Britain faces Iraq rout

[Gunnery Sergeant Highway]

I wouldn't bother EO.

Diver probably never got further than the TA's.

Try asking Threaded. He was Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

[Diver]

Your ideas are based on the second world war. MG's , mortars, infantry, big guns , engineers etc etc are all now 100% mobile.

A modern hedgehog is not only mobile, its usually air-mobile.
I say again, how is any withdrawal going to be enfiladed ???
Dont forget diver, there are a further three points of your stupidity that I intend to demolish.

Oh! finally.
Take note of my first post. every bit of air support that they can muster for the withdrawal?


Point 1. Your "All round position" very effective and used usually when a small detachment of men comes under fire. either a squad or company.
Larger units usually use this defense from previously prepared positions.
How many troops are we withdrawing?

Point 2. effective air cover can only be used where there is minimal risk to the civilian population.
Are we going to blow up every house or village where gunfire eminates from ?

Point 3. at what point do the mobile weapons systems detach from the column. leaving said column to the mercies of the enemy. Trucks, APC's and even tanks are vulnerable to the enemy foot soldier that they can't see or can't attack because of the risks to the civilian population.
Armour requires foot soldier support in population centres

Point 4. please note first post. "Retreat through an unpopulated area"

Your lack of tactical knowledge, despite your obvious intelligence leads me to believe that you were a ranker either in signals or the engineers.

[EternalOptimist]

A modern hedgehog is not only mobile, its usually air-mobile.
I say again, how is any withdrawal going to be enfiladed ???
Dont forget diver, there are a further three points of your stupidity that I intend to demolish.

Oh! finally.
Take note of my first post. every bit of air support that they can muster for the withdrawal?


Point 1. Your "All round position" very effective and used usually when a small detachment of men comes under fire. either a squad or company.
Larger units usually use this defense from previously prepared positions.
How many troops are we withdrawing?

Point 2. effective air cover can only be used where there is minimal risk to the civilian population.
Are we going to blow up every house or village where gunfire eminates from ?

Point 3. at what point do the mobile weapons systems detach from the column. leaving said column to the mercies of the enemy. Trucks, APC's and even tanks are vulnerable to the enemy foot soldier that they can't see or can't attack because of the risks to the civilian population.
Armour requires foot soldier support in population centres

Point 4. please note first post. "Retreat through an unpopulated area"

Your lack of tactical knowledge, despite your obvious intelligence leads me to believe that you were a ranker either in signals or the engineers.

very nice

please explain what an 'enfiladed withdrawal' is

keep it succinct, stick to the point. thanks

[Diver]

very nice

please explain what an 'enfiladed withdrawal' is

keep it succinct, stick to the point. thanks

They will have to retreat under fire from the sides and rear where the enemy can bring to bear, fire along the length of the retreating column.

Simple enough for you or would you prefer more detail

[EternalOptimist]

They will have to retreat under fire from the sides and rear where the enemy can bring to bear, fire along the length of the retreating column.

Simple enough for you or would you prefer more detail

thank you,
but I thought we had already agreed that a mobile modern force is not a column, does not have a flank, does not have a rear and will probably air-lift anyway.

In 1815, the French Old guard were enfiladed at the battle of Waterloo, it hasn't really happened much since then

[Diver]

sorry I have to elaborate I can't help myself Fire from the sides ensures that the column is maintained and this gives the advantage to those firing along the legth of the column which means that accuracy is not the prime objective as the chance of a strike is greater when firing along the length of the column

[EternalOptimist]

sorry I have to elaborate I can't help myself Fire from the sides ensures that the column is maintained and this gives the advantage to those firing along the legth of the column which means that accuracy is not the prime objective as the chance of a strike is greater when firing along the length of the column

I dont want to get personal Diver, but, please refrain from posting when you have been drinking heavily

[Diver]

thank you,
but I thought we had already agreed that a mobile modern force is not a column, does not have a flank, does not have a rear and will probably air-lift anyway.

In 1815, the French Old guard were enfiladed at the battle of Waterloo, it hasn't really happened much since then

Sorry but you are totally wrong there.
It was used in the Napoleonic wars, Boer war, Sudan, ww1, ww2, in SA against SWAPO. & more recently Desert storm.

It is a standard military maneuver and can be carried out by air or ground forces.
Remember the horrifying pictures of the main road from Kuwait to Baghdad.
Air to ground against a column is more effective using an enfiladed attack.
The American A10 Warthog is capable of taking out a complete column of Armour using this method.

As for Air lift.
They have to get there to be airlifted. and what are they going to do with the billions of pounds worth of transport and Armour, most of it was shipped in and will have to be shipped out. No. they will airlift a small amount but the majority will have to be shipped out unfortunately.
And the terrain means retreating in column the best way they can god help them.

[Diver]

Can't wait any longer, need tea. back in a mo

[EternalOptimist]

Sorry but you are totally wrong there.
It was used in the Napoleonic wars, Boer war, Sudan, ww1, ww2, in SA against SWAPO. & more recently Desert storm.

It is a standard military maneuver and can be carried out by air or ground forces.
Remember the horrifying pictures of the main road from Kuwait to Baghdad.
Air to ground against a column is more effective using an enfiladed attack.
The American A10 Warthog is capable of taking out a complete column of Armour using this method.

As for Air lift.
They have to get there to be airlifted. and what are they going to do with the billions of pounds worth of transport and Armour, most of it was shipped in and will have to be shipped out. No. they will airlift a small amount but the majority will have to be shipped out unfortunately.
And the terrain means retreating in column the best way they can god help them.

Ok , fine, you dont really understand the concept of the enfilade.(the idea that the warthogs attack from a particular direction to achieve an enfilade advantage is laughable)

so thats one nil to me.

Next.

we will suffer 'not a few' casualties during this withdrawal. Please explain what that means. Are you saying the casualty rate will , double, treble, quadrouple, maybe we will lose 50, 100, 200 prisoners ???
Please clarify