701:
580:
647:
the units were structured is also never described, with a seeming assumption that readers will be familiar with this obscure detail (apparently they were organised into troops, issued lots of sub-machine guns and some mortars but didn't have any medium machine guns). An appendix providing details on both issues would have been invaluable. Blake also doesn't strongly link the evolution of the units with that of the rest of the army - for instance, their transformation into highly effective units in 1943 was presumably part of the same process which produced the
226:
946:. Is that the consensus on his book among Australian strategists? I note that Michael Shoebridge does not accept White's central tenet that the US can no longer be trusted to stay engaged in Asia, but more widely? I have to say that an independent defence policy and sea denial make a lot of sense to me, although there are obvious errors in a couple of places such as with the size of the new patrol boats, and I wonder at the practicality of developing nuclear weapons and its effects on proliferation.
643:
operations the units undertook in detail, along with some fair-handed analysis of how they performed. Blake concludes that the units were at their most effective when they used guerrilla tactics, but even then their impact was often limited. He also covers what can only be described as war crimes committed by the units, which included routinely killing wounded
Japanese soldiers and extra-judicial killings of Papuans suspected of assisting the Japanese - both topics warrant further attention.
516:(CEFEO) relied on road transport. This was problematic from the start, as the road network was poor; but increasingly road convoys were ambushed, requiring escorts, with convoys having to fight their way through. In some cases, instead of bringing supplies to beleaguered garrisons, they had to draw upon the garrison's meagre stocks to fight their way home. Reliance shifted to air supply, but there were never enough aircraft for this.
415:
614:
609:
267:
262:
257:
252:
146:
604:
599:
594:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
247:
141:
136:
131:
126:
43:
846:
316:. In practice, much of the burden of the maritime defence falls on the Army, which serves as a multiplier for the difficulty of transporting an invasion force down under. White is in error in asserting that light forces would be best for this; on the contrary, a heavily armoured force will make the invader's task all the more difficult.
347:
As it stands, only one country has the capability of launching an invasion of
Australia: the United States. Nobody thinks that is likely, but White argues that China and India may develop such a capability in the future. Australia has valuable resources of food, minerals and oil, but most are also to
305:
This looks good on the map, but on the ground it's a whole different story. Australia has a land area of 7,682,300 square kilometres (2,966,200 sq mi) with 26,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) of coastline. That means that it no simple task to defend it with widely dispersed and short-legged aircraft, or a
359:
Thinking about the defence of
Australia highlights one important fact: it isn't what the Australian Defence Force has been doing since 1942. Rather, it has been deployed on a variety of missions in support of its neighbours, its allies, and its government's policies. The rise of China and India and
319:
Especially in the chapter on the Navy, White ignores the lessons of the past decades. To guard the waters around
Australia, patrol boats seemed a good idea, as they are less expensive than major warships, and can be deployed in numbers by a Navy severely restricted in manpower. It soon became clear
646:
However, I found other elements of the book to be frustrating. Most significantly, while the process with which the first three independent companies were raised is covered in detail, there's no coverage at all of how the other nine such units were raised - they simply appear in the narrative. How
180:
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book - small, secret operations like this were essential to the success of the Allies in the war - I did find a couple of areas to be a little disappointing. Firstly, the book lacked focus and often talked about unrelated events. The book only gets to the camp at
651:
and the adoption of more conservative tactics in 1944-45 seems in line with the Army's general focus on minimising casualties through the use of massive firepower whenever possible. I was also irritated by the random capitalisation of some words, and some odd grammar - the book reads more like a
642:
The book provides a very useful account of how the
Australian Army first raised independent companies in 1941 and how the missions of these units evolved over the war as they transitioned from guerrilla-style independent companies to elite light infantry commando squadrons. It also covers the
519:
In contrast, the Viet Minh's system of porters, often using bicycles that they would walk alongside, steering with sticks, proved far more flexible and adaptable to the terrain and conditions. This was a learning process, whereby techniques were gradually improved. In the end, the CEFEO's
351:
This also leads to the chapter that has attracted the most interest in the media, in which he puts the case for
Australia's acquisition of nuclear weapons, namely to resist nuclear blackmail from China and India. Unlike the NATO countries, Australia has never formally been under the US
297:
Most of what White has to say is fairly basic, the sort of thing that you can hear from the armchair strategists at the local pub or on the internet. Australia is an island-continent, and its neighbours are also island nations. This leads to consideration of a
181:
chapter 9 and two chapters are devoted to the escape and evasion of Neave, which, as much as it is interesting to hear, is not the purpose of the book. Secondly, the book sometimes became a bit confusing, jumping back and forth between locations and people.
496:
Shrader argues that while leadership, intelligence and individual valour have always been important, the decisive factor in modern wars has increasingly been logistics, the ability to deploy and maintain forces in the field. In this book on the
920:
655:
Overall, this is a useful work, especially for covering what the independent companies and commando squadrons did and achieved, but its shortcomings prevent it succeeding in its goal of providing a definitive history of these units.
70:
177:, the wing of the secret service tasked with overseeing the operation; the role of the Resistance; and the daily life in the camp, including the anticipation of the oncoming invasion and experiences of individual airmen.
74:
639:. In the thesis, Blake notes that there is no single account of the way in which the Australian Army used its elite units during World War II. The thesis, and this book, are an attempt to fill this important gap.
527:
This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the war or in military logistics in general. It has some good maps, which is fortunate, as few of the place names are likely to be familiar to most readers.
508:
developed an efficient and effective logistical system that was well-suited to the prevailing conditions while the modern and highly-mechanised French forces, despite the advantages of better technology, were not.
82:
874:
66:
25:
978:
504:
The environment in
Indochina was characterised by harsh climate, varied and rugged terrain, great distances and limited transportation infrastructure. Shrader relates how, ultimately, the
348:
be found in its neighbours, which were the real target of Japan back in 1941. An invasion of
Australia therefore looks like robbers driving past several banks to hit one across town.
162:
Particularly towards the end of World War II, the Allied forces were running low on well-trained pilots. For downed pilots to return from enemy soil was very rare, so, masterminded by
891:
462:
173:, France, would be used to house downed airmen until their relief after D-Day. The book details the struggles in the United Kingdom, particularly the struggles of
57:
42:
21:
733:
766:
700:
867:
51:
17:
501:, he relates how both sides often had to call off otherwise successful and promising campaigns when logistical difficulties became insurmountable.
721:
671:
543:
378:
196:
955:
584:
513:
302:, based on controlling the air and waters surrounding it. White talks about a strategy of denial using submarines, mines and aircraft.
787:
754:
291:
113:
819:
734:"Review of Clarke, Howard B.; Johnson, Ruth, eds., The Vikings in Ireland and Beyond: Before and After the Battle of Clontarf"
579:
466:
287:
520:
over-reliance on air supply, combined with an underestimation of the Viet Minh's capabilities, led to French defeat in the
344:. A similar dynamic is driving the submarine replacement, to the extent that nuclear power is being seriously considered.
799:
331:
225:
652:
final draft than a finished product and this is particularly irksome given that it is being sold for a high price.
338:
914:
636:
321:
166:, a top-secret plan was set up to conceal and save dozens of pilots who would otherwise end up in POW camps.
521:
367:
307:
283:
320:
that just getting on station (a journey of thousands of kilometres) occupied much of their time. Thus, the
951:
881:
635:
raised by the
Australian Army during World War II. It is heavily based on the author's recently awarded
418:
Vietnamese porters with bicycles. Each could carry up to 400 pounds (180 kg) of supplies in this manner,
230:
632:
234:
155:
169:
The solution to the problem was dreamt up by Neave in mid-1944 - a makeshift camp constructed in
947:
784:
751:
718:
668:
549:
540:
384:
375:
299:
193:
404:
A War of
Logistics: Parachutes and Porters in Indochina, 1945-1954 - by Charles R. Shrader
353:
648:
486:
863:
is the monthly newsletter of the English Knowledge (XXG)'s Military history WikiProject.
748:
Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War, The Berlin Wall, and the Most Dangerous Place On Earth
569:
Jungle Cavalry: Australian Independent Companies and Commandos 1941-1945 - Gregory Blake
414:
117:
972:
943:
498:
454:
276:
478:
116:
Airey Neave served in World War II and was one of only a few to have escaped from
622:
327:
170:
163:
705:
470:
387:
552:
505:
313:
360:
the decline of the United States may change this, but it probably won't.
767:"Checkpoint Charlie by Iain MacGregor review – Berlin's secrets and spies"
715:
The Vikings in Ireland and Beyond: Before and After the Battle of Clontarf
682:
665:
Jungle Cavalry: Australian Independent Companies and Commandos 1941-1945
561:
396:
207:
94:
112:
356:(our Knowledge (XXG) article says it is but White does not agree).
699:
578:
537:
A War of Logistics: Parachutes and Porters in Indochina, 1945-1954
413:
224:
190:
The Hidden Army - MI9's Secret Force and the Untold Story of D-Day
111:
781:
Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis
290:, and a former deputy secretary for strategy at the Australian
174:
942:
Having just read it, I found your take on White interesting,
844:
41:
469:. This book follows his previous works on logistics in the
294:. This book is a polemic on Australian defence strategy.
933:
926:
903:
931:. If your comment has not appeared here, you can try
539:. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky.
286:
is an emeritus professor of strategic studies at the
461:
Charles R. Shrader was an instructor at the US Army
102:
The Hidden Army - Matt Richards and Mark Langthorne
337:, which in turn were replaced by the still larger
667:. Warwick, United Kingdom: Helion & Company.
240:off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, on September 2018.
979:WikiProject Military history newsletter articles
820:"Battlefields: Recent Books in Military History"
800:"What Jim Mattis Really Thought of Donald Trump"
704:President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense
475:Communist Logistics in the Korean War, 1950-1953
374:. Carleton, Victoria: Latrobe University Press.
713:Clarke, Howard B.; Johnson, Ruth, eds. (2015).
591:
422:
8:
244:
123:
18:Knowledge (XXG):WikiProject Military history
188:Richards, Matt; Langthorne, Mark (2018).
633:independent companies and commando units
215:How to Defend Australia - by Hugh White
812:Multiple recent military history books
7:
818:Ricks, Thomas E. (7 November 2019).
798:Savage, Charlie (28 October 2019).
765:Ascherson, Neal (27 October 2019).
593:
514:French Far East Expeditionary Corps
424:
32:
913:These comments are automatically
463:Command and General Staff College
246:
125:
612:
607:
602:
597:
592:
443:
438:
433:
428:
423:
265:
260:
255:
250:
245:
144:
139:
134:
129:
124:
53:Your military history newsletter
928:add the page to your watchlist
288:Australian National University
1:
956:02:47, 13 November 2019 (UTC)
717:. Dublin: Four Courts Press.
836:
535:Charles R., Shrader (2015).
330:were replaced by the larger
783:. New York City: Sentinel.
732:Stam, Nike (October 2019).
59:Issue CLXIII, November 2019
995:
779:Snodgrass, Guy M. (2019).
859:First published in 2006,
585:2/2nd Independent Company
233:guided missile destroyer
746:MacGregor, Iain (2019).
483:The First Helicopter War
690:Recent external reviews
663:Blake, Gregory (2019).
522:Battle of Dien Bien Phu
372:How to Defend Australia
925:. To follow comments,
849:
709:
588:
419:
241:
120:
46:
848:
750:. London: Constable.
703:
583:Seven members of the
582:
417:
292:Department of Defence
231:Royal Australian Navy
228:
115:
45:
919:from this article's
738:H-War, H-Net Reviews
631:is a history of the
952:click to talk to me
893:Browse the Archives
660:Publishing details:
532:Publishing details:
364:Publishing details:
185:Publishing details:
908:Discuss this story
876:Visit the Newsroom
850:
824:The New York Times
804:The New York Times
710:
589:
420:
242:
121:
47:
967:
966:
963:
962:
935:purging the cache
869:About the project
723:978-1-84682-495-1
698:
697:
673:978-1-911628-82-8
577:
576:
545:978-0-8131-6575-2
491:The Withered Vine
412:
411:
380:978-1-74382-097-1
300:maritime strategy
223:
222:
198:978-1-78606-902-3
110:
109:
93:
92:
89:
88:
986:
938:
936:
929:
923:
917:
909:
906:
894:
887:
877:
870:
856:
847:
838:
837:
834:
833:
827:
807:
793:
774:
760:
741:
727:
683:
677:
649:jungle divisions
617:
616:
615:
611:
610:
606:
605:
601:
600:
596:
595:
562:
556:
467:Army War College
448:
447:
446:
442:
441:
437:
436:
432:
431:
427:
426:
397:
391:
354:nuclear umbrella
270:
269:
268:
264:
263:
259:
258:
254:
253:
249:
248:
208:
202:
149:
148:
147:
143:
142:
138:
137:
133:
132:
128:
127:
95:
60:
54:
38:
37:
34:
33:
994:
993:
989:
988:
987:
985:
984:
983:
969:
968:
959:
940:
934:
932:
927:
921:
915:
911:
910:
907:
904:+ Add a comment
902:
898:
897:
896:
892:
882:
875:
868:
857:
851:
845:
817:
797:
790:
778:
764:
757:
745:
731:
724:
712:
694:
674:
662:
613:
608:
603:
598:
573:
546:
534:
487:Greek Civil War
444:
439:
434:
429:
408:
381:
366:
266:
261:
256:
251:
219:
199:
187:
171:Fréteval Forest
145:
140:
135:
130:
106:
85:
62:
58:
52:
30:
29:
28:
12:
11:
5:
992:
990:
982:
981:
971:
970:
965:
964:
961:
960:
912:
901:
900:
899:
889:
879:
872:
865:
864:
858:
843:
842:
841:
831:
829:
828:
809:
808:
789:978-0593084373
788:
776:
775:
756:978-1472130587
755:
743:
742:
722:
696:
695:
693:
686:
680:
672:
629:Jungle Cavalry
626:
625:
575:
574:
572:
565:
559:
544:
459:
458:
410:
409:
407:
400:
394:
379:
281:
280:
221:
220:
218:
211:
205:
197:
192:. John Blake.
160:
159:
118:Colditz Castle
108:
107:
105:
98:
91:
90:
87:
86:
65:
64:
63:
50:
49:
48:
31:
15:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
991:
980:
977:
976:
974:
958:
957:
953:
949:
945:
937:
930:
924:
918:
905:
895:
888:
886:
883:Subscribe to
878:
871:
862:
855:
840:
839:
835:
832:
825:
821:
816:
815:
814:
813:
805:
801:
796:
795:
794:
791:
786:
782:
772:
768:
763:
762:
761:
758:
753:
749:
739:
735:
730:
729:
728:
725:
720:
716:
707:
702:
692:
691:
687:
685:
684:
681:
678:
675:
670:
666:
661:
657:
653:
650:
644:
640:
638:
634:
630:
624:
620:
619:
618:
586:
581:
571:
570:
566:
564:
563:
560:
557:
554:
551:
547:
542:
538:
533:
529:
525:
523:
517:
515:
510:
507:
502:
500:
499:Indochina War
494:
492:
488:
485:, 1995), the
484:
480:
476:
472:
468:
464:
457:
456:
451:
450:
449:
416:
406:
405:
401:
399:
398:
395:
392:
389:
386:
382:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
355:
349:
345:
343:
341:
336:
334:
329:
326:
324:
317:
315:
312:
310:
303:
301:
295:
293:
289:
285:
279:
278:
273:
272:
271:
239:
238:
232:
227:
217:
216:
212:
210:
209:
206:
203:
200:
195:
191:
186:
182:
178:
176:
172:
167:
165:
158:
157:
152:
151:
150:
119:
114:
104:
103:
99:
97:
96:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
61:
55:
44:
40:
39:
36:
35:
27:
26:November 2019
23:
19:
948:Peacemaker67
941:
884:
860:
853:
830:
823:
811:
810:
803:
780:
777:
771:The Observer
770:
747:
744:
737:
714:
711:
689:
688:
679:
664:
659:
658:
654:
645:
641:
628:
627:
590:
568:
567:
558:
536:
531:
530:
526:
518:
511:
503:
495:
490:
482:
479:Algerian War
474:
460:
452:
421:
403:
402:
393:
371:
363:
362:
358:
350:
346:
339:
332:
328:patrol boats
322:
318:
308:
304:
296:
282:
274:
243:
236:
214:
213:
204:
189:
184:
183:
179:
168:
161:
153:
122:
101:
100:
79:Book reviews
78:
75:Article news
71:Project news
916:transcluded
368:Hugh, White
306:half-dozen
164:Airey Neave
706:Jim Mattis
637:PhD thesis
493:, 1999).
471:Korean War
388:1107217215
314:submarines
284:Hugh White
67:Front page
922:talk page
885:the Bugle
861:the Bugle
854:The Bugle
553:958281540
506:Viet Minh
333:Fremantle
156:Willbb234
973:Category
944:Hawkeye7
455:Hawkeye7
370:(2019).
340:Armidale
277:Hawkeye7
24: |
20: |
708:in 2017
587:in 1943
309:Collins
852:About
623:Nick-D
325:-class
323:Attack
311:-class
237:Hobart
342:class
335:class
235:HMAS
83:Op-ed
16:<
785:ISBN
752:ISBN
719:ISBN
669:ISBN
550:OCLC
541:ISBN
512:The
465:and
385:OCLC
376:ISBN
229:The
194:ISBN
22:News
621:By
453:By
275:By
175:MI9
154:By
975::
954:)
890:»
880:»
873:»
866:»
822:.
802:.
769:.
736:.
548:.
524:.
477:,
383:.
81:•
77:•
73:•
69:•
56:–
950:(
939:.
826:.
806:.
792:.
773:.
759:.
740:.
726:.
676:.
555:.
489:(
481:(
473:(
390:.
201:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.