Classic Principles of War

[jmm99]

I've followed this thread, not from the standpoint of Ken's class 1 person (cuz I can't); but from the interface of his class 2 person, from the other side of the lens (cuz I read). The following seems wise to me.

(from Ken - Anti-Intellectualism Thread)

First priority will always be to win in combat -- that takes a certain mentality, mental toughness and willingness to take risks, make decisions (for better or worse...) as well as a degree of physical toughness and stamina to cope with the demands of campaigning (I like that word). This ability is a cognitive skill and requires some study but much practice. It is effectively an experience derived skill requiring considerable personal discomfort and sacrifice. It has little relationship to any civilian pursuits. Not everyone is equipped to do it or wishes to.

Second priority is to be intellectually superior to all possible opponents. This requires a great deal of study in many fields, some of which have little apparent benefit to warfighting. It also requires an ability and desire to move easily back and forth between a military oriented world and the broader civilian and academic worlds. It too entails much sacrifice in sometimes similar but mostly quite different measures than the field campaigner. Not everyone is equipped or wants to do that either.

Now, what does this have to do with spear tips, and plans & strategies ?

What follows is something I've been dwelling on for a couple of months - so, it won't be a long post.

A WWII poster (quoted by Summers in his foreward to Shelby Stanton's The Rise and Fall) read:

"At the end of the most grandoise plans and strategies is a soldier walking point."

Know of three battles that are personalized to me since they were the major battles of my dad's battalion (1/117INF). All were tip of the spear situations, where it gets very messy.

1. Mortain. 1/117 received the tip of the spear (SS armor) and broke it. Very fluid situation with one effective INF company left, backed up to the regt. arty where the German tanks were stopped.

2. Aachen. 1/117 lead battalion to punch through Siegfried Line. It broke through the first day, but with very heavy losses to the lead assault company (happened to be my dad's).

3. Stavelot. 1/117 again received the tip of the spear (SS armor; same unit as at Mortain). Pretty much one sided and the German spear tip was broken again (no tears, it had just come from Malmedy).

Each of these battles has had its share of books, with neat maps of pincer movements (planned, thwarted or executed), etc. All of that is very sterile, which is as it should be.

The thought that gets to me is that the First Principle of War is really:

"... a soldier walking point."

It seems it has always been that way. Don't know whether the following is a "tactical plan" or an "after-action report". It comes from the Neolithic, a cave painting in Spain, and may have been painted before the event as anticipatory magic, or after the event as a celebratory offering.

I think the men in the painting would fit in well with the soldiers who are having this discussion.