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Blademaster · 03-15-2006, 16:22 PM

It was a brilliant campaign considering the resources that Franks had. However his generals had a valid point. The enemies sniping at the rearguard could not be ignored especially when the focused force was totally reliant on the rear for logistics and what Franks was asking for depends largely in securing a line of supply that would bring needed requisitions on a daily basis for any quick lightning attack or blitzkrieg to succeed. The generals were getting nervous on each passing day with the line of supply getting longer and more mounting if ineffectual attacks by Feyadeen on the rear. It was on the way to becoming a major concern and would have certainly forced the generals to revise their battle plans. As every professional soldier knows, no battle plan survives on contact with the enemy. WHat the article missed is that Franks adapted to the situation with his limited resources and came up with a plan that was satisfactory to his lietunant generals and battlefield commanders regarding the protection of the rear and flanks in terms of protecting the line of supply until they could reach Baghdad or rather strongholds surrounding Baghdad where they could bring staging areas, ie, traveling up through the Euphrates & Tigris River bypassing all the enemy strongholds and securing the passage and then create a couple major supply depots. It was at hat point where the major forces could be resupplied before taking on Baghdad. That was the major concern of the battlefield commanders. They were concerned that when they come to Baghdad and the times come to retake Baghdad, they would not have the sufficient supplies in order to carry out their major offensive against Baghdad especially in the pre fall of Baghdad where everybody was expecting the Iraqi Army to stand up and post major resistance and fights against the Coalition. The commanders simply did not want to be caught off guarded and shorthanded with supplies, thus giving up the battle momentum. The commanders view the battle momentum to be the crucial factor and a disruption of the supplies would lose the battle momentum that was solely in their favor.

03-15-2006, 16:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
Blademaster Banished *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 08-15-03 Posts: 3,277	It was a brilliant campaign considering the resources that Franks had. However his generals had a valid point. The enemies sniping at the rearguard could not be ignored especially when the focused force was totally reliant on the rear for logistics and what Franks was asking for depends largely in securing a line of supply that would bring needed requisitions on a daily basis for any quick lightning attack or blitzkrieg to succeed. The generals were getting nervous on each passing day with the line of supply getting longer and more mounting if ineffectual attacks by Feyadeen on the rear. It was on the way to becoming a major concern and would have certainly forced the generals to revise their battle plans. As every professional soldier knows, no battle plan survives on contact with the enemy. WHat the article missed is that Franks adapted to the situation with his limited resources and came up with a plan that was satisfactory to his lietunant generals and battlefield commanders regarding the protection of the rear and flanks in terms of protecting the line of supply until they could reach Baghdad or rather strongholds surrounding Baghdad where they could bring staging areas, ie, traveling up through the Euphrates & Tigris River bypassing all the enemy strongholds and securing the passage and then create a couple major supply depots. It was at hat point where the major forces could be resupplied before taking on Baghdad. That was the major concern of the battlefield commanders. They were concerned that when they come to Baghdad and the times come to retake Baghdad, they would not have the sufficient supplies in order to carry out their major offensive against Baghdad especially in the pre fall of Baghdad where everybody was expecting the Iraqi Army to stand up and post major resistance and fights against the Coalition. The commanders simply did not want to be caught off guarded and shorthanded with supplies, thus giving up the battle momentum. The commanders view the battle momentum to be the crucial factor and a disruption of the supplies would lose the battle momentum that was solely in their favor.