Snafu

During a conflict, things often happen that are out of your control, and it's pretty frightening to realize many of these unexpected turns can end up getting you or your allies killed. This was especially the case during World War II, as communication options available to both soldiers and military brass alike were much less advanced than today. This film shows how things in a warzone are not always as they appear, and how things don't always get accomplished the way you think they will. The film starts with an American GMC truck trying to get food supplies to a group of GIs at the front. The convoy is tired and starting to wonder if the map they're reading is even accurate, but they push forward regardless of the danger since men are counting on them. We then see a group of soldiers underneath a tree, keeping an eye out for Germans looking to ambush them. One of them, a corporal, talks about inefficient situations during wartime such as logistical delays. The GI says how war is always going to be unpredictable and plans can always go wrong. An officer then takes over the narration and says how right he is. Sometimes men might receive orders to move to a certain coordinate only to be told to retreat the way they came a few hours later. From the point of view of a soldier, this seems really stupid and pointless, but that is because one soldier is a very small part of a country's overall strategy. From the perspective of someone like a colonel or general, moving troops, vehicles, and entire armies around the battlefield is necessary and where forces are sent is based on rapidly changing battle circumstances. Because your enemy is constantly moving and trying to outsmart you, you must do the same (or at least try to), and ww2 was no doubt a fast paced war based around quick advances. Next, the narrator says how sometimes soldiers pinned down in unfavorable situations against the enemy will often requisition something like a tank or even an airstrike to help even the odds, but again, due to constantly shifting priorities, tanks and planes are not always on call: you will find yourself needing to improvise. This doesn't mean that vehicle pilots are taking the day off, of course. The tanks and aircraft are fighting somewhere, but in war, you cannot be strong absolutely everywhere. Choosing where and when to deploy game changing things like tanks is what separates average officers from good officers. Of course, trying to deal with the enemy himself is only half the battle: another obstacle is the terrain. Being tasked with doing whatever is necessary to proceed forward, this might mean a bridge has to be assembled. Engineers work tirelessly to assemble one, but once the bridge is ready, so is a german dive bomber. Now troops have no choice but to wade through waist high water, while more often than not under heavy attack. The film then shows how during war, information is power, and the more you have of it, the better off you will be. If you can tell exactly where the enemy is or what's his next move, you'll rarely be caught off guard. The problem is, information that was acquired a few hours ago (or even a few minutes ago) can already be outdated, and an otherwise well planned assault can be rendered worthless. We see an aerial photograph of a wooded area that american forces plan to utilize in order to ambush a Nazi position unseen. However, just a few hours later, a german plane set fire to this entire area with incendiaries: the forest no longer exists. Finally, the view changes back to the 3 GIs under the tree. One of the soldiers questions why they're ordered to hold position in such a quiet location with nothing going on, but just then, enemy soldiers come into view and they attack them, proving the vicious unpredictability of war. This was a good short. Not just in the context of ww2, but a lot of the things it mentions even apply to daily life. Nothing is guaranteed and anything can happen. When the time comes, you will deal with it because you have no choice. Like Eisenhower apparently said, "no plan survives contact with the enemy." No matter how well thought out you think your tactics are, there's always going to be something unexpected.