded due to the difficulty of manipulating talion commander had to rely on the platoon and
rode, the secondary tank with the battalion adju- them while vehicles were moving and during company commanders who were closest to the
tant, and a third reserve tank commanded by a combat. Lights (red, green and white) were action. A main objective was quickly identified,
senior non-commissioned officer. While leading most often used at night. Individual units often and follow-on units were given instructions
the battalion from a tank seemed initially attrac- developed their own light shields from discarded on their line of approach to it. A decision was
tive, many commanders came to find halftracks cans and boxes to try to ensure their signals necessary whether to eliminate or bypass
allowed them more space and the ability to wouldn’t be easily spotted by the enemy. any enemy position that was encountered.
better access radios and maps during a battle. When a battalion from the Gross If bypassed, the battalion commander had
When a command post was established, Deutschland was on the move, the platoon to identify it as an enemy strongpoint and
the senior officer of the headquarters company or company commanders had the authority select the follow on force to destroy it.
was in charge there and reported directly to the to open fire and attack. They were expected In the end the German troops on the
battalion commander. Radio communication was to immediately report the following by radio: eastern front were defeated by a less
maintained in the command tank or halftrack enemy strength and location, the current posi- sophisticated enemy. The Soviets who faced
with the aid of a radio truck. There were two fre- tion and course of action of their own units, and the Gross Deutschland Division had few of the
quencies: the battalion frequency allowed com- any recommendations of the reporting officer. advantages of flexible command and control
pany commanders to communicate with battal- At battalion headquarters a signals supported by modern communication technology.
ion headquarters; the other frequency connected officer would filter the incoming data to Their overwhelming numbers, constant resupply
the battalion commander to higher authority. provide the commander a summary of from an ever-larger Soviet and Allied economic
The range of German battlefield wireless vital information. That prevented the com- base, and their willingness to accept frightful
communications varied with conditions. If a unit mander from becoming overwhelmed with levels of casualties proved decisive. ★
was unable to maintain radio communications, a confusing and overlapping reports.

GROSS DEUTSCHLAND PANZER
The Famous Divisions Series, featuring Gross Deutschland FDGDP is a “special edition” game that includes two counter-sheets
Panzer (FDGDP) in its first installment, is a new evolution in design (560 counters) and four maps (on two 34x22” sheets) of the various
that brings tactics to operational simulations. Recreating four battlefields where the highlighted battles were fought. Combat units
battles from the eastern front in 1943-44, it includes: Lutchessa (iconic) are individual companies featuring distinct vehicles and weapons.
Valley, Kursk, Akhtyrka and Mischurin Rog. Each is played on its Play is tactical: units have individual ranges, different movement
own detailed and historically accurate map. It was designed by John capabilities depending on type (wheeled, tracked or leg), and rules
Schettler and has been developed by Eric Harvey and Ty Bomba. cover such things as demolishing bridges, pontoon bridges, weather,
Combat is governed by 140 Event Chits. They introduce the overrun, supply, infantry riding tanks, direct and ranged fire, artillery
element of chaos. Certain chits may be nullified by the play other barrage, opportunity fire, night, bunkers, trenches, mines, dragons teeth,
chits; so you never know how an attack will be resolved based on engineers, armor recovery vehicles, airpower and anti-aircraft artillery.
odds and terrain. The number of chits a given side may hold and
draw also serves as a measure of its elite or non-elite status. $50 US Customers
Each hex represents 550 yards from side to opposite side. Each $56 Canadian Customers
turn represents six hours, but they’re not divided into friendly and $58 Overseas Customers
enemy player turns. Rather, each is made up of numerous head-
quarters activations. All HQ activation chits are placed in a cup, and All prices include postage for first class or airmail shipping.
they’re drawn one at a time to activate (movement and combat) a CA residents add $3.19 sales tax.
particular headquarters and its associated units. When that activation
is finished, a new HQ is drawn and its activation takes place. Send to: Decision Games
ATTN: WaW Game Offer
PO Box 21598
Bakersfield, CA 93390

Design Corner
Joseph Miranda
GROSS DEUTSCHLAND PANZER
G
ross Deutschland Panzer demon- to be far less a controlled event, as com- such as command activations. Units
strates once again the principle pared to general staffs moving markers can attack only if they’re within a
of synergy in wargame design. representing divisions or corps across certain radius of an active headquarters.
The original concept, first articulated maps of theaters of operation, some The players therefore can’t assume
in a proposal almost two decades accounting for chaos needs to included omniscient viewpoints, moving forces
ago, was for a tactical game following if a tactical game is to be considered without handling issues of command
the progress of famous World War II truly “accurate” at the deepest level. and control. Instead, you have to
divisions, with scenarios representing On the mechanical level, the chits plan on getting your headquarters to
their major actions. While the original are simply modifiers to various game the right places so they can activate
design provided insight into the nature functions. On another level, however, their formations at the right times.
of tactical combat in that era, its pro- they provide the central narrative. The rule is simple but effective.
cedurally dense system aged poorly. The totality of the chits that come out Headquarters are also useful
Developer Eric Harvey streamlined during each play of the game tell a story, for providing supply, another often
it to make it more accessible. Still, adding a new perceptual dimension neglected factor in tactical games.
what was needed was something that to it. That ensures each time you play Ammunition, fuel and medical
would model the human dimension in the “story” will be different, even if the support are just as much a part of
warfare. Thus, Ty Bomba came up with outcome is the same. The battle isn’t battle as are fire and movement.
the sub-system of players randomly simply one of adding up combat factors Gross Deutschland was one of
drawing Event Chits that enhance, or and rolling a die. It’s also a matter of Germany’s premier units. Usually
detract from, their intended actions. managing the human dimension, the low-numbered divisions of the
While random events have been which in turn provides the opportunity Waffen SS, or sometimes the Luftwaffe
widely used in operational and to exploit unanticipated situations. paratroops, get that status, but this
strategic games, they’re usually seen as As on real battlefields, in the division (later a corps) accomplished
something above the scale of individual game there’s no “sure thing” and incredible feats on the eastern front. In
battles or as things that occur only infre- the best plan often doesn’t survive the game there are four scenarios, each
quently. Here their near-constant first contact with the enemy (or an distilled from major clashes in which
management in play becomes the key unfortunate chit pull). The chits are the division fought: Kursk, Akhtyrka,
test of player success. Their appearance also an easy way to integrate a lot of Mischurin Rog and Lutchessa Valley.
in this game is therefore innovative. other factors into play without having We’re presently preparing the
Actually, chaos factors—that’s what to write special rules. Rather, the chits next game in the series, Guards
random events in wargaming essentially generate unique situations under the Armour, covering the famous British
model—are just as prevalent on the umbrella of one general rules set. division that fought its way across
tactical battlefield as they are in the Aside from the events, the system northwest Europe in 1944. ✪
bigger strategic picture, if not more so. also accounts for other important fac-
Given that any kind of firefight is going tors operating on the tactical battlefield,

Classic
History
Classic
Battle for Stalingrad
Games
In the autumn of 1942, 14 German divisions
of the Sixth Army and Fourth Panzer
Army were poised to attack the vital city
of Stalingrad. Facing the German forces Ancient Conquest
were dozens of divisions and brigades of
the Soviet 62nd army. For seven weeks the Ancient Conquest is a classic and highly
Germans would hammer at the city in a rated multiplayer game covering at a grand
seesaw conflict for control of the Volga River. strategic level the rise and fall of empires
Battle for Stalingrad simulates the and peoples in the ancient near east. Ancient
campaign that would halt the German Assyria, Egypt, Babylon and the Hittites are all
drive to the east in the Soviet Union. included, as well as numerous other powers.
The playing map represents the terrain Historically, a highly accurate game, while
in and around Stalingrad, and the colorful yet designed with elegantly simple game
cardboard playing pieces reflect the sizes and mechanics; Ancient Conquest is sure to be
strengths of the opposing military units. a favorite. A must for any game enthusiast.
Battle for Stalingrad is a classic game
design by noted game designer John Hill. Game components include:
Full color rule booklet, one map and 200
Game components include: die cut counters and numerous charts.
Two rule booklets (standard and optional),
600 die cut cardboard playing pieces, one
22 x 34 inch map and various player aids.
Available Now
Battle for Stalingrad: $54.95
Ancient Concquest: $44.95
Shipping Additional
available from:
Decision Games
(661) 587-9633 | (661) 587-5031 fax
P.O. Box 21598 | Bakersfield CA 93390
decisiongames.com
S&T 270 | SEP–OCT 2011 1

I Remember:
Sgt. John Shirley & the Anzio Battle Sleds
As Told to J.E. & H.W. Kaufmann
Sherman tanks ofloading at Anzio.

Background Enter John Shirley assured him, as they peered through
S
ince the Salerno landing in In January 1944, at the time of the the bus window, he was looking at the
September 1943, the Allies initial Anzio landing, John Shirley was “worst army post in the country.”
had only slowly worked their at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He followed the After a few weeks at home, Shirley
way up the Italian “boot” until the news from the various war fronts, but reported to the induction center in
weather, terrain and staunch German he had no inkling he would soon find Riverside. A week later, with a sense
resistance brought them to a halt in himself in the Anzio beachhead when he of elation, he boarded another bus
December. Operation Shingle, the Allied received orders to go overseas. He’d cele- with other inductees. He felt that
amphibious assault at Anzio, took place brated his 18th birthday a little more than a great adventure awaited him:
on 22 January 1944. Gen. Mark Clark, a year earlier on 8 December 1942. A few
commanding US Fifth Army, hoped months later he’d been drafted while still We were winding our way north
to land Gen. John P. Lucas’s VI Corps attending California State Polytechnic through Los Angeles as it grew dark.
behind the German Winter Line, have University at San Luis Obispo. The bus stopped about 10:00 that
that force break out toward Rome, and He was glad when his letter evening. We stepped out and looked
thereby collapse the enemy main front. of “Greetings” from the Federal around in the dim light of a yellow
In conjunction with the Anzio government was delivered in March bulb on a telephone pole. We could
landing, the 34th and 36th “Texas” Infantry 1943. He packed his belongings and see a paved street, some garbage
Divisions had launched an assault on boarded a Greyhound bus bound for cans, some wooden barracks, and
the main front in January. The 36th suf- his home at Costa Mesa, south of Los that was about all. We were in the
fered a major reverse trying to cross the Angles, on a beautiful spring day. middle of Camp Cooke! I was about
Rapido River, while the 34th only reached A soldier from the 35th Infantry 200 miles from home and about 65
the lower slopes of Monte Cassino Division, stationed at Camp San Luis miles from where I had been going to
by 24 January. Meanwhile, the Allied Obispo near his former college campus, college. So much for seeing the world!
forces that had landed at Anzio had boarded the bus with him. On their jour-
barely managed to advance 10 miles. At ney south, as they passed Camp Cooke, Basic training lasted four months.
Cassino 4th Indian and 2nd New Zealand they saw a gate in front of a field of Instead of undergoing standard infantry
Divisions relieved US II Corps in mid- sagebrush and sand and in the distance training, Shirley and his companions
February, setting up British Eighth Army behind it some new crude tarpaper and prepared to serve in armored infantry
to initiate a renewed battle for that area. wood barracks. The camp, isolated from units, receiving instruction and practice
That British first effort failed; so population centers, sprawled on a pla- on driving jeeps, trucks and halftracks.
its New Zealand Corps made a third teau surrounded by hills. Construction During tactical problems while riding
attempt to take Monte Cassino in of a permanent camp on the site had in halftracks, “the tracks churned up
mid-March, but again failed. That begun in September 1941, and the clouds of dust, so we wore goggles and a
position, including the infamously post had been activated a month later. mask over our eyes, mouths and noses.”
bombed out ruins of its Benedictine Previously it had merely been an open The training included learning
Abby, wouldn’t fall until a fourth battle training area. Though construction on the manual of arms and close
was fought for it in mid-May, when II the site continued well into 1942, the 5th order drill, with lots of practice and
Polish Corps took over the effort. Had Armored Division began to train there in many inspections: “We learned the
Anzio been a success, those horrific the spring. It was soon joined by other nomenclature of the M-1 Garand rifle,
battles wouldn’t have been needed. divisions. Shirley’s traveling companion and could field-strip it blindfolded.”
The initial landing at Anzio had
taken German Field Marshal Albert
Kesselring, commanding the Italian
theater, by surprise. Allied forces landed
opposed by only a few artillery pieces
and two companies of grenadiers that
were easily overcome. The landing
force began an easy advance inland,
but then stopped. Lucas had received
fewer divisions than originally promised
for the operation, and he feared his
force of only three infantry divisions
and a combat command from 1st
Armored Division would be cut off if
he tried to make a deep penetration.
While Lucas consolidated, Kesselring
rushed to the area the few units he
had available, while other divisions
from outside Italy were moved in.
Thus the surprise attack that was
meant to collapse the overall German
position in central Italy turned into
a quagmire that tied down an Allied
corps in a small beachhead.

was to advance through an obstacle School Command. Shirley’s battalion
course with live machinegun bullets within it was assigned to the Artillery
firing overhead. Small explosives School and to training OCS (Officer
were placed in the ground along Candidate School) artillery students:
our route to simulate the explo-
sions of mortars or artillery fire. We furnished an “aggressor force” to
maneuver against the candidates in
Training films added another dimen- their wargames. We would be placed
sion, along with an opportunity to catch out on ranges where live artillery
40 winks for those who could get away fire would fly overhead. I guess they
with it. Memorable lectures on venereal wanted the candidates to feel a
diseases were also part of the course, as sense of responsibility firing over
was daily “P.T.” (physical training, a.k.a. infantry as they would in combat.
calisthenics), the running of obstacle
courses, inspections, guard and mess The routine was breakfast, then
duty, and memorizing and reciting the marching to the training area with
army’s General Orders. He found the last the regimental band in the lead for
day of training a unique experience: P.T. and close order drill. En route to
that area he had his first encounter
We marched out on the drill field by with the enemy: German POWs
platoons. The company commander who worked in the warehouses.
then formed the platoons four By late fall Shirley had earned
abreast, forming a large square his third stripe, making him a “buck
instead of a column of platoons. He sergeant.” He received new orders
drilled the large massed formation for in February 1944: he was being sent
a short time; the large mass of men overseas as an infantry replacement.
did their best to keep their ranks even In February he headed to Fort Meade,
Weapons training also included field- to the right, left and straight-ahead Maryland. After two weeks there the
stripping and firing the .45 caliber pistol, as we moved as a company. After group to which he’d been assigned
the M-1 carbine and the Browning about a half-hour, I was called out received three-day passes. He wavered
Automatic Rifle (BAR). Each man took in front of the company and was between spending his time sightseeing
his turn firing 60mm mortars and the 30 asked to drill the company. I was the in the nation’s capital or going to
caliber air-cooled light machineguns. only recruit asked to do that, and Baltimore and its notorious red light
For close combat training they practiced was amazed and honored by the district. His new friends convinced him
‘fighting’ burlap dummies as well as opportunity. The training company to accompany them to Baltimore. On
each other. Time was allotted to practice officers were on the lookout for future their return they were trucked to Camp
with hand grenades, along with a visit leaders. Four of us in the 200-man Patrick Henry at Newport News, Virginia.
to the “gas chamber” to learn the proper training company were promoted to
use of gas masks. The trainees were corporals at the end of basic training. We were there only a few days when
also introduced to TNT, landmines and we were marched down to a long
barbed wire. Field training included how Once they completed training, all the wharf. Along side was a Liberty
to advance against an enemy position: recruits, except the four new corporals, Ship. We climbed up the gangplank,
one of whom was Shirley, got two weeks headed for one of the cargo holds
While some of the squad would leave before moving on to their next in the ship, and picked out bunks
fire toward the enemy, other men duty station. That summer Cpl. Shirley that were stacked five high. I don’t
would get up, run a short distance, left for Fort Sill, Oklahoma, about 1,600 know how they got to the top bunk,
hit the dirt, roll, and start firing miles from his home. That post had but mine was fairly low. We went
while the rest of the squad moved many beautiful brick buildings, trees back on deck and were standing at
up. There was a set of hand signals and grass parade fields: “I found it a the railing when we saw a troop of
used by the squad leader to direct pleasant contrast from my first post, 125 men being marched down the
us. We learned to move along the but our company was still in tar paper wharf toward our ship. They were
ground in an “infantry crawl.” barracks in a new part of the post.” dressed as infantry replacements
Two weeks later he received two with helmet, duffel bag, etc., but what
Poison oak was a big problem, and weeks leave, but he had to pay his was unusual was they were being
some men ended up in the hospital own way back to California, and the escorted by armed MPs. They were
from exposure to it. Rattlesnakes rail journey took six days round trip being paroled out of stockades all
were another threat, and large snakes in old passenger cars with nowhere over the eastern United States. Most
would be killed from time to time. I to sleep except in the hard seats. were from the back streets of New
don’t remember anyone being bitten, Back at Fort Sill, Shirley was York, Boston and Philadelphia.
but they were frequently on our mind. assigned to the 3rd Battalion/166th
Infantry, an Ohio National Guard Those former prisoners came
The exercises were usually done regiment that had been separated from aboard as additional infantry
without live fire, but as training its parent 37th Division when that unit replacements. When they reached
progressed we would use live was reorganized. The regiment was Italy, several of them who spoke
ammunition. One of the last exercises assigned to the fort’s Replacement & Italian deserted, melting away into

the local population after arriving. to our tents and warned it would
be very hard on us to be caught in
I had never been on the ocean more Palermo again without a pass. I
than 30 or 40 minutes without remember being denied admittance
getting seasick, and I was soon at the to the USO, but little else before
rail vomiting and feeling terrible. being herded back to the enclosure.
My seasickness lasted seven days.
Our Liberty Ship was designed In a few days we were loaded on
for cargo, but they did convert trucks and headed east along the
enough space in one cargo hold to north coast road to Messina. It was
accommodate 500 replacements. on that road I saw for the first time
a person killed. A soldier flicked his
We had only cold seawater for show- cigarette butt out the back of our
ers. For our meals we stood at tables truck. A small boy about 10-years-old
that came up to our waist. Most of dashed out into the road to pick it
the food was boiled: powdered eggs up, and the next truck ran over him.
and oatmeal mush for breakfast, That sight has always remained
boiled potatoes and vegetables, with me. The Sicilian people were
boiled stews. It was monotonous, poor and hungry, and the tobacco
but since I didn’t eat for seven days from cigarette butts was valuable.
it made little difference at first. Shirley (standing right-rear) on leave in Naples.
In Messina we were fed at an army
The men who came to us from mess, and I remember, as we left the At Messina, Shirley and his
stockades were much wiser in the mess hall to clean our mess kits at comrades boarded ferries to the
ways of the world. A few would bribe garbage cans, long lines of women mainland where electric trains waited
or pay the civilian crews or their and children were there begging for to take them to the front. During the
guard—25 sailors who manned the the remains from our mess kits and innumerable whistle stops on the
anti-aircraft guns as well as a 5-inch scrounging through the garbage cans. journey, the stations were swarmed
anti-submarine gun—to get them by locals who waved basketfuls of
food out of the ship’s civilian mess. produce to sell to the passengers.
Poker and craps were the main

entertainment aboard ship. John
noticed the former prisoners usually
won. They spent 21 days at sea before
they berthed at Casablanca, but no
soldiers were allowed off the ship.
They weighed anchor again the next
morning and steamed alone toward
Sicily. After reaching Palermo the
replacements were marched down the
gangplank to a field on the edge of the
city enclosed by a fence. The ship then
began unloading its cargo of wheat.
Soon several trucks arrived with a

supply of large tents, and they were
assembled with our help. We were
given blankets, and K-rations to
eat. We were to sleep on the ground
with no cot or sleeping mat. I’m
not sure where we got water to
drink or wash up with. We hadn’t
had a decent shower in 22 days.
Most of the men from the stockade
left our improvised encampment
and headed for Palermo.
In town there were restaurants, a USO

club, women and MPs. Some of us
thought if the men from the stockades
could go AWOL we could too; so it
was over the fence and into the big
city. A lot of us were soon taken into
custody by the MPs, brought back

within the beachhead. After they disem- training in early May in anticipation of
At almost every stop, one or two barked, he and others were sent to join a new offensive. Each regiment contrib-
of the Italian-speaking replacements the 15th Infantry Regiment of 3rd Division. uted 60 men who formed Regimental
mingled with the crowd and went He was assigned to Company I as an Battle Sled Teams, each of five squads
AWOL. The officers in charge were assistant squad leader in mid-April 1944. commanded by a first lieutenant. Since
unable to control the situation. Gen. John “Iron Mike” O’Daniel there turned out to be few volunteers
By the time the train pulled into had replaced Lucian Truscott as for the assignment in 15th Infantry, each
Caserta, just beyond Naples, 13 of commander of 3rd Division when company commander was ordered
the former prisoners had deserted. the latter took over for Lucas at VI to select one NCO and several men.
The troops were loaded onto trucks Corps in February. Lucas was held The Company I commander selected
and taken to a replacement depot locat- responsible for the overall stalemate. Shirley, along with another sergeant
ed on a farm about 20 miles behind the In May, O’Daniel devised the and four privates, all of whom had
front. The billets consisted of tents that idea of “battle sleds” to spearhead little or no combat experience.
held eight men along with a stove for the breakout of his new command.
heat. Since a lone Luftwaffe raider, “Bed Though some post-war sources insist The men ate and lived with their
Check Charlie,” flew over every night, the sleds consisted of converted company, and every morning for
protective slit trenches had been dug torpedo half-shells, they were actually about three weeks marched off to a
nearby, but they’d turned into muddy purpose-designed and prefabricated special training area. Everyone on the
holes in the early spring downpours. open steel tubes, each wide and long beachhead lived in dugouts because
With little else to do, many of the enough to hold an infantryman and German artillery could cover the
men became caught up in gambling. mounted on flat runners for stability. entire area. Our sled team could train
Shirley wasn’t unhappy to leave a week Fifth Army mechanics produced 360 of with relative safety in the rear area
later with a group of replacements. the sleds between 29 April and 14 May because giant smoke generators laid
They were trucked to the small port near Capua (north of Naples). The sleds down huge smoke screens along the
of Pozzuoli, near Naples, where they were to be pulled by tanks, and were front to obscure the vision of enemy
boarded an LST for the trip up the coast intended to protect the troops from artillery observers. Occasionally
to Anzio. At the time he knew little about small arms and anti-personnel mines. shells interrupted the training, and
the situation along the main front or Sled teams were formed and began once a man was nearly hit by a

small shell fragment. Anticipated
objectives were laid out with white
tape, and we rehearsed attack after
attack. We charged those imaginary
targets with enough enthusiasm and
accuracy to satisfy our commander.
Gen. Mark Clark paid us a visit one
day to see the battle sleds operate.
Each of the sled teams included five

Sherman tanks, each of which towed
a 12-man squad in two rows of sleds.
To keep the six sleds on each towline
from colliding, a bar was attached to
each pair allowing each line to slide
along a path left by their tow-tank’s
tracks. The teams also included men
who carried flamethrowers, Bangalore
torpedoes and satchel charges. Most
of them also traded their M-1 rifles
for Thompson submachine guns.
The 15th Infantry was to attack on the
division’s right to outflank the German
strongpoint in Cisterna. The 30th Infantry
was to do the same on the left, and it
was expected there would be minefields,
wire and bunkers in its path. The 7th
Infantry was to tie down the Germans Infantry coming ashore.
defending the rubble of Cisterna.
Despite an effort to maintain
security, the secret leaked out. One
day those with radios heard “Axis
Sally” warn them between her
broadcasts of popular music that the
sled teams would be “annihilated.”
“Her warning added little to
the anxiety we already felt,” Shirley
remembered. When the day for the
breakout dawned, the sled team
men were ready to do their part.
At 5:45 a.m. on 23 May a 45-minute
artillery barrage along the front heralded
the beginning of the attack. Tactical
combat support aircraft followed shortly
afterward. When the assault began,
the sky was overcast and smoke and
fog limited visibility. The 2nd Battalion
of 15th Infantry attacked to the right of
3rd Battalion and initially made good
progress. Company L, 3rd Battalion, led
the assault but began taking heavy casu-
alties. Early in the afternoon the sled
teams of 15th Infantry renewed the attack
and led the way with Companies I and K.
The sky was choked with smoke,

dust and the odor of cordite from
thousands of artillery and bomb
explosions. Our battle sled teams
assembled in a house near the
front. The men waited inside,
and the tanks and sleds were
camouflaged in the nearby yard. I
heard the ungodly sounds of battle
growing in intensity, and we were

all thankful we were being spared, a thing with our heads down, and that had been exposed by the rains
even if only for a few hours. If the with German artillery shells landing and realized they were in a minefield.
assault companies were successful, nearby there wasn’t much inclination Incoming artillery rounds gave him
perhaps we wouldn’t be called. to look over the edge of the sleds. little time to crawl between the mines.
After a short distance on the road It took him 10 minutes to crawl
the tanks made a left turn into an about 60 feet to reach the barrier
About 9:00 a.m. a radio message open field. In what only seemed like ditch, which was about nine feet deep,
called us to battle. The squad leaders a minute or two, the tanks turned almost 20 feet wide across its top and
met over a map with the lieutenant. right and stopped. The squad leader about six feet wide at the bottom.
After a minute or two we were waved yelled to get out and move forward. There he discovered many survivors
toward our sleds without a word from his battalion, which had taken
about our objective. There was a great A drainage ditch had proved too heavy casualties. He also came face to
urgency to get moving. I, an assistant difficult to surmount; so McDaniel’s face with the first battle death of his
squad leader, didn’t have the slightest invention failed its first and only test military career: his platoon sergeant, a
idea what we were expected to attack. in combat. Shirley’s sled team was veteran of all the division’s campaigns,
in a wheat field covered by German who’d accidentally set off a booby trap.
We lay on our stomachs, head down, machineguns firing just above the men’s The lieutenant commanding his sled
in our sleds and moved onto the road heads. To make things worse, Shirley team assembled five other men of
and toward the front. We couldn’t see spotted several anti-personnel mines Shirley’s squad to continue the mission
on foot, and sent him to observe the
enemy positions through a section
of the ditch destroyed by shellfire:
It was difficult and frightening to lift

my head up to look over the edge [of
the ditch]. As I looked, a huge puff of
black smoke and fire exploded a short
way in front of my face. The flame of a
German flamethrower stopped about
25 feet short of me. I only felt the heat.
I quickly returned to the lieutenant.
Shirley described to the lieutenant

what he’d been able to see of the enemy
position in front of them. One squad
member, nicknamed “Flash” because
of his always slicked-down black hair,
crawled out of the ditch toward the
enemy. Another man followed him;
then Shirley and the squad member
with the BAR also moved out—all
without direct orders to do so.
We’d crawled only a few feet when

a bullet struck the man in front
of me. I rolled him over and saw
his eyes were rolled up and set.
He was dead. I crawled a few feet
more and took cover behind a low
pile of brick and rubble. The BAR
man moved up alongside me.
In front of them was a zigzag trench

with a dead German soldier lying just on
the other side of it. The ruins of a house
were about 25 feet to the right. “Flash”
had disappeared. John ordered the BAR
man to fire over the trench as he threw a
grenade into the doorway of the house.
After the explosion he made a dash
inside and then, with the BAR man still
covering him, he jumped back into the
trench and followed it until he turned a
corner and spotted an enemy rifleman.
With a short burst from his sub-

machinegun he killed his first enemy. ordered Shirley to take the prisoners for valor, and a Purple Heart. ✪
Farther on he came across a German to a collection point. Remembering
machinegunner. Again he fired a few the mine that had earlier killed the
rounds. His magazine empty, he rushed platoon sergeant, he ordered a German
forward and hit the man with the butt to lead the way along the bottom of
of his weapon on the helmet. The stock the ditch and back to the road. They
of his gun broke off but, his adrenaline moved on that way until he found MPs
pumping, he knocked off the German’s who took charge of the prisoners
helmet and hit the man several times “Flash” had been picked by the
until he realized he must’ve killed him captain because he was a goof-off, but
with his last round. Then he peeked Shirley came to think of him as a hero
over the trench and saw his battalion that day. Shirley never saw him again
advancing toward him from the ditch. and had to assume the multiple German
During that respite Shirley went grenades had simply obliterated him.
on a souvenir hunt. One of the dead He also never again saw the BAR man.
Germans had a pistol in a holster, but His first battle had lasted only two
the whole situation was too bloody a hours. Two days later Cisterna was
mess for him to want to try to extract it. finally taken, enabling the breakout.
Next he peeped out from the edge The day after that two Free French
of the trench and saw another German officers drove up in a jeep and shook
trench about 50 feet away. He then also his hand. He didn’t realize they were
spotted “Flash” running toward it, just from the force advancing from the main
as the Germans within it threw several battlefront to link up with the Anzio
grenades at that point man. Seconds breakout. Several days after that, Shirley
later those same Germans waved a white found he was the only sergeant left in
cloth, and 30 of them stood up with their 3rd Platoon. There was also only one
hands in the air. They were generally in corporal left standing. Shirley was put in
bad shape and used blankets to carry command of the remains of the joined
out their wounded. John took them remnants of 2nd and 3rd Platoons, which
prisoner and herded them back to the altogether had been reduced to only 24
big ditch, where he came across his men out of an original 80. After 12 days
astonished company commander. of combat his unit marched into Rome.
As they moved into the ditch, several The war was actually just beginning
enemy mortar rounds rained down for John Shirley. He remained with 3rd
on them and wounded one of the new Division and later received a battlefield
prisoners. The sled team lieutenant, commission. He received the Silver
who was killed about 20 minutes later, Star, two Bronze Stars with V-device
Sleds: Because of
the need to have
infantry with the
advancing tanks
these metal sleds
were made with
hopes of solving
that problem and
giving soldiers a
greater degree of
protection. They
were made at Anzio
and extensively
tested but they were
found not to work.
The photo shows
them abandoned
after the breakout.

Analysis:
The 1932 Shanghai Incident
By Terence Co
as the world’s fifth most populous in control of the rackets. Chicago’s

Ed’s Note: Chinese units are in city. In its Chinese areas the people legendary gangland violence of that
italics; Japanese units are in plaintext. lived in squalor and worked under same era paled in comparison to the
near slave labor conditions. That was savage brutality typical of the Shanghai
City of Sin exacerbated by the corruption of the streets. In contrast, Shanghai’s rich area,
government and police. Many (mostly known as the International Settlement,
I
n 1932 Shanghai was a thriving Chinese) died of hunger or violence. was the heart of the city’s economy,
world-class commercial center, Shanghai was therefore also where modern art deco buildings and
the economic heart of China known as one of the most dangerous skyscrapers lit up the night as Western-
and its window on the world. With a and crime-ridden cities in the world, style nightclubs, theaters and businesses
population of 3 million, it was ranked with brutal local and foreign gangs were frequented by foreigners and rich

Chinese. The Japanese population in had already put the Japanese economy
Shanghai comprised their single largest into a tailspin; so they felt increasingly
overseas community, with around justified in taking military action.
30,000 inhabitants in the Hengkou From 19 to 25 September 1931,
District of the International Settlement. in violation of orders from Tokyo, the
It was peppered with Japanese-owned Japanese 2nd Infantry Division took
shops, factories and banks. It was control of every city along the 693-mile
a common saying of the day that length of the Southern Manchuria
“Shanghai was built on 48-storey Railway, culminating with the capture of
skyscrapers and 28 layers of hell.” Liaoning. Other Japanese units poured
With the Chinese Nationalist Party’s into Manchuria, and in a swift campaign
(Kuomintang or KMT) victory in 1928 they overran that province by February
and the resultant unification of China 1932. While KMT forces in Manchuria
under its rule (more or less), its leader (around 200,000 men) greatly outnum-
Chiang Kai-shek sought to cement his bered those of the Japanese (50,000), the place in the central party leadership
power by ending the unequal economic latter had excellent intelligence, coordi- and had begun jockeying for control
treaties with the West. Centrally targeted nation, mobility, firepower and support. of the overall organization. That
by that nationalist sentiment were The KMT armies were mostly composed culminated in the Central Plains War
the Japanese who, of all the foreign of uncoordinated, badly trained, poorly of May to November 1930, which had
powers, had the most economic motivated and lightly armed warlord seen a massive clash between Chiang
and political interests in China. troops who either broke and ran or Kai-shek’s faction and an alliance of
The Japanese had meddled simply defected to the Japanese. opposing factions (mainly Southern)
in Chinese politics during the The episode came to be known as the for final control of the party. A total
Reunification War of 1916-1928, and “Mukden Incident,” and it further exac- of some 2 million men had fought a
they were still using military and erbated the general and growing hostil- bloody war (total losses around 300,000
economic bribes to pit one warlord ity between the Chinese and Japanese for each side) across a campaign
against another in order to keep China governments. Shanghai soon became area the size of Western Europe.
disunited and in chaos. The Japanese the scene of growing clashes between Though Chiang Kai-shek had
had also financed the building of a Chinese protesters and Japanese troops. emerged as victor, his triumph was
large number of factories in China, and Numerous anti-Japanese organizations imperfect: overall Chinese military
China was its largest export market. sprang up that then organized further strength had been severely weakened,
The Chinese also had a grudge against attacks on Japanese businesses and and he was forced to compromise with
the Japanese stemming from their civilians in Shanghai. That in turn his enemies to obtain a settlement.
defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War prompted the Japanese to increase Those enemies were officially retained
(1894-95), which had brought on the their military presence in the city. within the KMT leadership, with their
start of the collapse of imperial China armies weakened but still under their
and a long and bloody civil war. KMT Turmoil control. That settlement had the dual
Shanghai was also a major center detrimental effects of: 1) enticing the
of competition between Japanese and In order to defeat the “Northern Japanese to overrun Manchuria, as
Chinese business interests. Industrialists Warlords” during the climactic fighting they realized the KMT had become
from both countries had sited many of 1926-28, the KMT had enlisted the too weak to send forces there: and 2)
factories in the city. Taking advantage aid of the “Southern Warlords.” In creating opportunities for the rise of
of the lax local laws and cheap labor, the wake of the KMT victory in 1928, further factionalism within the KMT.
both groups intensely competed those Southern Warlords were given a The Guangdong (Cantonese) faction
for local and foreign markets.
With all that as backdrop, after 1928
the KMT government instituted a series
of boycotts against the Japanese that
culminated in the “Great Anti-Japanese
Boycott” of 1931. Massacres of Chinese
civilians in Japanese-occupied Korea in
that year provided the rationale for the
KMT to institute a nationwide boycott
of Japanese products and businesses.
Chinese businesses selling Japanese
goods were picketed; Japanese goods
were seized and destroyed; merchants
were intimidated by KMT “enforcers,”
and numerous incidents of sabotage
took place in Japanese-owned factories
and warehouses in China. That was
answered by defiance on the part of the
Japanese, as they saw it as the start of a
threat to their overall superiority in the
region. Further, the Great Depression KMT 5th Army troops.

within the KMT soon used Chiang’s
inaction in Manchuria to rationalize
making a new move against his Nanjing
faction. The Guangdong faction
remained at the forefront of political
opposition to Chiang within the KMT,
just as it had been part of the rebelling
KMT factions during the Central Plains
War. In the Mukden Incident they saw
a new opening to depose Chiang while
riding the growing wave of Chinese
nationalism to supreme power. The
Guangdong faction therefore encour-
aged anti-Japanese rioters to burn
down Nanjing government buildings
and beat KMT government ministers.
Within the KMT they managed to force
Chiang out of the party leadership on
15 December 1931. They then also
moved one of their best armies, the
19th Route, to Shanghai in order to
circumvent control of that important
city by Nanjing faction Central Army
units. (The Nanjing faction remained
under Chiang’s control. “Route” was an
honorific allowed an army rated as being
efficiently mobile over long distances.)
By January 1932 Shanghai was
thus becoming a new stronghold of
the Guangdong faction. That faction’s
leaders – ironically then including
Wang Jing Wei, future leader of a
pro-Japanese Chinese collaborationist
government – had thereby also become
anti-Japanese war-hawks and were
pushing for a general war against them.
Tinderbox
The actions of Maj. Ryukichi Tanaka

then further inflamed the situation.
He was a Japanese intelligence officer
within the clique responsible for the
Mukden Incident. Even before the
invasion of Manchuria, he and his group
had decided the following phase of
operations in China was to take place
in Shanghai. To provide an excuse to
intervene in the city, Tanaka supervised
various clandestine attacks on factories
and warehouses there. His actions
climaxed in an 18 January 1932 attack
on five Japanese monks who were
beaten by Chinese paid by Tanaka.
Chiang Kai-shek had meanwhile
negotiated his way back into the
national leadership of the KMT. In
mid-January he mended fences with
the Guangdong faction, engineering a
new “united front” against the Japanese.
Even so, knowing KMT military forces
were still too weak to fight the Japanese,
he also moved to deescalate the
situation in Shanghai by ordering 19th
Route Army moved out of the city to

be replaced by a civilian police force. and windows on their positions.
By late January the situation
in Shanghai was spiraling out of 29 January
control, however, as Chinese mobs
spontaneously clashed with Japanese At 2:00 a.m. Japanese armored cars
troops and civilian vigilantes. Chinese and motorcycles drove from the west
attacks on Japanese businesses were into Chapei, racing to reinforce the
being met with Japanese burnings of troops already in place there. That was
Chinese factories and warehouses. the signal for those troops to counterat-
Chinese and Japanese troops trading tack the Chinese. Overconfident because
fire became commonplace events. In they were trained in night combat and
that light, the Great Powers (the US, were generally derisive of Chinese
Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan) martial ability, the attack fell into a trap
increased the number of warships and sprung by the Chinese troops of 6th
marines in the city to protect their Regiment. Those soldiers were veterans
areas. By late January there were 32 of fighting communist guerrillas and
warships of various sizes from different were expert in partisan warfare. They
nations anchored at Shanghai. used those skills to outmaneuver the
On the afternoon of 28 January 1932 Japanese and keep them beneath a
a few hundred Japanese naval infantry storm of machinegun fire and grenades
in trucks, supported by five tanks and 30 that rained down on them from the p.m. the Chinese had pushed the
motorcycles, rumbled into their coun- rooftops. The attacking Japanese soon Japanese completely out of Chapei.
try’s settlement in the Chapei District. became trapped in the city streets That victory prompted Gen. Tsai
Their mission was to carry out the and alleyways, while the Chinese Ting Kai, commander of 19th Route
evacuation of Japanese civilians there. commanded the situation from the Army, to further reinforce Shanghai. The
As the last of those people were evacu- buildings and rooftops around them. Japanese denied they’d lost control of
ated at 4:00 p.m., the Japanese troops, At 6:00 a.m., as their casualties con- the situation and began landing more
instead of withdrawing with them, forti- tinued to mount, the Japanese began to men. By the end of the day, Western
fied Chapei and were soon reinforced hit Chapei with naval gunfire and bombs observers placed Japanese dead at
to a total strength of 1,000 men. from aircraft flying from offshore carri- 100 with the Chinese losing 300. An
The rationale of Rear Adm. Koichi ers. While the massive show of firepower estimated 1,000 Chinese civilians had
Shiozawa – commander of the Japanese surprised the Chinese, it only produced also been killed in the crossfire.
Navy’s Yangtze Patrol, with authority to more rubble for the defenders to dig into
protect Japanese nationals in central and strengthen their positions. At the Ceasefire
China – was that only military force same time, though, it also allowed the
could keep control of the deteriorating Japanese to overwhelm several Chinese Both sides agreed to a ceasefire on
situation across the city. At 11:00 p.m. positions. By the afternoon, eastern 30 January. The Chinese used the lull
he issued a demand for Chinese forces Chapei and the North Train Station to move their 5th Army from Nanjing to
to withdraw from around Chapei. was in their hands. At around the same Shanghai. Having learned the political
At 11:00 p.m. Japanese and Chinese time a Japanese cruiser and a dozen cost of inaction in Manchuria, Chiang
troops began exchanging fire. The destroyers began steaming up and had thereby committed one of his best
Japanese later accused the Chinese down the Huangpu River, raining shells formations to bolster 19th Route Army.
of starting the fight by sniping at on the remaining Chinese positions in The Japanese also used the ceasefire to
Japanese troops. Chinese and Western Chapei and the Fort of Woosung from strengthen their forces in Shanghai, with
eyewitnesses claimed to have seen what amounted to pointblank range. a total of 4,000 naval infantry and civil-
Japanese civilian auxiliaries firing first At 5:00 p.m. the Chinese counterat- ian auxiliaries manning their positions.
on Chinese troops who then responded. tacked, backed up by an armored Both sides went on the
Shortly thereafter the KMT 6th train, hundreds of local criminal gang diplomatic offensive, putting their
Regiment/156th Brigade/78th Division/19th members and thousands of fresh troops causes to the League of Nations.
Route Army fully deployed so as to from 19th Route Army. That Chinese An Anglo-American diplomatic
use its familiarity with the dense effort succeeded in overrunning the counteroffensive started putting pres-
urban terrain to begin an increas- Japanese in North Station. By 7:00 sure on the Japanese to withdraw.
ingly effective enfilade against the The Japanese Navy high command
Japanese, firing down from rooftops

at first denied it was losing control
in Shanghai. They couldn’t bear to
directly ask the army for assistance;
so they had the Japanese Foreign
Ministry make the request. By 2
February, then, the Imperial Japanese
Army’s 9th Infantry Division was
mobilized for transport to Shanghai.
The ceasefire was fragile from
the start; punctuated by numer-
ous violations by both sides, it
fully collapsed on 2 February.
2-13 February
On 2 February the Japanese resumed

their offensive in Chapei, but the
Chinese held their positions. By the
next day the Chinese had fully repulsed
the new Japanese effort. Increasingly
desperate to salvage the deteriorating
situation, the IJN dispatched its 3rd
Fleet, under command of Vice Adm.
Nomura Kichisaburo, to take charge
around Shanghai. In order to “save
face,” Shiozawa immediately ordered
more attacks on Chapei. He felt sure
Japanese firepower superiority would
soon break the Chinese defense.
As it turned out, though, the heavy
fire simply created more rubble for the
Japanese Army infantry move into Shanghai.

Chinese to dig into, after which they
emerged to repulse each successive
Japanese ground advance. On 13
February the Japanese remained
stalled after having lost around 1,000
more killed. At the same time the
Chinese were estimated to have lost
some 3,000 more soldiers along with
several thousand more civilians.
Chiang Kai-shek, while apprehensive
of having to fight a broader war with
Japan, was also elated by the reac-
tion of the British and Americans to
the fighting. He hoped, if full-scale
war did erupt, those nations would
intervene against Japan. More US and
British warships and troops began
moving in to provide better security
to the International Settlement.
Enter the Japanese Army
On the evening of 13 February the

IJA 9th Infantry Division, commanded
by Lt. Gen. Kenkichi Ueda, arrived in
Shanghai along with the 24th Mixed
Brigade. Those troops joined the tired
and worn out Japanese naval infantry
on the front line, bringing with them
more artillery and a company of tanks.
The Chinese had meanwhile also
continued extensively fortifying and
reinforcing their positions. Using
entrenching techniques taught them by
German advisors, they created defensive
moats: two-yard-deep trenches
reinforced by iron sheets, bricks, barbed
wire and numerous machinegun nests.
At the same time, though, the
Chinese were having increasing
difficulty because their supplies were
running low. The KMT government was
bankrupt; so the Chinese forces in the
city increasingly relied on donations
by the locals. They also took to using
captured weapons and supplies.
Getting reinforcements was also
problematic, as numerous Japanese air
attacks caused delays and casualties.
Similarly, constant fire from Japanese
ships offshore caused steadily climbing
losses and inhibited movement.
On 20 February, Lt. Gen. Ueda,
newly appointed overall ground force
commander in Shanghai, threw the
9th Division, the 24th Mixed Brigade, as
well as the remnants of the IJN naval
infantry and local auxiliaries, at the
five divisions of the 19th Route Army
and the newly arrived 5th Army. At 8:00
a.m. the attack started with a naval, air
and artillery bombardment of Chinese
positions all along the front lasting for
30 minutes. The Japanese then shifted
their fire to concentrate on bombard-

ing the Chinese central position in
the walled village of Chiangwan.
At 9:00 a.m., shielded by a smoke-
screen and led by a company of tanks,
13,000 Japanese troops rushed into the
Chinese positions. Their plan was to
have the bulk of 9th Infantry Division hit
Chiangwan while the 24th Mixed Brigade
moved on its right into the village of
Miaohang. Chiangwan was defended
by the KMT 61st and 78th Infantry
Divisions of 19th Route Army, while
Miaohang was defended by the KMT
88th Infantry Division of 5th Army. The
Japanese plan was to smash through the
Chinese front in order to rapidly enter
their rear area and cut supply. It was
hoped that would in turn bring on the
collapse the overall Chinese defense.
Battle of Chiangwan
The Chinese managed to throw

back the first three Japanese charges
into Chiangwan. The Japanese tanks
at first managed to penetrate the outer
defenses, but then bogged down in the
Chinese trenches. (Throughout the rest
of the campaign they were used mainly
to tow artillery pieces.) The Japanese
attacks were again defeated because
the Chinese continued to hit them
with fire from rooftops and windows.
The Japanese also had to contend
with ever-greater numbers of snipers
in their rear area. Chinese troops
would often take off their uniforms
when the Japanese advanced into
their areas and pose as civilians;
then they would put them back on
again after the Japanese passed by.
Japanese artillery was also less
effective, as the mud that increasingly
ringed the Chinese trenches absorbed
most of the force of their shells.
Japanese aerial bombardment was also
ineffective, as most of it missed due to
bombers attacking from high altitude.
The lone Chinese artillery support, a
railroad gun soon nicknamed “Slippery
Mary” firing from the area of North
Station, counter-bombarded Japanese
positions. It was more an irritation
than a danger to the Japanese, as most
of its poorly aimed shells missed their
targets. At the same time, though,
the Japanese proved unable to find
its exact position and destroy it.
By the end of the day on the 20th,
while the Japanese had captured a few
points inside Chiangwan, they were
effectively stalled. The next day the
Chinese counterattacked, and by 22
February they’d forced the Japanese
to retreat entirely out of the village.

The Japanese 9th Infantry Division
then moved to reinforce the 24th Mixed
Brigade fighting at Miaohang.
Battle of Miaohang
The situation at Miaohang was

also dire for the Japanese: the Chinese
stopped their initial attack with
heavy casualties. The green but well-
trained and well-armed 88th Infantry
Division stopped the Japanese using a
combination of four-yard-wide barbed
wire entanglements, trenches and
machinegun fire. On 22 February a new
Japanese offensive, reinforced by arriv-
ing units of 9th Infantry Division along
with heavy naval gunfire and artillery
support, threatened to push the 88th out
of its positions. The 88th’s commander
threw in the last of his reserves and,
in hand-to-hand fighting, managed
to again throw back the Japanese.
With the Japanese bogged down on
all fronts, Lt. Gen. Ueda ordered his forc-
es to rest and regroup while he laid on
a new around-the-clock naval, artillery
and aerial bombardment. Seeing things
differently, Vice Adm. Nomura transmit-
ted a report to Tokyo detailing the army’s
failure to defeat the Chinese and calling
for yet more reinforcement. Accordingly,
on 24 February the 11th and 14th Infantry
Divisions were dispatched to Shanghai
along with a new IJA commander, Gen. Japanese Naval infantry in defensive laager.
Shirakawa Yoshinori, to replace Ueda.
a final “big push” would put their structural fires to block any Japanese
Second Lull country in a favorable position for advance. By 2 March the Chinese were
any ensuing peace agreement. out of Chapei. At the same time, though,
The Japanese used the resultant the Japanese declined to pursue, as Gen.
five-day ground lull to rest and refit their The Big Push Shirakawa didn’t want to risk having to
troops in the front lines and to await the face an all-out Chinese last stand. He
arrival of the two new divisions. They At dawn on 1 March a general announced that all Japanese objectives
also constantly bombarded the Chinese Japanese offensive resumed all along had been reached. There were numer-
positions, causing heavy casualties, the front. Their 9th Infantry Division and ous skirmishes along the new front
collapsing trenches, limiting mobility 24th Mixed Brigade again attacked the line, but on 3 March a new ceasefire
and interdicting supply. Even so, the Chinese center at Chiangwan, and again was declared that ended the battle.
Chinese also managed to reinforce stalled inside the Chinese trench system.
Shanghai, bringing in more supplies Japanese naval infantry landed in Conclusions
and men under cover of darkness. By eastern Chapei and near North Station
27 February the entirety of 19th Route were pinned down at the water’s edge. The Shanghai Incident of 1932 was
and 5th Armies were in the front lines. Gen. Shirakawa, though, had new costly for both sides. The Chinese had
In the meantime international politi- cards up his sleeve: he used the 11th suffered around 12,000 casualties, some
cal pressure was being brought to bear and 14th Infantry divisions to amphibi- 4,000 of them killed in action and a high
on Japan to withdraw from Shanghai. ously outflank the Chinese positions proportion of that number being junior
Even more crucial was the threat of at Woosung and Changhuapin. While officers. Japanese casualty figures have
the $1 billion naval appropriations bill Chiang Kai-shek had foreseen the always been murky, since their records
pending in the US Congress that, Tokyo Japanese might attempt such a move, of the battle were burned in 1945; how-
was told by its embassy in Washington, Gen. Kai had ignored his warning. ever, best estimates are that some 10,000
would surely pass if the crisis in Suddenly in danger of being entirely of their troops were made casualties,
Shanghai dragged on much longer. outflanked, the Chinese were forced to with about 1,000 KIA. Thus Japanese
While the diplomats and officials withdraw at night to new positions at losses in Shanghai in 1932 were far high-
carried on behind-the-scenes Changshu, Kunshan and Sungchiang. er than what they suffered while secur-
talks, the Japanese commanders While withdrawing, the Chinese ing all of Manchuria the year before.
in Shanghai convinced themselves destroyed their trenches and set large The local Shanghai Chinese suffered

some 26,000 casualties (6,000 dead).
The Chinese performed unexpected-
ly well. Their troops used the urban ter-
rain to advantage in resisting Japanese
attacks. Coordination was also excellent,
even though both their involved armies
were from different KMT factions.
Though they would’ve been as likely to
fight each other as to cooperate before
the battle, the 19th Route and the 5th
Armies come together in Shanghai under
the banner of Chinese nationalism.
As a result their soldiers’ morale was
high, and that helped them weather the
constant bombardment and repeated
Japanese attacks. At the same time,
though, the Chinese defense suffered
from a lack of aerial, naval and artillery
support. That enabled the Japanese to
inflict increasingly heavy casualties on
the Chinese while also interdicting their
operational and strategic mobility.
The Japanese demonstrated good
inter-service coordination despite the
traditional rivalry between their Army
and Navy high commands. Their artillery
and naval gunfire control was generally
excellent, but never enough infantry-
artillery coordination was achieved so
as to prevent the Chinese from using the
resultant rubble to further fortify their
defense. The performance of Japanese
aircraft was abysmal, despite the fact
they had air supremacy. Their bombs
were almost always dropped from too
high an altitude to achieve accuracy,
mostly missing their targets and instead
only causing civilian casualties.
Japanese tactics were poor. Lt. Gen
Ueda opted for Allied-style World War I
frontal assaults on the German-inspired
Chinese trench system, relying on
heavy firepower and samurai zeal to
win the day. Unfortunately for him, that
approach failed against the resolute
defense. Only the use of imaginative
amphibious flanking moves by Gen.
Shirakawa finally won the day for the
Japanese at the operational level.
While the Shanghai Peace Agreement
was signed on 5 May 1932, it did nothing
to abate the hostility between China
and Japan. In fact, during the years 1933
through 1936, the boycotts of Japanese
products continued and political ten-
sions increased, along with numerous
clashes between the two nations’ troops
in northern China and Shanghai. ✪
SOURCES
Jordan, Donald A. China’s Trial By Fire the Shanghai War of
1932. Univ. of Michigan Press, 2001.
Cooke, Maj. E.D. “Japanese Attacks at Shanghai and the
Defense by the Chinese, 1931-1932.” Military Review,
December 1937.
Dreyer, Edward L. China at War 1901-1949. Longman
Group, 1995.
Rottman, Gordon L & Akira Takizawa. World War II Japanese
Tank Tactics. Osprey Publishing, 2008.

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Analysis: To Sink a Warship
By Joseph Miranda
Legend vs. Fact Rise of the Battleship general-purpose, suitable for convoy
escort and anti-submarine warfare as
I
n World War II’s Pacific Theater of The traditional method to win a well as launching their own torpedo
Operations (PTO), the aircraft car- naval action was for battle fleets to attacks. In between the destroyers and
rier legendarily reigned supreme engage each other via gunfire and battleships were cruisers, capable of
as the ultimate naval weapon. The torpedoes. The Russo-Japanese War independent operations as long as they
Imperial Japanese Navy’s (IJN) air raid (1904-05) opened with the latter’s didn’t run into enemy battleships.
on Pearl Harbor, the Battles of Coral surprise attack on the former’s fleet One type of ship that caught the
Sea and Midway, and the general domi- anchored at Port Arthur in Manchuria. public imagination was the battlec-
nance of airpower during the island There the Japanese disabled a couple ruiser. They were built to carry the
campaigns are symbols of the seeming Russian battleships with torpedoes, heavy guns of a battleship but to also
obsolescence of surface warships. followed by their battle line indecisively have the speed of a cruiser (hence
Yet the record of naval battles in the bombarding the port. At Tsushima (27 the name). To accomplish that, naval
PTO indicates a different reality. Most May 1905), the Japanese Combined designers had to make trade-offs that
surface warships, aside from carriers Fleet destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet. meant reducing armor protection. As
themselves, were actually sunk by Tsushima saw Japanese battleships a result, battlecruisers tended to be
naval gunfire or submarine-launched win via superior maneuver and gunfire effective only as long as they didn’t have
torpedoes. The US did lose eight supported by effective torpedo tactics. to face serious enemy opposition.
battleships to Japanese carrier attack The lesson wasn’t lost on naval At the Battle of the Falklands (8
at Pearl Harbor, but they were caught staffs around the world, and one December 1914), two Royal Navy bat-
by surprise in what was supposed response was the building of numerous tlecruisers destroyed a German cruiser
to have been a secure naval base. “dreadnought” battleships, designated squadron that up until then had success
Pearl Harbor didn’t actually after the Royal Navy’s class-initiating raiding Allied merchant shipping in
herald the end of surface naval warfare. ship of that name. Those ships were transoceanic waters. As that engagement
Indeed, there were numerous surface designed as big gun platforms that could demonstrated, battlecruisers could
actions in which no carriers were engage enemy ships at long range. The catch enemy cruisers and deliver long-
involved, including, among others, idea was whoever delivered the most range firepower to blow them to pieces.
the Java Sea and Sunda Strait fights firepower at the earliest opportunity The Battle of Jutland (31 May-1
(27-29 February 1942), Savo Island (9 would gain the victory. Torpedoes were June 1916) demonstrated battlecruisers
August 1942), and the Naval Battles of also part of the equation, to be launched couldn’t slug it out with battleships.
Guadalcanal (12-15 August 1942). by smaller ships such as destroyers. The Royal Navy lost three battlecruisers
To fight and win an ocean going Interestingly, destroyers were in that action to German gunfire. The
war a navy still needed surface originally called “torpedo-boat destroy- German battlecruisers fared relatively
ships. The question, then, remains: ers” because their primary mission was better, but that was because they were
what was really the best way to to stop enemy torpedo boats before sufficiently armored to survive for a
sink warships in World War II? they could close and launch torpedoes while in a fight against dreadnoughts.
against the main battle line. As the 20th Later in the 20th century, improvements
century progressed, destroyers became in naval propulsion systems would

make it possible for battleships to HMS Tiger
cruise at speeds sufficient to make
battlecruisers redundant.
Jutland was the only general action
between enemy fleets in the 20th
century in which both sides had large
numbers of capital ships. Tactically,
Jutland was indecisive: the British lost
three battlecruisers, three cruisers and
eight destroyers; the Germans lost one
pre-dreadnought battleship, one bat-
tlecruiser, four cruisers and five destroy-
ers. In terms of tonnage, the British
had more of their naval strength sunk
than did the Germans. Strategically,
Jutland kept the German fleet in port
for the rest of the war, as their high (USN) a force of cruisers and destroy- due to a combination of US cruiser fire
command realized they lacked the ers. In the second, the USN had two and land-based aerial attack. The other
strength to defeat the Royal Navy. battleships and the IJN one. Altogether, was sunk by fire from the battleship USS
the IJN lost two battleships while the Washington. Both sides also lost cruisers
Battleship vs. Battleship USN had one battleship damaged. and destroyers, but the battle was a clear
Interestingly, one IJN battleship was lost American victory insofar as it ended
In World War II, battleship versus
battleship actions involved only one,
two or three capital ships on each
side (with the exception of Surigao
Strait, as will be discussed below).
On 24 May 1941 the German battle-
ship Bismarck, escorted by the cruiser
Prinz Eugen, engaged a Royal Navy
squadron, destroying the British battlec-
ruiser Hood and damaging the battleship
Prince of Wales. Three days later a plane
from the carrier Ark Royal put a torpedo
into the Bismarck’s rudder, ending her
maneuverability. Surface British units,
including two battleships, pursued and
sank the Bismarck with an assist from
torpedo-firing cruisers and destroyers.
At Cape Mattapan (28 March 1941)
the RN trounced the Italian Regia
Marina (RM) near Crete. The RN had
three battleships present, the RM one,
plus cruisers and destroyers on both
sides. Significantly, the British had
the edge in terms of carrier airpower;
yet they failed to sink any ships with
airplanes in that fight. What made the
difference was superior RN leadership
and training, which gave them the edge
in the resultant gun duels. Mattapan
was more significant than the Bismarck
action, since the Axis were trying to gain
control of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Italian defeat there, on top of
their loss of three battleships to British
carrier aircraft at Taranto (November
1940), effectively finished the offensive
projection of Italian naval power.
The PTO saw a battleship versus
battleship action in the Naval Battles
of Guadalcanal, a series of fights from
12 through 15 November 1942. In the
initial action the Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN) had two battleships, the US Navy

the IJN challenge in the Solomon Sea. battleships weren’t used more often the day with air attack. The Japanese
Surigao Strait (24-25 October 1944) in surface actions during World War were also more willing to fight at night
also had the elements of a general bat- II. Part of the reason was doctrine: the because they’d trained extensively for
tleship action; however, the US force was concept of the “fleet in being.” The that during peacetime. The result was
composed largely of older battleships idea was capital ships needed to be actions such as Savo Island, one of the
being used to support the amphibious conserved to fight the expected decisive worst defeats for the USN in its history.
landings at Leyte Gulf, while the IJN battle. Battleships were therefore only Airpower changed the naval equa-
could only get three battlewagons into sparingly committed. Added to that tion, but not so much because airplanes
action. Given the numbers, Surigao was the expense and time involved by themselves actually sank many capi-
Strait was a foreordained US victory. in building battleships, meaning tal ships. Rather, airpower threatened
Still, after Jutland, it was the largest they couldn’t be easily replaced. The to sink them. Air attack added another
capital ship battle of the World Wars. Germans, Italians and Japanese were risk for already risk-adverse naval high
In all those actions naval aviation, also faced with fuel shortages that commands, thereby deterring the
either land- or carrier-based, was a restricted their big ships’ operations. commitment of capital ships except in
factor for the winning side. British Another factor was the big ships circumstances of local air superiority.
carrier aircraft found and crippled the themselves were often simply not That was one way in which aircraft
Bismarck, allowing the battleships to there. The US lost eight of its battle- carriers truly came into their own: they
trap it and finish it off. At Mattapan, ships at Pearl Harbor, destroyed or could provide defensive air cover for
British carrier aircraft were again damaged sufficiently to take them out a fleet, allowing warships to operate
effective at crippling Italian ships. of the war for over a year. Similarly, the in the face of enemy aviation. Of
In the Guadalcanal campaign, US British carrier raid on Taranto heavily course, that meant having the carriers
aviation restricted Japanese surface damaged three Italian battleships and present, and that was only safely
naval operations during daytime and two cruisers. Many of the surface doable if enemy carriers had first been
provided the coup de grace to the actions of World War II, especially removed from the area of operations.
battleship Hiei. Even so, carrier aviation in the Pacific, found only cruisers in
in those actions didn’t sink battleships the main battle line as a result. Rise of the Carriers
in isolation. Rather, it served to provide The USN was more willing to take
other functions, especially reconnais- risks with its battleships, even during the There were five carrier versus
sance and interdiction, which gave the early part of the war when the IJN still carrier battles during World War II,
side with local air superiority an edge held the edge. The Solomons campaign, all in the Pacific: Coral Sea (4-8 May
in setting up decisive surface fights. which began in August 1942 with the 1942), Midway (4-6 June 1942), Eastern
US invasion of Guadalcanal, saw several Solomons (24-25 August 1942), Santa
On the Battle Line surface actions fought at night. One rea- Cruz (26-27 October 1942), and the
son they were fought in the dark was the Philippine Sea (19-21 June 1944). In
Given they could fight and fight US, through its possession of Henderson all those battles, naval commanders
well, then, the question arises why Field, could threaten the IJN during made enemy carriers the primary
targets of their aerial attacks.
In theory, by sinking enemy carriers
one would obtain local air superior-
ity, thereby allowing further air attack
on enemy surface units; however,
carrier battles also often resulted in
the depletion of the air groups of the
victorious fleet as aircraft were shot
down. The carriers themselves also
often suffered damage and had to be
withdrawn to distant bases for repair.
That usually meant there could be no
immediate follow-up to a carrier victory.
In the longer run, whichever side
had land-based airpower within range
held the ultimate advantage. Of those
five carrier battles, only two proved to
be both tactically and strategic decisive
in that one side lost a larger tonnage of
ships and was also deterred from fulfill-
ing its strategic objectives: Midway and
the Philippine Sea, both US victories.
Four of the five carrier battles
took place within the first year of the
opening of the Pacific War. With the
Japanese high command ordering
Guadalcanal abandoned in February
1943, and the Allies advancing up the
Royal Navy aircraft carriers. Solomon Islands, the IJN pulled back

its carriers to refit and create new air victories of the first year of the war. The dilemma for the Japanese was
groups. The carrier air groups were There was still more to the decline they were seeking to fight the decisive
transferred to land bases in an attempt of the IJN than the loss of ships and the battle, but that simply couldn’t be
to regain air superiority over the drop-off in aircrew quality: their naval achieved by the aviation technologies
northern Solomons and New Guinea. doctrine was fundamentally flawed. of the time. The early Japanese victories
That decision made some sense in Their obsession with the concept of at Pearl Harbor and in the Indian
that, since the Japanese had gone over decisive battle led them to try to win Ocean raid were against foes caught by
to the strategic defensive, the carriers at the Philippine Sea with carrier and surprise or that were reeling from earlier
weren’t needed. By withdrawing them land-based aviation. Airpower by itself, defeats. In turn, those victories created
from the risks of combat, the carriers however, couldn’t sink sufficient enemy an exaggerated picture of what could
could be preserved for the anticipated ships to decide the course of the war in a be accomplished by airpower. It wasn’t
deceive battle. The IJN would attempt single action. Airpower was, effectively, that Pearl Harbor, the Indian Ocean
to fight that battle in June 1944 at the an attritional factor in the destruction of raid, or even Taranto, weren’t critical
Philippine Sea. By that time in the enemy sea power. Airplanes could, over tactical victories for carriers – they
war, however, they simply lacked the the course of a campaign, damage or were – but they couldn’t be replicated
overall numbers needed to challenge destroy sufficient enemy ships such that under common wartime conditions.
the USN. More critically, IJN pilot a fleet could lose effectiveness. It also The “battleship admirals” were
training had declined precipitously. facilitated the operations of surface units therefore justified in asserting surface
Their new and inexperienced aircrew via interdiction and reconnaissance, warships were still a critical instrument
were incapable of duplicating the but airpower couldn’t win by itself. continued on page 48 »

Naval Actions 1941−42 *
South China Sea

CV CVL/CVE BB CA/CL DD Naval Aircraft Other
10 December 1941
88
Japanese present
(land based)
Japanese lost 5
Allied present 2 4
Allied lost 2
Java Sea – Sunda Strait

27 February – 1 March 1942
Japanese present 1 5 14 c. 40 1 YP
Japanese lost 1d 1d
Allied present 5 10
Allied lost 5 6
Indian Ocean Raid

31 March – 10 April 1942
Japanese present 5 1 4 7 19 350
Japanese lost 20
Allied present 3 5 7 15 100
Allied lost 1 2 2 40 3 smaller craft
Coral Sea
4 – 8 May 1942 (CC)
Japanese present 2 1 9 15 127 1 YP
Japanese lost 1d 1 1 + 1d 92
Large numbers of
Allied present 2 9 13 128 LBAC but ineffective
Allied lost 1 1 69 1 oiler
Midway
4 – 6 June 1942 (CC)
Japanese present (CSF) 4 2 3 12 248
70
Japanese lost 4 1 248
LBAC being transported
233 127
Allied present 3 8 15 land based aircraft
180
Allied lost 1 1 (naval + LBAC)

(CSF): Carrier Striking Force only *
Savo Island
8 – 9 August 1942
Japanese present 7 1
Japanese lost 3d
Allied present 8 15
Allied lost 4 + 1d 2d
Eastern Solomons
24 – 25 August 1942 (CC)
Japanese present 2 1 2 16 25 175 1 YP
Japanese lost 1 1d 1 75 1d YP
Allied present 2 1 4 11
176
Allied lost 1d 25
Santa Cruz
26 – 27 October 1942 (CC)
Japanese present 2 2 4 10 22 199
Japanese lost 1d 1d 1d 99
Allied present 2 1 6 14
136
Allied lost 1 + 1d 1 + 2d 81
Naval Battles of
Guadalcanal CV CVL/CVE BB CA/CL DD Naval Aircraft Other
12 – 15 November 1942
Japanese present 1 (a) 2 8 16 ?
Japanese lost 2 1 3 41
Henderson
Allied present 1 (a) 2 5 12
? Field LBAC
26
Allied lost 1d 2 7 (naval + LBAC)
*
NOTES
In some cases, the number of ships varies depending on their presence at individual actions within a battle.
Damaged ships are indicated by “+ d”; in several of the battles, damaged ships aren’t listed.
(a): carriers provided air cover from a distance. but didn’t engage each other.
(CC): carrier vs. carrier battle. Other battles are surface versus surface or combined air-surface.
Abbreviations
BB: Battleships and battlecruisers
CA/CL: heavy and lighter cruisers
CV/CVL/CVE: fleet aircraft carriers/ light carriers/escort carriers
DD: destroyers (sometimes includes lighter ships)
LBAC: Land based aircraft
SS: Submarines
YP: Seaplane Tender

The Picket Line
Added to that was the increasingly superior
The Battle of the Philippine Sea (19-21 US utilization of new technologies such as radar.
June 1944) came to be called the “Great It had been available in one form or another since
Marianas Turkey Shoot” by US sailors. That the start of the war, but it took a couple years to
was because of the large number of Japanese figure out how to use it efficiently. By mid-war the
aircraft shot down by anti-aircraft fire. USN began to set up screens of radar-equipped
Throughout 1942-44 the USN vastly increased “picket” destroyers outside the main body of the
the anti-aircraft armament of its warships, fleet to detect incoming enemy aircraft, giving the
making it expensive for an air strike to penetrate carriers time to scramble fighters for interception.
the wall of flak. US crews were also adept at As a result, the Japanese attacked at the
damage control, thereby salvaging warships Philippine Sea using tactics that might’ve worked
that might’ve been written off in other navies. in 1941-42 but stood little chance in 1944. ★

Underseas
Japanese doctrine called for submarines to US Warship Losses by Type

be used to seek out and destroy major enemy Includes all theaters of operation
warships, especially carriers and battleships. CV/CVL/CVE BB/BC CA/CL DD SS
The idea was, by sinking capital ships the
Japanese would gain a favorable correlation Air delivered Bomb 2 1 - 11 131
of force in the follow-on surface naval battles. Air torpedo 2 1 1 3 -
That was in contrast to American and European
doctrine in which submarines were primarily Kamikaze 3 - - 11 -
to be used to sink enemy cargo shipping. Total loss by air attacks 7 3
2 1 25 13
As the chart of warship losses shows, the
Japanese may have been on to something.
Surface gunfire 1 - 5 13 162
Submarines were responsible for sinking a Surface torpedo - - 2 8 -
significant number of enemy carriers and not
Submarine torpedo 3 - 2 15 1
inconsiderable numbers of other warships. On
top of those outright losses there were large Mine - - - 6 7
numbers of ships damaged by submarines, such Other - - - 13 16
as the battleship North Carolina (15 September
1942). In the short run—as in the time needed Total loss by surface/
to fight and win a single battle—a damaged submarine attacks 4 - 9 57 40
warship was just as much out of action as one Total losses 11 2 10 82 53
that was sunk. Interestingly, USN submarines
also proved effective in attacking IJN warships
despite the official commerce-raiding doctrine.
Submarines had the advantage of Japanese Warship Losses by Type
being cheaper than capital ships, as well CV/CVL/CVE BB/BC CA/CL DD SS
as minimizing chances for detection when
running submerged. They were also usually Air delivered Bomb 9 2 15 44 22
longer-ranged when operating off batteries. Air torpedo 2 1 1 3 (4)
The downside was they were slow and couldn’t
provide gunfire support to land forces. ★ Total loss by air attacks 11 3 16 47 22
Surface gunfire - 1 3 15 702
Surface torpedo - 2 2 13 -
Battleships vs. Carriers
Submarine torpedo 8 1 16 42 25
The Battle of Samar (25 October 1944), Mine - - - 7 4
fought while Surigao Strait was raging
nearby, was a true curiosity. There an Other - 1 - 10 9
IJN surface group—four battleships, six Total loss by surface/
cruisers and 10 destroyers—pursued submarine attacks 8 5 21 87 108
a USN task force of six escort carriers
Total 19 8 37 134 130
and seven destroyers. Those escort
carriers were relatively small ships,
designed mainly to ferry airplanes
and conduct limited operations such Ship Types Notes
as anti-submarine warfare or ground
1
support. They were also slow, and CV: Aircraft Carriers Includes combined air and surface attacks.
2
were supposedly entirely vulnerable if CVL: Light Carriers Includes depth charges.
3
caught by enemy warships. That said, CVE: Escort Carriers At Pearl Harbor six more US battle-
the escort carriers defended themselves BB/BC: Battleships & Battlecruisers; ships were damaged but eventually
aggressively, launching air attacks the latter are sometimes abbreviated CC repaired and returned to action.
4
that confounded the Japanese even CA/CL: Heavy & Light Cruisers Combined aerially delivered
as the carriers maneuvered to escape. DD: Destroyers & Escorts bombs and torpedoes.
Japanese gunnery, meanwhile, showed LBAC: Land-Based Aircraft
a marked fall off as they sank only one PT: Patrol Torpedo Boats
carrier and three destroyers, despite SS: Submarines
being in range for most of the fight. YP: Seaplane Carrier/Tender
The action came to an end when
other US carrier aircraft joined in, caus-
ing the Japanese to break off. Samar
showed it was aggressive leadership, as
much as anything else, that ultimately
won the day in sea battles. ★

» continued from page 43 Decision Through Sea Power such that in October of that year the
of war. Carriers couldn’t by themselves US had only one operational carrier in
win the decisive battle because their air An important fact to consider is that, the Pacific. The IJN, despite its losses at
groups lacked the strength to engage for practical purposes, the Japanese got Midway, could still deploy several car-
and sink large numbers of enemy their hoped for decisive battle in 1942. riers at that time. Unfortunately for the
ships, especially when the enemy had At the Battles of the Java Sea and Savo Japanese, efficiently sinking enemy ships
his own carriers to provide air cover Island, the Allies lost large numbers of wasn’t enough to win the war for them
and launch counterstrikes. Carriers cruisers at a time when such sinkings in the face of unrealistic strategic goals.
could mainly sink other carriers couldn’t be afforded and when there The Japanese couldn’t follow up by con-
– the primary outcome of the four were few battleships available to back solidating what their navy had won. ✪
carrier versus carrier battles of 1942 them up. Meanwhile the IJN still had
– but not the rest of a battle fleet. its battleship fleet intact. Yet the Allies SOURCES
Dear, I.C.B. & M.R.D. Foot, eds. The Oxford Companion to
That would change in 1944-45, continued to fight the war in the Pacific. World War II. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
when the USN could concentrate Even with the losses at Savo Island, the Ellis, John. World War II: A Statistical Study. NY: Facts on
File, 1993.
overwhelming numbers of carriers US didn’t call off its Solomons campaign. Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval
and aircraft. Again, though, by that It was a matter of trial and error and Operations in World War II. Boston: Little Brown, 1951.
Dunnigan, James & Albert Nofi. The Pacific War
time the overall balance of forces on-the-job-training, but within three Encyclopedia. NY: Checkmark,1998.
had turned decisively in favor of the months the USN turned the tide during Parshall, Jonathan & Anthony Tully. Shattered Sword. Dulles:
Potomac, 2005.
United States in all categories. the Naval Battles of Guadalcanal. Prados, John. Combined Fleet Decoded. NY: Random House,
The IJN had destroyed and damaged 1995.
sufficient US carriers throughout 1942
Airpower in the Mediterranean
The Axis had considerable air strength in the Mediterranean Crete demonstrated land-based airpower was an effective
at the time of Mattapan, but lack of aero-naval coordination instrument against ships. The Germans initially committed
kept those planes from supporting their surface ships. There Fliegerkorps X (Air Corps 10) to the Mediterranean, where it was
had been a similar shortfall in the Bismarck operation when later reinforcement by Luftflotte (Air Fleet) Two. Fliegerkorps X was
long-range Luftwaffe airpower, based in France, was supposed to specially trained in anti-shipping operations and, along with Italian
provide cover for the battleship. Lacking coordinative structures aviation, sank large numbers of Allied combat and cargo ships.
between the two services, the Luftwaffe bombers showed During the 1943 Dodecanese campaign, the Luftwaffe temporarily
up only after the Bismarck had been sunk on 27 May. gained superiority in the skies over the Aegean, thereby making
The Luftwaffe would later turn around that situation in possible one of the last German operational victories in the war.
the Mediterranean. During the German airborne invasion of With the Italians having effectively withdrawn their battleships
Crete (May 1941), their aircraft sank three RN cruisers and six owing to Taranto and Mattapan, however, consolidating control
destroyers, and made it too dangerous for the British to continue of the sea lanes from the air alone wasn’t feasible. Had the Axis
to operate their battleships, two of which were damaged. been able to come up with a better-coordinated aero-naval strategy
from the start, they might’ve gained control of the convoy routes
to North Africa. That would’ve had huge implications for Rommel’s
first offensive in Libya, which was in progress at that time. ★

Deck hands work on the Vittoria Veneto.
Decisive Doctrine,
Indecisive Navy off Midway. Yamamoto wasn’t aware of US On the other side the USN carrier groups
strength, owing to Allied deception measures were in poor shape, having lost most of their
Japanese naval doctrine called for and to poor Japanese naval intelligence about planes while sinking four Japanese carriers on
fighting the decisive battle, to be executed the situation. Regardless, his operational 4 June. While Yamamoto wouldn’t have been
by massed battleships and carriers. Despite plan called for an unnecessary dispersion of able to launch any further big carrier strikes, he
that doctrine the IJN often fought indecisively. IJN strength just at the time it was sup- would’ve had the air cover necessary to protect
Midway is a striking example. There, Adm. posed to be fighting its decisive action. his fleet from what was left of American air-
Yamamoto utilized most of the carriers and Midway brings up another oddity of IJN power at Midway, and his superiority in surface
battleships of the Combined Fleet for his doctrine: Japanese commanders tended to ships could’ve allowed them to fight their way
operation. Had he concentrated all those ships overestimate the importance of spirit and to the island to support the amphibious landing.
into one force, it’s doubtful the USN could’ve determination to carry through to victory. Those In the end, though, Yamamoto lost his samurai
brought to bear the strength to challenge him factors were supposed to overcome Allied spirit, took the path of caution and broke off.
in an all-out fight for the island, regardless materiel superiority. Even so, for all their talk In retrospect, it’s always easy to speculate
of the availability of ULTRA intelligence. about “samurai spirit,” IJN operations often on alternative decisions, especially when
Instead of taking advantage of his superior came off as overly cautious. For example, after we have a more complete picture than did
strength, though, Yamamoto divided his fleet the air clashes at Midway the IJN still had the original combatants. Still, the distance
into several independent task groups and overwhelming superiority in surface warships between IJN doctrine and practice cost them
sent them off on various missions across the plus three light carriers. Yet Yamamoto the opportunity to win their sought after
Central and North Pacific. That allowed the failed to muster the determination to order decisive battle in more than one instance. ★
USN to gain local superiority in the waters the completion of that critical operation.

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decided to complete it. how many were from Casemate? going into issues 38 through 48.
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level of approval for the use of d. 11-20.
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how many were from ________ review the game proposals and Please rank the proposals in
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c. Not subscribing in additional ideas we’re considering.
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ADS other web site <decisiongames. West/Mediterranean Theater
6. If buying just the magazine, com> where you can pledge your (mark 1 to 6)
how many of the issues in the 12. What ads have you responded support for future boxed games,
last 12 months did you buy? to in the past 12 months in S&T S&T Special Editions, books, and A1. Third Army. This will put the
a. 4-6 issues. and/or World at War magazines? computer games. As those projects US player in command of Third
b. 1-3 issues. move up the rankings, they move Army during Patton’s 1944 drive
c. None, I just found this 13. What ads have you forward into design, development, across France. The German player
survey on you web site and responded to in the past 12 artwork, printing and release. You will command various formations
decided to complete it. months in other magazines? can also see the latest listing in the which Third Army encountered. The
next Dispatch. The World at War American objective is to reach the
game line-up current looks like this: Rhine before the German Ardennes

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counteroffensive is launched in Beachhead. The design deals but adapted to this more strategic “what ifs” that surround the bitter
December 1944. Emphasis in the with the Anzio landings in January scale. The “Patton Factor” would fighting for the Korsun Pocket. The
game will be on logistics—supply 1944 and the subsequent six also be emphasized. Ty Bomba. game uses the same rules system
can be allocated to different game weeks of intense fighting, as the as Guards Tank. Paul Youde.
functions, and the American player Allies attempted to expand the Eastern Theater (mark 1 to 6) B4. Jackboots on the Caucasus:
can devote operations to rounding beachhead, while the Germans Summer 1942, the Germans
up supply by unorthodox means. The worked to eliminate it. This was the B1. Vistula-Oder-Berlin will launched their great Eastern
German player, meanwhile, is trying most interesting and mobile part of be a corps-army (for the Soviets) offensive to seize the Soviet
to delay the Americans through the campaign. By the first week in and divisional (for the Germans) Caucasus oilfields. The campaign
rearguard actions and desperate March, both sides had fought each simulation of the last five months came crashing to a disastrous
counterattacks. Depending other to a standstill, taking huge of the war in the East in Poland, finale at Stalingrad later that
on how well the Germans are casualties and having little to show Czechoslovakia and Eastern year. Caucasus will use the
doing, the Ardennes counterof- for it. Both players have the capacity Germany. Nine turns, from January They Died with Their Jackboots
fensive may be launched sooner and opportunity to attack. Seeking to May 1945. The map covers from system to simulate this mighty
or later according to a random these opportunities, preventing the Memel to the Dukla pass and from campaign. It uses a command chit
events table. Joseph Miranda. enemy from doing the same, and Lublin in S. Poland to Leipzig and system which randomly selects
A2. Ghost Division. This will put managing depleted units creates Rostock in Germany (20 km to the sub-commands for operational
the German player in the boots moments of crisis throughout the hex). There will be a campaign game impulses. Certain command chits
of Rommel as commander of the game. Units are generally at the plus several scenarios: Red Storm will give players extra, one time,
7th Panzer Division during the brigade / regimental / battalion on the Reich (the January offensive), bonuses such as the Soviet
campaign in France 1940—and of level and hit markers are used to fight for the flanks (clearing Operation Uranus. Joseph Miranda.
his Allied counterparts. Units will reflect the attritional nature of operations at Prussia, Silesia and B5. Panzers East: Army Group
be tactical level, companies and the battle. Units attack / defend Pomerania, February-March ‘45) the Center, June-August 1941. Like
platoons. The game will include as single stacks, using combat last battle (the final offensive on to PGG, but for the wargamers of
several scenarios drawn from differentials to inflict retreats and Berlin, April ‘45) and race to Prague today. Turns equal one week. Units
this campaign, and the map will hits. The sequence of play is classic (May ‘45). Javier Romero. are primarily divisions for both
be 200 meters per hex. Emphasis Supply, Reinforcement, movement B2. Operation Uranus: Race sides, with some separate brigades,
will be on command control and followed by combat. Norman Smith. for Stalingrad. This would cover regiments and battalions. Germans
combined arms tactics. Commander A5. Tunis 1943. A solitaire the Soviet double envelopment of would be multi-step; Soviets
units will be able to influence the game simulating the final Allied Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-43, would be one-step with unknown
movement of forces, and provide drive on Tunis. The game uses a using a modified form of the classic strengths. The map covers from the
fire modifiers. The idea is to show similar system to the designer’s SPI Battle for Germany system. Each border to Moscow at 16 miles per
how the German panzer divisions, Israeli Independence, using chits as of the two players would command hex. Special rules for: Guderian,
even though having tanks which to track army movement and random one wing of the Soviet forces Rollbahns, Hitler’s interference,
were often inferior to their Allied events. The player is placed in racing to envelop the Sixth Army. variable phase sequences, supply
counterparts, were able to gain the unusual position of controlling As well as the Axis forces facing attenuation, airpower, the Stalin
tactical victories. The game will also German forces, attempting a the other Soviet player. The game Line. Can you take Moscow before
have a campaign version in which holding action with remnants of would be based on new information Hitler turns AGC south? Ty Bomba.
what happens in one scenario will the famed Afrika Korps and relief about the Red Army in World War B6. Duel in the North simulates
influence the next. Joseph Miranda. troops under the command of II, including the use of deception the sweeping advances of the
A3. Bastogne! This will cover the General von Arnim. As Free French, operations and resurgent mobile German forces across the Baltic
fighting for the strategic crossroads British, and American forces close doctrine. Each player must race to States and into Russia in the
town of Bastogne during the Battle in on the Eastern Dorsal, the player be the first to reach its operational summer of 1941. The game includes
of the Bulge. The Germans are trying must hold back Allied advances objectives on its side of the map, rules for special weather, air power
to take the town against determined long enough to secure permission thereby gaining recognition from and armored combat. The counters
American resistance. American to evacuate North Africa, while the Kremlin as well as pos- represent German Divisions and
forces are desperately holding on, withstanding a deterioration of sup- sible additional reinforcements all Kampfgruppe sized formations
while Patton drives to the rescue. plies and air power. Darin Leviloff. generated by a random events table. and Soviet Brigades or Divisions
The game system will be based on A6. Crusade: WWII in Northwest Units will be divisions and corps sized formations. Paul Youde.
Manila ’45 and Leningrad ’41. Units Europe, 1944-45. This corps-level with airpower. Joseph Miranda.
will be battalions and companies, game with monthly game turns B3. Escaping through Hell’s Pacific Theater (mark 1 to 6)
and combat results will be modified smulates this theater from D-Day to Gate simulates the German 3rd
by the morale of defending units. V-E Day. A historic campaign game Panzer Corps attempted relief of C1. Midway Solitaire. This will
Morale is critical to both sides: the would be included, a free-choice the Korsun Pocket in February 1944. use the Coral Sea Solitaire system
Germans can make calls for sur- landing-site scenario, as well as The game allows players to recreate to model the great aircraft carrier
render while the American can make 1942, 1943 and 1944 what-ifs. The the historical situation in the first battle of June 1942. The player
defiant rebuffs. Joseph Miranda. system would be a derivation of scenario; whilst the alternative sce- would control American forces,
A4. Anzio: The Bloodiest the one from Drive on Stalingrad, nario lets them explore some of the while the game system would

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run the Japanese. The Japanese on the Japanese home islands. threaten Syria and Iraq in support operations provides more chits
have superior numbers of carriers The Japanese player will have to of Axis forces in North Africa as and actions. David March.
and capital ships but they are carefully husband his forces for well as supporting the Stalingrad/ D5. Crisis Manchuria. This
moving in several different task potentially decisive counterat- Caucasus campaign. The scale will game will use the same system
forces. The American player would tacks. Naval units will represent be division level. David March as Rhineland Crisis 1936-1937.
have the advantage of superior individual carriers, 2-4 battleships, D2. Ghost Column is a tactical Historically the KMT did not
intelligence from ULTRA which and squadrons for everything else. level game with a twist. The title intervene in Manchuria since it
he can use to defeat the foe Air units will be at wing level, comes from a night attack the was militarily weak having lost
in detail. Joseph Miranda. and ground units as divisions and Germans made at Rezhavets during hundreds of thousands of men
C2. Samurai & Warlords: brigades. Joseph Miranda. the battle of Kursk. The game is and was economically bankrupt in
China 1937-1941. The Japanese C5. CBI Air War. This would solitaire, with the player in control the aftermath of the 1930 Central
and Chinese Nationalist players simulate the air war over the of an armored column attempting to Plains War. Crisis Manchuria
attempt to by reinforcing their own China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of penetrate Soviet lines. The Soviets posits Chang Kai Shek’s KMT and
armies and by mobilizing the forces Operations, 1941-44. Players would are played using a simple agent allied Chinese warlords managed
of Chinese warlords in shifting allocate air units to various missions based system designed to react to to come together and vigorously
coalitions. Airpower conducts and targets which would then the presence of enemy forces. The confronted the Japanese invasion
tactical support and terror raids. be executed via a semi-abstract active player will have to make deci- of Manchuria in 1931. Brian Train.
The Chinese Nationalists can system. Depending on how well sions about what types of equip- D6. Operation-A: Japan Invades
also gain the support of Western these operations are executed, the ment and personnel to assign to Australia. What if Japan had
powers and the USSR bringing front line for the ground war will be his force, and then once the action won the Battle of the Coral Sea,
in volunteer air units and more affected, thereby giving or taking begins, about movement paths and conquered New Guinea, and then
supplies. The objective is to gain away various airbases. Air units when to engage in combat. Units launched an invasion of Australia?
control of China before the Pacific will represent groups, depicting are platoon and company level. Operation-A explores this pos-
war begins. Joseph Miranda. different types of aircraft with their Stealth and command decisions are sibility. The game map will cover
C3. Seventh Fleet v. Kurita (25 own capabilities. Joseph Miranda. emphasized, but when the shooting northern Australia, the southern
Oct 1944) examines whether the C6. Midway Campaign. This will starts you will have a wide array Dutch East Indies, and New Guinea
US Seventh Fleet of old battleships use simulate Yamamoto’s entire of weapons to utilize. Complexity (the latter being Japanese bases).
could have defeated the Japanese campaign in the eastern Pacific dur- is low to moderate. Roger Mason. The Japanese player will have
Central Force of surface ships ing the summer of 1942. The game D3. France Fights On. This a limited number of divisions to
during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The will stretch from Japanese bases in alternative history game examines conduct his invasion, and will have
game would cover both a meeting the central Pacific to Hawaii and the the strategic and operational pos- to choose from several different
engagement outside Leyte Gulf and Aleutians. The design will be based sibilities inherent in the campaign landing areas. Units will be divi-
the Seventh Fleet forming a battle on Red Dragon Rising-South Seas that would’ve occurred in France in sions with brigade and regimental
line near the entrance of Leyte Campaign, emphasizing combined June 1940 if the French government breakdowns, plus airpower and
Gulf. Rules would include air strikes, operations and continuous actions had resolved to fight on. The French fleets. Joseph Miranda.
limited ammunition for US ships, US to generate operations. One choose to evacuate as much of their
radar advantages, leadership effects additional element will be limited army as possible to Algeria. The Special Editions (mark 1 to 6)
such as Admiral Ugaki replacing intelligence. Units will be deployed resultant campaign, then, is one of
Kurita, ability of US ships to fire on as part of task forces and the Allies strategic retreat and pursuit. The Special Editions have two map
the Japanese from within Leyte Gulf will have the advantages of their German player must try to destroy sheets, two counter sheets,
and an attempt by the Japanese to ULTRA intelligence. Game units as much of the French force as and up to 32 pages for rules.
force their way into the Gulf. Ships will represent individual aircraft possible, while keeping his own
would be double-long counters carriers, groups of two battleships, losses to a minimum in doing so. E1. Medwar Campaign. The entire
with single counters for leadership and squadrons for everything Both sides’ orders of battle are campaign in the Mediterranean
and air strikes. Otto Reichardt. else. Air units will be at the group entirely historical. Ty Bomba. theater of operations, 1940-43,
C4. Central Pacific Campaign. level, and ground formations as D4. La Resistance! simulates the using the Red Dragon Rising-South
This would use the Red Dragon regiments. Joseph Miranda. cat and mouse game between the Seas Campaign system. The game
Rising-South Seas Campaign German Counterintelligence and the map would stretch from Algeria to
system for the Allied offensive in Allied-supported resistance. Using Iraq, and include strategic islands
the Central Pacific, 1943-44. The Other Proposals (mark 1 to 6) mechanics of the old SPI Spies! such as Malta and Crete. Ground
campaign begins with the Allied game, this game is set during the units would be divisions, air units
counteroffensive at Tarawa and D1. Plan Gertrud 1942. The period of 1941-1944. Players will groups, and naval units at the
continues through to the seizure of German invasion of Turkey during have to guard their resources, avoid squadron level. German divisions
central Pacific islands to be used 1942 was originally conceived due being detected by security troops, can break down into kampfgruppen.
as staging areas for the invasion to concern Turkey might join the and infiltrate units into occupied Armored units can employ special
of the Philippines and as B-29 Allies. This presumes the Germans France/Belgium/Netherlands. post combat movement rules,
bases for the strategic assault preemptly attack Turkey in order to Successfully completing depending on their level of mobility.

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Special operations units will include the gains of Operation Compass, forces determined via a random for ground troops. David March.
the Long Range Desert Group, the and does not divert forces to table. Units will be army level E5. Battle for Germany. An update
Brandenburgers, and Italian naval Greece or Ethiopia. The game with some corps breakdowns. A and expansion of the classic S&T
commandos. Players can consult starts with Benghazi on its east pre-game events system will game. It would cover the last year
an Appeal to the High Command edge and Tunisia and Sicily on establish the alliances on each side, of WWII in Europe at the army
Table which may bring in additional the West Edge. The game starts as well as giving special victory and corps level. Of course, the
reinforcements, or trigger loyalty with Beda Fomm and goes to conditions. Joseph Miranda. ground-breaking ‘split-command’
changes in Vichy forces, or trigger the end of May 1941. The game E4. ABDACOM/Red Sun Rising. system would be maintained, along
the Iraqi coup. There will also be focuses on not just territory but Using modified Red Dragon Rising with better developed OBs and
variable scenarios depending on the national morale. The German rules, ABDACOM covers the open- rules. A short scenario covering
level of force commitment by both player must concentrate on keeping ing moves of the Japanese entry the six months (as in the original)
sides. Special rules will let the Axis a faltering Italy from creating a into WWII. Not just a complete will be included. Ty Bomba.
build their Operation Herkules force separate peace with Britain, after walkover as many have thought, E6. Zhukov’s War: Russia, 1942-
to invade Malta, while the British an invasion of Sicily. David March. the opening battles were heavily 43. This design would simulate
can reorganize their forces for more E3. ETO: 1943. This is a hypotheti- contested by the allies concentra- the crucial middle-phase of the
efficient operations. Event chits cal game based on World War II tion of forces at appropriate places eastern front from 19 Nov 1942
will include the impact of ULTRA, in Europe breaking out in 1942 to interfere with the invasions. through the liberation of Kiev late
American intervention (everything rather than in 1939. Historically, the Both the Allied and Japanese in 1943. Units would be corps for
from carriers in the Med to German and Italian war economies players must carefully husband the Germans and armies for the
Operation Torch), and leaders such would have been prepared for their resources while ensuring Soviets. A short scenario, beginning
as Rommel, O’Conner, Montgomery full-scale war in 1943. Both the that all objectives are met. The with Operational Citadel, would
and Patton. Joseph Miranda. Axis and Allied forces have more map covers Malaysia, Indonesia, be included, as well as a what-if
E2. O’Connor’s War. A what if time to prepare, but the historic and the Philippines. Units are at “Manstein’s Gambit” scenario.
game dealing with the ultimate lessons of 1939-41 would not have the squadron level for airplanes Ty “Proud Monster” Bomba.
question of the Med Campaign. been learned. Therefore, the and small naval ships, individual
Churchill decides to capitalize on powers would start the war with ships for capitol ships, regiments
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Game Preview
MINSK’44
Minsk covers the crucial exploitation each hex representing approximately

phase of the great Soviet summer two miles across, and includes such WaW UPCOMING
offensive against the Germans’ Army prominent locations as Berezina and FEATURES
Group Center in June of 1944. The game the transportation center of Minsk.
utilizes the classic quad series rules’ #
21: Rhineland ‘36
mechanics and a retreat-emphasizing The rules entail a variety of #
22: Minsk 1944
differential combat system to encourage standard and unique rules, such #
23: Pacific Battles: Guadalcanal
encirclement tactics, so typical of Soviet as Railroad Movement, “What if” #
24: Sedan: France, May 1940
armor strategy during World War II. Optional Reinforcements, Blowing #
25: Keren, East Africa
Minsk is a two-player (Soviet versus Bridges, Untried Units, and the full #
26: Race to the Reichstag
German) operational-level game. The range of historical unit formations, Visit STRATEGYandTACTICSpress.com
game includes 228 medium-sized such as 5th Guards Tank Army, and the for previews of these issues.
die-cut counters, with the division as 505th Heavy Armor Battalion, etc.
the primary maneuver unit, and also
includes air units, untried units, blown Victory in the game is determined
bridge markers, and headquarters by the accumulation of VP for
units. The colorful map features the control of important hexes, as well
area of the Third Belorussian Front as evacuating friendly units. ✪
during Operation Bagration, with

Observation Post
STRATEGIC that time Djibouti had food stocks They were soon commandeered by the
BACKWATERS on hand adequate for two months. British, however, reorganized into the
With little choice, the French in Brigade of the Orient, and sent against
Djibouti: Running the Djibouti turned to the Italians, who had the Italians in Eritrea. Further, British
Allied Food Blockade conquered neighboring Ethiopia several forces soon retook British Somaliland
years earlier, and who also occupied and then broke all contact between
The port and territory of Djibouti Eritrea to the north. Despite the hostility Italian forces and Djibouti, cutting the
held, in June 1940, somewhere around that had existed between them and the railway and ending that food conduit. By
40,000 souls. Of that number 8,300 French for the previous several years, April 1941, then, Djibouti was complete-
were French soldiers, with another 20 the Italians agreed to provide 800 tons of ly invested and no food was going in. By
or so sailors, the rest being European food per month, stocks mostly confiscat- June, Djibouti was starting to starve.
and native residents and workers as ed from Ethiopians. With strict rationing, In February 1941 Vichy France and
well as approximately 1,000 refugees that meant everyone in Djibouti the US had signed, and the British
(mostly women and children). The latter would receive a barely minimal diet. reluctantly agreed to, the Murphy-
had been evacuated from Indochina In that situation the pro-Vichy Weygand Accord for North Africa,
and the Levant in order to get them governor confronted three choices: which allowed food and humanitarian
out of those potential combat zones. surrender and join the Free French, supplies to be moved between France
All of them had at least one thing attempt to arrange a new provision- and North Africa. The accord provided
in common: they needed to eat. ing agreement with the British, or for using French funds otherwise frozen
When France signed its armistice simply hold on, hoping smuggling in the US to buy stocks of food, fuel and
with Germany in June 1940, Djibouti and blockade runners would augment other non-strategic goods necessary
became a potential threat to the British. the Italian supply arrangement. to keep afloat the economy of French
On the one hand, they had no real need Contact was therefore initiated with North Africa. It specifically allowed
for another harbor in that part of the British authorities in Aden via the US France to ship such goods through
world, as Mombassa to the south, Aden Consulate, asking to ease the blockade the British naval blockade under
to the east, and all the facilities around and allow humanitarian resupply. That “navicerts” issued in London. The
Suez to the north were more than ample initial effort failed, but both sides knew British weren’t willing to stretch the
to meet regional Royal Navy needs. communications would continue. accord to cover Djibouti, however, as it
The potential for basing Vichy naval With the blockade in effect, two other had become their policy to more fully
raiders out of Djibouti was slight, as all factors emerged bearing on it. First, support De Gaulle and his Free French
French ships had been dispatched to the in 1940 Winston Churchill promised movement. At the same time, however,
Mediterranean in September 1939 when Mussolini that, if Italy entered the war the reality on the ground also led to
the British agreed to ensure the protec- on the side of the Axis, Britain would bitter dispute between the British and
tion of all convoys in the area as well as “tear Italy’s empire to shreds.” In fulfill- those same Free French over Djibouti.
guaranteeing Djibouti’s food supply. ment of that pledge, in January 1941 Once Italian forces in the region
It was that last point the British British forces began moving against the were being defeated or driven into
planned to exploit: the inhabitants of Italians in East Africa and the Horn. The remote areas, the British became more
Djibouti, both European and native, second factor was Charles De Gaulle and interested in arranging an accord with
depended on the importation of food his “Free France” movement. He wanted Vichy to allow their use of the port
in order to survive, as almost nothing the soldiers in Djibouti as well as the ter- and railroad facilities of Djibouti. Such
edible was produced in Djibouti. All ritory itself, which would constitute not an accord would make easier their
that food had come by sea, normally only one more piece of “France” freed, occupation of the overall region. In
either from France itself or its colonies. but another justification as to why he, in exchange, British blockading forces
On 19 July 1940 the British consul particular, should represent Free France would turn a blind eye toward food and
in Djibouti formally warned the Vichy to both the British and the people of humanitarian shipments for Djibouti.
governor the food supply was to occupied France. For De Gaulle, his De Gaulle, though, would accept no
be cut-off by the imposition of a being aided in the recovery of Djibouti such compromise. He demanded the
blockade. On 2 August that blockade was a critical test of British goodwill. rigorous implementation of the block-
went into full affect, enforced by In December 1940 several Free ade, reasoning the faster the people
British warships based out of Aden, French infantry battalions had been and troops in Djibouti starved, the
by Yemen- and British Somaliland- ordered by De Gaulle to invade Djibouti, sooner they would be willing to join Free
based aircraft, and by troops along first mustering in Port Sudan for what France. Toward that end he transferred
the Djibouti/Somaliland frontier. At he codenamed “Operation Marie.” to Aden two of the limited number of

Observation Post
Free French naval vessels then avail- Passa, a sailing vessel, was requisitioned To continue the Yemeni smuggling
able—the sloop Savorgnan de Brazza in the Comoro Islands, refurbished traffic, Djiboutian authorities needed
and the minesweeper Commandant and dispatched with 60 tons of food hard cash, as the Arabs would only
Duboc—to help enforce the blockade. in early September. Meeting only take bullion, not paper money or
They frequently patrolled well into the a few merchant ships and being credit. Only gold francs or silver thaler
Gulf of Tadjoura to intercept even coast- ignored by two troopships escorted (old Austro-Hungarian Maria Theresa
al traffic. Free French intelligence agents by a British heavy cruiser, she arrived coins, locally called “fat ladies”) were
also began actively working among without difficulty on 17 September. acceptable and, while the dhow traffic
the Yemeni Arabs, offering bribes to Next, the Amir, a confiscated gold was fast, their loads were small and
divert even small boat traffic away from smuggler, was dispatched in late many trips were required. Thus lots
Djibouti, as well as preemptively buying September, but she was captured by the of money was needed, and for that
cargoes to keep them from going there. Royal Indian Navy patrol boat Ratjaniri the Vichy French relied on airlift.
The Vichy-controlled French Navy, on 5 October, 80 miles short of Djibouti. Djibouti had managed to maintain
traditionally responsible for Djibouti, The dhow Aeroplane had to turn an aerial line of communication with
refused to accept the evolving situation. back after springing a leak; the dhow metropolitan France, using seaplanes
The French Naval-Officer-In-Command Marianne lost most of her cargo in heavy flying via Beirut until June 1941 and by
(NOIC) in Madagascar, a Capt. Maerten, seas, and another two decrepit dhows bombers flying via Italian-held territory
was therefore directed to effect the had to turn back to Madagascar on the until late that year. After that only a few
relief of Djibouti by all possible means. verge of sinking. Finally an old coaster, long-range aircraft flew directly from
(Madagascar, roughly 2,000 miles from the Sur Couf, was captured by the British North Africa to Djibouti, those being
Djibouti, was more than self-sufficient in November and taken to Aden. either Amiot or Glenn Martin bombers.
in food.) Because naval assets and Vichy naval vessels were forced Along with mail and passengers, boxes
merchant shipping were limited, to try to take up the slack. The of silver thaler were also delivered to
Maerten commandeered local sailing submarine Monge delivered 10 tons ensure Djibouti had enough money to
vessels, mostly dhows, but also a few in late October, followed by the Le pay the smugglers who delivered food.
schooners (some motorized), and Heros in late November. The gunboat Even so, Djibouti was steadily slipping
called for volunteers to man them. D’Iberville, in company with the closer to starvation, even though several
The first vessel, a 120-ton schooner submarine Le Glorieux, managed hundred women and children were
named the Hind, was loaded with to run the blockade, delivering 300 evacuated to Madagascar early in 1942.
70 tons of food and sent off on 7 July tons of food on Christmas Eve 1941. It all came to an end in December,
1941. Resembling nothing so much as Even so, starvation was approaching after the Allied landing in North Africa
a regional pirate vessel, with a mixed and the submarine resupply effort and the widespread collapse of Vichy
crew of Malgaches and Comoran was only delaying the inevitable. control in its colonies across the
fishermen captained by Ens. Cazalis The Japanese victories at Pearl continent. Military discipline in Djibouti
de Fonduce, the ship made its way Harbor and, more importantly for simply gave way; troops deserted en
north. Frequently becalmed en route, Djibouti, at Singapore, prompted the masse to British territory and, on 28
she delivered her cargo on 1 August. British to relax their blockade, as the December 1942, Free French troops
A second vessel, the submarine Le vessels being used there were sud- arrived along with an Allied naval
Vengeur, departed Diego Suarez two denly needed for more important tasks. task force the next day (the British
days after the Hind, but arrived before Yemeni dhow smuggling increased and, cruiser Ceres, the destroyer Hero, two
the slow schooner. She delivered only on 20 February 1942, the Vichy “auxiliary minesweepers and three Free Greek
10 tons of food, as volume and weight cruiser” Bougainville (formerly the torpedo boats). During the long siege
are severely restricted in submarines, banana boat Victor Schoelcher) the population of Djibouti had shrunk
but her ballast tanks had been filled arrived with 1,100 tons of food as by 15,000, almost all of them natives
with red wine. On her return to well as some live cattle. She made who chose to simply move away from
Deigo Suarez, the Le Vengeur fired a the run again in March and on-hand an increasingly dangerous situation.
torpedo at the Savorgnan de Brazza food stocks were then deemed large
as it was stopping a dhow engaged in enough that starvation was no longer — Vernie Liebl
smuggling food to Djibouti. The shot an immediate threat. Then, on 5 May
missed, but the Savorgnan de Brazza 1942, the British seized Diego Suarez
fled the scene after releasing the on Madagascar, meaning Djibouti lost
dhow, allowing it to reach Djibouti. all but the Yemeni smuggling option.
Other vessels followed. The Naram The situation was again desperate.

WEAPONS & TACTICS emplacements at distances from 30 their anti-tank weapons. Their 37mm
to 100 feet from a road. Machinegun gun fired an AP-HE (armor piercing
Tank & Anti-Tank Tactics in Burma nests, located so as to prevent infantry high explosive) round. Against the front
from attacking the anti-tank guns, glacis of the M3A3 that projectile was
The Japanese deployed little armor were used as protection. Wherever impotent, but it was effective against
to Burma during the war. The tables possible the Japanese located up to four the sides of those tanks, especially
of organization and equipment for weapons on the far banks of streams when they hit the gas tanks.
their infantry divisions called for a and rivers covering a road bridge, Against the American M4 medium
company of six “tankettes,” which had which gave them a good chance of tank, neither the 37mm nor the 47mm
two-man crews and a 37mm cannon. getting a hit when a tank attempted was effective. Even when the running
Also available in limited numbers to cross the waterway. The guns were gear was hit, the damage wasn’t
was a medium tank with a crew of sited with narrow fire lanes, which significant enough to disable the
four and armed with a 57mm cannon enhanced their ability to avoid early tank. The Japanese soon learned
along with two 7.7mm machineguns. discovery by advancing enemy troops. they couldn’t defeat the American
What the Japanese did have in The Japanese proved adept at placing medium tank, and as a result they
significant numbers were two types and concealing their anti-tank guns. To rarely tried to engage it, deciding not
of anti-tank guns. There was a high prevent a position from being overrun to give away their concealed positions
velocity 47mm gun and a light-weight by tanks, especially the M4 medium and risk subsequent destruction.
37 mm gun. Of the two, the Americans tanks of the Americans, emplacements At the same time, the tanks of the
considered the 47mm the least effective were located next to large trees that 1st Provisional Chinese-American Tank
because of the characteristics of its couldn’t be knocked down. Where trees Group in northern Burma achieved only
ammunition. The 47mm armor- were cut down to create obstacles, varied success in dealing with Japanese
piercing shell had a large amount their stumps were left high enough to anti-tank emplacements. The 37mm
of explosive, but the projectile burst block a tank trying to cross over them. guns mounted on their M3A3 light
before it penetrated its target. In one Discovering such positions proved tanks fired a canister round, but the
engagement some 14 hits were made difficult. Tank crew seldom saw an typical anti-tank gun position’s narrow
on an M3A3 light tank by a 47mm emplacement until its anti-tank gun firing aperture made it difficult to
anti-tank weapon at a range of 100 feet, or machinegun opened fire. Even then neutralize them unless a round achieved
all without penetration because of the it was hard to determine from exactly a direct hit within that opening.
projectiles’ premature explosions. where the fire was coming. In one The M4 tanks could use their 75mm
The Japanese anti-tank guns were instance a tank was hit four times by cannon to better effect, depending on
the core of their anti-tank defense. The an anti-tank gun located 30 feet off the the type of ammunition employed.
system they devised demonstrated road. It took 15 minutes for the tank Even so, unless a direct hit on an
careful coordination between anti-tank crew to find and destroy that position. anti-tank gun’s firing aperture was
guns, machineguns and magnetic Anti-tank gun emplacements, achieved, high explosive rounds were
mine-thrower teams. Other elements along with most defensive positions seldom effective. When a high explosive
consisted of the skillful use of terrain, constructed by the Japanese, weren’t round did find its target, the results
land mines and field artillery support. slipshod efforts. The thickness of the were excellent, with great damage
Complicating the effective employ- walls and the cover on top could vary done to the Japanese gun and crew.
ment of tanks by the Chinese and from two to six feet, depending on how Better results were achieved with
Americans in that theater of operations much time the crew had to prepare armor piercing high explosive rounds.
was the limitation placed on vehicles the position. The gun port was usually The 75mm round’s penetrating ability
by the vegetation. High elephant kept narrow, normally not more than was powerful. It could go through up
grass, also called coogan or kunai eight inches high and 24 inches wide. to six feet of soil and logs and then
grass, sometimes grew to a height of Deep and narrow trenches for stor- explode within the emplacement.
18 feet and, along with heavy vines ing ammunition and concealing extra One of the major dangers Allied
entwined among the numerous trees, crew were constructed to the rear. The tank crews encountered in engaging
it generally limited armored vehicles to depth of those trenches made it hard to an enemy intent on knocking out
roads and paths. It was often difficult get hits on their contents. The trenches their vehicles came from magnetic
for vehicles to maneuver off-road at all were concealed as well, giving little hint mine-throwers. The Japanese made
when the enemy was encountered. as to the size of the overall position. wide use of teams of soldiers armed
Japanese anti-tank guns were gener- When taking Allied tanks under fire with magnetic mines who sprang from
ally employed in pairs from covered the Japanese had varied success with concealed roadside holes to place those

Observation Post
charges directly on top of passing tanks. to fill the gap between the mesh and operations to the point of defeating
Those magnetic mines were armor. Though that worked for the light missions. Ultimately, though, mines
designed to be attached to the most tanks, it proved difficult to apply to embedded in thoroughfares proved
vulnerable parts of a vehicle. If placed the medium tanks; so, as a substitute, more of a nuisance than a debilitating
on a tank’s running gear, such as a track sandbags were employed there. To threat. Except in two engagements,
sprocket, an exploding mine would defeat Japanese who tried to climb on there was little effort to plant true
often simply be thrown off, doing no the M4s and remove the sandbags, minefields or make use of such mines in
damage. If placed on the rear deck over they were wired securely in place. coordination with anti-tank defenses.
the gas tank of an armored vehicle, how- The mine-throwers who attempted The first encounter of the Chinese
ever, when the mine exploded it would to penetrate those defense measures and American tankers with standard
often cause the entire tank to burn. were especially dedicated men who Japanese landmines actually involved
To combat the Japanese use of mag- worked in pairs. Four to five pairs an attempt to place mines lashed to
netic mines required careful over-watch composed a squad and were com- poles under the treads of passing tanks.
of the lead tanks by accompanying vehi- manded by an officer who was charged Concealed by high elephant grass, which
cles. When M4 medium and M3A3 light with carrying and distributing the mine grew close by the side of a trail down
tanks worked in coordination, the light fuses. Each pair of men was issued which the tanks were driving, Japanese
tanks would cover the medium tanks at least two magnetic mines, though soldiers attempted to disable several
with their machineguns and 37mm can- as many as eight were found in holes light tanks in that way. The attempt
non. That kept Japanese infantry from from which the soldiers jumped. was thwarted by firing 37mm canister
leaping on the medium tanks’ rear decks The tactics employed by the mine rounds that dispersed the attackers and
and attaching the mines over the engine throwers were closely coordinated discouraged further use of the tactic.
compartment and gas tanks. Using those with the employment of the anti-tank Landmines proved most effective
defensive tactics, Chinese and American guns and supporting machineguns. against logistical vehicles. A single mine
crewmen found the Japanese soon The positions from which the soldiers was able to blow off the front wheel of a
became reluctant to face the spray effect made their attacks were always in close truck, but such vehicles weren’t difficult
of the aforementioned canister rounds proximity to the guns and were covered to repair. A double-stacked landmine,
fired by the light tanks’ 37mm guns. by them. The positions were small however, could be destructive enough
A more passive defense measure holes dug close enough to the road that to damage the wheel assembly of a
involved the placing of wire netting the mines could be simply thrown on two and a half ton truck so badly it was
over front slope hatches and rear passing tanks. If a thrown mine landed impossible to repair in the field. At the
engine decking of the light tanks. on the rear deck of a light tank it caused same time, double-stacked mines once
Experimentation with previously burned the complete destruction of that vehicle. badly shattered the tracks of several
out tanks revealed that a four-inch The passive deployment of mines light tanks. In another instance a single
gap between such netting and the on roads and trails also met with mine broke the track of an M3A3 light
tank body resulted in a mine blowing some success. The terrain in which tank, but did no more than destroy
up and doing no damage. To keep the the Chinese and Americans operated one track block. As for M4 medium
netting in place, mechanics welded so channeled the maneuver room of tanks, the landmines proved ineffec-
rods to the armor that supported the their tanks that the Japanese use of tive in even breaking their tracks.
wire, and bamboo and logs were used mines and obstacles often slowed down Another important element of

Japanese anti-tank tactics involved the is the story of a little known yet amazing
use of artillery in support of their defen- American technological achievement
sive operations. The Japanese often that overcame seemingly impossible
had sufficient artillery in the Chinese- hurdles to create a tremendous strategic
American combat area in Burma to asset that significantly contributed
have a significant impact on operations. to victory in northwest Europe.
Whenever tanks appeared the Japanese Early in 1944 Hitler surveyed
responded with the full strength of their his Atlantic Wall, and he felt secure
available guns. That proved hard on the the Allies couldn’t effectively crack
accompanying Chinese infantry, who it. His number one reason for that
took heavy losses when they operated self-assurance: though there are 1,500
too closely with the armor. On the other locomotives and 20,000 freight cars Prior to D-Day, Allied airpower had
hand, when the artillery succeeded in waiting in England to be brought to been used to cut off Normandy from
separating the tanks from the infantry, the continent, he believed the Allies the larger French rail-net, in the hope of
Japanese defenders would in turn would need a fully operating port to thereby denying easy or swift German
infiltrate back into the resulting gap and accomplish that logistically vital feat. reinforcement during the campaign.
reestablish their fighting positions. The He therefore ordered every French French locomotives and rail cars were
result was often the re-emplacement port heavily fortified and garrisoned, high priority targets, and large numbers
of Japanese automatic weapons that and ordered those defenders to fight of them were destroyed. Of course,
would then take a further heavy toll to the death. If a port was about to once Allied armies were well ashore in
on the separated Chinese infantry. be captured, its docks were to be France, that same rail network would
The tactical combination of anti-tank blown up prior to that. No port facility be vital to the strategic mobility of that
guns, automatic weapons, landmines, was to be allowed to fall intact into huge force. It therefore had to be rapidly
mine-throwers and artillery often proved Allied hands. As long as that was put back into service. The replacement
itself defending against the Chinese- accomplished, he believed the Allies locomotives, cars and other materials
American armor threat represented by could never rehabilitate the French were accordingly stockpiled in England.
the 1st Provisional Chinese-American rail system in time to wage a mobile The Americans also had a plan, and
Tank Group in Burma in 1944 and 1945. war across France that same year. the technology, to quickly transport the
In sum, however, though having the In believing that, Hitler made a replacement railroad stock onto the
advantage of excellent defensive terrain, fatal miscalculation. For even though French rail net. It involved an innova-
the Japanese still only managed to slow, intact ports were denied to the invading tive technique to move train cars and
not stop, the advance of that Allied Allied armies, they nonetheless rapidly locomotives over open sand beaches.
armor formation. As skillfully executed brought the necessary rolling stock and Col. Sidney H. Bingham had run the
as their anti-tank tactics were, they were locomotives into play using an unfore- New York City subway system before
ultimately insufficient to avoid the final seen and seemingly impossible method. the war. In the army he was called on
defeat of Japanese forces in Burma. to develop a plan to ship trains across
the Channel and unload them over the
— Raymond E. Bell, Jr. open, sloping Normandy beaches and
right onto the French rail network.
When he first proposed the idea at
TECHNOLOGY an inter-Allied conference in England
BACKDATE in July 1942 he was scoffed at. The tide
on the Normandy beaches runs to 24
Trains Over Beaches feet, and would therefore allow only 90
minutes of unloading time for such huge
World War II saw many American pieces of cargo every 24 hours. It was
technological innovations that created estimated the British ships that had been
surprise on the battlefield and helped used to shuttle trains across the Channel
lead to ultimate Allied victory: the atom- before the war would take 3.5 years
ic bomb, the proximity fuse, radar and to move the necessary replacement
sonar advances, the Norden bombsight, locomotives and rolling stock to France,
and amphibious tanks are a few of the and that was only if dock facilities were
better known examples. This, however, available. The proposed American

Observation Post
Performance of Allied Railways,

Northern France, Summer 1944
Month > July August September

Average Tons 1,520 3,410 11,834
Hauled Per Day
Average Number of 15.5 25.5 32.8
Trains Per Day
Average Number 22 26.2 267
of Miles Freight
Was Hauled
Average Tons of 138 133 351
Freight Per Train
Miles of Track in Use 60 Figure Not Available 4,788
scheme therefore seemed hare-brained. There was only one more obstacle the Normandy beaches disgorged
The situation was so potentially des- to be overcome. The Allied senior entire freight trains directly onto the
perate, the go ahead was given for rails ground commander ashore, British Field French rail net. That technological
to be experimentally laid inside Landing Marshal Bernard Montgomery, was achievement provided the strategic
Ship Tanks (LST), in line with Bingham’s generally opposed to the whole scheme. logistical backbone that enabled a rapid
thinking. Rolling stock was loaded In particular, he declared he would allow advance across France to the German
aboard those ships and the combination no steam locomotives in the British area border. In the 90 days following that
tested for seaworthiness. To create the of operations within the beachhead date the US Army Transportation Corps
required stability, the locomotives were during the first weeks after the invasion. Military Railway Service delivered
actually welded to the rails on which That was because, in his view, trains 1,500 locomotives and 20,000 railcars
they sat inside the hulls of the LST. inescapably created steam and smoke to France using LST. It was one of the
For unloading without docks, tracks that drew heavy enemy artillery fire. war’s greatest engineering feats.
were laid from the nearest inland rail Bingham therefore exclusively deployed
line to the beach, and expandable diesel locomotives in the British area. — Mark Day
“breathing” bridges were emplaced Starting on 14 July (38 days after
on shore, using quick-drying concrete the initial landing), LST run up on
poured at low tide for their foundations.
A flexibly expansive system connecting
the rails aboard the ships to the rails
onshore was devised, and the unwelded
trains were then simply unloaded over
the open beach by driving them off the
ships and onto the rail line ashore. It was
found that 22 rail cars could be unload-
ed in 21 minutes using that method

Media Reviews
The Battle of Kohima took place After 229 releases, Osprey has all but
in two stages. From 3 to 16 April the perfected this series. The one quibble I
Japanese attempted to capture Kohima had was the lack of theater map illustrat-
Ridge, which dominated the roads over ing the struggle from the strategic point
which the British and Indian troops of view. It would’ve been better if the
on the Imphal plain were supplied. A book’s designers hadn’t taken for granted
small British garrison, outnumbered that readers would already know the
more than 10:1, held out against fierce location of Kohima within the theater,
and repeatedly desperate attacks to especially in light of the obscurity of the
retain control of the vital ridge. campaign in US military historiography.
The second phase, which lasted from Kohima has been called the
mid-April through June, saw British “Stalingrad of the east.” This book illus-
and Indian troops counterattacking in trates why that’s an apt comparison. The
an effort to drive the Japanese from the ferocious fighting, the immense strategic
area. The fighting during that phase, implications of the battle, and the vivid
against an increasingly desperate presentation make it a must-read.
enemy, was among the most brutal
experienced anywhere in World War II.
When it was over and the British had
Kohima 1944: The Battle that prevailed, a turning point in the war
Saved India, by Robert Lyman had been reached. From that time on
(Osprey Publishing, 2010). the Japanese in Indo-China were on the
Reviewed by Andrew Hind. retreat, with the British systematically
driving them from their conquests.
Robert Lyman, a prolific writer on Lyman was an inspired choice
World War II , does a remarkable job to write this book in Osprey’s series.
of describing the little-remembered Not only is he a skilled writer and
Battle of Kohima and why it was so historian, but as Chairman of the
important to the course of events Kohima Educational Trust and a Trustee
in the Indo-China Theater and to of the Burma Campaign Memorial
the Allied victory over Japan. Library, he is one of the greatest
In February 1944 the Japanese scholars on the subject. His knowledge
launched Operation Ha-Go into Assam shines through in a text that captures
Province in British India, designed all the horror and heroism that came
as a feint to lure British forces away to mark the Battle of Kohima. At the
from the planned main event a month same time, he manages to paint an
later: Operation U-Go. Launched in evocative picture of the difficulties
March, U-Go was an ambitious attack inherent in fighting in a jungle. Rarely
intended to inspire a rising by the has a battle come alive more vividly.
Indian populace against British rule. The text is supported by a Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great
The Japanese plan relied on mobility, number of detailed illustrations by Navies at War in the Mediterranean
infiltration and captured supplies to Peter Dennis, as well as by dozens of Theater, 1940-1945, by Vincent P.
maintain the momentum of the attack. period photographs. Maps, including O’Hara (Naval Institute Press, 2009).
That scheme was unhinged by the a number of three-dimensional Reviewed by Ken MacFarlane
dogged British defense of Kohima, the topographic representations, make it
key point in the entire Imphal region. easy to follow the chain of events.

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Go to strategyandtacticspress.com
More major sea battles were fought combatants complete with maps and
in the Mediterranean during World tables. Each table shows the weather
War II than any other body of water. conditions and a list of the Allied and
This work offers a fresh examination of Axis ships, all annotated with leader,
the struggle to control the Middle Sea nationality, type and damage received.
by five of the chief naval combatants Other charts show the overall delivery
of the war: Britain, France Germany, of material or comparative losses.
Italy and the United States. A number of less well known
The entry of Italy into the conflict aspects of the campaign are brought
in June 1940 triggered a seemingly to light, such as the distribution of
endless series of engagements with the mine fields, engagements in the
goal of exerting control over this major Aegean, torpedo boat actions, and
supply route between three continents. the employment of German S-boat
European colonies were also at stake, flotillas. It also highlights submarine
open to the naval victor for the taking. actions by both sides, which were at
Though Mussolini declared war first expected to change the course
before his navy was fully prepared, he of the overall conflict but then disap-
felt that service was strong enough to pointed the planners on both sides.
challenge the British Royal Navy given There are a few detractions. The
that the French had been immobilized book is choppy; I found it easier to read
by their surrender to Germany. The in small chunks like a magazine. While
Italians, though, were matched against a terrific reference, it loses the big-
an opponent who was confident, brave picture focus toward the end, perhaps
and well trained. Despite facing such an because the battles became smaller
intimidating foe, along with shortages with no strategic impact. The impact
of fuel and inferior repair facilities, the of airpower also seemed minimized.
Italians won many battles and were This is a good work with a
mostly successful in convoying forces to fresh perspective and lacking
Africa. Yet fear and mediocre leadership any nationalistic bias. It will be
at the highest levels kept them from especially valuable to readers desir-
winning. Poor performance in night ing rich detail of the campaign.
engagements, coupled with inferior
torpedo tactics and aircraft coordina-
tion, ultimately doomed their efforts.
While the Luftwaffe offered the grav-
est threat to the Allies, the American
and Free French Navies tipped the
balance in the Mediterranean, allowing
multiple landings that forced Italy
from the war. Following the Italian
armistice in 1943, Germany quickly
seized minor Italian units to continue
the naval campaign until May 1945.
This book is rich in detail, providing
in-depth examinations of all of the
surface battles between the major

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GROSS DEUTSCHLAND PANZER DIVISION | To Sink a Warship | I Rember: Anzio | Battle of Shanghai, 1932

The Strategy & Tactics of World War II #20 OCT–NOV 2011

Going beyond the usual

Each issue is packed full of:

This third edition of our popular Krieg! game is

Best of all, TK can be played linked with its

Go to decisiongames.com for order information.

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS READER SUBMISSIONS

We welcome interesting and concise stories about virtually

in the early 1930s. This is an analysis by Mark Day MAP GRAPHICS

by Terence Co 62 DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

WORLD AT WAR (©2011) reserves all rights on

4 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011

No More Mr. Nice Watch

N ever underestimate your competition. Just ask Demetrius,

Smar t Luxuries—Surprising Prices

6 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011

WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 7

Men of the panzer regiment check their equipment.

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The famous Hanomag transport.

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The stalled advance toward Kursk.

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Final preparations for an attack.

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GROSS DEUTSCHLAND PANZER

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S&T 270 | SEP–OCT 2011 1

Sherman tanks oﬂoading at Anzio.

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Poker and craps were the main

Soon several trucks arrived with a

In town there were restaurants, a USO

WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 25

26 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011

Each of the sled teams included ﬁve

The sky was choked with smoke,

WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 27

It was difﬁcult and frightening to lift

Shirley described to the lieutenant

We’d crawled only a few feet when

In front of them was a zigzag trench

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as the world’s ﬁfth most populous in control of the rackets. Chicago’s

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The actions of Maj. Ryukichi Tanaka

32 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011