The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics, Doctrine and Leadership.

We start our look at the Battle of Long Tan, which occured on the 18th August 1966, 4km east of the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat.  Outnumber 20:1, the Australians took 18 KIA and 24 WIA in one of the most important and most famous battles of the whole Australian involvement in Long Tan. Our guide through Australian Military's History most famous rubber plantation is Dave Sabben.  Dave was the Platoon Commander of 12 Platoon, Delta Company on that day at Long Tan.  Conscription has been used by many countries through history as they rapidly increase the size of their defence forces in response to changing strategic circumstances, circumstances that have changed quickly and require a faster response than could be achieved with the full time Defence Force. How did the Australian Defence Force mobilised for operations in Vietnam?  We look at conscription and the history of professional armies. We start by looking at some of the components of a professional army and what the role of conscription is within the concept of National readiness.  Professional armies are very expensive to maintain and so we look at 2 components of readiness that are used to decrease the cost of having a large standing force.  How was conscription for Vietnam different to conscription in Australia during World War 2? Dave starts by talking us through the conscription process and his initial training at Kapooka.  We look at the reason for the conscription in the 1960's. Dave discusses what the aim of the training program was and the skills that officers were to receive at Scheyville.  How was the training program designed and how were leadership skills developed at OTU Scheyville?   Check out the show notes for the podcast for images and more details for this and other podcast episodes. Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook. If you've learnt something from today's podcast, please leave a review for the Podcast on your podcast player.

In this discussion, the guest facilitates an engaging Q&A about the Gallipoli landings, focusing on pivotal moments where ANZAC forces fell short of their objectives. They explore COL Sinclair-Maclagan's hesitations and the consequential costs of those decisions. The podcast also delves into Turkish troop movements and readiness, analyzing how these factors influenced the battle's trajectory. The role of mountain batteries is highlighted, showcasing their historical significance and the logistical challenges they faced during the campaign.

Brigadier Muhammad Asgharpresents a fascinating look at the forgotten gunners of Gallipoli, the 7th Mountain Indian Artillery Brigade, comprising the 21st (Kohat) Mountain Battery and 26th Jacob's Batteries.  These Batteries become a part of the 1st Mountain Regiment in 1947 in Pakistan. Jacob's Battery was the only gun in action on the 25th of April at ANZAC. On the 26th of April Jacob's Bty was reinforced with Australian gunners, creating an amalgam battery.  Jacob's and Royal Kohat batteries were the only guns in action at ANZAC on the second day. A great story of crater analysis unearths the story of Turkish rounds marked CSF@RPA (made at Cossipore and filled at Rawalpindi).  How did Indian ammunition end up being fired at Australian troops? 21st (Kohat) Mountain Battery was in action for 238 dayas and fired 12,248 round.  They had 11 men killed, 134 wounded, (5 died of wounds), 35 animals killed, 199 animals wounded and 1 missing.  Check out the show notes for the podcast for images and more details for this and other podcast episodes. Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook. If you've learnt something from today's podcast, please leave a review for the Podcast on your podcast player.  

In 1911 the NZ Government purchases 18 pounders and 4.5 inch howitzers as it starts to modernise. Their first deployment was to German Somoa, as a part of the Samoa Expeditionary Force, retaking the islands from the Germans. The ANZAC the NZ guns land, howitzers,  on the 26th of April, 1915 and the field guns lands on the 27th. Constrained by lack of suitable firing positions and ammunition, they supported Australian, New Zealand and British across the Gallipoli peninsula.  The withdrawal commenced on the night of the 11th of December and the the last guns were withdrawn on the night of the 19th of December.   What were the key lessons that were learnt?  

Commander David Stevens, a Royal Australian Navy Reserve officer and historian, delves into the pivotal role of naval gunfire support during the Gallipoli campaign. He discusses the coordination challenges between land and naval forces and the limited artillery available. Stevens highlights how naval fire impacted morale and strategy, recounting specific successes and failures of bombardments. He examines the legacy of these efforts for the Australian Defence Force today, illustrating lessons on joint operations and adapting tactics to terrain.

MAJ Daryl Kelly OAM looks at the human side of the Gunners at Gallipoli. He looks at some of the stories of the individual Gunners who served at Gallipoli, looking at the conditions and at Gallipoli during the landing operations.   Check out the show notes for the podcast for images and more details for this and other podcast episodes. Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook. If you've learnt something from today's podcast, please leave a review for the Podcast on your podcast player.

COL Dale Eikmeier, a renowned expert on the center of gravity concept in military strategy, discusses its relevance in complex systems. He highlights the importance of shared goals among multiple actors and how the concept applies beyond the military realm, including foreign policy. Eikmeier also delves into moral centers of gravity and their strategic implications. The conversation explores the evolution of joint military planning, considering technological advancements and a whole-of-government approach to strategy, while pondering how the center of gravity may transform over the next two decades.

Retired COL Dale Eikmeier, with 30 years in the U.S. Army, discusses the intricacies of military strategy, specifically focusing on the Ends, Ways, and Means methodology. He critiques the traditional Clausewitzian Center of Gravity concept and emphasizes the importance of identifying critical factors and vulnerabilities. Using the Battle of the Atlantic as a case study, he illustrates how new definitions enhance joint planning. Eikmeier also examines the misidentification of the Center of Gravity in the Iraq war, providing insights into effective military strategy.

Exploring methodologies for determining Centers of Gravity in military strategy, including inside out and Eikmeier approaches. Analyzing the significance of future critical factor analysis in planning. Delving into examples like Madonna's presidential aspirations. Discussing Hannibal's strategic capabilities and the role of moral Centers of Gravity in military strategies.

Artillery doctrine was updated after some of the lessons from the Boer War. What was the role of the artillery at the beginning of the war? How was artillery integrated into the infantry plan?  What was the preferred method of employment, indirect or direct, and why? How was artillery organised? What was the role of the CRA (Commander Royal Artillery) and what resources did he have? What fire support was available at ANZAC and how was it controlled?  How were adjustments made? In 1915, radio was already in use - particularly with providing co-ordination with the Naval Gun Fire Support. At 06:00 how many Turkish troops opposed the landing? How long did the troops on the beach wait for Turkish reinforcements to arrive? (!) The first battery to land was the 26th (Jacob's) Battery. at 10:30 on the 25th.  How did it perform? The Field Artillery didn't get into action on the 25th because Bridges feared that they would be captured.  How was the process for calling for fire refined to speed up the response from the guns and how did the role of artillery change as the campaign progressed? Some of the issues faced at ANZAC included the guns themselves not being able to fire at high trajectory, the lack of field positions, with many on lower ground and the difficulty in observing fire with the observers being on the lower ground, and communications between the Forward Observer and gun line.  The range was often under 100 meters between the lines of trenches.  Enemy counter battery fire, machine gun fire and sniper fire also hampered the provision of offensive support. Check out the show notes for the podcast for images and more details for this and other podcast episodes. Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook. If you've learnt something from today's podcast, please leave a review for the Podcast on your podcast player.