Harry.

This is coolbert: "Think we King Harry strong" - - "Henry V" - - Shakespeare.

[well, Prince Harry in this case.]

Prince Harry of England is deploying to Iraq. For a combat role with his regiment, the Blues and Royals. An armored unit for which he will be command of four Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles.

Having decided to make a career for himself in the British Army, and having just graduated from the military at Sandhurst, Wales [he is known among his colleagues as Wales], sees this as an opportunity.

Being third in line for the British throne, he is to be commended for his resolve.

[after the Queen, the succession is to Charles, then William, the eldest brother, and then to Harry.]

The decision to deploy was taken under consideration of course, at the highest levels of the British government, military, and the royal family.

The current royal family of England does have a good record of military service.

The grandfather of Harry, Philip, was a serving naval officer during World War Two [WW2] and did see combat action.

"In 1940 he served on HMS Ramilles . . . In 1941 he was transferred to HMS Valiant, a battleship stationed in Alexandria, Egypt . . . Later service in the war saw Philip promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and serving during the invasion of Sicily. Philip was also present onboard HMS Whelp at the surrender of Japanese forces in Tokyo Bay."

[Philip was chosen as a suitable consort for Elizabeth based upon his manliness and no genetic defects in his family line. A man strict with his sons who in a determined fashion made men of them. He evidently has succeded and passed on positive traits.]

Charles the father did considerable peace time military service, trained as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy [RN].

Andrew the uncle was also a helicopter pilot with the RN and did see combat action during the Falkland Islands war. Flew decoy missions to deceive on-coming Exocet missiles. Andrew did see hazardous duty, just flying in the waters of the south Atlantic being dangerous of itself.

"Throughout the conflict Prince Andrew flew on various missions, including Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare search (ASuW), as well as acting as an Exocet missile decoy; a hitherto secret tactic . . . He also helped in casualty evacuation, transport and Search and Air Rescue (SAR)."

The third uncle, Edward, did not fare so well at officers school for the Royal Marine Commando, quiting before qualification.

Harry knows his duty and is ready to serve.

Finding persons of his stature with that attitude is rare.

It has been suggested by critics of his deployment that his being in Iraq will make him and his unit a tempting target for the jihadi. That will just to have be taken as it comes. Better him there than NOT!! I have a suspicion that the troops serving under him will be loyal to a fault and eager to have him as their commander!!

coolbert.

Tethered Goat.

This is coolbert:

Tethered Goat.

In his book "Man-Eaters of Kumaon", the Englishman Jim Corbett describes how he would try to kill a rogue man-eating tiger with the tethered goat technique. Tether a goat in a clearing. Wait in a tree stand for the tiger to be tempted by the easy prey of the goat. Shoot the man-eating-tiger when the beast came within range and had committed itself.

Here is something more pertinent. Where a human has been used as a "tethered goat". But in an entirely different context. The hunt in this case is for the jihadi. The beast that walks on two feet.

"The courageous pair agreed to act like 'tethered goats' in an attempt to catch the extremists plotting to kidnap them."

British military personnel, Muslims, two of them, were going to be kidnapped, tortured, and beheaded. All to be posted on the internet. AND TO BE DONE BY FELLOW ENGLISH MUSLIMS HELL BENT ON GHASTLY MURDER OF A CO-RELIGIONIST.

"Two British Muslim soldiers targeted by the alleged beheading gang were used in an extraordinary 'sting operation to snare their assassins, it has emerged."

[it seems that there are about three hundred Muslims serving in the British military at present. These two were selected by the jihadi as worthy targets. One of the two military personnel had actually served in Afghan?]

These two British military, went about their duties, as if nothing was wrong, even knowing what was in store for them if kidnapped. Trusted MI5 and the English police to the extent that they did.

"Police praise Muslim soldiers who acted as 'bait' for beheading gang."

Courageous men that DO merit great praise.

As I have said, when you are in the military, at any time, you may be told to do something dangerous, and in the process of doing that something dangerous, you maybe killed or badly injured. But this goes even way beyond that. Medals are in store.

To defeat the jihadi, this is what is needed.

coolbert.

Sir Percy.

This is coolbert:

Here is an interesting web site. Deals with the career of British General Sir Percy Claghorn Hobart [love that name, Claghorn].

British military commander in the years between World War One [WW1] and World War Two [WW2] who was instrumental in the development of armored units within the British Army.

Hobart was following the precepts of armored warfare as written about by Fuller and Basil Liddell-Hart.

Precepts that differed markedly from the type of armored warfare as was practiced in WW1.

Ideas and precepts that were innovative and even revolutionary for their time.

The ideas of Fuller and Liddell-Hart were to have self-contained armored units that would operate in a manner reminiscent of the Mongol armies of seven centuries earlier. Units that could move cross-country unimpeded by any terrain, self-sufficient, living off the land, wreaking havoc where ever they went.

"Liddell Hart held that tanks would restore to 20th-century warfare the ancient Mongolian idea of extreme mobility -- the Mongols' main instrument of conquest."

"Where the Mongols lived off the country through which they ranged, Hobart planned to carry sustaining rations in the tanks. Refueling would be from lightly-protected dumps in the enemy rear, where the far-ranging armored columns would penetrate and strike. He worked with relentless zeal to cut "the tail" of non-fighting service vehicles which hobbled and almost immobilized conventional army units. Tank forces of the future were to be self-contained for the maximum possible range."

What is said about the Mongols, however, is NOT quite right. The horde [ordu], on the march, was ponderous, only able to move four to five miles a day.

And there is good reason. The horde consisted not ONLY of warriors on horseback, but considerable impedimenta.

This impedimenta included:

* Wives and children of the Mongol warriors. Whole families were on the march.

* Herds of war ponies, camels, sheep. Each warrior had four to five pony remounts. Camels [bactrian [??] were prized for providing dung that was used as a valuable source of fuel [campfires], and mutton from sheep was the Mongol favorite meal.

[The horde if nothing else resembled a moving stockyard.]

* The pavilion of the great Khan. Mounted on a platform with wheels, and pulled by twenty oxen.

It is true that a Mongol tuman, a divisional size unit of about 10,000 horsemen, COULD move up to 100 miles a day, WHEN MOVING TO BATTLE. At that point, the tuman would cast off impedimenta and DID live off the land. But was NOT expected to do so forever.

The Mongols were a profoundly destructive and effective military force, but WERE NOT super-men.

The use of extreme mobility is something that an APC [M113] equipped unit for the Ghurkha Brigade of my thought experiment would also utilize.

From the web site, some interesting observations about Hobart:

* At age 55, after being retired from active duty, Hobart served as a CORPORAL in the British Home Guard [1940]. From General officer to CORPORAL??!!

* He was the brother-in-law of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery.

coolbert.

Dowding.

This is coolbert:

One person to whom military historians have generally given short shrift is Air Marshal Dowding of the RAF [British Royal Air Force]? Commanded the RAF during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

A battle which at the time seemed to be a live or die issue for the British. A battle during which time Dowding was the man on the spot. A man on the spot who seemed to be surrounded by controversy, even as the battle raged.

At the time, Dowding was roundly criticized, even by his subordinates. Was seen a being too timid, not pressing home the attack against intruding German Luftwaffe air attacks.

And there was some credence to this argument. In many cases, Dowding did NOT seem to be aggressive enough. One of Dowding's subordinates, Leigh-Mallory, groused constantly about the SMALL formations Dowding preferred to send up to engage and defend against German intruders.

Normally, a combat commander accused of timidity by his subordinates is considered to be accused of a serious charge. One that can often result in that combat commander being relieved. Dowding, however, did retain his command and did emerge victorious in the Battle of Britain.

Very early on in the battle, Dowding DID realize that for him to send up massed formations of Spitfires to confront and defend against massed formations of attacking Luftwaffe aircraft would have been for his command suicidal. He would have had losses of aircraft and aircrew [pilots] that could not be replaced fast enough. The battle would rapidly go in the favor of the Luftwaffe, with disastrous consequences for England.

Dowding rather decided to use a minimum size force to inflict a maximum number of casualties on German attacking aircraft, at the time and place of Dowding's own choosing, all the while husbanding his force and conserving it for future engagements. This would mean the Luftwaffe WOULD NOT be able to engage the RAF in a large climactic battle, the result of which would be NOT in favor of the RAF. Calamitous consequences for the English would be avoided.

This strategy of Dowding's DID prove to be successful. The Luftwaffe WAS NOT able to engage and destroy the RAF defender in a climactic air battle. Dowding was able to preserve and husband his defending force all throughout the Battle of Britain. England was saved by the strategy and tactics of Dowding.

Dowding was successful to a large degree due to a tremendous advantage he had. Through the intercept and decryption of German Engima encrypted radio traffic, Dowding KNEW in advance the time and place and strength of Luftwaffe attacks upon Britain. Dowding KNEW where, when, and in what strength to send up his own Spitfires in the effort to use minimum force to inflict maximum casualties. This proved to be a TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE.

A tremendous advantage that Dowding's subordinates were NOT aware. They WERE NOT privy to Ultra intelligence [intelligence derived from the intercept and decryption of Enigma messages]. And could not be made privy to such intelligence.

In retrospect, the tactics and strategy of Dowling WERE the correct course of action to follow. However, Dowding, in the aftermath of the Battle of Britain, WAS relieved of command as it was felt his subordinates did not have adequate confidence in his command ability.

Perhaps those subordinates, years later, say in 1975, when the Ultra secret became common knowledge, rued the judgment they had made years earlier of their able commander, Dowding??

Epitaph for Air Marshal Dowding:

"After his death in 1970, his remains were interred in Westminster Abbey, a fitting tribute to his remarkable achievements."


coolbert.