Andreas wrote:I'm with Qvist and Jon - you can analyse command performance even if you are not a soldier. I can also criticise flawed cooking even though I am not a chef myself.
You may know good cooking from bad, but unless you can debone a whole chicken in about 15 seconds(which is impressive if you have ever seen it done) I don't think you can truely understand what being a "chef" is all about.
BTW Christopher, I have not noted any reluctance on your part to do so either, and IIRC you have never commanded a regiment yourself. So I am a bit surprised to see you agreeing with this peculiar point of view.
All the best
Andreas
I don't think you know what my view is at all. All I was trying the to say is the opinion of Rommel's comtempories has more weight than the opinions of others, as some of his comtempories' opionions were founded on having a working knowledge of the trade. I don't think Alkan made a clear point either. However it seems it is quite possible some misunderstanding occured by him conveying his view in ENGLISH perhaps , I think I know what he was trying to mean in his post or at least where he was going with it. You all just ganged up on him, with little cause.
Besides the original line of his thinking was based on a line that can be read several ways not necessarily about "priorities" either
" Had a proportion of the troops and equipment used against the Russians been sent to Africa , and particularly armoured divisons, it is reasonable to presume that the Germans would have gained Egypt, the Suez Canal and possibly established a stronghold in the Middle East..."
Oh well, Chalk it up to cultural and lingual variance and the subtleties of the English, but Monty's quote may well have been an underhanded compliment to his most famous adversary and his best benefactor, "priorities" be damned.
Tranlated from "subtle" English to American, Monty might have meant,
"If Rommel had had more stuff , he would have kicked my ass".
Depends how a layman slices that cake, IYKWIM.
Chris
I'll leave this topic again, it was a silly topic to begin with anyway.