Bicycles in war time
12-11-17, 02:25 PM
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https://www.bikeshophub.com/blog/201...-that-and-more
The Swiss bike regiments were the lite of the army, the equivalent of U.S. Army Rangers or Royal Army Gurkhas. While most civilian cyclists would be daunted to ride two hundred kilometers, bike recruits were expected to do just that at night, with a seventy-five-kilo pack on a single-speed “velo” over alpine passes. “They come to the cyclists’ regiment because it is something very special,” said Lieutenant Tobias Zuercher, “You can be proud of it when you tell your family or your friends.”
12-11-17, 02:48 PM
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The article makes no mention of the use of the bicycle in the Vietnam War by the NVA/Viet Minh/Viet Cong against both the French and the Americans. They were not used so much to transport people as to transport supplies. They would be piled high with whatever and pushed. Highly effective under the right circumstances: just ask any French Army veteran of Dienbienphu, to name but one example.
The article mentions in one sentence the use of bicycled by the Japanese Army in WWII to defeat the British in Malaysia?Singapore. That was about transporting troops, and it worked. The Japanese almost certainly would have taken Malaysia and Singapore anyway, but the speed with which they moved (do in part, but not entirely, to their use of bicycles) led them to bag all the Brit forces, including the commanding general. It was a very dark event in British WWII history
The article mentions in one sentence the use of bicycled by the Japanese Army in WWII to defeat the British in Malaysia?Singapore. That was about transporting troops, and it worked. The Japanese almost certainly would have taken Malaysia and Singapore anyway, but the speed with which they moved (do in part, but not entirely, to their use of bicycles) led them to bag all the Brit forces, including the commanding general. It was a very dark event in British WWII history
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12-11-17, 05:03 PM
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Cool article. I'm a little surprised they didn't give the Vietnamese more ink and at least dig up one photo-- they get a short mention for what was probably the most massive military use of bicycles in history to move troops and supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. That was one of the keys to their success during the war. Maybe cuz it worked so well and they beat us...
12-11-17, 08:16 PM
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As above. Look at a contemporary ruck march.
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12-11-17, 08:43 PM
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"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
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12-11-17, 10:58 PM
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^^^ That's a very interesting documentary. Well worth the watch. I stumbled into it a while back. Had no idea they existed. 29'ers??
