Most Notorious Military Blunders

[Fisherking]

Here is one for you:

The Battle of Annual, 22, July, 1921. Spain vs. the Rif. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Annual

A Spanish Army force of 5,000 is attacked by 3,000 Rif irregulars. Spain send 18,000 more Regulars to the relief. (23,000 Regular Troops)

The casualties tell the rest. The Rif lost 800 men. The Spanish, depending on sources lost either 13,363 or 20,000. One historian says that only 1,200 Spanish escaped alive.

Ugly!

[Tellos Athenaios]

I believe the Bradley Fighting Vehicle deserves a honourary mention here:



Simply because for that kind of resources down the drain you can fight a fair few battles with proper equipment, and the even now the thing does not yet work properly.

[Fisherking]

Actually, I think it only carries 4 men now. The M-113A4 still carries 13. With new armor technology the shape charges of the TOW Anti-Tank Missiles are ineffective. Now an infantry platoon is only about half of the size it was and in a vehicle no better armored than the one it replaced. Its speed is actually one MPH slower than the M-113 and it is not amphibious. The Bradley is 30 tons while the 113A4 is 13.6 tons. The A4 actually exceeds it in mobility.

It has a lot of fire power but does not put many troops on the ground. Just about enough to provide ground security for the vehicle when it is stopped.


What happens when a taxi looks like a tank?

[Ironside]

I never knew that it was a real model that the movie talked about.

Actually, I think it only carries 4 men now. The M-113A4 still carries 13. With new armor technology the shape charges of the TOW Anti-Tank Missiles are ineffective. Now an infantry platoon is only about half of the size it was and in a vehicle no better armored than the one it replaced. Its speed is actually one MPH slower than the M-113 and it is not amphibious. The Bradley is 30 tons while the 113A4 is 13.6 tons. The A4 actually exceeds it in mobility.

It does have good armour (for an IFV) nowadays according to specs. Insufficient against IED though.

Now, building an IFV from an APC chassis are still the least crazy about it.