ARRC JOURNAL
Sherman Tank in Bastogne city centre
being the Recogne German cemetery
near Bastogne and the commonwealth
cemetery in Hotton. As well as the
historical aspects, short remembrance
ceremonies were held at each. Paying
respects to the fallen is an extremely
important aspect of any staff ride; it allows
SIEGFRIED Line near Hollorath (Day 1)
the participants time to reflect on the
sacrifices made by the men and women
of many Nationalities, but also to hoist
aboard the concept that the planning of
tactical land actions has consequences
for those who have to execute the plans.
Additionally, the participants learned
some of the historical and cultural
aspects and theory behind the layout and
design of cemeteries from the various
countries involved.
Day two saw the study begin in earnest,
beginning with an overview of the Eifel
region, near Hollerath in Germany,
where the participants were able to view
34
ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS
the terrain in which the Germans built up
their forces. Following this, participants
move on to the Elsenborn Ridge and
considered the importance of the Allies
successful defence of this vital ground;
forcing the Germans to significantly
change their planned Scheme of
Manouevre
(SOM);
before finishing in Spa
outside Hotel Britanique,
which had been used
by General Hodges’
HQ 1st US Army. The
main themes considered
during the day included
the importance of Joint
Fires, the Sustainment of
the force, considerations
of how the modern
Law of Armed Conflict
might have changed
aspects of the planning and conduct of
the operation, and the role played by
Command and Leadership on both sides.
With the generational improvements in
technologies and the vast sophistication
of
Intelligence
Surveillance
and
Reconnaissance
(ISR)
capabilities,
namely satellite imagery and unmanned
Aerial vehicles (UAVs), it was concluded
that it would have been impossible for
the Germans to have kept their build-up
a secret today. Along those same lines,
in today’s congested battlespace it is
extremely important to synchronise and
de-conflict effects (lethal and non-lethal),
and it was useful for a comparison of
the use of long range fires during WWII
to today’s firepower, and the modern
day targeting process. A discussion on
the German build-up and a look at the
required sustainment challenges (fuel
in particular) demonstrated some of the
risks Hitler accepted and the attempts to
mitigate those risks during the operation.
In a multinational environment as today,
risk acceptance becomes more and more
of a challenge for a Corps Commander,
but without risk taking, our own actions
will be very much more predictable.
Day three focussed on the tactical
actions of the battle and included
visits to battlefields at Stavelot, La
Gleize, Houffalize and Noville, south of
Bastogne. Even today, just travelling
between the various locations provided
incredible insight into the difficulties
faced by both the attacking Germans
and the defending Allies. The topics
considered included the challenges of
manoeuvre, the conduct of Obstacle
and River Crossings, management of
the battlespace and the coordination of
Division activities, and the role of risk
management. All were compared to
the planning of our warfighting exercise
ARRCADE FUSION 17 later that year.
It was important to discuss coordination
of Division activities as HQ ARRC is
in the midst of a Corps recalibration,
after several years of operating at the
Operational/ Joint level. In terms of