“That the United States could simultaneously launch two such colossal assaults against separate enemies thousands of miles apart was the clearest demonstration of American globe-girdling military-industrial power after only two and a half years of war.”
And just two days after liberating Rome to boot. Damn we were kicking some serious ass then! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
“That the United States could simultaneously launch two such colossal assaults against separate enemies thousands of miles apart was the clearest demonstration of American globe-girdling military-industrial power after only two and a half years of war.”
And just two days after liberating Rome to boot. Damn we were kicking some serious ass then! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Small correction. Gary: we didn't "liberate" Rome. The Germans had departed and the Italians declared it an "open city."
What we did do was let the biggest American military idiot after MacArthur - Mark Clark - change the attack orders of Sixth Corps when they broke out of Anzio, headed to connect with the British Eighth Army southeast of Rome, to cut off retreat for the German 14th and 10th Armies and end the Italian campaign thereby, to heading for Rome, which Clark was obsessed with "liberating" (to the point he asked Eisenhower to delay D-Day so the "liberation of Rome" could be "properly celebrated." Eisenhower's reply didn't end up in his papers). While Sixth Corps paraded through Rome, the German armies marched around the city and began their retreat to the Gothic Line, extending the war in Italy another 11 unnecessary months and setting the whole county up for devastation, all for Mark Clark's third-rate ego. (You will be able to read more about Clark's incompetence beginning in "Turning The Tide" this summer, followed by "Mediterranean Sweep" next year - yes, this is a shameless personal plug)
“That the United States could simultaneously launch two such colossal assaults against separate enemies thousands of miles apart was the clearest demonstration of American globe-girdling military-industrial power after only two and a half years of war.”
And just two days after liberating Rome to boot. Damn we were kicking some serious ass then! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Small correction. Gary: we didn't "liberate" Rome. The Germans had departed and the Italians declared it an "open city."
What we did do was let the biggest American military idiot after MacArthur - Mark Clark - change the attack orders of Sixth Corps when they broke out of Anzio, headed to connect with the British Eighth Army southeast of Rome, to cut off retreat for the German 14th and 10th Armies and end the Italian campaign thereby, to heading for Rome, which Clark was obsessed with "liberating" (to the point he asked Eisenhower to delay D-Day so the "liberation of Rome" could be "properly celebrated." Eisenhower's reply didn't end up in his papers). While Sixth Corps paraded through Rome, the German armies marched around the city and began their retreat to the Gothic Line, extending the war in Italy another 11 unnecessary months and setting the whole county up for devastation, all for Mark Clark's third-rate ego. (You will be able to read more about Clark's incompetence beginning in "Turning The Tide" this summer, followed by "Mediterranean Sweep" next year - yes, this is a shameless personal plug)
Oh God.