ARmy Rumour SErvice

**Red-On** · 23-10-2004, 04:35

Often forgotten or at least passed over is the Sicily/Italy campaign, which did serve to soften the Germans fight.
History makes much of the NAfrica campaign and D-Day, but comparatively little of the Sicily/Italy campaign.
The German Army did have a number of hardened/experienced soldiers in that theatre.

Also of the "forgotten army" in Burmah who fought with such distinction at places such as imphal and the recapture of Burmah which was I belive supposed to culminate in the recapture of Malaysia/Singapore in operation zipper which was cancelled due to the japs surrendering

**Ventress** · 23-10-2004, 12:16

Originally Posted by RCSignals

Often forgotten or at least passed over is the Sicily/Italy campaign, which did serve to soften the Germans fight.
History makes much of the NAfrica campaign and D-Day, but comparatively little of the Sicily/Italy campaign.
The German Army did have a number of hardened/experienced soldiers in that theatre.

Bit like the 'Forgotten' 14th Army in Burma, who fought on until August 1945.

**cdo_gunner** · 25-10-2004, 13:18

Ironic this subject came up as Max Hastings has a new book out on the subject. Looks like a cracking read too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...495612-3975662

**woody** · 25-10-2004, 21:11

actually thats why i started the subject seralised in the daily mail and it wasent very complentary of the soldiers or the leaders on the allied side

**cdo_gunner** · 25-10-2004, 22:10

Ah, well it's on my 'to read' list now.

**hackle** · 25-10-2004, 22:25

Originally Posted by cdo_gunner

Ironic this subject came up as Max Hastings has a new book out on the subject. Looks like a cracking read too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...495612-3975662

If Jon Latimer's "Burma: The Forgotten War" mentioned on that Amazon page is anything like as good as his Alamein book, it will be well worth getting hold of.

**Billy Ruffian** · 26-10-2004, 16:52

Hate to raise the 'sinews of war' shout but did the fact that the Allies took so long to secure a useable port near to the front line have anything to do with it?

For all their efforts at nicking Cherbourg and getting it functional, most supplies were coming off the beaches and the Mulberries during the Normandy bit, and the attempts to take and hold Antwerp and the waterways in to it were left a bit late in the day. It might have been down to a 'reluctance' on the part of certain commanders/units but you cnat fight if you aint got no POL/Bullets.

Plusthe overiding impression I get from the contemporary writing is of optimism/war soon to be over, perhaps no-one wanted to rock the boat and point out that what was really needed was something as boring as supplies.