Best Army that Never Fought

so the Argies had poor kit? Have a couple mates who went down there in 82-one with Para Eng since served with the regiment in all sorts of interesting places, one with 42 Cdo and a couple Tars. The Argies had (some) better night vision kit, their boots were better and they had the auto SLR-more than one marine tried to do and get away with a swap. 601 Company were no slouches as were Buzo Tactico and 5th Marines.

Anyway on a lighter note....
Luxemburg Combat Group c1961 with 3 battalions, service bn, artillery bn, mortar company, AT company etc. The enthusiasm for service with such force was that by the late 60s it got reduced to a rump of a single battalion....
 
so the Argies had poor kit? Have a couple mates who went down there in 82-one with Para Eng since served with the regiment in all sorts of interesting places, one with 42 Cdo and a couple Tars. The Argies had (some) better night vision kit, their boots were better and they had the auto SLR-more than one marine tried to do and get away with a swap. 601 Company were no slouches as were Buzo Tactico and 5th Marines.

I think the overall problem with the Argentine servicemen in the Falklands wasn't the calibre of their equipment or their willingness to fight but the total lack of leadership above company level. I remember reading that the Argentine positions East of Stanley were there so long they had turf growing on them and thinking that any commander worth his salt could turned the place into a fortress in the time they had, building a trench line like the Germans had in WW1 and rotating troops between the front and Stanley to keep moral and health up.

Martin Middlebrook's "Fighting for the Malvinas" gives a good account of the war from the Argentinian prospective.
 
oh agreed a lot of their leadership was sh*te....
Lots of what if's for the latins -for example they had mountain units but kept them busy watching Chile, and if they had only waited six months-year whole other ball game as Hermes would have been sold off or going for razor blades, Invincible would have become HMAS Australia, the Vulcans (not that they did that much apart from cost the earth in fuel) would have gone, Fearless and Intrepid also razor blades...yup bad leadership all the way through for Argies.

Oh another 'best army' that of Chile....has a spot of a German obsession in appearence but appears to be well trained and motivated.
 
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