Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle CommandS.L.A. "Slam" Marshall was a veteran of World War I and a combat historian during World War II. He startled the military and civilian world in 1947 by announcing that, in an average infantry company, no more than one in four soldiers actually fired their weapons while in contact with the enemy. His contention was based on interviews he conducted immediately after combat in both the European and Pacific theaters of World War II. To remedy the gunfire imbalance he proposed changes to infantry training designed to ensure that American soldiers in future wars brought more fire upon the enemy. His studies during the Korean War showed that the ratio of fire and more than doubled since World War II. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Authors Note | 9 |
Chapter 1 The Illusion of Power | 15 |
Chapter 2 On Future War | 27 |
Chapter 3 Man on the Battlefield | 36 |
Chapter 4 Combat Isolation | 44 |
Chapter 5 Ratio of Fire | 50 |
Chapter 6 Fire as the Cure | 64 |
Chapter 8 The Riddle of Command | 100 |
Chapter 9 Tactical Cohesion | 123 |
Chapter 10 Why Men Fight | 138 |
Chapter 11 The Aggressive Will | 157 |
Chapter 12 Men Under Fire | 179 |
Chapter 13 Footnote to History | 203 |
Notes to the Introduction | 212 |
| 214 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action advance American Ardennes Army artillery attack Bastogne battalion battle battlefield become believe body combat comes company commander confidence danger decisive defeat defense discipline duty effect efficiency elements enemy fire engage the enemy experience fact fail failure fear feel field fighting firers flank forces forward front George MacDonald Fraser given ground Hans von Seeckt happens higher command human nature idea individual initiative J. F. C. Fuller junior leaders killed knowledge Kwajalein Lieutenant majority mander maneuver Marshall's means ment military minor tactics move movement never object officer Omaha Beach once operations physical platoon position pressure principle problem ranks rear regiment remain rifle rifleman S. L. A. Marshall simply small unit society squad success superior targets things tion total war troops true United States Army victory warfare weapons words World War II