Closing with the enemy: American combined arms operations in the war against Germany, 1944-1945. (Volumes I and II)

While the tenets of military doctrine guide armies in their preparation for war, it is less clear just how important correct doctrine is to the final outcome of armed conflicts. Is a correct doctrinal approach to war the key to victory, or does an enemy achieve success by its ability to innovate and adapt solutions to problems after hostilities begin? Closing With the Enemy analyzes the U.S. army's campaign in Western Europe during World War II to determine whether a correct doctrinal approach to war or an army's ability to adapt under fire is more important to battlefield success.;The principle investigative method employed was scholarly research of primary source materials. The research process located many primary source materials not previously utilized in World War II literature. Most research activities took place at the U.S. Army Military 1 History Institute and at a number of other military libraries and archival holdings around the country. The result obtained was a rigorous analysis of how the American army envisioned certain types of operations before the war and how it actually fought the same types of battles during 1944-1945. Principle analytical emphasis is on how the army integrated infantry, tanks, artillery, engineers, fighter-bombers, and antitank assets into a smooth, functioning combined arms team. Chapters analyze combat operations in the Normandy hedgerow country, urban warfare, reduction of fortified positions, river crossings, forest combat, and defensive engagements during the Ardennes offensive. Other chapters look at the evolution of air-ground operations and the versatility of the American soldier.;Closing With the Enemy concludes that the American army was successful because it adapted to new and sometimes unexpected circumstances. The army proved unusually adroit in overcoming problems with new tactical techniques, technological innovations, and organizational changes. These solutions resulted in significant modifications to the composition and practices of the combined arms team as envisioned before the war. Individual soldiers also found novel ways to become better fighters and to stay alive. Only by adapting under fire, did the army overcome its enemy and achieve victory.