Page 118 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
proactive use of non-kinetic capabilities such as information dominance
and influence.

The essence of the principle of offensive action is that even when forced
to adopt a defensive posture, the defensive battle itself can succeed only
when it reverts to the offensive. One great advantage of the offensive
is that the attacking commander has the initiative and gains liberty of
action. Even if he is weaker than the enemy in the overall confrontment
is, he can attain numerical superiority at his selected point of attack.

The principle of Offensive Action was used effectively
throughout Operation OVERLORD, in the physical
dimension of the attack and in the mind set.

After the war, Goering noted: “Under Allied destructive
pounding, the Luftwaffe had declined to a sad state by
D-Day. The fact was that in this state, to send his bombers
to battle with the enormously superior Allied Air Force
would have been frank suicide and he chose to nurse
them cautiously for night mine-laying operations off the
beaches which might hamper the build-up.”

‘General Eisenhower was up and down the line like a
football coach, exhorting everyone to aggressive action.
He constantly urged his commanders to ask for full air
support in their drives. He demanded strong pressure
against the Germans at all times to keep the front in
motion.’ The enemy lost the initiative and was forced into
a defensive posture.

The German General Warlimont (Deputy Chief of the
Armed Forces Staff) said: “If you ask why the German Air
Force did not bomb the places where you landed more
effectively, the answer is that they were unable to break
through your defences in order to find and hit the targets
at all.”

100 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea