Rumsfeld where are my Legions

[tabs]

In 9 AD 3 Roman Legions known as the Army of the Rhine crossed the Rhine river into the Teoutenberg Forest under Quintas Varus...to suppress a supposed rebellion among the Germanic tribes....Where upon the German Tribes under Armius killed almost to the man the entire 3 Legions including Varus who commited suicide....After the diaster befalling his 3 Legions Augustas Caesar would wander about his palace in Rome muttering..."Varus I want my Eagles back" The Eagle being the standard representing a Roman legion.

I am just wondering if a popular uprising involving millions of Iraqies simtaniously could take down an American Army in the Field...Overwhelming it as it were...After all our Army in Iraq of 135,000 is spread out over a country the size of California with a population of 25 million people...

[concentric]

Originally posted by tabs

I am just wondering if a popular uprising involving millions of Iraqies simtaniously could take down an American Army in the Field...Overwhelming it as it were...After all our Army in Iraq of 135,000 is spread out over a country the size of California with a population of 25 million people...

Yup, for sure. Remember that they have a whole country full of ammo, we just have a minimal supply.

The hingeing point would be if we have enough airpower and defensible positions to keep the entire country at bay until reinforcements arrive. My guess is no way. This is "war on the cheap" remember?

[ed martin]

It was Armenius who was well aquainted with Varus and I believe had the trust of Varnus, who led Varnus and the Legions into an ambush. From that standpoint it was a setup or an inside job. Very sneaky. The Legions who were ill trained and caught, in what is now known as the Black Forest, completely by surprise as they were attacked at once by the Germans who lay in wait behind the trees and the berms that they constructed for the task.

I wouldn't suppose this scenario could be repeated unless we had our entire army in one location with their guard down and caught completely by surprise by the enemy. Suffice it to say that military leaders study history and learn from classic mistakes like this, and as technology changes so do the tactics and new mistakes are made or new avenues are exploited. The one thing that would come to mind in modern day history that would have a parallel, that I can think of, would be the Tet offensive in Vietnam. The one large common denominator in any example would be that of the element of surprise.

[MikeCT]

This is off track but have any of you played Rome: Total War? The game is awesome.

[SLO-BOB]

This is a test...............

[creaturecat]

France my ass - why don't you quit blaming the French? BTW a lot of Iraqi weaponry came by way of the USA - remember??

[tabs]

Originally posted by tabs
.to suppress a supposed rebellion among the Germanic tribes...

I was reflecting that it was a trick with my use of the word "supposed"....which means not real...

However during Tet in 1968 the USA had about 500,000 men in a country the size of....Maybe Dien Bien Phu in 1954 might reflect our current status...

The question is..would we have enough logistical transport to supply the troops, and would we have enough airpower to suppress the enemy..to buy enough time to regroup and/or run like he11..

[tabs]

Syria would be supplying the Sunnis and Iran the Shia....Who their supplier is anybodys guess...Russia, China, Pakistan, France, Germany....or maybe there is so much stuff just still lying around...

[SLO-BOB]

This is a test...............

[ed martin]

Diem Bien Phu? Hey come on now, didn't you get the message? Leave the French out of this! Quit picking on the French! Whaaaaa! That was a decisive defeat for the French effectively ending their influence in Indonesia and splitting Vietnam into North and South. It represented a huge stratigic error where, in what was supposed to be a offensive campaign, the tables were turned and the French were soundly defeated.

In that campaign the French situated themselves in a ten mile long valley so as to cut off the enemy supply line. They weren't concerned with the surrounding hills as they were deemed too rugged for the enemy to even establish a position. I guess the French were very surprised when not only did the enemy take position in the hills, but dragged artillery up there with them.

The elements of this historic rout were 1) A very large part of the French force was concentrated into one very geographically small area, analogous to putting all your eggs in one basket. 2) Placing the force into an extremely vulnerable position, analogous to shooting at fish in a barrel and 3) grossly underestimating the resourcefulness and determination of the enemy, and of course let us not forget a most important factor 5) the fact that we are talking about the French military after all!

[tabs]

Maybe the anhilation of a British Army in Afganistan in 1847 would be more appropriate.....