Exercise ARRCADE BUGLE – Studying the Past to Inform an Approach for the Future
Figure 1: ECMI Infrastructure as part of the Planning Cycle
EXERCISE ARRCADE
BUGLE – STUDYING
THE PAST TO INFORM
AN APPROACH FOR
THE FUTURE
Operation DRAGOON 1944
Major Phil Rogerson, British
Army
Introduction
Despite a busy training schedule one of the
many advantages of serving at HQ ARRC is
the opportunity to participate in a wide variety
of activities, such as staff rides, which would
be the envy of many other HQs. In April 2016,
HQ ARRC personnel deployed to Southern
France to study Operation DRAGOON in or-
der to understand lessons learnt during this
combat operation and relate them to the con-
temporary operating environment. Op DRA-
GOON is an excellent operation for HQ ARRC
to study, to assist in understanding its role as
a JTF HQ, LAND Component Command (LCC)
HQ or Corps HQ.
Ex ARRCADE BUGLE 1 was novel in its design
as it followed a rarely studied WWII operation;
the liberation of Southern France, by Allied
Forces, executed shortly after the D Day Land-
ings in the North of France. Op DRAGOON was
a multinational operation of a scale that HQ
ARRC could conceivably be tasked to plan and
execute as a JTF HQ. As the staff ride covered
a diverse range of military planning considera-
tions, all exercise participants could contribute
their views and expertise. Before travelling to
France there was an operational overview pro-
vided by the academic lecturer which included
a fascinating veteran’s perspective from Maj
(Retd) Dick Hargreaves MC, who was an Officer
Commanding in the Parachute Regiment and
took part in the Airborne landings.
“The invasion of Southern
France on August 15,
1944, is one of the
least celebrated yet
most important combat
operations by the
Allies in the summer of
1944. Originating in a
bitter strategic dispute
between senior US and
British leaders, Operation
DRAGOON succeeded
far beyond the wildest
1
dreams of its advocates”
Operation DRAGOON 1944, France’s other
D-Day, Steven J. Zaloga, 2009
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