Analysis of Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg's Command Capability
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
6Th South African Armoured Division
6TH SOUTH AFRICAN ARMOURED DIVISION By J.C. von Winterbach, Scott Sutherland, Mike Bersiks, Rex Barret and Barry Cooper. Beginning The idea of a South African Armoured Division was born out of the chaos of the Western Desert Campaign, the Of- ficers in the 1st and 2nd South African Infantry Divisions felt the need for their own armour instead of depending on other Commonwealth Armoured Units. The formation of two strong Armoured Divisions was first discussed between Lt. Gen. G. E. Brink and rimeP Minister (Field Marshal) J.C. Smuts in April 1941. At that point time, South Africa was struggling to maintain the manpo- wer needed to sustain the 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions in the field due to the political divisions in the Country. The 3rd South African Infantry Division was based in South Africa and provided the pool from which reinforcements were drawn to supplement the 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions. A re-organisation committee met for the first time in May 1942 to discuss the armour option, it was decided to send three Infantry Battalions for armour training in August 1942, but the plan was rudely interrupted when Rommel launched his attack on the Gazala line in late May 1942. Nine days after the final El Alamein offensive the South African Divisions were pulling back to regroup. The plan was for the 1st Infantry Division that was withdrawn to Quassasin and that its 1st Brigade would return to South Africa to regroup with the 7th Infantry Brigade in Madagascar to form the 1st South African Armoured Division and the 1st Infantry Divisions 2nd and 3rd Brigades would remain in Egypt to form the 6th South African Armoured Division, which would replace the 2nd Infantry Division that had been captured at Tobruk in June 1942. -
Kiwi Unit Manual 2012
RE-ENACTMENT MANUAL OF ELEMENTARY TRAINING 2nd N.Z.E.F. 1939-1945 N.Z. SECTION W.W.2 Historical Re-enactment Society 2O12 1 CONTENTS 2. INTRODUCTION 3. STANDING ORDERS 4. TRAINING SCHEDULE 6. STANDING ORDERS OF DRESS AND ARMS 7. UNIFORM AND INSIGNIA 8. SECTION UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS 9. SERVICE DRESS AND KHAKI DRILL 10. BATTLE DRESS UNIFORM 11. UNIFORMS AND HEADGEAR 12. UNIFORMS AND HEADGEAR 13. UNIFORMS OF NZ FORCES 14. UNIFORMS OF NZ FORCES (PACIFIC) 15. QUARTERMASTERS STORES 16. INSIGNIA 17. RANK 18. COLOUR INSIGNIA 19. FREYBURG AND THE DIVISION 20. COMMAND ORGANISATION 21. BRIGADE LAYOUT 22. COMMUNICATIONS PHOTO BY CLIFF TUCKEY/ KEVIN CARBERRY 23. THE EVOLUTION OF COMMONWEALTH TACTICS 24. THE EVOLUTION OF COMMONWEALTH TACTICS 25. SMALL UNIT TACTICS 26. BATTLE TECHNIQUES 27. CASUALTY EVACUATION 28. CASUALTY EVACUATION 29. MILITARY PROTOCOL 30. FOOT DRILL 31. ARMS DRILL 32. ARMS DRILL (BAYONETS) 33. S.M.L.E. RIFLE 34. BREN GUN, THOMPSON SMG, VICKERS 35. BAYONET, REVOLVERS, STEN GUN, BROWNING MMG 36. ORDANANCE AND SUPPORT WEAPONS 37. ARTILLERY 38. VEHICLES 39. BREN CARRIERS 40. 37 PAT WEBBING 41. 37 PAT WEBBING 42. EXTRA KIT 43. RATIONS AND SMALL PACK 44. NEW ZEALANDS WAR EFFORT- CHARTS AND TABLES 45. GETTING IT RIGHT –SOME COMMON CONFUSIONS 46. CARING FOR KIT 47. GLOSSARY 48. GLOSSARY 49. BIBLOGRAPHY 50. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 2 WORLD WAR II HISTORICAL RE-ENACTMENT SOCIETY NEW ZEALAND TRAINING & REFERENCE MANUAL AN INTRODUCTION. At first glance the New Zealand soldier in the Second World War resembled any Commonwealth soldier. From a distance of 20 yards they looked no different from Australian, Canadian, or British troops unless they happened to be wearing their 'lemon squeezers'. -
Greek Tragedy Rules II
a GMT GAMEPLAYERS Series Game ? GREEK TRAGEDY ATATURK: The Greco-Turkish War, 1919-1922 UNARMED GOLIATH: The Italian Invasion of Greece, 1940-1941 Number of Players: Complexity: Moderate (4 out of 9) Learning Time: 30 minutes Playing Time: 3-8 hours Solitaire: High (7 of 9) a RICHARD H. BERG Game Design BNA Rules 1 ©Richard Berg, 1995 (1.0) INTRODUCTION A Greek Tragedy covers Greece’s two major wars after WWI: her attempt to seize the Ionian/western portion of Turkey, 1919-22 - the Ataturk game - and the woefully sorry invasion of Greece by Italy during WW II, Unarmed Goliath. In the Gameplayers series, the emphasis is on accessibility and playability, with as much historical flavor as we can muster. Given a choice between playability and historicity, we have tended to “err” on the side of the former. Each campaign has some of its own, specific rules; these are given in that campaign’s Scenario Book. Unless stated otherwise, the rules in this book apply top both campaigns. (2.0) COMPONENTS The game includes the following items: 2 22”x34” game maps ? sheet of combat counters (large) 1 sheet of informational markers (small) 1 Rules Book 2 Scenario Booklets 2 Charts & Tables Cards 1 ten-sided die (2.1) THE MAPS The gamemaps are overlayed with a grid of hexagons - hexes - which are used to regulate movement. The various types of terrain represented are discussed in the rules, below. The map of Greece is used for the Unarmed Goliath scenario; the map of Turkey for Ataturk. The two maps do link up; not that we provide any reason to do so. -
Transactions Discovery Lodge of Research
Transactions of the Discovery Lodge of Research No. 971, United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory direct descendant of the Research Lodge of New South Wales and the Sydney Lodge of Research The lodge generally meets in the Sydney Masonic Centre on the first Thursday of alternate months March (Installation), May, July, September & November, at 7 pm. Dress: lounge suit, lodge tie, regalia. Master WBro Ewart Stronach Secretary VWBro Neil Wynes Morse, KL PO Box 7077, Farrer, ACT 2607 ph. H (+61) (2) 6286 3482, M 0438 288 997 email: [email protected] website: http://www.discoverylodge.org/ Foundation member of the Australian & New Zealand Masonic Research Council website: http://anzmrc.org/ Volume 4 Number 1 March 2012 How the medieval way of life affected our Masonic rituals 20 September 2011 by RWBro Rodney Grosskopff, KL (South Africa) Religion Religion played an enormous part in the life of medieval society; however, it had none of the freedom we enjoy today. There was one established Church and you belonged to it, or died. It was as simple as that. Heresy Heretics were not tolerated; they were put to death in the most painful ways. That great sixteenth-century intellectual, Sir Thomas More, put the matter very clearly. He believed that heretics should be burned alive, that ‘Princes should punish them according to justice, by a most painful death’, both as a punishment for heresy and as a deterrent to others.1 In England, being burnt alive at the stake was considered a sufficient punishment for a heretic.2 Later Henry VIII thought being hung, drawn and quartered was more appropriate. -
The Battle of Crete: Hitler’S Airborne Gamble
THE BATTLE OF CRETE: HITLER’S AIRBORNE GAMBLE A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History by MARIA A. BIANK, MAJ, USA B.A., College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1990 Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 2003 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Name of Candidate: Major Maria A. Biank Thesis Title: Battle of Crete: Hitler’s Airborne Gamble Approved by: _____________________________________, Thesis Committee Chair Lieutenant Colonel Marlyn R. Pierce, M.A. _____________________________________, Member Samuel J. Lewis, Ph.D. _____________________________________, Member Lieutenant Colonel John A. Suprin, M.A. Accepted this 6th day of June 2003 by: _____________________________________, Director, Graduate Degree Programs Philip J. Brookes, Ph.D. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student author and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to this study should include the foregoing statement.) ii ABSTRACT THE BATTLE OF CRETE: HITLER’S AIRBORNE GAMBLE, by MAJ Maria Biank, 96 pages As Adolf Hitler conquered most of the European continent in 1939-1941, the small island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea became vital to future operations in the Mediterranean region for both the Axis and Allied powers. If the Allies controlled Crete, their air and sea superiority would not allow the Germans a strategic military foothold in the region. For the Germans, Crete would secure the Aegean Sea for Axis shipping, loosen Great Britain’s grasp in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and provide air bases to launch offensives against British forces in Egypt. -
Battle of Anzio Timeline
https://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php ?battle_id=313 Battle of Anzio Timeline 18 Dec 1943 The plan to land several divisions at Anzio, Italy was briefly canceled. g_2 Jan 1944 36,000 Allied troops landed at Anzio, Italy, facing little opposition. 23 Jan 1944 The destroyer HMS Janus was lost off Anzio, Italy. (24 Jan 1944 German forces in the Anzio, Italy region increased to over 40,000 men. 25 Jan 1944 General Eberhard von Mackensen assumed overall control of forces in the Anzio, Italy area. 27 Jan 1944 To the west, Allied Major General John Lucas by now commanded 70,000 men, 237 tanks, 508 heavy guns, and 27,000 tons of supplies at Anzio, Italy, but he decided to still maintain a defensive posture. 28 Jan 1944 German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring ordered a counterattack against the Allied beachhead at Anzio, Italy. 9 Jan 1944 Total Allied strength at the Anzio, Italy beachhead totaled 69,000 men, 508 guns, and 208 tanks by the end of this day. On the other side of the lines, German strength rose to 71,500 men. 30 Jan 1944 Allied forces attacked out of the Anzio, Italy beachhead, advancing toward Cisterna and Campoleone, but none of the two forces would be able to capture the objectives; during the process, an entire US Army Ranger battalion was destroyed. 2 Feb 1944 Germans defeated American troops in the Battle of Cisterna near Anzio, Italy. 3 Feb 1944 The American attempt to break out of the Anzio beachhead in Italy was halted, followed by the first German counterattack against the beachhead. -
Warriors Walk Heritage Trail Wellington City Council
crematoriumchapel RANCE COLUMBARIUM WALL ROSEHAUGH AVENUE SE AFORTH TERRACE Wellington City Council Introduction Karori Cemetery Servicemen’s Section Karori Serviceman’s Cemetery was established in 1916 by the Wellington City Council, the fi rst and largest such cemetery to be established in New Zealand. Other local councils followed suit, setting aside specifi c areas so that each of the dead would be commemorated individually, the memorial would be permanent and uniform, and there would be no distinction made on the basis of military or civil rank, race or creed. Unlike other countries, interment is not restricted to those who died on active service but is open to all war veterans. First contingent leaving Karori for the South African War in 1899. (ATL F-0915-1/4-MNZ) 1 wellington’s warriors walk heritage trail Wellington City Council The Impact of Wars on New Zealand New Zealanders Killed in Action The fi rst major external confl ict in which New Zealand was South African War 1899–1902 230 involved was the South African War, when New Zealand forces World War I 1914–1918 18,166 fought alongside British troops in South Africa between 1899 and 1902. World War II 1939–1945 11,625 In the fi rst decades of the 20th century, the majority of New Zealanders Died in Operational New Zealand’s population of about one million was of British descent. They identifi ed themselves as Britons and spoke of Services Britain as the ‘Motherland’ or ‘Home’. Korean War 1950–1953 43 New Zealand sent an expeditionary force to the aid of the Malaya/Malaysia 1948–1966 20 ‘Mother Country’ at the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914. -
East Prussia ‘14
Designer Notes: East Prussia ‘14 In the middle of August 1914, the world's attention was focused directly on the Western Front where German armies were sweeping into Belgium and France. On the Eastern Front however, the Russians were on the offensive into East Prussia, an important agricultural region of the Prussian homeland, and the gateway to Berlin. The Russians planned a two pronged invasion into East Prussia: one army approaching from the Niemen River to the east and one army approaching from the Narew River to the south, both aimed at outflanking German forces located therein, and the eventual capture of the strategic city of Königsberg. In their way stood a single German army, two resolute commanders, and a well developed rail network. By the time the campaign was over both Russian armies would be almost completely destroyed and thrown out of East Prussia and the campaign itself would go on to become one of the most studied and celebrated victories in warfare. Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5 The Belligerents ................................................................................................................. 7 The German Army .......................................................................................................... 7 Summary of Capabilities............................................................................................. 7 Organization ............................................................................................................... -
1 Battle Weariness and the 2Nd New Zealand Division During the Italian Campaign, 1943-45
‘As a matter of fact I’ve just about had enough’;1 Battle weariness and the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Italian Campaign, 1943-45. A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University New Zealand. Ian Clive Appleton 2015 1 Unknown private, 24 Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Division. Censorship summaries, DA 508/2 - DA 508/3, (ANZ), Censorship Report No 6/45, 4 Feb to 10 Feb 45, part 2, p.1. Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Abstract By the time that the 2nd New Zealand Division reached Italy in late 1943, many of the soldiers within it had been overseas since early 1941. Most had fought across North Africa during 1942/43 – some had even seen combat earlier, in Greece and Crete in 1941. The strain of combat was beginning to show, a fact recognised by the division’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg. Freyberg used the term ‘battle weary’ to describe both the division and the men within it on a number of occasions throughout 1944, suggesting at one stage the New Zealanders be withdrawn from operations completely. This study examines key factors that drove battle weariness within the division: issues around manpower, the operational difficulties faced by the division in Italy, the skill and tenacity of their German opponent, and the realities of modern combat. -
II~I6 866 ~II~II~II C - -- ~,~,- - --:- -- - 11 I E14c I· ------~--.~~ ~ ---~~ -- ~-~~~ = 'I
Date Printed: 04/22/2009 JTS Box Number: 1FES 67 Tab Number: 123 Document Title: Your Guide to Voting in the 1996 General Election Document Date: 1996 Document Country: New Zealand Document Language: English 1FES 10: CE01221 E II~I6 866 ~II~II~II C - -- ~,~,- - --:- -- - 11 I E14c I· --- ---~--.~~ ~ ---~~ -- ~-~~~ = 'I 1 : l!lG,IJfi~;m~ I 1 I II I 'DURGUIDE : . !I TOVOTING ! "'I IN l'HE 1998 .. i1, , i II 1 GENERAl, - iI - !! ... ... '. ..' I: IElJIECTlON II I i i ! !: !I 11 II !i Authorised by the Chief Electoral Officer, Ministry of Justice, Wellington 1 ,, __ ~ __ -=-==_.=_~~~~ --=----==-=-_ Ji Know your Electorate and General Electoral Districts , North Island • • Hamilton East Hamilton West -----\i}::::::::::!c.4J Taranaki-King Country No,", Every tffort Iws b«n mude co etlSull' tilt' accuracy of pr'rty iiI{ C<llldidate., (pases 10-13) alld rlec/oralt' pollillg piau locations (past's 14-38). CarloJmpllr by Tt'rmlilJk NZ Ltd. Crown Copyr(~"t Reserved. 2 Polling booths are open from gam your nearest Polling Place ~Okernu Maori Electoral Districts ~ lil1qpCli1~~ Ilfhtg II! ili em g} !i'1l!:[jDCli1&:!m1Ib ~ lDIID~ nfhliuli ili im {) 6m !.I:l:qjxDJGmll~ ~(kD~ Te Tai Tonga Gl (Indudes South Island. Gl IIlllx!I:i!I (kD ~ Chatham Islands and Stewart Island) G\ 1D!m'llD~- ill Il".ilmlIllltJu:t!ml amOOvm!m~ Q) .mm:ro 00iTIP West Coast lID ~!Ytn:l -Tasman Kaikoura 00 ~~',!!61'1 W 1\<t!funn General Electoral Districts -----------IEl fl!rIJlmmD South Island l1:ilwWj'@ Dunedin m No,," &FJ 'lb'iJrfl'llil:rtlJD __ Clutha-Southland ------- ---~--- to 7pm on Saturday-12 October 1996 3 ELECTl~NS Everything you need to know to _.""iii·lli,n_iU"· , This guide to voting contains everything For more information you need to know about how to have your call tollfree on say on polling day. -
The New Zealand Soldier in World War II
Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. lHE N[W ZEALAND SOLDIER IN WORLD WAR 11: ~YTH Mm nr fl[ 1 TY A thes i s presented in partial fulfilme~t of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University John Reginald Mcleod 1 980 ·~t . .t_ R ll ABSTRACT Th e New Zua l and soldier has ga i ned a r eputation for be i ng an outstanding sol dier . Th e p roli fi c New Zea l a nd invol vement i n the nume r ous Wdrs of this century have allowed him to deve l op and consolidate this reputdtion . Wo rld Wdr I I was to add further lustre t o this reputulio11 , The que •,ti.011 th.it this pone c; i!; whethe r Lhe r ep u tcJtio11 is justified - how much is ~yth and how much is reality? In the early st~~es of World w~r II Lho New Zealander fai l ed to live up to his ~yLhica l reputation . The ba l es o f Greece and Crete , in pa r ticular , showed the totol l y unprofessiona l nature o f the New Zealand Army . Much of the weaknes s es shown in these battles were caused by i nadequate preparation . The Army had been on e o f t he principa l victims of the retrenchment policies of success i ve governme nts betwe en the w~ r s . -
The New Zealand Army Officer Corps, 1909-1945
1 A New Zealand Style of Military Leadership? Battalion and Regimental Combat Officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces of the First and Second World Wars A thesis provided in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Wayne Stack 2014 2 Abstract This thesis examines the origins, selection process, training, promotion and general performance, at battalion and regimental level, of combat officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces of the First and Second World Wars. These were easily the greatest armed conflicts in the country’s history. Through a prosopographical analysis of data obtained from personnel records and established databases, along with evidence from diaries, letters, biographies and interviews, comparisons are made not only between the experiences of those New Zealand officers who served in the Great War and those who served in the Second World War, but also with the officers of other British Empire forces. During both wars New Zealand soldiers were generally led by competent and capable combat officers at all levels of command, from leading a platoon or troop through to command of a whole battalion or regiment. What makes this so remarkable was that the majority of these officers were citizen-soldiers who had mostly volunteered or had been conscripted to serve overseas. With only limited training before embarking for war, most of them became efficient and effective combat leaders through experiencing battle. Not all reached the required standard and those who did not were replaced to ensure a high level of performance was maintained within the combat units.