Organisation
From Beggars and landsknechts to professional standing army
William of Orange, Adriaen Thomasz Key, c. 1570–84. Upon his appointment as stadholder of Holland in 1572, one of the first tasks of William of Orange was to incorporate the unruly `Beggar’ forces into the regular army. Officers of the Beggars who refused to comply were removed. Orange even discharged Lumey because of ill discipline, despite the fact that this…
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US Army Independent Tank Battalion Combat Operations II
Tank battalion combat effectiveness also depended on vehicle maintenance. These units included only limited maintenance assets. Generally, maintenance suffered from deficiencies in spare parts and tank transporters and many personnel lacked training in tank maintenance skills. The transient status of the tank battalions often resulted in minimal support from the…
ROYAL DUTCH-INDISCH ARMY
DUTCH KNIL ARMY CYCLISTS 1908 During the Java War (1825–1830), the Dutch government was forced to create a new type of military force to deal with that rebellion. This military force consisted of a professional army of Dutch officers, coupled with native Indonesian troops. These troops made up an army…
German Army Reorganisation 1943Â I
The invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 was planned as the last of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg campaigns. In the summer of 1943, how ever, the fighting in the East was absorbing the greater part of the German war effort. On the Eastern Front there were 168 divisions (3.1 million…
German Army Reorganisation 1943Â II
Panther Ausf. D tanks, 1943. Henschel Tigers in the East. Porsche’s political footwork had diverted resources from the development of the successful Tiger prototype submitted by Henschel which was prematurely committed to battle in August-September 1942. Like a schoolboy with a birthday train set, Hitler always wanted to use his…
French Army Staff and Officers I
The army that Napoleon inherited from Louis XVI of France and from the early Revolutionary councils was ready-made and had battle experience. What he did with that army was truly remarkable, even more so when it is acknowledged that Napoleon himself was no great innovator. He applied already-established concepts and,…
French Army Staff and Officers II
Napoleon’s Doctrine Napoleon inherited a functional army from his predecessors, and upon it he imposed a very functional staff system. But what of his doctrine of war? Once more the fact that he was rarely an innovator is apparent, but what he did do would make the French Army into…