Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:53 pm
Well, the 2nd TAF would have shown the IX TAC how to blow up panzers!
Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:07 pm
Hi Folks:
The battle of the Bulge would have happened earlier, because Patton's force would've arrived earlier. Patton would've had more land in Germany, hence less area controlled by the Soviets. Hence, the war would ended earlier, but w/ more dead and injured American soldiers. This due to the fact that more American Forces are used rather than Soviets.
I'd argue that if it ended earlier, there would've been less aerial bombardment, and thus greater nazi concentrations of power. Hence even more American casulties in addition to the above reason.
The battle of the Bulge would have happened earlier, because Patton's force would've arrived earlier. Patton would've had more land in Germany, hence less area controlled by the Soviets. Hence, the war would ended earlier, but w/ more dead and injured American soldiers. This due to the fact that more American Forces are used rather than Soviets.
I'd argue that if it ended earlier, there would've been less aerial bombardment, and thus greater nazi concentrations of power. Hence even more American casulties in addition to the above reason.
Tue Feb 15, 2005 12:14 pm
okay, so he kept "riding to the sound of the guns", this would have put patton either into or to the assembly area for the battle of the bulge before a lot of the materiel had been gathered. might not have stopped the battle from happening but certainly wouldn't have been anywhere near as big a bulge.
With the continuation of the fighter bomber support that same battle I described above wouldn't have been so much of a worry either simply because they would have had the weather on their side as well so even less of a bulge and more than likely not much more than a slowing of the advance and a huge bloodbath for the germans who would have had no choice but to come out into the open and fight under the allied aircraft umbrella instead of under weather.
another thing to consider is the fact that, unless my memory serves me wrong, the battle of the bulge actually started with the last full scale air attacks on crowded allied airfields by the germans using almost everything they could get into the air. without the time to organise and prepare for that as well then there would have been full air support instead of a slightly weakened air force to support the ground troops during this battle, even more of a turkey shoot for the fighter bombers.
very likely that would have broken the back of the german resistance and patton might well have managed to turn the retreat into a route and arrived in berlin before the russians and ended the war sooner, even if by forcing hitler into a surrender based on the fact he would have rather had the americans controlling the country than the russians ( always assuming of course that he was not as completely crazy as some people say he was towards the end ).
With the continuation of the fighter bomber support that same battle I described above wouldn't have been so much of a worry either simply because they would have had the weather on their side as well so even less of a bulge and more than likely not much more than a slowing of the advance and a huge bloodbath for the germans who would have had no choice but to come out into the open and fight under the allied aircraft umbrella instead of under weather.
another thing to consider is the fact that, unless my memory serves me wrong, the battle of the bulge actually started with the last full scale air attacks on crowded allied airfields by the germans using almost everything they could get into the air. without the time to organise and prepare for that as well then there would have been full air support instead of a slightly weakened air force to support the ground troops during this battle, even more of a turkey shoot for the fighter bombers.
very likely that would have broken the back of the german resistance and patton might well have managed to turn the retreat into a route and arrived in berlin before the russians and ended the war sooner, even if by forcing hitler into a surrender based on the fact he would have rather had the americans controlling the country than the russians ( always assuming of course that he was not as completely crazy as some people say he was towards the end ).