Sick!

This is coolbert:

Additional extracts with my commentary from original articles as seen at the isegoria.net Internet web site topic the Great War.

"Sickness and Exhaustion"

"In analyzing the coming great war, Ivan Bloch noted that the strain of marching is very heavy"

"Remember that it is not mere marching, but marching under heavy loads. No infantry soldier should carry more than one-third of his own weight; but instead of the average burden of the fully accoutred private being 52 lb. it is nearer 80 lb., with the result that the mere carrying of weight probably kills more than fall in battle."

MARCHING OF ITSELF WITH LOAD EVEN WHEN NOT IN COMBAT DEBILITATING. MARCHING WITH LOAD DURING COMBAT MUCH WORSE!

"The proportion of those who die from disease and those who lose their lives as the consequence of wounds received in fighting is usually two or three to one."

"The average mortality from sickness tends to increase with the prolongation of the campaign."

My comments:

* Jungle warfare casualties from disease as compared to battlefield dead and wounded that ratio about 12:1!!

* The Soviet in Afghan their non-battlefield casualties about 300,000 troops!! Probably contracted hepatitis from the drinking of contaminated water.

* German troops in 1914 part and parcel of the Schlieffen Plan their unit integrity severely compromised having to march too far too fast under too much load? Stragglers that number large. Failure of the plan in measure the German commanders expecting TOO MUCH from the troops.

* Troops exhausted obviously more susceptible to sickness and illness. The infantry square method of employing troops in combat to be preferred? Less exhaustion, less sickness, less deaths, combat performance enhanced!

coolbert.