The Thread

[rtrapasso]

Not sure how many troops were pumped into North Africa after TORCH, but a lot:

There were 100,000 German and Italian troops in North Africa at the time of TORCH. When they surrendered in May 1943, 250,000 to 275,000 prisoners were taken (depending on who is doing the claiming...) This of course does not included any casualties taken between the TORCH landings and the final surrender.

But, at a MINIMUM it appears they pumped in 150,000 men (probably a heck of a lot more - i recall it was something like double that, but i haven't got the numbers handy). Supposedly they stripped the defenses of places like Sicily bare. They could have gotten out the 100,000 and cut their losses (as some like Rommel advocated). Having an extra 250,000 men in Sicily would have made the road a lot rougher for the Allies!!

[dtravel]

Morning Thread.

Nik, in all seriousness, please stop changing the subject line. It stopped being funny a long time ago.

[DuckofTindalos]

You know Tubbsy-Wubbsy... He's pretty dense...

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: dtravel



It stopped being funny a long time ago.

As did your continual sarcasm aimed at the developers

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You know Tubbsy-Wubbsy... He's pretty dense...

which is still smarter than you by leaps and bounds Spam boy. [:'(]

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You know Tubbsy-Wubbsy... He's pretty dense...

you forgot his self-admitted insanity!! [:D]

[niceguy2005]

I thought I recalled about 250,000 Germans and Italians surrendering. That potentially could have made a huge difference in Italy and France.

I do think one could argue successfully though that invading Italy was unnecessary. Yes, it took them out of the war, but otherwise, it had none of the advantages of Africa, except additional training. Plus, let's face it, Italy was not the major threat. Had it been me, I would have done Africe and then gone straight for France. In Italy, the terrain, the shorter supply lines and German reinforcements all worked against the Allies.

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: Terminus

You know Tubbsy-Wubbsy... He's pretty dense...

which is still smarter than you by leaps and bounds Spam boy. [:'(]

Duh... Big Words Make Head Hurt Something Fierce... Duh... Must drag knuckles down to coffeeshop for pseudo-coffee garbage that we drink here in Rain Capital of Ol' US of Aye...

[Nikademus]

Ok.....i have to admit...that one made me laugh.

I need some laughter this morning.

[Mynok]

Pretty much what this Thread has been about since its conception........that plus a large helping of inanity and insanity.
[:D]

[DuckofTindalos]

And slaughtering the heathen... Erm, I mean "converting the adherents of other equally-valid belief systems to ours, whilst being awfully nice about it"...

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


that plus a large helping of inanity and insanity.
[:D]

I resemble that remark. [;)]

[Mike Solli]

I think we all do.....

[rtrapasso]

Perhaps a review i recently read will cheer you up, Nik (it has a relevance to your apparently favorite substance) -

in discussing an actor:

"(He) is the kind of actor you can use when a piece of wood is not readily available".

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Perhaps a review i recently read will cheer you up, Nik (it has a relevance to your apparently favorite substance) -

in discussing an actor:

"(He) is the kind of actor you can use when a piece of wood is not readily available".

Kenau (spelling) Reeves?

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Perhaps a review i recently read will cheer you up, Nik (it has a relevance to your apparently favorite substance) -

in discussing an actor:

"(He) is the kind of actor you can use when a piece of wood is not readily available".

Kenau (spelling) Reeves?

Good guess, [:'(] but no...

It was someone i had never heard of before, and whose name slips my mind right now.

[rtrapasso]

Actually, since our last discussion of Great Planks of Acting, i paid strict attention to the facial expressions on one of the Greats (Stephan Segal) in a movie i recently saw... i don't think he varied his facial expression except maybe twice in the whole film, and then it was by the barest minimum (very slight hint of a smile...)

[Mike Solli]

I've noticed that his eyebrows would rise a fraction of an inch when he saw a topless female.  He also cracks me up when he runs too.  I just love his movies though.  Can't really figure out why though.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

I've noticed that his eyebrows would rise a fraction of an inch when he saw a topless female.  He also cracks me up when he runs too.  I just love his movies though.  Can't really figure out why though.

Must be the understated acting! [:D]

[Bobthehatchit]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

A similar description is given in Douglas Porch's The Path to Victory (The Mediterranean Theater in World War II)

Porch is not all that kind to Ike, describing him as rather aloof from operational planning and more concerned with promoting Allied unity and making sure no mud on his stars. (Another paragraph akins Ike to a "CEO" of a company vs. a real general) Porch doesn't discount the importance of Ike's diplomatic efforts however but when discussing the issues revolving around the actual invasion, its not pretty. It would appear fortunate that the landings were mostly unopposed and lends weight to Porch's thesis that the theater was decisive for the Allies (vs. the traditional "distraction" or "side show" that some US histories ascribe to the theater) because it represented an invaluable training and practice ground for a fledgling force (Britian included during the early days vs. Rommel) allowing the Allies to hone their skills particularily in amphibious operations. The author feels that had Overlord (Roundup/Bolero) been attempted immediately without that practice, it could have and most likely would have ended in disaster.

Looks like even the british units hadn't been listening the lessons Monty had learnt as at least three british inf brigades managed to get thenselves dam near wided out in fairly short order due the plain bad leadership and a lack of support and bad planning a training.

There were to many landing and badly planned assult especially the port attacks and para drops.