By way of gentle distraction, just watched about 15 minutes of a cable program on military blunders ... this one was the US invasion of Grenada in 1983 to 'liberate' it. Must admit I'd always thought it was a real easy operation with no problems ... just shown how dangerous was the cover up.
Only caught a bit of the program ... but the first bit I saw was the crack US Navy SEALS (the version of the SBS) going into action ... dropped from low level choppers they ... drownedNext heroic strategy was to destroy a command post from the air ..... except it was a hospital. Nuff said? Makes me think back to the last two wars out in the Gulf ... didn’t the Yanks inflict greater casualties on us than any of our enemies?
Yes, certainly in the first Gulf War, British forces sustained more casualties from US action than from enemy action. Interestingly, despite what to most people would seem like an alarming number of "friendly fire" incidents, casualties amongst US service personnel during the first Gulf War were actually lower than if they'd been back at their own bases.
When I saw this thread, I thought it was going to be all about Ryder Cup golf...
Wot, no pie chart?!?Originally Posted by Graham
Yeah, well, if I'd put the graph in you'd have been able to spot that the story was apocryophal.
Judging by these stats, they are not even on their own side. I think (putting politics aside) for safety's sake, if the US military are involved, stay well clear.
Not sure how much of it was based on fact but I thought the film 'Buffalo Soldiers' was an interesting story about the effects of peacetime on the US Military. A quote from the film went something like: "In Peace, the warlike makes war against themselves"
A German POW said to my father: "When your planes come over, we duck. When our planes come over you duck. When the Yanks come over, everybody ducks."
He was certainly shelled by "friendly" artillery. The version he heard was that the spotter called "Down 100 yards", and the gunner replied "But that's your position", and the spotter replied "and thats where they are". The idea being that the Guards were in trenches, but the SS infantry attacking were exposed, crossing open ground. Others from the regiment, who I met in the Guards museum, were of the opinion that it was just a blunder, and the alleged conversation was a cover-up. Whatever, the German attack was repulsed.
What I'm trying to work out is how can a crack unit of marines (their Seals) drown in water when they're wearing full frogman gear etc. and should be fully trained. A SEAL drowning in water is like a Paratrooper failing to open his chute?
(PS: ... just found this linke http://www.thehistorian.co.uk/stylites1.html)
I remember the tale that the reason that the US tanks were so ineffective against Nazi Tiger tanks was that the US didnt install the only cannon that was big enough to destroy a Tiger (a 17 pounder) because it was British and not made in the good old US of A?
Last edited by Gus; 28th-September-2004 at 12:21 PM. Reason: Added link
When I saw this thread, I thought it was going to be all about Ryder Cup golf...
...and I thought it was about being roughly man-handled on the torso during dancing!
I once heard an amusing (though not necessarily true) story about the Navy Seals... Apparently the French Foreign Legion have a very famous assault course, and its a matter of regimental pride that a platoon can go out and back over it in 40 minutes. They invite visiting elite squads to take a crack at it. The British Paratroopers all got back in 45 minutes. The Ghurkas were all back in 28 minutes. After a three and a half hour wait, the French Foreign Legion went out and helped back the dispirited and exhausted Navy Seals....
They probably should have taken their fins off first!...After a three and a half hour wait, the French Foreign Legion went out and helped back the dispirited and exhausted Navy Seals....
dont mess with Gurkhas....and they dont want to make them British Citizens too...shame!
Did i read somewhere once if you took 10,000 trained men in non combat situation and got them to undertake parashoot jump you would expect at least 1 or 2 fatalities
My friend is in the AAF and i could tell you some stories that would make you run for cover!!! Never ever trust a yank with a bomb.... actually.. corection... never trust a yank period!
I dunno: can you read?!?
After I left Polytechnic, I had a temporary job working at the Sugar Beet processing factory in Peterborough. One afternoon we were sent home early because two war time 500lb bombs had turned up in a trailer load of sugar beet. The RAF came along and made them safe.
We later found out that they were American bombs. Apparently at the end of the war, the American airforce just buried most of their ammunition stock where it had been stored, and didn't bother to record the details anywhere. Consequently there are reputed to be tons of unexploded bombs, bullets etc buried in East Anglia!
Listening to all this about the Yankee doodles, I'm beginning to feel quite good about being an Englishman trespassing (albeit virtually) North of the border.
Why is it in every American war film I have ever seen, Kawalski always gets shot and takes a very long time to die.
Never stand next to anyone called Kawalski.
Adam
Why is it in every American war film I have ever seen, Kawalski always gets shot and takes a very long time to die.
Never stand next to anyone called Kawalski.
Adam
Very true... although i'd have a maverick anyday of the week!
You can be my wing-girl any dayVery true... although i'd have a maverick anyday of the week!
Adam
OK, help me out here:
Late, I know.
Light, yip. Heavy, aye.
But what the hell is a "Yank period?!?!!?!?"
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