If you don't like this, you may resign and go home: Commanders' considerations in assaulting a fortified position

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Author
Woodgerd, Michael E.
Date
1991-03Advisor
Stolfi, Russel H.S.
Second Reader
Caldwell, William
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The author studies the experiences of British, German, American and Soviet
armies in assaults on fortified positions to find critical considerations for contemporary
commanders. A fortified position is a series of mutually supporting areas comprising
bunkers, pillboxes, weapons emplacements, entrenchments, wire, mines and other
obstacles. Assaulting such a position held by determined defenders is a uniquely brutal
and bloody event. The author systematically studies fighting at El Alamein, the
Normandy Campaign, Okinawa, the Siegfried Line, Kursk, Manchuria and the Per amo-
Kirkenes area. Each battle is examined in terms of the use and importance of
intelligence, smoke, armor, infantry, engineers, artillery, air support, C2 and special
weapons. A portion of this study also examines current training at the U.S. Army's
National Training Center to find if current training reflects battle proven techniques. The
conclusion offers the author's recommendations to assist commanders and staffs in determining the organization, equipment, tactics, training and means of control of forces
in the assault of a fortified position.
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