Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Oh, Quelle Surprise

There will be questions about the failure to identify and defend a good ford so close to the occupied enemy town. 

But that's for later, right now its a matter of containment.

13 comments:

  1. Perhaps they are popping by to exchange coffee or newspapers?

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  2. There will be questions, if they end up having the luxury of time ;)

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    1. Luckily the new Division Commander has not arrived yet and the Expedition commander was making an inspection tour of frontier posts so it might a matter of what gets to the press.

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  3. Darn it, sergeant, I was right! We'll have to head 'em off at the pass..

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  4. Tabernac! As one might say.....

    Eric

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  5. There is no guarantee that local knowledge is available. Just such an 'unfortunate oversight' occurred during the course of the Allied crossing of the Bidassoa River in October, 1813. The French army seemed to have been unaware that at low tide the river was fordable at three places (!) between the coast road bridge and the sea (Bay of Biscay). This despite the French Army having been in the area for well over a month.

    Napoleon once remarked that the art of good generalship was knowing just how much 'to leave to chance'. Marshal Soult tended to leave rather more to chance than the Iron Duke did...
    Cheers,
    Ion

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