Canadian Military News

[InglewoodFan]

I guess it is reassuring that it wasn't for national security concerns, but it is still has to be considered a big issue that the Canadian military second in command was suspended for unknown reasons.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle33732963/

[CaptainCrunch]

I could be a bunch of things, sex, substance abuse, gross incompetence.

The concerning bit is how heavily involved he is in the "New Navy" project.

[undercoverbrother]

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/26...injured-cadets

About 54,000 Canadian youth between the ages of 12 and 18 are enrolled in the land, sea and air cadets. The program has a budget of about $250 million and relies on serving personnel, reservists and instructors drawn from local communities who receive special commissions as military officers.

Military officials say the program is designed to teach youth how to become good citizens. It is also seen as an important way to familiarize young people with the Canadian Forces.

I have never agreed with the concept of Cadets.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm kind of shocked that its kind of around, I guess the only time I see them its on the events leading up to Remembrance Day.

I guess the idea of joining up as a teen for something like Air Cadets or Sea Cadets would actually be pretty cool. Army Cadets, I remember them lugging around wooden rifles and going camping.

[automaton 3]

I was an air cadet as a kid. Got to fly a glider and went along for rides in Twin Otters. Raised a flag for a medal ceremony at the 88 Olympics. Attended summer camp with them and performed endless drill. "By the right, quick march!"

Good times

[speede5]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/26...injured-cadets



I have never agreed with the concept of Cadets.

How so? These are great programs for kids.

[peter12]

Not sure where to put these, but I think this qualifies as "news."

So historically, the Canadian Army has gotten a bad rap for its performance in the Second World War - particularly in North-Western Europe, which is strange given the disproportionate contribution of Canada - which at the time had a population of only around 10 million people.

Robert Engen, a McGill PhD, has recently contributed excellent new research demonstrating that the Canadians' poor reputation was mainly the result of dismissive American and British senior officers, who really viewed the Canadians as a colonial army, even into the 1940s.

Engen demonstrates that the Canadian Army was highly effective, particularly in the early days on the Normandy Invasion where "bite and hold" tactics inflicted significant casualties on the German Panzer counterattacks, which enabled the Americans to break-through, ending the Battle of Normandy.

Check out both titles. Great history.

Canadians Under Fire

Strangers in Arms

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't know if I've ever heard a consistent bad rap for its performance in WW2.

I would think that where the disconnect comes was in terms of our leadership, we didn't have leadership that captured the imagination of the world like Monty (Over rated), Patton and others who were a cult of personality themselves.

The German's for the most part had a lot of respect for Canadian Soldiers,.

The more radical units like the SS had a hatred of Canadians as well.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I don't know if I've ever heard a consistent bad rap for its performance in WW2.

I would think that where the disconnect comes was in terms of our leadership, we didn't have leadership that captured the imagination of the world like Monty (Over rated), Patton and others who were a cult of personality themselves.

The German's for the most part had a lot of respect for Canadian Soldiers,.

The more radical units like the SS had a hatred of Canadians as well.

I think Engen is motivated by the narrative that emerged after the war. Canadians were blamed for not closing the Falaise Gap fast enough or some of the Anglo-Canadian breakout attempts that ended in failure.

He demonstrates that that was never really the operational objective of the Second Canadian Corps or First Canadian Army.

Also, uses officer questionnaires to take a stab at deflating the Marshall thesis that only 15-20% of infanteers in WW2 fired their weapons in combat.

[afc wimbledon]

Growing up in the UK I never heard anything but good things about Canadian forces during WW2.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by peter12

I think Engen is motivated by the narrative that emerged after the war. Canadians were blamed for not closing the Falaise Gap fast enough or some of the Anglo-Canadian breakout attempts that ended in failure.

He demonstrates that that was never really the operational objective of the Second Canadian Corps or First Canadian Army.

Also, uses officer questionnaires to take a stab at deflating the Marshall thesis that only 15-20% of infanteers in WW2 fired their weapons in combat.

Fair enough.

I think that a couple of things kind of stand out to me.

First of all, when the Canadians' arrived in Britain they were viewed as poorly trained and embarrassingly equip and poorly lead. They were also viewed as basically rude boisterous barbarians.

the other problem to me is that they were viewed almost as British units, so people expected them to act like British units.

Also I go back to the fact that we had really inexperienced leadership, and we never took the going forward position that we should have with allied commanders.

I think it was poor utilization by our allies that caused the problems.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Fair enough.

I think that a couple of things kind of stand out to me.

First of all, when the Canadians' arrived in Britain they were viewed as poorly trained and embarrassingly equip and poorly lead. They were also viewed as basically rude boisterous barbarians.

the other problem to me is that they were viewed almost as British units, so people expected them to act like British units.

Also I go back to the fact that we had really inexperienced leadership, and we never took the going forward position that we should have with allied commanders.

I think it was poor utilization by our allies that caused the problems.

Monty loved the First Canadian Corps in Sicily and Italy. In fact, that was probably where we did our best fighting of the war.

The integrity of combat infantry unit was constantly being compromised. The Calgary Highlanders had a replacement rate of 200% in Northwestern Europe!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Fair enough.

I think that a couple of things kind of stand out to me.

First of all, when the Canadians' arrived in Britain they were viewed as poorly trained and embarrassingly equip and poorly lead. They were also viewed as basically rude boisterous barbarians.

the other problem to me is that they were viewed almost as British units, so people expected them to act like British units.

Also I go back to the fact that we had really inexperienced leadership, and we never took the going forward position that we should have with allied commanders.

I think it was poor utilization by our allies that caused the problems.

Also, the post-war myth perpetuated by senior German officers about the tragic fall of the invincible Wehrmacht.

[CaptainCrunch]

I was never all that enamored with Monty to be honest.

I always through looking at his war history that he was way to finicky, risk adverse cautious and too much of a career opportunist.

Not saying that he didn't have a lot of success, he had a very good war, He just wasn't that much of a hard charger.

I think if he would have faced a properly supplied Rommel in the desert that we would have a very different history and great Britain would have been struck an enormous blow.

Fuel is life, and Rommel lost his ability to properly fight and maneuver because of a 70% shortfall of supplies.

[CaptainCrunch]

one of my favorite quotes.

Erwin Rommel - "Give me American supply lines, British planes, German officers and Canadian troops, and I can take over the world.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by speede5

How so? These are great programs for kids.

I don't believe that a military environment is the best place for kids 12 year old (program runs from 12-18).

[undercoverbrother]

Another step on the road to Africa:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle33910719/

The Canadian military is poised to become the first in the world to issue guidelines for dealing with child soldiers, which could be put to the test immediately in Africa.

The guidelines are intended to ensure Canadian troops are properly trained — and emotionally prepared — for situations involving child soldiers, no matter the mission or location.

Defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance ordered the rules drafted last March after a discussion with retired senator Romeo Dallaire, who has championed the fight against using children in conflict.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by peter12

The integrity of combat infantry unit was constantly being compromised. The Calgary Highlanders had a replacement rate of 200% in Northwestern Europe!

Everyone knows that anyone associated with the Highlanders are Hard As ####, with a LCF off the charts.

[CaptainCrunch]

I hope Canadians are prepared for the butchers bill that's going to have to be paid here. My gut tells me that this will make Afghanistan look like a walk in the park.

If the expectation is that sending in peace keepers wearing blue berets is going to accomplish anything they're fooling themselves.

I want us to avoid peacekeeping in Africa to be honestly, we're ill-equipt and ill prepared for it both militarily, government wise and civilian population wise. I don't think this is a peace keeping mission, its a anti-terrorism mission, and unless we're given a proper Rules of Engagement that's fairly specific and a mandate to go in and actually do something, its going to be useless.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I don't believe that a military environment is the best place for kids 12 year old (program runs from 12-18).

I guess. Cadets is pretty tame, 12 is pretty young but theres a lot worse things they could be doing out there.