Could you stand up to an Assault?

[sapper]

Let me put this hypothetical question to you... Miles away at Arnhem, the Ist Airborne are fighting to keep the Bridge open to enable us to spread out onto the Northern Plains of Germany, and thus, shorten the war by 5 months. And in the process save thousands of young Allied lives.

You are leading the Eastern thrust Northwards. Then, in our way is the Escaut Canal, Where we are to cross the Canal, it has steep concrete sides about 12 to 15 feet high. On the other side is a fanatical SS rearguard, determined that we shall not cross.

The Assault crossing will be made in Canvas boats, it takes 6 men at least to carry them, because of the weight. The boats have to be lugged up the concrete sides, set down in the water, and ferry the infantry across under a hail of fire. Before you start you are under considerable Mortar fire, and unusually.... a bombing raid. It is a pitch black night and it is one o' clock in the morning.

When you get the boats up the steep concrete walls of the Canal, you come under machine gun fire across, and "Down" the canal. with mortar fire. That was made more unpleasant with the enemy firing a "Bofors" type gun that raked the top of the Canal with explosive shells.

After you get the Infantry over, you then have to build an assault bridge laid over the top of canvas boats strung across the Canal for light traffic Jeeps etc! While you are doing all this you are still under fire. On the other side the Canal, a house is burning fiercely. ....The whole thing is akin to some gigantic Dante's Inferno.
Then while still dark you move on with the infantry and stopped in a Convents grounds. Less good mates.. and exhausted.

Now! all this leads up to is this.
Could you do it? Seriously...... Could you do it?
Sapper

[von Poop]

It's one of the great unanswerable questions for those who are interested in military history but have never been to war isn't it mate.

Good description, I'm presuming that you have done it and made it through to tell us about it Sapper. .

I hope that I could, but I also hope I'd never have to find out.

[Owen]

As Adam says, don't know until I was there myself.
I hope I could too, just damn thankful I never found out.
I trained for it but thankfully never had to find out if could do it for real.
Unlike some people, I wasn't going to someone else's war in the early 1990s to find out either.

[spidge]

Not now Sapper - I'm 55.

I was called up for Vietnam and didn't have to go.

I certainly would have gone yet I can tell you honestly that I am glad I didn't because I would have been scared s***less.

Anybody who loves being shot at is a fool.

The only things I have ever shot at could not shoot back. (Boar, Foxes etc)

[Cpl Rootes]

I agree with the majority here.

It is all to easy for me, sitting in my nice padded chair, to say "Yes I would, whats-more I would win the VC with 2 bars!"

Until I have expirenced the reality of combat (excluding chav vs fights that happen nowerdays) then I will never know.

Like everyone else, I don't know. I have never been in that situation. One time I was shot at I went to pieces. But then I didn't have mates relying on me, so that may pull me through.
For my real friends I would go to Hell and back.

[sapper]

The purpose of this posting is to make folks think what it must have been like. To try to put yourself in that position.
sapper

[marcus69x]

I do all the time. Every time I watch a war movie or go on my playstation. Ofcourse with no military experience (apart from a few years ago I went to Catterick Garrison for a week with the college, never again) It's even harder for me to 'picture' what it was like. I'd like to say I'd be strong and brave and do what my country needed, which is all fair enough when you're in training, but get me in full view of the enemy, with mortars and MG fire raining down on me, while expecting me to build some make-shift bridge over some canal in a foreign country????

Hmmmmm, I suppose that's where the boys get seperated from the men.

Marcus

[Cpl Rootes]

Originally Posted by sapper

The purpose of this posting is to make folks think what it must have been like. To try to put yourself in that position.
sapper

Hmmmm, tricky.

I will, for now, say yes. I would lead the assault.

I say this not because I am a budding VC wanna-be but because I would have been at war for months, if not years. I would most probably be tired of it all and/or feel it is my responsibility as a SNCO/Officer (I presume I am a SNCO/Officer as a Private surely wounld not lead a assault) to show leadership infront of the men. Both old hands and new draftees.

Sapper, what would you do?

Corp, Sapper did. He built the bridge and manned the boats. As to place myself in that situation I have, and I felt sick.