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Has A Soldier's Equipment Ever Proven Decisive?

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  • Has A Soldier's Equipment Ever Proven Decisive?

    Hello everyone,

    I was wondering if we might talk about the equipment of an individual solder for a moment. While I was cleaning the debris caused by a tornado out of my back yard, and front yard, I ruminated on this question.

    Has the equipment of an individual soldier ever proven to be the decisive factor in winning a war?

    I can already think of at least one example when this may have been the case: The British Army campaign against the Zulus. Clearly the use of rifles against men armed with spears and cowhide shields was a decisive advantage.

    But the Battle of Isandlwana shows that this was not always a decisive advantage under every circumstance. Still another engagement -- Rorke's Drift -- shows how effective a discliplined force armed with rifles could be against a Zulu impi.

    Any thoughts of other wars or campaigns where the Rifles, bazookas, swords, stirrups, spears or axes of one force were the decisive factor in victory?

    I hope to learn a lot from this thread.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Terence View Post
    Hello everyone,

    I was wondering if we might talk about the equipment of an individual solder for a moment. I ruminated on this question
    Terence unless you are of a bovine nature I find it difficult that you "Ruminated" on this Question:) Masticate perhaps;) There was a Story in my Regiment (1stRoyal Tank Regiment) that whilst in Korea a certain Infantry Regiment was under attack. A Soldier had run out of ammo' started to throw bricks and bottles at the attackers who retreated The rumours flew about that the Soldier was "drunk" however that did'nt stop the Soldier getting the VC:) Not quite the repellent you where looking for!!

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    • #3
      ruminate - Definitions from Dictionary.com

      I stand by my word choice, old bean.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Terence View Post
        ruminate - Definitions from Dictionary.com

        I stand by my word choice, old bean.
        That's fine, I Dont mind you chewing the cud with me!:)

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Terence View Post
          Hello everyone,



          Has the equipment of an individual soldier ever proven to be the decisive factor in winning a war?

          .
          well lets see, romans barbarians, all their weapons and tactiks didn,t help romans.
          ww2 germany allys, all wonder weapons, and best equipment didn,t help germans.
          ussr, afgan, tanks planes helis, night vision, didn,t help soviets much.
          usa iraq, insurgents armed with ak's and ied, do pretty good against us army, with all their gadgets.
          based on this i'd say no.
          "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

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          • #6
            in a conventional war, usually. While the germans did have more advanced equipment, the allies had aerial and production superiority during the latter half of the war, it was only because of german advanced equipment that they held out as long as they did. Also, when your massively outnumbered, equipment doesnt count for much.
            ROAD WARRIOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
            sigpic

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            • #7
              ultimately, equipment, like training, confers an advantage, but is not always decisive, especially when fighting guerrilla's
              ROAD WARRIOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
              sigpic

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              • #8
                Certain equipment match-ups HAVE, indeed, proven decisive. If one force switched gear with their opponents, they'd have won instead, simply due to that One Big Thang.

                Sometimes, it's astonishing how SIMPLE the One Big Thang turns out to be:

                stirrups for cavalrymen (instead of trying to grip laterally with one's knees),
                iron ramrods for Frederick's armies (instead of wooden ones for his opponents'),
                marching at 120 paces-per-minute (instead of 70, as Napoleon's enemies did),
                or the interrupter cam on Eindekker propellor shafts in WWI (instead of a flex-mount MG that must aim off-axis with early Entente aircraft), or
                the concept of the drop tank in WWII (which, if Luftwaffe fighters had an hour's loiter time instead of <15 minutes during the Battle of Britain, would've been decisive, as it was over the Reich).

                On such small matters are great things decided.

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                • #9
                  Food.

                  Americans had food at Guadalcanal. Japanese starved.
                  "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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                  • #10
                    "or the interrupter cam on Eindekker propellor shafts in WWI (instead of a flex-mount MG that must aim off-axis with early Entente aircraft)"

                    lol, i love ways they tried to fire a machine gun through the prop before the interuptor was invented. i recall one method as having a metal plate on the propellor which would ricochet any bullets that hit it.

                    anyway i agree with Dectilion "ultimately, equipment, like training, confers an advantage, but is not always decisive, especially when fighting guerrilla's"
                    die, no0b

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                    • #11
                      Hoplite armor and long spears proved decisive against lightly armoured Persians several times.

                      Prussian breech loaders vs muzzle loaders

                      Swiss helberds and pikes proved decisive against Austrian knights (OK, terrain helped as well)

                      Pike when used correctly also allowed Swedes and Spaniards to carry the day

                      Archery with superior bows allowed Mongols to defeat enemies more then ones. Ditto for english with longbow

                      Correct use of RPG-7 allowed Chechens to win New Year's battle

                      Use of MANPADS by Mujahedeen forced Soviets to change their doctrine and limited their air mobility

                      NVG allow user to operate at night as well

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                      • #12
                        what are the chances of this thing that gives you an advantage, being captured and used against you in the next fight. or analized and coutermessures developed.
                        "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

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                        • #13
                          M1 garand, before the late war Stig 44 it was the best rifle in the world and gave the American infantry a huge firepower advantage.

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                          • #14
                            i,d say most desicive equipment in ww2 were not guns or planes, but radar, and cracking code of the enigma.
                            "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

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                            • #15
                              Maybe thinking of it in terms of a whole war is too broad. So many factors go into the outcome of most wars, after all.

                              -dale

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