A Historical Perspective on Light Infantry

A Historical Perspective on Light Infantry
Author: Scott Ray McMichael
Publisher:
Total Pages: 264
Release: 1987
Genre: Infantry
ISBN:

This study seeks to clarify the nature of light infantry. General characteristics of light infantry forces are identified, and an analysis of how light forces operate tactically and how they are supported is presented. In the process, the relationship of the light infantry ethic to its organization is evaluated, and the differences between light infantry and conventional infantry is illuminated. For the purpose of this study, the term conventional infantry refers to modern-day motorized and mechanized infantry and to the large dismounted infantry forces typical of the standard infantry divisions of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The study concludes that light infantry is unique and distinct. A light infantry ethic exits and manifests itself in a distinctive tactical style, in a special attitude toward the environment, in a freedom from dependence on fixed lines of communication, and in a strong propensity for self-reliance. The study is based on a historical analysis of 4 light infantry forces employed during and since World War II: The Chindits, in the 1944 Burma campaign against the Japanese; The Chinese communist Forces during the Korean War; British operations in Malaya and Borneo 1948-66; and the First Special Service Force in the mountains of Italy 1942-44. -- p. [2] of cover.

Infantry in Battle

Infantry in Battle
Author: Infantry School (U.S.)
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 428
Release: 1934
Genre: Infantry drill and tactics
ISBN: 1428916911

US Army Infantry Divisions 1942–43

US Army Infantry Divisions 1942–43
Author: John Sayen
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2013-02-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472801520

The US Army infantry division was an intricate system of men and equipment welded together by doctrine and organization into an entity that could fight, maneuver, communicate within itself as well as with outside entities, and regenerate itself through a supply and replacement system. This book examines the organizational development, mobilization, deployment and combat actions of World War II US Army infantry divisions up until the end of 1943. Among the units covered are the separate infantry regiments and battalions of the "standard" type, showing how the Army's new "triangular" infantry division (based on three infantry regiments) evolved from the earlier "square" division (based on four).

The Brigade: A History, Its Organization and Employment in the US Army

The Brigade: A History, Its Organization and Employment in the US Army
Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2004
Genre:
ISBN: 1428910220

This work provides an organizational history of the maneuver brigade and case studies of its employment throughout the various wars. Apart from the text, the appendices at the end of the work provide a ready reference to all brigade organizations used in the Army since 1917 and the history of the brigade colors.

The Evolution of US Army Tactical Doctrine, 1946-76

The Evolution of US Army Tactical Doctrine, 1946-76
Author: Robert A. Doughty
Publisher:
Total Pages: 68
Release: 1979
Genre: Military art and science
ISBN:

This paper focuses on the formulation of doctrine since World War II. In no comparable period in history have the dimensions of the battlefield been so altered by rapid technological changes. The need for the tactical doctrines of the Army to remain correspondingly abreast of these changes is thus more pressing than ever before. Future conflicts are not likely to develop in the leisurely fashions of the past where tactical doctrines could be refined on the battlefield itself. It is, therefore, imperative that we apprehend future problems with as much accuracy as possible. One means of doing so is to pay particular attention to the business of how the Army's doctrine has developed historically, with a view to improving methods of future development.

Borrowed Soldiers

Borrowed Soldiers
Author: Mitchell A. Yockelson
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2016-01-18
Genre: History
ISBN: 0806155604

The combined British Expeditionary Force and American II Corps successfully pierced the Hindenburg Line during the Hundred Days Campaign of World War I, an offensive that hastened the war’s end. Yet despite the importance of this effort, the training and operation of II Corps has received scant attention from historians. Mitchell A. Yockelson delivers a comprehensive study of the first time American and British soldiers fought together as a coalition force—more than twenty years before D-Day. He follows the two divisions that constituted II Corps, the 27th and 30th, from the training camps of South Carolina to the bloody battlefields of Europe. Despite cultural differences, General Pershing’s misgivings, and the contrast between American eagerness and British exhaustion, the untested Yanks benefited from the experience of battle-toughened Tommies. Their combined forces contributed much to the Allied victory. Yockelson plumbs new archival sources, including letters and diaries of American, Australian, and British soldiers to examine how two forces of differing organization and attitude merged command relationships and operations. Emphasizing tactical cooperation and training, he details II Corps’ performance in Flanders during the Ypres-Lys offensive, the assault on the Hindenburg Line, and the decisive battle of the Selle. Featuring thirty-nine evocative photographs and nine maps, this account shows how the British and American military relationship evolved both strategically and politically. A case study of coalition warfare, Borrowed Soldiers adds significantly to our understanding of the Great War.

The Other End of the Spear

The Other End of the Spear
Author: John J. Mcgrath
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 121
Release: 2011-09-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 1105056155

This book looks at several troop categories based on primary function and analyzes the ratio between these categories to develop a general historical ratio. This ratio is called the Tooth-to-Tail Ratio. McGrath's study finds that this ratio, among types of deployed US forces, has steadily declined since World War II, just as the nature of warfare itself has changed. At the same time, the percentage of deployed forces devoted to logistics functions and to base and life support functions have increased, especially with the advent of the large-scale of use of civilian contractors. This work provides a unique analysis of the size and composition of military forces as found in historical patterns. Extensively illustrated with charts, diagrams, and tables. (Originally published by the Combat Studies Institute Press)

Busting the Bocage

Busting the Bocage
Author: Michael Dale Doubler
Publisher: Fort Leavenworth, Kan. : U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Total Pages: 92
Release: 1988
Genre: Bocage normand (France)
ISBN:

Tactical Display for Soldiers

Tactical Display for Soldiers
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 1997-01-17
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309175119

This book examines the human factors issues associated with the development, testing, and implementation of helmet-mounted display technology in the 21st Century Land Warrior System. Because the framework of analysis is soldier performance with the system in the full range of environments and missions, the book discusses both the military context and the characteristics of the infantry soldiers who will use the system. The major issues covered include the positive and negative effects of such a display on the local and global situation awareness of the individual soldier, an analysis of the visual and psychomotor factors associated with each design feature, design considerations for auditory displays, and physical sources of stress and the implications of the display for affecting the soldier's workload. The book proposes an innovative approach to research and testing based on a three-stage strategy that begins in the laboratory, moves to controlled field studies, and culminates in operational testing.