Surprise.

This is coolbert:

Dupuy rates SURPRISE as being perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT of all the principles of war.

"Achieving surprise in combat has always been important. It is perhaps more important today than ever. . . . Surprise has proven to the greatest of all combat multipliers. It may be the most important of the Principles of War; it is at least as important as Mass and Maneuver."

"combat multiplier—Supporting and subsidiary means that significantly in-crease the relative combat strength (power) of a force while actual force ratios remain constant."

Consider these several episodes from history. Both old and modern.

First the English garrisons at Cahokia and Kaskaskia during the American Revolutionary War.

Garrisons manned primarily by Frenchmen??!! [one can only wonder at their loyalty to the English cause!!??]]

When confronted by the American forces of George Rogers Clark [about 200 frontier militiamen], these two garrisons, greatly outnumbered, and without any guidance or warning, totally surprised, the forces "loyal" to the British just folded, surrendered, and JOINED the American side, lock, stock and barrel. NOT ONE SHOT WAS EVEN FIRED!!

"Clark was successful at capturing Kaskaskia and Cahokia; Kaskaskia was captured without the loss of a single life . . . Clark was also able to win the support of the French inhabitants."

"'Great things have been affected by a few men well conducted.'- Clark, to Patrick Henry, then Governor of Virginia (1779)"

"Many of his military strategies were based solely on inspired fear and bluff"

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE? WHAT IS GOING ON?

During the War of 1812, something similar happened to the U.S. Army garrison at Ft. Mackinac. On Mackinac Island. At the juncture of lakes Huron and Michigan. Considered AT THE TIME, CONSIDERED TO BE THE KEY TO THE CONTINENT!!

The American commander, in charge of a skeletal force, when faced by an overwhelming number of British troops and their American Indian allies, AND NOT EVEN KNOWING THAT WAR HAD BROKEN OUT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND GREAT BRITAIN, SURRENDERED, AGAIN, WITHOUT EVEN FIRING A SHOT!!

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE? WHAT IS GOING ON?

Now, according to Suvorov, from World War Two:

[with regard to the Soviet offensive in Manchuria, 1945, at the end of World War Two [WW2]].

"Senior GRU officers, with the rank of colonel or even major-general, were put in charge of small groups. Such a group would suddenly land on an airfield close to an important Japanese headquarters. The appearance of a Soviet colonel or general deep in the Japanese rear never failed to provoke astonished reactions from the Japanese high command and the Japanese troops, as well as from the local population . . . Even after it landed it had at best only one high-ranking officer, the crew and no more than a platoon of soldiers to guard over the plane. The Soviet officer would demand and usually obtain a meeting with a Japanese general, at which he would demand the surrender of the Japanese garrison . . . In several recorded instances, senior Japanese military leaders decided independently to surrender without having permission to do so from their superiors."

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE? WHAT IS GOING ON?

"Surprise has proven to the greatest of all combat multipliers. It may be the most important of the Principles of war".

True!!

[if you are in a position to and can AFFORD, spend a week of leisure on Mackinac Island at the Grand Hotel or one of the many bed and breakfast homes you can find there. Make reservations well in advance. Just for a relaxing get away. NO internal combustion engines allowed on the island except for a fire truck and an ambulance. Bicycle, foot power, horse, etc. All that is allowed for transport. Take lunch daily at the FORT. Still there even from the War of 1812 and perhaps even before that. View of that juncture of lakes Huron and Michigan and the Mackinac bridge are outstanding. Few better spots can you find!! IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A SPOT WAS AT ONE TIME THE KEY TO THE CONTINENT AND A BATTLEGROUND!!]

coolbert.