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PanzerMeyer -> (7/6/2000 9:25:00 AM)
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by sven:
[B]Also... I think Blitzkrieg is an extremely overrated doctrine as understood by most people.
Got to agree with you there. Blitzkreig was successful early in the war because the victims were unprepared. Have a look at the later battles, even Barbarossa, Blitzkreig as a tactic pretty much went by the book. In the book "Knights of the Black Cross" by Perret, it states that Blitzkreig was a nonentity anyway. The main strategy used by the germans in ww2, even in the early campaigns of France and Russia was "Vernichtungsgedanke", which is basically encirclement and destruction. Notice how many 'pockets' of the enemy were captured? Dunkirk, Poland, Russia, even as late as the Ardennes, units fell victim to the german Vernichtungsgedanke principle. Oh yeah, blitzkreig was good, but overrated. I mean, the name "Blitzkreig" was coined by a western journo!!
Still, i must say that Germany was the most prepared tactically for the war, even though the equipment wasnt up to date (Pz IIs and Is). In every book ive read by german vets they tell how they were taught how to command, and what to do if their CO was killed. Even Junior Officers were taught to take the initiative (without radio-ing back for authority) when they saw the opportunity. This resulted in a highly effective fighting force. It wasnt till later in the war, just before the first winter offensive in 1941-2 when hitler began to interfere and when he finally introduced his no retreat policy that things began to go downhill. The German Oberleutnants and Hauptmanns could no longer take the initiative w/o permission basically from Berlin itself.
As for the most overrated army, that would have to go to the British. Lots of Glorious defeats, and one major victory i can think of (El Alamein), which was due entirely to the unpreparedness of the enemy and the amount of US equipment recieved. (NB, im only referring the the Brits in Europe/NA, in Asia it was a different story, also units like Maj Howards paras, the LRDG and SAS were nothing like the "regulars") Also, the British were handicapped without their commander. The same system (though not to the extent) as the Germans had late in the war existed in the British Army.
Ando how could we forget such incidents as were the County of London Yeomanry had stopped for tea in Enemy territory when a guy named Wittman came along and wiped them out.
Sorry to any Brits out there, I like england, been there a few times, loved it. Its only military talk, not personal.
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