Operational Encirclement: Quick Decisive Victory Or A Bridge Too Far?
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This monograph examines the dynamics of operational encirclement and determines what critical factors impact success or failure in achieving decisive results. It concludes that the three most critical factors which directly impact the success or failure of an operational encirclement include: the development of a flexible campaign plan, the establishment of an efficient and effective command and control infrastructure, and an ability to properly read the events on the battlefield. Based on these factors several planning considerations are identified as useful in the planning and execution of operational encirclements.
Major Robert G. Fix
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Operational Encirclement - Major Robert G. Fix
This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com
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Text originally published in 1993 under the same title.
© Pickle Partners Publishing 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.
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Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.
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OPERATIONAL ENCIRCLEMENT: QUICK DECISIVE VICTORY OR A BRIDGE TOO FAR?
by
MAJ Robert G. Fix
USA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
ABSTRACT 5
I. INTRODUCTION 6
II. THE DYNAMICS OF OPERATIONAL ENCIRCLEMENT 9
III. A MODEL FOR ANALYSIS: MILITARY MISFORTUNE 11
IV. ADAPTIVE FAILURE 13
Lost Opportunity at Falaise, August 1944 13
Step One—Failure Defined 13
Step Two—What Happened 14
Step Three—Layered Analysis 19
Step Four—Matrix of Failure 21
Step Five—Pathway to Misfortune 22
V. ADAPTIVE SUCCESS 24
Encirclement of the Ruhr, March 1945 24
Step One—Success Defined 24
Step Two—What Happened 25
Step Three—Layered Analysis 28
Step Four—Matrix of Success 31
Step Five—Pathway to Success 31
VI. CONCLUSIONS 33
REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 35
BIBLIOGRAPHY 36
Books 36
Government Documents 37
Other Sources 38
ABSTRACT
History is replete with examples of lost opportunities to decisively defeat an enemy’s army on the field of battle. All too often, tactical success has not been followed by actions to ensure operational success. This failure may be attributable to a misunderstanding of the dynamics of operational encirclement. Two case studies highlight these dynamics. The Battles of the Falaise Gap in 1944 and the Ruhr Pocket in 1945 both illustrate the difficulties operational commanders face in conducting this type of operation. In the first case, Allied commanders failed to anticipate the opportunities presented by poor operational planning and tactical execution by their German adversaries and missed an opportunity for a quick and decisive victory. In the second, Allied commanders succeeded in learning from their previous mistakes at Falaise to achieve decisive operational results during the encirclement of the Ruhr.
This monograph examines the dynamics of operational encirclement and determines what critical factors impact success or failure in achieving decisive results. It concludes that the three most critical factors which directly impact the success or failure of an operational encirclement include: the development of a flexible campaign plan, the establishment of an efficient and effective command and control infrastructure, and an ability to properly read the events on the battlefield. Based on these factors several planning considerations are identified as useful in the planning and execution of operational encirclements.
I. INTRODUCTION
"Total victory... is not simply a battle won, but the complete defeat of the