Reply With QuoteWell you could certainly look to the first part of the battle of Kasserine Pass in North Africa in WW2. That was certainly a case of being out-generalled...
US military loss in history?
For all nations, I respect/fear US the most because of its tremendous innovations leading the world for most of modern history.
I wonder is there any major battle in the history when US military took a loss because of enemy better/genius military leadership? I only care about real military loss, not a political loss like in Vietnam, where US took significant damage than enemy?
Thanks
Well you could certainly look to the first part of the battle of Kasserine Pass in North Africa in WW2. That was certainly a case of being out-generalled...
Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. That was a kick in the pants.
The most prominent recent example, at least in my mind, would be much of the early stages of the North African campaign in WWII. Inexperience, overconfidence, and logistical nightmares cost American forces dearly at places like the Kasserine Pass.Originally Posted by 313230
Edit: Kiwi beat me to it.
The initial phases of the Chinese attacks in Korea also spring to mind.
The Penobscot expedition. Said to be the American's most disastrous naval defeat before Pearl Harbor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penobscot_Expedition
The Battle of Bladensburg and the resulting sack and burning of Washington, D.C. come to mind.
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St. Clair's Defeat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Clair%27s_Defeat
battle of the bulge
strategically encircled from enemy maneuvers, then outgunned by near constant enemy fire
a little luck and patience got them out
Except that we out-generaled the Germans on that one once we assessed the situation and responded.
Germans never reached any of their goals in the offensive.
It's also very early in US history, but there were many cases of US generals being bested by their British opponents in the War of Independence. The worst case being the fall of Charleston in 1780. A true disaster and one of the few cases where an entire American army was captured intact without being able to withdraw and regroup.
Battle of Osan/Task force Smith 5 July 1950
Plenty of other battles lost to the NK and Chicom forces during the Korean War.
Hundreds KIA and MIA from friendly fire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cottage
My great uncle was at Huertgen Forest with the US Army, a place which comes to mind when thinking of engagements. The German general Model probably gets the credit there, although he was a true asshole.
I think the OPs intent is to focus on obvious tactical defeats. The campaigns on Attu and Kiska including Operation Cottage are not to be counted among these, despite "friendly fire" incidents.
Were the early US defeats at the hands of DPRK a case of better generalship by the North Koreans or simply a case of the US troops being unprepared, poorly trained, poorly equipped and outnumbered?
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