MacCaulay
Banned
...this is a POD I've had up my sleeve for awhile and I figured I'd pitch it now that I have a bit more knowledge on the subject.
In late 1944, the commander First Canadian Army in Northwest Europe, Harry Crerar, was removed to England for dysentery. Crerar was an amazing staff officer from the artillery arm of the Canadian military that had served in World War I and had devised some of the most audacious and intricate army-level fireplans ever used in the Second World War, but he was also a cold and aloof individual who was considered by his subordinates and fellow General Officers to be stand-offish and "old-fashioned."
Montgomery himself, though personally friends with him, once commented that Crerar did not "have the pushiness" to be an Army commander. This was one of the reasons that Monty pushed for him to take a voluntary demotion and serve as a divisional commander in Italy prior to the operations in Normandy.
When Crerar was sent to England to recover, II Canadian Corps commander Guy Simonds temporarily replaced him as First Canadian Army commander and in the words of one staff officer, the effect was "electrifying."
Simonds was to the Canadian armoured community what Patton and Rommel were to their respective countrymen. His claim to fame was the Kangaroo, an early APC created by "de-frocking" the Priest self propelled guns and using them to transport troops and then provide them with a machine gun that would instantly be up front with them. These were first used during Simonds' II Canadian Corps' performance in Operation Totalize where they performed with flying colours.
One need only compare the Canadian approach to operations in Normandy (when Crerar was in charge of 1stCA) to the Scheldt Estuary operations, when Simonds was given a chance to act independently of his higher up to see the difference in the two mens' command styles.
So...let's suppose (for the sake of argument) that Monty uses...more forceful measures and Crerar settles for keeping command of I Canadian Corps in Italy.
First Canadian Army lands in Normandy with Gen. Chris Vokes in command of II Canadian Corps, and Guy Simonds in command of First Canadian Army. How does this relatively more progressive style of warfare fit in with the kind of battle that Montgomery's 21st Army Group wanted to fight in Normandy?
In late 1944, the commander First Canadian Army in Northwest Europe, Harry Crerar, was removed to England for dysentery. Crerar was an amazing staff officer from the artillery arm of the Canadian military that had served in World War I and had devised some of the most audacious and intricate army-level fireplans ever used in the Second World War, but he was also a cold and aloof individual who was considered by his subordinates and fellow General Officers to be stand-offish and "old-fashioned."
Montgomery himself, though personally friends with him, once commented that Crerar did not "have the pushiness" to be an Army commander. This was one of the reasons that Monty pushed for him to take a voluntary demotion and serve as a divisional commander in Italy prior to the operations in Normandy.
When Crerar was sent to England to recover, II Canadian Corps commander Guy Simonds temporarily replaced him as First Canadian Army commander and in the words of one staff officer, the effect was "electrifying."
Simonds was to the Canadian armoured community what Patton and Rommel were to their respective countrymen. His claim to fame was the Kangaroo, an early APC created by "de-frocking" the Priest self propelled guns and using them to transport troops and then provide them with a machine gun that would instantly be up front with them. These were first used during Simonds' II Canadian Corps' performance in Operation Totalize where they performed with flying colours.
One need only compare the Canadian approach to operations in Normandy (when Crerar was in charge of 1stCA) to the Scheldt Estuary operations, when Simonds was given a chance to act independently of his higher up to see the difference in the two mens' command styles.
So...let's suppose (for the sake of argument) that Monty uses...more forceful measures and Crerar settles for keeping command of I Canadian Corps in Italy.
First Canadian Army lands in Normandy with Gen. Chris Vokes in command of II Canadian Corps, and Guy Simonds in command of First Canadian Army. How does this relatively more progressive style of warfare fit in with the kind of battle that Montgomery's 21st Army Group wanted to fight in Normandy?