That's out of two hundred committed. Only about fifty of us walked out unhurt. I've interviewed a lot of generals and they've always said that twenty percent casualties renders a unit inoperable. Collins gave me a twisted smile. That's your standard armchair warrior bullshit.
Rifle companies take high casualties in combat.
That's a fact. Twenty percent of a rifle platoon is only six men. Six men down never broke a platoon worth its salt. What these generals are talking about is twenty percent of a division or corps. That kind of unit includes HQ, field hospitals, truck drivers, cooks, and the guy that waters the major's oak leaves.