Where did we see the fiercest fighting ever?

[MoMoney]

Ok- out of these theaters/wars ..how would you rate them in terms of the  ferocity of fighting?  I am talking infantry experience.  I’m really not talking about the conditions either ..heat or snow etc.  I’m talking about a fight that was personal- fight to the last man kind of stuff.    Here’s the list:

1)   West Front WWI
2)   West Front WWII
3)   East Front WWII
4)   Pacific Front WWII
5)   Korea (American Experience)
6)   Vietnam (American Experience)
7)   Falklands (British Experience)
8)   Afgan War (Russian Experience)
9)   Gulf War I (American Experience)
10)   Gulf War II (American Experience)

Ok..the list in order:

1)   East Front WWII
2)   Pacific Front WWII
3)   West Front WWI
4)   Korea (American Experience)
5)   Vietnam (American Experience)
6)   West Front WWII
7)   Afgan War (Russian Experience)
8)   Gulf War II (American Experience)
9)   Falklands (British Experience)
10)    Gulf War I (American Experience)

[Maniac]

You forgot Americas Afghan war...

[Ripsnort]

Guadacanal or Iwo Jima gets my vote from the books I've read (Pacific)

[Dune]

The Battle of Vienna: September 12, 1683.  The Muslims kept trying to mine under the walls to plant explosives.  The Christians would dig counter-mines.  Sometimes the tunnels would meet and in a space a few feet in diameter, in total darkness, the two sides would fight with picks, shovels and hands.

[Furball]

i agree with your list but i'll make a few changes:

1) East Front WWII
2) West Front WWI (up one)
3) Pacific Front WWII
4) Korea (U.N. Experience)
5) Vietnam (American Experience)
6) West Front WWII   from US perspective, meant more to Polish, French (and all other occupied countries)+ British[/size]
7) Afgan War (Russian Experience)
8) Falklands (British Experience) (up one)
9) Gulf War II (Coalition Experience)  
10) Gulf War I (Coalition Experience)

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Dune
The Battle of Vienna: September 12, 1683.  The Muslims kept trying to mine under the walls to plant explosives.  The Christians would dig counter-mines.  Sometimes the tunnels would meet and in a space a few feet in diameter, in total darkness, the two sides would fight with picks, shovels and hands.

I think you missed his sentence "Out of these theaters/wars"

[-tronski-]

Lone Pine - Gallipoli 1915
Passchendale - 1917
Kapyong Valley 24/25th April - 1951

Battles rather than theatres would seem more appropiate for your original question.

However:

1) West Front WWI (including East + Turkish otherwise probably 2nd place)
2) Pacific Front WWII
3)  Korea (UN Experience)
4)  East Front WWII
5)  West Front WWII
6) Vietnam
7) Falklands (British Experience)
8) Afgan War (Russian Experience)
9) Gulf War I (Coalition Experience)
10) Gulf War II (Coalition  Experience)


 Tronsky

[_Schadenfreude_]

Verdun was probably the worst - 1st day of the Somme pretty awful.

[MoMoney]

If you guys want to go back into pre-20th century then I think the American Civil war would beat just about any.  More Americans-for example- died in ONE DAY in a large Civil war battle than the entire 10 yr Vietnam war.  I think I remember reading that 30k died just in the morning on the first day of Shilo..I think...

[Animal]

The war the Marines fought in the Pacific was, according to veterans who were on both fronts, far worse than the European theater.

[gofaster]

The back seat of my 65 Tempest saw a lot of fighting in the campaigns of 1981 to 1983.  What made it so noteworth was that it was localized hand-to-bra engagements that met with extremely fierce resistance.

[Animal]

Originally posted by gofaster
The back seat of my 65 Tempest saw a lot of fighting in the campaigns of 1981 to 1983.  What made it so noteworth was that it was localized hand-to-bra engagements that met with extremely fierce resistance.

Yeah, I have read about your tragic campaigns. Some of the worst failures, even rivaling those of France.

[gofaster]

Fortunately, I made it big on the Chippendale's circuit later and all those honeys ended up slipping cashola in my pants when they could've gotten my good luvin' for free!

[Dowding]

Shilo was a two day battle with 27,000 fatalities for both sides combined.

The first day of the Somme was pretty nasty by all accounts. 57,000 British casualties of which 20,000 were fatalities.

The assault of Badajoz by the British took 40 attempts and cost 3500 men dead in one morning. The 48th Regiment only had 35 men and a couple of officers left. The victorious British then went beserk killing anybody in sight. I'd say that was pretty 'intense'.

But to be honest, the pre-gun powder, hand to hand combat of the dark and middle ages would probably be the most intense fights you could find. But I think most battles anywhere at anytime would be pretty intense if you are actually on the sharp end.

[lord dolf vader]

nothing on earth beats being under explosive artillery.

whenever the big stuff got really going is beyond anything swords and spears can cause. even more than a nuke due to the capricious nature of artillery damage. in ww1 guys totaly unprepaired for it litteraly just lost their minds. ( and the concept of shell shock was unknown to them so alot were shot as cowards great fun !)


and gas makes that look like a picknick.

they had it all blister,burn and choke.

my vote is for eastern ww1 all otherst save hiroshima and nagasaki beeing alsorans.


dulce et decorum est.