17 Aug 2024 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

[eb in oregon]

When well trained, fed, paid, and led the South Vietnamese did a good job. There are no bad soldiers not made that way by poor leadership and support. With the exception of the occasional loser that is more a detriment than an asset.

[Ovidio]

When well trained, fed, paid, and led the South Vietnamese did a good job. There are no bad soldiers not made that way by poor leadership and support. With the exception of the occasional loser that is more a detriment than an asset.

Agree! We have proof of that in Italy. In both WWs, when our soldiers were well lead by officers directly involved in the operations, they always did their dirty job well, if not very well. Otherwise…

[Daan Kemp]

The Italians were vicious fighters when it mattered, and respected, as South African army found on occasion in Ethiopia. Unfortunately sependent on outdated, outworn and insufficient equipment, but usually well lead.

[RCS]

Just might be a IHC rifle too, best gift to a third world army. Should also include South America and middle east

[Bob Seijas]

Robert is right about IHC M1s, there is plenty of evidence that SA rifles were saved for US units, IHCs were given to countries not expected to be front line allies. Back in the 1980s when IHCs were so scarce, collectors always wondered where they all had gone. The police sales from Honduras and other Latin American countries showed they went there.

[Ovidio]

The Italians were vicious fighters when it mattered, and respected, as South African army found on occasion in Ethiopia. Unfortunately sependent on outdated, outworn and insufficient equipment, but usually well lead.

Keren…

[eb in oregon]

Keren…

???????

[Ovidio]

???????

The siege of Keren, February to March 1941, was a brutal battle in Eritrea between the Italian and Commonwealth troops.
From February 2nd to March 27th. As usual, the Italian troops fought gallantly, but the higher commands did not understand the importance of the site and did send reinforcements piecemeal, never en masse. At the end, without air cover and running out of food, water and ammunition, ours had to surrender or retreat elsewhere. I have a great book about that battle. I probably read it as a very early teenager for the first time.

[eb in oregon]

Yes, it was a bitter battle.

Battle of Keren - Wikipedia