Command & Commanders in Modern Warfare
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COMMAND AND COMMANDERS , \ .“‘,“3,w) .br .br “Z ,+( ’> , . I ..M IN MODERN WARFARE The Proceedings of the Second Military History Symposium U.S. Air Force Academy 23 May 1968 Edited by William Geffen, Lt. Colonel, USAF, Air Force Academy O5ce of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF and United States Air Force Academy 1971 2nd edilion, enlarged let edition, United States Air Force Academy, 1969 Views or opinions expressed or implied in this publication are those of the authors and are not to be construed as carrying official sanction of the Department of the Air Force or of the United States Air Force Academy. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.65 Stock Number 0874-0003 ii PREFACE The essays and commentaries which comprise this book re- sulted from the Second Annual Military History Symposium, held at the Air Force Academy on 2-3 May 1968. The Military History Symposium is an annual event sponsored jointly by the Department of History and the Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy. The theme of the first symposium, held on 4-5May 1967 at the Air Force Academy, was “Current Concepts in Military History.” Several factors inspired the inauguration of the symposium series, the foremost being the expanding interest in the field of military history demonstrated at recent meetings of the American Historical Association and similar professional organizations. A professional meeting devoted solely to the subject of military his- tory seemed appropriate. The Air Force Academy’s Department of History has been particularly concerned with the history of military affairs and warfare since the founding of the institution. In fact, for a few years after the beginning of classes in 1954, the Academy could boast of perhaps the only separate Department of Military History in the United States. In 1959 the Department of History (now including the military historians) inaugurated the annual Harmon Memorial Lectures to foster interest and research in military history. The lectures are listed at the end of this Preface. The general purpose of the symposium series is to provide a forum in which recognized scholars may present the results of their research in the history of military affairs. This will, hopefully, enhance interest in the subject among both civilian and military historians, while encouraging a continuing interest among members of the armed forces of the United States and the cadets of the United States Air Force Academy in the study of the history of their chosen profession. A basic objective of the annual symposium series is to create a closer link between the academic historian and the military professional designed to achieve a fuller appreciation and better evaluation of past military events. By including the iii views of the men who participated in past events, the historical record should be enriched. This book, therefore, contains not only the papers and commentaries read at the Second Annual Military Symposium, but additional comments which the editor later so- licited from military participants in the events described. Not included is the Tenth Annual Harmon Memorial Lecture in Military History, which formed the closing session of the Second Military History Symposium. The lecture, delivered by Dr. Forrest C. Pogue, Director, Research Library, George C. Marshall Research Foundation, entitled “George C. Marshall : Global Commander,” has been published separately. The Department of History wishes to thank the four eminent historians who served as chairmen for the various symposium sessions and whose labors contributed greatly to the success of the symposium: Professor Richard A. Preston, Duke University, chairman of the session, “The United States Army’s Experience in the Early Twentieth Century.” Professor Gordon A. Craig, Stanford University, chairman of the session, “The End of the Prussian Military Tradition in Ger- many.” Captain Harry A. Cummings, bSN, United States Naval Acad- emy, chairman of the sessions, “British Naval Leaders in World War I” and “American Naval Leaders in World War 11.” Professor James Lea Cate, University of Chicago, chairman of the session, “New Perspectives in Warfare.” We also wish to acknowledge the warm encouragement and active support that the former Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy, Lieutenant General Thomas S. Moorman, and the first Dean, Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott, gave in launching the symposium series. The financial support received from the Association of Graduates is gratefully acknowledged. The forty members of the Department of History took an active interest in the project and provided many helpful suggestions and editorial assistance. Mrs. Virginia Hill and Mrs. Grace Scott provided essential secretarial support. iv To the numerous military contributors who so generously responded to the editor’s request to share their experiences and reflections with respect to the events and personalities discussed in the symposium papers and commentaries, we wish to extend our deep appreciation. Their comments provide a most significant contribution to this book of essays. The paper by Professor Potter, “The Command Personality : Some American Naval Leaders in World War 11,” has since ap- peared in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings (January 1969) and is reprinted by permission of the United States Naval Institute. The commentary by Professor O’Connor has since ap- peared under the title “Reflection on the Characteristics of a Com- mander” in the Naval War College Review (October 1968) and is reprinted here by permission of the United States Naval War College. This edition contains two comments that were received too late for inclusion in the first edition, and minor errors have been corrected. Lieutenant Colonel William Geten, USAF V The United States Air Force Academy Military History Symposium is sponsored by The Department of History and The Association of Graduates U. S. Air Force Academy 1968 Military History Symposium Committee Colonel Alfred F. Hurley, Chairman Lt. Colonel Thomas A. Julian, Executive Director Lt. Colonel Victor D. Sutch Captain Frederick L. Metcalf vi CONTENTS page Preface iii Introduction 3 I. THE UNITED STATES ARMY’S EXPERIENCE IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY The Elihu Root Reforms and the Progressive Era 11 Russell F. Weigley Commentary 28 Louis Morton The American Military Generation Gap in World War I: 35 The Leavenworth Clique in the AEF Edward M. Coffman Commentary 44 Daniel R. Beaver The Leavenworth Clique in World War.1: A Military View Lieutenant Colonel William Geffen, USAF Comments by Members of the AEF 62 Major General Howard C. Davidson, USAF (Ret.) 62 Major William A. Rafferty, USA (Ret.) 68 Major General Charles P. Gross, USA (Ret.) 70 General of the Army Omar N. Bradley 72 Major General Leroy H. Watson, USA (Ret.) 73 Major General W. E. R. Covell, USA (Ret.) 76 Colonel Howard Donelly, USA (Ret.) 77 vii page 11. BRITISH NAVAL LEADERS IN WORLD WAR I Jellicoe and Beatty as Commanders in Chief, Grand Fleet 81 Arthur J. Marder Commentary 91 Donald M. Schurman The Military View: 97 Comments by Members of the Royal Navy Admiral Sir William James, G. C. B. 97 Rear Admiral S. A. Pears, C. B. E. 101 Rear Admiral C. M. Blackman, D. S. 0. 108 Captain G. E. Bannister, C. B. E., and 110 Admiral Sir Angus Cunninghame-Graham, K. B. E., C. B. E. Captain R. H. F. DeSalis, 0. B. E., D. S. C. 113 111. THE END OF THE PRUSSIAN MILITARY TRADITION IN GERMANY The Rise of the Military Opposition in the Nazi Reich 119 Harold C. Deutsch Commentary 147 Charles V. P. von Luttichau Commentary 153 Peter Paret The Military View :Comments by Six German Generals 161 General Walter Warlimont 161 General Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg 168 viii Page General Hasso von Manteuffel 175 General Franz Halder 183 Field Marshal Erich von Manstein 189 General Adolf Heusinger 199 IV. AMERICAN NAVAL LEADERS IN WORLD WAR I1 The Command Personality : 207 Some American Naval Officers of World War I1 E. B. Potter Commentary 220 Raymond G. O'Connor The Military View : Comments by Three Admirals 230 Admiral Arleigh Burke 230 Admiral Harry W. Hill 233 Admiral Robert B. Carney 239 Reply to Admiral Carney 244 E. B. Potter V. NEW PERSPECTIVES IN WARFARE The Combined Bomber Offensive: 253 Classical and Revolutionary, Combined and Divided, Planned and Fortuitous Noble Frankland Commentary 268 Robin Higham Commentary 277 Robert F. Futrell ix Some Military Views: Page The Combined Bomber Offensive: A British Comment 288 Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Slessor The Allied Combined Bomber Offensive: 292 Two German Views Field Marshal Erhard Milch, 292 German Air Force, WW I1 (Ret.) Lieutenant General Adolf Galland, 298 German Air Force, WW I1 (Ret.) Comments on Higham’s Commentary 307 Air Vice-Markha1 E. J. Kingston-McCloughry, RAF (Ret.) 307 Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker, USAF (Ret.) 312 Reply to General Eaker 315 Robin Higham The German Fighter Battle against 317 the American Bombers Lieutenant General Johannes Steinhoff, Inspector-General, German Air Force Contributors 325 Index 330 X Harmon Memorial Lectures in Military Hietory published by the US. Air Force Academy, Colorado 1. W. Frank Craven, Why Military History? (1959) 2. T. Harry Williams, The Military Leadership of the North and the South. (1960) 3. Louis Morton, Pacific Command. (1961) 4. William R. Emerson, Operation Pointbhnk. (1962) 5. Frank E. Vandiver, John J. Pershing and the Anatomy of Leader- ship. (1963) 6. Maurice Matloff, Mr. Roosevelt’s Three Wars: FDR as War Leader. (19644 7. Gordon A. Craig, Problems of Coalition Warfare: The Military Alliance against Napoleon, 1813-1814. (1965) 8. Peter Paret, Innovation and Reform in Warfare. (1966) 9. Michael Howard, Strategy and Policy in Twentieth-Century War- fare. (1967) 10. Forrest C. Pogue, George C. Marsh& Global Commander.