World War 2 Talk - View Single Post - St Nazaire

Tom Canning · 24-08-2008, 01:13 AM

Warlord -

I keep hearing about this plan of Gen Juin - but I have never fully understood which one it was - can you enlighten me ?

All I know about him was that he was severely critical about everthing and felt - rightly - that we had too many vehicles as opposed to foot sloggers - and that we should be doing this instead of that -

So US Gen Mark Clark put him to the test by swinging him to the East of the monastery towards Altina where he made good progress and might have cut Highway six - but then he was recalled to assist the US 34th Div which was in trouble closer to the Monastery - that was battle No 1 in Jan '44

His next Battle was No 4 - May '44 when starting from the bridgehead over the Garigliano - he went storming over the Aurunci Mountains - all the time complaining that 8th Army - were as always too slow to catch up which was the general Mark Clark line - but then he was French ! and so he was first at the top of the Liri valley

What is seldom talked about was that 8th Army and in particular the two Canadian Divisions -plus 25th and 21st Tank Bdes - 78th Division- 6th Armoured Div - 10 Indian Div- 4th British Div as well as the Polish Corps were hammering away at the toughest defences and killing grounds we had seen - wheras the French were runnng amok over virtually undefended mountains ! US 2nd corps staying close to the West coast

There is a great deal of difference in running through an open door - and trying to unlock a barred and very secure door - which the great French General failed to point out - at any time - then they disappaeraed to take part in the relatively undefended again - South OF France landings !!!
Cheers

24-08-2008, 01:13 AM	#16 (permalink)
Tom Canning WW2 Veteran Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 735	Warlord - I keep hearing about this plan of Gen Juin - but I have never fully understood which one it was - can you enlighten me ? All I know about him was that he was severely critical about everthing and felt - rightly - that we had too many vehicles as opposed to foot sloggers - and that we should be doing this instead of that - So US Gen Mark Clark put him to the test by swinging him to the East of the monastery towards Altina where he made good progress and might have cut Highway six - but then he was recalled to assist the US 34th Div which was in trouble closer to the Monastery - that was battle No 1 in Jan '44 His next Battle was No 4 - May '44 when starting from the bridgehead over the Garigliano - he went storming over the Aurunci Mountains - all the time complaining that 8th Army - were as always too slow to catch up which was the general Mark Clark line - but then he was French ! and so he was first at the top of the Liri valley What is seldom talked about was that 8th Army and in particular the two Canadian Divisions -plus 25th and 21st Tank Bdes - 78th Division- 6th Armoured Div - 10 Indian Div- 4th British Div as well as the Polish Corps were hammering away at the toughest defences and killing grounds we had seen - wheras the French were runnng amok over virtually undefended mountains ! US 2nd corps staying close to the West coast There is a great deal of difference in running through an open door - and trying to unlock a barred and very secure door - which the great French General failed to point out - at any time - then they disappaeraed to take part in the relatively undefended again - South OF France landings !!! Cheers