Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon

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vl100butch

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Director's office at DAMO-SS in the Pentagon, you will see the picture of BG Dwight Eisenhower, with the water stains from 9/11 on it that won't be removed...
 

The Sandman

Banned
As in, "man whose plan for seizing a narrow mountainous peninsula when we have complete naval and aerial supremacy in the region is to land in the south and march up its entire length" Mark Clark? "Taking Rome for personal glory is more important than trapping and destroying the local German army" Mark Clark?

I'm not sure that's a good thing.
 
Driftless

Driftless

Donor
The Sandman said:
As in, "man whose plan for seizing a narrow mountainous peninsula when we have complete naval and aerial supremacy in the region is to land in the south and march up its entire length" Mark Clark? "Taking Rome for personal glory is more important than trapping and destroying the local German army" Mark Clark?

I'm not sure that's a good thing.
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That may be... :) but he was seen as a rising star, with all the right connections then.
 

viperjock

The Sandman said:
As in, "man whose plan for seizing a narrow mountainous peninsula when we have complete naval and aerial supremacy in the region is to land in the south and march up its entire length" Mark Clark? "Taking Rome for personal glory is more important than trapping and destroying the local German army" Mark Clark?

I'm not sure that's a good thing.
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OTL Mark Clark was good friends with Ike. Clark was also Asst Army G-3 under McNair. Marshall selected him to teach at the Army War College. I am not advocating giving him command of Torch. But at this time Clark was a good staff officer in the right place to be available. Maybe he can learn something early and redeem himself in this timeline

How about Lucian Truscott?
 

thorr97

Banned
Coaster,

Ah, that old myth.

Best give this a watch then. It puts paid to McNair's being a villain of any sort. And it puts paid to the idea that the US was under equipped against German armor. And it puts paid to the whole anti-tank myths as well...

 
StephenColbert27

StephenColbert27

Banned
thorr97 said:
Coaster,

Ah, that old myth.

Best give this a watch then. It puts paid to McNair's being a villain of any sort. And it puts paid to the idea that the US was under equipped against German armor. And it puts paid to the whole anti-tank myths as well...

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I was just about to post that, since I assumed that's where the enmity came from.
Caoster said:
Other than the fact that his stubbornness in refusing to reconsider his position on separate dedicated anti-tank units resulted in the US being woefully under equipped when fighting German armor, resulting in horrible casualties for US tankers AND infantry?

Whichever B-17 dropped that bomb that took him out probably saved 100x more lives than that bomb killed.
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Thorr covers it nicely. In addition to all those armor myths being false, McNair was also very effective in organizing, training, equipping, et cetera the new army. His staff and organizational skills and their effect on the combat readiness of U.S. Army units should not be underestimated.
 

galveston bay

StephenColbert27 said:
I was just about to post that, since I assumed that's where the enmity came from.

Thorr covers it nicely. In addition to all those armor myths being false, McNair was also very effective in organizing, training, equipping, et cetera the new army. His staff and organizational skills and their effect on the combat readiness of U.S. Army units should not be underestimated.
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In my opinion, with Eisenhower in the Pacific, McNair or Lear would be the most likely candidates to command Torch. But I have a few months to worry about that issue in the timeline (story months that is)
 

galveston bay

viperjock said:
OTL Mark Clark was good friends with Ike. Clark was also Asst Army G-3 under McNair. Marshall selected him to teach at the Army War College. I am not advocating giving him command of Torch. But at this time Clark was a good staff officer in the right place to be available. Maybe he can learn something early and redeem himself in this timeline

How about Lucian Truscott?
Click to expand...

Bradley is also a serious possibility .. Marshall really thought highly of him
 
Driftless

Driftless

Donor
Six weeks into the shooting war (for the US anyways); and we've got more casualties in the command level for the Army and Navy than the same point in history. To be sure, the combat has been intense on several fronts. With those losses/wounds to top officers, different commanders will need to emerge - by default...
 

Zheng He

Driftless said:
Six weeks into the shooting war (for the US anyways); and we've got more casualties in the command level for the Army and Navy than the same point in history. To be sure, the combat has been intense on several fronts. With those losses/wounds to top officers, different commanders will need to emerge - by default...
Click to expand...

Time for Major General Zert to get his big chance...
 
marathag

marathag

Banned
thorr97 said:
It puts paid to McNair's being a villain of any sort
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But he did block Devers every chance he got, who wanted an improved M4. 2nd, he returned towed Anti-Tank guns to the force after North Africa.

He is responsible for far more than just heading the TDs
 
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