Fred's 3411 Revisited Article

[benteen]

Ian,

I agree with your thoughts on this. He had put his other 2 Battalions in the hands of very capable Officers, Major Reno and Captain Benteen. Why not take the companies and their officers who you felt most comfortable with.

On a side issue. Why would anyone want to bring their younger brother and nephew into the horror of combat, and he knew this was going to be a big one. I understand the Black hills expedition, although there was some danger, the soldiers looked at it as a picnic. But bring them to the LBH. Why would anyone do that, why put the people you love at such a danger and risk when you dont have to.

Be Well
Dan

[wild]

A great adventure Dan.Different times.They did not wrap their young men in cotton wool.

[Yan Taylor]

I used to shy away from all this Custer clan stuff, but if we class the following Officers as friends or relations of Custer, then he did want his most faithful Officers under his wing and share in the glory.

Lt. Cook (Adjutant)
Lt. Calhoun (L Company)
Lt. Smith (E Company)
Capt. Keogh (I Company)
Capt. Custer (C Company)
Capt. Yates (F Company)

And if you include these two as clan members;

Capt. Moylan (A Company) in Maj. Reno’s Battalion
Capt. Weir (D Company) in Capt. Benteen’s Battalion

Then maybe there role was to keep tabs both Reno and Benteen.

Richard/Dan, it was unfortunate that three civilians died along with GAC; maybe they were fortified by Custer’s bravado and could not envisage the 7th being defeated by a bunch of Indians.

Ian.

[benteen]

Mar 29, 2013 14:22:04 GMT -6 wild said:

A great adventure Dan.Different times.They did not wrap their young men in cotton wool.

Richard,

Yes I understand your point, that is why I mentioned the Black Hills expedition. There was some risk, but it was minimal. That was a great adventure.
But if they considered mortal combat as not a horror but a great adventure, and the proper attire for their young men was a body bag with a tag, and not cotton wool, then I seriously question their sanity.

Be Well
Dan

[benteen]

Mar 29, 2013 14:43:27 GMT -6 Yan Taylor said:

I used to shy away from all this Custer clan stuff, but if we class the following Officers as friends or relations of Custer, then he did want his most faithful Officers under his wing and share in the glory.

Lt. Cook (Adjutant)
Lt. Calhoun (L Company)
Lt. Smith (E Company)
Capt. Keogh (I Company)
Capt. Custer (C Company)
Capt. Yates (F Company)

And if you include these two as clan members;

Capt. Moylan (A Company) in Maj. Reno’s Battalion
Capt. Weir (D Company) in Capt. Benteen’s Battalion

Then maybe there role was to keep tabs both Reno and Benteen.

Richard/Dan, it was unfortunate that three civilians died along with GAC; maybe they were fortified by Custer’s bravado and could not envisage the 7th being defeated by a bunch of Indians.

Ian.

Ian,

I believe that your opinion is very logical and I agree with it. Except I think that Weir and Moylan keeping tabs on Reno and Benteen may be pushing the envelope a wee bit

Be Well
Dan

[Yan Taylor]

Hi Dan, I just had a thought that if both Moylan and Weir were in Custer’s pocket, they could be like having an ear in both Reno’s and Benteen’s Battalions, I bet if Custer would have survived he would have asked these two Officers ‘’what did actually happen whilst I was getting my ass chewed off’’.

Ian.

[wild]

Hi Dan
Yes agreed nicely put.
I'm reading a tome on the British Empire at the moment.[If you like to avert your eyes here Ian no disrespect intended]The 1800s were a period of great imperial expansion great adventure,great daring do with the Brits at the forefront.They were unstopable.They raped pillaged,plundered,exterminated,annihilated their way across the globe.It must have been fantastic to have been with a column advancing up the Yammabang valley to bring death and distruction to the savage Uhmebumbum tribe.
I think the same went for Custer.This was adventure and sure why not take the kids along.
A bit like the Battle of Bull Run where the locals took picnics along to watch the sport.
Regards

[Yan Taylor]

You are ok Richard; I know you love us really.
Have you been to Manchester yet?
Ian.

[wild]

Not yet Ian.In Poland at the moment,probably in a week or two but I certainly will.
Best Regards

[Yan Taylor]

So you are in Poland eh, are any of your friends there military minded, because there is a question I need answering;

In 1939 the Polish Army had 306 Bofors 40mm AA Guns in two models;
40mm Bofors Wz.36 on a regular 4-wheeled platform usually found with Infantry and Cavalry AA
Units.

And the 40mm Bofors Wz.38 Half-Static with two-wheeled transport that were employed as AA defence for military manufacturing plants, airfields etc.

The answer I need is how many of each gun did the Poles have.

Happy Easter Richard.

Ian.

[wild]

Sorry Ian ww2 Polish AA artillery is rather a limited field of study here.
I see a discussion on the Romanian Military history Forum dealing with this subject you might pick up something there.
Regards

[Yan Taylor]

Thank you Richard, I am a member of one of the main Romanian sites, so if could be the same one.

Ian.