Useful

**mnairb** · 27-05-2009, 14:23

Just a small point, fantassin, you talk about Anvil/Dragoon - the original name for Overlord was Hammer and the name for the invasion of the South of France was to be Anvil. The names were dropped in favour of the unrelated Overlord and Dragoon for fear that German intelligence would put 2 and 2 together and work out what was intended.

BTW, I have never found a book that describes the invasion of the South of France and the advance up the Rhone valley apart from brief descriptions in overall histories (unlike, for example, the excellent D-Day and the battle for Normandy by Max Hastings). Does anyone know if such a book exists?

**BuggerAll** · 27-05-2009, 14:30

This YouTube offering appeared on my Google home page.

As I was watching it I thought I was seeing that rarity - a French victory - as well as terrible pussy whipped whelp...

Its completly irrelevant but please see it through to the punchline.

**fantassin** · 27-05-2009, 14:52

[quote="Bouillabaisse"]The Prussians had a panzer division in 1870? [quote]

Not in 1870, on the 15 of May, 1940, in La Horgne, close to Sedan, the 3rd Brigade de Spahis, on horseback, held back the 10 Pz Div. for a full day.

And yes, itâ€™s the same French cavalry which saved the Light Brigade from total annihilation during its charge in Balaklava; The 4th Chasseurs D'Afrique, a mounted regiment, charged the Russians and broke their lines on the Fedioukine Hills; they then cleared the flank of the Light Brigade, saving the Brits from fire on that side during the retreat from the charge

**snozzer** · 27-05-2009, 15:30

Browns the problem

A spokesman for the French government, Luc Chatel, said France had invited Britain to attend the ceremony and that it was up to Brown's government to decide who was to represent it.

"The Queen of England, as British head of state, is naturally welcome," he said, briefing reporters after a French cabinet meeting. "It's not up to France to decide who will represent Britain.

So, Brown didn't invite her, I say Elizabeth should dissolve his government immediatley...

**RCT(V)** · 27-05-2009, 16:07

Originally Posted by cernunnos

Did we have an invitation to the event in 1944?

Exactly ! HM should just turn up, at the ceremonies at/on the â€œBritish beachesâ€ and get on with it.

**Grownup_Rafbrat** · 27-05-2009, 16:17

Originally Posted by RCT(V)

Originally Posted by cernunnos

Did we have an invitation to the event in 1944?

Exactly ! HM should just turn up, at the ceremonies at/on the â€œBritish beachesâ€ and get on with it.

Surely someone has a little ship they can use to transport her across there?

Or failing that, ceremonies at the jumping-off points, or even somewhere in Italy, where it all REALLY started.

(Blue touchpaper well alight. Retiring now.)

**light_projector** · 27-05-2009, 16:17

Looks like Brown thinks he's our Head of State. Fecking tosser.

Just another example of Nuliabour usurping our institutions for their own ends.

**Phazon** · 27-05-2009, 16:23

Baguette nibbling bastards

**Werewolf** · 27-05-2009, 16:34

Originally Posted by fantassin

Originally Posted by Bouillabaisse

Originally Posted by fantassin

Yes the same Patton who was trained on the use of the tank by the French on the Renault FT-17 in 1917. Before that he thought battles were fought on horseback.

Before that battles WERE fought on horseback.

Oh, wait, no. The French cavalry discovered that mistake at Sedan.

Actually, in Sedan, a horse mounted brigade held off the 10 Panzer Division for 10 hours, suffering about 40 KIA and 100 WIA in the process. Their skilfull use of the terrain made the apparently hopeless fight a possibility.

I just realised, Fantassin...you're the French equivelent of Ashie!

**Sixty** · 27-05-2009, 16:40

Originally Posted by Werewolf

I just realised, Fantassin...you're the French equivelent of Ashie!

There's always one that has to take it too far isn't there? That, sir, is an outrageous insult.

Fantassin's served for one thing and at least his posts are interesting