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73 - 1st Battle of Bullecourt - The Australian Infantry's most brilliant achievement

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

Release Date: 09/30/2021

105 - Ralph Honner, the 39th Battalion and Kokoda show art 105 - Ralph Honner, the 39th Battalion and Kokoda

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is Part 10 of our series looking at the , looking at the combat performance of the 39th Battalion. The 39th Battalion was one of Australia's best Battalions.  Formed in Victoria, it's story is similar to that of the 53rd Battalion- but with some key differences.  We look at those differences with Dr David Cameron, an expert on the Battles of the Kokoda campaign. Have a listed Dr David Cameron, an expert on the Kookoda Campaign as he discusses the history and performance of the 39th Battalion.  Check out the  for the podcast for all of the information that we cover in...

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104 - The 39th Battalion on the Kokoda Track show art 104 - The 39th Battalion on the Kokoda Track

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is Part 9 of our series looking at the , looking at the combat performance of the 39th Battalion. This episode discusses the formation of the 39th Battalion, it's preparation for combat and how it performed on the Kokoda Trail.  The 39th Battalion is one of the Australian Army's most famous Battalion, a militia battalion that bore the brunt of the Japanese attacks down the Kokoda track.  What enabled it to fight so well? Have a listed Dr David Cameron, an expert on the Kookoda Campaign as he discusses the history and performance of the 39th Battalion.  Check out the...

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103 - Principles of Training for War show art 103 - Principles of Training for War

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is Part 8 of our series looking at the , Battle of Isurava, the 53rd Battalion, how they fought and how they were prepared to fight. This episode looks at the Principles of Training and how they were(n't) applied by New Guinea Force.  We compare it with the preparation of the 6th Division in preparation for it's first battle at Bardia.  Bardia illustrates what right looks like for preparing troops for combat. Check out the  for the podcast for all of the information that we cover in this episode as well as the images and other details that didn't make it into the podcast.

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102 - Training a Battalion for War show art 102 - Training a Battalion for War

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is Part 7 of our series looking at the Battle of Isurava, the 53rd Battalion, how they fought and how they were prepared to fight. This episode looks at the arrival of both the 39th and 53rd Battalions to Port Moresby, the conditions that they encountered and how that impacted their preparation for combat. What was a day in the life of the soldiers like? How well were the soldiers trained?  What were their weapon handling skills like? How well prepared were they for combat in the Jungle? Check out the  for the podcast for all of the information that we cover in this episode as...

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100 - The fall of Isurava show art 100 - The fall of Isurava

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is the fifth episode in our Kokoda Track series looking at the performance of the 53rd Battalion. The 53rd, a militia Battalion, had some incredibly brave men. Virtually untrained, poorly equipped, with inexperienced leaders, they fought a battle-hardened enemy in some of the worst terrain in the world. This episode looks at the fall of Isurava. Japanese troops in increasing numbers, with increasing persistence and increasing ferocity forced Australian troops to withdraw. Australian efforts to retake Kokoda will need to wait for another day. Check out the show notes for the podcast for...

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101 - Mobilisation Mistakes with the Mice of Moresby show art 101 - Mobilisation Mistakes with the Mice of Moresby

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is the sixth episode in our series looking at the performance of the 53rd Battalion.  The 53rd, a militia Battalion, had some incredibly brave men.  Virtually untrained, poorly equipped and with inexperienced leaders, they fought a battle-hardened enemy in some of the worst terrain in the world.  This episode looks at the mistakes in mobilisation that we made that sowed the seeds for the performance of the Battalion on the Kokoda Track at the Battle of Isurava. What are the similiarities between the formation of the 53rd Battalion and the mobilisation of Russian Reserves...

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99 - The Death of a CO show art 99 - The Death of a CO

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is the fourth episode in our series looking at the performance of the 53rd Battalion.  The 53rd, a militia Battalion, had some incredibly brave men.  Virtually untrained, poorly equipped, with inexperienced leaders, they fought a battle hardened enemy in some of the worst terrain in the world.  This episode looks at the events on the 27th of August, 1942.  We discuss how the CO, LT COL Kenneth Ward was killed and the impact it had on the 53rd Battalion and Maroubra Force as they fought desperately to defend Isurava. Check out the  for the podcast for all of the...

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98 - Creating the doctrinal and cultural changes for effective Mission Command with Jim Storr show art 98 - Creating the doctrinal and cultural changes for effective Mission Command with Jim Storr

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

 This is part 2 of our interview with Dr Jim Storr, the author of Something Rotten: Land Command in the 21st Century. We discuss the correct size for a Headquarters. We discuss the selection and training of officers within the Wehrmacht. How do we affect cultural and doctrinal change within Armies to support the effective use of Mission Command? Jim Storr was an infantry officer in the British Army for 25 years.  He served in the British Army of the Rhine for five years in the 1980s.  A graduate of the Army Staff College, Camberley, he also worked in the Ministry of Defence, the...

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97 - Time and the importance of timeliness in orders with Jim Storr show art 97 - Time and the importance of timeliness in orders with Jim Storr

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

  This episode is with Dr Jim Storr, the author of Something Rotten. Preparing a set of orders is a core function of a Headquarters.  Why have today's procedures changed from the what was done in WW2, what have we learnt and are modern HQs fit for purpose? We discuss the form and functioning of Headquarters, looking at people, processes, products and purpose, comparing WW2 doctrine with what is happening today. Jim Storr was an infantry officer in the British Army for 25 years.  He served in the British Army of the Rhine for five years in the 1980s.  A graduate of the Army...

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96 - The 53rd Battalion at Isurava during the Kokoda Campaign show art 96 - The 53rd Battalion at Isurava during the Kokoda Campaign

The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics and Leadership.

This is the third  episode in our series looking at the performance of the 53rd Battalion.  The 53rd, a militia Battalion, had some incredibly brave men.  Virtually untrained, poorly equipped, with inexperienced leaders, they fought a battle hardened enemy in some of the worst terrain in the world.  This episode continues to story of the 53rd Battalion as they start patrolling the jungle around Isurava. Check out the  for the podcast for all of the information that we cover in this episode as well as the images and other details that didn't make it into the podcast.

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More Episodes

This Episode looks at the lessons for the employment of Artillery at the 1st Battle of Bullecourt.  CEW Bean, the author of the official History wrote that Australian troops braved the odds in numerous battles, but that Bullecourt was the most

brilliant of these achievements, impressing both enemy and friends alike.

This Bullecourt miniseries is part of our 150th Anniversary of the Royal Australian Artillery series.

We look at the strategic picture in 1917, with Germany realising that time is on the side of the Allies. The commencement of unrestricted warfare is an attempt to deny Great Britain the resources required to remain in the war, setting the conditions for the war to be won, before the United States mobilisation makes victory impossible.

The last of the ANZAC Divisions arrived on the Western Front in November 1916 - this was Monash's 3rd Australian Infantry Division.  On the 23rd of February, German troops started thinning out the line and Operation Alberich, the withdrawal to the Siegfried Line.

Operation AlberichThe Germans termed the withdrawal Operation Alberich, after Alberich the dwarf who fashions a ring out of Rhine Gold. The ring he forges grants the power to rule the world. The Siegfried Line was named after a legendary hero of Germanic legend who slew a dragon and was later was later murdered. He may have been based on Arminius of the Tuetoburg Forest. These legends were featured in Wagner's Ring Cycle, an epic Opera over 4 nights with the last night entitled Gotterdammerung, The Twilight of the Gods.

Trench foot Australian Army Western Front 1916 DecemberThe winter of 1916-17 was the worst in the last 40 years and the conditions took a terrible toll on the soldiers in the front lines. Here Australian Army Medical Corps members evacuate cold casualties.

In December 1916, Joffre was replaced with General Robert Nivelle. Originally Lloyd George wanted to place Haig under Nivelle, which would have simplified command arrangements, but Haig would not countenance the idea. Haig was keen to create his own breakthrough if possible, but this would be difficult with the main effort, the Nivelle Offensive, receiving the majority of the guns and ammunition.

The nivelle OffensiveSupporting the French Nivelle Offensive was the reason for the Arras Offensive. The British would draw German troops into the Arras area, and potentially trigger the German committal of their Reserve, setting the conditions for the French breakthrough further North.

Gough - The ThrusterGough, was termed the Thruster. Commander of Fifth Army. A cavalry Officer, he exhibited the best and worst tendencies of cavalry officers.

Bullcourt, in the Queant area was to support Allenby's Third Army's attack at Arras. Allenby's attack was also supported at Vimy by the Canadian Corps under LT GEN Byng. This will be the subject of another podcast partially to celebrate 150 years of Canadian Artillery - UBIQUE!, and partially to compare and contrast with Bullecourt. The Battle at Bullecourt literally became the textbook example of how not to conduct a battle - it was taught in British Staff Colleges of the dangers of poor planning. Vimy Ridge is almost the perfect juxtaposition - Byng vs Gough, detailed planning vs big hands small map, artillery vs no artillery, CBSO vs little effective counter battery effects, ammunition allocation (50,000 tons were fired in pre H-Hour fires), vs an inadequate allocation, enough guns vs clearly insufficient numbers of batteries, and coordination and cooperation across corps vs little coordination. The Vimy Ridge battle was an exemplar of how to attack a strongly defended objective in the First World War and many of the techniques developed at Vimy would be used by Monash in 1918 in his first Battle as Corps Commander in the Battle of Hamel.

The Arras Offensive MapThe Bullecourt Battle was a support effort to Allenby's Third Army Arras Offensive.

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