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My favorite Hemingway book. Bridge demolition during the Spanish Civil War. It's got infiltration and passage of lines, guerrillas, leadership disputes, politics, small unit combat, and high explosives - all in a book your English teacher would have been proud to see you read.
For Whom the Bell Tolls - Wikipedia
Posted from en.wikipedia.org
12B: Combat Engineer
Sapper Leader Course
Spain
Literature
World History
Posted 6 y ago
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Read it in high school, @SGT Mark Stewart. The book has a catchy title, but not many know its origin. It’s taken from John Donne’s Meditation #XVII which appears in "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions" (1623).
Additionally, the paragraph below in quotations appears as the epigraph of the book.
XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris (Now this bell, tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.)
Perchance, he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness.
There was a contention as far as a suit (in which both piety and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled), which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his, whose indeed it is.
The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that this occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS; it tolls for thee."
Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current money, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.
LTC Stephan Porter SGT (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Additionally, the paragraph below in quotations appears as the epigraph of the book.
XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris (Now this bell, tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.)
Perchance, he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness.
There was a contention as far as a suit (in which both piety and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled), which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his, whose indeed it is.
The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that this occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS; it tolls for thee."
Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current money, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.
LTC Stephan Porter SGT (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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Someone needs to write a book about the construction engineers that were out in front of the German panzer thrust in the Battle of the Bulge. 5 man squads blowing bridges pretty much saved the American front.
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SGT (Join to see)
Are you referring to 291st Engineer Combat Battalion? I think that was a Combat Engineer unit that incorporated some bridging capabilities based on a passage from _ Combat Engineers in World War II: Lessons on Training and Mobilization _ :
"To offset the lack of military experience, the 291st utilized news from units in combat to stress key aspects of combat engineering in preparation for their deployment. As a result, they emphasized small unit, company, and battalion level training exercises utilizing both wire and radio communications. Soldiers at all levels were trained to operate efficiently during “hit and run” operations. These tactics were utilized to delay enemy forces in advance of infantry and armor units. To improve leadership and decision-making, time was spent developing leaders by emphasizing combat leadership traits in subordinates. Another unique aspect of this unit’s preparation was its detailed cross-training program. Expecting heavy casualties, the commander wanted to mitigate the effects of casualties on unit performance. Prior to entering theater, all members were provided instruction on the use of each weapon within their squad. Each engineer learned to detect, lay, and clear mines and to operate all tools large and small. Additionally, each engineer was proficient in building the three main types of bridges (Bailey, timber trestle, and pontoon)."
Anyway, there are a number of books on that, the most well-known being _ The Damned Engineers _ and _ First Across the Rhine _. My understanding is that dummy obstacles, (frat-fencing with few if any mines actually present), also contributed to slowing the Germans.
There are several books on Army Combat Engineers in World War II (beyond 291st): _ Combat Engineer: A World War II Memoir _, and eventually, at some point, _ A Combat Engineer with Patton’s Army: The Fight Across Europe with the 80th “Blue Ridge” Division in World War II _.
I've Walter-Mitty'ed about writing a novel with Combat Engineers as the main characters but the problem is that they don't really have a mission of their own so much as the mission of the maneuver unit they are supporting, which then logically suggests that the leaders and men of the supported maneuver unit should be the main characters. Might be possible for someone to write something set in a more recent conflict area and centering on a unit that performs repetitive route-clearances and whatnot.
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a611890.pdf
"To offset the lack of military experience, the 291st utilized news from units in combat to stress key aspects of combat engineering in preparation for their deployment. As a result, they emphasized small unit, company, and battalion level training exercises utilizing both wire and radio communications. Soldiers at all levels were trained to operate efficiently during “hit and run” operations. These tactics were utilized to delay enemy forces in advance of infantry and armor units. To improve leadership and decision-making, time was spent developing leaders by emphasizing combat leadership traits in subordinates. Another unique aspect of this unit’s preparation was its detailed cross-training program. Expecting heavy casualties, the commander wanted to mitigate the effects of casualties on unit performance. Prior to entering theater, all members were provided instruction on the use of each weapon within their squad. Each engineer learned to detect, lay, and clear mines and to operate all tools large and small. Additionally, each engineer was proficient in building the three main types of bridges (Bailey, timber trestle, and pontoon)."
Anyway, there are a number of books on that, the most well-known being _ The Damned Engineers _ and _ First Across the Rhine _. My understanding is that dummy obstacles, (frat-fencing with few if any mines actually present), also contributed to slowing the Germans.
There are several books on Army Combat Engineers in World War II (beyond 291st): _ Combat Engineer: A World War II Memoir _, and eventually, at some point, _ A Combat Engineer with Patton’s Army: The Fight Across Europe with the 80th “Blue Ridge” Division in World War II _.
I've Walter-Mitty'ed about writing a novel with Combat Engineers as the main characters but the problem is that they don't really have a mission of their own so much as the mission of the maneuver unit they are supporting, which then logically suggests that the leaders and men of the supported maneuver unit should be the main characters. Might be possible for someone to write something set in a more recent conflict area and centering on a unit that performs repetitive route-clearances and whatnot.
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a611890.pdf
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PO1 Steve Mitchell
SGT (Join to see) I believe it was the 254th from Michigan. They were construction engineers and the Capt in charge of them broke them down into 5 man squads and sent them ahead to the bridges were he expected the Germans to cross. The last bridge they blew basically stopped the panzers and the German Col. Peiper was heard to say "those Damned Engineers!" They kept him from racing to Antwerp.
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SGT (Join to see)
PO1 Steve Mitchell - The famous phrase "The Damned Engineers" relates to 291st Engineer Combat Battalion, but 254th Engineer Combat Battalion also participated in the Battle of the Bulge (from the website for the National Museum of the Army):
"It was during the Battle of the Bulge that the 254th experienced its most intense period of combat. On the night of 16 December, the 254th was committed as infantry along the northern shoulder of the Bulge and ordered to form a defensive line south and east of Bullingen, Belgium. At 0600 hours, elements of Kampfgruppe Peiper began assaulting the battalion’s lines with infantry supported by tanks and half-tracks. Despite their lack of heavy arms, the men of the 254th repulsed the first two attacks. A third attack with tanks overran the battalion’s lines, but stiff resistance prevented the supporting infantry from advancing."
That same site also references the 254th conducting assaults on fortified positions along the Siegfried line as well as clearing mines and booby traps in Normandy, which to me, indicates a unit of Combat Engineers with additional bridging capability. I would expect construction engineers to know how to conduct explosive demolition and quarrying, but not breaching operations against enemy protective obstacles and fortifications which are part of the mobility mission of a Combat Engineer unit.
If you look at the two books I mentioned in my previous post, _ The Damned Engineers _ and/or _ First Across the Rhine _, both are about 291st Engineer Combat Battalion.
So, it is apparent that U.S. Army Combat Engineers (and perhaps other Army Engineer units as well) were critical in conducting Engineers-fight-as-Infantry and Countermobility functions to slow the German advance during the Battle of the Bulge.
https://armyhistory.org/254th-engineer-combat-battalion/
"It was during the Battle of the Bulge that the 254th experienced its most intense period of combat. On the night of 16 December, the 254th was committed as infantry along the northern shoulder of the Bulge and ordered to form a defensive line south and east of Bullingen, Belgium. At 0600 hours, elements of Kampfgruppe Peiper began assaulting the battalion’s lines with infantry supported by tanks and half-tracks. Despite their lack of heavy arms, the men of the 254th repulsed the first two attacks. A third attack with tanks overran the battalion’s lines, but stiff resistance prevented the supporting infantry from advancing."
That same site also references the 254th conducting assaults on fortified positions along the Siegfried line as well as clearing mines and booby traps in Normandy, which to me, indicates a unit of Combat Engineers with additional bridging capability. I would expect construction engineers to know how to conduct explosive demolition and quarrying, but not breaching operations against enemy protective obstacles and fortifications which are part of the mobility mission of a Combat Engineer unit.
If you look at the two books I mentioned in my previous post, _ The Damned Engineers _ and/or _ First Across the Rhine _, both are about 291st Engineer Combat Battalion.
So, it is apparent that U.S. Army Combat Engineers (and perhaps other Army Engineer units as well) were critical in conducting Engineers-fight-as-Infantry and Countermobility functions to slow the German advance during the Battle of the Bulge.
https://armyhistory.org/254th-engineer-combat-battalion/
254th Engineer Combat Battalion - The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army
In December 1944, the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge came as a rude awakening to the American forces who believed the war to be all but won. The Germans surprised and overwhelmed several units. Among the American units that played a key role in fighting the Germans in …
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PO1 Steve Mitchell
SGT (Join to see) I remember seeing a documentary on the Engineers in the Bulge, I do remember that the guys they sent to blow the bridges were inexperienced and mainly construction Engineers. They were aware of the Malmedy massacre and were doing everything they could to screw with Peiper's Panzers.
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