The battle of the Atlantic -

[wolfie]

Wolfie you must admit it makes a change from you and I 'having a go' so to say, you have been very quiet just lately, I trust you are well. I think you've got me weighed up though.

I can't get worked up about this thread alg,

[Lt Kije]

Algy I have sad WW2 is an intrest of mine. The Free French played an important part in WW2, I stated they had a part in the Atlantic War, which they did, that is all, as to your name calling, devious and slithering your latest, I am growing tired, is there a need for it?

 

Don't get me wrong algy I can take it, I just expected a bit more from you, perhaps I expected to much, and remember you reap what you sow. Is about the 4th time now.

[Lt Kije]

Asp, having ago and failing again, you never learn, you tried to quote Baz and left half of it out, no problem with you joining in on the thread, if you have something to say, but so far you have nothing. I thought you had got past being a prat, you were making great progress, its probably 2 steps forward, and 1 step back, well lets hope so

[algy]

Lt if you continue hijacking threads I'm sure there wil be a 5th, 6th and 7th time and so on, anyway i shall endeavour to keep away from direct replies to any of your comments in future and refrain from answering any comments that you make regarding mine, happy now!.

[Lt Kije]

Where do get hijacking the thread, I replied to one of Baz's posts. ,!!! I thought that's what you do on a thread.

[asperity]

Lt Kije, you took a comment Baz made, obviously tongue in cheek, and tried to make a big deal out of it hence my comment. Humourless prat.

[Lt Kije]

No asperity you were just being pedantic, a regression on your part.

[algy]

Lt Kije, you took a comment Baz made, obviously tongue in cheek, and tried to make a big deal out of it hence my comment. Humourless prat.

Asp, it looks as if we are beig tarred with same brush!

[asperity]

I've never denied being pedantic Lt Kije. You take yourself too seriously.

[Lt Kije]

So where did I hijack the thread algy,?, I think being pedantic is taking yourself to seriously Asp

 

So we can agree that the French took part in the Battle of the Atlantic then algy, which after all your huffing and puffing is true is it not?

[asperity]

I presume you mean "too seriously".

[Lt Kije]

You prove my point for me Asp

[observer]

It would be more accurate to say that "the Free French" took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, the "Vichy French" didn't !

[asperity]

You prove my point for me Asp

 

I'm surprised you noticed!

[algy]

It would be more accurate to say that "the Free French" took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, the "Vichy French" didn't !

They were too busy licking jackboots!.

[Lt Kije]

I'm surprised you noticed!

And again

 

Nice try algy

[Bazj]

OK, we will say that a few "Free French" (Which they weren't really until after Britain and the Yanks kicked out the Germans because they were an invaded country for almost all of the war) took part with three boats, two canoes and a man with a snorkel mask called Pierre.... the rest of them were bowing and scraping to Jerry back home in La France as that is what suited them at the time!

[Lt Kije]

You forget Baz, Britain was defeated in France as well, Britain and France moved their troops into Belgium, where they thought the attack would come from, Both got it wrong and were defeated, The difference for the UK was the English Channel, That was all that stopped the Germans at the time. No European army could stand up to the Germans at the time, and the only one that did was the Russians later. And when we came back from France we left all our Tanks and artillery over their.

[Bazj]

You forget Baz, Britain was defeated in France as well, Britain and France moved their troops into Belgium, where they thought the attack would come from, Both got it wrong and were defeated, The difference for the UK was the English Channel, That was all that stopped the Germans at the time. No European army could stand up to the Germans at the time, and the only one that did was the Russians later. And when we came back from France we left all our Tanks and artillery over their.

couple of points....

 

1.

Dunkirk was what is called a tactical retreat..... it is done when, at the time, you stand no chance of winning so you gracefully retire and live to fight another day. We did the same in North Africa later in the war when Rommel had a few wins at a few battles only to get his ass whupped in the final one....

 

2.

"No European army could stand up to the Germans at the time"

 

"The difference for the UK was the English Channel, That was all that stopped the Germans at the time"

 

Do you really think that the Channel would have stopped the greatest army on the planet at that time? 12 miles of water?.... you are kidding yourself again as usual and dumbing down the greatness of the British again like you always do......

 

you belittle the fantastic achievements of our inventors and industrial might("Oh we exploited the Empire countries for that") our world class Navy at the time ("Oh yes, but the French were in the Battle of the Atlantic too"....)

 

You really are a treacherous and traitorous dog Kije and you do not deserve to live in this country.... you should be in France or Italy with all the other apologists and surrender monkeys

[observer]

Kije; they moved into Belgium to protect allied Belgium with their best Divisions, leaving half their Army locked up in the Maginot Line or (their worst Divisions) covering the Ardennes sector. Unfortunately the French High Command were old men, with a WW1 mind set, they'd failed to read Guderian's and Basil Liddel-Hart's books on the use of "blitzkrieg" tactics, and were behind the curve at every stage. However, had they advanced immediately when the Germans invaded Poland; the German Western Front (with no armour) couldn't have held for more than two weeks (Gen Westfal).   Baz, 12 miles of channel and a well prepared air defence system, and superior Navy, made all the difference.

[algy]

Looks as if the allies are advancing on all fronts, perhaps a tactical retreat would be advisable.

[Lt Kije]

Obs, we the allies moved into Belgium, and the Germans came round the side, The Allies messed up, which cost the allies France, The battle of France was then a rout for the Allies, British as well as French, The only thing that stopped the Germans was the English Channel, or the UK would have gone the same way. We left all are heavy equipment in France when we left.

 

Baz

 

Blitzkrieg worked by bombing your opponents airfields and then over running them with ground troops before they got them operational again, hard to do when you have to cross the channel, Blitzcrieg was not designed to take Island nations, It needed speed to work.

[observer]

Kije, I know - read all the books, watched all the documentaries etc!  Blitzkrieg worked because it concentrated armour (tanks), supported by mechanised infantry, close air support (stukas) at the points of attack, (and the pre-emptive illimination of enemy air forces on the ground); which in this case was the (inpenetrable according to the Allies) Ardennes forest. The French had better tanks (although prone to mechanical faults), but they were dispersed in penny packets throughout the Front, when they did appear, they were lured onto the German 88 AT guns and decimated. The Panzers crossed the Meuse, then swung right towards the channel ports, trapping the Allied N/E Front, ultimately around Dunkirk. Fortunately, the Germans delayed their ground pursuit, allowing over 300,000 troops to escape to fight another day.

[Lt Kije]

Sorry Obs, my reply was aimed at Baz, who didn't, very good analysis, The German plan was very good an trapped The British and the French, We the British fell into the same trap the French did, and the British also used tanks as infantry support and could not counter the German massing of tanks in one point.

 

Can you do me a favour and tell Baz, he might be more inclined to listen if it comes from you, let him down gently though

[observer]

The escape from Dunkirk provided a respite and a bastion against the Nazis until 1941; until the Russians and Yanks got involved. And getting back to the original thread, that bastion had to be re-supplied by convoys of merchant ships, to keep it alive and provide the eventual spring board for D-Day. If only the same sense of mission could apply itself in advancing our economic interests in peacetime?