Learning under fire
Subtitle: the 112th Cavalry Regiment in World War II
By: James S. Powell.
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Williams-Ford Texas A&M University military history series -- no. 130; Williams-Ford Texas A&M University military history series -- no. 130.
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: College Station
Language: eng
Number of pages: 242
ISBN-13: 9781603441711
Subjects: United States. -- Army. -- Cavalry Regiment, 112th -- History; World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories -- United States; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Ocean; United States. -- Combat sustainability -- Case studies
Genres: Case studies
Description: The 112th Cavalry Regiment was thrown into the heart of war in the Pacific with little training. They faced not only the Japanese enemy, but a rugged environment for which they were ill-prepared. Grappling with the continuing challenge of learning new military skills and tactics across ever-shifting battlefields, this military unit adapted to the changing demands of its tactical and strategic environment. The author demonstrates that this learning was not simply a matter of steadily building on experience and honing relevant skills, but it also required discovering shortcomings and promptly taking action to improve; often while in direct contact with the enemy. As the war neared its end, the regiment again had to shift its focus quickly from an anticipated offensive on the Japanese home islands to becoming part of the occupation force in the land of a conquered enemy.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The Texas Cavalry prepares for war; title: Closer to the Cauldron: Woodlark and Arawe; title: Into the jungle of fire; title: Aitape interlude; title: "A terribly hard campaign"; title: Combat on Luzon: learning and the lessons of experience; title: The occupation of Japan; title: Conclusion.