Comments by "ODDBALL SOK" (@oddballsok) on "South African Historians TRY to Defend PIENAAR" video.

  1. 59:07 yes Pienaar is reluctant..but look at this map with unbiased eye and you see "AGAIN " that england has thrown its dominion forces as cannonfodder in the jaws of the enemy: New Zealand and S.Africa....and WHERE are the english troops ? I only see gatehouse.... And Pienaar probably saw this too, felt it too, remembered the sacrifice of the other SA brigade.. The sentiment no different from 1940 when churchill URGED the french to keep on fighting in a political union IN FRANCE against ALL THE NAZI might while the english stayed high and dry in Britain (keeping their RN intact up in scotland, and more importantly their fighters and bombers UNUSED "prepared"for defense of ONLY britain... "political union"..mon cul), and would gobble up all the french dominion possessions around the globe..for "free". Result: ' non mercy'... edit: if you wld counter it with pointing to the split tank assaults of the english in the beginning assisting the south africans in the middle of the cauldron...then you forget to point out that EXACTLY the bulk of the english INFANTRY was KEPT behind out of fear of german counter PANZER attacks. The english TANKS were supposed to deal with the DAK panzers. Sort of like noble cavaliers 'rescueing'the SA troops in the middle. SA infantry butchered, and english tankers snatching the VICTORY. But why then, weren't the ENGLISH infantry sent in into the cauldron too ? And if german panzers are 'unhealthy' for english infantry, wouldn't that be true for SA infantry too ? I am sure Pienaar was present when all these decisions were taken at the expense of the first SA infantry sent in the cauldron...
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  2. at 1:04:30 That 's funny..this reminds me of XXXcrps at Nijmegen bridge. A couple of tanks MADE it on the right flank AROUND the german Nijmegen defenses and made it to the other side of the Nijmegen bridge. succesfully. "then why not send THE REST of XXXcrps (or at least MORE tanks and some idle infantry brigades..)...along the SAME route?"...(so much so that between Nijmegen and Arnhem there is MORE tanks/troops to spare to keep the route open...). pah-tching... Okay..carrington did not "recall"them tanks...but carrington got the order to STAND and STAY.. "who gave him this order"???
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  3. 1:07:59 and that is what "morale"is all about: the SPIRIT to put your life on the line for the GREATER good. Pienaar had learned that there was no functioning greater good. The "leading donkeys"....and yes that KILLs spirit. You can't , as an armchair general, look that AWAY and expect them to perform as PROFESSIONAL (S.A. brigade was NOT professional!) army of the english. If everybody around you and above you and BEFORE you have fucked up...WHY would you put the lives of YOUR countrymen on the line ? ESPECIALLY if it is NOT OBVIOUS that your advance WOULD make a DECISIVE difference. ! And BECOZ Pienaar was not aware of that and was not enlightened about it as we HINDSIGHTERS do now, he OF COURSE was and remained reluctant. Do not point of his DUTY to act as soldier, IRRESPECTIVE of all mayhem around him above and before , when all others have FAILED. In any case the british COMMAND ,SHOULD know about the morale of its brigades/leaders and use them ACCORDINGLY. Rommel did not use his italians as cannonfodder or as spearheads EXACTLY because he knew he could not rely on them to be like germans. But he DID use them and let them act as ITALIANS. There is your explanation.
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  4. Note that the situation of the NZ apparently was NOT HOPELESS at all..you showed it a day later: Freyburg gave the order to pull out..AND THEY PULLED OUT WITHOUT MUCH LOSSES ?!?! Maybe Pienaar KNEW this (from Freyburg?)..and Freyburg URGED pienaar to join the battle in order to catch a 30% chance of getting victorious with the knowledge both could still disengage at anytime..but pienaar assessed a 70% chance on destruction and certain HEAVY casualties as so much less favourable option, than to rather NOT engage AT ALL..to save both the SA aaaaaand the NZ. If he would not show up, he maybe assessed that Freyburg would be FORCED to pull out into safety...and leave the future battles to the english infantry...
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  5. I cant sit 90 mins of talk out (i do this in bits and pieces over more days) ..I skip to here and there..but at 55:09 the map "proving" that there are no enemy at the Airfield in "the middle" because of "a map" is of course poor proof. a) (modern) maps have been assembled from many battle reports data..and mistakes happen, battle reports themselves (!!) can be erroneous. b) MOST importantly..enemy troops DO NOT CENTER at the TIP OF A MAP ARROW !! I see a Kg Mickl having a POINTER at the top of a local escarpment SUPPOSEDLY meant to contain the 25 NZ Bn along a long line. REALLY ? the germans being THAT stupid to NOT sent at LEAST a recon unit(s) FURTHER along the escarpment and INTO the airfield zone ?? Not even so to COVER this airfield in CASE any "funny stuff" would happen or appear in the airfield zone ??? Agreed that Pienar would at least had to advance more adamant..but this map (and all other "empty"middle maps in ENGLISH books is NO PROOF that there was in fact no enemy/hostilities in the middle.
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