The B12 (XII) Forum, home of the 'Front Porch, y'all' at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

My reading is that the French wanted to fight purely on the defensive so as to cost the Germans high casualties, and in Belgium instead of France.  This dictated their strategic thinking, find a defensible position and hold it, in Belgium.  As you know, the initial German plan was the Schlieffen Plan 2 basically, but they feared the plans were captured, and Manstein, a junior general, offered this new plan.

The French also had nothing equivalent to an armored division, their tanks were more spread out and diluted, so they couldn't pose any offensive threat adequately.  The one British counterattack gave Rommel quite the scare, but was insufficient.  The French just couldn't think offensively at all, it seems to me.

I’ve visited Omaha and Utah if that counts as two, plus Okinawa (which was uninteresting so far as the beach) and Incheon (completely urban now).  

I’ve visited Omaha and Utah if that counts as two, plus Okinawa (which was uninteresting so far as the beach) and Incheon (completely urban now).

I lived in Okinawa as a kid, but I didn't know about any invasion beaches.
I forgot about Inchon. When I was in Korea, 8th Army Special Troops (EAST) had a professional development program of battlefield tours. They called them staff rides, but they weren't. Anyway, we did one of Inchon. It was, as you noted, urban. Nothing like what it was in 1950. Another one of those battles was Gloster Hill, where the Brits fought as part of the Battle of Imjin River in April 1951. The British Gloucestershire Regiment fought completely surrounded. Since then, they have worn two cap badges, one on the front and one on the back.

Here's what I think about when I think about Inchon.



Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez of the Marine Corps is shown scaling a seawall after landing on Red Beach (September 15). Minutes after this photo was taken, Lopez was killed after covering a live grenade with his body. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

The citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Marine platoon commander of Company A, [1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced)] in action against enemy aggressor forces. With his platoon 1st Lt. Lopez was engaged in the reduction of immediate enemy beach defenses after landing with the assault waves. Exposing himself to hostile fire, he moved forward alongside a bunker and prepared to throw a hand grenade into the next pillbox whose fire was pinning down that sector of the beach. Taken under fire by an enemy automatic weapon and hit in the right shoulder and chest as he lifted his arm to throw, he fell backward and dropped the deadly missile. After a moment, he turned and dragged his body forward in an effort to retrieve the grenade and throw it. In critical condition from pain and loss of blood, and unable to grasp the hand grenade firmly enough to hurl it, he chose to sacrifice himself rather than endanger the lives of his men and, with a sweeping motion of his wounded right arm, cradled the grenade under him and absorbed the full impact of the explosion. His exceptional courage, fortitude, and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon 1st Lt. Lopez and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Lopez was a 1947 graduate of the USNA.

In 2-1/2 months, A/1/5 Marines would be fighting for its life just west of the Chosin Reservoir.

The Chosin Frozen.  Attacking in a different direction.