Dear friends,

on the website of the Donovan Library in Fort Benning I found the following about an account written by Ronald Speirs:

Title: Operations of the 2d Platoon, Company D, 506th Parachute Infantry (101st Airborne

Division) in the vicinity of Carentan, France, 11-13 June 1944. (Normandy Campaign) (Personal

experience of a Rifle Platoon Leader)
Author: Speirs, Ronald C. CPT
Subject: Airborne Infantry platoon attacking in hedgerow country
Location: Microfilm D-511

https://www.infantry.army.mil/monographs/co..._monographs.doc

On this website they have digitalized several monographs. Maybe we can ask them to digitalize that monograph of Speirs as well?

Frank

Frank, Where do you make requests for these monographs? Thanks. katz

And what led you to look and find this Monograph? Was it a stumble?

Jaf , Good work.

The link for the Speirs' monograph:
https://www.infantry.army.mil/monographs/co...dC%20%20CPT.pdf

The link for the digitized WWII collection at the Donovan Research Library:
https://www.infantry.army.mil/monographs/co.../wwii/index.htm

There are a number of 506th related articles there.
Enjoy,
Mooch

The Donovan collection of papers is a fascinating resource, for many reasons. I've looked back at the collection of papers about WWI, written between the wars, some those who would become famous in WWII. For example, there is a monograph written in 1931-32 by a former battalion scout officer in the 4th Division at the 1918 Aisne-Marne offensive, with a striking ability to distill information down to the very basics. After reciting the purpose and the performance of the troops involved in the offensive, he concludes by emphasizing "three facts . . . which will bear repetition:

• That in an attack over broken and unfavorable terrain, success is utterly dependent on the leadership of the squad, section and platoon leaders.
• That unforeseen and unexpected difficulties will be the rule, rather than the exception, and that almost as many of these difficulties will result from the mistakes of our own people as from accidents of terrain or operations of the enemy.
• That American soldiers, whose training, in comparison with our present standards, appears very mediocre inceed, will, if such training as they have received has been thorough and intelligent, meet these difficulties with firmness and courage."

The author of this paper was Walter Bedell Smith, who would become Ike's Chief of Staff throughout the European Theatre, then Truman's Ambassador to the Soviet Union, then one of his Directors of Central Intelligence. (The grading page at the end indicates he received an "A" for the paper and presentation.)