Ritchie, Gen Sir Neil (1897-1985). Br. Took over command of Eighth Army from Cunningham when his health failed during the final offensive to relieve Tobruk in November 1941, and drove Rommel out of Cyrenaica. He was subsequently defeated by Rommel at Gazala in June 1942 and was superseded by Auchinleck on June 25 just before the Battle of Mersa Matruh. He commanded XII Corps in Northwest Europe, 1944-45, and became c-in-c Far East Land Forces, 1947-49.
River Assault Groups (RAGs).
The twelve rags of the South Vietnamese Navy were originally organized and equipped by the French. Each group had about 20 boats for riverine troop lift, command and control, and patrol. Under American tutelage, the rags’ mission shifted to close support of the South Vietnamese army, logistical support of outposts, and river patrols. The rags operated extensively in the Rung Sat swamp from 1962 to 1965, when increasing enemy use of heavy weapons made commanders prefer helicopters. The rags were subsequently used for escort in Mekong delta waterways.
GrafSpee, scuttled off Montevideo
River Plate, Battle of the (December 13 1939). Arose from the commerce-raiding activities of German pocket battleship Admiral GrafSpee (Capt Langsdorff) in the South Atlantic. Commodore Harwood, commanding the British Squadron on the South American Station, judged from reported sinkings that Spee was heading for the waters off the River Plate and took thither three cruisers, the most powerful the 8in Exeter. Spee had llin guns but Harwood, in a skilful manoeuvre, neutralized this superiority by dividing the fire of his opponent. While Spee concentrated on the destruction of Exeter,
Harwood’s two 6in cruisers, Ajax and Achilles, closed and inflicted enough damage to cause Langsdorff to put into the neutral port of Montevideo. The expected resumption of action did not occur for, believing he faced a far superior force, Langsdorff scuttled his ship and committed suicide. ANF.
Roatta, Lt Gen Mario (1887
1968). Italian. Roatta twice served as CGS of the Italian Army, 1941 — 42 and June to November 1943. In between, from January 1942 to February 1943, he commanded Italian occupation forces in the Balkans, rivalling the Nazis in his repression of partisans.
“Bobs” takes command, S Africa, 1900
Roberts, Field Marshal Earl (“Bobs”) (1832-1914). In the later 19th century Roberts established himself as Britain’s premier soldier, winning the vc during the Indian Mutiny (1858), achieving victory in the Second Afghan War after the famous Kabul-Kandahar march of 1880, and being promoted Field Marshal in 1895. Following British reverses early in the Second Boer War, he was appointed c-in-c. South Africa, with Kitchener as his cos. Arriving in January 1900, he remodelled the transport system, increa'sed the number of mounted infantry, and conducted a campaign resulting in the occupation of Pretoria in June. In October 1900 Roberts returned to Britain to succeed Wolseley as c-in-c, British Army. Here, although he supported rearmament of the artillery and improved tactical training, particularly musketry, he came to be seen as an obstacle to War Office reform, and his post was abolished in 1904 as a consequence of the Esher Report. From 1905, as President of the National Service League, he advocated compulsory military serice. PJS.
Robertson, Field Marshal Sir William (1860—1933). Br. Robertson held the unique distinction of having risen from the rank of trooper to that of Field Marshal. He enlisted in the 16th Lancers in 1877, being recommended for a commission ten years later. He became, in 1896, the first exranker to gain admission to the Staff College, and thereafter served principally in staff posts. He was Commandant of the Staff College 1910-13, and then Director of Military Training. In August 1914 he went to France as Quartermaster-General of the BEF. Fearing that the bee’s concentration area was too advanced, and displaying commendable foresight, he arranged for additional bases on the Atlantic coast, thus enabling supplies to be maintained throughout the retreat from Mons. In January 1915 he replaced Sir Archibald Murray as the bee’s cos and soon injected a brisker approach into the work of General Headquarters. His appointment as GIGS in December 1915 further weakened Kitchener’s declining influence, for Robertson insisted, as a precondition of accepting the post, that the gigs should henceforth be the Cabinet’s only source of advice on military operations. Like Haig, the new British c-in-c in France, Robertson was firmly convinced that the war could only be won by defeating the German Army on the Western Front and his opposition to alternative strategic ideas brought him into increasing conflict with Lloyd George. On the other hand, Robertson shared the concern of politicians regarding Haig’s profligacy with manpower, and recent scholarship suggests that it was Robertson, not Lloyd George, who held back reserves in Britain before the German March 1918 offensive. Robertson resigned as GIGS in February 1918 over Lloyd George’s efforts to reduce his power by proposing Sir Henry Wilson as the British representative on an “Executive War Board” of the Supreme War Council. His last wartime posts were as goc Eastern Command until June 1918 and then c-in-c. Home Forces. PJS.
World History
