ebook img

The U.S. Army GHQ maneuvers of 1941 PDF

237 Pages·1991·23.191 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview The U.S. Army GHQ maneuvers of 1941

THE U.S. ARMY GHQ MANEUVERS OF 1941 THE U.S. ARMY GHQMANEUVERS OF 1941 by Christopher R. Gabel CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY UNITED STATES ARMY WASHINGTON, D.G., 1992 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gabel, Christopher R. (Christopher Richard), 1954- The U.S. Mmy GHQ maneuvers or 1941 / by Christopher R. Gabel. p. cm. - (CMH pub; 70-41) Includes bibliographical references and index. I. United States. Mmy-Maneuvers. I. Title. II. Series. U253.G33 1991 355.5'2'0973-dc20 91-17502 CIP First Printed 1991-CMH Pub 70-41-1 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Governmem Printing Office \Nashingloll, D.C. 20402 Foreword The 1941 maneuvers, the largest ever conducted by the U.S. Army, exercised an incalculable influence on the development of the American force structure in World War II. They served to test emerging assumptions about doctrine, organization, and equip ment. Equally important, they allowed the service's leaders to take the measure of the rising crop of field grade officers who would soon direct the fortunes of the largest military force the nation ever raised. The training tests in Louisiana and North Carolina also helped develop the combined-arms doctrine, with infantry-ar tillery teams supported by independent tank battalions as its cen terpiece, that prevailed during the war. The reactions of Army Ground Forces headquarters to the maneuvers and Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair's consequent decisions about training cast important light on the process by which the Army created its doctrine for bat tle before and during World War II. u.s. The Army GHQ Maneuvers oj 1941 forms part of the Center of Military History's ongoing effort to commemorate the fiftietll anniversary of World War II. It also provides an important and use ful addition to the emerging body of historical literature on mili tary training. The evolution of training in the U.S. Army, particu larly the linkage between maneuvers and changes in doctrine and organization, is an extremely worthy field for study by military stu dents. I especially urge our young officers and noncommissioned officers to read and reflect on this impOrl.:'1lll milestone in ollr Army's victory in World War II. Washington, D.C. HAROLD W. NELSON 25 February 1991 Brigadier General, USA Chief of Military History III The Author Christopher R. Gabel received the Ph.D. degree in history from Ohio State University in ]981. Since 1983 he has served on the faculty of the Combat Studies Institute, the military history de partment of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, where he specializes in the U.S. Army of the interwar and World War II periods. His publications include Seek, Strike, and Destmy: U.s. Army Tank Destroyer Doctrine in World War II. IV Preface I first discovered the 1941 maneuvers while researching the Army's al1liLank doctrine of World War II. According to a number of prominem soldiers and authors, the great prewar maneuvers played an important role in shaping the wartime Army. Surpris ingly, I could find no secondary account that analyzed these ma neuvers in detail or subsLantiated claims of their efficacy in prepar ing the military for war. I attempted to fill this void with a doctoral disserLation which, in revised form, has become this book. In the process of preparing this study I came to appreciate that the ma neuvers themselves were but the final act of an even more inLrigu ing drama-the prewar mobilization of 1939-41. I hope further to explore this broader subject in research and wriling. Foremost among the many individuals who helped make tJ,is book possible is Harry L. Coles, my doctoral adviser and mentor. During the research phase Gibson B. Smith of the National Archives, John Jacob of tJle George C. Marshall Research Library, RichardJ. Sommers andJohnJ. Slonaker of the U.S. Army MiliLary History Instilllte, and James C. Dorsey of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Research Library guided me to the es sential primary documents. Martin B1umenson kindly answered my queries, giving freely of his own enormous expertise. The U.S. Army Center of Military History intervened decisively on two separate occasions. In 1980 Brig. Gen. James L. Collins, Jr., Maurice MatJoff, and the staff of the Cel1ler provided a generous fel lowship and made available the resources of their organization. In 1989 John Greenwood urged me to revise the original disserLation and offer it for publication. My tJ,anks to all those who made tJ,is manuscript presentable, especially Jeffrey Clarke. Theodore Wilson, John B. Wilson, Joyce Hardyman, Sherry Dowdy. Diane Sedore Arms, Joycelyn Canery, and Cathecine Heerin. Thanks also to Lu Welch, my typist in Leavenworth. v Moral support came from Lou Gabel, who lOld me his war slO ries on summer nights in Pennsylvania; from Charlie O'Connell during the years at Ohio State; and especially from Ann, who will never forget the day we went looking for Good Hope Church. To Matthew and Elic I offer the good hope that this nation has seen its last world war. 25 February 1991 CHRISTOPHER R. GABEL VI Contents Owl}/rr Page Introduction. 3 1. Protective Mobilization . 8 2. Preparing for Mechanized War. 22 3. The Air-Ground Dilemma . . . 36 4. Planning the GHQ Maneuvers. 44 5. Louisiana Phase I: The Battle of the Red River 64 6. Louisiana Phase 2: The Ballle for Shreveport 96 7. October Interlude 115 8. Carolinas Phase 1: The Batlle of the Pee Dee River 133 9. Carolinas Phase 2: The Batlle for Camden . . 155 10. After the Maneuvers: Defects and Remedies . 170 Conclusion: The GHQ Maneuvers and the World War II Army .................... . 185 Appendixes A. Order of BailIe, GHQ Maneuvers ... 197 B. Principal Officers in the GHQ Maneuvers and Their Wartime Careers. 203 Bibliography . 211 Glossary . . . 219 Military Map Symbols. 221 Index. . . . . . . . . . 223 VII r I Charts No. Pagt' I. Square Infantry Division, 1941 . . 10 2. Triangular Inrantry Division, 1941 11 3. 1940 Armored Division . . . . . . 25 4. Cavalry Division (Horse), 1941 . . 30 5. GHQAntitank Group, 1941 Maneuvers. 55 6. Tank Attacker Detachment I, Carolinas Maneuvers, 1941 . 126 Maps I. Louisiana Phase I: Operations, 15-16 September 1941 . 66 2. Louisiana Phase I: Operations, 18 September 1941 . 78 3. Louisiana Phase 2: Operations, 24 September 1941 . 98 4. Louisiana Phase 2: I Armored Corps' Envelopmcnt, 27Septcmber1941 . . .... . . . . . .. ... 104 5. Carolinas Phase 1: Operations, 16 Novcmber 1941 135 6. Carolinas Phase 1: Operations, 18 November 1941 142 7. Carolinas Phase 2: Operations, 25 November 1941 157 8. Carolinas Phase 2: Operations, 27 November 1941 163 Illustrations M3 Light Tank. . . . . 26 37-mm. Antitank Gun. 31 A-24 Attack Aircraft. . 40 Clark, Malony, Eisenhower, Lear, Krueger, and McNair. 68 107th Cavalry Regiment (Horse-Mechanized) 69 Light Tanks Cross the Red River . . . . . . . . . 72 Simulated Antitank Gun . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Blue Inrantryman Approaches Mired Red Tank. 81 Armored and Cavalry Units. . . . . . . . . . 85 Blue Machine Gun Section. . . . . . . . . . 101 78th Field Artillery Battalion on Maneuvers. 106 Ditched HaIr-Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Antiaircraft Sound-Detection and Searchlight Equipment 145 1s t Division Motor Convoy 165 Marston Mat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 VIII THE U.S. ARMY GHQ MANEUVERS OF 1941

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.