What happened in this episode?
Jocko Willink and Echo Charles read extensively from what Willink describes as an unclassified “lessons learned” memorandum from US Army II Corps, dated 16 June 1944 and marked “in the field”. The episode centres on tactical observations from the Italian campaign: take towns from flank and rear rather than frontal assaults; bombardment can waste time and ammunition; armoured and infantry elements should manoeuvre rapidly around small anti-tank or machine-gun hold-ups; and commanders should not wait for orders when communications are disrupted, with the memo stating “Inactivity is inexcusable.”
The discussion emphasises “shock action” and the need to follow fires immediately with aggressive infantry movement, even at risk of friendly casualties from own artillery. It also highlights practical fieldcraft and control measures: avoid complexity in night attacks, with one passage warning that “double envelopments” can lead to friendly forces shooting each other; maintain strict observation-post discipline; and a cited anecdote claims white towels hung at a command post drew enemy artillery that killed three.
Willink and Charles add occasional contemporary parallels from training and deployments. Charles recalls a friendly-fire incident involving .50 calibre rounds striking a building at close range. Willink describes a mortar strike at Camp Mark Lee that perforated a water tank inside his compound, saying it could have caused mass casualties if it had hit tents.
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