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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,354 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,354 Likes: 2 |
A quick Google search on Verdun shows that 40 million artillery shells we expended over the battle.
https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Battle_of_Verdun.html
Carpe' Scrotum
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 18,994 |
Pelelui is considered by many Marines to be it's toughest battle. Especially when you consider it probably should have been by-passed rather than seized. This brings up percentages. Total casualties or casualties per numbers involved. Intensity. Number of days. Some of the Civil War battles; one, two, three days, horrific days. The worst day? Omaha Beach? The worst hour? Vietnam HOT LZ's?
Leo of the Land of Dyr
NRA FOR LIFE
I MISS SARAH
“In Trump We Trust.” Right????
SOMEBODY please tell TRH that Netanyahu NEVER said "Once we squeeze all we can out of the United States, it can dry up and blow away."
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2005
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Daytime temperatures on Pelelui hit 115 degrees. To make things worse 'fresh' water was brought ashore in 50 gallon drums that had held petroleum previously and were'nt well cleaned.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453 |
If a man can read the reports of those battles without crying, and without giving thanks, he's no man.
Lest we forget.
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 20,379 |
The seige of Leningrad and the battle of Stalingrad didn't sound like a walk through the daisies..
I replace valve cover gaskets every 50K, if they don't need them sooner...
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 23,453 |
Daytime temperatures on Pelelui hit 115 degrees. To make things worse 'fresh' water was brought ashore in 50 gallon drums that had held petroleum previously and were'nt well cleaned. I worked with a man who survived that, and Tarawa, and Okinawa. He was one of the kindest souls I've ever met. When he told me where he'd been, all I could do what stammer "My God, thank you". His response? He laughed and said "well, I wouldn't want to do it again, that's for sure. Your thanks is for those that didn't come home, but I'll say that I'm welcome nonetheless". Then, he wanted to go get lunch. I bought; he protested.
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,460 Likes: 9
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,460 Likes: 9 |
As long as we are speaking of incredibly harsh conditions of weather, including poorly equipped and often untrained troops, lets not forget the U.S. Army out on the vast plains of the American West, fighting the Sioux and their allies, and other Indian tribes.
For just one example of many, read of the constant two year fighting in 1866/1867 that went on around Fort Phil Kearney, including the Fetterman Massacre. Often in the winter it was -40� F to -60� F, and the soldiers were very poorly clothed. (As usual, the fault of the fat cat, ignorant, non-caring politicians in Washington, D.C.)
Or read of the "Piney Island" fight, aka the "Wagon Box" fight, where 32 U.S. soldiers held off 3,000 Sioux and Arapaho Indians until they were finally relieved by another column of soldiers from Fort Kearny. There were unbelievable acts of courage and sacrifice by both many officers and enlisted men.
It seems to me that it is rare that we consider the horrible fights and conditions that were standard with the soldiers of the U.S. Army in the West during the Indian Wars, but those soldiers suffered great losses.
Not to make light of our soldiers during the later foreign wars, but never downgrade what went on out West. It was misery personified for many years.
L.W.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." (William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830s.)
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 79,321 Likes: 2 |
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,675 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,675 Likes: 1 |
If a man can read the reports of those battles without crying, and without giving thanks, he's no man.
Lest we forget. Amen to that brother. Those left dead on the field of battle were the finest America had to offer.
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Posts: 24,675 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,675 Likes: 1 |
The seige of Leningrad and the battle of Stalingrad didn't sound like a walk through the daisies.. That was the largest single battle in the history of mankind IIRC.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,224 Likes: 9 |
The Frozen Chosin, ranks high in my book.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 73,096 |
OK, I will play.
How about being a Spartan at the Battle of Thermopylae? It sucked to be a Spartan, they all died, with honor yes, but dead is dead.
George Orwell was a Prophet, not a novelist. Read 1984 and then look around you!
Old cat turd!
"Some men just need killing." ~ Clay Allison.
I am too old to fight but I can still pull a trigger. ~ Me
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 20,379 |
took a lot of those fuggin' persians with them..
I replace valve cover gaskets every 50K, if they don't need them sooner...
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,638
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,638 |
Whatever the case may be, I don't think the Western world has the stomach for such things now. The Arabs do, and if they ever get some decent weaponry and organization, the West will be in big trouble.
I probably hit more elk with a pickup than you have with a rifle. I have yet to see anyone claim Leupold has never had to fix an optic. I know I have sent a few back. 2 MK 6s, a VX-6, and 3 VX-111s.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 630 |
I have read that the stench of the dead at Verdun was so bad that pilots refused to fly over the sector.
bkraft
"Four things greater than all things are, Women and Horses and Power and War."
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Posts: 16,404 Likes: 14
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 16,404 Likes: 14 |
Yeah, I think the overall conditions of the "battle" have to be taken into account. Need to factor in a War in extreme cold. If you get a chance read ... Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir. Still, as a participant I would much prefer the northern climes for a myriad of reasons, many battle-field related... bias of course, personal bloodlines are predominantly Scandinavian.
Epstein didn't kill himself.
"Play Cinnamon Girl you Sonuvabitch!"
Biden didn't win the election.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 14,725 Likes: 9 |
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,193
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,193 |
Modern? CHOSIN.
prior to that ... Alexander's campaigns in Afghanistan
TRUMP- GABBARD 2024
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,965
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,965 |
Doc, I believe that Verdun was the Horror Battle of all time. Every official account or narrative I have ever seen agrees with that. I have to wonder if the Germans ever compared Verdun against Stalingrad?
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Posts: 2,965
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,965 |
The Frozen Chosin, ranks high in my book. The First Marine Division commander, O.P. Smith, got the division out intact. Because he ignored the orders of X Corp commander Ned Almond. Had Smith followed the directives of General Almond and General McArthur the First Marines probably would have been destroyed by those twelve Chinese divisions. The Army's Regimental Combat Team at Chosin wasn't able to break out and was destroyed there by one Chinese division.
Last edited by idahoguy101; 08/22/14.
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