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The Reference Desk => History and Tall Tales => Topic started by: BanzaiCat on March 20, 2019, 05:00:41 PM

Title: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 20, 2019, 05:00:41 PM
March 20

1413 - Henry IV of England is succeeded by his son Bob48 Henry V.

1739 - In India, Nadir Shah of Persia occupies Delhi and takes possession of the Peacock throne.

1760 - The Great Fire of Boston destroys 349 buildings.

1792 - In Paris, the Legislative Assembly approves the use of the guillotine.

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte enters Paris and begins his 100-day rule.

1841 - Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, considered the first detective story, is published.

1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is published.

1906 - Army officers in Russia mutiny at Sevastopol.

1915 - The French call off the Champagne offensive on the Western Front.

1918 - The Bolsheviks of the Soviet Union ask for American aid to rebuild their army.

1922 - President Warren G. Harding orders U.S. troops back from the Rhineland.

1932 - The German dirigible, Graf Zepplin, makes the first flight to South America on a regular schedule.

1939 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt names William O. Douglas to the Supreme Court.

1940 - The British Royal Air Force conducts an all-night air raid on the Nazi airbase at Sylt, Germany.

1943 - The Allies attack Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's forces on the Mareth Line in North Africa.

1965 - President Lyndon B. Johnson orders 4,000 troops to protect the Selma-Montgomery civil rights marchers.

1969 - Senator Edward Kennedy calls on the United States to close all bases in Taiwan.

1976 - Patty Hearst is convicted of armed robbery.

1982 - U.S. scientists return from Antarctica with the first land mammal fossils found there.

1987 - The United States approves AZT, a drug that is proven to slow the progression of AIDS.

Born on March 20

43 - Ovid, Roman poet.

1811 - Napoleon II, son of Napoleon Bonaparte, Duke of Reichstadt.

1828 - Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist (Peer Gynt, Hedda Gabler).

1904 - B.F. Skinner, American psychologist.

1917 - Dame Vera Lynn , British singer.

1922 - Raymond Walter Goulding, Radio comedian of Bob and Ray fame.

1925 - John Ehrlichman, White House adviser to President Nixon.

1928 - Fred Rogers, television performer (Mr. Roger's Neighborhood).
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on March 20, 2019, 05:10:09 PM

Bob XLVIII was a terrible king.

Vera Lynn is 102 years old today. :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 20, 2019, 07:32:26 PM
March 20

1413 - Henry IV of England is succeeded by his son Bob48 Henry V.

1739 - In India, Nadir Shah of Persia occupies Delhi and takes possession of the Peacock throne.

1760 - The Great Fire of Boston destroys 349 buildings.

1792 - In Paris, the Legislative Assembly approves the use of the guillotine.

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte enters Paris and begins his 100-day rule.

1841 - Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, considered the first detective story, is published.

1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is published.

1906 - Army officers in Russia mutiny at Sevastopol.

1915 - The French call off the Champagne offensive on the Western Front.

1918 - The Bolsheviks of the Soviet Union ask for American aid to rebuild their army.

1922 - President Warren G. Harding orders U.S. troops back from the Rhineland.

1932 - The German dirigible, Graf Zepplin, makes the first flight to South America on a regular schedule.

1939 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt names William O. Douglas to the Supreme Court.

1940 - The British Royal Air Force conducts an all-night air raid on the Nazi airbase at Sylt, Germany.

1943 - The Allies attack Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's forces on the Mareth Line in North Africa.

1965 - President Lyndon B. Johnson orders 4,000 troops to protect the Selma-Montgomery civil rights marchers.

1969 - Senator Edward Kennedy calls on the United States to close all bases in Taiwan.

1976 - Patty Hearst is convicted of armed robbery.

1982 - U.S. scientists return from Antarctica with the first land mammal fossils found there.

1987 - The United States approves AZT, a drug that is proven to slow the progression of AIDS.

Born on March 20

43 - Ovid, Roman poet.

1811 - Napoleon II, son of Napoleon Bonaparte, Duke of Reichstadt.

1828 - Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist (Peer Gynt, Hedda Gabler).

1904 - B.F. Skinner, American psychologist.

1917 - Dame Vera Lynn , British singer.

1922 - Raymond Walter Goulding, Radio comedian of Bob and Ray fame.

1925 - John Ehrlichman, White House adviser to President Nixon.

1928 - Fred Rogers, television performer (Mr. Roger's Neighborhood).

1971 - Mirth, drunk podcaster

updated
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: trailrunner on March 20, 2019, 09:26:22 PM
Born on March 20


1971 - Mirth, drunk podcaster




  :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on March 20, 2019, 11:11:47 PM
Is that really count as history or just an everyday thing?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 21, 2019, 06:42:09 PM
March 21

630 - Heraclius restores the True Cross, which he has recaptured from the Persians.

1556 - Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is burned at the stake at Oxford after retracting the last of seven recantations that same day.

1617 - Pocahontas (Rebecca Rolfe) dies of either small pox or pneumonia while in England with her husband, John Rolfe.

1788 - Almost the entire city of New Orleans, Louisiana, is destroyed by fire.

1806 - Lewis and Clark begin their trip home after an 8,000 mile trek of the Mississippi basin and the Pacific Coast.

1851 - Emperor Tu Duc orders that Christian priests are to put to death.

1858 - British forces in India lift the siege of Lucknow, ending the Indian Mutiny.

1865 - The Battle of Bentonville, N.C. ends, marking the last Confederate attempt to stop Union General William Sherman.

1906 - Ohio passes a law that prohibits hazing by fraternities.

1908 - Frenchman Henri Farman carries a passenger in a bi-plane for the first time.

1910 - The U.S. Senate grants ex-President Teddy Roosevelt an annual pension of $10,000.

1918 - The Germans launch the 'Michael' offensive, better remembered as the First Battle of the Somme.

1928 - President Calvin Coolidge presents the Congressional Medal of Honor to Charles Lindbergh, a captain in the US Army Air Corps Reserve, for making the first solo trans-Atlantic flight. On June 11, 1927, Lindbergh had received the first Distinguished Flying Cross ever awarded.

1939 - Singer Kate Smith records "God Bless America" for Victor Records.

1941 - The last Italian post in East Libya, North Africa, falls to the British.

1951 - Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall reports that the U.S. military has doubled to 2.9 million since the start of the Korean War.

1963 - Alcatraz Island, the federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, California, closes.

1965 - The United States launches Ranger 9, last in a series of unmanned lunar explorations.

1971 - Two U.S. platoons in Vietnam refuse their orders to advance.

1975 - As North Vietnamese forces advance, Hue and other northern towns in South Vietnam are evacuated.

1980 - President Jimmy Carter announces to the U.S. Olympic Team that they will not participate in the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow as a boycott against Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

1984 - A Soviet submarine crashes into the USS Kitty Hawk off the coast of Japan.

Born on March 21

1685 - Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer.

1806 - Benito Juarez, President of Mexico.

1869 - Florenz Ziegfeld, producer, creator of Ziegfeld Follies.

1869 - Albert Kahn, architect who originated modern factory design.

1885 - Raoul Lufbery, French-born American fighter pilot of World War I.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 22, 2019, 10:52:33 AM
Exxon Valdez spill was 30 years ago this weekend


https://twitter.com/AP_Images/status/1109078868743344129
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on March 22, 2019, 11:11:16 AM
Which gave us St Joe from Waterworld....
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on March 22, 2019, 11:58:36 AM
And Kevin Costner with gills.  ???
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 25, 2019, 09:12:38 AM
March 25

708 - Constantine begins his reign as Catholic Pope.

1634 - Lord Baltimore founds the Catholic colony of Maryland.

1655 - Puritans jail Governor Stone after a military victory over Catholic forces in the colony of Maryland.

1668 - The first horse race in America takes place.

1776 - The Continental Congress authorizes a medal for General George Washington.

1807 - British Parliament abolishes the slave trade.

1813 - The frigate USS Essex flies the first U.S. flag in battle in the Pacific.

1865 - Confederate forces capture Fort Stedman, during the siege of Petersburg, Va.

1879 - Japan invades the kingdom of Liuqiu (Ryukyu) Islands, formerly a vassal of China.

1905 - Rebel battle flags that were captured during the American Civil War are returned to the South.

1911 - A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, a sweatshop in New York City, claims the lives of 146 workers.

1915 - The first submarine disaster occurs when a U.S. F-4 sinks off the Hawaiian coast.

1919 - The Paris Peace Commission adopts a plan to protect nations from the influx of foreign labor.

1931 - Fifty people are killed in riots that break out in India. Mahatma Gandhi was one of many people assaulted.

1940 - The United States agrees to give Britain and France access to all American warplanes.

1941 - Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers.

1953 - The USS Missouri fires on targets at Kojo, North Korea, the last time her guns fire until the Persian Gulf War of 1992.

1954 - RCA manufactures its first color TV set and begins mass production.

1957 - The European Common Market Treaty is signed in Rome. The goal is to create a common market for all products--especially coal and steel.

1965 - Martin Luther King Jr. leads a group of 25,000 to the state capital in Montgomery, Ala.

1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage a bed-in for peace in Amsterdam.

1970 - The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight.

1975 - Hue is lost and Da Nang is endangered by North Vietnamese forces. The United States orders a refugee airlift to remove those in danger.

1981 - The U.S. Embassy in San Salvador is damaged when gunmen attack, firing rocket propelled grenades and machine guns.

1986 - President Ronald Reagan orders emergency aid for the Honduran army. U.S. helicopters take Honduran troops to the Nicaraguan border.

Born Today

1767 - Joachim Murat, Napoleon's brother-in-law who became King of Naples in 1808.

1797 - John Winebrenner, U.S. clergyman who founded the Church of God.

1839 - William Bell Wait, educator of the blind.

1867 - Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore.

1868 - Arturo Toscanini, Italian conductor.

1906 - Alan John Percivale Taylor, English historian.

1908 - David Lean, British film director (Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia).

1925 - (Mary) Flannery O'Connor, novelist and short story writer.

1934 - Gloria Steinem, political activist, editor.

1942 - Aretha Franklin, American singer, the "Queen of Soul."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on March 25, 2019, 12:13:49 PM
Born today

1965 - Vance Strickland, engineer, creator of black hole machine that devoured the earth in 2020
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on March 25, 2019, 12:14:58 PM
Happy Birthday you earth destroying black hole creating thing you!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on March 25, 2019, 12:29:28 PM
Born today

1965 - Vance Strickland, engineer, creator of black hole machine that devoured the earth in 2020


 :party: :party: :party: :party: :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on March 25, 2019, 12:35:53 PM
Happy Birthday you earth destroying black hole creating thing you!  :bigthumb:

+100  :bigthumb: :groovy: :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 25, 2019, 08:01:59 PM
Happy birthday ya nutty Canuck! :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on March 25, 2019, 08:15:16 PM
Happy Burpday man!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 26, 2019, 07:43:35 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1110506733649252352
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on March 26, 2019, 10:14:28 AM
 :applause: :applause: :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 26, 2019, 10:21:54 AM
The Iwo Jima battle fascinates me. Especially how B-29 operations were being carried out from its airfields while the island was still being cleared.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on March 26, 2019, 10:25:52 AM
The Iwo Jima battle fascinates me. Especially how B-29 operations were being carried out from its airfields while the island was still being cleared.

Yes, I agree with you, it is a fascinating battle, and one of the few pacific battles that I have read much about; the other being Okinawa, the naval aspect of which is incredible in term of the way logistics were handled - the USN did an outstanding job.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 26, 2019, 10:52:17 AM
It is fascinating, but not really something I'd want to game.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 26, 2019, 11:58:55 AM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1110570906269769730
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 26, 2019, 12:11:17 PM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1110574390121586688
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on March 26, 2019, 01:06:53 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1110570906269769730 (https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1110570906269769730)


and it definitively brought lasting peace to the most troubled spot in the world
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 26, 2019, 01:10:55 PM
No one's done better in the region since.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 26, 2019, 01:53:42 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1110600106666086401
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on April 01, 2019, 10:57:36 AM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1112730196866711552
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on April 01, 2019, 07:54:35 PM
If I could buy a Gremlin in good condition for $1879 now I'd do it in a heartbeat. Same goes for an AMC Pacer, Mustang 2, Datsun B210 (hatchback or Honeybee), and especially any Pinto with that Ford of Germany V-6. Those may have been crappy little cars but they got my friends and me around back when we were teens and early 20-somethings. Toyotas and Subarus were there too but they were a step up.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on April 01, 2019, 07:56:40 PM
What about a Yugo?  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: trailrunner on April 01, 2019, 08:34:56 PM
If I could buy a Gremlin in good condition for $1879 now I'd do it in a heartbeat. Same goes for an AMC Pacer, Mustang 2, Datsun B210 (hatchback or Honeybee), and especially any Pinto with that Ford of Germany V-6. Those may have been crappy little cars but they got my friends and me around back when we were teens and early 20-somethings. Toyotas and Subarus were there too but they were a step up.

Those cars bring back memories.  I took driver's education in a Pinto.  My best friend in HS had a Datsun B210 from the mid-70s.  I dated a girl who had a Mustang 2.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 01, 2019, 10:50:49 PM
I had a '77 Pinto with a V-6 in it. Damn, it was pretty and would run like a gazelle but with all that engine in so little a space, you had to take the whole engine out just to change the damn spark plugs. I spent a fortune keeping that thing running.  :thumbdown:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on April 14, 2019, 07:05:46 AM
https://twitter.com/probingthepast/status/1117382816776454144
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 14, 2019, 09:02:18 AM
What about a Yugo?  :whistle:


That was over 10 years later.  Those didn't hit the US until the mid-80s when I was over in Germany
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 14, 2019, 03:11:39 PM
To be fair, the Titanic struck the iceberg not the other way around. Though I did hear the iceberg started it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on April 18, 2019, 11:54:36 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1118905467772731392
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on April 22, 2019, 12:06:33 PM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1120357929574703105
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on April 24, 2019, 11:45:40 AM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1121077371174572038
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on April 24, 2019, 12:30:19 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1121077371174572038

The next day it was discovered that it needed a contact lens to see.  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 24, 2019, 02:29:10 PM
Right, that's what pissed off Thanos to begin with, us spying on him.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 25, 2019, 08:55:08 AM
https://twitter.com/pptsapper/status/1121392519290544130

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on April 26, 2019, 02:37:49 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1121845046049955841
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 26, 2019, 07:43:38 PM
For the next 6 months anytime someone had a red gummy bear we called them Chernobyl bears
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on May 01, 2019, 11:04:08 AM
https://twitter.com/barefootboomer/status/1123602988097003521
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 02, 2019, 08:05:41 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1123916344674652160
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on May 02, 2019, 08:23:17 AM
^Wow, some of the comments to that tweet...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on May 02, 2019, 11:48:49 AM
That IS pretty sad. I just read a new biography of Jackson and he clearly was NOT fighting to preserve slavery nor was he a traitor. He also wasn't killed by the bullet that hit him. As he was being carried off the field on a stretcher, he was dropped and apparently injured his ribs and possibly his lungs too. This only became apparent later when he was convalescing and developed pneumonia and possibly blood clots in his lungs. If that was the case, he could not have survived the injury despite what happened to his left arm.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on May 02, 2019, 07:33:26 PM
16 years ago today, President Bush declared "mission accomplished"

https://www.wcvb.com/article/today-in-history-may-1-george-w-bush-announces-major-combat-ended-in-iraq/27332044
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 06, 2019, 12:11:07 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1125428448367919104
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on May 06, 2019, 12:21:43 PM
^And I still haven't seen it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 06, 2019, 12:24:30 PM
watched it a million times as a kid
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 06, 2019, 02:28:41 PM
https://twitter.com/MissedinHistory/status/1125414933510983682
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 07, 2019, 09:12:44 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1125748461377347584
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on May 07, 2019, 07:43:00 PM
watched it a million times as a kid

ALL FOR SALE ALL FOR SALE*

*me during the Legion Wargames sale
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 07, 2019, 07:44:04 PM
watched it a million times as a kid

ALL FOR SALE ALL FOR SALE*

*me during the Legion Wargames sale

 :ROFL:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on May 07, 2019, 07:45:49 PM
It's funny, that's the ONLY line from Doctor Detroit I can remember. But I can't find it in YouTube anywhere.

That and Dan Akroyd power walking in the beginning. I saw it plenty of times myself but don't remember any of the movie...I doubt it's on Netflix nor Prime though.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 07, 2019, 07:46:44 PM
I'm gonna find it and buy it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on May 07, 2019, 07:49:56 PM
LOL

$23 for a Blu-Ray

$6 for a DVD ;D

https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Detroit-Blu-ray-Dan-Aykroyd/dp/B078X9BG82/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=doctor+detroit&qid=1557272949&s=gateway&sr=8-2
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 22, 2019, 01:13:09 PM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1131245915753373696
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on May 22, 2019, 03:50:34 PM
"Routed" Is a very strong word. I thought Napoleon was actually winning this fight but decided to withdraw back over the Danube to regroup for another try in a month.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 04, 2019, 09:28:47 AM
https://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/1135867914731630593
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 04, 2019, 11:30:53 AM
I actually thought it was the 5th of June Rome was liberated. But the 4th will work.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on June 04, 2019, 08:19:59 PM
https://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/1135867914731630593

I actually thought it was the 5th of June Rome was liberated. But the 4th will work.  :bigthumb:

Oh to be a fly on the wall at OKW:

Monday 6/5/44

"Look! Ze Allies, zey haf liberated Rome!"
"Oh Sheisse!"

Tuesday 6/6/44

'Look! Ze Allies, zey haf landed in France!"
"Oh Sheisse!"

Talk about the start of a lousy week...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 04, 2019, 11:23:19 PM
Meanwhile at Stavka, "Damn! We haven't even gotten to Minsk yet".  :steamed:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 05, 2019, 11:44:45 AM
Short thread, worth clicking thru

https://twitter.com/pptsapper/status/1136280545711874053
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 05, 2019, 03:46:03 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1136358309185949697
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 06, 2019, 08:13:04 AM
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1136152978203783168
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 06, 2019, 04:06:07 PM
Brave men all.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 07, 2019, 10:50:25 AM
that's just my eyes sweating


https://twitter.com/DonutOperator/status/1136676068830658560
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on June 07, 2019, 11:02:16 PM
that's just my eyes sweating


https://twitter.com/DonutOperator/status/1136676068830658560

I kept it together until the "we were all boys" bit at the end... 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 18, 2019, 10:27:13 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1140988831392587777
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 18, 2019, 02:32:49 PM
That Blucher! He knew how to make an entrance.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 18, 2019, 04:45:21 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1141083983905796096
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on June 18, 2019, 07:44:01 PM
https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/status/1141083983905796096

That MiG-31 looked way cooler than the real one.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 18, 2019, 11:33:11 PM
LOVED that movie when I saw it in the theater so much I completely forgot about going for a cheap 'feel' of my date.  :D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 19, 2019, 11:11:39 AM
LOVED that movie when I saw it in the theater so much I completely forgot about going for a cheap 'feel' of my date.  :D


I'm sure your wife was relieved  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 19, 2019, 07:46:22 PM
She sure was because it wasn't her. Oh, wait.... forget I just said that.  :-X
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 19, 2019, 09:00:46 PM
This is a fun read

https://twitter.com/CivilWarHumor/status/1141466536634224640
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 25, 2019, 12:31:52 PM
https://twitter.com/Battlefields/status/1143557141866958848
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 25, 2019, 11:22:45 PM
Or as the Sioux used to call him, "Yellow Hair Standing in Yellow Puddle Around Boots". I think it was kind of an Indian inside joke.  :hehe:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 01, 2019, 09:22:53 AM
https://twitter.com/landofthe80/status/1145681222468800512
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 01, 2019, 11:31:40 AM
Those guys should've NEVER gotten rid of all those ghosts, they'd still have jobs today. You'd think it's NYC and they could transition to giant NY Sewer Rats but no, I guess not. Thanks for the funny memories A Team.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 03, 2019, 07:38:37 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1146381858101506049
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 06, 2019, 12:03:19 PM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1147535832263331840
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 06, 2019, 04:39:37 PM
 :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 06, 2019, 11:06:14 PM
I was there. She was 10 min. late.  :tickedoff:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 16, 2019, 02:00:35 PM
This is awesome

https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 16, 2019, 03:26:05 PM
This is awesome

https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/ (https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/)

just found out today that Andy Martin's dad worked on Apollo 11 and was in the control room while it was in the air
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 16, 2019, 11:19:23 PM
You guys MUST have your dates wrong. I watched the moon landing on TV and it cannot have been 50 years ago I sat there in my Popeye the Sailorman jamies, in my Davy Crockett tent, drinking my Ovaltine chocolate milk while eating a box of Animal Crackers and drawing it all on Etch-A-Sketch. Can it?  :worried:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 17, 2019, 08:37:55 AM
it cannot have been 50 years ago


My parents hadn't met yet.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 17, 2019, 11:42:02 AM
Bet they were thinking about you though.  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 17, 2019, 06:22:05 PM
I was about 5 years old. I barely remember watching it on a small black&white TV in the first home my parents bought (not rented) after we emigrated to the US from the Netherlands.

My dad actually filmed us watching the landing in the dining room and we had that home movie for many years, watching it at the holidays along with the rest of our family celluloid memories.

I have no idea where that film ended up. It seems to have disappeared somewhere in the fogs of the 80's.  :(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on July 18, 2019, 02:16:29 AM
it cannot have been 50 years ago


My parents hadn't met yet.

Neither had mine (they were in college). 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 22, 2019, 06:59:24 AM
This is awesome

https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/ (https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/)


(https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/moon_landing.png)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 22, 2019, 09:08:51 AM
A lot of people have called attention to the fact that Buzz Aldrin's travel voucher for his mission to the moon netted him all of $33 and change.

Personally, I get a kick out of the first column where he traveled by "Gov. Air" and really, really wish he'd filled out the "Agent's Valuation of Ticket" and the "Mode, Class of Service, and Accommodations" columns
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 22, 2019, 03:48:04 PM
Too bad he didn't get, 'mileage'.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 22, 2019, 04:20:33 PM
Too bad he didn't get, 'mileage'.


you don't get it when you fly Gov Air.  All he got was the per diem for travel days where he was (presumably) feeding himself  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 22, 2019, 07:47:45 PM
I hope he at least got to adjust out his time worked when he got back.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 29, 2019, 10:05:49 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1155841410861608960
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on July 29, 2019, 10:51:30 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1155841410861608960

And in 25 more days he would go on to sign the Federal Aviation Act that would create the FAA. Of course, the CAA had already been around since 1938.  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on August 01, 2019, 08:47:34 AM
https://twitter.com/USArmyCMH/status/1156907482066948096
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 01, 2019, 03:19:23 PM
And Patton slapped somebody to celebrate.  :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 07, 2019, 07:28:16 PM
Today in 1942, the First Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal.
In 480 BC, Thermopylae may have occurred.  (Some question about the date.)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 13, 2019, 07:19:17 AM
 Spain's Missed Strategic Options in 1898

Spain did badly in its war with the United States in 1898. She could have done better. Much better. In fact, it is difficult to disagree with the belief of many Spanish officers, including Vice-Admiral Pascual Cervera, who commanded the squadron sunk off Santiago, that their government had given little thought to strategic planning beyond the notion of losing the war quickly.

The shattering defeats inflicted upon the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay and at Santiago were both avoidable.

Had the squadron in the Philippines been dispersed, rather than concentrated at Cavite, Commodore George Dewey would not have secured so signal a victory at the very outbreak of the war. With the Spanish ships dispersed among the archipelago's seven thousand islands scattered over 100,000 square miles of ocean, they would have posed a threat - a "fleet in being" - to the safety of an American expedition to seize Manila. Dewey would have found the task of searching all those potential hiding places tedious, time consuming, and potentially dangerous, yet necessary despite the relative worthlessness of the Spanish vessels in question. It would certainly have taken months to winkle out the last of the Spanish fleet. Of course, the Philippines were a side-show. The critical theater was the Atlantic.

In the Atlantic Admiral Cervera offered a much better strategy than merely sending his squadron to the Caribbean to be sunk. The U.S. could not safely invade Cuba until the Spanish fleet had been neutralized. Cervera proposed keeping the fleet concentrated in the Canary Islands. There it would continue to pose a threat to American maritime movements and at the same time be available to intercept possible American raids on the Spanish mainland. Spain's resources were adequate for this strategy. At the start of the war Spain had four major warships in commission, three Maria Teresa class armored cruisers plus the new armored cruiser Cristobal Colon, the ships that formed the core of the squadron that Cervera took to Santiago. Had Spain adopted this strategy, these vessels would have shortly been joined by two other major warships that were soon available, the battleship Pelayo, completing a refit, and the armored cruiser Carlos V, a very powerful vessel just entering service.

Even had they remained relatively inactive, these six heavy ships concentrated in the Canary Islands and supported by the available smaller cruisers and various lighter warships could easily have proven extremely worrisome to the United States Navy, constituting a relatively powerful fleet in being. From the Canaries, one or two of the armored cruisers and some of the half dozen or so smaller cruisers could have been sent to raid U.S. maritime commerce and threaten the East Coast, already experiencing something of a panic even before Cervera's squadron actually sailed. Such a strategy would have prolonged the war in several ways.

Had Spain adopted this course of action, the U.S. Navy would have been forced to divert resources from the Caribbean to chase the Spanish commerce raiders, and guard the Atlantic coastline. An American descent on Cuba or Puerto Rico would have been delayed, due to the shortage of escorts. Given that the U.S. Army was extremely concerned about the danger of operating in the Caribbean during the fever season, a landing in Puerto Rico or Cuba might easily have been delayed until the fall, assuming a decision was made to undertake one at all, given the potential danger from the Spanish fleet in the Canaries. Indeed, precisely what the U.S. would have done in such circumstance is difficult to determine. An expedition against the Canaries was actually considered by the U.S., but only after Cervera's defeat, and primarily as a means of preventing Spain from attempting to reinforce the Philippines. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the U.S. Navy could have done much more than undertaken a massive raid, lacking the logistical train to support a more serious expedition at such distance from North America.

Assuming that Cervera's squadron was sent to the Caribbean, the Spanish Navy could have supported it by creating a new fleet in being. Even as Cervera was sailing westwards, the Spanish government had begun concentrating a second squadron at Cadiz, comprising Pelayo, Carlos V, several cruisers, and three destroyers. This squadron was supposed to escort several troop transports to the Philippines in order to wrest control from Dewey's little squadron. Had this force instead been concentrated in the Canaries after Cervera's departure for the Caribbean, it would have limited the U.S. Navy's flexibility. As it was, the potential use of this second squadron the Atlantic caused the U.S. Navy some concern until mid-May, when it became clear that the squadron was bound for the Philippines, whereupon the Navy began spreading rumors of imminent raids on Spanish soil, to convince the Spaniards to recall it.

Even the American success in capturing the outer defenses of Santiago on July 1, in the battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill, was not necessarily decisive. If, instead of essaying a sortie, Cervera had been permitted to remain in Santiago, and committed all his manpower, weapons, ammunition, and supplies to the defense, resistance might have been prolonged. As it was, the final days of the siege saw something of a race between the American ability to keep the place invested in the face of increasing disease and privation and the Spanish ability to hold out, in the face of increasing disease and privation.

Of course Cervera did sortie, and Santiago did surrender. But even these losses did not mean that Spain retained no further options. Her army in Cuba remained virtually intact despite the loss of Santiago, and the Cuban guerrillas did not pose a significant threat. Most Spanish officers in Cuba believed they could deal with an American expedition against Havana, particularly given that, following the disastrous collapse of the victorious U.S. V Corps due to fever, such an undertaking would certainly be postponed for several months. While their optimism may be questioned, there is some validity to their logic. A defeat - or even a serious reverse - before Havana might have resulted in greater American willingness to seek less than total victory.

Of course, Spain ultimately was gong to lose the war. Nevertheless, by prolonging the war, American patience would have been tried, particularly given long casualty lists from disease. A more favorable international climate might have arisen, one in which the Great Powers might have lent their good offices to a negotiated settlement. Cuba would certainly still have been lost, but the Philippines and Puerto Rico might have been salvaged.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on August 15, 2019, 08:34:45 AM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1161978362874777600
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 15, 2019, 10:10:45 AM
Played that one in TOAW 4. The Germans gave me a hell-of-a-hard-time.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on August 20, 2019, 11:17:38 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1163831822825992192
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on August 29, 2019, 08:35:16 AM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1167051791785168896
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 29, 2019, 10:47:29 AM
 :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on August 29, 2019, 11:52:54 AM
Yes, but was the harbor bottom okay?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on August 29, 2019, 06:58:19 PM
Yes, but was the harbor bottom okay?

About as well as anyone can be after someone repeatedly slams an armored cruiser into your bottom. Actually, that doesn't sound quite right, does it...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 29, 2019, 08:08:30 PM
The captain of the Memphis was the father of Ned Beach, who wrote Run Silent, Run Deep.
The son wrote a good book on the event, with lots of background on the coal fired navy.
The tsunami that caused the massive wave, was unpredicted, but it didn't save the captain for not doing enough.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 03, 2019, 07:11:53 AM

1925

The rigid airship, USS Shenandoah (ZR 1), crashes near Byesville, Ohio. There were fourteen casualties including the Commanding Officer, Lt. Zachary Lansdowne. Twenty-nine crew members survive.

1944

A PB4Y-1 Liberator plane launches to attack German submarine pens on Helgoland Island. The pilot, Lt. Ralph Spading, sets the radio controls and parachutes out of the Liberator, which is then controlled as a drone by Ensign J.M. Simpson in a PV-1.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 03, 2019, 07:30:32 PM

1925

The rigid airship, USS Shenandoah (ZR 1), crashes near Byesville, Ohio. There were fourteen casualties including the Commanding Officer, Lt. Zachary Lansdowne. Twenty-nine crew members survive.

The Shenandoah actually broke in to several pieces. The largest was the bow, which retained buoyancy and was free-ballooned to a safe landing by the remaining crew, including Commander (later admiral) Charles Rosendahl, author several books about Lighter-than-Air aviation, among them 'Up Ship'.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 04, 2019, 07:19:49 AM

1804

The ketch USS Intrepid, outfitted with a large explosive charge to destroy the enemy fleet in Tripoli harbor, is apparently intercepted while entering the harbor and is destroyed in a violent explosion. Lt. Richard Somers, commanding USS Intrepid, and his dozen volunteer officers and men perish in the mission.

1941

The German submarine U-652 attacks the destroyer USS Greer (DD 145), which is tracking the submarine southeast of Iceland. Though the destroyer is not damaged in the attack, USS Greers depth charges damage U-652. The attack leads President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue his shoot-on-sight order, directing the Navy to attack any ship threatening U.S. shipping or foreign shipping under escort.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on September 08, 2019, 10:03:10 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1170698367581790210
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 08, 2019, 11:02:56 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1170698367581790210

(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on September 08, 2019, 01:48:34 PM
https://twitter.com/Battlefields/status/1170754970695733249
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 08, 2019, 10:43:26 PM
One of the 2 places at Gettysburg I HAD to see when I was there. It didn't disappoint.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on September 09, 2019, 09:35:43 AM
I'd read Joshua Chamberlain: The Soldier and the Man some time ago to review for Wargamer (https://www.wargamer.com/reviews/joshua-chamberlain-the-soldier-and-the-man/) (yes, my article, not Scott's). Chamberlain was quite the fan of Chamberlain, but there's no disputing what the 20th Maine did that second day of Gettysburg.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 16, 2019, 09:53:38 AM
Incidents of War - Washington's Rear Guard Action at Harlem Heights

In the summer of 1776 the City of New York, second or third largest in British America at about 20,000 inhabitants, was a prosperous port on the lower end of Manhattan.   With the American Revolution in full swing, should the British capture the city, it would make an excellent strategic base for operations throughout the rebellious colonies, and at the same time permit the British to project their forces over 150 miles upriver past Albany, splitting New England off from the rest of the United Colonies.

The city had a considerable loyalist population, but the Patriot movement was firmly in control. By the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in the city, on July 9th, New York had been extensively fortified in the months since the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, and was now held by strong forces under George Washington.

The army consisted of "veteran" troops whom Washington had redeployed from Boston after the British abandoned that city in March, as well as many new recruits and the local militia. Two of the units in the army were what would today be considered special troops, a body of Rangers organized by Lt. Col. Thomas Knowlton, a veteran of the original "Roger’s Rangers" of the French and Indian War, and a company of Virginia sharpshooters armed with the Pennsylvania long rifle. In the ranks of the army were such men as Nathan Hale, a captain of the Rangers, James Monroe, a lieutenant in the Virginia Rifles, and Alexander Hamilton, who had personally financed a battery of artillery.

In addition to fortifications along the East River, on both the Manhattan and Jersey sides of the North River (as the lower Hudson was called), and on Governor's Island, Washington had also directed that Brooklyn Heights be fortified, since artillery there could dominated the southern end of Manhattan. In this way the Patriots hoped to neutralize the British naval advantage, by positioning batteries at points along the rivers where the current could cause ships to come into range and also to protect the Army's line-of-retreat from Brooklyn Heights, where the British were expected to make their first attack.

The British, led by Lord Howe and his brother Admiral Richard Howe, arrived in the Lower Bay in mid-June and quickly occupied Staten Island, establishing a base of operations. They crossed the Narrows into Brooklyn on August 22, landing at what is now Fort Hamilton, with 15,000 British troops and 5,000 Hessians. Washington positioned his force in the defenses on the Heights, with detachments thrown forward to guard approaches from the east and southeast. Howe advanced on Washington's main line with the bulk of his Army, while sending elite units on a nocturnal march east to flank the American positions. Howe's plan worked well, and after a furious fight (the largest battle of the war, in fact) Washington was forced to withdraw across the East River on the night of August 29th, having lost 900 men captured and more than 250 killed.

Despite this success, the Howe brothers dithered. Hoping to secure a negotiated settlement, they meet with a congressional delegation on September 11th. But the Howe brothers demanded complete surrender in return for pardons, and Patriot delegates John Adams and Benjamin Franklin flatly refused to surrender. So on September 15th, the British attacked Manhattan, with the Royal Navy bombarding the fortified batteries and then landing in strength at Kips Bay (near the FDR Drive at 34th Street). British light infantry and Grenadiers quickly routed Lt. Col. William Douglas' green and heavily outnumbered 5th Connecticut Militia Battalion in a series of bayonet charges. Although senior officers, including Washington, who reportedly demonstrated command of some impressive profanity, attempted to halt the panic, the militiamen fled the field, abandoning their equipment. The landing at Kips Bay exposed to capture the American forces in New York City, to the south. The American troops rushed north through what is now Central Park to escape the trap. Had the British moved promptly, more than half the American Army would have been taken. But Lord Howe delayed, choosing to consolidated his beachhead and secure the city before pursuing the Americans (reportedly an accommodating widow with Patriot sympathies may have helped matters as well, as she "entertained" the general, delaying him for a time).

By the end of September 15th, the Americans had reached the security of fortified positions along Harlem Heights (just north of 125th Street on the West Side), while the British established their advanced positions along modern-day 96th Street. 

The American position on the high ground overlooked the fields of the Harlem plain to their south. Numbering about 9,000 men, the American lines extended along the Manhattanville depression called the “Hollow Way”, a valley extending diagonally from 121st Street and Eighth Avenue to the Hudson River at 130th Street, roughly following the peculiar trace of 125th Street. In addition, some 5,000 American troops were in the Kingsbridge area of the Bronx. The troops occupying Harlem Heights were divided into three brigades under the command of Nathanael Greene, Israel Putnam, and Joseph Spencer. Lt. Col. Knowlton, then some 37 years old, and six feet tall, was there with his 120 Rangers. Washington ordered Knowlton’s Rangers to undertake a reconnaissance to explore the British position at West 104th Street and skirmish with the enemy picket line to determine their position and strength.

Initially the British were encamped along the Bloomingdale Road (today Broadway) approximately at west 96th Street, with their left wing on the Hudson River and their line extending eastward into what is now Central Park, with outposts along what is now 104th Street and a picket line manned by light infantry along 106th Street. Behind the light infantry near 96th Street, on the left flank were the Hessians, while the 42nd Highlanders (The Black Watch), the 33rd Foot, and the Grenadiers were in reserve under the command of Lord Cornwallis. In overall field commander was Howe’s second-in-command Sir Henry Clinton.

Phase 1: Ranger Probe. The Rangers left their camp near Riverside Drive and 131st Street and moved south until they encountered the British picket line. As the Rangers began trading fire with the enemy pickets, three companies of British light infantry rushed up to reinforce their line. The Rangers stood their ground, trading shot for shot for more than half an hour. The British were then reinforced by two battalions of light infantry, which raised the numbers against the 120 Rangers to over 400 men.

Lt. Col. Knowlton decided to break off the action and retire after his men had fired an average of eight rounds apiece (nearly 1,000 rounds) into the enemy. The British light infantry pursued the retreating Americans sharply. The Rangers retreated back to their lines on what is now Claremont Avenue, with the British giving chase until they climbed the hill on Riverside Drive that is now the site of Grant’s Tomb. At that time a British bugler blew out the haughty and contempt-filled notes of "Gone Away," a fox hunting call that indicates the prey was in full flight.

Phase 2: American Counterstroke. As the Rangers reached the safety of the Patriot lines, Washington's Adjutant General, Col. Joseph Reed, who had observed the fire fight, recommended that the Rangers be reinforced for a counterattack. Irked by the mocking "Gone Away" call, Washington, an avid fox hunter himself, agreed and quickly planned a counterattack that would trap the British in the Hollow Way. The plan was to deploy one force as a feint, drawing the British into the Hollow Way while a second force encircled them on their left, by slipping down the shore of the Hudson River.

To execute the plan, 150 men from the 9th (Rhode Island) Continental Infantry commanded by Lt. Col. Archibald Crary, advanced into the Hollow Way. The British light infantry took the bait and came down from the high ground. A sharp fire-fight developed, with the Americans making good use of cover to maintain a heavy fire on the British, while drawing them further up the Hollow Way, until they were in a position about where 129th Street and Broadway meet today. Then Washington’s flanking force attacked.

The flanking column, commanded by Lt. Col. Knowlton, consisted of his Rangers and three companies of riflemen from the 3rd Virginia Continentals, commanded by Maj. Andrew Leitch, Capt. William Washington, and Lt. James Monroe. Knowlton appears to have intended to advance to a rocky ledge at what is now 124th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, but the troops moved too quickly, hitting the British on the left flank rather than in their rear. During their fire fight with the Rhode Islanders, the British had adjusted their line and so prevented encirclement. Thus, when the Rangers and Virginians opened fire, the British stood their ground. Despite the death of Lt. Col. Knowlton and wounding of Maj. Leitch (who would later die), the Rangers and Virginians pressed their assault, as the Rhode Islanders attacked along the British front. Heavily pressed, the British light infantry gave ground.

Phase 3: Pursuit. As the British began retreating, the American foxes began nipping at their heels. As they fell back, to the vicinity of what is now Barnard College, the British light infantry called for reinforcements. Sir Henry Clinton quickly dispatched Lord Cornwallis and all of his reserves (the 33rd Foot, 42nd Highlanders, the Hessian and English Grenadiers, and a German Jäger company), as well as two pieces of field artillery, nearly 2,000 men. Washington also committed reinforcements including several companies of troops from Maryland, six additional companies from Nathanael Greene’s brigade, and even Lt. Col. Douglas’ 5th Connecticut Militia, who had fled at Kips Bay.

Soon nearly 4,000 men, both sides together, were heavily engaged under a hot sun on a hill in a cornfield between 116th Street and 120th Street along Broadway, now the site of Columbia University. Both sides delivered a furious storm of musket, rifle, and cannon fire. Although the British held their lines, the American fire was so fierce that the British regiments were unable to sustain their favorite tactic, the bayonet charge. The American militia who had fled the British and their bayonets days before now stood their ground and returned fire firmly. The fighting continued for two hours as both sides sustained the fire fight on the hilltop, a site today commemorated by a plaque on the Columbia University wall, just above 116th Street. The Americans pressed the British until they began to give way and fall back. Covered by the Highlanders and Jägers, the English retired to their original positions between 96th street and 104th street. Washington, fearing that Howe would order more reserves into action and undertake a counterattack of his own, recalled his men to their original positions to prepare for a possible renewal of the battle.

The long day of combat was over. Casualties were high. The British and their German allies had lost perhaps 15 percent of the troops committed, about 90 killed or mortally wounded plus perhaps 300 less seriously injured, while the Americans had lost about 10 percent, 30 killed or mortally wounded and about 100 others

Afterwards. Little remembered today, the Battle of Harlem Heights, one of the hottest fights in the Revolutionary War, provided an important boost to American morale, seriously harmed by the loss of New York City. Washington's first battlefield victory, it had demonstrated his ability to seize opportunities when they presented themselves, and to formulate and execute sound plans quickly. For the British, the battle dispelled the notion that the Americans would fold quickly.

--Richard Van Nort
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 26, 2019, 07:28:52 AM
America’s Biggest Battle

Probably most people would name the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and early 1945 as America’s greatest battle.  The Bulge, however, is only the second biggest battle in American history.  America’s biggest battle occurred a generation earlier, only about 60 miles southeast of where the Bulge unfolded, the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne, in 1918.
Battles Compared
   Meuse-Argonne   The Bulge
   Sep 26-Nov 11, ‘18   Dec 16, ‘44-Jan 16, ‘45
Days    47                            32
US *    1.26 million    1.0 million
Enemy    0.47 million    0.5 million
US Loses         
   Dead    26,277  (559/day)    c. 10,275 (321/day)
   Wound    95,786    c. 47,500
   Missing    c. 5,000**    c. 23,000***
* Figures exclude Allied troops.
** Some captured, most later declared kia.
*** Mostly captured, some later declared kia.

During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the average daily number of American battle deaths, 559, exceeded the daily average of battle deaths suffered by the French Army during the 302 day Battle of Verdun (Feb. 21-Dec. 19, 1916), about 530.

The primacy of the Meuse-Argonne extends even to materiél expended; nearly 2,500 American and French artillery pieces expended four million rounds in support of the offensive. This came to nearly 50,000 a day, the greatest barrage in American history.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 26, 2019, 07:35:55 AM
Very Interesting. I was not aware of that fact.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 26, 2019, 12:02:53 PM
I've read about it but wasn't aware of all the numbers involved. Truly a massive, and decisive as I recall, battle/campaign. Thanks for the post.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 01, 2019, 08:04:07 AM
In 1880, John Philip Sousa becomes leader of the Marine Corps band.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 03, 2019, 06:24:14 AM
Quote
Black Hawk Down. The crew of Super Six-Four in Somalia in 1993: Winn Mahuron, Tommy Field, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, Mike Durant.


One of my ROTC classmates lost her husband that day.  SFC Earl Fillmore was one of the Delta guys (and one of the youngest E7s in the Army).  His wife, Felicia, was finishing her degree at NC State after going back to college on a 2yr Green-to-Gold scholarship, and had completed all her ROTC training the year before I did.  Might pull up the movie today in the office and rewatch it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 03, 2019, 09:02:42 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1179743150497136641
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 04, 2019, 11:36:41 AM
October 4, 1883.  First run of the Orient Express.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 06, 2019, 08:37:28 AM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1180822522822045696
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 06, 2019, 11:33:02 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1180712789284753409
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 08, 2019, 07:42:09 AM
On October 3, 1943, Aircraft from USS Ranger sank five German ships and damaged three more in Operation Leader, the only U.S. Navy carrier operation in northern European waters during World War II. Defying enemy shore batteries and warships lurking in Norwegian waters, a combined United States and British naval force that included a strongly escorted American aircraft carrier, struck a surprise blow at German merchant shipping in the Norwegian “leads” or inner waterways in the Bodoe area. German naval units in Norway, where the powerful battleship Tirpitz was lying in a fjord somewhere northeast of Trondheim, refusing to accept the obvious challenge to come out and fight. The only opposition was by enemy anti-aircraft fire and by two German planes, both of which were destroyed by fighters that took off from the American carrier, USS Ranger. Three planes from the carrier were shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 08, 2019, 07:47:05 AM
Now that is interesting. Its an operation I had not heard of before.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on October 08, 2019, 02:48:41 PM
Now that is interesting. Its an operation I had not hear of before.  :bigthumb:

Same.  I wasn't aware of *any* Allied carrier operations in the European theater (until now).  Thanks for sharing, besilarius! 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 08, 2019, 03:02:32 PM
Same.  I wasn't aware of *any* Allied carrier operations in the European theater (until now).  Thanks for sharing, besilarius!


I knew there was some in support of Operation Torch, but didn't know about this one
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 08, 2019, 03:07:56 PM
We had to do something with Ranger. She wasn't suitable for operations in the Pacific.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 08, 2019, 07:27:20 PM
That couldn't have been the original Ranger could it? Wasn't she sunk in 1941? I remember the U.S.S. Wasp was in one of the Malta runs in the Med.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on October 08, 2019, 07:44:54 PM
That couldn't have been the original Ranger could it? Wasn't she sunk in 1941? I remember the U.S.S. Wasp was in one of the Malta runs in the Med.

That was the USS Langley (CV-1), sunk by Japanese bombers in 42. Ranger (CV-4) stayed in the Atlantic and survived the war.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 08, 2019, 07:45:50 PM
Ranger made it through the war and was scrapped in '47. She was small and too slow to operate effectively in the Pacific. Too many compromises were made to fit her in under the Washington Treaty restrictions.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on October 08, 2019, 07:56:25 PM
I'm not sure it was the Treaty that was the problem. Her immediate predecessors, Saratoga and Lexington, were heavy cruisers that exceeded the treaty restrictions and were thus repurposed into CVs. Ranger was designed from the start to be a carrier. At that time the Navy still wasn't quite sure what it wanted and skimped too much, not realizing that eventually carriers would be the new battlewagons that set the pace for the rest of the fleet.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 08, 2019, 08:00:55 PM
I'm not sure it was the Treaty that was the problem. Her immediate predecessors, Saratoga and Lexington, were heavy cruisers that exceeded the treaty restrictions and were thus repurposed into CVs. Ranger was designed from the start to be a carrier. At that time the Navy still wasn't quite sure what it wanted and skimped too much, not realizing that eventually carriers would be the new battlewagons that set the pace for the rest of the fleet.

The treaty was the problem due to the tonnage limits. There was only so much tonnage left for new carriers after Sara and Lex were built. The Navy opted to try for more small carriers rather than a few big ones. Compromises were made in the Ranger design as a result.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on October 08, 2019, 08:11:11 PM
I see what you mean.

I just reviewed the Treaty and it says that each nation could convert two capital ships of up to 33,000 tons to CVs but that the following CVs would be restricted to 27,000 tons. Small flat tops of 10,000 or less didn't count and neither did any already existing ones such as Langley. That would explain Saratoga and Lexington as the USN's two big 'gimmes'.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 08, 2019, 08:24:25 PM
The treaty limits led to some interesting design choices.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 08, 2019, 11:14:49 PM
Thanks guys.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 14, 2019, 01:08:22 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1183791324757024768
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 15, 2019, 09:09:46 AM
1943         British Adm. Sir Andrew Cunningham is appointed First Sea Lord of the Admiralty and Chief of the Naval Staff (1943-1946)

An aside on ABC:

The Night the War Ended

Although a pacifist, during World War II, Nicholas Monsarrat (1910-1979), a promising young novelist, decided to do his bit to defeat Hitler. Being an avid yachtsman, he promptly joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Commissioned a sub-lieutenant, Monsarrat saw service in corvettes during the most desperate days of the Battle of the Atlantic. Proving a capable officer, he was promoted with unusual speed for a temporary reservist. By war’s end, having commanded successively a corvette, a frigate, and an escort group, and helped conduct numerous convoys across the ocean, he had risen to captain, and was serving on the staff of the Admiralty in London.

With the formal surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, a carnival atmosphere quickly developed in London. By chance, Monsarrat was the Duty Captain in the Admiralty that night, assigned to stand watch in the command center. He arrived at the Admiralty at 9:00 p.m., by which time perhaps a million happy people were crowded into central London. From his post, Monsarrat could hear the cheers and singing of the crowds outside the historic Admiralty building, which had seen many a similar crowd celebrating Britain’s victories since it had been completed in 1726. As he would later write, “On a guilty impulse I deserted my post” to take in the scene. He made his way to the top of the great stone arch which marks the formal entrance to the Admiralty.

From the top of Admiralty Arch, Monsarrat could see an enormous host of people cheering and singing, from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square and, most astonishing of all, a city in lights for the first time since blackouts had begun, nearly six years earlier.

But then he noticed something else, which he described in his memoirs.

        Then, on a half-turn, I became aware that I was not alone, on top of the Admiralty Arch.

        There was someone standing within five yards of me, also staring down at the crowds, and oblivious of close company for the same reason as I had been—because we were both entranced by the magnet of what was going on below.  With that perceptible twinge of nervousness which had been built into my life for so many years, I recognized, first the rank and then the man.

        The massive display of gold braid told me that he was an admiral, like his brave and lonely brother on top of the column [Nelson].  Then I realized that this was a very superior admiral indeed.  I counted one thick band of gold, and four thinner ones.  He was an Admiral of the Fleet-the highest any sailor could go.

        In fact, I suddenly recognized, he was the Admiral of the Fleet.  The man in my company was the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Cunningham.

Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, Bt, KT, GCB, OM, DSO (1883-1964), the most distinguished British sea-dog since Nelson, had joined the Navy at 15 in 1898, and been in the service for 47 years, seeing action in destroyers during World War I, at Gallipoli, on the Dover Patrol, and elsewhere, and then risen steadily in the years of peace, and then, during the first half of World War II had put in a masterful performance as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, before being named First Sea Lord.

Monsarrat took his discharge from the Royal Navy in 1946, For some years he served in the diplomatic corps, but then retired to become a full-time writer, and produced a steady stream of novels and short stories, most notably the brilliant The Cruel Sea, many of them based on his experiences in the war.

 

Note: Nicholas Monsarrat’s memoirs, published in the U.S. in one volume, BREAKING IN- BREAKING OUT AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY NICHOLAS MONSARRAT (New York: Morrow, 1971) has a detailed account of his wartime service. Much of this experience was used in his best novel, which remains in print, The Cruel Sea (Springfield, N.J.: Burford Books, 2000), which was made into a superior film in 1953, The Cruel Sea , starring Jack Hawkins.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 15, 2019, 09:14:09 AM
nice tale there
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 15, 2019, 12:13:44 PM
Without Cunningham, there would've likely been far less to celebrate and Englishmen to celebrate it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 15, 2019, 01:22:24 PM
Interesting stuff. been a lot of years since I read the book, or watched the film for that matter.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on October 15, 2019, 02:47:11 PM
nice tale there

Seconded.  Thanks for sharing that, besilarius

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 16, 2019, 08:07:49 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1184440351408279552
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 17, 2019, 05:28:25 AM
https://twitter.com/danieledwardsma/status/1184757120543145984
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 17, 2019, 06:50:47 AM
Mind you, three of them got out twice to go to the loo...................
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 17, 2019, 08:49:46 AM
William the Conqueror and the Logistics of the Conquest

It’s well known that in the summer of 1066 Duke William of Normandy concentrated an army of some 14,000 men and 3000-4000 horses, crossed the English Channel, and wrested the crown of England from his cousin Harold Godwinson. Now crossing the channel is a considerable accomplishment in any age, given its treacherous waters, so William deserves credit for that, perhaps as much as for his hard-fought victory in the Battle of Hasting (October 14, 1066). But William’s greatest struggle was perhaps logistical.

William’s concentrated his army at Dives-sur-mer, where it spent most of August of 1066 training and preparing. It was a “pot luck” host. Although it contained many of William’s Norman subjects, it also included a lot of adventurers from all over Europe, including knights from Italy and Spain, as well as from other parts of France. A large contingent consisted of Norman veterans who had long-experience of war against the Lombards and Byzantines in Southern Italy and the Moslems in Sicily.

Taking care of this army – as small as it may seem in modern terms – was a major undertaking.

The average man eats about four pounds of food a day, and drink about a gallon of water. So for an army of 14,000, William had to supply about 28 tons of food, mostly grain, plus 14,000 gallons of water, without considering more than the barest diet, nor things like beer or wine, commonplaces of the medieval diet. Thus, in a month, William’s 14,000 men required 868 tons of food and over 400,000 gallons of water.

Of course, William’s army also included between 3,000 and 4,000 horses. War horses of between 1300-1500 pounds eat about 24 pounds of feed and fodder each day. In William’s time about half of this would have been grains, mostly barely or spelt, though occasionally oats, while the other half would have been cut hay; green grass could be substituted, but in a 3:1 ratio, which would have meant that the horses would have spent so much their time eating there would have been little time for exercise and training. Of course, each horse also required between 8 and 12 gallons of water, depending upon the weather. So each day, William’s horses required 12-18 tons of grain and as much again of hay, plus 24,000-48,000 gallons of water. In addition, since stabling the horses required a daily supply of 2-4 pounds of fresh straw per animal, to line their stalls, William had to come up with 4-5 tons of that stuff each day. So for his month’s encampment, William’s horses required between 745 and 1,115 tons of feed and fodder, plus 125-150 tons of straw, and between 620,000 and 930,000 gallons of water, figures that make the supply requirements of the men seem minuscule.

Of course not only did William have to supply food and water, he also had to cope with the consequences of large numbers of men and horses consuming food and water. Each day William’s men would each have left about three pounds of feces and perhaps a quart of urine, for a daily output of about 21 tons of more-or-less solids plus perhaps 3,500 gallons of liquids. For the entire month the army was at Dives-sur-mer, this would have amounted to some 650 tons and nearly 110,000 gallons. But, as with rations, those figures pale when compared to the equivalent numbers for horses. A horse produces some 20 pounds of feces and 7.5-8.5 gallons of urine a day. So for the month the army was in camp William had to deal with about 930 tons of horse manure and 480,000-720,00 gallons of urine.

How William managed to dispose of all this sewage is unclear.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 17, 2019, 09:02:23 AM
Interesting, if a bit smelly.

they say that horse sh...manure is good on rhubarb. never tried myself, always preferred custard.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on October 17, 2019, 09:11:29 AM
Horse custard?

(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qKhit2nsoq4/hqdefault.jpg)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 17, 2019, 09:18:32 AM
Ah, a nice picture of the London Asylum.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on October 23, 2019, 08:05:58 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1186976563352555520
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 23, 2019, 11:07:16 AM
Georgy was a motivator no question.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 23, 2019, 02:15:07 PM
Not a particularly nice guy, or a good guy.
However, I can forgive him anything for taking out Beria.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 25, 2019, 04:44:56 PM
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on October 25, 2019, 06:41:31 PM
 :bigthumb:

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 28, 2019, 09:35:14 AM
Former Sergeant Angelo Roncarli dies in 1963. 
When asked how many people work in the Vatican, he deadpanned, "About half."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 01, 2019, 06:46:43 AM
On November 1, 1950, would-be assassins Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, Nationalists who supported the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States, attacked officers at the Blair House in order to assassinate President Truman. He was living there because of a major renovation at the White House for structural problems.

Torresola approached from the west side while Collazo engaged Secret Service agents and White House policemen from the east. Torresola approached the guard booth at the west corner of the Blair House and fired at officer leslie Coffelt from close range. His three shots struck Coffelt in the chest and abdomen, mortally wounding him. A fourth shot passed through the policeman's tunic.

Torresola shot two other policemen before running out of ammunition, then moved to the left of the Blair House steps to reload. Coffelt went out of his booth and fired at Torresola from 31 feet away, hitting him behind the ear and killing him instantly. Coffelt limped back to the booth and blacked out. He died of his wounds four hours later in a hospital.

"The S.S. chief said to me, "Mr. President, don't you know that when there's an Air Raid Alarm you don't run out and look up, you go for cover." I saw the point but it was over then.
Hope it won't happen again. They won't let me go walking or even cross the street on foot. I say 'they' won't, but it causes them so much anguish that I conform ... But I want no more guards killed." - Letter from Truman to his cousin, Ethel Noland, dated November 17, 1950

The would be assasins were totally out of touch.  Truman was known  for his morning walks, and detested having the S.S. (Secret Service) agents along.  He ordered them to always stay at least twenty feet behind.  If the bozos had attempted a drive by shooting, their chances of success would have been astronomical.
Even if they had gotten to Blair House's front door, there was an FBI agent with a tommy gun twenty feet down the aisle waiting for them to open the door.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 01, 2019, 06:55:18 AM
Interesting! I'd not heard about that before.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 01, 2019, 11:02:39 PM
In 1700, King Charles of Spain dies, beginning the War of the Spanish Succession.

Idiots-in-Chief: King Louis XIV of France

On his deathbed, Louis XIV, traditionally regarded as one of the greatest kings of France (r., 1643-1715), told his 5-year old great-grandson, who was about to become Louis XV, "I have been too fond of war; do not imitate me in that . . . ."  It was plain statement of the truth; from the time Louis XIV assumed full power, at the age of 18 in 1661, France was at war for about 30 of the 54 years until his death

Oddly, the longest, most terrible, and most costly of these conflicts, the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), might easily have been avoided.

The causus belli of the war was the death of the last Spanish Hapsburg, King Charles II (r. 1661-1700).  Despite having been married twice, Charles died without leaving any children, probably due to impotence, and without any clear close relative eligible to succeed him.  Now since Charles' health had always been precarious, the Spanish succession naturally interested the principal monarchs of Europe, Louis XIV, head of the House of Bourbon, and the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, head of the House of Hapsburg.  Leopold had married Charles' sister, Margarita Teresa, while Louis had wed the Spanish king's half-sister, Maria Teresa, and thus both had heirs would could claim a tie to the Spanish throne.

Attempting to settle the matter peacefully, in 1668 Louis and Leopold agreed that upon the death of King Charles, the Spanish Empire would be divided.  Louis would gain The Spanish Netherlands [Belgium], Lombardy, Sardinia, and Navarre, as well as Naples and Sicily (which France had been trying to conquer since the 13th century), plus the Philippines, while the Habsburg claimant to the throne would get Spain proper and the Americas.  This seemed an equitable solution to the problem, since each dynasty gained something from the deal, while Spain was united with neither, which would have created an unprecedented superpower.

Alas for peaceful settle of international problems, when Charles finally died in 1700, Louis promptly decided to scrap the agreement, hoping to secure the entire Spanish Empire for his middle grandson, Philip of Anjou, then about 17.  Naturally, Leopold, and most of the rest of Europe's monarchs objected.

The result was war, as the champions of the various claimants --at one point there were actually three!-- fought it out across much of Europe and goodly portions of the rest of the world as well.  In the end, exhaustion, the deaths of some of the claimants, and Bourbon victories in Spain, led to the accession of Philip of Anjou as King Philip V of Spain, who would reign, with a slight interruption, until 1746, over a rather diminished Spanish Empire.

So Louis had gained the throne of France for his family -- though with tough treaty arrangements barring the merger of the two kingdoms under a single ruler.  Of course Spain was devastated by the decade of war, while France’s economy was in a shambles.  Worse, France had lost its colonies in Hudson’s Bay, Newfoundland, and Acadia to Britain, while Spain had lost the Spanish Netherlands, Naples, Lombardy, and Sardinia to Austria, Sicily to Piedmont, Minorca, in the Mediterranean and Gibraltar to Britain, and territories in South America to Portugal

So Louis XIV can truly be considered an idiot-in-chief.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 02, 2019, 07:17:07 AM
I've done quite a lot of reading about this period, since I'm gaming it at present. Its a very interesting period, from the 9 years war up to the 7 years war and the war of independence.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 02, 2019, 07:54:33 AM
Some folks are always seeking new "Imagi-Nations" and hypothetical wars.  If Louis had not broken the original agreement, this could have been a great situation to game out.
England, Holland, and Austria would have had to ally together to face the combined power of France and Spain.  Without the fortifications in the area of Belgium, any conflict would have strategically evolved very differently.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 02, 2019, 08:04:09 AM
Captain-General of Venice, Bartolomeo Colleoni, condottiere,. dies at 75.
Had to pay Verrochio for his own statue.

https://www.wga.hu/art/v/verocchi/sculptur/colleoni.jpg
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 02, 2019, 08:48:16 AM
I'm probably going to have to pay someone for my own statue.  :sigh:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 02, 2019, 07:51:04 PM
I'm probably going to have to pay someone for my own statue.  :sigh:

If you play your cards right, you could get them to pay you not to build your statue
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 03, 2019, 05:41:53 AM
...and then use the money to...build a statue......... ???
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 03, 2019, 07:44:02 AM
No, not a statue.  With a name like bbmike, maybe a ship?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on November 03, 2019, 08:25:31 AM
Something prestigious, like an LCS perhaps?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 03, 2019, 08:46:15 AM
So, it'll be the SS bbmike?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on November 04, 2019, 07:57:21 AM
Maybe in England, so it's the HMS SS bbmike?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 04, 2019, 08:09:14 AM
Battle of the 1,000 slain.
Michikiniqua, Little Turtle, of the Miami Confederation annihaltes the fledgling american army of the Ohio in 1791.

A native force consisting of around 1,000 warriors, led by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket, waited in the woods until dawn, when the men stacked their weapons and paraded to their morning meals. Adjutant General Winthrop Sargent had just reprimanded the militia for failing to conduct reconnaissance patrols when the natives then struck, surprising the Americans and overrunning their ground.

Little Turtle directed the first attack at the militia, who fled across a stream without their weapons. The regulars immediately broke their musket stacks, formed battle lines and fired a volley into the natives, forcing them back. Little Turtle responded by flanking the regulars and closing in on them. Meanwhile, St. Clair's artillery was stationed on a nearby bluff and was wheeling into position when the gun crews were killed by native marksmen, and the survivors were forced to spike their guns.
After three hours of fighting, St. Clair called together the remaining officers and, faced with total annihilation, decided to attempt one last bayonet charge to get through the native line and escape. Supplies and wounded were left in camp. As before, Little Turtle's Army allowed the bayonets to pass through, but this time the men ran for Fort Jefferson. They were pursued by Indians for about three miles before the latter broke off pursuit and returned to loot the camp. Exact numbers of wounded are not known, but it has been reported that execution fires burned for several days afterwards.

The casualty rate was the highest percentage ever suffered by a United States Army unit and included St. Clair's second in command, Richard Butler. Of the 52 officers engaged, 39 were killed and 7 wounded; around 88% of all officers became casualties. After two hours St. Clair ordered a retreat, which quickly turned into a rout. "It was, in fact, a flight," St. Clair described a few days later in a letter to the Secretary of War. The American casualty rate, among the soldiers, was 97.4 percent, including 632 of 920 killed (69%) and 264 wounded. Nearly all of the 200 camp followers were slaughtered, for a total of 832 Americans killed. Approximately one-quarter of the entire U.S. Army had been wiped out. Only 24 of the 920 officers and men engaged came out of it unscathed, the survivors included Benjamin Van Cleve and his uncle Robert Benham; van Cleve was one the few who were unharmed. Native casualties were about 61, with at least 21 killed.

The number of U.S. soldiers killed during this engagement was more than three times the number the Sioux would kill 85 years later at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Historian William Hogeland calls it "the high-water mark in resistance to white expansion. No comparable Indian victory would follow."[18] The next day the remnants of the force arrived at the nearest U.S. outpost, Fort Jefferson, and from there returned to Fort Washington.

President Washington's desire to keep the judicial branch from overseeing the actions of the executive branch led to the first Cabinet meeting, and then the idea of executive privelege.

Mad Anthony Wayne beat the Miamis with the well trained Legion of the United State at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 04, 2019, 08:33:28 AM
No, not a statue.  With a name like bbmike, maybe a ship?

So, it'll be the SS bbmike?

Maybe in England, so it's the HMS SS bbmike?

Guys, the alphanumeric abbreviations for battleships were always "BB-xx"
BB-61 was the USS Iowa
BB-63 was the USS Missouri
BB-21 was the USS Kansas
BB-18 was the USS New Jersey
BB-8 wasn't just a Star Wars droid.  It was also the USS Alabama (which was not a submarine, despite the movie)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 04, 2019, 08:39:54 AM
BB = battleship? Who knew.............

You'll be trying to tell us that CV  = Fleet carrier, next.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on November 04, 2019, 08:40:48 AM
Ok, extrapolating from that, let's use the Pythagorean system of numerology to assign numbers to letters:

1 = a, j, s,
2 = b, k, t,
3 = c, l, u,
4 = d, m, v,
5 = e, n, w,
6 = f, o, x,
7 = g, p, y,
8 = h, q, z,
9 = i, r,

Therefore, bbmike = BB- 4 + 9 + 2 + 5 = BB-20

BB-20 is the USS Vermont, a Connecticut-class battleship. I'm reckoning bbmike is about as old as that one, so...  :D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 04, 2019, 08:42:09 AM
BB = battleship? Who knew.............

You'll be trying to tell us that CV  = Fleet carrier, next.



(https://media.giphy.com/media/C6qLqlAomfOMM/source.gif)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 04, 2019, 08:52:50 AM
Ok, extrapolating from that, let's use the Pythagorean system of numerology to assign numbers to letters:

1 = a, j, s,
2 = b, k, t,
3 = c, l, u,
4 = d, m, v,
5 = e, n, w,
6 = f, o, x,
7 = g, p, y,
8 = h, q, z,
9 = i, r,

Therefore, bbmike = BB- 4 + 9 + 2 + 5 = BB-20

BB-20 is the USS Vermont, a Connecticut-class battleship. I'm reckoning bbmike is about as old as that one, so...  :D

I figured I'd be more like the SS Minnow.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 04, 2019, 09:12:56 AM
 ::) :whistle:
BB = battleship? Who knew.............

You'll be trying to tell us that CV  = Fleet carrier, next.



(https://media.giphy.com/media/C6qLqlAomfOMM/source.gif)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 05, 2019, 07:17:19 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1191656651344031744
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 05, 2019, 07:20:27 AM
Very interesting - not seen that before. :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 05, 2019, 08:09:00 AM
Remember,. Remember, the Fifth of November.

Some people enjoy traditions a bit too much.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 05, 2019, 08:37:19 AM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1191709265741914113
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 05, 2019, 01:36:43 PM
https://twitter.com/flynavy/status/1191728861731606529
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 05, 2019, 02:40:27 PM
and they've been talking about it ever since
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 05, 2019, 02:43:10 PM
"Hey Henry. Go sit in that thing a second will you and I'll snap your picture".  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 05, 2019, 02:44:43 PM
...'sucker!...................
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 05, 2019, 03:32:32 PM
How can you tell if a pilot is at your party?    Don't worry, he will tell you.

What's the difference between a pilot and a jet engine?  Jet engines don't whine when not in use.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 06, 2019, 08:00:48 AM
An auspicious day!

1866         Prof. Arronax, Conseil, and Ned Land are taken aboard Capt. Nemo's 'Nautilus' to begin "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

The Last “Prize” Awards in the U.S. Navy?

The awarding of prize was an ancient naval custom.  Essentially, the officers and men of a warship that captured an enemy vessel were allowed to divvy up the loot.  Although the complex formula governing the division of the spoils gave the lion’s share to the officers, and particularly the captain, a rich prize could easily leave even an ordinary cabin boy with a year’s pay in his pocket.

For much of its history the United States Navy awarded prize.  But in 1900 it was decided to abolish the practice.
Nevertheless, a case could be made that the U.S. Navy actually awarded prize money in 1947.  It seems that in November 1941, while on "Neutrality Patrol" in the waters between Brazil and Africa, the light cruiser Omaha (CL-4) and the destroyer Somers (DD-381) came upon a merchant ship flying the U.S. flag, and bearing "Willmoto – Philadelphia” on her stern.  As the appearance of the ship did not match the silhouette in the recognitions books, a boarding party was sent from Omaha.  The vessel turned out to be the German motorship Odenwald, on a blockade running mission.  As the Americans clambered aboard, the ship's crew tried to scuttle her, but the Yankee sailors were too quick, and quickly got things under control.

Oldenwald was taken to Puerto Rico.  An admiralty court ruled that since the ship was illegally claiming American registration, there was sufficient grounds for confiscation.  At that point, some sea lawyers got into the act.  Observing that the attempt to scuttle the ship was the equivalent of abandoning her, they claimed that the crews of the two American ships had salvage rights, to the tune of $3 million.  This led to a protracted court case, which was not settled until 1947.  At that time it was ruled that the members of the boarding party and the prize crew were entitled to $3,000 apiece, the equivalent today of over $25,000 according to the Consumer Price Index, but easily nearly twice that on the basis of the prevailing “minimum wage,” while all the other crewmen in Omaha and Somers were entitled to two months’ pay and allowances at their then current rate.

By then, both Omaha and Somers had already gone to the scrap yard.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 06, 2019, 08:32:21 AM
What a fascinating story!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on November 06, 2019, 02:56:20 PM
Agreed!  I'd not heard about that before. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 07, 2019, 07:56:15 AM
The sailing ship Mary Celeste departs New York harbor in 1872 bound for mystery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 07, 2019, 11:31:35 AM
That story left me with a real sinking feeling.  :hehe:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 07, 2019, 11:36:20 AM
It really is still a very intriguing mystery though, innit?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 08, 2019, 08:07:06 AM
Bonnie Prince Charlie lands in Scotland..
The "The Forty-Five" (1745-1746): The Young Pretender put an expedition together without the help of Louis XV, and successfully landed in Scotland.  Many clans turned out to support him, and he quickly secured much of Scotland, though strong British garrisons remained in some places.  An English force was beaten at Prestonpans (Sept. 21, 1745), and the Jacobites advanced into England, reaching as far south as Derby, some 125 miles from London.  But desertions were rife.  Jacobite leaders lost heart and opted to retreat back to Scotland.  There they were decisively defeated at Culloden (April 16, 1746).  As English forces overrun Scotland with great brutality, the Young Pretender fled once again to France.

An interesting appendix to the Forty-Five comes from that hard, old man, Admiral John Jervis, Lord Nelson's mentor.  A great hater, he loathed all things, and all people, Schottishe.
During the Napoleonic War, as First Sea Lord he had to answer in Parliament for naval affairs.  Asked about a French invasion of England, he gave one of the great quotes:r "I do not say the French will not come.  I merely say they will not come by sea."

What most folks don't understand is that he meant the French would invade out of Scotland.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 09, 2019, 08:26:28 AM
USS Olympia arrives at the Washington Navy Yard with the Unknonw Soldier, 1921.

https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2018/11/08/the-ship-that-carried-him-the-naval-odyssey-of-the-unknown-soldier/

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on November 09, 2019, 01:46:54 PM
Damn, this shit always gets me.  Thanks for sharing, besilarius

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 10, 2019, 12:46:32 PM
A collision at sea can ruin your whole day - Thucydides.

On 10 November 1966, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) collided with the USS Essex (CVS-9) while running submerged about 350 miles east of Morehead City, North Carolina, during underway replenishment exercises. Both ships returned to port unassisted. The submarine received extensive damage to its sail area and went to New London, The carrier sustained an open hull cut in the bow area and proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia.

 http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08571.htm

The Nautilus was a real game changer for ASW.  Old sailors told stories of how it could run away from destroyers.  At the time of her introduction, sonar couldn't operate at more than about sixteen knots.  So she could just crank it up and even though this made her very noisy, the destroyers couldn't follow and hear.Think I've mentioned there was an old, salty Quartermaster E8 at Surface Warfare school in Newport.  He told the story that her sound signature was very distinctive.  After she was tracked once, you could always ID her.  The navy tried for years to discover this anomoly.  It finally was fixed when the coffee urn in the Goat Locker was replaced.  The grounding arrangement was not done correctly and caused a harmonic vibration that sonar picked up.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 12, 2019, 08:28:11 AM
First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

San Francisco dukes it out with BB Hiei.   "a barroom brawl after the lights had been shot out".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Battle_of_Guadalcanal

A great illustration of unprepared leadership and lack of training.  Admiral Callaghan was the senior officer, but had not been engaged with the enemy before.  He distrusted radar and tried to fight the night battle by visual. 
During the night battle three members of San Francisco's crew won Medal of Honors.  Lcr Schonman, the Damage Control Assistant, who saved the ship from sinking, Lcdr McCandless who took over after all the bridge crew was killed, and  24 year old Boatswain Mate Reinhardt Keppler.

For extraordinary heroism and distinguished courage above and beyond the call of duty while serving aboard the U.S.S. San Francisco during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands, 12–November 13, 1942. When a hostile torpedo plane, during a daylight air raid, crashed on the after machine-gun platform, KEPPLER promptly assisted in the removal of the dead and, by his capable supervision of the wounded, undoubtedly helped save the lives of several shipmates who otherwise might have perished. That night, when the hangar was set afire during the great battle off Savo Island, he bravely led a hose into the starboard side of the stricken area and there, without assistance and despite frequent hits from terrific enemy bombardment, eventually brought the fire under control. Later, although mortally wounded, he labored valiantly in the midst of bursting shells, persistently directing fire-fighting operations and administrating to wounded personnel until he finally collapsed from loss of blood, aged 24. His great personal valor, maintained with utter disregard of personal safety, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 13, 2019, 07:17:26 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1194587966649225216
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 13, 2019, 07:22:39 AM
I remember reading about that.

...Oops!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 13, 2019, 08:03:07 AM
Whenever the William D Porter (not so affectionately called "the dirty bill") pulled into a new port, the ships would signal, "Do not Shoot!  We are all Republicans."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 13, 2019, 08:38:30 AM
ROFL  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 13, 2019, 12:10:37 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1194662709062553600
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on November 13, 2019, 01:32:07 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1194587966649225216

Huh.  There's a bit of history trivia I'd never even heard of til now.  Interesting! 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 13, 2019, 01:38:34 PM
Apparently that incident was just one of several that befell that ship.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 14, 2019, 09:32:35 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1194985859843608582
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 14, 2019, 10:29:57 AM
The Bus Boy maybe?  ???
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 15, 2019, 10:32:59 AM
Battleship action of Guadalcanal

http://www.navweaps.com/index_lundgren/bbActionGuadalcanal.php

Some interesting asides.
No one bothered to alert the PT boats on Tulagi that Washington and South Dakota were going to be in Iron Bottom Sound.  Admiral Lee's nickname at Annapolis was Ching.   on Washington, he heard the PT boats when they spotted the US ships.  The PT commander assumed they were Japanese battleships and was preparing to make a torpedo attack.  Lee went on the radio, "This is Ching-Chong China Lee, do you know who I am?"  The small boat officer was surprised and answered that they did.
"Well, get out of the way and enjoy the show., we're going in>"
The boats went into shallow water, anchored and watched the gunfight while munching on fruit turnovers.

South Dakota had an electrical problem that ould not be diagnosed.  On occasion, the system shorted out after the main batteries fired.  There would be a lag while the generators came on line that meant the main batteries couldn't fire for minutes at a time.  To try to solve this, the Chief Engineer tied down the circuit breakers on the main electrical board.  This was against all practice, and conttributed to her losing electrical power during the battle.

The first hit on Atago was potentially fatal.  It destroyed the soy sauce locker.

And finally, an evaluation of the 14 inch round that hit South Dakots.   http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-092.php

Oh, and when the BBs were retiring, Washington covered the damaged South Dakota.  Sodak was leaking oil and foiled the Washington's evaporators.  The ship was on restricted water hours for days.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 15, 2019, 12:46:57 PM
Nice! Lots of new info there. Thanks for the post.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 15, 2019, 01:16:16 PM
Yeah; very interesting  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 17, 2019, 07:43:59 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1196041544429658112
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 17, 2019, 11:45:25 PM
Happy B. Day Monty and thank you for that whole, 'Market-Garden' thing. It made a great book and a better than average war movie. Plus some good games to play too.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 18, 2019, 06:05:51 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1196564742057234432
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 18, 2019, 06:07:55 PM
Horrific.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 19, 2019, 07:48:44 AM
Battle of Vianden, 1944.
Thirty Luxemburg militia hold out in the medieval castle against 250 Waffen SS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vianden
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 20, 2019, 08:12:30 AM
On this day in 1956, Admiral Farragut's flagship, USS Hartford, sank at the pier in Norfolk, Va.
President Roosevelt had wished to establish a naval history museum at the Washington, DC Navy Yard and had planned to refurbish Hartford, the cruiser Olympia, and a World War I four stacker destroyer.  With his death, this project was shelved, and Hartford was left to rot.

An interesting sidenote, was the the guided missile leader, USS Farragut (DLG-6) had a slice of Hartford's bowsprit displayed next to the Captain's cabin.  It was a hexagonal piece of wood, maybe ten inches in width and breadth, and had a nice plaque.  Oddly, there was a pie shaped slice missing on the top.
This was intriguing, and I couldn't figure out any reason why this notch would be there.  It made no sense..
No one in the wardroom had any idea why, it just was always that way.
Knowing that any lore of the ship was kept in the Goat Locker (the CPO mess) I asked the Chief Radioman, Charley Brown.  He was a very sharp, loquacious sailor and loved a good sea story.
According to him, during one of the Mediterranean cruises in the 1960s, the ship visited a Spanish port.  One of the local grandees was into history, and claimed some relation to Admiral Farragut's spanish forbearers.  He was given a tour of the ship and then he  invited the captain into his palatial home.  During this visit, he and the captain toasted the Admiral at length and got a little tipsy. 
Giving the captain a tour of his villa, they were in his wine cellar when the captain stumbled.  He knocked over a wine rack loaded with old, valuable bottles of wine.
To make up for this faux pas, the captain rushed back to the ship and had the machine shop cut out the sliver from Hartford's bowsprit.  This was presented it to the grandee in apology for breaking all that wine.
I'm sure that the artifact was removed when Farragut was decommissioned in 1989 and is now on display on the Burke class destroyer DDG-99.  And probably everyone who sees it wonders, "Why is there a slice missing?"
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on November 20, 2019, 04:14:39 PM
Ha!  That's a great little slice of a story, besilarius (sorry, couldn't resist).  Thanks for sharing! 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on November 20, 2019, 06:57:41 PM
Ha!  That's a great little slice of a story, besilarius (sorry, couldn't resist).  Thanks for sharing!

Yess... yess... embrace the Dark Side...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 20, 2019, 07:01:01 PM
I donno. The story sounds like it has a hole in it to me.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 20, 2019, 08:51:07 PM
https://twitter.com/WWIIpix/status/1197104864939171840
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on November 21, 2019, 12:02:10 AM
Ha!  That's a great little slice of a story, besilarius (sorry, couldn't resist).  Thanks for sharing!

Yess... yess... embrace the Dark Side...

I'm already there, man.  I just have standards, unlike most of you miscreants.  :bringit: 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 21, 2019, 07:46:31 AM
Today in Military History- 1338

An archer named Robin Hood enlists in the service of King Edward III at the garrison on the Isle of Wight.

http://deremilitari.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ayton3.pdf
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 21, 2019, 07:52:04 AM
How very interesting.

We used to holiday on the Isle of Wight.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 21, 2019, 08:31:44 AM
Various Louis, kings of France, planned to invade England by landing on Isle of Wight and creating a base.
Have often wondered if this scenario wouldn't make a good game?

"I do not say the French will not come.  I merely say they will not come by sea."  First Sea Lord Earl St. Vincent.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 21, 2019, 08:37:52 AM
he wouldn't have lasted long on the IoW - all those ferocious seaside B&B landladies and ice-cream shops would have finished him off.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 21, 2019, 08:40:36 AM
 :2funny:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 21, 2019, 08:59:56 AM
Various Louis, kings of France, planned to invade England by landing on Isle of Wight and creating a base.
So.... Dragonstone


I do not say the French will not come.  I merely say they will not come by sea."  First Sea Lord Earl St. Vincent.
Wasn't that a reference to the fact that the Scottish were pretty closely linked with the French for a long time in helping them resist English rule?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 21, 2019, 09:03:43 AM
Yes, you're right.
But it's such a good quote whenever the French think they can win at sea.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 21, 2019, 10:55:23 PM
Fleet Admiral William F Halsey retires, 22 November, 1945.

&t=151s

The Naval Museum in the Washington, DC Navy Yard has the saddle that Halsey promised to use on the emperor's horse in Tokyo.
After the signing of the peace, Halsey went to take a ride through the streets of Tokyo.  The only suitable car was a Packard limousine that was owned by the manager of the Imperial Hotel.  Liking the feel of it, Halsey impounded the vehicle as spoils of war and had it transported to the US.  He drove it to the day he died.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 22, 2019, 08:05:43 AM
Knew there was something else.
Back in the 70s, There were still a lot of older chiefs who had sailed with Halsey in the Pacific.  He was quite the character and if you could get them going, there were lots of quirky stories they would tell.
He got the nickname Bull from his exploits ashore during the Cruise of the Great White Fleet.  He did love the young ladies.
He was extremely superstitious about the Thirteenth of each month, and really got nervous when there was a Friday the Thirteenth.
When he began pilot training, at the age of 52, his wife told their daughter "the old fool is learning to fly."
He was on a familiarisation tour of the South Pacific command and was in a whaleboat approaching Admiral Ghormley's command vessel, when a communications officer handed him a Top Secret order.  Reading that he was to relieve Ghormley and take command, he uttered, "Jesus Christ and General Jackson.  This is the hottest potato they've ever handed me."
At that time, the mandatory retirement age was 60.  Halsey turned 60 in 1942, but was given a special dispensation by President Roosevelt.  Halsey dreaded being relieved due to his age.
During the kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, it was necessary to keep the destroyers topped off in fuel.  Maneuvering at flank speed  increased fuel consumption enormously, so at every opportunity the battleships would fuel them.  (The fleet oilers in the Sea Train, never went into a combat zone.)
At one point, a destroyer was alongside New Jersey., Halsey's flagship, when he stormed out on the bridge wing and yelled across the water, "Sheer off, coxswain.  I've got bandits coming in."
Now, coxswain is the commander of a small rowboat, and was quite an insult to a ship's captain.
The destroyer captain, was furious at this slight.  He turned his back to the New Jersey and let his feelings out, 'That damned old asshat, blankety-blank bollard screwing..."
The captain let his feelings out for a couple of minutes of salty insults; and then noticed his bridge crew all looked concerned.  He turned and the admiral was furiously glaring at him.  By a trick of the air, his tirade carried over and was heard by Halsey.  He scrunched his arms over the bridge railing and looked like he was going to leap across to the destroyer for the dirty implications.
"How DARE you call me old."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 22, 2019, 08:41:11 AM
Good stuff, besilarius.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 22, 2019, 08:45:21 AM
nice read :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 22, 2019, 08:57:39 AM
 :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 22, 2019, 09:41:10 AM
besilarius has become my replacement for The History Channel.  :rockon:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 22, 2019, 02:59:11 PM
The Besilarius Channel. On my Favs list.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 23, 2019, 08:29:38 AM
Thankee, sors, thankee, he said knuckling his brow.

Sorry, but I does love a good sea story.  Hope you enjoy these historical gumdrops.  Now that I've finally got time on my hands, the reading and research is a lot of fun.
It's strange.  Things I read, or heard,  years back, can come back with a small trigger, but ask me what was for lunch yesterday and I'm lost.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 23, 2019, 08:35:42 AM
You do find some great stuff - keep up the good work! :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 23, 2019, 08:42:56 AM
Agreed. My statement is true. I love reading these historical tidbits and learning things I did not know.  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 23, 2019, 11:23:48 AM
Like the fact pugs HATE bow ties? Unless they're eating them out of a spaghetti bowl.  :go-on:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 30, 2019, 12:05:03 PM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1200821865863929857
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 30, 2019, 12:14:37 PM
..8.5 ib?

meteorite?

.....and she was only bruised?

...I wonder where it hit her? (please, don't say Alabama).

maybe she was well padded at the impact point.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on November 30, 2019, 09:03:25 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1200957939810353153
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 30, 2019, 10:37:34 PM
Quote
The League of Nations later declared the attack illegal and expelled the #USSR from the organization.

and they've been giving zero fucks ever since
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 01, 2019, 12:07:12 PM
Puget Sound Navy Museum
· Yesterday ·
 
On this day in 1942, USS New Orleans (CA 32) was hit by a torpedo off Guadalcanal. Her entire bow was torn away.

The ship struggled to stay afloat, and limped back to Guadalcanal for temporary repairs. The fix included a bow fashioned of palm tree logs. After stopping in Sydney, Australia for further repairs, New Orleans made her way to Bremerton. Because of her condition, she had to make the journey while sailing backwards.

By the time she arrived in Bremerton, a new bow had already been built for her using plans from her sister ship, USS Astoria. When New Orleans arrived at the shipyard, it was discovered that the new bow was out of line by just one-eighth of an inch. Soon USS New Orleans was able to return to the fleet.

This photo was taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, between the removal of her temporary bow and the installation of the new one.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 01, 2019, 01:28:05 PM
Yikes!

And yet, somehow the idea of a ship named after New Orleans limping home backwards after an insane bender and a makeshift wardrobe seems horribly appropriate
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on December 03, 2019, 09:37:58 PM
Yikes!

And yet, somehow the idea of a ship named after New Orleans limping home backwards after an insane bender and a makeshift wardrobe seems horribly appropriate

 ;D

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on December 03, 2019, 11:01:07 PM
After which she was renamed, U.S.S. Stubby.  :hehe:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 07, 2019, 09:23:23 PM
78 years ago today...

Back aboard Enterprise, Admiral Halsey had just poured himself a second cup of coffee when his aide dashed into the cabin. “Admiral, there’s an air raid on Pearl!” Halsey’s first thought was that the Army, which had been scheduled to conduct a readiness exercise the week before, was taking things too far. He leapt to his feet, telling his aide to radio Kimmel that the Army was “shooting down my own boys!” A second aide entered with a message direct from Admiral Kimmel: “AIR RAID PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NO DRILL.”

Officer of the Deck Lieutenant John Dorsett ordered General Quarters. 19-year old Seaman Jim Barnill, one of Enterprise’s four buglers, sounded the staccato notes of “Boots and Saddles.” Twenty-eight year old First Class Bosun’s Mate, Max Lee, played his pipe over the 1MC then called “General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations!” Lee’s enlistment was almost up. After the war, he remembered that he then turned to OOD Dorsett and said “We’re at war and I’ll never get out of the Navy alive.”

Dick Best remembered coming onto the flight deck shortly after general quarters had been called and looking up at the island. “The first thing I saw was the biggest American flag I had ever seen, flying from the masthead and whipping in the wind. It was the most emotional sight of the war for me.”

(Excerpt from: "I Will Run Wild: the Pacific War From Pearl Harbor to Midway" - coming next spring by Thomas Cleaver)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on December 08, 2019, 02:19:28 AM
Great stuff as usual, bes.  Keep it coming!  :bigthumb: 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 08, 2019, 07:43:08 AM
Adjutant General Order #72 abolishes the daily whiskey ration of one gill (four ounces) for the US army, 1832.  Coffee and sugar are to substitute for it.
In 1829, the army bought 72,537 gallons of whiskey.

https://www.rstreet.org/2017/11/17/the-military-and-whiskeys-250-year-old-relationship/
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 08, 2019, 08:25:02 PM
For those who are interested in the early Pacific War, Thomas Cleaver (author of Pacific Thunder) is doing a daily posting on Facebook.
Each day, he is recounting what happened on the same date in 1941.
Here is a tidbit on Wake Island

https://www.facebook.com/thomas.cleaver.710/posts/2560583280839564

These will come from his soon to be published, "I will run wild", Pearl Harbor to Midway.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 09, 2019, 10:01:43 AM
Nice find  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 14, 2019, 07:57:38 AM
1943         Capt. Henry T. Waskow (25), Co. B., 143rd Infantry, kia, Hill 703, near San Pietro, prompting Ernie Pyle to write the most moving dispatch of World War II.

The Death of Captain Waskow

AT THE FRONT LINES IN ITALY, January 10, 1944 – In this war I have known a lot of officers who were loved and respected by the soldiers under them. But never have I crossed the trail of any man as beloved as Capt. Henry T. Waskow of Belton, Texas.

Capt. Waskow was a company commander in the 36th Division. He had led his company since long before it left the States. He was very young, only in his middle twenties, but he carried in him a sincerity and gentleness that made people want to be guided by him.

"After my own father, he came next," a sergeant told me.

"He always looked after us," a soldier said. "He’d go to bat for us every time."

"I’ve never knowed him to do anything unfair," another one said.

I was at the foot of the mule trail the night they brought Capt. Waskow’s body down. The moon was nearly full at the time, and you could see far up the trail, and even part way across the valley below. Soldiers made shadows in the moonlight as they walked.

Dead men had been coming down the mountain all evening, lashed onto the backs of mules. They came lying belly-down across the wooden pack-saddles, their heads hanging down on the left side of the mule, their stiffened legs sticking out awkwardly from the other side, bobbing up and down as the mule walked.

The Italian mule-skinners were afraid to walk beside dead men, so Americans had to lead the mules down that night. Even the Americans were reluctant to unlash and lift off the bodies at the bottom, so an officer had to do it himself, and ask others to help.

The first one came early in the morning. They slid him down from the mule and stood him on his feet for a moment, while they got a new grip. In the half light he might have been merely a sick man standing there, leaning on the others. Then they laid him on the ground in the shadow of the low stone wall alongside the road.

I don’t know who that first one was. You feel small in the presence of dead men, and ashamed at being alive, and you don’t ask silly questions.

We left him there beside the road, that first one, and we all went back into the cowshed and sat on water cans or lay on the straw, waiting for the next batch of mules.

Somebody said the dead soldier had been dead for four days, and then nobody said anything more about it. We talked soldier talk for an hour or more. The dead man lay all alone outside in the shadow of the low stone wall.

Then a soldier came into the cowshed and said there were some more bodies outside. We went out into the road. Four mules stood there, in the moonlight, in the road where the trail came down off the mountain. The soldiers who led them stood there waiting. "This one is Captain Waskow," one of them said quietly.

Two men unlashed his body from the mule and lifted it off and laid it in the shadow beside the low stone wall. Other men took the other bodies off. Finally there were five lying end to end in a long row, alongside the road. You don’t cover up dead men in the combat zone. They just lie there in the shadows until somebody else comes after them.

The unburdened mules moved off to their olive orchard. The men in the road seemed reluctant to leave. They stood around, and gradually one by one I could sense them moving close to Capt. Waskow’s body. Not so much to look, I think, as to say something in finality to him, and to themselves. I stood close by and I could hear.

One soldier came and looked down, and he said out loud, "God damn it." That’s all he said, and then he walked away. Another one came. He said, "God damn it to hell anyway." He looked down for a few last moments, and then he turned and left.

Another man came; I think he was an officer. It was hard to tell officers from men in the half light, for all were bearded and grimy dirty. The man looked down into the dead captain’s face, and then he spoke directly to him, as though he were alive. He said: "I’m sorry, old man."

Then a soldier came and stood beside the officer, and bent over, and he too spoke to his dead captain, not in a whisper but awfully tenderly, and he said:

"I sure am sorry, sir."

Then the first man squatted down, and he reached down and took the dead hand, and he sat there for a full five minutes, holding the dead hand in his own and looking intently into the dead face, and he never uttered a sound all the time he sat there.

And finally he put the hand down, and then reached up and gently straightened the points of the captain’s shirt collar, and then he sort of rearranged the tattered edges of his uniform around the wound. And then he got up and walked away down the road in the moonlight, all alone.

After that the rest of us went back into the cowshed, leaving the five dead men lying in a line, end to end, in the shadow of the low stone wall. We lay down on the straw in the cowshed, and pretty soon we were all asleep.
Ernie Pyle
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 14, 2019, 08:42:54 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1205736174817611776
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on December 14, 2019, 10:51:18 AM
Napoleon was reported to have said 'goddammit!'
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 14, 2019, 11:01:56 AM
But in French.

Obviously.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on December 14, 2019, 11:19:15 AM
Oui.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on December 14, 2019, 11:29:50 AM
Had he been Quebecois it would have sounded liturgical.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 14, 2019, 02:32:28 PM
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 17, 2019, 05:37:50 AM
https://mobile.twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1206877193508245504
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 17, 2019, 06:24:59 AM
It still has the power shock.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 18, 2019, 10:05:37 AM
On this day in 1944, Typhoon Cobra devastates the Third Fleet in the Pacific.
The destroyers Hull, Spence, and Monaghan capsize with great loss of life, and at least 86 planes are lost offof flight decks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 18, 2019, 12:10:31 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1207347039463280640
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 22, 2019, 12:19:46 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1208796087659556869
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 22, 2019, 12:24:29 PM
 :bigthumb: :bigthumb: :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 22, 2019, 12:27:17 PM
The Battered Bastards of Bastogne
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 22, 2019, 12:33:00 PM
I should be playing either 'Bitter Woods' or 'Ardennes '44'
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 22, 2019, 12:34:05 PM
Quite true
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 24, 2019, 12:28:06 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1209453167118864386
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 30, 2019, 12:48:31 PM
https://twitter.com/Battlefields/status/1211704791916859392
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 30, 2019, 01:17:14 PM
Tin can on a shingle.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 30, 2019, 01:23:16 PM
Tin can on a shingle.

Or "cheesebox on a raft"
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 30, 2019, 01:34:12 PM
Tin can on a shingle.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Lincoln called it this when he first saw it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on December 30, 2019, 02:05:45 PM
 “You would make a ship sail against the winds and currents by lighting a bonfire under her decks? I have no time for such nonsense.”
― Napoleon Bonaparte
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on December 30, 2019, 02:06:56 PM
Quite right, too.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on December 30, 2019, 07:35:30 PM
A Tin Can with big-ass guns on a shingle. I remember reading somewhere that if the Monitor had shells instead of round cannon balls, she would have sunk the Virginia. Don't know if that's true or not, but possible.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 30, 2019, 07:54:10 PM
Because the officials in Washington were frightened of this new technology,. the Monitor fired it's Dahlgren cannon with HALF strength charges of gunpowder. 
Even so, the hits cracked the Virginia's barbette and wrecked much of the internal structure.  Full strength charges would have done much more damage.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on December 31, 2019, 02:41:36 PM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1212093584150794246
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 01, 2020, 02:19:45 PM
The Royal Navy burns Norfolk, Va.

Late in 1775 Brig. Gen. William Woodford was campaigning in southeastern Virginia with about a thousand men, mostly from Colonel Robert Howe’s 2nd North Carolina. The American intention was to eject British Governor Lord Dunmore from the Norfolk area. On December 9th, they drove Lord Dunmore’s slender forces – he only had about 200 men – from the town of Norfolk in the Battle of Great Bridge. Dunmore sought refuge aboard some ships of the Royal Navy that were lying offshore. These were shortly reinforced by the 28-gun frigate HMS Liverpool, commanded by Captain Henry Bellew.

On Christmas Eve, Captain Bellow sent a party ashore under a flag of truce, requesting fresh provisions for his ships. As the British ships were quite powerful, and the American forces quite weak, the request put Woodford and Howe in a quandary; as they didn’t want to provoke an attack, yet they also didn’t want to provide supplies to the enemy. They resolved the problem in a rather solomonic fashion; they refused to provide fresh provisions for the British squadron, but supplied Bellew with various delicacies for his personal table.

Of course, hostilities could at best only be postponed. On December 29th, Bellew sent Howe a courteous letter. After the usual opening pleasantries, Bellew noted that although he much preferred avoiding so unpleasant a task, “the honor of my commission” required that he undertake an attack, because it was his duty to suppress armed rebellion against the Crown.

In an equally courteous reply, Colonel Howe noted that his high regard for Bellew’s honor naturally prevented him from asking that the attack be called off, but allowed as how Bellow would naturally understand that he would “be unworthy of the respect of a man of your character” if he did not, of course, resist the attack.

The attack came on January 1, 1776. Covered by the guns of HMS Liverpool and the other ships, Bellew landed a strong party of sailors, marines, and soldiers. Although unable to seize Norfolk, the British managed to torch the town before retiring on their ships. A few days later Lord Dunmore, Captain Bellew, and the rest of the British force sailed away.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 07, 2020, 09:15:58 AM
1762.  The English cabinet gives the order that results in The sack of Havana.
"Ow, the Loot! Bloomin' Loot!"

Looting is an ancient military tradition. Of course most modern armies - at least those of major powers - frown upon the practice. So while some informal plundering does still occur, there is nothing like the organized distribution of goodies which once was a normal consequence of victory. Navies, which had less of an opportunity for plunder than armies, formalized the distribution of "prize" to a remarkable degree. As David Dixon Porter, America's second admiral put it "Armies loot, navies take prize."

One of the most impressive hauls ever made was a result of the British capture of Havana during the Seven Years' War.

In early 1762 the British government decided to seize Havana from Spain. To accomplish this feat a fleet of 26 ships-of-the-line, 15 frigates, a number of smaller warships, and 150 merchantmen, was fitted out, manned by 27,000 seamen and troops, under the command of Lord Albemarle. The expedition sailed from England in March. D-Day was on June 6th, and the landings achieved complete surprise. By June 20th, Albemarle had invested the city. The siege lasted 40 days, as the outnumbered defenders put up a lively resistance. As always, disease inflicted greater losses than did combat. However, having mastery of the seas, the British were able to bring in volunteer reinforcements from the colonies in North America and Jamaica. Finally, on August 13th the city surrendered. Now came the good part.

The amount of booty was enormous - even including a dozen ships-of-the-line. All the booty was all meticulously calculated and then divided up among the participants according to a complex formula. The results of "divvying up the loot" can be seen below.
Prize Awarded
Naval Personnel                           Army Personnel
Admiral-in-Chief   £122,697   General-in-Chief   £122,697
Commodores   24,539            Lieutenants-Generals   24,539
Captains   1,600                   Major Generals   6,816
Lieutenants   234                           Field Officers   564
Warrant Officers   118                   Captains   184
Petty Officers   17 5s                   Subalterns   116
Common Seamen   3 14s 9d   Sergeants   8 18s 8d
Boys   1 5s 3d                           Corporals   6 16s 6d
                                                        Other Ranks   4 1s 8d

Trying to estimate how much all this loot was actually worth is rather difficult, though not impossible. On paper, in 2001 the pound is worth about 30 times what it was worth back in 1762. So a common seaman's take would be about a hundred pounds in modern money. But that's barely $150, mere chump change. In fact, none of the purported systems of converting money from earlier times to that of the present - including the Consumer Price Index - works very well, due to changes in the cost, quality, and type of goods we buy, as well as changing standards of living and occupation.

Consider it another way.

In the mid-eighteenth century a private in the British Army was paid a bit more than £18 a year ("A shilling a day, bloomin' good pay."), though various deductions were made from this for uniform allowances and such, which actually left him with £7, 7s, and 7d. Still, £18 is just a little short of the £20 and one penny that Charles Dickens seems to have considered adequate to support a small family with lower middle class pretensions.

Officers of course, did a lot better. Depending upon rank, their shares of the booty were often greater by several degrees of magnitude than their regular salaries. So both enlisted men and officers had considerable incentive to go on campaign.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 08, 2020, 11:15:12 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1214942085050195969
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 08, 2020, 11:46:31 PM
Badass.  :2thumbs: 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 09, 2020, 08:43:04 AM
Badass.  :2thumbs:

Yeah. There's a hero for you.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 12, 2020, 12:39:36 PM
In 1500, Cesare Borgia captures the fortress of Forli.
Caterina Sforza, a most formidable woman, is captured while still wielding her weapons.,
At one time, she held Castel St. Angelo in Rome, and used her artillery to keep the College of Cardinals from electing a new Pope.  She was seven months pregnant at the time.
Later she faced a conspiracy to seize her lands:
The fortress of Ravaldino, a central part of the defensive system of the city,[22] refused to surrender to the Orsis. Caterina offered to attempt to persuade the castellan, Tommaso Feo, to submit. The Orsis believed Caterina because she left her children as hostages, but once inside she let loose a barrage of vulgar threats and promises of vengeance against her former captors. According to one rumour, when they threatened to kill her children, Caterina, standing in the walls of the fortress exposed her genitals and said: "Fatelo, se volete: impiccateli pure davanti a me ... qui ho quanto basta per farne altri!" ('Do it, if you want to: hang them even in front of me ... here I have what's needed to make others!').[23] This story, however, is most likely an untrue embellishment. The historical record tells that Caterina, in fact, claimed to be pregnant. Although her statement that she was pregnant is, by most historians, considered to have been a ruse, it rendered worthless any power the conspirators had in holding her children, Girolamo's legitimate heirs.
Think of her as a determined noble lord, defending her holdings.  Something like eleanor of Aquitaine in the Lion in Winter.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 13, 2020, 01:36:33 AM
Yeah, sounds like she was one hell of a woman -- in the best of ways.  :bigthumb: 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 14, 2020, 07:56:39 AM
Robert Cornelis Napier, Field Marshal Baron Napier of Magdala, dies at age 79


"Nothing to Report"

One night around 1880, while the old Victorian war horse Lord Napier of Magdala was serving as Governor of Gibraltar, an officer who had taken on board too much champagne lost his way trying to get back to his quarters, walked off the Rock, and fell to his death.  The following morning, having read the report of the officer of the day, a Lt. O'Donohue, Napier summoned that worthy to his office.

When O'Donohue arrived, Napier asked, "You were officer of the guard at the Elphinstone Guard yesterday?

"I was, sir."

"Lieutenant M____ was killed by walking over the rock."

"He was, sir."

"And yet you said in your report that nothing extraordinary had happened on your guard?"

"I did, sir."

"Well, Mr. O'Donohue, don't you think it extraordinary that a lieutenant walks over the rock, falls one thousand feet, and is killed?"

"Indeed, sir," came the swift reply, "I would think it a good deal more extraordinary if he had fallen that distance and not been killed!"

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 14, 2020, 08:44:30 AM
The LT's logic is infallible
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 14, 2020, 10:05:50 AM
See, Champagne kills. That's why I never drink it. Except at weddings and funerals of people I really like.  :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 15, 2020, 07:31:04 AM
50 years ago today, Biafra surrendered

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51094093
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 15, 2020, 10:40:01 AM
I remember that happening. A terrible war.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on January 15, 2020, 02:05:03 PM
^Yes, it was pretty grim, even for that period in Africa.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 16, 2020, 08:13:59 AM
The Navy held major exercises called Fleet Problems.  Fleet Problem III was held in 1924 and wargamed out a war in which the Atlantic Battle Force used the Panama Canal to deploy to the Pacific.



UNITED STATES FLEET
The Scouting Fleet
U.S.S. Wyoming, Flagship

Colon, P.R.
13 January, I924.

From: Ensign T. H. Hederman, U. S. Navy
To: Lieutenant Hamilton Bryan, U.S. Navy, Fleet Intelligence Officer.

Subject: Operations as a spy in Canal Zone, report on.

1. In compliance with Commander SCOUTING FLEET’s order I left the U.S.S. Wyoming on l5 January 1324, proceeded to the U.S.. Richmond, and hoisted on board a sloop, 15 feet overall, 6 foot beam, the property of a native of Bocas del Toro, who was also present. The Richmond proceeded to a point 20 miles northeast of Toro Point Light where we took off, reaching Colon at 1000, 16 January, 1924.

2. At the Hotel Astor I shifted into the uniform of an enlisted man carrying my officer's uniform with me. I then proceeded to Miraflores Locks and received information concerning the passage of ships through the canal.

3. The first battleship to go though was the U.S.S. California at 1600. In devising a scheme to board her, I found it very impracticable due to the possibility of recognition by my classmates on deck at the time. Therefore I waited for the second battleship in line which was the U.S.S. New York. As she lay in the lower lift of the Miraflores Locks I threw my package containing the officer’s uniform on deck, proving that the conveyance of any package on board was possible. I then climbed hand over hand to the main deck up a fender line.

4. I remained on board over night in the capacity of an enlisted man. On 1? January 1924 at 0840, I shifted into may officer's uniform in a trunk outside of No. 3 Handling Room. I then sent for the Magazine Gunner's Mate. At 0810 the Ordnance Gunner appeared and upon my informing him that I was making a Fleet inspection of powder, he opened up a magazine (G-35P) and also a can of powder. In my left hard I carried the wrapping paper concealed in my handkerchief which might have been a detonator charge. At this time the ship was approaching Culebra Cut and a five minute fuse would have exploded the charge as the ship passed through the Cut.

5. I then reported my act to the Commander of Battleship Division Three who made me a prisoner of war under sentry's charge and to be treated as such.

6. I was released from strict confinement, at 1100, 18 January 1924, and given parole aboard the ship. I was released as a prisoner of war at 1000, 19 January, 1924.

T. H. Hederman.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 16, 2020, 08:16:22 AM
50 years ago today, Biafra surrendered

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51094093 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51094093)


It was his experience as a war correspondent during this war that gave Forsythe the background info he used in writing The Dogs of War
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 18, 2020, 08:24:31 AM
"One of Our Admirals did What?"

On October 1, 1943, Allied troops entered Naples. The Germans had clung fiercely to the city, battling Italian partisans for days while trying to destroy its extensive harbor facitilities. As a result, there was much devastation. Food, water, medical supplies were all scarce, there were thousands of wounded civilians. Allied civil affairs personnel attempted to cope with problem, but were themselves beset by a shortage of resources.

The Prince of Caracciolo, scion of one of the noblest Italian families and head of the Italian Red Cross, knew of the location of extensive stocks of food, medicines, and other supplies that had been kept hidden from the Germans. But when he approached the Allied occupation authorities, he got nowhere; everyone either ignored him or fobbed him off on someone else, and his polite attempts to submit a written proposal explaining his purpose were ignored..

Finally the Prince hit upon a clever idea. He penned a note to the senior British naval officer in the city, which included the lines, “One of your admirals hanged one of my relatives. I demand an immeidate meeting.”

One can immagine the consternation this caused. Within a very short time the prince was ushered into the British admiral’s office. Before anyone could speak, the Prince said, “I am the head of the Italian Red Cross in Naples, and have access to large stocks of food and medical supplies.”

Taken aback, the British admiral, said, “But what about this relative you say was hanged by one of our admirals?”

“Oh,” replied the Prince, “that was my kinsman Admiral Francesco Caracciolo, who was hanged by your Admiral Nelson in 1799.”

Prince Francesco Maria Caracciolo was born on this date in 1752.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 18, 2020, 09:17:46 AM
that's a great one :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 18, 2020, 11:19:58 AM
 :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 18, 2020, 10:26:50 PM
 :ROFL:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 19, 2020, 08:23:42 AM
On this date in 1915,  Germany begin Zeppelin raids on Great Britain, bombing Great Yarmouth & King's Lynn, c. 20 die

From January of 1915 through July of 1917, Germany conducted numerous air raids on British cities using rigid airships – Zeppelins.

This was hazardous duty, for Zeppelins full of hydrogen were liable to burn at the slightest spark, which could be provided by British fighters or anti-aircraft guns or just friction, and the airships were often at the mercy of the winds as well. So casualties were high. In the course of the war Germany deployed 117 Zeppelins, including ships that were not used to raid Britain. Of these, 39 were shot down by Allied ground fire or airplanes and another 42 lost to due to the weather or to accidents, or were just never heard from again.

A raid on England on October 19, 1917 was perhaps typical. The eleven attacking zeppelins dropped 275 bombs, which caused the deaths of 36 people. But five of the airships failed to return, though only one was lost to enemy action.

Despite these heavy losses, the morale of the Kaiser’s airshipmen remained high throughout the war. Indeed, it was so high that many of the men, already volunteers for hazardous duty, would eagerly volunteer for the even more hazardous duty of serving as observers.

Since navigation was often uncertain when Zeppelins were flying above clouds, some were equipped with an observation basket that could be lowered through the cloud layers. In that way one or two men in the basket would have a good view of the earth’s surface. From this position, they could keep the ship informed by telephone of the landmarks below, helping it navigate to and from its target.

Of course this was particularly hazardous, as the men were without parachutes in a flimsy basket dangling at the end of a 750 meter tether, in freezing cold. Yet there never seems to have been a shortage of volunteers for this duty. In part this was due to the very high morale of the airshipmen. But volunteers also gained a privilege denied to everyone else on the ship; the little basket dangling at the end of nearly a half-mile of cable was the only place on the airship where a man was allowed to have a cigarette.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 19, 2020, 09:27:10 PM
Interesting stuff.  I knew Germany employed zeppelins in WW1, but not that extensively. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 19, 2020, 10:35:16 PM
Interesting stuff.  I knew Germany employed zeppelins in WW1, but not that extensively.


Reports of their effectiveness were highly over inflated
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 19, 2020, 11:33:36 PM
Right, they were blown up out of proportion. And sometimes just blown up.  :hehe:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 21, 2020, 07:44:43 PM
On this date, Alfonso II of Naples (1494-1495) abdicates in favor of his son Ferrante II (1495-1496)

In 1493, although only 24, Charles VIII had been on the throne of France for 10 years. That year, he decided to assert a dubious claim to the throne of Naples. Naples had been in dispute between the house of Aragon and the house of Anjou for some two centuries. In 1442 King Alfonso V of Aragon had deposed Charles’ uncle, Rene “the Good,” and set himself up as Alfonso I of Naples. This passed to his illegitimate son Ferrante I in 1458. By 1493 Ferrante was ill, and the Neapolitan barons, long unhappy with Aragonese efforts to curb their power in the interests of national unity, were encouraging Charles to step in. By the time Ferrante died, in January of 1494, leaving the throne to his son, Alfonso II, Charles was already preparing an invasion of Italy.

Now at the time, France had the best army in the world, essentially the first professional standing army in Western Europe since the fall of Rome. So when Charles invaded Italy in a surprise late-season campaign in September of 1494 with 18,000 troops, including French men-at-arms, Swiss pikemen, and a train of 40 cannon, his army proved remarkably effective. With the finest artillery train in the west, great fortified cities fell so easily into his power, that in short order places began surrendering as soon as Charles’ gunners set up their pieces. By December, the French had occupied Rome, forcing Pope Alexander VI, hardly the finest occupant of the See of Peter, to concede his claim to Naples, which was technically a papal fief.

From Rome, Charles launched an unprecedented winter campaign, invading Naples on two fronts with an army swollen to 40,000 by alliances with various Italian princes.

At this point, Alfonso, an artistically-inclined prince of no great intelligence, abdicated and passed the throne to his son, Ferrante II. Ferrante, although already a proven campaigner despite his age, only 25, could put up little resistance, faced with an empty treasury, an invading army, and unreliable barons, and so fled to Sicily, where his cousin Ferdinand II (as in “Ferdinand and Isabella”), reigned. While Ferrante and Ferdinand concentrated an army in Sicily, Charles captured Naples itself on February 20, 1495, and soon was in control of most of the kingdom.

Believing his work done, within weeks Charles marched back to France. Italian efforts to interfere in his retirement led to a spectacular French victory at the Taro, in Tuscany, on July 6, 1495. Oddly, this victory came just a few days before Charles received word that an Aragonese-Neapolitan army landed from Sicily had liberated Naples on July 7th. Despite news of this reverse, Charles continued on his way, returning to France.

So in the end, Charles gained nothing from his campaign.

Well, not quite.

He did manage to keep one “conquest.” While fleeing Naples, Ferrante had neglected to take along his mistress, Caterina Gonzaga. Applying the ancient maxim, “To the victor belong the spoils, Charles promptly made the young woman his mistress.

But Charles didn’t get to enjoy even that little bit of his victory for very long. Early in April of 1498, Charles accidentally bunked his head against a stone door lintel, and died of a concussion on the 7th.

The only lasting legacy of Charles’ invasion of Italy was to initiate over a generational conflict between France and Spain for control of the peninsula that would last more than 60 years (1494-1559), and end in complete Spanish dominance
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 22, 2020, 08:24:37 AM
1879, the twin battles of Isandlhwana and Rorke's Drift.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-untold-story-of-the-film-zulu-starring-michael-caine-50-years-on-9069558.html
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 22, 2020, 01:39:26 PM
https://twitter.com/18airbornecorps/status/1219977367675965440
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 26, 2020, 03:19:57 PM
https://twitter.com/WWIIpix/status/1221361187822108672
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 26, 2020, 03:41:53 PM
He was almost ridiculously badass. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 26, 2020, 04:56:58 PM
Audie was a very boyish, quite short individual.  On being introduced to John Wayne, Wayne refused to believe that this "little kid" could have been any kind of a war hero.
One story was that Audie had a very large auto, like a Buick or Caddy.  He looked like a kid who had stolen his parent's car for a joyride.
He was driving down Hollywood Blvd and had a fender bender.
The other car had two guys who were muscle builders.  They started pushing Audie around.
He took it for a moment.  Then, according to an eye witness, "he just seemed to explode into them."
By the time the police arrived, one guy was out cold with a broken arm.  Audie was kneeling on the other fellow's shoulders and pounding him into the cement.  A policeman had to pull him off the guy.
The police couldn't believe "this little shrimp" could have taken out the two muscle jocks.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 26, 2020, 11:03:00 PM
And he made a reasonably good actor too. Better than many of his contemporary fellow actors anyway. I remember hearing about him being killed the day it happened.  :'(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: judgedredd on January 27, 2020, 05:34:56 AM
When I was in HM Forces training on exercise and we were walking along on patrol and your arm was sore so you rested the rifle down by your hip as opposed to having the butt of the rifle in the shoulder where it should be, we were always being told "Hold the rifle up to your shoulder...who do you think you are? Audie f***ing Murphy?"

I had no idea who he was back then.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 27, 2020, 11:42:48 AM
One of his old movies was on TV one day when my daughter and Son-In-Law were over and when I explained to them who this guy was, the most decorated soldier in U.S. History, they just looked at me like I was an alien that had just landed in their front yard.  :sigh:  I felt like telling them, 'You'll be back when your kids have to learn about in school'. But, they probably don't teach stuff like that anymore.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 28, 2020, 06:15:11 AM
(OK, this was yesterday in history)

Quote
Character and Courage—Here’s a story from 75 years ago today that you likely haven't heard before. It led to this man being the first and only American soldier to be declared “Righteous Among the Nations.” This title is the highest honor Israel confers on non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
US Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division, was captured by Nazi forces at the onset of the Battle of the Bulge. A native of Knoxville, TN, Edmonds was 25 years old. He had only been on the front line for five days when his unit was overrun.

Edmonds' captors sent him east to a holding camp before they eventually transferred him to Stalag IX-A, just east of Bonn, Germany. The camp was designated solely for enlisted personnel. As the senior noncommissioned officer at the camp, Edmonds found himself responsible for 1,275 American POWs.

On January 27, 1945, the first day for the prisoners at Stalag IX-A, the Nazi commandant ordered Edmonds to assemble all the Jewish-American soldiers so they could be separated from the other prisoners. Instead, Edmonds assembled all 1,275 American POWs.

Furious, the German commandant rushed up to Edmonds, placed a pistol against Edmonds' head and demanded that he identify the Jewish soldiers within the ranks.

Edmonds, a Baptist, responded, "We are all Jews here."

Edmonds then warned the commandant that if he wanted to shoot the Jews, he'd have to shoot everyone, and that if he harmed any of Edmonds' men, the commandant would be prosecuted for war crimes when the Nazis lost. Edmonds then recited that the Geneva Conventions required POWs to give only their name, rank, and serial number, NOT their religion.

The commandant backed down.

Edmonds' actions are credited with saving up to 200 Jewish-American soldiers from likely execution. He survived 100 days of captivity, and returned home after the war, but kept the event at the POW camp to himself. He served again in Korea.

It was only after Edmonds’ death in 1985 and the review of his diaries by his son that his story came to light. Jewish-American POWs, including NBC television executive Sonny Fox, verified the story as did other POWs who were glad to share. The State of Israel declared Edmonds “Righteous Among the Nations” in 2015.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. As we pause to remember the 6 million Jews and 11 million others murdered at the hand of their Nazi captors, we also commend our Veterans who helped bring the Nazi tyranny to an end. Master Sergeant Edmonds and the 1,275 American soldiers who stood defiantly with him were a part of that story. It is because of men of character and courage like Master Sergeant Edmonds that we live in the free world we do today.

Photo courtesy of Yad Vashem: World Holocaust Center, Jerusalem, Israel #WeRemember
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 28, 2020, 06:17:17 AM
 :applause: Well done, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 28, 2020, 09:34:35 AM
Agreed!  :notworthy:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 28, 2020, 01:33:24 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1222225577832255489
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on January 28, 2020, 07:06:36 PM
 :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 28, 2020, 10:37:06 PM
(OK, this was yesterday in history)

Quote
Character and Courage—Here’s a story from 75 years ago today that you likely haven't heard before. It led to this man being the first and only American soldier to be declared “Righteous Among the Nations.” This title is the highest honor Israel confers on non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
US Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division, was captured by Nazi forces at the onset of the Battle of the Bulge. A native of Knoxville, TN, Edmonds was 25 years old. He had only been on the front line for five days when his unit was overrun.

Edmonds' captors sent him east to a holding camp before they eventually transferred him to Stalag IX-A, just east of Bonn, Germany. The camp was designated solely for enlisted personnel. As the senior noncommissioned officer at the camp, Edmonds found himself responsible for 1,275 American POWs.

On January 27, 1945, the first day for the prisoners at Stalag IX-A, the Nazi commandant ordered Edmonds to assemble all the Jewish-American soldiers so they could be separated from the other prisoners. Instead, Edmonds assembled all 1,275 American POWs.

Furious, the German commandant rushed up to Edmonds, placed a pistol against Edmonds' head and demanded that he identify the Jewish soldiers within the ranks.

Edmonds, a Baptist, responded, "We are all Jews here."

Edmonds then warned the commandant that if he wanted to shoot the Jews, he'd have to shoot everyone, and that if he harmed any of Edmonds' men, the commandant would be prosecuted for war crimes when the Nazis lost. Edmonds then recited that the Geneva Conventions required POWs to give only their name, rank, and serial number, NOT their religion.

The commandant backed down.

Edmonds' actions are credited with saving up to 200 Jewish-American soldiers from likely execution. He survived 100 days of captivity, and returned home after the war, but kept the event at the POW camp to himself. He served again in Korea.

It was only after Edmonds’ death in 1985 and the review of his diaries by his son that his story came to light. Jewish-American POWs, including NBC television executive Sonny Fox, verified the story as did other POWs who were glad to share. The State of Israel declared Edmonds “Righteous Among the Nations” in 2015.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. As we pause to remember the 6 million Jews and 11 million others murdered at the hand of their Nazi captors, we also commend our Veterans who helped bring the Nazi tyranny to an end. Master Sergeant Edmonds and the 1,275 American soldiers who stood defiantly with him were a part of that story. It is because of men of character and courage like Master Sergeant Edmonds that we live in the free world we do today.

Photo courtesy of Yad Vashem: World Holocaust Center, Jerusalem, Israel #WeRemember

Reading that brought tears to my eyes.  Gods bless him. 




https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1222225577832255489

Excellent.  8) 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: judgedredd on January 29, 2020, 01:26:57 AM
Lego!!! Damn I spent years building crap from my mind.

Of course it went all "dumbed down" and took the imagination away by selling sets that actually made stuff...sod the creativity.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 29, 2020, 08:58:17 AM
Victor Mature, born this day in 1913.

Victor Mature, a rising young actor in the early 1940s, answered his Uncle Sam’s call during World War II, and then went back to work, becoming a perennial star in numerous “sword and sandal” epics well into the 1950s. One of these was Demetrius and the Gladiators

Though set in Rome in the mid-First Century, the film was made in California. One day, Mature practicing his gladiatorial routine for long hours in the arena, under a hot sun. Finally, the director called it a day.

Mature immediately did what any right-thinking gladiator would himself have done under similar circumstances. Without bothering to doff his gladiatorial togs, he jumped into his car and drove over to the nearest bar in search of a cold one. Needless to say, walking into the establishment while still wearing his cape, cuirass, and greaves, to plop down onto a barstool caused a bit of stir. After several minutes of being gawked at by the stunned bartender, Mature finally piped up, "Whasamatter? Don't you serve servicemen here?"
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 30, 2020, 08:55:17 AM
1897         Theodore Roosevelt gives cousin Franklin, Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" for his 15th birthday
1898         Theodore Roosevelt gives cousin Franklin, Mahan's "The Interest of America in Sea Power" for his 16th birthday
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 30, 2020, 12:39:30 PM
And for the 17th, he gave him an Armored Cruiser.  :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 30, 2020, 01:15:28 PM
https://twitter.com/landofthe80/status/1222944592615694337
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on January 30, 2020, 01:53:29 PM
Daaaaaaaamn. 90. Wow.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 30, 2020, 02:05:59 PM
We all have our little faults. Mine's in California.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 30, 2020, 03:34:03 PM
Loved him as the bad guy in Unforgiven. And so many more. Happy BD Gene.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 30, 2020, 04:00:08 PM
Popeye Doyle for sure.  The Polish general in A Bridge Too Far was good.  I actually enjoyed Heist. I thought he was miscast as Lex Luthor, but still enjoyable
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 30, 2020, 04:03:41 PM
I thought he was miscast as Lex Luthor, but still enjoyable

He's no Jesse Eisenberg
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on January 30, 2020, 04:08:52 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1222989109158797312
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on January 30, 2020, 05:30:22 PM
I thought he was miscast as Lex Luthor, but still enjoyable

He's no Jesse Eisenberg

 :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 30, 2020, 11:38:36 PM
Popeye Doyle for sure.  The Polish general in A Bridge Too Far was good.  I actually enjoyed Heist. I thought he was miscast as Lex Luthor, but still enjoyable


There's always Jimmy McGinty
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 01, 2020, 08:10:41 AM
https://twitter.com/landofthe80/status/1223592596058054662
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 03, 2020, 09:09:36 AM
Sinking of the transport Dorchester.
Once well known by all Americans, the story of the Four Chaplains is one of the most dramatic and moving of World War II, as four men of God, of different faiths but with one cause, gave up their lives to save others, to die side-by-side in prayer.

Very early on the morning of February 3, 1943, the Europe-bound army transport Dorchester, with 869 souls aboard, was steaming through the frigid waters of the Davis Strait, just 20 miles off Greenland. At 0:55 a.m. the German submarine U-223 put a torpedo into her. Struck amidships, slightly aft on her starboard side, in her engine spaces, the ship lost power and began going down. “Abandon Ship!” was ordered. Only two of the ship’s lifeboats could be launched. Panic developed, for many of the troops aboard had disobeyed orders to sleep in their life jackets.

Amid the chaos and fear four men stood out as pillars of strength, four men of God, of different faiths but united in their devotion to their fellow man. The four distributed life jackets and helped men over the side, frequently having to coax, encourage, and even shove the faint hearted. Towards the end each gave his own life jacket to help frightened young soldiers who had none, by some accounts one of them saying, “Take this, my son, you need it more than I do.” As the ship went down they were seen standing together in prayer, by some accounts holding hands. It was just 25 minutes after the torpedo had hit. Only 228 of the men aboard Dorchester survived. Many had gone down with the ship, many others perished in the icy waters. No one knows how many survived because of the heroism and self-sacrifice of the “Four Chaplains.”



    George Fox (1900-1943), a native of Pennsylvania, lied about his age in 1917 to enlist in the Army, serving in the Ambulance Corps at St. Mihiel and in the Meuse-Argonne, where he was wounded, leaving him partially disabled. After the war he attended seminary, became an itinerant Methodist minister, married, and became pastor of a church in Vermont. Shortly after Pearl Harbor Fox decided to become a military chaplain. His son saw combat with the Marines Corps in the Pacific.

    Alexander Goode (1911-1943) was born in Brooklyn, but his family lived for a time in Washington, D.C., before settling in York, Pennsylvania. The young man was active in his synagogue and in B’nai B’rith. During the 1930s he married and had several children, became a rabbi, and pursued an academic career. He joined the Army as a chaplain in early 1942.

    Clark V. Poling (1910-1943), a native of Ohio, was the son of a prominent Reform clergyman and religious publisher. The younger Poling naturally gravitated to the ministry, attending Yale Divinity School. He served in several churches during the 1930s, married, and became pastor of a church in upstate New York. He joined the Chaplains’ Corps shortly after Pearl Harbor.

    John P. Washington (1908-1943) was born into a working class Irish-American family in a tough section of Newark, New Jersey. An outstanding athlete, after college, he entered seminary, and in 1935 was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He worked in various parishes before joining the Army as a chaplain in early 1942.

The men were nominated for the Medal of Honor, but at the time Army regulations limited that honor to deeds committed in direct combat with the enemy (at least one award has since been made contrary to this rule), and they were instead each awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second highest decoration in the service. The heroic sacrifice of the four chaplains greatly moved the American people, who took it as symbolic of the very meaning of America, and as an outstanding example of interfaith cooperation.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 03, 2020, 09:26:16 AM
Great story! Thanks for the post.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 03, 2020, 09:38:31 AM
Great story! Thanks for the post.  :applause:


+4
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 03, 2020, 03:30:25 PM
I see what you did there.  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on February 03, 2020, 10:24:44 PM
Another amazing (and moving) story I'd not heard before.  Thanks for sharing, besilarius
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 04, 2020, 08:26:20 AM
1779.  John Paul Jones takes command of Bonhomme Richard
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 04, 2020, 10:34:30 AM
Which they promptly renamed, " Hommie Mc Boat-Face".  :nope:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 05, 2020, 07:31:17 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1225214774276956165
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 06, 2020, 07:23:59 AM
On February 6, 1952, after a long illness, King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, the oldest of the king’s two daughters and next in line to succeed him, was in Kenya at the time of her father’s death; she was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, at age 27.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 06, 2020, 07:38:34 AM
God Bless Her.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on February 06, 2020, 01:23:57 PM
God Bless Her.

+1000
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 06, 2020, 01:29:25 PM
The Crown is a great Netflix series. :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on February 06, 2020, 01:34:38 PM
The Crown is a great Netflix series. :)

Yes it is... but too slow between seasons...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 06, 2020, 02:09:57 PM
Agreed.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 09, 2020, 11:51:40 AM
A very auspicious date.
On this date. Artemis and Apollo are born to Zeus and Leto.

Spanish admiral, the Marquis de Santa Cruz dies of overwork, putting together the Spanish Amada.  (After which king Philip appointed the wealthiest man in Spain, an orange grower, to admital of the Armada.)

Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederate States of America.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 11, 2020, 08:02:35 AM
1851, the Younger Brother of Jesus Christ begins the Taiping Rebellion.  Perhaps 50 million perish before it is put down in1864.

Lingchi, death by slow slicing, was a preferred form of execution inflicted on rebel leaders.  (Hint, hint, Brant.)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 11, 2020, 11:09:30 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1227202119372918784
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 11, 2020, 12:30:25 PM
A smart move.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 11, 2020, 01:25:35 PM
What an excellent aircraft the P-38 was.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 11, 2020, 04:12:29 PM
I don't blame them for being dubious at first sight. What an odd-looking bird! It looks like a Square with an airplane built around it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 11, 2020, 04:15:13 PM
What an odd-looking bird!

Much more normal than say the F-82 Twin Mustang.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 11, 2020, 04:21:20 PM
Yes, I agree. I'm not too sure what the idea was behind the twin Mustang. I can't imagine that it was any more manoeuvrable.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 11, 2020, 04:30:38 PM
Yes, I agree. I'm not too sure what the idea was behind the twin Mustang. I can't imagine that it was any more manoeuvrable.

Very long range for escort missions.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 11, 2020, 04:42:32 PM
Oh aye, I see that, and the advantage of having two pilots for long flights - but was it any better or longer ranged than the P-38, and, was it any more manoeuvrable in combat?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 11, 2020, 04:46:55 PM
Oh aye, I see that, and the advantage of having two pilots for long flights - but was it any better or longer ranged than the P-38, and, was it any more manoeuvrable in combat?

It was definitely longer ranged.

Quote
The F-82E had a range of over 1,400 mi (2,300 km), which meant that with external fuel tanks it could fly from London to Moscow, loiter for 30 minutes over the target, and return, the only American fighter which could do so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_F-82_Twin_Mustang
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 11, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Yeah, that is quite a range with drop tanks fitted.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 12, 2020, 10:04:37 PM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1227565765496393729
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on February 12, 2020, 10:19:20 PM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1227565765496393729

 :'(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 13, 2020, 06:20:52 AM
Such a sad thing - it looked amazing.  The concept of launching and recovering aircraft from it is fantastic.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on February 13, 2020, 06:32:29 AM
I wonder if the same concept could be used nowadays to deploy drone swarms for things like surveys or maybe SAR in inhospitable territory.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 13, 2020, 06:34:53 AM
Maybe so with computer guidance technology and modern airship concepts. The thing that gets me it the guts of the guys flying the aircraft and aiming for the hook gadget they used for recovery. Mind you, things were a wee bit slower then I guess.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on February 13, 2020, 07:32:01 AM
Maybe so with computer guidance technology and modern airship concepts. The thing that gets me it the guts of the guys flying the aircraft and aiming for the hook gadget they used for recovery. Mind you, things were a wee bit slower then I guess.

Speaking of guts- I know I've mentioned it a few times already but it bears remembering that eventually the landing gear was removed from the sparrow hawk scout fighters to increase speed and range. After all, since the ZRS airships were designed to operate far out at sea, where were the pilots going to land anyway?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 13, 2020, 07:44:35 AM
Wow! I didn't know that.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 13, 2020, 11:35:11 AM
This all reminded me of an 80s era Popular Mechanics article about airports in the sky...aircraft would dock with them in flight and they'd serve as way stations in the sky. All total fantasy but still interesting.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 13, 2020, 01:24:55 PM
You would need some rather large balloons for that :-)

...blimey,,back to Samantha Fox again...............
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 13, 2020, 05:14:34 PM
Well, Bawb, as Gunny Rudy used   to say, better to have mind in gutter than foot.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 14, 2020, 07:06:41 AM
A good sig line if ever I heard one  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 14, 2020, 08:50:48 AM
Getting back to the dirigibles.
Jimmy Cagney was in movie with some great sequences on the west coast.
Here Comes the Navy.
Can't copy the address, but YouTube has the goodbits.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 14, 2020, 09:02:26 AM
If that was supposed to be a Haiku, you failed miserably  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 15, 2020, 11:50:52 AM
44 BC.  Marc Antony offers Julius Ceasar a crown three times.

Bawb, my best effort at haiku:

An army on the move,
A sniper in the grass,
Unfortunately.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 15, 2020, 12:13:47 PM
 :bigthumb:

You may get extra kudos for cramming 5 syllables into one word  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 17, 2020, 09:20:43 AM
1944.  The invasion of Eniwetok island, covered by the air attack on Truk, Operation Hailstone.
Although major units of The Combined Fleet had been withdrawn, up to forty cruisers, fesyroers, auxiliaries, and merchants are destroyed.
At one point, the light cruiser Katori and destroyer Maizake, escaped through the northern channel.
The old cruiser commander, Raymond Spruance, decided to take them out with a surface action group that included the battleships Iowa and New Jersey.
The Japanese ships were smothered by overwhelming firepower.  However, the sinking Maizake launched a spread of Long Lance torpedoes.
By deft maneuvering, they passed close between the battleships.
Spruance turn Ed to his Communication officer,. "Well, we won't try that again ."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 17, 2020, 11:36:44 AM
https://twitter.com/WWIIpix/status/1229412171441942529
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 17, 2020, 03:36:48 PM
I've always wondered what would've happened if they had dropped one of those Brit Earthquake bombs on Mt. Surabachi? Would've made any difference?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 17, 2020, 03:44:01 PM
Pretty sure it would have knocked the hell out of at least the upper levels of Suribachi.

It's eerie now, if you go look at it on Google Maps. It's half collapsed.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 17, 2020, 03:47:46 PM
I've always wondered what would've happened if they had dropped one of those Brit Earthquake bombs on Mt. Surabachi? Would've made any difference?


Or if they had set off one under the island and untethered it from the seabed and all added to capsize :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 17, 2020, 03:50:00 PM
(https://sparrowmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/The-A-Team.jpg)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 17, 2020, 03:50:31 PM
Or if they had set off one under the island and untethered it from the seabed and all added to capsize :whistle:

OK, gameleaper
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 17, 2020, 03:54:00 PM
Gameleaper would make a helluva Congressman



Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 17, 2020, 04:09:39 PM
Oh Jesus  :ROFL: :2funny: :ROFL: :2funny: :ROFL: :2funny:

I had no idea that was a thing.

He sounds like Sheila Jackson Lee. She's an idiot of the Nth degree too. One of her gems is thinking the Constitution is 400 years old, thinking Neil Armstrong visited Mars in 1969, and many, many others. :( And she's been a Congresswoman since 1995.

But we're getting political. Back on topic, today in history, in 1864, the Confederate submarine Hunley sank the USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 17, 2020, 11:12:24 PM
Which Sheila Jackson Lee thinks actually happened in 1684 and was caused by Global Warming. From Mars. No politics, just mild humor intended here.  :peace:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 18, 2020, 07:23:04 AM
Which Sheila Jackson Lee thinks actually happened in 1684 and was caused by Global Warming. From Mars. No politics, just mild humor intended here.  :peace:

Humor or no, you're not far off the mark. She's certifiably looney tunes.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 23, 2020, 05:58:56 PM
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on February 23, 2020, 08:36:50 PM
Crockett should  have his own damn counter.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 23, 2020, 10:50:25 PM
And it ought to look like John Friggin' Wayne. With a dead raccoon on his head.  >:(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 24, 2020, 05:55:20 AM
..this raccoon is not dead...its merely sleeping.  Pining for the forests.................
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on February 24, 2020, 06:28:51 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 24, 2020, 09:19:09 AM
OK, so this was Saturday. Should've posted it then.



Quote
Michaels was part of a recent NBC conference call discussing his Miracle on Ice call, and he answered the question of whether his call was pre-planned.

“Ken Dryden, who’s phenomenal, he had retired, had never done any broadcasting, was a great partner, a great analyst, and he did so many things during the telecasts. He and I were walking over to the arena. The hotel was four blocks away, and I remember the bottom line of the conversation was if it’s only like 3-1 Soviets midway through the second period, maybe we can keep the audience. Remember the U.S. is trailing three separate times, 1-0, 2-1, 3-2. As it turns out, the U.S. had been out-shot 39-16, so the Soviets really dominated so much of the game, and there was never a moment where I really felt, hey, the U.S. could win this game. Second period was dominated by the Soviets, they lead 3-2, then all of a sudden now you’ve got Mark Johnson scoring again and then Mike’s goal. Now with exactly 10 minutes to go, whoa, holy mackerel, is this possible? And then at that point the crowd is just going out of its mind.

The guys in the production truck forgot to let the key get undepressed or however that works downstairs. They pressed the key down, left it down, and meanwhile now I’ve got a building that’s shaking, a crowd that’s going crazy, and I’ve got to hear all this craziness going on in the truck. So all I did was work in an intense state of concentration. To think about what would be said at the end of the game or how it would be said never could enter my mind. I’ve got to call it pass by pass, shot by shot.

And then just serendipitous that with six or seven seconds to go, the puck comes out to center ice, and now the game is going to be over. The Soviets have no time to mount a last rush. The puck is in the neutral zone. And the word that popped into my head was miraculous. That’s just the word that popped in, and it got morphed into a question and quick answer, and away we went.

But all I’m trying to do at that point is call the game and don’t blow a call. The Soviets could have tied the game. How insane would that have sounded if I would have said that as the Soviets tie the game with one second to go? It was from my heart. It had nothing to do with what it meant to the country or anything beyond sports, but as somebody who’s loved sports since I was five years old, this was an upset. This was a gigantic upset, and so that’s why the word miraculous came into my brain, and I said what I said. But that had everything to do with what an upset, what an incredible moment this is, and not something that I ever thought would live in posterity, because remember in those years, too, nobody had a home video machine, videotape machine, so this is not something you think lives forever. Now of course anything anybody says gets played 18 gazillion times, but that was never a thought back in 1980.”
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 24, 2020, 01:44:36 PM
I remember watching that on TV as it happened. No one anywhere thought the Russians would EVER lose a hockey game much less to a bunch of amateur Yanks.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 24, 2020, 02:07:23 PM
it was broadcast on tape delay, so no one really watched it "as it happened"  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 24, 2020, 02:12:12 PM
it was broadcast on tape delay, so no one really watched it "as it happened"  8)

The people who were there did  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 24, 2020, 02:15:47 PM
The link for me says the video is unavailable :-(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 24, 2020, 02:55:20 PM
The link for me says the video is unavailable :-(


f'n' IOC is making copyright claims on videos that have been up for a decade, just b/c everyone is watching them w/ the anniversary of the miracle on ice
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on February 24, 2020, 02:59:13 PM
I can se it.... maybe just banned in countries that don't understand hockey.  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 24, 2020, 03:09:06 PM
You could well be right, Vance.

Actually, Newcastle does have an ice hockey team.


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on February 24, 2020, 03:17:05 PM
It's HOCKEY, not Ice Hockey.  :nerd:

Only countries that don't understand hockey call it ice hockey.  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 24, 2020, 03:21:05 PM
Iced Hockey mocha frappachino with two pumps of soy and one pump of like, totally ugg boot vanilla

it's for Mackchenziegh

Good luck spelling that one right
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on February 24, 2020, 03:47:38 PM
It's HOCKEY, not Ice Hockey.  :nerd:

Only countries that don't understand hockey call it ice hockey.  ;)

Is that the same as people who don't understand water heaters calling them hot water heaters?  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 24, 2020, 03:56:47 PM
Oh!

So its not hockey played on ice then?

You mean this?

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 24, 2020, 03:58:25 PM
It's HOCKEY, not Ice Hockey.  :nerd:

Only countries that don't understand hockey call it ice hockey.  ;)

ahem (http://www.fieldhockey.ca/program/womens-national-team/)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: trailrunner on February 24, 2020, 04:33:38 PM
My daughter played field hockey in HS.  That sure was boring.  I don't think any of the girls had played much before HS, so at their level they couldn't string three passes together.  The ball moved by Brownian motion more than anything else, and every now and then it would drift into a goal.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 24, 2020, 04:35:07 PM
1525 Battle of Pavia
Climactic fight of the Bourbon-Habsburg Italian Wars.
An Imperial army enters the walled camp of the French in a night March.  The surprised French fight a unplanned Battle.  German landsknechts best Swiss Pike, and the Imperial arquebusiers, covered in the trees, massacre the nobility of France.
Next day the Habsburg commander, Marquis de Pescara, is astonished at the slaughter of armored knights.
"Oh God, one-thousand years of wazr, but not one day of Battle."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on February 24, 2020, 05:12:45 PM
Oh!

So its not hockey played on ice then?

You mean this?



No, that’s field hockey. It gets a descriptor because it’s not real hockey, which is played on ice.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on February 24, 2020, 05:13:51 PM
It's HOCKEY, not Ice Hockey.  :nerd:

Only countries that don't understand hockey call it ice hockey.  ;)

ahem (http://www.fieldhockey.ca/program/womens-national-team/)

What? That link leads to a field hockey team... see above...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 24, 2020, 06:23:30 PM
Oh! So you're just trying to confuse me - it IS ice hockey after all  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on February 24, 2020, 07:17:54 PM
OK, so this was Saturday. Should've posted it then.



Quote
Michaels was part of a recent NBC conference call discussing his Miracle on Ice call, and he answered the question of whether his call was pre-planned.

“Ken Dryden, who’s phenomenal, he had retired, had never done any broadcasting, was a great partner, a great analyst, and he did so many things during the telecasts. He and I were walking over to the arena. The hotel was four blocks away, and I remember the bottom line of the conversation was if it’s only like 3-1 Soviets midway through the second period, maybe we can keep the audience. Remember the U.S. is trailing three separate times, 1-0, 2-1, 3-2. As it turns out, the U.S. had been out-shot 39-16, so the Soviets really dominated so much of the game, and there was never a moment where I really felt, hey, the U.S. could win this game. Second period was dominated by the Soviets, they lead 3-2, then all of a sudden now you’ve got Mark Johnson scoring again and then Mike’s goal. Now with exactly 10 minutes to go, whoa, holy mackerel, is this possible? And then at that point the crowd is just going out of its mind.

The guys in the production truck forgot to let the key get undepressed or however that works downstairs. They pressed the key down, left it down, and meanwhile now I’ve got a building that’s shaking, a crowd that’s going crazy, and I’ve got to hear all this craziness going on in the truck. So all I did was work in an intense state of concentration. To think about what would be said at the end of the game or how it would be said never could enter my mind. I’ve got to call it pass by pass, shot by shot.

And then just serendipitous that with six or seven seconds to go, the puck comes out to center ice, and now the game is going to be over. The Soviets have no time to mount a last rush. The puck is in the neutral zone. And the word that popped into my head was miraculous. That’s just the word that popped in, and it got morphed into a question and quick answer, and away we went.

But all I’m trying to do at that point is call the game and don’t blow a call. The Soviets could have tied the game. How insane would that have sounded if I would have said that as the Soviets tie the game with one second to go? It was from my heart. It had nothing to do with what it meant to the country or anything beyond sports, but as somebody who’s loved sports since I was five years old, this was an upset. This was a gigantic upset, and so that’s why the word miraculous came into my brain, and I said what I said. But that had everything to do with what an upset, what an incredible moment this is, and not something that I ever thought would live in posterity, because remember in those years, too, nobody had a home video machine, videotape machine, so this is not something you think lives forever. Now of course anything anybody says gets played 18 gazillion times, but that was never a thought back in 1980.”

Most everyone thinks that the US team won the gold medal that day. Even back in the nineties it seemed the collective memory.

Not true. They won it when they beat the Finns a couple of days later.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 24, 2020, 07:33:58 PM
Correct. Both wins were historic in nature because both the Russkies and the Finns were excellent teams. Nobody ever beat the Russian team, they were all in the Russian Army were essentially  professionals paid to do nothing else but play hockey--- excuse me-- ICE Hockey. So when the U.S. beat them, it was like winning the Gold Medal then. The win over the Finns was also a huge upset.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 25, 2020, 07:55:24 AM
And the Soviets were so pissed they went on to beat the snot out of Sweden, 9-2. They then refused to turn in their silver medals to get their names inscribed on them.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 25, 2020, 08:27:04 AM
And the Soviets were so pissed they went on to beat the snot out of Sweden, 9-2. They then refused to turn in their silver medals to get their names inscribed on them.


Not quite as bad as the US basketball team in 1972. They have still never even picked up their silver medals after the refs gave away the game at the last second to the Russians
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 25, 2020, 11:23:39 AM
You gotta feel for the losing Russians, their next appearance was probably Afghanistan.  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 26, 2020, 03:23:18 PM
https://twitter.com/MAGTravF/status/1232762549755617280
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 26, 2020, 03:41:25 PM
Happy Birthday Winnie!  :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 26, 2020, 03:45:05 PM
He was a bit of an odd duck.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 26, 2020, 04:13:28 PM
Yes he was, but he was just the man for that theatre, so it would seem.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 26, 2020, 04:23:49 PM
True. You had to be a bit of an odd duck to fight in those conditions.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 26, 2020, 04:26:02 PM
Oh aye - pretty awful by any stretch of the imagination.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 26, 2020, 07:33:11 PM
He is revered in Israel. Seems he was responsible for training and organizing the first Israeli settlers to defend themselves against Arab attacks in Palestine back in the '20's. Some there consider him the Father of the IDF.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on February 26, 2020, 08:39:32 PM
He is revered in Israel. Seems he was responsible for training and organizing the first Israeli settlers to defend themselves against Arab attacks in Palestine back in the '20's. Some there consider him the Father of the IDF.

Actually, he was active in promoting a British- sanctioned Zionist defense force in the later 30's.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 26, 2020, 11:08:55 PM
Yeah, that was it, the '30's. Don't know why I put '20's.  :idiot2:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 27, 2020, 08:14:42 AM
https://twitter.com/WWIIpix/status/1232675786664140800
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 27, 2020, 10:16:42 AM
https://twitter.com/Battlefields/status/1233047940253523978
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 27, 2020, 12:06:15 PM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1233074419683254273
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on February 27, 2020, 12:32:38 PM
^  :'(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on February 27, 2020, 01:28:19 PM
I always though it was a really impressive aircraft.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 28, 2020, 06:53:15 AM
https://twitter.com/LucasfilmGames/status/1233351161043963904
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on February 28, 2020, 07:05:04 AM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1233361706694242304
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on February 28, 2020, 09:09:46 AM
https://twitter.com/LucasfilmGames/status/1233351161043963904

Of all the Star Wars games, this was my favorite back in the day.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on March 04, 2020, 11:46:18 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1235244927191265282
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on March 04, 2020, 03:09:33 PM
I hear the airship was only slightly smaller in size than the man. And considerably less gassie.  :P
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on March 04, 2020, 07:11:02 PM
Hugo Eckner, Graff Ferdinand von Zeppelin's successor at the Zeppelin Works, was absolutely horrified at having to sport swastikas on the tail planes for the Hindenburg. He was a strong anti-nazi who tried to run against Hitler in the 1932 elections, putting him near the top of the new regime's naughty list. Afterwards, he still wouldn't top vilifying the Nazis , and it's likely that only his friendship with P. von Hindenberg himself and Eckner's own fame for his airship exploits kept him from a firing squad.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 02, 2020, 10:03:33 PM
https://twitter.com/OnDisasters/status/1245121760938405894

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on April 02, 2020, 10:23:17 PM
 :ROFL:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Doctor Quest on April 02, 2020, 10:31:37 PM
I understand the fighter pilot had a drinking problem.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on April 02, 2020, 10:41:49 PM
It was the salmon mousse.


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 02, 2020, 10:57:18 PM
Shirley you can't be serious!  :idiot2:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on April 03, 2020, 04:32:22 AM
I am.  And don't call me Shirley. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on April 03, 2020, 09:55:04 AM
What a pisser.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on April 03, 2020, 01:55:34 PM
Roger, Roger. What's your vector, Victor.

They should make a movie............
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on April 03, 2020, 03:12:25 PM
That post would have also worked in the 'getting old' thread.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on May 31, 2020, 08:34:39 AM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1267070834742636545
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 01, 2020, 03:15:00 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1267533623852326912
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 01, 2020, 03:16:30 PM
(http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/worship.gif)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 01, 2020, 03:18:06 PM
He deserves Sainthood
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on June 01, 2020, 04:16:10 PM
He deserves Sainthood

Heartily agreed.  'Twas a great day! 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on June 01, 2020, 04:52:44 PM
Patron saint of Armchair Dragoons.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 01, 2020, 05:56:33 PM
Funny how monks sometimes are utterly in advance of humanity.
This gent with Scotch.
Gregor Mendel with genetics.
Blaise Pascal and wagers.
George's Lemaitre and his theory of the Expanding Universe.

And a Dragoon patron saint of thread derailment, Savanarola, and the bonfire of the vanities.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 03, 2020, 10:39:53 AM
https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1942/midway.html
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on June 03, 2020, 06:45:17 PM
That had to be a nerve-wracking four days for the people on both sides. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 04, 2020, 09:01:52 AM
"Don't give up the ship!"
The USS Chesapeake attacks HMS Shannon outside of Boston harbor.
One of the most useless and worst fought actions of the War of 1812.
Chesapeake had a poorly trained crew, and  her tactics was straight out of Hollywood, a direct attempt to board Shannon.
Lawrence was a very frustrated officer.  He wanted the command of the famous, and larger, Constitution.  Getting the smaller ship was taken as an insult.
This attack was unnecessary, Shannon was low on provisions and would leave for her base in Newfoundland soon, and ignored Lawrence s orders to take British transports and merchants.  Another frigate wouldn't help the War effort.
Lawrence was a hard luck officer, often missing opportunities.  His judgement may have been effected by Nelson's great friend Cuthbert Collingwood.  During the Barbary War, Lawrence commanded a small 12 gun brig.  Collingwood in Dreadnought a 98gun ship of the line took sailors who didn't have papers.
This seems to have deeply effected Lawrence.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 05, 2020, 08:14:58 AM
https://twitter.com/Mighty8thMuseum/status/1268875517832429569
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 05, 2020, 09:44:13 AM
https://twitter.com/kershaw_alex/status/1268900961252237315
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 05, 2020, 10:24:04 AM
This day in history - 5th June 1944.

My dads unit, as part of 5th Army, had broken out of the Anzio beach head and entered Rome.

It was my dads 24th Birthday.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 05, 2020, 10:35:46 AM
that's awesome
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 05, 2020, 01:26:54 PM
Jolly Good Show Bob's Dad! I bet that was one BIG Birthday party.  :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on June 05, 2020, 02:00:08 PM
This day in history - 5th June 1944.

My dads unit, as part of 5th Army, had broken out of the Anzio beach head and entered Rome.

It was my dads 24th Birthday.

Very cool Bob!  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 05, 2020, 02:05:10 PM
^+100!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on June 05, 2020, 06:28:32 PM
Great anecdote Bob. Hopefully none of the 'celebratory fireworks' go too close to him and his buddies.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on June 05, 2020, 09:00:31 PM
This day in history - 5th June 1944.

My dads unit, as part of 5th Army, had broken out of the Anzio beach head and entered Rome.

It was my dads 24th Birthday.
 
That's awesome.  :bigthumb: 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 06, 2020, 06:10:17 AM
Great anecdote Bob. Hopefully none of the 'celebratory fireworks' go too close to him and his buddies.

He was badly wounded not too long afterwards and spent several months in hospital - hit by arty if I remember. One day, I'm going to pay to get all his army records since he was in the Territorial Army before the war so saw 6 years of service - most of it overseas. He was in the 5th Infantry (Yorkshire) Division, who's nickname was 'The Globetrotters' since they served in so many different places There is a memorial plaque to the Division in York Minster which we have seen. Very emotive.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 06, 2020, 11:15:50 AM
Refraining from making any Basketball jokes in honor of your Father's service.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 06, 2020, 11:19:34 AM
Thank you.

Your restraint is only exceed by your sense of humour, which is noticeable by its absence.  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 06, 2020, 01:14:10 PM
I am always good on the anniversary of D-Day. But... tomorrow's a new day.  :waiting:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 06, 2020, 08:15:38 PM
https://twitter.com/tomhawthorn/status/1269335749649825792
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 06, 2020, 08:30:12 PM
The only red shirt who survived!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 06, 2020, 11:04:20 PM
Good Show Mr. Scott!  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 07, 2020, 05:50:20 AM
Awesome!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 07, 2020, 08:46:39 AM
Yep, there's even an episode where you can spot the missing finger.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 07, 2020, 09:18:17 AM
How can you spot it if its missing?  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on June 07, 2020, 11:10:42 AM
Maybe it's in the box with Schrodinger's cat?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 07, 2020, 12:12:49 PM
https://twitter.com/CAFinUS/status/1269305520411811841
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 07, 2020, 02:01:51 PM
That is incredible.

I wonder why we've never heard of it before?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 07, 2020, 02:31:31 PM
I wonder why we've never heard of it before?


claims of their effectiveness were highly inflated
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 07, 2020, 03:39:01 PM
...you've just dirigibled down your chin..............
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 07, 2020, 03:41:50 PM
he usually passes gas
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 07, 2020, 04:45:57 PM
Blew-up this thread didn't he?  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 11, 2020, 03:02:11 PM
https://twitter.com/Battlefields/status/1271155514223845376
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 11, 2020, 10:09:11 PM
https://twitter.com/URDailyHistory/status/1271262947260719104
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 11, 2020, 11:11:57 PM
There was a great piece on NatGeo's Drain The Ocean show Tuesday I believe about the Alabama. How she was designed to be able to disguise herself as a sailing merchant to get close enough to surprise her targets.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 12, 2020, 06:40:47 AM
It met its fate in the English Channel as I recall - and no, before you ask, I didn't see it myself.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on June 12, 2020, 09:42:18 AM
On June 12th at 1000 the 51st Highland Division, under the command of Major General Victor Fortune, surrendered to the Germans at Saint-Valery-en-Caux. Surrounded, General Fortune had considered other options, such as counter attacking, but with little ammunition and the nearby French 9th Corps, (I think?) surrendering just a couple of hours earlier, General Fortune decided to surrender to General Rommel, commanding the German 7th Panzer division.

You can learn the full history from the official 51st Highland Division website: https://51hd.co.uk/history/valery_1940

Two interesting items for your consideration related to this event in history.

The first item: Davy Steele, of Battlefield band, wrote a song about this event in 1998. His father and uncle where in the Seaforth Highlanders and both were present during the Battle of St. Valery. Davy's father escaped, but his uncle did not, which Davy includes in his song. Here is Mr. Steele's song:


The second item: During the latest episode of Pipeline (June 6th, 2020), at BBC Radio Scotland, there is a segment about the Battle of St. Valery. You can find it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000jtbg - Please note: it is only available for about three more weeks.

There were many famous pipers in the 51st Highland Division and Pipeline host Gary West starts a story about how "Wee" Donald Macleod escaped from the Germans on the long march through France at the 22:45 mark. Mr. Macleod's daughter Susan picks up the story starting at the 23:00 mark of how her father managed the escape and finishes at 24:35.

The recording won't be available after three more weeks, so here's rough transcript of the story.

Susan: They were on a forced march, now uncle ? and uncle Angus was on that forced march, so was Pipe Major Donald MacLean of Lewis, not that they were together, but on one of the rests on this march, Dad, being so small rolled into a ditch and wasn't missed. He wandered around France for quite a while, just eating raw turnips from the fields and eventually the resistance picked him up. They grouped him with some other chaps and they were trying, I think he got out at St. Valery eventually, but they were trying to get there without the Germans knowing what their purpose was. They were accosted once or twice by Germans and Dad just spoke Gaelic to them. I hate to think what he was saying...

Unknown male voice humorously says: And the Germans said, "Are you from Stornoway?"

Susan: … and they just thought they were eastern Europeans and they let them go.

Gary West: I've heard a lot of stories about how useful Gaelic can be at times when there's non-speakers around too, so that was clearly a key, a crucial one.

Susan: Yes, indeed.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 12, 2020, 11:13:30 AM
 George McDonald Fraser in one of the Private McAuslan (the durtiest sojer in da wur-rld) stories, noted that the jocks at St Valery sang naughty Glaswegian songs at the Germans before the tanks rolled in.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 12, 2020, 11:24:46 AM
That would have probably been enough to blister the paint off 'em.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 12, 2020, 08:29:12 PM
www.combinedfleet.com/shoksink.htm

This is a few days early, but with my memory...
Here is a study of the torpedoing of the Japanese carrier Shokaku.
Very interesting recreation.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 14, 2020, 02:57:35 PM
www.combinedfleet.com/guadoil1.htm

Following the success of the Battle of Midway, Admiral King starts working on the problem of stopping the Japanese in the Solomon's Island chain.
They are beginning to construct an airfield on the Lunga plain of Guadalcanal.
The above article addresses the serious issues facing the Japanese navy.
On the face of it, the Japanese navy should have been able to stop the Americans.
Logistics was one key.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on June 17, 2020, 10:41:07 AM
Today marks the 245th anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill. Thomas Williams (@twilliams01301 over in Twitter-land) has a nice essay from 2013 about the battle.

You can find it at the Small Wars Journal: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/bunker-hill-a-story-of-prudent-risk-and-reckless-irresponsibility

 In Mr. Williams words:

Quote
In this short “staff ride” we explore the decisions General William Howe and others faced in June 1775 to contemplate the line between what is prudent risk and reckless irresponsibility.  For the sake of space, there are many aspects of the battle not discussed, leaders not talked about (Putnam and Warren to name just two) and events ignored or given short shrift.  It’s a risk taken for the sake of a larger point.

At the bottom of the essay is a link to West Points history department with additional info about the American Revolutionary War. There are four pdf files which have nice maps of the battle.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 17, 2020, 10:44:28 AM
very cool!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 21, 2020, 07:32:31 PM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1274847078473179136
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 22, 2020, 11:16:22 AM
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1275083994951016459
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 22, 2020, 12:02:28 PM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1275096318151667712
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 22, 2020, 03:55:04 PM
Wasn't the Daniel Boone the sub that killed a Russian Bear with a Bowie Knife?  :hehe:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 23, 2020, 06:53:00 AM
https://twitter.com/bletchleypark/status/1275322866557497344
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 25, 2020, 08:36:08 AM
https://twitter.com/landofthe80s/status/1276131790831443969
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 25, 2020, 08:43:13 AM
<hides behind sofa>
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 25, 2020, 11:28:10 AM
I'm more a fan of the original actually. Scared the crap outta me as a kid. But then, a lot did back then.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 25, 2020, 02:02:59 PM
https://twitter.com/Battlefields/status/1276213843811852288
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 29, 2020, 11:46:46 PM
Quote
"Meatballs", released on this date in 1979, is noted for Bill Murray's first film appearance in a starring role and for launching the directing career of Ivan Reitman, whose later comedies included "Stripes" (1981) and "Ghostbusters" (1984), both starring Murray. The film was the highest-grossing Canadian film in the United States of all-time and also in Canada, winning the Golden Reel Award, an award presented to the Canadian film with the biggest box office gross of the year.

Reitman and Harold Ramis (one of the film's writers) wanted John Landis to direct this movie, because of his work that he did on "Animal House" (1978). But Landis turned it down because he was too busy working on "The Blues Brothers" (1980). Because of this, Reitman decided to direct it himself. Ramis said that Reitman did not know for certain whether Murray would be in the movie until he showed up for the first day of filming; Murray only signed on to do the film very late because of his contractual obligations to "Saturday Night Live".

The movie was filmed at an actual summer camp, Camp White Pine, in Haliburton, Ontario (a few hours north of Toronto). Many of the extras in the film were actual campers and counselors of the camp; most if not all locations were actual camp facilities (basketball courts, mess hall, swim docks, cabins, etc.). The "Visitors Day" scene/montage was actually filmed during the camp's Visitors Day; White Pine also had a similar yearly event to the "Olympiad" - although rather than being a inter-camp competition, it was an intra-camp relay-type competition that was just part of an overall all-day themed event. These competitions were nicknamed "Mohawk Relays", perhaps serving as inspiration for the name of the rival camp in the movie.

According to one of the featurettes on the DVD, several of the shots in the movie were added after initial filming ended. These included the scenes of Rudy and Tripper at the bus station and of them playing blackjack for peanuts. During the time off, Chris Makepeace had entered puberty and had the beginnings of a mustache. Murray decided that it had to go so he took Makepeace over to a sink, lathered him up with soap and shaved off his mustache. So Makepeace received his first ever shave from Murray.

It's never explained why the movie title is "Meatballs". (There are no meatballs in this movie). Except "Meatball" is a general term for a silly person, and the campers in this movie do act silly. The Stomach calls Spaz a meatball while they're playing tennis. (Wikipedia/IMDb)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on June 30, 2020, 05:46:24 AM
 :rockon:
Damn, I’m old....
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on June 30, 2020, 09:59:38 AM
Meatballs was okay. Caddyshack was, to me anyway, Murray's real breakout movie.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on June 30, 2020, 10:08:11 AM
Stripes was his real breakout.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on June 30, 2020, 11:00:17 AM
Stripes was his real breakout.

This +100
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on June 30, 2020, 11:41:33 AM
I actually typed Stripes first, but looked it up and saw Caddyshack was before that. But yeah, in Stripes he had a leading role as opposed to just a goofy minor character.

Back when HBO only had one channel in the early 80s, and showed stuff over and over, I probably watched Stripes once a day all summer. What a glorious film.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 03, 2020, 12:03:14 PM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1279082581263372288
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 05, 2020, 09:53:31 AM
https://twitter.com/USNAMuseum/status/1279771322248282112
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 08, 2020, 02:18:50 PM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1280841582292471810
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 08, 2020, 04:14:54 PM
https://twitter.com/PulpLibrarian/status/1280954163241893889
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 08, 2020, 11:46:04 PM
He had an inflated opinion of himself.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: judgedredd on July 09, 2020, 01:05:30 AM
 :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 09, 2020, 06:44:37 AM
I soooo want to see that movie!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on July 10, 2020, 12:45:56 AM
I soooo want to see that movie!

According to the Internet Archive, the movie poster was made in 1971 by Hammer Films for a movie that was never produced. In 2007 a short video was created mashing up different films to create a faux six and a half minute short, akin to a serial from the 1930s. If you have 6.5 minutes to spare, you can find it here: https://archive.org/details/zeppelin_vs_pterodactyls_1936
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 17, 2020, 08:06:22 AM
https://twitter.com/landofthe80s/status/1284096291035910151
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 17, 2020, 08:46:52 AM
and only 1 of them was actually any good - the original movie!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 17, 2020, 09:02:15 AM
True, dat.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 17, 2020, 04:10:31 PM
I liked the first 2. After that they should've been recalled. I was at the theater the night it premiered locally. There were cops everywhere when I pulled into the parking lot. I thought there must've been a riot in progress, so naturally I got out to get a new TV. Then I found out they were there just for the movie.  :-[
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 24, 2020, 09:04:53 AM
https://twitter.com/landofthe80s/status/1286648098970886152
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on July 24, 2020, 09:11:50 AM
I was lucky that my friend's sister worked at the theater where it was showing. She let us in for free. I still feel like I paid too much to see it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 24, 2020, 09:18:28 AM
I never bothered to watch it. Superman III was bad enough.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 25, 2020, 07:01:12 PM
https://twitter.com/GolfDigest/status/1287019704972869634
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on July 25, 2020, 07:04:23 PM
Dang, that's about the last time I saw it.  :(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 25, 2020, 07:17:27 PM
AC/DC's Back In Black was 40 years ago today, too
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 26, 2020, 06:23:22 AM
Bloody hell! You have to be kidding. Its the only album of theirs that I have.

As a pal of mine once said - you only need one AC/DC album and you have them all.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 26, 2020, 07:21:44 AM
He's not wrong
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 26, 2020, 07:53:06 AM
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Brant  :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 26, 2020, 09:02:18 AM
 Happy B-Day Brant!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on July 26, 2020, 09:10:03 AM
Happy Birthday! (http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/new/smilie_happy_011.gif)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 26, 2020, 09:35:50 AM
Have a great day!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 26, 2020, 09:56:19 AM
Thanks y'all 😀
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Doctor Quest on July 26, 2020, 11:17:35 AM
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Brant  :party:

+100000000000000000000000000000000000000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :rockon:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 26, 2020, 12:10:52 PM
https://twitter.com/OnthisdayRN/status/1287219841213104129
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on July 26, 2020, 05:44:14 PM
Happy Birthday, Brant!  Whoot! 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 26, 2020, 11:13:11 PM
Happy Birthday Brant! If you're reading this.... you're not celebrating it correctly.  :rockon:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Davout on July 27, 2020, 04:20:07 AM
- Happy Birthday Brant !
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 27, 2020, 07:12:01 AM
Happy Birthday Brant! If you're reading this.... you're not celebrating it correctly.  :rockon:

Well, I'm reading it the next day  :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 27, 2020, 07:03:58 PM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1287885507574325248
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 28, 2020, 07:00:47 AM
Must have been the longest lasting cease-fire in history.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 30, 2020, 08:33:01 AM
https://twitter.com/USNHistory/status/1288814121002164225
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 30, 2020, 06:57:45 PM
Alt history fans probably wonder what would have happened had she been sunk while still on her secret mission.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on July 30, 2020, 07:06:15 PM
We still would have nuked Japan.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 30, 2020, 07:20:35 PM
There was only one other bomb so perhaps events could have been altered slightly after the first attack with no immediate second and a long pause while other devices were being painstakingly built. Remember, the Japanese had no way of knowing there were only two, hence the gambled use of both of them, bluffing there was a bigger supply. Russia's actions in Europe could also have become bolder.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mirth on July 30, 2020, 07:32:54 PM
The Japanese government was still looking for terms after the Hiroshima bombing. With no prompt follow-up attack, they might have held on for a bit longer.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: trailrunner on August 03, 2020, 07:11:31 AM
33 years ago today I started my first post-collegiate job.  Reagan was president, and the first project I worked on was funded by SDI.  As the new guy, I got a the latest and greatest computer: an IBM AT with 40 Mb of storage and DOS 3.3 (I think).  And a box of 5-1/4 inch floppies.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 03, 2020, 12:46:03 PM
Wow. That was a real beast for the day. Bet you fell in love didn't you? And when the boss wasn't looking.... what'd you play on it?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 13, 2020, 11:02:08 AM
A personal date in History. My Wife just reminded me 16 years ago today a guy named Charlie showed-up on our doorstep... Hurricane Charlie that is, on Friday the 13th. And he was a real scary Mo Fo. We were fortunate and suffered no major damage or injuries but many others were not so lucky. A VERY bad storm. Charlie, if you're listening, there's NO reunion party so you don't EVER need to came back this way again.  :angrytongue:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 13, 2020, 11:43:07 AM
yikes!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on August 20, 2020, 12:22:02 PM
August 20th, 1968: Czechoslovakia was invaded by Russian and 4 Warsaw pact forces. This was operation Danube in direct response to Prague Spring. Here's what the NYT looked like on August 21st

(https://i.postimg.cc/PxCKBDy0/Aug20-68-Czech-invaded.png)
Source: New York Times, 21 Aug. 1968 - ProQuest

I did a very quick check to see if there were any wargames about this topic. I did not find any. I'm sure there are wargames about the cold war going hot in the late sixties with this as a catalyst for the fighting; however, I did not anything specific to this event. Does one exist?

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 20, 2020, 06:14:52 PM
Offhand nothing comes to mind.
Maybe an issue game in S&T?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 20, 2020, 06:30:47 PM
I know of at least 2 about Budapest in '56, but not sure about this one.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 20, 2020, 11:02:18 PM
If there are any, I would not want to play as the Czechs.  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on August 21, 2020, 08:18:47 AM
^And that's why there's not any.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on August 21, 2020, 11:39:38 AM
On August 21st, 1942 the Battle of Tenaru, aka the battle of Alligator Creek took place. The US Marines stopped and then counter attacked an assault by Japanese forces to take Henderson Air Field on Guadalcanal.

Here's 15 minute YouTube video from a Marine vet who walked the battlefield last year and provided a good explanation of what happened. He splices together a few old photos next to his current footage to show the "then and now" aspect of the area to excellent effect. It is well worth the 15 mins to watch.


I looked for a wargame that deals with this battle and discovered Guadalcanal: Semper Fi Series published by Avalanche Press in 2003.

Here's a link to the BBG page about Guadalcanal: Semper Fi Series (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7177/guadalcanal-semper-fi-series/)

Here's a link to a replay of scenario about the Battle of the Tenaru (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/520523/scenario-824-battle-tenaru-banzai-japanese-you-wan)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 21, 2020, 11:42:09 AM
nice!  thanks for sharing :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on August 21, 2020, 06:26:17 PM
That is indeed cool.

There was a paid third party addon for Steel Panthers, 'Watchtower', that was basically a long campaign game covering Guadalcanal, with a media-sweetened interface. It was one of four, with the others covering the DAK in North Africa and also one for Barbarossa. IIRC, you can now get them from Matrix Games now as 'Steel Panthers: Generals', a single install with all four using the SPWAW engine.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 01, 2020, 12:23:41 PM
That is indeed cool.

There was a paid third party addon for Steel Panthers, 'Watchtower', that was basically a long campaign game covering Guadalcanal, with a media-sweetened interface. It was one of four, with the others covering the DAK in North Africa and also one for Barbarossa. IIRC, you can now get them from Matrix Games now as 'Steel Panthers: Generals', a single install with all four using the SPWAW engine.

I didn't know this. Thank you for the heads up. I've added it to my ever growing list of games to play.  :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 01, 2020, 12:33:41 PM
I hope this doesn't seem trite and yet I will include this in the thread. 81 years ago today, Germany invaded Poland, starting the path toward World War Two.

Here's what the New York Times front page looked like:

(https://i.postimg.cc/9009n3mr/nyt-01-sept-39.png)
Source: New York Times, 1 Sept. 1939 - ProQuest

Instead of linking to a wargame about this event, I'll link to a book. There are so many to choose from I wasn't sure which to pick. I decided upon Reporting World War II (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/505083347) published by the Library of America. Therein you will find a Sigred Schultz's "At dawn this morning Hitler moved against Poland: War begins: September 1-3, 1939".

I know getting books from libraries are difficult right now due to the pandemic. Hopefully if your local library has this book, they also provide a curb side pick-up.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on September 01, 2020, 12:41:52 PM
David Thompson is working on a new game, Soldiers in Postmen's Uniforms, detailing the defense of a Polish post office in Danzig during that first day of the German invasion of Poland. The game utilizes his excellent system from both Pavlov's House and Castle Itter, so it is a solitaire game where you control the Polish defenders versus the German AI.

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1839997/soldiers-postmens-uniforms-defense-polish-post-off/page/1
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 01, 2020, 01:13:37 PM
David Thompson is working on a new game, Soldiers in Postmen's Uniforms, detailing the defense of a Polish post office in Danzig during that first day of the German invasion of Poland. The game utilizes his excellent system from both Pavlov's House and Castle Itter, so it is a solitaire game where you control the Polish defenders versus the German AI.

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1839997/soldiers-postmens-uniforms-defense-polish-post-off/page/1

Nice! Thank you for this information, I wasn't aware of it. A quick search shows me it will go the Kickstarter route. I'll keep my eye on it.

While searching BBG I found another game about the defense of the Polish Post Office: Not Yet Lost: The Defense of the Polish Post Office in Danzig (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/260157/not-yet-lost-defense-polish-post-office-danzig) It looks like it is a free print and play game by Chris Davis. I am not familiar with his work. You can find the game here: Not Yet Lost (https://americanprideweb.wordpress.com/simulations/)

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on September 01, 2020, 01:40:29 PM
Cool, thanks. I didn't know about that one.

I highly suggest the Solitaire Wargames group on Facebook; David (and many other devs) post there often about upcoming projects.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 02, 2020, 12:36:28 PM
I highly suggest the Solitaire Wargames group on Facebook; David (and many other devs) post there often about upcoming projects.

Thank you for the recommendation. I don't use Fb, so all I can do is browse the group a wee bit and that's fine. I'll check in with the public facing side of that Fb group from time to time to see if I can keep up on their news.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 02, 2020, 12:52:48 PM
On this day in 1945 Japan formally surrendered in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63), bring an end to World War II. The photo depicts the Japanese delegation sent to participate in the surrender ceremony. The two people in the front are: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, who is holding a walking cane, and General Yoshijiro Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff. You can find the names of most of the delegation by clicking on the link to the Naval History and Heritage Command.

(https://i.postimg.cc/1z6RBMwD/japan-surrender-45.jpg)

Source: Naval History and Heritage Command USA-C-2719 (https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/battleships/missouri-bb-63/USA-C-2719.html)

There are many games that deal with the Pacific Theater of Operations. I'm will not try to list them all. I discovered while looking for potential games to link to for this post that Mark Herman has designer credits for three Pacific War games, albeit one is a second edition of a game her designed in 1985 with Victory Games. They are:

Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan 1941-1945 (1985) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5622/pacific-war-struggle-against-japan-1941-1945)

Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 (Second Edition) (2021) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/314577/pacific-war-struggle-against-japan-1941-1945-secon)

Empire of the Sun (2005) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11825/empire-sun)

I think the main difference between them is Empire of the Sun is a card driven game whereas Pacific War is not. I haven't played any of them so I am not sure. What are your favorite games depicting the Pacific Theater?

Don't forget the ACD's own bbmike has a great video about Guadalcanal - A Combat Boots Game. If you haven't watched it yet, what are you waiting for?  ;D


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 02, 2020, 01:46:15 PM
 :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 03, 2020, 06:07:20 PM
OK, this one is for Panzerde:

On this date in 1651 the battle Worcester took place. This was the last battle of the English Civil war in which Oliver Cromwell, leading his New Model Army, defeats the mainly Scottish forces of the Royalist army.

(https://i.postimg.cc/xTT3C3py/battle-of-worcester.png)
Source: British Library's flickr account (https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/10998051496)

From what I can tell, Cromwell set a trap for Charles II and Charles obligingly took the bait, hook, line and sinker. The mainly Scottish forces of the Royalist army were out numbered about 2 to 1 by Cromwell's New Model Army. The Scots fought hard and lost. Charles II fled the field and was on the lamb for about six weeks trying to make his way back to France. His escape became known as the Royal Miracle due to the number of times he was almost caught, yet eluded capture. I'm not sure how much of the stories are true and how much are exaggerated into legend. Either way, it makes for an interesting story.

While researching this I found two interesting related pieces of information. They are:

A blog entry by the Worcester Cathedral Library and Archive (https://worcestercathedrallibrary.blogspot.com/2013/11/surgery-and-medical-treatment-by.html) about Royalist surgeon Richard Wiseman and his book Severall Chirurgicall Treatises. It is a quick read and provides interesting examples of what it was like to be a doctor during this time period. Many of the wounds are treated with egg whites and vinegar.  :o

The second interesting piece of info is, this is also the day Oliver Cromwell dies in 1658, seven years after the end of the English Civil war.

Here are the wargames I found associated with this battle:

Ironsides: Preston 1648 Worcester 1651 (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/192069/ironsides-preston-1648-worcester-1651)
This game has two battles in it, Breston and Worcester. I have never played it, so no idea if it is good or not.

Horse & Matchlock: Prelude to an Era (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257087/horse-matchlock-prelude-era)
There are 22 scenarios in this game with the battle of Worcester being one of them. I don't have this game, (yet!), so I can't comment on it. If you listen to the ACD podcast you might have heard Panzerde discuss it. It sounds very good and I'm curious to see how it handles the battle of Worcester.

Does anyone else have recommended games either about this battle or time period?
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 04, 2020, 07:00:12 PM
On this day in 1260 the battle of Montaperti took place in Tuscany, Italy
(https://i.postimg.cc/qv7K7Vnw/Battle-of-Montaperti.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Montaperti.jpg)

This battle was a bit confusing to me as I read about it. It honestly read like two gangs fighting instead of two armies, only the gangs were really, really big. The folks on the left are the Guelphs and they are on the side of the Pope. The fellows riding their horses with swords raised, ready to smite all those in their path, are the Ghibellines and they are on the side of German kings who wanted to claim parts of northern Italy, so think the Holy Roman Empire. There was a lot of squabbling over this part of Italy for political and economic reasons which culminated in this battle. The Ghibellines crushed the Guelphs, mainly because a group of Guelphs soldiers changed sides during the battle to fight for the Ghibellines. Never a good thing!

I wasn't sure I could find a wargame about this battle, but thanks to BBG, I found one: The Age of Dante: Montaperti and Campaldino (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/72523/age-dante-montaperti-and-campaldino)



Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 05, 2020, 03:58:10 AM
Interesting!  I hadn't even heard of that one before. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 05, 2020, 08:39:12 AM
Clearly, the folks on the right are coming out of the TARDIS. I suspect the Doctor's involvement in this one. Most likely the First Doctor.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 05, 2020, 11:17:44 AM
Clearly, the folks on the right are coming out of the TARDIS. I suspect the Doctor's involvement in this one. Most likely the First Doctor.

I had not noticed that until you pointed it out!  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 05, 2020, 11:25:15 AM
Clearly, the folks on the right are coming out of the TARDIS. I suspect the Doctor's involvement in this one. Most likely the First Doctor.

 :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 05, 2020, 11:52:16 AM
On Sept 5th we have the Battle of Virginia Capes, also know as the Battle of the Chesapeake.
(https://i.postimg.cc/MKPCsZN1/Virginia-Capes.jpg)
Source: Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 73927-KN Battle of the Virginia Capes (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-42000/NH-42904.html)

This is the naval battle which helps end the American Revolutionary War, or War of Independence, take your pick. What I didn't realize while reading about this battle was Rear Admiral Graves waited for the French fleet to exit Chesapeake Bay instead of attacking them while they sailed out to sea. It might have been a very different result if Admiral Graves attacked the French ships immediately instead of waiting.

I didn't find a game specifically about this battle; however I did find a scenario for it: Chesapeake 1781 (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/70297/chesapeake-1781)

This scenario is for the game Master and Commander published by White Dog Games.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 05, 2020, 01:24:56 PM
I've always wondered about Graves' choices in that battle.  Small wonder they're still scrutinized today. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 05, 2020, 02:16:10 PM
Also, Graves' subordinate was Admiral Hood, who had some kind of dispute with him.
One account stated that Graves' put up an order which ensured the rear squadron, under Hood, would not be able to support Graves' ships in the lead.
Instead of piling on sail to engage the enemy, Hood followed his order and left the leading ships to fight alone.

One of the reasons Nelson was lauded and was successful was his willingness to go off script.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 06, 2020, 11:22:44 AM
Also, Graves' subordinate was Admiral Hood, who had some kind of dispute with him.
One account stated that Graves' put up an order which ensured the rear squadron, under Hood, would not be able to support Graves' ships in the lead.
Instead of piling on sail to engage the enemy, Hood followed his order and left the leading ships to fight alone.

One of the reasons Nelson was lauded and was successful was his willingness to go off script.

Interesting. That would help explain what happened. After reading about the Battle of Virginia Capes I definitely want to dig into this a bit more to get a better understanding of what transpired.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 06, 2020, 11:49:44 AM
On this day in 1914 the 1st Battle of the Marne began. It started on the 6th and end on the 12th of September. Instead of posting an image about it, I decided to link to the BBC's 1964 documentary about WW I called the Great War. The documentary doesn't spend much time on this battle. To get the complete picture, you'll need to watch the last 3 minutes of the 4th episode. I couldn't get the embedded youtube function to started at the right place, but this link will take you to the correct start time. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CbhyHynbCA&feature=youtu.be&t=2103)

Then watch the first 6 and a half minutes of the 5th episode here:


I like the Great War documentary. The firsthand accounts of the soldiers who were there, from both sides of the war is amazing. If you haven't watched it, I recommend you make the time to view it.

There are a lot of games about this battle. While looking for some for this post, I discovered a game about the taxis which sent French troops to the front during this battle. This is not a war game, but a co-operative game about this event in the battle: Les taxis de la Marne (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181005/les-taxis-de-la-marne) It definitely looks like fun.  :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 07, 2020, 11:35:10 AM
This one is for Cyrano.

On this day in 1812, the Battle of Borodino took place. What can I saw about this battle that you all don't already know? Probably nothing. I'll leave you with an image from the Borodino Panorama in Moscow. If you are not familiar with this panorama, you can learn about it here: Borodino Panorama (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/borodino-panorama)

(https://i.postimg.cc/d0LWJt6P/Battle-Borodino-panorama.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Borodino_panorama_-_detail_05.jpg)

Cyrano commemorated the battle of the Shevardino Redoubt with his son over the weekend playing Commands and Colors: Napoleonics. You can watch it here:

Cyrano and the ACD crew commemorated the Battle of Borodino here:

There are a lot of games depicting this battle. The one I recommend is Eagles of the Empire: Borodino (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7830/eagles-empire-borodino) published by Games USA. It is an area movement game. I really like this system. It never caught on, which is a real shame.  :(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 07, 2020, 03:39:10 PM
I played the battle way back in the 80's with SSI's Battles of Napoleon on my Amiga. I got my butt handed to me by the Russkies. Tip, charging fortifications with cavalry NEVER works.  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 07, 2020, 05:18:29 PM
When Marshal Enterprises brought out their first game,Battaille de la Moscowa, one guy picked it right up.
There were no limits on using g the Imperial Guard.  We found releasing the Young Guard to support Poniatowski and clear the Utitza woods was a game winner.
Not realistic for Napoleon to use the Guard so early in any battle, but made for a great experience.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 07, 2020, 10:51:02 PM
Didn't Marshal Davout favor moving around that flank instead of going up the middle?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 08, 2020, 12:05:16 AM
Didn't Marshal Davout favor moving around that flank instead of going up the middle?

Yes. According to Esposito & Elting, in their A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars on page 116, Davout wasn't in favor of Napoleon's plan and wanted to flank the Russian left with his corps. Poniatowski would have supported Davout's right flank in this attack. Esposito & Elting think this would have worked and speculate Napoleon didn't accept this plan because it would have caused Kutusov to rapidly retreat.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 08, 2020, 09:08:45 AM
Quote
According to Esposito & Elting, in their A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars...

I'm thinking that this is a book I need to own.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 08, 2020, 10:47:05 AM
I've been picking events in history that are interesting to me and have a game, or a book, about the battle, or the theater of operations in which the battle took place. Today is going to be a wee bit different...

On this day in 1966, the first episode of Star Trek premiered with the story, "The Man Trap" on NBC. You all know the history behind Star Trek and the abundance of stories, programs, films, books and games that are either about the Star Trek universe, or which were inspired by it. There are many games from the Star Trek universe and I'd like to highlight the one from 1979 which was one of my first forays into this hobby we all love: Star Fleet Battles (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1589/star-fleet-battles).

SFB wasn't the first wargame I played. It was one of the first wargames I purchased as as a young lad. Here's a pic of my copy:
(https://i.postimg.cc/B6L6sKk9/sfb-box.jpg)

As you can see, my copy of the game has been on many voyages. I had a lot of fun playing this game. I haven't played it in ages, mainly because I'm interested in other aspects of gaming; however, I am very glad Star Trek came along, not only to give us the television programs, books and films, but because it also provided us with a lot of great games.  :v
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 08, 2020, 11:35:26 AM
Mike, if you do find a copy of Esposito and Eating, it is a great read.
There are at least two editions.  The first was oversized and hard covered.  Really let the maps shine.  This one came in the 60s and I think the imprint was B Franklin.
It was reprinted by Prager maybe fifteen years later and is virtually the same.
A later print kept the maps and I think the text was updated.  Not sure of this.
However, the size was reduced so the maps are tinier and names harder to read.
These have soft covers, so you can clearly recognize which version.
Personally, the earlier editions by Franklin. And Prager, with the full size maps, are a lot more satisfying.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 08, 2020, 05:29:06 PM
Mike, if you do find a copy of Esposito and Eating, it is a great read.
There are at least two editions.  The first was oversized and hard covered.  Really let the maps shine.  This one came in the 60s and I think the imprint was B Franklin.
It was reprinted by Prager maybe fifteen years later and is virtually the same.
A later print kept the maps and I think the text was updated.  Not sure of this.
However, the size was reduced so the maps are tinier and names harder to read.
These have soft covers, so you can clearly recognize which version.
Personally, the earlier editions by Franklin. And Prager, with the full size maps, are a lot more satisfying.

Well, I found one for about as much as a high dollar wargame would cost but I bought it anyway. It's the first edition so I don't feel too bad. Can't wait to get it!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 08, 2020, 05:33:14 PM
I've been picking events in history that are interesting to me and have a game, or a book, about the battle, or the theater of operations in which the battle took place. Today is going to be a wee bit different...

On this day in 1966, the first episode of Star Trek premiered with the story, "The Man Trap" on NBC. You all know the history behind Star Trek and the abundance of stories, programs, films, books and games that are either about the Star Trek universe, or which were inspired by it. There are many games from the Star Trek universe and I'd like to highlight the one from 1979 which was one of my first forays into this hobby we all love: Star Fleet Battles (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1589/star-fleet-battles).

SFB wasn't the first wargame I played. It was one of the first wargames I purchased as as a young lad. Here's a pic of my copy:
(https://i.postimg.cc/B6L6sKk9/sfb-box.jpg)

As you can see, my copy of the game has been on many voyages. I had a lot of fun playing this game. I haven't played it in ages, mainly because I'm interested in other aspects of gaming; however, I am very glad Star Trek came along, not only to give us the television programs, books and films, but because it also provided us with a lot of great games.  :v

Looks like you had the second or third edition. I was lucky enough to be gifted the original edition way back when. I still have it and several expansions that came after. I also have some of the Nexus magazines that went with it.

(https://www.aarcentral.com/pics/sfb79.jpg)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 08, 2020, 07:06:59 PM
Mike, if you do find a copy of Esposito and Eating, it is a great read.
There are at least two editions.  The first was oversized and hard covered.  Really let the maps shine.  This one came in the 60s and I think the imprint was B Franklin.
It was reprinted by Prager maybe fifteen years later and is virtually the same.
A later print kept the maps and I think the text was updated.  Not sure of this.
However, the size was reduced so the maps are tinier and names harder to read.
These have soft covers, so you can clearly recognize which version.
Personally, the earlier editions by Franklin. And Prager, with the full size maps, are a lot more satisfying.

I didn't know there was a second printing of this book. I have the hardcover edition and I agree, the larger size is wonderful for the maps. I have a hard time imagining this book with smaller maps. If I come across the newer edition I might be tempted to purchase it just to see if the information is updated.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 08, 2020, 07:11:55 PM
Mike, if you do find a copy of Esposito and Eating, it is a great read...

Personally, the earlier editions by Franklin. And Prager, with the full size maps, are a lot more satisfying.

Well, I found one for about as much as a high dollar wargame would cost but I bought it anyway. It's the first edition so I don't feel too bad. Can't wait to get it!

Wow, Mike, you don't mess around! I purchased my copy 20+ years ago. It took some time to track down a copy that was in decent shape and one that didn't have pencil or pen markings in it. I think you will be very satisfied with your purchase. I turn to it frequently for the maps alone, even though the information contained in it is very useful too.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 08, 2020, 07:39:26 PM
As you can see, my copy of the game has been on many voyages. I had a lot of fun playing this game. I haven't played it in ages, mainly because I'm interested in other aspects of gaming; however, I am very glad Star Trek came along, not only to give us the television programs, books and films, but because it also provided us with a lot of great games.  :v

Looks like you had the second or third edition. I was lucky enough to be gifted the original edition way back when. I still have it and several expansions that came after. I also have some of the Nexus magazines that went with it.

I'm not sure. I checked and there is no edition number or copyright date on the rule book. The only date I found was on the back of the box, which is 1979. I purchased it in the early 80s. Maybe 81, or 82? I can't remember. That's brilliant you have an original edition. That was a great gift.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 09, 2020, 02:07:40 PM
One this day in 1513 King James IV of Scotland died at the battle of Flodden. This was a battle I had heard about, but never took the time to investigate. I know much more about James VI of Scotland than I know about James IV and from what I can gather after a wee bit of research, James IV was a good king and leader, who might have been very influential in history if he hadn't died 507 years ago.
(https://i.postimg.cc/cJhmNYN4/flodden-memorial.jpg)
Source: cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Russel Wills (http://geograph.org.uk/p/5232802)

What I learned while reading about this battle:

The bill hook, or hooked bill as I also saw it described, gave the English an advantage over the Scottish spearmen. I also learned the Scottish artillery was superior to the English and unfortunately for the Scots, poorly placed, so it didn't effectively contribute to the battle.

I found two interesting videos about the battle. The first is a good account of the battle. I never heard of Baz Battles before and it seems like a good discovery. It is only 10 minutes of your time and worth watching.

The second is a television program from 2002 called Two Men in a Trench. Two archaeologists go to different places to investigate historical events. One episode is about the battle of Flodden. In the program they explain this is the first dig for this battle site. I was surprised to learn it had not been part of a past excavation before then.

I looked for a game and I didn't find anything. I discovered someone used the advanced Armati (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/305448/advanced-armati) rule set for this battle and I'm guessing other miniature rules would work well. I am a bit surprised there wasn't a board game, especially of the print and play variety. Anyone know if a game for this battle exists?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 09, 2020, 02:10:41 PM
Interesting. I need to check those videos out.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 09, 2020, 03:57:48 PM
I watched the Baz Battles video. It was really well done and I enjoyed it (I will probably spend more time on that channel than I should). Thanks for making me aware of the channel and the Battle of Flodden!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 09, 2020, 04:02:01 PM
I've been subscribed to Baz Battles for a few years now; they do good work.  Not sure I've watched their video on Flodden, however (although I know of the battle), so I'll definitely have to check it out! 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 09, 2020, 04:35:51 PM
CWC Oman's Art of War in the Sixteenth Century has a very good account of the battle, and of the campaign.
According to one chronicler, the English army had to fight a battle.  They were running out of beer.
Lord Protector Somerset knew the army would start disintegrating when the militia had to rely on water!

I know Oman's two volume Art of War in the Middle Ages is online at Google books.  The Sixteenth Century might be as well.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 12, 2020, 01:06:37 PM
CWC Oman's Art of War in the Sixteenth Century has a very good account of the battle, and of the campaign.
According to one chronicler, the English army had to fight a battle.  They were running out of beer.
Lord Protector Somerset knew the army would start disintegrating when the militia had to rely on water!

I know Oman's two volume Art of War in the Middle Ages is online at Google books.  The Sixteenth Century might be as well.

I can only image how worried the Earl of Surrey must have been when he realized the beer supply was running low. Tony and Neil from Two Men in a Trench also comment on how beer would have been the common drink as it wasn't safe to drink the water.

Thank you for recommending Oman's Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. In the US it is still under copyright protection, (looks like it was published in 1937) so full-text isn't available at Google Books. I've added it to my growing pile of titles to be read. Oman's book about the Middle Ages was published in 1885, so it is in the public domain. I've added that one to my list too.  :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 12, 2020, 05:55:10 PM
Mike, if you do find a copy of Esposito and Eating, it is a great read...

Personally, the earlier editions by Franklin. And Prager, with the full size maps, are a lot more satisfying.

Well, I found one for about as much as a high dollar wargame would cost but I bought it anyway. It's the first edition so I don't feel too bad. Can't wait to get it!

Wow, Mike, you don't mess around! I purchased my copy 20+ years ago. It took some time to track down a copy that was in decent shape and one that didn't have pencil or pen markings in it. I think you will be very satisfied with your purchase. I turn to it frequently for the maps alone, even though the information contained in it is very useful too.


So this arrived today. An absolutely incredible looking book. It is the hardback original and in very good shape. The cover is a bit rough but the inside is very nice.

(https://www.aarcentral.com/pics3/nb3.jpg)

(https://www.aarcentral.com/pics3/nb1.jpg)

And a picture of a map that relates to my current My Own Worst Enemy battle:  8)

(https://www.aarcentral.com/pics3/nb2.jpg)

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 12, 2020, 06:12:44 PM
That looks great, Mike  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 12, 2020, 07:29:50 PM
Wow, that arrived quickly. Excellent!  :2thumbs:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 12, 2020, 07:39:40 PM
Indeed. Now be more careful about what books you mention.  :D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 13, 2020, 09:42:19 AM
Just one comment..  in the back are thumbnail bios of many generals.  Mostly very good, concise notes.  Remember this came out long before the massive interest in the era grew.  So most of the generals were practically u known.
Some of them are wryly hilarious.  Be sure to read Wellington and Marshal Brune.
His epitaph, "Died sneering at his assassin's marksmanship" would fit all dragoon s.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 21, 2020, 10:37:35 AM
On this day in 1866, Herbert George Well's was born.

(https://i.postimg.cc/nc9mgwn9/H-G-Wells-by-Beresford.png)
Source: Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H.G._Wells_by_Beresford.jpg) 

He is most famous for his writing. We at the Armchair Dragoons also know him as a wargamer. His book Floor Games (https://archive.org/details/floorgames00well/page/n9/mode/2up) and Little Wars (https://archive.org/details/littlewarsgamefo00welluoft/page/n7/mode/2up) stirred the imagination and entertained more than a few with their toy soldiers.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 21, 2020, 10:52:59 AM
Wait, wait...  according to Warehouse 13 he was just a 'front' for all of his sister's great ideas!

You mean that wasn't a documentary series?!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 21, 2020, 04:04:27 PM
Wait, wait...  according to Warehouse 13 he was just a 'front' for all of his sister's great ideas!

And she bore a most striking resemblance to Jaime Murray...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on September 21, 2020, 04:24:34 PM
Every time the nerd comes out around here, someone gotta top it.  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 21, 2020, 04:36:34 PM
But of course. It is Our Way.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 21, 2020, 05:59:44 PM
Every time the nerd comes out around here, someone gotta top it.  ;)

"Comes out"?  That implies that at some point, the nerd actually leaves.  :idiot2:  :ROFL: 




But of course. It is Our Way.

Indeed.  To do otherwise would be like failing to breathe.  It is in our blood.  8) 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on September 22, 2020, 12:00:06 AM
Wait, wait...  according to Warehouse 13 he was just a 'front' for all of his sister's great ideas!

You mean that wasn't a documentary series?!

I had never heard of Warehouse 13 until I was looking for an image of Well's to include with my post. I was also getting images of a woman I didn't recognize. I of course stopped to investigate and learned about Jaime Murray and Warehouse 13. Totally missed this program, mainly because I don't subscribed to cable, so no Syfy network. Looks interesting.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 22, 2020, 06:36:07 AM
Wait, wait...  according to Warehouse 13 he was just a 'front' for all of his sister's great ideas!

You mean that wasn't a documentary series?!

I had never heard of Warehouse 13 until I was looking for an image of Well's to include with my post. I was also getting images of a woman I didn't recognize. I of course stopped to investigate and learned about Jaime Murray and Warehouse 13. Totally missed this program, mainly because I don't subscribed to cable, so no Syfy network. Looks interesting.

It was a fun show, similar in many ways to another SyFy staple, Eureka. I'm sure both are available on one or more of the streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu or Prime.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 22, 2020, 06:41:27 AM
I used to enjoy Warehouse 13. It was quite tongue in cheek at times, and quite funny, but a lot of the stories were good.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 22, 2020, 06:44:56 AM
I used to enjoy Warehouse 13. It was quite tongue in cheek at times, and quite funny, but a lot of the stories were good.

Telenovella, anyone?  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 22, 2020, 07:02:49 AM
It's always great when a 25-year-old usenet gag turns into a hit show 😁
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 22, 2020, 07:28:23 AM
I think I must have missed something............. ???
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 22, 2020, 07:46:07 AM
I think I must have missed something............. ???

The episode where Pete and Mika get zapped into a Mexican telenovella as the main characters and suddenly start speaking Spanish naturally?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 22, 2020, 07:56:12 AM
I don't remember that one, but I'm not totally sure I saw all the episodes. I may have to revisit, especial since there are a couple of very cute ladies in it :-)

Genelle Williams and Allison Scagliotti
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 28, 2020, 09:35:20 PM
https://www.navalhistory.org/2010/09/28/flogging-outlawed-160-years-ago-today

I know this comes as a real surprise.
Still, it's time to let old habits die.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 29, 2020, 07:35:22 AM
..there are circumstances when I think they should bring it back..................
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 29, 2020, 09:29:41 AM
Ah, Bawb, you made me recall a notable flogger, Edward Pellew.
Later in his career, he was Admiral on the Indian ocean.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 29, 2020, 10:09:47 AM
You can't get away from the fact that some people deserve a damn good thrashing!

Kiss the gunners daughter.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 29, 2020, 10:53:15 AM
Thank God we've done away with flogging here at the Dragoons. We...have...done away with it....Right?  :worried:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 29, 2020, 10:56:43 AM
Damn it, the last part was cut off.
When Pellew was in the Indian Ocean, a violent storm broke a mast.  The drag could have rolled the ship.
Seeing this, a number of the crew broke I to the rum locker and drank themselves I to a stupor.
This an ancient nautical tradition, that is far better to drown drunk than to drown sober.
Howver, the old admiral took a boarding axe and with other crew, cut the mast away.  The next morning was a rude awakening.

Pellew had a great career and his bio is a lot of fun..
When General Burgoyne came aboard the frigate, Blonde, midshipman Pellew was skylarking on the main mast by standing on his head.
Burgoyne asked Captain Pownall if the lad wasn't out of order.
Pownall replied that he was doing his head stand on his hat, so was properly attired.

Oh, and when Pellew was made a Baron, his title was Exmouth.
What in heck is an Exmouth?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 29, 2020, 11:11:29 AM
Thank God we've done away with flogging here at the Dragoons. We...have...done away with it....Right?  :worried:

 :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 29, 2020, 12:18:51 PM
Thank God we've done away with flogging here at the Dragoons. We...have...done away with it....Right?  :worried:

 :whistle:

while we can neither confirm nor deny the continuation of such actions here at the Dragoons, we will simply note the absence of any official memo or policy explicitly ruling any such actions either in, nor out...   as far as you know  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 29, 2020, 01:00:16 PM
Mustn't let the cat out of the bag.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 29, 2020, 01:27:54 PM
^You peeked!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 29, 2020, 02:06:43 PM
Mustn't let the cat out of the bag.

at the moment, it is both flogged and not flogged
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 29, 2020, 04:15:05 PM
LOL

Schrodingers cat 'o nine tails, or maybe not..........
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 29, 2020, 07:44:24 PM
So... we're not sure on the whole Flogging thing here. Great. Then why are you hitting me with that damned whip?  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 29, 2020, 08:43:16 PM
I wasn't aware we needed a reason.  :biggrin: 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 29, 2020, 10:58:22 PM
I need one for insurance purposes. Plus.... my Wife gets suspicious when I come home with strange whip-marks on me.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 30, 2020, 03:18:17 AM
I thought we were using her spare, though.  ???  I could've sworn that's where we got it from... 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 30, 2020, 07:37:36 AM
Could be worse.
Remember when Brant was challenged about merciful keel haulings?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 30, 2020, 08:04:19 AM
WE PADDED THE KEEL WHAT MORE WERE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!?!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 30, 2020, 11:30:49 AM
A little Cucumber Water afterward wouldn't hurt.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 30, 2020, 11:45:08 AM
OTD in 1955, James Dean died in a car accident in Cholame, CA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_James_Dean

Of note, the tree is still there
https://goo.gl/maps/yAdcdn3vkKDomebd7
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on September 30, 2020, 11:50:30 AM
OTD in 1955, James Dean died in a car accident in Cholame, CA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_James_Dean

Of note, the tree is still there
https://goo.gl/maps/yAdcdn3vkKDomebd7

You may find this video interesting as well:



The guy does some very interesting videos.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 30, 2020, 11:56:30 AM
I've actually driven through there a bunch of times.  The next town to the west down CA-46 is Paso Robles and I lived there in '95 while waiting for on-post housing in Monterey to open up.  I also used to us CA-46 to get btw the 101 and CA 99 going btw Salinas and Ft Irwin.  That whole area was my stomping grounds in the late 90s after I was out of college.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on October 01, 2020, 10:31:10 AM
On this day in 1947, the first flight of the XP-86 Sabre prototype took place. This jet would become famous as the F-86 Sabre (and all its variants), during the Korean war. According to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, F-86 pilots shot down 792 MiGs by wars end.

(https://i.postimg.cc/ZRSDzVSy/640px-North-American-XP-86-Sabre-c1947.jpg)
Source: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (https://web.archive.org/web/20131106025810/https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060829-F-1234S-014.jpg) Archived from an older version of their site via Internet Archive.

Here's a fact sheet about the Sabre (https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196118/north-american-f-86a-sabre/) from the National Museum of the US Air Force. At the bottom of the web page there is a "Find Out More" section. From there you can find a link to get a 360 degree view from the inside of an F-86A cockkpit (http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/cockpits/KW_tour/KW-6.html). Very cool!

I really like this jet. Ever since I was a kid I thought it was an amazing aircraft. I checked and there are many games which include the F-86 Sabre. The two that caught my eye are:

Clash of Sabres: Tabletop Wargaming Rules for Aerial Combat 1948-1970 (1998) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/307991/clash-sabres-tabletop-wargaming-rules-aerial-combaial)

MiG Alley: Air War Over Korea 1951 (2015) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/187199/mig-alley-air-war-over-korea-1951)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 01, 2020, 12:05:46 PM
Nice Pic! Isn't she a beauty? Even in black & white.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on October 01, 2020, 03:34:54 PM
Nice Pic! Isn't she a beauty? Even in black & white.  :applause:

It is indeed. One of my favorite stories about the Sabre is from Chuck Yeager. In the book Yeager, there is a great story about the first MiG the US got when a North Korean pilot defected. Yeager was tasked with testing it out and pushing it to its limits. Near the end of this trail period is when the story begins. This is from page 208 of the 1985 copy of Yeager, published by Bantam Books:

(https://i.postimg.cc/MZtzgtHf/pg208-yeager.png)

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on October 01, 2020, 07:17:56 PM
Good story.  There was a reason that man was a legend.  :bigthumb: 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: judgedredd on October 02, 2020, 03:31:46 AM
Nice!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on October 03, 2020, 09:46:08 AM
On this day in 1935 Mussolini's Italian army invades Abyssinia, known today as Ethiopia. The Italians invaded from Eritrea and Somaliland. The Italians greatly outnumbered and out gunned the Ethiopians. After six months of tenacious fighting withdrawal actions by the Ethiopians, they were finally defeated at Maychew in 1936.

I looked for images in the Creative Commons or Public Domain to include in this post and the only items I could find were a couple maps that were not what I was seeking. If you take the time to search for images on this war, you can find some good pictures of Haile Selassie posing with unexploded Italian bombs.

I found two games about this war. The first, Lion of Judah: The War for Ethiopia, 1935-1941 (2017) (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171742/lion-judah-war-ethiopia-1935-1941) is two games in one box. You can refight the invasion of 1935-36 and you refight the campaign of the British and Ethiopians against the Italians in 1940-41.

The second, Conquest of Ethiopia: The Italian Invasion, 1935-1936 – A Panzer Grenadier Game (2015) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/156597/conquest-ethiopia-italian-invasion-1935-1936-panze) is only about the invasion of 1935.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 03, 2020, 10:34:55 AM
Lion of Judah looks like an interesting game.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on October 03, 2020, 11:03:14 AM
I've had my eye on Lion of Judah for some time.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on October 03, 2020, 04:23:35 PM
You've had your eye on every game for some time.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on October 03, 2020, 06:01:01 PM
...your point being?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on October 03, 2020, 06:11:23 PM
No point. Still just trying to take up mirth's slack.  :(
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 03, 2020, 06:17:11 PM
;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on October 05, 2020, 09:42:13 AM
On this date in 1877, the Nez Perce War ended.

(https://i.postimg.cc/1tGn7w30/chief-joseph.gif)
Source: National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/523607)

While looking for information about the Nez Perce war I came across this great paragraph in the 2nd edition of the International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences. The author is Stephen A. Germic and this paragraph is from page 504:

Quote
The Nez Perce fought a brilliant running battle, complete with narrow escapes and decisive victories, against U.S. forces for several months and over 1,700 miles. In October 1877, after the Battle of the Bearpaw Mountains, they were finally surrounded and forced to surrender, a day’s march short of refuge in Canada. Joseph was the only principal Nez Perce leader to survive the hostilities, so the surrender agreement fell to him, and he responded with one of the most powerful examples of American Indian oration that we have on reliable record. The oration famously concludes: “Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (Howard 1978, p. 330). The sun stood at 2:20 P.M. on October 5, 1877.

The book Mr. Germic quotes is: Saga of Chief Joseph by Helen A. Howard published by University of Nebraska Press in 1978.

I didn't think I would find a game about this and I am happy to discover I was wrong.

I Will Fight No More... Forever (1979) (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/14975/i-will-fight-no-more-forever) This game was republished, (and it appears to have been updated), in Paper Wars issue 82, from Compass Games.

Before I started searching for games to link to historical events, along with posting some of the show notes for Mentioned in Dispatches, I had never heard of Simulations Canada. They seem like a very interesting company and Stephen Newberg is an eclectic designer with at least 46 tiles to his name.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on October 05, 2020, 09:51:01 AM
Very interesting. Thanks for posting that  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 05, 2020, 11:27:25 AM
Chief Joseph was the, "Red Napoleon". A term now probably considered racist. The Nez  Perce were also one of the first tribes to relate favorably with the U.S. As I recall they helped Lewis & Clark along their journey west.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 12, 2020, 08:55:46 AM
https://www.armouredcarriers.com/operation-judgement-swordfish-attack-taranto-from-hms-illustrious

One of the best written accounts of Taranto.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 15, 2020, 06:59:42 PM
navweaps.com/index_lundgren/Naval_Battle_of_Guadalcanal.pdf

The PT boats from Tulagi were told that Japanese ships were. Coming. Down the slot, but not told american heavy units were coming.  They found Washington and South Dakota, which looked very different than Japanese. 
Admiral Lee heard their chatter.
"This is Ching Chong China Lee, do you know who I am?"
The boats answered yes.
"Well, get out of the way and watch the show.  We're going in."
The PT boats anchored in shallow water and watched the fireworks munching fruit turnovers.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 20, 2020, 06:26:25 PM
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Mississinewa_(AO-59)

USS Mississinewa, AO59, is destroyed outside of Ulithi still by a Japanese kaiten.
The kaiten was a manned torpedo, somewhat similar to the Italian Mailae.
One of the few successes, the oiler's fire, explosion, and sinking had a very sobering effect on the ships that witnesso it.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 07, 2020, 09:44:19 AM
https://m.facebook.com/home.php#!/ArlingtonHistoricalSociety/photos/pcb.

Hope this link works.  A photo of an army machine gun set up to cover Memorial Bridge in DC on 7 December, 1941.
People went to the Japanese embassy to protest, and they could see smoke from the rear of the grounds as the staff burned documents.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 08, 2020, 01:18:55 PM
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https%3A%2F%2F

Had no idea that the sighting of Kido Butai had been investigated.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on December 08, 2020, 09:03:25 PM
besilarius, this is what I'm getting when I click on that link: 


Quote
ERROR: This is an invalid URL. Please reenter the URL, or if you clicked a link in an email message to get here, make sure the link was not split across two lines.



Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on December 09, 2020, 08:57:15 AM
Sorry the link doesn't work.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on January 06, 2021, 08:26:16 AM
Today in history -

In 1781, British naval forces led by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold captured and burned Richmond, VA.

In 1914, Ford Motor Co. raised basic wages from $2.40 for a nine-hour day to $5 for an eight-hour day.

In 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge.

In 2005, the dwarf planet Eris was discovered.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 26, 2021, 11:17:36 PM
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/01/26/on-this-day-in-1945-audie-murphy-climbed-a-burning-tank-and-schwacked-nazis-with-a-50-cal/

Years later, Audie was driving down Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.
There was a fender bender with a pair of body builders.  They started to pop ush the short guy around.
A bystander later told the police that Audie "exploded" into them.
The cops were quicly on the scene.  They found one body builder out cold, with a.
 Broken arm.
Audie was kneeling on the other one shoulders, pounding his head into the pavement.
They arrested him, he was the only one standing, and wondered how "that little shrimp" could take those two buff guys.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 27, 2021, 02:45:06 AM
I never get over just what a badass he truly was.  :applause: 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on January 27, 2021, 09:27:01 AM
Absolutely.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 27, 2021, 12:09:31 PM
I heard that story, also one about John Wayne being certain that little guy couldn't possibly Audie Murphy the first time he saw him.  I remember not too long ago telling my Son-In-Law and Step Daughter about him when we saw him in an old western movie. They were shocked and asked, "Why don't they do a movie about him"?  :doh:    Good question, or maybe a book as well.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on January 27, 2021, 10:48:20 PM
They were shocked and asked, "Why don't they do a movie about him"?  :doh:    Good question, or maybe a book as well.

Okay, I still consider myself new enough around here to not be sure if you were serious about the film and book. So if you know all this already, just mute me.  :biggrin:

Mr. Murphy wrote an autobiography called To Hell and Back  (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1102417605). The link for that book goes to an edition with a forward by Tom Brokaw. That autobiography was then made into a film To Hell and Back (1955) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048729/)

Not many people write their own autobiography and then get to the star of the film based on their experiences.  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 27, 2021, 11:58:46 PM
Yeah I'm very familiar with both the book and movie. But the younger generation have no clue was my point. They've never heard of Murphy or his story most of them, which is a real shame. He still is the most decorated soldier in U.S. History correct? And he wasn't a half-bad actor either.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 28, 2021, 10:50:58 AM
Hard to believe this was 35 years ago today.

The lessons learned from the fatal Challenger shuttle disaster echo at NASA 35 years on (https://www.space.com/space-shuttle-challenger-disaster-35th-anniversary-2021)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 28, 2021, 11:53:41 AM
I remember seeing that in the sky while on my Lunchbreak. One of the times I was truly speechless.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 28, 2021, 11:59:08 AM
I remember seeing that in the sky while on my Lunchbreak. One of the times I was truly speechless.

I can't even imagine...

I think I've told this story before, but I was in Heidelberg at a friend's apartment eating Burger King for dinner on our way to a Motley Crue concert.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on January 28, 2021, 12:47:43 PM
I was in third grade art class. 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on January 28, 2021, 12:53:45 PM
I was in third grade art class.

 :doh:

I was in 2nd yr university, in Ancient Roman Tech course.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 28, 2021, 12:58:59 PM
I was in third grade art class.

 :doh:

I was in 2nd yr university, in Ancient Roman Tech course.

I was also in my 2nd year of college. (http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/old.gif)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 28, 2021, 01:03:50 PM
I was in third grade art class.

 :doh:

I was in 2nd yr university, in Ancient Roman Tech course.

I was also in my 2nd year of college. (http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/old.gif)


I was....   not in college  :rockon:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: trailrunner on January 28, 2021, 01:17:47 PM
I was in my 3rd year of graduate school.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 28, 2021, 01:38:21 PM
I was in my 3rd year of graduate school.

I will remove myself from your lawn.  :P
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: judgedredd on January 28, 2021, 01:54:31 PM
I was in Her Majesty's Forces...January? Probably in a trench somewhere frozen and cold to the bone and bitching about being in Her Majesty's Service.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on January 28, 2021, 01:56:57 PM
Had no one bothered to tell you that the war had ended?  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Doctor Quest on January 28, 2021, 04:41:47 PM
And yesterday (1/27) was the anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire that killed Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee in 1967.

I was 8.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: mcguire on January 28, 2021, 05:00:57 PM
I think I've told this story before, but I was in Heidelberg at a friend's apartment eating Burger King for dinner on our way to a Motley Crue concert.

Out of curiosity, did actual Germans mock the pronunciation of Mötley Crüe, or is that just my aerospace engineer buddy who learned German to build rockets with Werner and the boys?

I was in 6th grade homeroom at the time of the Challenger disaster.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 28, 2021, 05:09:51 PM
none of the ones I knew did, but most of the Germans I knew weren't listening to them, either.  They were far more fascinated by Thompson Twins and Madonna and BAP and Bryan Adams and Tears for Fears.  It was my American friends that were the metalheads
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 28, 2021, 07:52:23 PM
Who was the German girl who did, "Ninety-Nine Luft-Ballons"? Damn, she sure sounded hot whatever she was singing. Only thing I can remember now was, "Captain Kirk".
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on January 28, 2021, 08:12:55 PM
Who was the German girl who did, "Ninety-Nine Luft-Ballons"? Damn, she sure sounded hot whatever she was singing. Only thing I can remember now was, "Captain Kirk".

Nena



and oddly enough, not a ton of fans of hers when I was living there
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on January 28, 2021, 11:03:39 PM
I was a fan, though I did not live in Germany at the time or any time before or after. I have visited there, if that counts.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 28, 2021, 11:23:07 PM
Yeah, that's her, Nena.  :dreamer:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on January 29, 2021, 12:15:20 AM
Yeah I'm very familiar with both the book and movie. But the younger generation have no clue was my point. They've never heard of Murphy or his story most of them, which is a real shame. He still is the most decorated soldier in U.S. History correct? And he wasn't a half-bad actor either.

I believe so; however, while confirming this I learned that Army Col. Robert Lewis Howard is often compared to Murphy for the amount of combat decorations awarded to him during his tours in Vietnam. Col. Howard was nominated three times for the Medal of Honor for three separate actions. Amazing!  You can learn more about Col. Howard from these two articles:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on January 29, 2021, 12:30:39 AM
Yeah, that's her, Nena.  :dreamer:

I realize this isn't the Jukebox thread, so I won't embed the YouTube link to my favorite Nena album here; however, Sir Slash, if you like Nena and haven't heard her complete first album from 1983, you are missing out. You can find her, (almost), entire album here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE_x4UtP4BU&list=PL_-QgoTrvRXrkNTYbn4vaQyFVhDpLuQtX&index=1). The only song missing is 99 Luftballons, which you can find elsewhere on YouTube. Enjoy!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: judgedredd on January 29, 2021, 08:20:25 AM
Yeah, that's her, Nena.  :dreamer:

I realize this isn't the Jukebox thread, so I won't embed the YouTube link to my favorite Nena album here; however, Sir Slash, if you like Nena and haven't heard her complete first album from 1983, you are missing out. You can find her, (almost), entire album here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE_x4UtP4BU&list=PL_-QgoTrvRXrkNTYbn4vaQyFVhDpLuQtX&index=1). The only song missing is 99 Luftballons, which you can find elsewhere on YouTube. Enjoy!
I love her music...including the very lovely In meinem Leben
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 29, 2021, 12:36:27 PM
https://medium.com/@g.poggia90/matapan-the-italian-perspective-4dc63b2de7e3

Italian side of the battle.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 04, 2021, 10:45:29 PM
Great article. And Thank you Tolstoi.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 14, 2021, 09:25:26 AM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTUUOuYtpmE

Happy Valentine's Day.
Happy birthday, Bismarck
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 05, 2021, 11:24:54 AM
Two events that changed world history.

On this date in 1821, Napoleon died in exile.

On this date in 1822, Harry Paget Flashman was born.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 06, 2021, 10:17:09 AM
https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-profiles/charles-kleinsmith-and-yorktown--cv-5-.html

Snipes never get no respect.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 07, 2021, 07:41:20 PM
www.bbc.com.news.uk-england-hampshire-14933341.amp

Rodney at Normandy.
Like the story of shooting at Caen.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on June 07, 2021, 07:46:10 PM
I'm getting another link error. 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 07, 2021, 08:37:49 PM
https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-01BB-Rodney.htm?

Try this.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 08, 2021, 07:06:53 AM
Yep; that worked.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 19, 2021, 11:52:15 AM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1439452943833567239


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 19, 2021, 12:43:38 PM
https://twitter.com/MilHistNow/status/1439452943833567239



Wow, what a brave soul. I'd heard of the Auschwitz infiltration but not the name of the man who did it. Amazing...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Pilecki
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on September 19, 2021, 04:36:28 PM
^+1000. Wow.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on September 19, 2021, 04:39:18 PM
Remarkable!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on September 19, 2021, 11:26:17 PM
Wow.  An incredible man.  :notworthy: 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 18, 2022, 09:36:53 AM
OK, so we missed it by a few days, but 2/16 is the anniversary of this lady's death and it's a pretty interesting tale


https://twitter.com/RRRDonner/status/1493952833846140935

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on February 18, 2022, 11:32:28 AM
Damn.  She had some pretty big cajones. 


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 15, 2022, 06:23:21 PM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h6BJJe9JV_A

Happy Ides of March!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 17, 2022, 10:51:46 AM
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schlik

Austrian Field Marshall von Schlik.died on this date in 1862.
He fought in the Napoleonic Wars and lost an eye at Leipzig.
Widely considered as the most arrogant man in Austria - which is saying a lot - he was involved in harshly stamping out the Hungarian Insurrection of 1848.  His notoriety reached unprecedented levels by having an entire convent of Hungarian nuns whipped.
On a trip to England, he was recognized by working men on the street.  They grabbed him and dumped him into a vat of beer.
Von Schlik seethe d about this and demanded Franz Joseph declare war over this insult.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on December 21, 2022, 05:23:33 PM
OTD in 1970 the first test flight of the F-14 happened one month ahead of schedule. The attached article from the NYT on Dec 22nd is brief and interesting. I didn't realize the Navy was seriously considering the F-111B as a possible replacement for the F-4.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 29, 2023, 11:00:58 AM
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Towton

The anniversary of Towton.  The largest, bloodiest battle to occur in England.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Doctor Quest on March 29, 2023, 02:35:33 PM
OTD in 1970 the first test flight of the F-14 happened one month ahead of schedule. The attached article from the NYT on Dec 22nd is brief and interesting. I didn't realize the Navy was seriously considering the F-111B as a possible replacement for the F-4.

They were serious enough that the Revell F-111 kit I bought in the 70's had parts for both the Air Force and Navy versions. :)

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: GROGnadsUSA on March 29, 2023, 04:55:19 PM

OTD in 1970 the first test flight of the F-14 happened one month ahead of schedule. The attached article from the NYT on Dec 22nd is brief and interesting. I didn't realize the Navy was seriously considering the F-111B as a possible replacement for the F-4.


They were serious enough that the Revell F-111 kit I bought in the 70's had parts for both the Air Force and Navy versions. :)
WHO 'names' these Planes-?-? "Aardvark"-? Why yes, I recall flocks flown forlornly fro-and-too bearing 'Coconuts' upon their annual 'migrations' out of "Capistrano" to deliver unto 'King Arthur' eons ago-! I believe the 'Coconuts' are specificly 'Pacific'-?   
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 01, 2023, 10:06:48 AM
On this day in 2002, Finnish sniper extrordinaire, Simu Hayha passed away.
With 505 confirmed kills, his record is not likely to be surpassed.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 04, 2023, 10:11:38 AM
On this day in 1865, President Lincoln sat in Jeff Davis' chair in Richmond.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 06, 2023, 10:16:07 AM
A busy day, in approximately 1400 BC, Theseus and the select youth of Athens set sail for Crete.
1934, Nazis arrest 418 Lutheran ministers.
1944, SHAEF orders all Leaves cancelled in the British Isles in anticipation of DDay.
1992, Isaac Asimov, army veteran dies.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 07, 2023, 03:21:32 PM
A joyful day.  It is National Beer Day!

On this day in 1938, the Japanese suffer their first defeat in "the China incident".  After fourteen grueling days, they retire from the battle of tearzhuang.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 11, 2023, 10:39:25 AM
On this day in 1612, Edward Wightman, Anabaptist preacher, has the dubious honor of being the last person to be burned at the stake for blasphemy in England.


Prince Harry has no idea how lucky he is.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on April 11, 2023, 11:09:21 AM
Meaning?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 11, 2023, 11:25:14 AM
I am old enough to remember that event. I was there because I thought they were talking about, "Steak" not, "Stake".  :doh:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 12, 2023, 01:40:32 PM
On this date in 1782, admiral George Bridges Rodney won a smashing victory over the French fleet at the Battle of the Saintes in the Caribbean.
This was only possible in the Age of Enlightenment.
The old gentleman always had shaky finances, what with running for Parliament and having a rather incredible gambling issue.
Forced to flee England to avoid his creditors, he hid in France.  When the American Revolutionary war began he was offered a fleet command by the admiralty.  But to accept it meant returning to England and facing court.
So, Rodney appealed for help from his French friends.  Marshal Biron loaned him 2,000 pounds to cover his english debts. 
Then he took his command and beat the fleet of deGrasse, which had won the battle of the Virginia Capes, which sealed Cornwallis' fate at Yorktown.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 14, 2023, 09:13:06 AM
On this day in 1944, Soviet marshal Molokai Vatutin was killed in an ambush by Ukrainian partisans.

Historical precedents can be very useful.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 16, 2023, 10:00:55 AM
https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-045/h-045-1.html

On y this day in 1945, USS Laffey took six kamikaze hits and survived.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 17, 2023, 10:11:23 AM
On this day in 1488, Caterina Sforza refused to surrender Forli to the Orsi.
In their fury that a woman could dare to refuse their demand, Catherine's children were brought up and threatened with death.  The tigress of Forli reputedly pulled up her skirts, cupped herself, and announced she could always make more.

Mother's love.  Isn't it wondrous?

https://www.strategypage.com/bookreviews/1072.asp
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 18, 2023, 09:40:10 AM
A busy day.
In 1775 Paul Revere goes for a ride.
1942, Jimmy Doolittle flies off the carrier Hornet.
1944, Ernie Pyle was killed on Ie Shima.
https://erniepyle.iu.edu/wartime-columns/captain-waskow.html
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 19, 2023, 10:04:16 AM
In 1757, Edward Pellew, one of the great frigate captains of a he French wars, was born.
When Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne came aboard the frigate Blonde, to cross over to Canada, the crew was at attention to greet him.  After exchanging pleasantries with capt a n Philemon Pownall, who had become fabulous wealthy by capturing the Spanish treasure ship, the "golden" Hermione, Burgoyne pointed at midshipman Pellew and asked if the young lad wasn't out of uniform?
Pellew was atop the mainmast, saluting Burgoyne, while standing on his head.
Pownall looked at the cheeky lad.  Since he was doing his headstand on his hat, he definitely was not out of uniform.
After Saratoga, Pellew was chosen by the general to carry his despatched back to Parliament.

In 1775, the British army Conducted some counter insurgency at the villages of Lexington and Concord.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 21, 2023, 01:40:51 PM
On this day in 753BC, Remus Silvius is killed by his brother, who then founds a city.

Baron Manfred von Richtofen is killed by ground fire at the age of 25.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: GROGnadsUSA on April 21, 2023, 07:09:08 PM
On this day in 753BC, Remus Silvius is killed by his brother, who then founds a city.

Baron Manfred von Richtofen is killed by ground fire at the age of 25.

(http://www.modellbau-terner.de/media/image/product/4317/lg/roter-baron-im-luftkampf-diorama-von-mpc-aifix-e-1.jpg)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 22, 2023, 09:09:48 AM
On this day admiral Pierre Dr Villaneuva, who was trounced thoroughly by Nelson at Trafalgar, committed suicide by stabbing himself at least five times in the chest and back.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on April 22, 2023, 10:16:47 AM
In the back !?

Did he have some help? Maybe it wasn't actually his idea?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Undercovergeek on April 22, 2023, 11:30:16 AM
Yeah in the back is commitment to the cause!!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 22, 2023, 01:43:09 PM
Yeah, I don't think Napoleon's Retirement Plan was very enticing.  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 24, 2023, 09:12:47 AM
On this date in 1943, the freighter, El Estero, which had already survived a convoy run to Murmansk, caught fire while loaded with munitions in New York harbor.  At the Cave ammunition armory, a boiler blowback ignited the oil in her bilges.  There was 5,000 tons of munitions on the ships and on the pier.  When the fire got out of control, NYC fire boats and Coast Guard tugs pulled the ship out to shallow water.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_El_Estero

The Seventh Infantry Division, after intensive desert training, shipped out for Alaska.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: GROGnadsUSA on April 24, 2023, 08:18:01 PM
On this date in 1943, the freighter, El Estero, which had already survived a convoy run to Murmansk, caught fire while loaded with munitions in New York harbor.  At the Cave ammunition armory, a boiler blowback ignited the oil in her bilges.  There was 5,000 tons of munitions on the ships and on the pier.  When the fire got out of control, NYC fire boats and Coast Guard tugs pulled the ship out to shallow water.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_El_Estero

The Seventh Infantry Division, after intensive desert training, shipped out for Alaska.
They never heard of the 'Dessert': "Baked Alaska-!-"-?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 25, 2023, 09:34:21 AM
On this date in 1792, Nicolas Jacques Peletier, French highwayman, is the first person to date Madame Guillotine.
In 1942, the carriers Hornet and Enterprise return to Oahu after sending Jimmy Doolittle off to Japan.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on April 25, 2023, 10:46:39 PM
In 1942, the carriers Hornet and Enterprise return to Oahu after sending Jimmy Doolittle off to Japan.

My junior high school history teacher was convinced that the Japanese attacked Midway because they thought it was the mysterious 'Shangri-La' that Roosevelt claimed Doolittle's B-25s took off from in his radio address following the raid.

He was also adamant that the Japanese couldn't actually build a capable fighter on their own. He tried to convince our class that they had reverse engineered the P-36 Hawk and simply added fuel injection. Even at that young an age I knew he was full of shit, having been reading about WW2 aircraft for several years beforehand.



Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 25, 2023, 11:35:45 PM
I had an Eighth Grade Social Studies teacher explain to us that Spain would never have come in to WWII on the side of the Germans because they were allied to the U.S. at the time. That's a part of History I never heard about.  :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 26, 2023, 09:52:46 AM
On this date in 1478, the PaZzi family attempts to assassinate the Medicis in Florence.
While at church, GuiIano and Lorenzo Medici are attacked.  Giuliani is killed but Lorenzo fights his way into a confessional and holds off the killers until his guards get through the worshippers.
The Florentine citizens hang the conspirators.

Ludwig Samson Arthur FreiherrVon und zu Tann-Rathsamhausen dies,1881.  Bavarian Field Marshal.
Setting a precedent for naming Imperial battle cruisers that has mystified English speakers for over a century.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on April 27, 2023, 06:39:12 AM
^ Aircraft Carriers as well, all one of them.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on April 27, 2023, 10:45:44 AM
My thinking is the names were tactical. If you can't pronounce a ship's name, how can you order someone to go and sink it?  :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 28, 2023, 12:16:23 PM
On thi?s day in 1503, Gonzalo de Cordoba, "El Gran Capitan", wins the battle
 of Cerignola defeating a French army in the kingdom of Naples.
Cordoba had reorganized the light Spanish army into a combined arms force of pikemen, swordsmen, and arquebusiers, creating a modern infantry organization, the tetcio.
On this firm basis, Spanish armies dominated the battlefields of Europe until Rocroi, almost 140 years.
El Gran Capitan drove the French out of Naples and secured it for king Ferdinand of Spain.
After queen Isabella's death,
Ferdinand didn't trust Cordoba, rusticated him to his estates, and badgered him about his accounts for the rest of his life.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: GROGnadsUSA on April 28, 2023, 05:09:14 PM
On this day in 1503, Gonzalo de Cordoba, "El Gran Capitan", wins the battle
 of Cerignola defeating a French army in the kingdom of Naples.
Cordoba had reorganized the light Spanish army into a combined arms force of pikemen, swordsmen, and arquebusiers, creating a modern infantry organization, the tetcio.(sp) =  'Tercio'
On this firm basis, Spanish armies dominated the battlefields of Europe until Rocroi, almost 140 years.
El Gran Capitan drove the French out of Naples and secured it for king Ferdinand of Spain.
After queen Isabella's death,
Ferdinand didn't trust Cordoba, rusticated him to his estates, and badgered him about his accounts for the rest of his life.

corrected spelling-!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 29, 2023, 11:31:50 AM
On this day in 711, Tariq ibnZiyad invades Spain from Morocco.  Overthrowing the Visigoth kingdom, he kicks off a conflict that endures until 1492.
In 1492, Joan of Arc breaks the English siege of Orleans.
In 1945, the lovebirds Eva Braun and Adolph Hitler are married.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on April 30, 2023, 04:47:19 PM
A rough day for families.
On this day in 535 Queen Amalasuntha of the Goths was strangled on orders from her husband, King Theodahad, who assumed the throne alone.
In 1945, newlyweds Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler committed suicide.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 01, 2023, 09:25:07 AM
On this day in 1862, admiral David Farragut captured New Orleans, the south's largest port.
In 1898 The captain of the protected cruiser Olympia was told, "You may fire when you are ready, Mr. Gridley."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 03, 2023, 11:11:47 AM
In 1844, the anti catholic, anti immigrant, "Know Nothings" riot in Philadelphia.  Many are killed or wounded and numerous churches are burned.
In 1938, German fuhrer Adolph Hitler arrives by train in Rome.  Here to confer with Mussolini and to view the art and architecture of the Eternal City.  The Vatican is "closed for maintenance."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 04, 2023, 01:54:39 PM
On this day in 1527, 147 Swiss Guards cover the withdrawal of the pope during the Sack of Rome.
In 1626, Peter MInuet buys Manhattan from the Lenapes indians, who didn't really own it, for a lot more than $24 of trade goods.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 05, 2023, 09:46:42 AM
On this day in 1822, celebrated soldier Sir Harry Paget Flash man VC was born.
An amazing adventurer, he survived the disastrous retreat from Kabul, Afghanistan.  Charged with the Light Brigade in the Crimea, survived an assassination attempt by Bismarck's  agents,  survived the Custer massacre at Little Big Horn, just missed Isandawahla, and was a favorite of Queen Victoria, though Albert never warmed to him.
As an observer and n the American Civil War, Robert E Lee trusted him.  Ulysses Grant was noticeably uncomfortable with his presence due, one supposes, to his participation in so many disasters.
Bluff old Flash Harry died in 1915.

"When in doubt, call for Flashman." - A. Lincoln.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on May 05, 2023, 10:14:48 AM
Happy Birthday Sir Henry.  :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 08, 2023, 10:34:16 AM
In 1943, battleship Yam a to sails from Truk.  Her first movement since anchoring April 29, 1942.

In 1887, Alexander Illich Ulyanov was hanged for attempting to kill the tsar. His brother was Vladimir Illich Ulyanov, better known by his nom de plume, Lenin.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 10, 2023, 07:45:52 AM
On this day in 1940, the Luftwaffe be MBA Freiburg, Germany.  Goebbels blames the english.
In 1972, Randy "Duke" Cunningham and Willie "Irish" Driscoll shoot down their third, fourth, and fifth Migs before being hit by an SA2 Guideline missile.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 11, 2023, 09:10:49 AM
On this day in 1849, lieutenants W S Hancock and Harry Beth play cards with Major General Winfield Scott.  Tactfully, they lose.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CNZ8n1ovcbw&t=13s&pp=ygUXdG9tIGNvcmJldHQgc3BhY2UgY2FkZXQ%3D

Frankie Thomas, actor in a very early TV show based on Robert Heinlein is "juvenile" books, dies at 85, in 2006.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 12, 2023, 11:06:57 AM
On this hay in 1796, the Most Serene Republic of Venice was assassinated by General Bonaparte.

On this day in 1943, Max Brand (Frederich Schiller Faust) western author and war correspondent was killed in action near Itri n southern Italy.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 13, 2023, 09:36:38 AM
On this day in 1943, Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered.  This ended the lengthy African campaign.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 14, 2023, 09:35:59 AM
https://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/want-beer-parade/amp/

Today in 1932, 100,000 New Yorkers marched down Fifth Avenue in the "We want beer" demonstration.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on May 14, 2023, 10:07:25 AM
I march around every day at 5pm in a "I want whiskey" demonstration.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on May 14, 2023, 02:23:33 PM
Hopefully you don't need to march very far.  ;) 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 15, 2023, 08:50:02 AM
In 1479 BC, pharoah That lose III wins the battle of Megiddo.

In 1638, New York city has it's first murder.  Gerrit Jansen is stabbed by Jan Gysbertsen  near Fort Amsterdam.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 16, 2023, 09:55:57 AM
1152.  King Henry II of England (19) weds Eleanor of Aquitaine (30).

A jolly Christmas of that typical English family, the Plantagenets.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fKoYHKpCSc4&pp=ygUadGhlIGxpb24gaW4gd2ludGVyIHRyYWlsZXI%3D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on May 16, 2023, 12:03:02 PM
I remember that wedding. I was carrying Eleanor's train for her. Then later me and the Beef-Eaters got 'royally' drunk.   :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 16, 2023, 07:18:52 PM
Here's A gumdrop of knowledge.
When chess was invented in India, the powerful piece was called the Grand Vizier, or the General.
The first time it was called the Queen, was at a winter court of Queen Eleanor.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 19, 2023, 09:26:20 AM
In 1777, Frederick the Great of Prussia declared, "Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the king does not believe that coffee drinking soldiers can be  depended upon."He barred his soldiers from imbibing this beverage.
Frederick was quite disappointed with coffee.  As a young man, he finally got access to a splendid library (his father believed books and culture would make him a sissy).  Enjoying himself thoroughly, he felt sleep was a waste of time.  For most of a week, he tried to avoid sleeping by drinking fifty cups of strong coffee a day.
It took almost two years for his digestion to recover.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on May 19, 2023, 11:26:57 AM
Geez, no wonder he was always invading somebody.  :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: GROGnadsUSA on May 19, 2023, 04:48:17 PM
Geez, no wonder he was always invading somebody. :o
Yes, them 'Bohemian Bier & Pretzels' "WAR Games" had made HIM: "Bloodthirsty"-!   8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 20, 2023, 11:08:55 AM
In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco de Game arrives in Calicut, India. 
After this auspicious event, all navigators will be nicknamed Vasco.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 21, 2023, 10:12:22 AM
In 1762, the Spanish frigate Hermione was captured off of Cadiz by the British ships Active and Favorite.  The Hermione was transporting the annual treasure of Peru to Spain.
Prize Money was the value of a captured ship and it's cargo, determined by a Royal Court.  The value of this capture was set at a very uninflated 519,705 pounds.
In the past, all captures were the property of the crown, who got the value of the captures, Droits of the Crown.  However, the king - God bless him - gave over his captures to the Lord High Admiral, Droits de Admiralty, who shared it with the sailors who actually accomplished the captures.
Thus admiral Hawke (victor of Quivering Bay but was not even present),  and Captains Pownall and Sawyer 65,000 pounds each.  Then using traditional rules, each crew member received their share.  Even the lowliest cabin boy had a share, in the case 482 pounds. Taking into account inflation and various costs of living, this comes out to about $180,000 in today's money.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on May 21, 2023, 10:55:18 AM
that's good money for a cabin boy
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 24, 2023, 10:43:58 AM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tRzNr9Q9iOw&pp=ygUYc3F1YWx1cyBzdWJtYXJpbmUgcmVzY3Vl

On this day in 1939, Swede Momsen saves 33 crew of the sunken sub, Squalus.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 26, 2023, 09:22:05 AM
On this day in 1789, a duel was fought between the Duke of York, colonel of the Coldstream Guards, and lt. Colonel Charles Lennox of the Cold stream Guards.  Firing first, Lennox slightly wounded the Duke, who chivalrously refused to fire.

In 1922, Lenin suffered a stroke, which unfortunately was not fatal.

In 1946, the US filed for a patent on the H bomb.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 27, 2023, 10:31:08 AM
1541.  Margaret de la Poole, 67, beheaded for being catholic and royal.
1606, the False Dmitri, usurping tsar, butchered by the people of Muscovy.
1610, Francis Ravallaic, 32, hung, drawn and quartered for the murder of French king Henri IV.
1661.  Archibald Campbell, chief of clan Campbell, beheaded.

A busy day.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 27, 2023, 03:51:31 PM
1541.  Margaret de la Poole, 67, beheaded for being catholic and royal.
1606, the False Dmitri, usurping tsar, butchered by the people of Muscovy.
1610, Francis Ravallaic, 32, hung, drawn and quartered for the murder of French king Henri IV.
1661.  Archibald Campbell, chief of clan Campbell, beheaded.
1941.  Admiral Gunter Luytjens and approximately 1,500 crew of battleship Bismarck.

A busy day.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 28, 2023, 09:56:07 AM
On this day in 1509, Catering Sforza Riario de'Medici, the tigress of Forli, died.  A woman of the Renaissance, she schemed, and fought, with kings, popes, condotterio, and brigands.  A foe of Cesar Borgia, when Forli was besieged, she refused to surrender.  The attackers brought out her children and threatened to kill them.  Sneering, she cupped her belly and said, "I can always make more."

In 1967, Sir Francis Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth fII for making the first solo, non stop, circumnavigation of the globe.  The sword used was the same one that Queen Elizabeth I used to knight  Francis Drake after his round the world voyage.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on May 28, 2023, 12:19:58 PM


In 1967, Sir Francis Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth fII for making the first solo, non stop, circumnavigation of the globe.  The sword used was the same one that Queen Elizabeth I used to knight  Francis Drake after his round the world voyage.

That is awesome!  :rockon:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 29, 2023, 09:55:49 AM
In 1265, Dante Aligheri, peripatic poet, cavalryman, Traveller, and lover of Beatrice, died.

In 1899, Iosip Dzugashvilli was expelled from the Tblisi seminary for missing his exams.  The wayward youth later changed his name to Josif Steel/Stalin.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on May 30, 2023, 07:26:33 PM
On this day in 248 emperor Philip the Arabian celebrates the Ludi Saeculares celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Rome.
The Ludi Saeculares festival is never observed again.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 01, 2023, 10:21:25 AM
1813, USS Chesapeake is taken by HMS Shannon at the mouth of Boston harbor.
This was a little n audacious effort by Captain James Lawrence but ineptly done.  The Chesapeake had a crew that was untested and not yare, having been shut in Boston by the British blockade.
Both captains wanted a fight.  Captain Broke had drilled Shannon to be a crack vessel and a premier gunnery crew.  He even had early gunsights attached to his cannon at his own expense.
Captain Lawrence seems to have suffered from PTSD.  He never got over the British ship, Dread naught a 100 gun ship of the line, impressing crew from his own little gunboat during the Barbary war.
Brooding over this insult, he did well in the War of 1812, but came to believe he should be captain of the Constitution.  That was a plum post, but he was still rather junior, and his judgement somewhat erratic.
This slight seems to have bothered him deeply.  To think he could take A crack frigate with his green crew seems like magical thinking.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 03, 2023, 12:47:13 PM
1898, the US navy attempts to block the harbor of Santiago, Cuba with the collier Merrimac.  This would block the exit of Admiral Cervera's cruisers.
While passing under the guns of the fortress, the rudder was shot away and the Merrimac could not position herself to fill the channel.  The entire crew was able to get away with no casualties.
Lt Hobson gathered his men on some floating debris through the night.  In the morning, they were all picked up by admiral Cervera's personal cutter, the admiral himself pulling men out of the water.  He then sent a message to the American fleet that the entire crew had been rescued with no one hurt.  He promised to send them back the next day "after they had rested."
True to his word, they were transported under a flag of truce.  However, one sailor had a massive bandage covering his head.  Thinking the Spaniards had abused the sailors angered the ship.
However, it turned out the sailor had been drinking hard at a fete that the Spanish gave for the gallant crew.  Losing his balance, he fell onto a table Injuring himself.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 03, 2023, 01:17:08 PM
1898, the US navy attempts to block the harbor of Santiago, Cuba with the collier Merrimac.  This would block the exit of Admiral Cervera's cruisers.
While passing under the guns of the fortress, the rudder was shot away and the Merrimac could not position herself to fill the channel.  The entire crew was able to get away with no casualties.
Lt Hobson gathered his men on some floating debris through the night.  In the morning, they were all picked up by admiral Cervera's personal cutter, the admiral himself pulling men out of the water.  He then sent a message to the American fleet that the entire crew had been rescued with no one hurt.  He promised to send them back the next day "after they had rested."
True to his word, they were transported under a flag of truce.  However, one sailor had a massive bandage covering his head.  Thinking the Spaniards had abused the sailors angered the ship.
However, it turned out the sailor had been drinking hard at a fete that the Spanish gave for the gallant crew.  Losing his balance, he fell onto a table Injuring himself.

We probably should have been doing this all along- a recommended game to go along with "This Day in History":

A Splendid Little War: The 1898 Santiago Campaign (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33969/splendid-little-war-1898-santiago-campaign)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 04, 2023, 08:49:27 AM
In 1942, PBY pilot Howard "Juni" Ady sights the Japanese Kido Butai West-Northwest of Midway at 0530.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 04, 2023, 09:03:36 AM
In 1942, PBY pilot Howard "Juni" Ady sights the Japanese Kido Butai West-Northwest of Midway at 0530.

Solitaire only, but really fun: Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294609/carrier-battle-philippine-sea)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 05, 2023, 04:53:22 PM
On this day in 1943, it would have been my dad's 23rd Birthday. According to him, and verified by his army records, he was serving with one of the brigades of 5th Infantry Division, 8th Army, and entered Rome on this day.
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 05, 2023, 06:16:25 PM
On this day in 1943, it would have been my dad's 23rd Birthday. According to him, and verified by his army records, he was serving with one of the brigades of 5th Infantry Division, 8th Army, and entered Rome on this day.

Hmm, not sure what game(s) to pair that with. Would Salerno '43 (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/313073/salerno-43) or the upcoming Assault Sicily 43 (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/376753/assault-sicily-43) work? Maybe 8th Army (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7243/8th-army)?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 06, 2023, 07:15:57 AM
He took part in the landings in Sicily and Italy, and was at Anzio.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 06, 2023, 10:12:47 AM
1944. D-Day.

It's a bit surprising that with all the German defences, only one major warship was sunk, the USS Corry.
Besides giving good gunfire support to the landing force, her other claim to fame is rarely mentioned.
During an upkeep in Boston navy yard, she was tied up next to a cruiser.  A working party noticed a crate on the pier.  It was clearly marked for the cruiser and also labeled "Ice Cream Machine."
In the best naval tradition of cutting out valuable treasures, that night the crew painted over the cruisers name and stencilled on the Corry.  Next day, yard workers craned it onto the destroyer.

(a these machines could work with real dairy, but after a few days at sea, used a powder mix to create it de cream.  Connoisseurs hated the stuff, but like powdered milk, was better than doing without.)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 06, 2023, 10:24:09 AM
Happy D-Day to everyone and Happy Bob's Dad Birthday!   :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 06, 2023, 10:26:23 AM
1944. D-Day.

It's a bit surprising that with all the German defences, only one major warship was sunk, the USS Corry.
Besides giving good gunfire support to the landing force, her other claim to fame is rarely mentioned.
During an upkeep in Boston navy yard, she was tied up next to a cruiser.  A working party noticed a crate on the pier.  It was clearly marked for the cruiser and also labeled "Ice Cream Machine."
In the best naval tradition of cutting out valuable treasures, that night the crew painted over the cruisers name and stencilled on the Corry.  Next day, yard workers craned it onto the destroyer.

(a these machines could work with real dairy, but after a few days at sea, used a powder mix to create it de cream.  Connoisseurs hated the stuff, but like powdered milk, was better than doing without.)

Too many D-Day games to list!  :D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 06, 2023, 10:36:39 AM
Yeah, there are a few.

I remember playing SPI's monster 'Atlantic Wall' and Avalon Hill's 'The Longest day' both of which are large games. Lots of other games on the subject, as Mike quite rightly says.

My own favourite games are GMT's excellent 'Normandy '44' and 'Liberty Roads' by Hexasim.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 08, 2023, 09:28:36 AM
In 66 AD, Jewish zealots storm the fortress Antonia in Jerusalem.  This begins the Great Revolt.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 08, 2023, 07:07:48 PM
In 66 AD, Jewish zealots storm the fortress Antonia in Jerusalem.  This begins the Great Revolt.

Had to dig for this one:

The Jewish War (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8962/jewish-war)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 08, 2023, 09:55:13 PM
Very nice.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 08, 2023, 11:01:18 PM
One of my favorite scenarios from the old AGEOD game, Alea Jacta Est. And damned challenging too.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 09, 2023, 04:39:04 PM
1625.  Sara Rapolje, daughter of Joris and Catalna, is first European child born in Nieuw Amsterdam, on the island of Manhattan.
1864.  The First Tennessee cavalry is surprised at Roswell, Ga.  A Confederate patrol catches them bathing in the Chatahoochie river.  They drive off the patrol by conducting a cavalry charge while stark naked.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 09, 2023, 11:53:07 PM
Thus earning the First Tennessee their unit motto, "A Weapon In Each Hand".  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 10, 2023, 08:53:01 AM
1900, 30,000 Chinese Boxers and Imperial troops be siege Peking.  Among the foreigners is an American civil engineer, future President Herbert Hoover.  Although a pacifist, he organizes supplies, designs and builds fortifications, and is responsible for the water supply.  This requires him to slip through the Chinese lines at great risk.  His wife served as a volunteer nurse. She carried a pistol, just in case.
1918, Luigi Rizzo, Italian torpedo boat commander, gets his second battleship, Szent Istvan.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5pSiCjfhUUw&pp=ygUUc3plbnQgaXN0dmFuIHNpbmtpbmc%3D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on June 10, 2023, 11:01:53 AM
1900, 30,000 Chinese Boxers and Imperial troops be siege Peking.  Among the foreigners is an American civil engineer, future President Herbert Hoover.  Although a pacifist, he organizes supplies, designs and builds fortifications, and is responsible for the water supply.  This requires him to slip through the Chinese lines at great risk.  His wife served as a volunteer nurse. She carried a pistol, just in case.

bbmike has a good idea, so here's my suggested game for the Boxer Rebellion: Keep Up The Fire!: The Boxer Rebellion (2011) (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99935/keep-fire-boxer-rebellion)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 11, 2023, 05:59:59 PM
In 1903, King Alexander Obronovic of Serbia, 26, and his wife Queen Draga, 38, are assassinated by "The Black Hand" Serbian nationalists.
1939, President Roosevelt serves hot dogs and beer to George and Elizabeth Windsor.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 12, 2023, 10:04:28 AM
1900, 30,000 Chinese Boxers and Imperial troops be siege Peking.  Among the foreigners is an American civil engineer, future President Herbert Hoover.  Although a pacifist, he organizes supplies, designs and builds fortifications, and is responsible for the water supply.  This requires him to slip through the Chinese lines at great risk.  His wife served as a volunteer nurse. She carried a pistol, just in case.

bbmike has a good idea, so here's my suggested game for the Boxer Rebellion: Keep Up The Fire!: The Boxer Rebellion (2011) (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99935/keep-fire-boxer-rebellion)

 :applause:
I was hoping others would join in and make suggestions.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 12, 2023, 10:29:31 AM
456 BC.  Herodotus begins public readings of his "Histories" in Athens. (The twelfth of Hekatombaion.)
1365.  Edward III finds that his subjects enjoy football more than archery practice.  He bans football.

Mike, I enjoy your choices a lot.  If others aren't interested, that's their loss.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 13, 2023, 09:50:37 AM
1941, the intelligence report on the British raid on Taranto is received in Honolulu.  Pacific Fleet admiral Kimmel is briefed and gets a copy.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 14, 2023, 11:09:35 AM
1744.  Admiral Anson returns to England after circumnavigation the world.  Losing three ships and 80% of his crews, he brought prize worth 1.6 million pounds.  Perhaps 2.5 billion dollars today.

1800 Napoleon fights the battle of Marengo.
1807 Napoleon fights the battle of Friedland.
1815 Napoleon begins the Waterloo campaign.

1942.  Production of the bazooka begins at Bridgeport, Ct.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 14, 2023, 11:50:40 AM
1815 Napoleon begins the Waterloo campaign.


I wonder if anyone ever got around to any games on this one...   :dreamer:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 14, 2023, 11:44:53 PM
I think there were games for it BEFORE the battle was over.  Thank you Mr. Bonaparte for going down swinging like a man.  :biggrin:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 15, 2023, 08:04:11 AM
1815.  The duchess of Richmond hosts a famous ball in Brussels.
1888.  Kaiser Frederik dies of throat cancer at 56.  Wilhelm II takes over.
1955.  Duck and Cover.
First nationwide Civil Defense drill.  The confusing directions leads many children to believe they will be on fire a lot as adults.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 15, 2023, 10:38:42 AM
Those 1955 Elementary School desks were excellent protection. You could drive a Sherman tank over one and it wouldn't give an inch, as our school Janitor did a few times for demonstration. Made from solid steel WWII Nazi Dragon's Teeth Tank Traps, they could also be assembled into an Anti-Aircraft Platform if needed. They don't make them like THAT any more.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 16, 2023, 09:45:34 AM
1813.  Although not so famous as his elder brother the great Shawnee war chief Tecumseh (1768-1813), Tenskwatawa (1775–1836) was actually the spiritual leader of the Ohio Indians during their long resistance to "pacification" by the United States.

A rather misspent and dissipated youth led the young man to be named Lalawethika ("The Noisy One"), but in May of 1805, while overindulging in whiskey, he had vision and became a great spiritual leader. Soon renamed Tenskwatawa (one interpretation of which is "The Open Door"), and soon known among the whites as "The Prophet," the young man preached that the whites were the children of the Great Serpent, the source of evil in the world, and urged his people to return to the ways of their ancestors, abandoning all European customs and goods, including alcohol (though, like other retro-religious movements in some corners of the world, not firearms), while initiating the persecution of Christian Indians.

In 1806, William Henry Harrison, then governor of the Indiana Territory, challenged Tenskwatawa to offer proof that he had supernatural powers.

Now it happened that a government-sponsored expedition had been sent into the Ohio country in order to observe a total solar eclipse that was to occur on June 16th. Tenskwatawa was aware of this, though Harrison apparently was not.

So, responding to Harrison's challenge, Tenskwatawa prophesied that he would darken the sun and then restore it on June 16. Naturally, this came to pass.

And so Harrison's attempt to discredit Tenskwatawa backfired, helping to confirm his spiritual power among the Shawnee.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 18, 2023, 07:18:05 AM
For many years the Second regiment of the British army was n
cknamed the “Sleepy Queen’s Royal Regiment.”

This curious nickname came about as a result of the escape of the French garrison from Almeida, Spain, on the night of May 10-11, 1811.
Despite allowing the French to escape, the men of the Queen’s Regiment, as well as those of the 4th and 36th Foot (all of whom had been tasked with keeping the enemy bottled up) had laid on an impressive pursuit, even abandoning much equipment in order to lighten their burdens. They actually managed to catch up with the French, albeit just as the latter were crossing the River Puerco into the safety of Marshal Massena’s army.
News of this untoward development was brought to Lt. Gen. Thomas Picton by an Irish officer.  Picton, who had a fiery temper, bellowed, “What the devil were the 2nd doing?”
“Faith,” replied the Irishman, “I suppose they were asleep.”

“Asleep!  What, then, was the 36th about?”

“Devil a one can tell, but maybe they were watching the 2nd, for fear somebody would waken them."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 18, 2023, 03:16:30 PM
That was pretty, 'Cheeky'.  :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 20, 2023, 09:33:39 AM
From about 1313 the city of Florence engaged in a series of wars with neighboring Pisa in an effort to subdue the latter and thus gain control of a valuable seaport and merchant fleet. The wars went on for years and years, with neither side gaining the upper hand, though in a war fought 1362-1364 Pisan forces under the command of the redoubtable Giovanni Acuto - Sir John Hawkwood - inflicted a serious defeat on their rival. A long peace resulted. But in 1392, by which time Hawkwood was in his dotage, the Florentines decided to give it another try.

The Florentines spared no effort, investing heavily in mercenary forces to supplement their citizen militia levy. To make certain that everything went properly, the city fathers even consulted several astrologers and soothsayers to ascertain the most propitious day for the army to march. The conclusion was that if the troops marched out the gate in the Borgo SS. Apostoli [Ward of the Holy Apostles] at mid-morning on June 20 they would meet with the greatest possible success. In consequence, the host mustered in the Piazza della Signoria - where today hosts of tourists muster - early that morning for a round of speeches and religious ceremonies to accompany the distribution of standards. When all was concluded, the army marched off to the cheers of the happy folk who weren't going with them.

As the army began making its way through Borgo SS. Apostoli, some of the astrologers realized that the various ceremonies had run overlong, and that the astrologically most favorable moment for the army to leave the city was almost past. Although the troops picked up the pace, it soon became clear that they would not sally forth from the city at precisely the right moment. The astrologers hastily reassessed their data and concluded that the best possible alternative route was through the Porta Rosa. Immediately orders were issued redirecting the troops to the new line of march. Unfortunately, people living along the new route had not had time to clear the way for their brave boys. As a result, shop awnings overhung the street and market stands narrowed the way.

The troops very quickly ran into problems, as lances and standards and pikes became entangled in the various obstacles, while men and horses found themselves crowded against each other. By the time the army reached the Porta Rosa it was already demoralized and in dismal condition, far different from the brave host that had stood in the Piazza della Signoria scant hours earlier.

Needless to say, the Florentines lost the war, though whether because they had failed to carefully adhere to the vaticinations of their astrologers, or because they had consulted them in the first place cannot be determined.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Tolstoi on June 20, 2023, 10:20:37 AM
... in 1392, by which time Hawkwood was in his dotage, the Florentines decided to give it another try.

Needless to say, the Florentines lost the war, though whether because they had failed to carefully adhere to the vaticinations of their astrologers, or because they had consulted them in the first place cannot be determined.

Hmm, my knowledge of medieval battles and games about them is meager, so I didn't find a game for this particular day in history. I did find Poitiers 1356 et Formigny 1450 (1999) (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9867/poitiers-1356-et-formigny-1450) and  The Black Prince (1992) (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10557/black-prince) which both cover that time period. Interesting piece of history.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 21, 2023, 10:55:10 AM
1502  Cesare Borgia captures Urbino.  The siege is made easier by his use of revolutionary siege weapons designed by an engineer from Vinci.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 22, 2023, 10:02:04 AM
The first aerial combat in history occurred on June 22, 1808 in the
skies above the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It seems that in late June of 1808, a certain M. de Grandpre and a certain M. le Pique, both acquaintances of Mlle Tirevit, a diva at the Imperial Opera, quarreled over her "favor." Challenges were exchanged. The two gentlemen agreed to settle the matter with pistols in an aerial duel to take place in one month's time, and Mlle Tirevit agreed that her "favor" would belong to the victor.

On the appointed day the two duelists, accompanied by their seconds, boarded identical, specially made hot-air balloons tethered 80 meters apart in the Tuileries gardens. As a considerable crowd looked on, the gallant idiots began their ascents. At about 400 meters, a pre-arranged signal was given from the ground, in the form of a gunshot.

Le Pique fired first, but his ball went wide. At that, Grandpre took careful aim and cleverly sent a ball through his rival's balloon. Le Pique's gas bag rapidly deflated, sending him and his second crashing to their deaths on the ground before the crowd of horrified onlookers. Meanwhile, Grandpre's balloon broke its tether and was wafted away by a gentle breeze, alighting some 35 miles distant from Paris. Securing a coach, Grandpre returned to Paris post haste in order to enjoy the "favor" of Mlle. Tirevit.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 23, 2023, 09:58:13 AM
Per tab Singh (1845-1922) was one of the prominent Indian princes during the English Raj.
was quite a character. A younger son of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, he was in his own right Maharaja of Idar (1902-1911), in what is now Gujarat, in western India, which he abdicated to his nephew, having no son of his own of princely rank, and three times served as regent of Jodhpur after the death of his brother and the latter’s successor. Eventually the holder of three knighthoods, Sir Pertab was an enthusiastic supporter of British rule. Commissioned an officer in the Jodhpur Army, one of the princely forces that supported the British Indian Army, Sir Pertab served in the field during the Second Afghan War (1878-1880), earning a mention in dispatches, fought gallantly in the Tirah Campaign on the Northwest Frontier (1897-1898), during which he was severely wounded, and earned a promotion to colonel. In 1900 he commanded the Jodhpur contingent during the Boxer Rebellion, and was promoted to major-general in 1902.

In 1907, a British officer serving in Jodhpur died, and when no fourth Christian of appropriate rank was found to assist at his burial, Sir Pertab voluntarily served as a pall bearer. , Brahmin priests claimed that he had thus broken caste, and demanded that he undergo a purification, to which he replied “I will do nothing of the sort, the deceased and I belong to the highest caste of all, that of a soldier.”

Sir Pertab believed that “a soldier’s death, wherever won, is the best and greatest gift of life,” and so, when World War I broke out, though pushing 70, volunteered for service. He led the Jodhpur Imperial Service Troops, essentially a brigade of two lancer regiments and a medical detachment, on the Western Front in the Indian Corps (1914-1915), and later in the Sinai and Palestine (1917-1918). The Jodhpur Lancers took a prominent role in the capture of Haifa (September 23, 1918), where Sir Pertab told them, "You can go forward and be killed by the enemy’s bullets, or you can fall back and be executed by me." Two of his sons and a nephew served with the lancers, and one son was killed at Haifa, an operation still commemorated annually in the Indian Army. Sir Pertab emerged from the war as a lieutenant-general and Knight Commander of the Bath.

During the course of his long and faithful service to the British Empire, Sir Pertab became a personal friend to Queen Victoria, her son Edward VII, and the latter’s son George V. So when, in 1921, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), toured India, he quite naturally looked up the old family friend.

Sir Pertab took the young prince pig sticking, a favorite sport among the Indian horsey set, and one at which he was quite adept. The prince, although an accomplished polo player, was much less experienced in the pig sticking business, and made a careless mistake; He dismounted during the hunt, before the pig had been killed, which could have cost him dearly.

At that, Sir Pertab told him, “I know you are the Prince of Wales, and you know that you are the Prince of Wales, but the pig doesn’t know you are the Prince of Wales.”
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 24, 2023, 11:39:20 AM
1295. Lippoo Mannelii, in Siena by partisans of the Velluti family, in vendetta for a murder committed in 1267.

1445  Annibale I Bentivoglio, Lord of Bologna(1438-1445), assassinated while leaving church by Battista Canneschi, an agent of the Canetoli & Ghisiliere families, many of whom are promptly lynched by the populace.

1502  First meeting between Cesare Borgia and Niccola Machiavelli.  Machiavelli arranges for his friend, Leonardo da Vinci, to become Cesare's senior military engineer.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 25, 2023, 09:38:10 AM
1483.  Richard of Gloucester deposes his nephew Edward V as illegitimate and becomes Richard III.
1943.  US su bmariners finally persuade their leaders that their torpedoes suck.
1956.  Fleet Admiral Ernest King dies.  His daughter defends his memory, "He was the most even tempered man In the world. He was furious with everyone all of the time."
2015.  John Steed, partner of Emma Peel, permanently retired.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 25, 2023, 10:12:57 AM
1483.  Richard of Gloucester deposes his nephew Edward V as illegitimate and becomes Richard III.
1673. Capt a n-Lieutenant D'Artagnon  of the King's Musketeers dies assaulting Maastricht.
1943.  US su bmariners finally persuade their leaders that their torpedoes suck.
1956.  Fleet Admiral Ernest King dies.  His daughter defends his memory, "He was the most even tempered man In the world. He was furious with everyone all of the time."
2015.  John Steed, partner of Emma Peel, permanently retired.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 26, 2023, 12:07:57 PM
Near and dear to all city dwellers, today is International Rat Catchers Day.
In 326 BC, the Macedonian army first engaged elephants
., Alexander the Great promptly began incorporating them in his army. By the time he died, in 323 B.C., he had about 200 of the beasts at Babylon. Elephants took part in the Wars of the Successors (323-301 B.C.), and soon became a common place of military life around the Mediterranean basin. Several states maintained large numbers of war elephants. Pyrrhus of Epirus used many during his war against Rome (280-275 B.C.), finding them less than effective against Roman valor. Carthage reportedly maintained 200 on active duty at all times, and often fielded 100 or 150 for particular campaigns, though Hannibal only brought 37 on his march across the Alps in 218 B.C., and most of those died soon afterwards. Thereafter the use of elephants in warfare tended to decline.

1588.  English fireships are sent into the Spanish Armada at Calais.  Fireships rarely destroyed any ships, other than themselves, but the terror of a ship being set afire, was overwhelming.

There were a number of reasons for this decline. Despite their fearsome appearance, as the Romans demonstrated to Pyrrhus, they were no match for well disciplined, intelligent troops. They are also unsuited to operations in colder environments; in fact, most of Hannibal’s elephants perished during their first winter in Italy, hardly the coldest place in the world. In additional, elephants can sometimes go berserk, with unpleasant consequences. But there were also logistical problems connected to the use of elephants.

Depending upon size, elephants require 200 to 300 pounds of fodder a day, and typically will eat lots of fruit, grain, and leaves as well. They also drink 20 to 40 gallons of water a day. As a result of an inefficient digestive system (they only get about half the food value out of their rations that cows do), elephants “go” rather often. On average, an elephant will defecate about every 90 minutes and urinate about every two hours, and in prodigious amounts. Daily “productivity” can easily reach about 250 pounds of feces and about 15-30 gallons of urine.

Now consider the problems associated with (1) feeding and watering and (2) cleaning up after, several hundred elephants every day.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 27, 2023, 10:05:16 AM
1940.  Generalissimo Francisco Franco arrests his Ministern of the Air for plotting a pro Axis coup.

1949.  Captain Video and his Video Rangers debut on the Dumont network.  Runs for six seasons,  inspiring lots of kids about space.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kWOJrUFQoDE&pp=ygUNQ2FwdGFpbiB2aWRlbw%3D%3D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 28, 2023, 09:21:03 AM
1651.        Battle of Berestechko, Day 1 of 3: Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky's c. 200,000 Ukrainian Cossacks & Crimean Tatars skirmish with Casimir II's c. 150,00 Polish-Lithuanian army.

1799. Francesco Carracciola, Neapolitan admiral, hung by Lord Nelson.
When allied troops entered Naples,  the Germans clung fiercely to the city, battling Italian partisans for days while trying to destroy its extensive harbor facitilities. As a result, there was much devastation. Food, water, medical supplies were all scarce, there were thousands of wounded civilians. Allied civil affairs personnel attempted to cope with problem, but were themselves beset by a shortage of resources.

The Prince of Caracciolo, scion of one of the noblest Italian families and head of the Italian Red Cross, knew of the location of extensive stocks of food, medicines, and other supplies that had been kept hidden from the Germans. But when he approached the Allied occupation authorities, he got nowhere; everyone either ignored him or fobbed him off on someone else, and his polite attempts to submit a written proposal explaining his purpose were ignored..

Finally the Prince hit upon a clever idea. He penned a note to the senior British naval officer in the city, which included the lines, “One of your admirals hanged one of my relatives. I demand an immeidate meeting.”

One can immagine the consternation this caused. Within a very short time the prince was ushered into the British admiral’s office. Before anyone could speak, the Prince said, “I am the head of the Italian Red Cross in Naples, and have access to large stocks of food and medical supplies.”

Taken aback, the British admiral, said, “But what about this relative you say was hanged by one of our admirals?”

“Oh,” replied the Prince, “that was my kinsman Admiral Francesco Caracciolo, who was hanged by your Admiral Nelson in 1799
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: JudgeDredd on June 28, 2023, 03:00:09 PM
besilarius

I'm not sure if anyone has given you kudos for doing this every day - so I am.

Your dedication to this particular thread is impressive and I do check in from time to time to checkout exactly what happened on this day in history

 :notworthy:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 28, 2023, 03:48:21 PM
...and it keeps him out of mischief........

But yes, well said, JD.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 28, 2023, 11:12:05 PM
Appreciate that.  Thanks.
I'm not really trying to do more than share the fun in history.  So much irony and folks getting gobsmacked.  It's serious stuff, but also a lot of fun.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: BanzaiCat on June 29, 2023, 08:48:34 AM
JD said what I should have said a while ago, in starting this thread but not doing anything with it.  :-[

Thanks, Bes!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on June 29, 2023, 09:48:29 AM
I agree with the lads, keep up the good work, besilarius, I enjoy my daily history briefings!  8)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 29, 2023, 10:36:40 AM
1797   Richard Parker, President of the "Floating Republic" at the Nore, hanged aboard HMS Sandwich
(98).

1817.  Marechial de camp Seignoir de Beauleau dies at the age of 92.
"A soldier is unfortunate indeed who shall be wounded by a common musket at 150 yards, provided his antagonist aimed at him."
An excellent demonstration of this fact occurred during one battle in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). It seems that, having routed the enemy, some French troops were pursuing them off the field, which was rather shrouded in gunsmoke, a commonplace of battles using traditional black powder.

One of the French soldiers, Mercoyrol de Beaulieu, imprudently donned the headdress of a fallen Hessian grenadier. At that, about 50 of de Beauliue’s comrades, mistaking him for the enemy in the smoke, opened fire, some of them at perhaps not more than 30 paces. Amazingly, de Beaulieu emerged completely unijured, despite a ball that had passed through his coat and another that had clipped his bayonet.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on June 30, 2023, 10:42:50 AM
1863.  Confederate forces seize Chambersburg, Pa.  Among various booty seized by the invaders, they find an incredible store of whiskey.  Even after loading supply wagons so full that they creaked and groaned from the strain,  there was yet a glut of booze.  A Texas regiment was designated to oversee the pouring out of the booze, and ordered to not drink any.
Doing their duty, they sorrowfully left town.  It was noted that as they passed a stream, no one needed to fill their canteens.

1880 Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, which had just attained its independence, asked the Tsar's Minister of War for the loan of 300 veteran NCOs to help train his new army, whereupon the Russian general replied that he could not spare the NCOs, but would The Prince accept the loan of 300 generals?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on June 30, 2023, 12:11:03 PM
That last one was really good.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 30, 2023, 01:07:56 PM
1880 Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, which had just attained its independence, asked the Tsar's Minister of War for the loan of 300 veteran NCOs to help train his new army, whereupon the Russian general replied that he could not spare the NCOs, but would The Prince accept the loan of 300 generals?

 :notworthy:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on June 30, 2023, 01:34:07 PM
Wonderful :-)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 01, 2023, 10:04:05 AM
1797.  The Great Mutiny.
Sparked by the army getting a pay raise, the sailors of the British navy mutinied to complain about pay, tobacco allowance, poor living conditions and hard duty on blockade against Revolutionary France, and fanned by agitators in sympathy with the enemy.  The North Sea Squadron, however, remained largely free of disorders because its commander, Adm. Sir Adam Duncan, paid careful attention to any hint of disorder. If he received word that there was some unrest in a ship, Duncan would pay a visit.  Once aboard, he would make a little speech, pointedly reminding the men of their duty and of the inevitable punishment that would result from any acts of disloyalty.  The force of his argument was coupled with the impact of his appearance.  Duncan was by far the largest admiral in the fleet, 6’ 4”, well-built and very vigorous despite his 65 years.  It was a combination that never failed to impress the men of the fleet.

Well, most of them, anyway.

Alas, the men of HMS Adamant, a 50-gun ship, were particularly restive.  As a result, they had been honored by several visits from the admiral, though these had done little to alay the unrest for long.  Then, on May 14, 1797, mutinous disorders occurred in Adamant.

Apprised of the incident, Duncan promptly had himself rowed over to the troublesome vessel.  Boarding Adamant, he ordered the ship’s company mustered. The men, still bound by the shreds of discipline, complied, and Duncan addressed them from the quarterdeck,

My lads, I am not in the smallest degree apprehensive of any violent measures you may have in contemplation; and though I assure you I would much rather acquire your love than incur your fear, I will with my own hand put to death the first man who shall display the slightest signs of rebellious conduct.

Duncan paused, and then asked if there was anyone present who wished to dispute his authority, or that of the ship’s officers.

A voice rang out, “I do,” and a seaman stepped out of the assembled ranks to stand before the Admiral.

Hardly had the man stepped forward than Duncan reached down, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air. Holding him at arm’s length, Duncan walked over to the ship’s bulwark.  As he dangled the man over the side, Duncan turned to the rest of the ship’s company and said, “Lads, look at this fellow, he who dares to deprive me of the command of the fleet.”

With that, the mutiny dissolved in laughter, and HMS Adamant was shortly deemed to be one of the most reliable ships in the fleet.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: JudgeDredd on July 01, 2023, 12:06:49 PM
So you could say the sailors of HMS Adamant were adamant to cause unrest?  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 01, 2023, 01:44:54 PM
Well, yes, in theory, you could say that..................but................I doubt anyone here would, erm, sink to such depths.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: JudgeDredd on July 01, 2023, 02:16:12 PM
 ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on July 01, 2023, 05:27:30 PM
When allied troops entered Naples,  the Germans clung fiercely to the city, battling Italian partisans for days while trying to destroy its extensive harbor facitilities. As a result, there was much devastation. Food, water, medical supplies were all scarce, there were thousands of wounded civilians. Allied civil affairs personnel attempted to cope with problem, but were themselves beset by a shortage of resources.

The Prince of Caracciolo, scion of one of the noblest Italian families and head of the Italian Red Cross, knew of the location of extensive stocks of food, medicines, and other supplies that had been kept hidden from the Germans. But when he approached the Allied occupation authorities, he got nowhere; everyone either ignored him or fobbed him off on someone else, and his polite attempts to submit a written proposal explaining his purpose were ignored..

Finally the Prince hit upon a clever idea. He penned a note to the senior British naval officer in the city, which included the lines, “One of your admirals hanged one of my relatives. I demand an immeidate meeting.”

One can immagine the consternation this caused. Within a very short time the prince was ushered into the British admiral’s office. Before anyone could speak, the Prince said, “I am the head of the Italian Red Cross in Naples, and have access to large stocks of food and medical supplies.”

Taken aback, the British admiral, said, “But what about this relative you say was hanged by one of our admirals?”

“Oh,” replied the Prince, “that was my kinsman Admiral Francesco Caracciolo, who was hanged by your Admiral Nelson in 1799

I've seen this one before, but it always makes me chuckle. 



And I second JD, Bawn, and everyone else, by the way:  I love that you do these, besilarius.  I don't say it nearly often enough, but I genuinely enjoy & appreciate them.  :bigthumb: 


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 02, 2023, 04:20:04 PM
1747.  Marshal Maurice de Race leads a French army to victory in Lauffelt.  The Marshal was a hypochondriac and always traveled with his personal physician.
Anyway, one day in 1745, while besieging Tournai, Saxe was riding along the lines of investment in his coach, with the ever-present Dr. Senac at his side. Espying something that piqued his curiosity, the marshal ordered his coachman to drive closer to the trenches. Then, ordering the driver to stop, he leaped out, saying, “I shall not be absent many minutes."

The good doctor, startled to find himself in close proximity to a battery that was firing on the enemy, who might respond at any moment, immediately mentioned the danger to the marshal, who promptly replied, “Oh, never mind, if they fire, pull up the windows."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 03, 2023, 11:32:52 AM
1541.  French ambassador to the Grande Turk and the French emmisary to the Most Serene Republic are assassinated by agents of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.

Busy day for George Washington.
1754.  Fort Necessity surrenders to the French.  The experience of combat was exhilarating to the young officer. A few days later he wrote to his brother John, “I have heard the bullet whistle, and believe me, there is something charming in the sound.” Nevertheless, confronted by superior numbers, he was forced to fall back to the improvised Fort Necessity, where, on June 4th, Washington surrendered his command.
Meanwhile, his line about the “charm” of the bullet’s whistle had been widely circulated, turning Washington into something of a celebrity. The phrase even crossed the Atlantic, eventually reaching the ears of King George II. No stranger to the battlefield, for he had soldiered for much of his life and was the last King of England to command an army in combat, having won the Battle of Dettingen on June 27, 1743, the King commented on Washington’s phrase with a short, but pithy, “He would not say so, had he Been used to hear many"
1775. General Washington arrives to take command of the siege of Boston.
1798 Coming out of retirement, he assumes the rank of Lieutenant General for the Quasi War with France, the old enemy.  His main work was to prepare for a land war.  The army was authorized for 52,000, which for the population was a huge effort.
Almost as soon as the crisis was past, Congress reduced the armed forces, slashing the army to about 4,400 men, laying up much of the fleet, and cutting the Marine Corps by about 40-percent.  The following year, in 1802, the Jefferson Administration effected even greater cuts, slashing the army a further 20-percent and laying up most of what was left of the navy, thus insuring that in a period of significant international tension, the United States was wholly unprepared.

1915 Erich Muentar sets off a bomb in the Senate reception room.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 04, 2023, 02:29:22 PM
326 BC.  Epaminondas of Thebes dies on the field of his victory over Sparta at Mantinea.  George Patton writes that he was the greatest of all the Greeks.  He freed an entire nation held in slavery, the Messenians.
1776  Horatio Hornblower, future admiral of the Blue, is born.
1777.  John Paul Jones hoists the Stars and Stripes on the Sloop Ranger at Portsmouth, NH.
1848. The Communist Manifesto is published, leading to immense slaughter.
2009. Bela Kiraly, Hungarian national hero, American academic, one of the Righteous, in his sleep at 97, despite the best efforts of Hitler, Stalin, & Khruschev to have him executed

1450. James Fiennes, 1st Lord Saye and Sele, 56, Royal Treasurer, beheaded at London to appease Kentish rebels.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 06, 2023, 10:08:47 AM
1802 Brigadier General Dan Morgan dies.  Very early in the Revolutionary War, Congress resolved to recruit a regiment of riflemen from the rugged frontier folk of Virginia and Pennsylvania. An enormous number of men came forward to offer their services. Too many, in fact.
When the officers appointed to organize the two companies allocated to Virginia arrived at the appointed rendezvous, they found 500 men ready to serve, far more than the approximately 200 required. Now the volunteers were all good men. And a mite touchy lest some preference be shown to another. So merely picking 200 men out of the mass of volunteers would not do.
To resolve the dilemma, one of the recruiting officers devised a simple test.
Taking a board one foot square, he chalked upon it the profile of a face. He then nailed the board to a tree and paced off 150 yards, where he drew a line in dirt. Each volunteer was asked to put a round in the target, as close to the nose as he could.
The first 50 men to step forward obliterated the nose, requiring a replacement. In this way the Virginia companies were filled with little difficulty and, under Daniel Morgan, later one of the most successful American commanders of the war, almost immediately set out to join George Washington’s army in front of Boston.

Dan Morgan is best remembered for his victory at Cowpens, the most complete victory of the war.  The US navy commemorated this by naming a ship Cowpens. An Independence class light carrier in WWII.
Very few sailors knew anything about the battle of Cowpens.  Admiral Springs was taking his daily walk around the deck of his flagship.
He heard an old chief ask, "What the deck is a cowpens?  That's no name for a ship."
Stopping, the admiral explained the battle and that the term referred to a place that a farmer kept his cattle.
"Well, it's a good thing he didn't raise pigs."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 06, 2023, 10:49:57 AM
 :applause: Spot-on!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 07, 2023, 09:44:25 AM
716 BC. Romulus Silvius, Founder of Rome and first king becomes a god.

1898.  German marines seize Subic Bay in the Philippines.  In no time at all they infuriate the Spanish, the Philippino nationalists, and US admiral Georgia Dewey.  Tempers were rising and the German commodore was spoiling for a fight.  Affairs calmed down when the British Far Eastern squadron informed the Germans, that they would stand with the Americans.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 07, 2023, 11:50:17 AM
Dewey's famous line to the Germans, "Put-up or shut-up".  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 07, 2023, 10:38:26 PM
Dewey's famous line to the Germans, "Put-up or shut-up".  :bigthumb:

I thought that he said "Gridley, go nuts when you feel the time's right"
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 07, 2023, 11:30:00 PM
Yeah. I think Dewey's PR people may have cleaned-up his original quote, "Gridley, hand me that Can-Of-Whup-Ass will you"? Donno why, seems perfectly acceptable to me.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 09, 2023, 03:45:35 PM
1500. Count Giacomo V Caetani of Sermoneta, poisoned by the Borgias, at 50.

1790  Start of 2 day Battle of Svensksund. A Swedish fleet of 176 ships, under King Gustav III and Carl Olof Cronstedt, defeated a Russian fleet of 135 ships, under Prince Charles of Nassau-Siegen.

1827.  a certain drummer in the British garrison at Gibraltar had, in 14 years of service, accumulated - and survive - a remarkable 25,000 lashes, roughly one for every 4.9 hours he had been in the Crown's service.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 09, 2023, 10:27:16 PM
 :o  I don't know who that drummer was, but I think I maybe related to him.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 10, 2023, 09:58:18 AM
1584. Prince William I "the Silent" of Orange, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, & Friesland (1559-1584), 54, leader of the Dutch Revolution, shot by Balthasar Gérard at Delft, in history's first assassination by firearm

1946. One beneficial side effect of the elimination of horses from armies is that troops are no longer susceptible to mange, glanders, or any of the other dozens of equine diseases which can infect people, not to mention having to shovel all that fresh manure.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on July 11, 2023, 06:10:16 AM
1584. Prince William I "the Silent" of Orange, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, & Friesland (1559-1584), 54, leader of the Dutch Revolution, shot by Balthasar Gérard at Delft, in history's first assassination by firearm

FWIW, I actually named my oldest son Willem after 'Willem de Zweiger (William the Silent)'.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 11, 2023, 11:51:21 AM
1872. Battle of the Hotel d'Europe, Alexandria, Egypr: the American Consul and his party have a shoot out with some former Confederate officers serving in the Egyptian Army, everyone demonstrating bad aim
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 12, 2023, 10:31:01 AM
61BC.  Julius Caesar is designated propraetor of Further Spain.  The Roman forces include two veteran legions.  Faced with raids by Lusitanian- Portuguese hill tribes, he raises a third legion to conquer them.
Caesar’s Legions. There were four legions in the Spanish provinces in 61 BC, and a case has been made that they were designated the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th (well, actually VI, VII, VIII, and VIIII) two of which were in Caesar’s bailiwick. So when Caesar raised a new one, it would logically have been designated the 10th. Now there’s no question that when he became proconsul of Narbonnensis and Cisalpine Gaul in 58 BC he was given “four veteran legions”, numbered 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th. So if the hypothesis about the numbering of the legions in Spain is correct, Caesar would have already commanded some of these troops during his Lusitanian campaign. This would certainly help explain the enormous confidence he had in his legions – and they in him – later that year during his initial campaigns in Gaul against the Helvetii and the Germans under Ariovistus.

1801. British squadron, under Rear-Admiral Sir James Saumarez, engaged Franco-Spanish squadron, under Rear-Admiral Linois, off Gibraltar as they took the captured HMS Hannibal (74) to Cadiz. In darkness HMS Superb (74), Cptn. Richard Goodwin Keats, engaged Real Carlos (112), Cptn Don J. Esquerra, with some shot hitting San Hermenegildo (112), Cptn Don J. Emparran. In the confusion the two Spanish ships engaged one another, collided and a fire spread to both resulting in their loss. Superb went on to take San Antonio (74).
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 12, 2023, 11:51:22 AM
Very interesting stuff about Ceasar's legions. I had never heard that before.  :notworthy:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 13, 2023, 09:20:53 AM
1807. The last Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland was Henry Benedict Stuart, the younger brother of the “Young Pretender”, a Roman Catholic cardinal who died in 1807.  The claim to the throne then passed through several female connections, so that the current pretender is Franz von Wittlesbach, the Duke of Bavaria, a grandson of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria who had commanded a German Army Group on the Western Front in the Great War.

 1863.  Steam sloop Wyoming is first Western ship to engage Japanese forces in the Battle of Shimonoseki strait.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 14, 2023, 10:52:41 AM
1483  Last date on which the Princes of the Tower were know to be alive: King Edward V (12), and his brother Prince Richard of Shrewsbury (9), sons of England's late King Edward IV, imprisoned by their uncle, who has become King Richard III.  Never to be seen again.
Chancellor Thomas More investigated this years later.  His conclusion relies primarily on circumstantial evidence and lays blame on Richard and his henchmen.  Still in debate.

1500. the "Wedding of Blood" in Perugia, when Astorre Baglioni married Lavinia Colonna, and were promptly in a coup by cousin Grifonetto Baglioni.
Like many Italian cities, Perugia had a pretty homicidal domestic political life, with the great families indulging in frequent assassination, murder, and massacre.  By the onset of the sixteenth century this struggle culminated in the primacy of the Baglioni, a family so blood-thirsty that when not slaughtering their enemies they did away with each other, culminating in the  “Wedding of Blood” in July of 1500, when one faction of the family took advantage of the marriage of the head of a rival faction to massacre him and virtually all his close kin. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 14, 2023, 11:51:24 AM
Damn! No more Italian weddings for me.  :nope:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 15, 2023, 08:23:38 AM
111BC  Double Triumph of the Metelli Brothers: Marcus for the conquest of Sardinia, Gaius for Thrace

1215. King John "assents" to the Magna Carta.

1747. George Byng promoted to Vice Admiral of the Blue.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 15, 2023, 09:36:05 AM
1215. King John "assents" to the Magna Carta.


those quotes are doing some heavy lifting  ;)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 16, 2023, 01:00:45 PM
622. . AH. 1 The Hajj, Mohammed fled from Mecca to Medina, marking the start Islamic Chronology
1054  The Great Schism between Western and Eastern Christianity, as leaders of the two branches swap excommunications

1946.  US court finds 46 SS members guilty of war crimes in the Malmedy massacre.  Senator Joe McCarthy tries to get the sentences commuted.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 17, 2023, 10:29:25 AM
663. Constant II is the last Roman emperor to actually visit Rome.  The highlight of his visit was stealing all the lead roofing.
1793 Charlotte Corday, the assassin of Jean Paul Marat is guillotined.
1864  John Bell Hood Is promoted to command the Army of the Tennessee.  This neatly solves Sherman's problems and assures the capture of Atlanta.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 18, 2023, 09:21:31 AM
1779 the largest prize value of the American Revolution, Commodore Abraham Whipples squadron consisting of Continental frigates Providence, Queen of France and sloop Ranger, captures 11 British prizes off the Newfoundland Banks sailing from Jamaica. The cargoes are worth more than $1 million.

1792. John Paul Jones dies in Paris, alone and forgotten.  Douglas MacArthur later comments, "there is nothing so fleeting as military glory."

1914. The British navy invites the Imperial German navy to Fleet Week at Spithead.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 19, 2023, 10:09:05 AM
711. Tariq's Arab-Berbers army defeated the Visigoths in the Battle of Guadalete initiating a 781 year war for Iberia.  Up until the 1490s, the Reconquista took up all the energy in Spain, which made it of little consequence to the rest of Europe.

1812. USS Constitution, Captain Isaac Hull, escapes a British battle squadron after an epic three day chase.  Regrettably, due to politics Captain Hull spends most of the war on the beach.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 19, 2023, 10:24:29 AM
1792. John Paul Jones dies in Paris, alone and forgotten.  Douglas MacArthur later comments, "there is nothing so fleeting as military glory."

quite the tragedy....
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 21, 2023, 10:09:27 AM
1711. Treaty of Pruth ends the Russo-Turkish war.  This was started when Charles XII f Sweden was recovering in the Ottoman empire after his smashing defeat At Poltava.  Aching for revenge, he encouraged the Turks to war against Russia under Peter the Great.
Peter led his forces and made a real hash of things.  Forced into a fortified camp with water supplies cut, he was in real danger.  Bear in mind that he was the only spark dragging Russia out of it's medieval mindset and turning it into a great, conquering empire.  His death or capture would have allowed the boyars to seize power and frustrate his plans.  The historical consequences of an insular Muscovite principality, with no interest in the west, are mind boggling.
However, Peter did not stay czar without understanding the levers of power.  He bribed the Ottoman commander, Mehmet pasha, and got a very easy peace treaty.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 22, 2023, 11:42:13 AM
1805. In the lead up to Trafalgar, the battle of Cape Finisterre. Admiral Robert Calder fights an inconclusive action with Villeneuve's Franco Spanish fleet.  Calder refuses to re engage the following day and heads back towards Brest.  Villeneuve retires to Cadiz and his meeting with Nelson.
1905. The remains of John Paul Jones are identified in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris before being transferred for re burial in Annapolis.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 22, 2023, 01:27:13 PM
As I recall, Calder was called-back to England to give report why he hadn't done better in that battle. Nelson let him sail home in his flagship, one of Nelson's most powerful, in order to avoid diminishing his stature within the navy, a class move indeed.  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 22, 2023, 06:44:11 PM
Yes, I forgot that.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 23, 2023, 05:45:32 AM
I didn't know that. That is interesting.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 23, 2023, 01:01:02 PM
1848. Ulysses Grant Assigned to the 4th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Missouri, Grant spent several years on the frontier. Although he had serious reservations about the justice of the war with Mexico (1846-1848), he remained in the army and accumulated a distinguished war record. Initially assigned to Zachary Taylor’s little army on the Rio Grande, Grant fought in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma in May 1846, and took part in the storming of Monterrey the following September. Early in 1847 his regiment was transferred to Winfield Scott’s army, and Grant took part in the siege of Vera Cruz in March, the battles of Cerro Gordo (April), Churubusco (August), and Molino del Rey, as well as in the storming of Chapultepec Castle and the final capture of Mexico City (all September). Although for most of this campaign, Grant was actually assigned as regimental quartermaster, he voluntarily took part in several actions, and earned two brevet – honorary – promotions and a citation for merit from General Scott (which was delivered to him by 1st Lt. John Pemberton, who would surrender Vicksburg to him in 1863).
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 23, 2023, 01:08:02 PM
Fort Circle's upcoming Halls of Montezuma game covers that war. It was pretty well-received at Origins this year
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 24, 2023, 09:22:13 AM
1797   Horatio Nelson loses right arm during failed attack on Santa Cruz, Tenerife.     The assault relied on speed to surprise the Sapanish.  An alert defence made it much harder for the landing forces.  Also, the slippery nature of the beach hindered the move off of the beach.  Nelson bravely led the force as they slithered and lurched under heavy fire.

 1798   HMS Resistance (44), Cptn. Edward Pakenham, struck by lightening while anchored in the Straits of Banca, caught fire and violently exploded.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Barthheart on July 24, 2023, 02:38:14 PM

 1798   HMS Resistance (44), Cptn. Edward Pakenham, struck by lightening while anchored in the Straits of Banca, caught fire and violently exploded.

Yikes!  :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 24, 2023, 03:17:37 PM
Shocking isn't it?  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 25, 2023, 06:42:57 PM
1593. French leader of the Hygienists in France, Henri of Navarre agrees to "convert" to Catholicism to end the Wars of Religion.  "Paris is worth a mass."

1914. July of 1914 found Radomir Putnik, the Vojvoda -- Commander-in-Chief -- of the Serbian Army at Bad Gleichenberg, a fashionable spa in Austria, hoping that the mineral waters would help ease his emphysema.  Although relations between Austria-Hungary and Serbia were rather sour due to the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princep in Sarajevo on June 28th, the crisis seemed to have passed.  Then, almost out of the blue, on July 24th, Austria-Hungary issued a stern ultimatum to Serbia.  Quite naturally, Putnik decided to return home, and boarded a train on July 25th.  Now Field Marshal Count Franz Conrad von Hotzendorff, the Chief of the Imperial-and-Royal General Staff, a brilliant, if unstable character, had a clever idea.  Hoping to "decapitate" the Serbian Army at a single stroke, when Putnik's train reached Budapest, Conrad had the field marshal arrested.  The very next day, however, the I-and-R Foreign Ministry convinced Conrad that having the ailing and aged (67) Putnik commanding the Serb forces would be better than having a younger man in charge, and so, pretending to make a chivalrous gesture, the Vojvoda was released.  Due to the deepening crisis, Putnik had to travel home by way of Romania, and thus did not arrive until August 5th, by which time Austria-Hungary had initiated military operations against Serbia, sparking World War I.

Now, while Putnik was making his way back to Serbia, the War Ministry in Belgrade was in an uproar.  It seems that when he left for Bad Gleichenberg, Putnik had taken with him the key to his safe, in which lay the mobilization orders and defense plans in the event of war with the Hapsburg Empire.  Without the Vojvoda, no one knew what to do.  Fortunately, when Putnik's subordinates dithered, War Minister Dusan Stefanovic took matters into his own hands; although without any legal authority over mobilization orders or war planning, he had the safe dynamited, and by the time Putnik resumed command everything was in readiness.

And so, when the Imperial-and-Royal Army undertook a full scale invasion of Serbia on August 12th, Putnik, despite the delay in mobilization, despite his emphysema (which would kill him in 1917), and despite his age, promptly beat the pants off the invaders.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 26, 2023, 08:47:10 AM
795. King Off a of Media dies.  His great accomplishment was building Off as dyke, which set the border with the Welsh.  An amazing construct that even the Romans would have appreciated.  Another important result of building the dyke was that Offa defined the border between England and Wales. According to an old tradition, "it was customary for the English to cut off the ears of every Welshman who was found to the east of the dyke, and for the Welsh to hang every Englishman whom they found to the west of it."
1184. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erfurt_latrine_disaster
You have to read it to believe it.
Don't you hate it when this happens?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 26, 2023, 08:54:11 AM
795. King Off a of Media dies.  His great accomplishment was building Off as dyke, which set the border with the Welsh.  An amazing construct that even the Romans would have appreciated.  Another important result of building the dyke was that Offa defined the border between England and Wales. According to an old tradition, "it was customary for the English to cut off the ears of every Welshman who was found to the east of the dyke, and for the Welsh to hang every Englishman whom they found to the west of it."
1184. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erfurt_latrine_disaster
You have to read it to believe it.
Don't you hate it when this happens?


1973 Kate Beckinsale is born  (yes, she's 50 this year)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 26, 2023, 12:52:35 PM
Kate Beckinsale.  :dreamer:  A.I. Will NEVER be able to do that!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on July 26, 2023, 02:11:08 PM
1914. July of 1914 found Radomir Putnik, the Vojvoda -- Commander-in-Chief -- of the Serbian Army at Bad Gleichenberg, a fashionable spa in Austria, hoping that the mineral waters would help ease his emphysema.  Although relations between Austria-Hungary and Serbia were rather sour due to the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princep in Sarajevo on June 28th, the crisis seemed to have passed.  Then, almost out of the blue, on July 24th, Austria-Hungary issued a stern ultimatum to Serbia.  Quite naturally, Putnik decided to return home, and boarded a train on July 25th.  Now Field Marshal Count Franz Conrad von Hotzendorff, the Chief of the Imperial-and-Royal General Staff, a brilliant, if unstable character, had a clever idea.  Hoping to "decapitate" the Serbian Army at a single stroke, when Putnik's train reached Budapest, Conrad had the field marshal arrested.  The very next day, however, the I-and-R Foreign Ministry convinced Conrad that having the ailing and aged (67) Putnik commanding the Serb forces would be better than having a younger man in charge, and so, pretending to make a chivalrous gesture, the Vojvoda was released.  Due to the deepening crisis, Putnik had to travel home by way of Romania, and thus did not arrive until August 5th, by which time Austria-Hungary had initiated military operations against Serbia, sparking World War I.

Now, while Putnik was making his way back to Serbia, the War Ministry in Belgrade was in an uproar.  It seems that when he left for Bad Gleichenberg, Putnik had taken with him the key to his safe, in which lay the mobilization orders and defense plans in the event of war with the Hapsburg Empire.  Without the Vojvoda, no one knew what to do.  Fortunately, when Putnik's subordinates dithered, War Minister Dusan Stefanovic took matters into his own hands; although without any legal authority over mobilization orders or war planning, he had the safe dynamited, and by the time Putnik resumed command everything was in readiness.

And so, when the Imperial-and-Royal Army undertook a full scale invasion of Serbia on August 12th, Putnik, despite the delay in mobilization, despite his emphysema (which would kill him in 1917), and despite his age, promptly beat the pants off the invaders.

Heh, that's pretty good.  :applause: 




1973 Kate Beckinsale is born  (yes, she's 50 this year)

Well that makes me feel at least a little old (if not quite as old as her).  She's still a babe, though.  :dreamer: 


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 27, 2023, 09:29:44 AM
1057  Battle of Dunsinane Hill ("The Seven Sleepers"): Earl Siward defeats King MacBeth of Scotland.
1770  William Bligh goes to sea as An Able Seaman on the sloop Hunter (10 guns).

Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albrecht von Preußen (1859-1941) was rather intelligent and talented, though not as much as he thought he was. 
Wilhelm was also glib, too glib for his own good. or Germany’s, often coming out with howlers that were in the least embarrassing and at worse exacerbated diplomatic tensions.  He often he called his Uncle Edward VII of Britain “a Satan” and his cousin George V “a nice boy,” referred to the attitudinally challenged King Victor Emanuel III of Italy as “The Dwarf,” and so forth.
1901: At the funeral of his grandmother, Queen Victoria, Wilhelm told the British Foreign Secretary that his cousin Tsar Nicholas was “only fit to live in a country house and grow turnips,” which was probably correct, but seriously undiplomatic.
1906 : During a banquet at the American embassy in Berlin, Wilhelm spoke of how Germany’s population was outgrowing its territory, and speculated that France, which seemed to be declining in population, might cede some territory to help ease the problem.
1908: Wilhelm told a reporter that during the Boer War he had scuttled a Franco-Russia conspiracy to enter the conflict on the side of the Boers, that he had supplied the British with the winning war plan, and that his navy was actually intended to fight the Japanese!  The subsequent uproar actually caused the Kaiser to shut up for a few months.
Perhaps Wilhelm’s most enduring gaffe occurred on July 27, 1900, when he coined the term which would be attached to Germans for decades to come while addressing troops preparing to join the international expedition to suppress the “Boxer Rebellion” in China;
"When you meet the enemy, you will beat him; you will give no pardon and take no prisoners.  Those whom you capture are at your mercy.  As the Huns a thousand years ago under King Attila made a name for themselves that has lasted mightily in memory, so may the name 'German' be known in China, such that no Chinaman will ever again dare to look askance at a German."
Even with his family, Wilhelm could be dense.  Every year on the Empress Augusta Victoria’s birthday he gave her twelve hats.  Despite numerous hints, he never caught on to the fact that, since he insisted on picking them out himself they were often in bad taste.  The Empress tried to avoid wearing them, but he usually insisted.  This continued until 1916, when the Empress convinced him that it was essential that the Imperial family set a good example by eschewing luxuries during the war.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on July 27, 2023, 01:59:05 PM
This is the first time I've ever heard Wilhelm unironically referred to as "intelligent".  Perhaps he actually was, but if so, then clearly not enough.  ::) 


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on July 27, 2023, 02:03:23 PM
Fascinating.  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 28, 2023, 01:05:20 PM
1942. Stalin orders the creation of "penal battalions" in the Red Army.
 the Soviets arranged for men imprisoned in the GULAG to “remit” their sentences through service in penal battalions at the front.

Sentences of five years or less could be remitted by one month in a penal unit;
Sentences of between five and seven years, by two months;
Sentences of seven to ten years, by three months.
Men with longer sentences were not permitted to remit them by service in penal units because they were almost all imprisoned for political offenses.  So in effect, remission of sentence by voluntary service in a penal – or shtraf – unit was open mostly to persons sent to the GULAG for criminal offenses.

Considering that the death rate in some GULAG camps seems to have approached 100 percent, service at the front in shtraf battalion, which overall seem to have had a 50-percent casualty rate, may not have been such a bad idea; especially since, if a man was wounded, he was usually released from furtHer time in a penal unit.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 29, 2023, 09:57:18 AM
1014  Battle of Belasitsa, Byzantine emperor Basil II defeats the Bulgars, blinds 15,000 prisoners
1030  Battle of Stiklestad: Norwegian Christians triumph over pagans, in a fight punctuated by a solar eclipse.
1108. Louis VILe Gros "the Fat" or "the Great" acceded to the throne of France (1108-1137) -- Like most medieval monarchs, Louis did not just wage war against his enemies, he quite literally led from the front, with sword or battle axe.
During one battle, one of the enemy grabbed hold of his horse’s bridle, and began shouting triumphantly, “The king is taken! The king is taken!”
Crying out “No, sir!,” Louis swung his battle axe high and cleaved man’s head in two, saying, “No sir, a king is never taken, not even in chess!”
By the end of Louis’ reign, he had established himself as the most powerful King of France since Charlemagne, and had also become quite fat. On his deathbed Louis told his son, the soon-to-be Louis VII (1137-1180), “ . . . always bear in mind that the royal authority is a charge imposed upon you, of which, after your death, you must render an exact accounting.”
Centuries later, reflecting on the vagaries of language, Louis XIV would note that his predecessor’s nickname “Le gros” could also mean “The Great
1967 onthe flight deck of USS Forrestal (CVA 59), a Zuni 5 rocket accidentally fires from a (F 4B) Phantom II aircraft into a parked and armed (A 4E) Skyhawk, setting off a series of explosions that kill 134 of her crew and injure 161 crewmembers.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 30, 2023, 09:53:06 AM
101   BC   the armies of G. Marius and Q. Lutatius Catulus annihilated the Cimbri at Campi Raudii, in the Po Valley.
1609         Samuel de Champlain used a musket to help the Huron defeat the Iroquois.  The greatest war known among the aboriginal inhabitants of North American prior to the arrival of the European was that between the Iroquois and the Huron. The feud was old, having endured centuries, for the Huron, originally settled in Ontario, were desirous of moving into New York. This constant pressure had been a factor in the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy by the legendary Hiawatha and Dekanawidah in the late sixteenth century, which united the Seneca, Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, and Oneida into a league that would ultimately come to dominate a Huge portion of North America.  The Iroquois sought support from the Dutch, then just settling in the Hudson Valley, and later the English, who seized New York from the Dutch in 1664. Termed by one historian “the only people north of the Rio Grande who consistently practiced every principle of war at all times,” in 1648 the Iroquois, who could field some 16,000 warriors, began a devastating series of campaigns that in a generation saw them harry their foes relentlessly from New York across the Great Lakes and into Canada, until the Huron and anyone who offered them aid had been effectively exterminated. This established the Iroquois as the dominant military power in a broad swathe on both sides of the St. Lawrence River, a position which they would hold for over a century, despite the increasing encroachments of European settlers, and make a critical contribution to the expulsion of the French from North America by the British in the mid-eighteenth century.

1898. Otto Eduard Leopold, Furst von Bismarck, 83, the "Iron Chancellor," who unified Germany.
Among his many accomplishments was influencing cavalry uniforms.  The Chancellor liked high topped leather boots, which were adopted as Bismarck Boots.  and even a stout-and-champagne concoction that he favored more commonly known in the U.S. as a Black Velvet (among the many things Otto left to his heirs were thousands of empty booze bottles, which had never been thrown away) .
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on July 31, 2023, 09:56:51 AM
1970. Black Tot day.  The daily rum ration, called grog, is abolished in the Royal Navy.
Grog was originally introduced into the Royal Navy by Admiral Lord Edward Vernon. Nicknamed "Old Grog" because he wore a ratty old grogham coat much of the time, Vernon believed that by regularizing the issue of drink, he could reduce drunkenness in the ranks. He was right, for he prescribed a daily ration of eight ounces of a mixture of 80-perent water and 20-percent rum per man, a concoction that shortly came to be called "grog."

In American history, Vernon is perhaps better known, if at all, for his connection with George Washington. In the 1740s the future president's older half-brother Augustine earned an enormous pile in prize money serving as a captain of marines during Vernon's campaign in the Caribbean, so much, in fact, that he was able to buy the vast estate that he dubbed "Mount Vernon, in the admiral's honor, which later passed to George.
The Continental navy continued the issuance of grog.
In the U.S. Navy grog was issued in a mini-ceremony, during which the boatswain's mate marched the men to the ship's steward, who ladled it out, under the watchful eye of the ship's marines. There were two rations of four ounces each day, one before breakfast and one before supper. Each man had to down his ration on the spot, to prevent him from saving it up in order to tie one on.
In 1806 Congress substituted whiskey for the rum, on the theory that American farmers would benefit. Initially grog was issued to all hands, but it was later restricted to men over the age of l8. By the 1820s temperance societies were springing up in America, and they began campaigning to the daily issue of grog in the fleet and whiskey in the army. They succeeded in getting the army to abolish the daily whiskey ration in 1830, but made no headway against grog in the navy until the Civil War. The mass resignation of Southern members of Congress in 1860-1861, left the tee-totalers with a clear majority in both houses. As a result, in September 1861 grog was abolished, though in compensation the men were paid an addition $1.50 a month.
Enterprising sailors have never let regulations get in the way of their thirst.  It was noted that the ships store offered a wide variety of shaving lotions.  In the 1970s, Hai Karate Was clearly the most popular.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on July 31, 2023, 11:34:28 AM
 :applause:  Great story.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 01, 2023, 10:12:47 AM
1291  The Everlasting League: the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, & Unterwalden unite to form Switzerland.
1503  Cardinal Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, 67, poisoned by his kinsman Cesare Borgia for his fortune.

1798  Battle of the Nile. British under Sir Horatio Nelson defeat moored French fleet under Francois-Paul Brueys D’Aigalliers.  Although a smashing victory, the Nile was almost anti climactic.  Twice Nelson could have engaged the French at sea before the army disembarked.  During the pursuit from Malta, the English caught up to the French ships on a dark night.  Admiral Brueys heard the enemy signal guns and deftly changed course such that Nelson never knew how close he was.
Afterwards, Nelson arrived at Alexandria before the french.  The English consul was away, seeing the Mameluk sultan.  Thinking the French must have gone to Syria or Turkey, Nelson decided the consul could have no more knowledge than he Had gathered on the docks.  Impatient to find the enemy fleet he could not wait even one day and departed Alexandria on the evening land breeze.  Twelve hours later the French invasion fleet appeared on the horizon.
There is hardly any thought but that Nelson's crack squadron would have beaten the enemy.  The embarked troops would have been captured or dispersed, and Bonaparte career ended in disaster.

1936  Chancellor   Hitler opens the Berlin Olympics, the 11th modern games, initiating the now routine "Olympic Torch" ceremony.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 01, 2023, 11:08:13 AM
I recall reading that Nelson when hearing the French had landed in Egypt, was so anxious to engage them, he sailed his entire fleet through the Straits of Messina to save time getting there, something thought impossible at the time. Or very near impossible. Loving these things Besilarius, keep them coming!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 02, 2023, 10:05:03 AM

1646  Born on this day,  Jean-Baptiste du Casse, French admiral, colonial administrator, & slave trader, d. 1715.  During War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1714), British Admiral Sir John Benbow (1653-1702) was sent with a fleet to prevent the French from occupying certain Spanish-owned islands in the Caribbean.  At this time, discipline and tradition had not been established in the Royal Navy.  Many captains got ships because of influence.  As a result, when Benbow's fleet encountered the French in a series of running battles off Santa Marta in Colombia (19-24 August 1702), several of them refused to bring their ships into action.  Their pusillanimous conduct caused the British to suffer a reverse, and Benbow was so severely wounded that despite the amputation of his leg he died several months later.
Mindful of the fact that his victory was due in large measure to the disgraceful behavior of Benbow's captains, after the battle the French admiral, Jean du Casse (1646-1715), penned a message to his dying foeman.

Sir,

I had little hope on Monday last but to have [been taken prisoner and] supped in your cabin; but it pleased God to order it otherwise, and I am thankful for it.  As for those cowardly captains who deserted you, hang them up; for By God, they deserve it.           du Casse

Although Benbow was slowly dying, when his squadron returned to Jamaica, he ordered all of his principal subordinates court martialed, perhaps as a result of du Casse's suggestion.  Although he succumbed to his wounds on November 4th, the cowardly captains were all convicted by the courts martial.  Naturally, they appealed.  Perhaps someone in the Admiralty was apprised of du Casse's letter, for in 1703 the decisions of the courts martial were confirmed, with the result that two of the captains were shot, one was imprisoned, and the other two suspended from duty.  So Benbow's loss was avenged, perhaps at the urging of a gallant foe.  In the French navy, very few seamen were commoners, le bleus, most were of noble blood, le rouges.  In that service, such cowardly officers would probably not been punished.

1876  James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, 39, shot by Jack McCall while holding black aces & eights & a jack of diamonds.

1943 PT109), commanded by Lt. j.g. John F. Kennedy, is rammed by the Japanese destroyer, Amagiri, which cuts through the vessel at Blackett Strait near Kolombangara Island. Abandoning ship, Kennedy leads his men to swim to an island some miles away. With the aid of a Coastwatcher and local residents, they return to Rendova PT base on Aug. 8.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Martok on August 02, 2023, 02:08:20 PM
Great story about du Casse and Benbow.  Also interesting to read about the differences between the two navies at that time. 


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 03, 2023, 09:37:50 AM
387 BC the Gauls are repulsed from the citadel on the Capitoline hill in Rome.  Traditionally, it was the Sacred Geese who quacked to wake the exhausted guards.  For their failure, the Romans established the Sulplicia Canum, crucifying some street dogs for the perfidious failure to bark.
An agricultural society during the Republic, almost all holidays included animal sacrifice.  Horses were not good for farming  because horse collars were not invented.  Just putting a rope around their neck, cut off their breathing.  Horses were used for war, for messaging, and were a status symbol for the wealthy.  They were considered "profane" and not appropriate for sacrifice and not edible.
The October Horse was a sacrifice to Mars at the end of the campaign season.
And the Sacred Geese?  They were decked out in purples and gold while carried in a litter, filled with succulent grains.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 03, 2023, 12:02:35 PM
I had a goose once. Probably 2-3 would have been enough to whip the whole Gaul army by themselves.  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 04, 2023, 08:55:22 AM
1693. Dom Per ingnon invents champagne.
1885. Presenting the 1886 budgetary proposals to the House of Commons, the Admiralty's Parliamentary Secretary stated that the two battleships being ordered, HMS’s Nile and Trafalgar, would probably be "the last ironclads of this type that will ever be built by this or any other country."

1999. Victor Mature dies at 84.  After serving in the Coast Guard in World War II, he then went back to work in movies, becoming a perennial star in numerous “sword and sandal” epics well into the 1950s. One of these was Demetrius and the Gladiators
Though set in Rome in the mid-First Century, the film was made in California. One day, Mature practicing his gladiatorial routine for long hours in the arena, under a hot sun. Finally, the director called it a day.
Mature immediately did what any right-thinking gladiator would himself have done under similar circumstances. Without bothering to doff his gladiatorial togs, he jumped into his car and drove over to the nearest bar in search of a cold one. Needless to say, walking into the establishment while still wearing his cape, cuirass, and greaves, to plop down onto a barstool caused a bit of stir. After several minutes of being gawked at by the stunned bartender, Mature finally piped up, "Whasamatter? Don't you serve servicemen here?"

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on August 04, 2023, 08:59:19 AM
Great stuff, as always  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 04, 2023, 10:02:27 AM
1693. Dom Per ingnon invents champagne.

Ah, but was it from the Champagne region of France yet?!?  Or was it just "sparkling accidental booze"?  8)

1885. Presenting the 1886 budgetary proposals to the House of Commons, the Admiralty's Parliamentary Secretary stated that the two battleships being ordered, HMS’s Nile and Trafalgar, would probably be "the last ironclads of this type that will ever be built by this or any other country."

Ah yes, governmental predictions  :silly:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 04, 2023, 11:48:44 AM
Wait! There were MORE Ironclads after Nile & Trafalgar?   :o  Why is the first time I'm hearing about it?  ???
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on August 04, 2023, 12:00:17 PM
There were no ironclads at all as early as the Nile (1798) or Trafalgar (1805). The first one was around 1859.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 04, 2023, 11:00:12 PM
That explains it then. The Nile had to be around before the Nile in order to be named after the Nile. Same with the Trafalgar. But...what if the Nile had been at the Nile? Wouldn't that been something to see?  :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on August 05, 2023, 05:51:29 AM
That was a pretty pointless statement, even by your standards.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 05, 2023, 10:23:50 AM
1716 Eugene of Savoy wins a complete success against an Ottoman army of 150,000 at Peterwardein.
1864. Admiral Farragut damns the torpedoes.
1940  Admiral Ernest J. King assumed command of the Atlantic Fleet, displaying his flag in the old battlewagon Texas during the Neutrality Patrol.  King made a lot of changes to the fleet's routine. Most of them were very useful. One wasn't.
While the fleet's ships were painted battleship gray, the men who served in them wore white, at least in the warmer seasons. King thought the men ought to be camouflaged as well. So orders went out that all sailors were to turn in one of their white uniforms, to be dyed a suitably subdued color.
The necessary procedure was done in the galley, using enormous vats of coffee. Uniforms were boiled up in the coffee, then dried, ironed, and returned to their owners. Unfortunately, quality control was a bit of a problem. As one officer put it, as they emerged from their coffee baths, the uniforms ranged from "ecru to chocolate brown."

King never admitted his idea was wrong, but the subject was never brought up again.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 05, 2023, 10:48:21 AM
 :2funny:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 06, 2023, 02:08:14 PM
1943. Just before midnight, Task Force 31.2 waits at Vella Gulf as four Japanese destroyers carrying soldiers and supplies steam into radar range. Not giving away the position until firing their torpedoes, all four Japanese destroyers were subsequently hit. Bursting into flames, the destroyers, Hagikaze, Arashi, and Kawakaze were sunk. The last one, Shigure, is hit by a dud and escapes into the night.

1944  the German army launches Operation Luttich (Liege) to cut off the American Third Army after the breakout from the bocage, Operation Cobra.  Initially gaining some surprise, they were halted at Mortain by the 30th division, Old Hickory.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 07, 2023, 10:31:02 AM
1808  Commanding the frigates A mph ion and later Bacchante, Captain William Hosts is the scourge of the French in the Adriatic.  Capturing numerous ships and coastal vessels, beating a larger force at the first battle of Lissa, and capturing garrison's forts by hauling naval cannon up steep hills, he makes the sea an English domain.  As a result, he becomes immensely wealthy from prize money.  Regrettably, he entrusted this to his clergyman father in England. That worthy develops a love of the bottle and drinks it all away.
Until relatively recent times loot was major perq of warriors.  Many armies and navies – which preferred to call loot "prize" – regularized the collection of booty so that it could distributed equitably among those in the ranks.  Initially custom was the primary guideline for dividing up the loot, but during the Renaissance, as armies became more formally organized, detailed regulations began to be introduced.
A French military treatise of 1592 provides one of the earliest examples of written guidelines for the division of loot by a regiment.
The treatise first specified which personnel qualified for a share in the booty.  After all, a man might assigned to the regiment, but not be present at the siege and capture of a particular town or take part in a particular victory. After that, the treatise explained how much each eligible soldier was to be awarded.  First, the commanding officer was to be given 10-percent of the total booty.  The remaining loot was then divided into "shares" based on the specified allocation for each rank.

Captains   6 shares
Lieutenants   4 shares
Ensigns & gentleman volunteers   3 shares
Sergeants   2 shares
Common soldiers   1 share
In addition, the sergeant major of the command was to be given a half share for each company under his charge during the action.  This was because at the time regiments did not have a fixed number of companies.
Guidelines for larger formations provided a major percentage for the overall commander and other higher officers, including the sergeant major of the army, and demoted regimental commanders to a set number of shares.
Depending upon the loot taken, awards could represent considerable sums.  Even common soldiers occasionally came away with enough money to buy a farm or a shop, provided they didn't spend it immediately on wine, women, and song.
1942  Marines land on Guadalcanal in the first act in a grinding four month campaign.
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 07, 2023, 11:04:25 AM
I wonder how often the loot taken in was less than the cost of mustering and supplying the force sent to capture it
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 07, 2023, 11:42:27 AM
I wonder how much of the loot never made it into the, 'Official' records? We'll probably never know for certain.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 08, 2023, 11:30:37 AM
 :applause:  For the Marshall.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 08, 2023, 11:45:47 AM
1788 Death of Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis (1696-1788), the duc de Richelieu and great-grand nephew of the famous French churchman, was himself a notable statesman, diplomat, and soldier, rising to Marshal of France, as well as a dissolute rake and a notable wit, who have have suffered from scoliosis.
Richelieu was a childhood friend of King Louis XV (r. 1715-1774), who made him a marshal in 1748 for his services in the Wars of the Polish (1733–1738) and Austrian Succession (1740-1748).  Now, like all close friends, from time to time Richelieu and the King had their little fallings-out.
Once, apparently during the Seven Years' War, Richelieu was at a banquet, when he said something that irked King Louis, probably a crack about the royal mistress, the famous Madame de Pompadour, whom he greatly disliked.  The King gave Richelieu a slap, not a playful tap with a gentle hand, but a fair smack.  Normally, as a proper nobleman, such an act would have required a demand for immediate apologies or satisfaction.  But Richelieu could hardly demand that the king apologize or challenge his sovereign to a duel, and striking the Royal Person was totally out of the question.  Yet neither would his honor bear respect among the other nobles if he bore the insult.
Thinking fast, the Marshal turned immediately to the man at his right and, saying, "The King wishes you to pass this on," gave him a slap in turn.  The assembled diners promptly broke out in laughter, and the smack was passed from nobleman to nobleman.
Thus did Richelieu defuse a potentially dangerous situation.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 10, 2023, 09:29:07 AM
1628 Swedish warship Vasa (64), Cptn Söfring Hansson, capsized and sank, a few minutes after departure on her maiden voyage, in the Saltsjon, Stockholm.  Besides being designed by an unqualified naval architect (the king), there was a flaw in construction.  Two teams of builders worked Vasa, one port, one starboard.  It was discovered the measuring sticks used were different by half an inch.
1932 RinTin Tin, c. 15, German Army veteran and American movie star, dies.I
1916. The first naval aircraft production contract begins when the Bureau of Construction and Repair contacts Glenn H. Curtiss via telegram asking him to supply 30 school hydro aeroplanes. The N-9s become the Navy's most popular training aircraft during World War I.
1944. Smokey the Bear born.
1946. The Italian battleship Conte di Cavour possesses one of the most unique – and dubious – distinctions in naval history.
On the night of November 11, 1940, Conte di Cavour was in company with several other Italian battleships in Taranto Harbor, on the instep of the Italian boot, when a squadron of Royal Navy Swordfish torpedo bombers off HMS Illustrious put a fish into her, causing her to settle on the bottom of the shallow anchorage. She was shortly raised, and towed to Trieste, where repairs were begun. These dragged on for nearly two years. Then, on the night of September 9, 1943, Italy having concluded an armistice with the Allies, Conte di Cavour was scuttled in shallow water to prevent her capture by the Germans. The Germans seized the sunk vessel, raised her, and commenced desultory repairs. These were not yet completed when American heavy bombers once again sank her, on February 15, 1945.
Amazingly, in 1946 Conte di Cavour was raised once again, shortly to be towed to a breaker’s yard, and there scrapped.
Thus, Conte di Cavour has the dubious distinction of being the only battleship that was not only sunk three times, but also salvaged three times.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 10, 2023, 09:43:24 AM
Amazingly, in 1946 Conte di Cavour was raised once again, shortly to be towed to a breaker’s yard, and there scrapped.
Thus, Conte di Cavour has the dubious distinction of being the only battleship that was not only sunk three times, but also salvaged three times.

and by three different countries!


I wonder if that one's got a counter in a game anywhere?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 10, 2023, 12:06:27 PM
Good question. TOAW Maybe?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on August 10, 2023, 10:24:44 PM
Avalanche Press probably has a Cavour counter in their La Regia Marina title.


Simulations Canada also has a La Regia Marina game which definitely has one.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 11, 2023, 11:18:36 AM
1456 Death of Janis Hunyadi, voivode and regent of Hungary.  The White Knight of Wall achia spent his entire life building up and defending Hungary against the Ottomans and other local warlords.  Surprisingly, he adapted the Hussites use of wagenburgs to negate the Turkish spahis.
The kings of Hungary were elected by the high nobles so often young, inexperienced boys were kings.  At both battles that the young kings were present, Varna and Mohacs,  premature charges lead to the annihalation of the national army.  Hunyadi and his son, Mathias Corvinus, held things together and were praised as the Shields of Europe.
Hunyadi's parentage is very uncertain.  a letter of 1489, Matthias Corvinus wrote that his grandmother's sister, whom the Ottoman Turks had captured and forced to join the harem of an unnamed Sultan, became the ancestor of Cem, the rebellious son of Sultan Mehmed II.  If Matthias Corvinus' report is valid, John Hunyadi—the hero of anti-Ottoman wars—and the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II were first cousins.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hunyadi

1718. Battle of Cape Passaro, War of the Quadruple Alliance.  Admiral George Byng smashes the Spanish Navy four months before the Alliance is announced.  The Spanish sailors were so lubberly that they never formed an organized line of battle, it was simply a massacre.  The San Felipe's captain was incapacitated by the flying bones of a sailor who was cut in half by British shot.
George Byng was the father of admiral John Byng who was courtmartialled and executed in the Seven Years War "for the encouragement of other admirals".
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 11, 2023, 01:11:44 PM
that would've made for some interesting family reunions!

there's a campaign for Corvinus in this FOG II:M DLC
https://www.matrixgames.com/game/field-of-glory-ii-medieval-sublime-porte
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 12, 2023, 11:26:24 AM
1617 the Italian nobleman Diomede Carrara raised a company of cavalry to support a Habsburg army in Lombardy, but was unable to accompany the troops because his mother refused to let him go, he being at the time only 15.
1645 The Massachusetts Council orders a third of the men in each militia company "be ready on half an hour's warning for any service" - the first "Minute Men".
1944, while they were in Quebec for the Octagon Conference, the Allied Combined Chiefs of Staff decided to tour the historic Plains of Abraham, where, 185 years earlier, the British under Sir John Wolfe had wrested control of Canada from the French, in the culminating victory of "the year of miracles" that decided the Seven Years War.
Unfortunately, the guide provided was more accustomed to civilian tourists than the generals and admirals with whom he had to cope on this occasion. He soon proved unable to respond to their many technical questions. Nor were any of the officers present sufficiently knowledgeable about the battle to lend a hand. So the brass wandered the field keeping their questions to themselves.
Then, by chance, the party encountered a traditionally cassocked Quebecois priest. Falling into conversation with him, they quickly discovered that the elderly clergyman was an expert on the battle and on the conduct of war in the mid-eighteenth century. And soon he was steering the combined military brains of Britain and America on a detailed tour of the historic battlefield, responding cogently to their many questions about tactics and personalities.
Clearly, an early Armchair Dragoon.

1944. the US 5th Armored Division of the US XV Corps advanced 35 mi (56 km) and reached positions overlooking Argentan.  On 13 August, Bradley over-ruled orders by Patton for a further push northwards towards Falaise by the 5th Armored Division.  Bradley instead ordered the XV Corps to "concentrate for operations in another direction".  The US troops near Argentan were ordered to withdraw, which ended the pincer movement by the XV Corps. Patton objected but complied, which left an exit for the German forces in the Falaise pocket.
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 13, 2023, 06:57:46 PM
1941. Oliver Wiswell is a novel by Kenneth Roberts s (1885-1957), who had served as an intelligence officer during World War I, rising to captain (which earned him a plot in Arlington), was for many years a staffer on the Saturday Evening Post and the author of a number of very popular historical novels. Published in 1940, Oliver Wiswell tells of the adventures of a Yale student who sides with the British during the American Revolution. It's full of battles on land and sea, daring escapes, slaughter, romance, and skullduggery, as Wiswell serves as an undercover agent for the British, in England and France as well as America, and puts himin contact with such figures as Sir William Howe and Benedict Arnold, the latter a perennial Roberts hero. The seventh best selling novel of 1940,* like all of Roberts' works set during the Revolution, Oliver Wiswell is staunchly Tory, part of a "debunking" trend in American historical fiction that prevailed during the 1920s and 1930s.
So, you ask, what does a novel about a Tory during the American Revolution have to do with Pearl Harbor?

Well, that’s an interesting story.
In early 1941 the Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department was Major General Charles D. Herron (1877-1977). Having been in the post since October of 1937, Herron was scheduled to be relieved by Maj. Gen. Walter Short on February 7, 1941.
When arrangements had been made for General Short to relieve me as Commanding General, Hawaiian Department . . . I desired to acquaint him as fully as I could with my experience and knowledge of affairs pertaining thereto. Since he was to arrive and I was to depart on the same ship, there was only a limited time in which to do this by personal conferences, namely, two and one-half days. Accordingly, in order that he might be prepared for his conferences with me, I sent to San Francisco for delivery to him there certain papers and material relating to the command, for his preliminary review on the ship's journey of five days. These papers and material comprised in effect an agenda and exhibits. Upon my meeting General Short when he arrived at Hawaii, I asked him whether he had received the data at San Francisco and whether he had read the papers and material. He replied that they had been received by him at San Francisco but that he had not given them much time while en route.
When Herron inquired as to what had prevented Short from reading the “papers and materials” – actually several hundred pages of intelligence reports, planning documents, and position papers – that had sent for his perusal, Short replied that he had instead read Oliver Wiswell.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 14, 2023, 10:46:51 AM
1479 Venice and Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II (r. 1451-1481) agreed to end a long war over control of various territories in Greece and the Aegean.  Rather than "peace," what followed was a "cold war" between the Serenissima and the wily Ottoman emperor, who not only wanted to acquire Venice's eastern territories, but was widely known to be interested in some Italian real estate as well.  So when Mehmet expressed a very un-Islamic interest in having his portrait painted by one of Italy's revolutionary new painters, the Venetians readily agreed.  In a move that would foreshadow the "confidence building measures" and "cultural exchanges" of the twentieth century's Cold War, the Venetians dispatched the artist Gentile Bellini (c. 1429-1507) to Constantinople, who would not only paint the Grand Turk's portrait, but also serve as a sort-of "cultural ambassador," and a spy as well.
Now Bellini's arrival in Constantinople in late 1479 greatly pleased Mehmet.  So naturally, Bellini prospered at the Sultan's court, securing numerous commissions.  The portrait of Mehmet, then about 48, that now hangs in the National Gallery in London is believed to be one of these.
Among the other the works that Bellini painted while in Constantinople was one that depicted John the Baptist, after his beheading.
Now Bellini had probably never seen an actual beheading, and apparently got it wrong.  In contrast, the Sultan was an old hand at the practice, having had occasion to indulge in it on an industrial scale.  Indeed, on August 14th of 1480, while Bellini was still at his court, Mehmet had beheaded hundreds, perhaps thousands, of residents of Otranto, on the heel of Italy, which he had just captured, for refusing to convert to Islam; he did spare the bishop this penalty, preferring to have the old guy sawn in half instead.  So in the interests of artistic realism, Mehmet pointed out that the depiction of the Baptist's injuries was incorrect.

Bellini asked what was wrong.
Rather than explain Bellini's error, Mehmet called over one of his body guards and a slave, and had the former demonstrate the process and its results on the latter.
It's not known how carefully Bellini studied the results of Mehmet’s little demonstration.  Nevertheless, despite the fact that he was making rather good money in Constantinople, by the end of the year Bellini had departed for home, surely happy that the Grand Turk had not chosen to demonstrate the consequences of decapitation on his person. .

1900. Daniel Joseph Daly (1873-1937), known as “Dan”, was a one of those unique characters that the U.S. Marines seem to produce from time to time
Only about 5'6" tall and weighing in at 132 pounds, Daly, a lightweight boxer in his youth, joined the Marine Corps early in 1899.  He earned a Medal of Honor during the Boxer Rebellion on August 14, 1900, single-handedly holding an isolated position in the Legation Quarter at Peking overnight against enormous odds, while inflicting hundreds of casualties on the enemy.  In 1915, Daly won a second Medal of Honor  for helping to lead 35 marines to safety when they were ambushed by about 400 insurgents near Ft. Dipitie, Haiti, on October 24, 1915.  During the fight for Belleau Wood, in France (June 5-10, 1918), Daly again turned in such an outstanding performance that he was nominated for a third Medal of Honor, which was disapproved in favor of the Navy Cross and the offer of a commission.  Daly declined the commission, saying "To be a sergeant, you have to know your stuff.  I'd rather be an outstanding sergeant than just another officer."
Now during the fighting for Belleau Wood, Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Daly is famous for supposedly leading an attack with the cry, "Come on, you sons of bitches -- do you want to live forever?", or, perhaps, "Come on you crazy sons-of-bitches, do you want to live forever?"
Often asked about this, Daly denied having uttered any such vulgarity, telling one reporter "You know a non-com would never use hard language.  I said, 'For goodness sake, you chaps, let us advance against the foe'." 

1944 the Second Canadian Corps, LGen Guy Simmonds, drives on Falaise to link up with US Third army in Operation Tractable.
This would likely have bagged most of Army Group B.    On the night of 13/14 August, a Canadian officer lost his way while moving between divisional headquarters. He drove into German lines and was promptly killed. The Germans discovered a copy of Simonds' orders on his body. As a result, the 12th SS Panzer Division placed the bulk of its remaining strength—500 grenadiers and 15 tanks, along with twelve 8.8 cm PaK 43 anti-tank guns—along the AIsne.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 14, 2023, 11:51:51 AM
Great stuff Besilarius.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 15, 2023, 01:14:26 PM
1939.  learning that a midshipman’s cruise planned for his ship was to include training in the use of the .50-caliber anti-aircraft machinegun, the skipper of the USS Arkansas (BB-33) wrote to the Navy Department, to note that he would be happy to comply, but “ . . . it is felt that .50-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns should be installed.”

1944. 1,654  men (among them 168 captured Allied airmen), and 546 women, all political prisoners, were sent to the concentration camps of Buchenwald (men) and Ravensbrück (women), on what was to be the last convoy to Germany out of Paris
The same day, employees of the Paris Métro, the Gendarmerie and Police went on strike; postal workers followed the next day.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 16, 2023, 10:12:59 AM
480 BC King Leonidas reached Thermopylae with 300 Spartans and 700 Allies
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 16, 2023, 10:17:38 AM
480 BC King Leonidas reached Thermopylae with 300 Spartans and 700 Allies

and left with 2!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 16, 2023, 11:16:40 AM
That's because they didn't have Chuck Norris with them.  :bringit:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 17, 2023, 02:13:24 PM
1944 the Falaise pocket.  The 4th Armoured Division captured Soulangy against determined German resistance and several German counter-attacks, which prevented a breakthrough to Trun. the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division entered Falaise against minor opposition from Waffen SS units and scattered pockets of German infantry, and by secured the town.[51]
on 16 August, Kluge had refused an order from Hitler for another counter-attack, and in the afternoon Hitler agreed to a withdrawal but became suspicious that Kluge intended to surrender to the Allies.Late on 17 August, Hitler sacked Kluge and recalled him to Germany; Kluge then either killed himself or was executed by SS-officer Jürgen Stroop for his involvement in the 20 July plot. Kluge was succeeded by Field Marshal Walter Model, whose first act was to order the immediate retreat of the 7th Army and Fifth Panzer Army, while the II SS Panzer Corps—with the remnants of four Panzer divisions—held the north face of the escape route against the British/Canadians, and the XLVII Panzer Corps—with what was left of two Panzer divisions—held the southern face against the Third US Army.

In Paris 35 young FFI members were betrayed by an agent of the Gestapo. They had gone to a secret meeting near the Grande Cascade in the Bois de Boulogne and were gunned down there.
Concerned that the Germans were placing explosives at strategic points around the city, Pierre Taittinger, the chairman of the municipal council, met Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris. When Choltitz told them that he intended to slow the Allied advance as much as possible, Taittinger and Swedish Consul Raoul Nordling attempted to persuade Choltitz not to destroy Paris.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 19, 2023, 10:18:49 PM
522   BC   the annual recitation of the Iliad & Odyssey began at the Great Panathenaea Festival, initiating the codification of the Homeric epics
1812. One of the most celebrated actions in the age of fighting sail took place on August 19, 1812, in the North Atlantic about 500 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the 38 gun British frigate Guerriere dueled with the 44 gun American frigate Constitution.
After maneuvering against each other for about three hours, at about 5:00 pm the ships began to close and the fight began, ending up slugging it out at about “half pistol shot” distance (i.e., 10-15 yards). Some 90 minutes later, the Guerriere was heavily damaged and the Constitution’s skipper, Capt. Isaac Hull, ceased firing. Hull sent a boat over to the Guerriere under a flag of truce. An officer asked the Guerriere’s skipper, Capt. James R. Dacres, if he was prepared to surrender. Dacres seemed to mulled the question over, “Well, Sir, I don't know,” then said, “Our mizzen mast is gone, our fore and main masts are gone – I think on the whole you might say we have struck our flag."
Before dispatching a party to torch the Guerriere, Hull asked Dacres if there was anything aboard her that he wished to rescue. Dacres replied, “Yes, my’s mother Bible, which I have carried with me for years.” Hull ordered an officer to secure the Bible, which was returned to Dacres, initiating a lifelong friendship between the two men.

1944 Part of the First Polish armored division made contact with the 359th regiment of the American 90 infantry division.    The other half of the division took a long ridge, called the Mace,  it was steep and dominated the escape routes of the Germans.
They were completely isolated and supply columns could not reach them.  At 1PM the road from Chambois to Vimoutiers, below them, began filling with troops and equipment.  The Poles had become the cork in the bottle.  The attached Canadian artillery observer organized a regimental shoot by the 4th Medium regiment.  Salvoes of 5.5 inch shells devastated the column.
The enemy was too numerous and too hard pressed to be deterred by indirect fire.  They prepared a deliberate assault on the Mace.
Colonel Koszutski addressed the officers.  "Our brigade is completely cut off. The enemy is still fighting. No one else can stop them.  No question of surrender.  I speak as a Pole."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 20, 2023, 03:44:42 PM
480 BC. BC   Battle of Thermopylae -- "O, Traveller, if you pass by our homes, do tell the Spartans that here we lie.  Faithful, even unto death."
1781. For most of the American Revolution George Washington spent his time within about 100 miles of New York City. This was because the Big Apple (which wasn't very big in those days) was the principal British base in the colonies from the time they captured it in mid-1776.  Washington had made it clear he wanted to retake New York  In fact, only a year or so earlier, he concentrated upwards of 12,000 Continentals and militiamen in anticipation of such an attempt. However, upon closer examination of the British defenses, Washington had thought better of the venture, and sent many of the troops home. Even with Rochambeau's aid the place seemed too strong. So Washington decided to use the fact that the British knew he cherished the thought of an offensive against New York to mask an even more daring operation.
Soon troops began to move, some 4,000 Frenchmen from Rhode Island marched westwards towards New York, while Washington drilled his Continentals harder than ever and ordered the militia to turn out in great numbers, equipped for several weeks' service. With these additional forces he was able to increase the number of troops in the lines around New York City. Harassment of isolated British posts around New York was intensified, and some small places in what is now the Bronx and along the New Jersey side of the Hudson were seized from the enemy, while raids across the Long Island Sound were intensified. Meanwhile, orders were given to collect supplies and boats and to expand the number of army bakeries. All seemed in readiness for a major assault on the city. But on August 21st, leaving behind some 3,000 regulars plus thousands of militiamen, Washington and Rochambeau began a rapid march south from West Point, the main American base, with about 7,000 troops, while a French naval squadron sailed from Rhode Island with Rochambeau's heavy artillery. As Washington's army marched south, the British in New York prepared to meet a major offensive, one which never came. For the three Franco-American forces (the army and the two fleets) rendezvoused in the Chesapeake Bay. On September 18th Washington debarked in Virginia and promptly went to Lafayette's aid before Yorktown.
Washington's cover plan for the Yorktown operation is a classic example of deception. Not only was an assault on New York City a plausible operation, indeed it was one in which Washington had several times expressed an interest, but it provided a convenient mask for the concentration of Rochambeau's army on his own. The skirmishes and raids tended to alert the British to possibility of such an attack, as did the gathering of supplies, the building of additional bread ovens in the principal American camps, and the collection of boats. Perhaps the finishing touch was when Washington called out the militia, for the militia was notoriously unwilling to serve for very long, and the move suggested that action was imminent. Altogether a neat, tidy, and highly successful deception.
1792. A confederation of the Miami, Shawnee, and Delaware nations under the inspired leadership of the war chiefs Little Turtle, Blue Jacket, and Buckongahelas, inflicted two devastating defeats on the United States,.  These two humiliating disasters prompted President Washington to turn to the best commander he could find, Maj. Gen. Anthony Wayne, who had earned the nickname "Mad Anthony" for his exploits during the Revolutionary War.
 The army that Wayne took command of in early 1792 was a pitiful one.  Numbers were low, desertion rife, there were few trained troops, and morale was abysmal.  Wayne promptly began kicking these men into shape, as they would have to become the cadre around which to build a new army.
Among the problems that Wayne noticed when he assumed command was the large number of troops who were claiming exemption from duty due to illness.  Clearly, if this "illness" was not cleared up, there would be little hope of building a disciplined force.  Wayne promptly hit upon an excellent "cure."  He ordered that anyone on the sick list was to have his daily whiskey ration replaced by an additional serving of vegetables.  Almost instantly, virtually all of the ailing men reported themselves much improved, and returned to duty.Wayne's Legion crushed the confederation at Fallen Timbers.
1944.  The Polish brigade holding out, overwatching the German retreat on the Vimoutiers road were under constant assault.  The weather fogged up so no air support and a supply drop fell into German lines.  "Every combination of tactics was used: conventional infantry assaults, combined pander and grenadier, unsupported Panther attacks, savage bombardment".
Behind this day long effort, the Poles were forced back a little.  With them sky clear of allied aircraft, thousands of men still inside the pocket managed to ford the Dives river and get away to open country

Not wishing to become embroiled in a vicious, lengthy city fight, Eisenhower issued orders not to take Paris " until it is a sound military proposition. ".   Inside the city, the various factions argued about beginning an insurrection. The disaster of the siege in 1871 weighed heavily.
While the politicians argued, to everyone's surprise - the police acted!  Policemen, it is a cliche, ate survivors of all political change.  I the Paris police had solidly done their duty and cooperated with the German authorities when necessary.  All three police resistance groups had agreed on direct action and 3,000 entered the Prefecture de Police and hoisted the tricolor - not flown in the city since 1940 - over the roof.. The head of the communist FFI, colonel Rol, who happened to be passing shocked to see it and then surprised to be denied admission.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 21, 2023, 11:07:11 PM
1708   Following their victory in the Battle of Oudenarde (Jul 11, 1708), in the eighth year of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy, commanding a combined British, Dutch, and Holy Roman Empire army, advanced on Lille, capital of northern France, to lay it under siege.  The French commander during this campaign was James FitzJames, the Duke of Berwick, who was the illegitimate son of the late King James II of England and Arabella Churchill.  Ms. Churchill later married Col. Charles Godfrey, and bore him Francis Godfrey who was thus the half-brother of the French commander.  And, since Ms. Churchill's brother was John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, Francis was also the nephew of his own commander, which may help explain why he eventually rose to brigadier general

1914         the Russian 10th Cavalry Division clashes with the Austro-Hungarian 4th Cavalry Division at Jaroslavice/Wolczkowce (Galicia), in the largest mounted combat of the Great War
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 22, 2023, 10:05:42 AM
1485   Battle of Bosworth Field: Richard III retires from public life to be a parking lot attendant.


1962. Charles De Gaulle evades an assassination attempt from dissatisfaction about abandoning Algeria and Tunis.  Senior plotters were members of the WWII French 2nd Armored division.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 22, 2023, 11:12:40 AM
1485   Battle of Bosworth Field: Richard III retires from public life to be a parking lot attendant.


well-played, good sir
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 23, 2023, 02:03:33 PM
1715. King Louis XIV of France (1643-1715) is generally credited with having instituted the first modern military establishment, not just an army, but the financial, administrative, and bureaucratic apparatus necessary to support it on a permanent footing, an effort that established France as the premiere military power in Europe for two centuries. One interesting characteristic of the French Army during his reign was the remarkable stability in the officer corps, which consisted mostly of noblemen. Even in wartime there was surprisingly little turnover in officer slots, save as a result of casualties.
A good example can be seen in some statistics for French regiments during the Nine Years’ War (1688-1697). this was a complex affair that involved pretty much everyone in Europe against France, unless they were temporarily allied with France.

Average Turnover of Senior Officers in
French Infantry Regiments, 1688-1697
Colonels   1.85
Lieutenant Colonels   2.04
Majors   2.41
Grenadier Captains   2.58
In effect, during the war, the French Army had to fill every colonel’s slot nearly twice, and every grenadier captain’s slot somewhat more than 2½ times. Junior officers, naturally, seem to have turned over more frequently. The fates of about 83-percent of the French infantry officers in these slots during this period are known. Of those, about 13-percent died in the service, either in combat, by disease, or by peradventure. About 6-percent actually retired, whether from wounds, illness, or other reason, nearly 2-percent were expelled from the army by the king, and some 14-percent were transferred to other duties.

1914   Germans execute c. 675 civilians, including some infants, at Dinant, Belgium, as franc-tireurs
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 25, 2023, 01:39:43 AM
1944. When the 2nd French Armored division set out to enter Paris, it was in three columns.  Each had a half track infantry battalion of the Regiment du Marche du Tchad, a squadron of Spahis on reconnaissance, a squadron of Fusiliers-Marins tank destroyers, an artillery regiment, and a tank regiment: either Cuirassiers, Chasseurs, or Chars de Combat.
The vehicles were blazoned in the French style.  The Cuirassiers adopted the names of villages already liberated: Caen, Evroux, Liseux.  The Chaseurss chose Marshals of the Empire, Lannes or Murat.  The Chars de Combat used victories of the 1814 campaign: Romilly, Champaubert, Montmirail.  The Fuslers-Marins chose the winds: Ouragon, Scirocco, Tempete.
Held up by stubborn defences, and under pressure from his corps commander, Gerow, to maintain progress or the American 4th division would make first entrance, general Leclerc ordered a captain of the T chad infantry to take a platoon of infantry and three tanks to find a route into the city.
Slipping down side streets ended up crossing at the Pont d'Austerlitz and drove up by the Quai des Celestins.  At 0:30 pm his three tanks, Montmirail, Champaubert, and Romilly came to the Hotel de Ville.  Von Choltitzs headquarters was a few hundred yards up the Rue Dr Rivoli.
The news brought the bells of Paris to life.  Choltitz called Speidel, chief of staff of Army Group B,  he lifted the receiver so the bells could be heard.  Any orders, he asked, and asked Sprite to watch over his wife and children in Germany.

The final irony was that the company chosen by Leclerc to slip into Paris?  It was mostly Spanish.
Republicans who fled the Spanish Civil War to Chad where they enlisted in the French Foreign Legion.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 25, 2023, 11:16:17 AM
Great story!  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 25, 2023, 11:19:05 AM
53 BC. To finance his invasion of Parthia, the Roman Triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus plundered the temple of the Syrian goddess Atargatis in Heiropolis, as well as that of the Jewish God in Jerusalem, which may help explain why he lost big time at Carrhae.

1927. The airship Los Angeles was manhandled by the wind.
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/XD6T-y44RDk

1944. the junior officer of the deck aboard the battleship Washington spotted a glow from the ship's navigation bridge, which he took to be someone taking an illegal smoke.
He yelled, "Sailor! Put that cigarette out!"
Nothing happened.
Not only did the man puffing away on the navigation bridge fail to put out his smoke, but he seemed to be puffing harder, as the glowing end grew brighter.
The officer of the deck shouted his order once or twice more. Then, frustrated, he summoned the ship's master-at-arms. When the man arrived, he told him "Bring that sailor to the chart house."
Off went the master-at-arms. A few moments later he came back. And with him was Vice Admiral Willis "Ching" Lee, senior battleship commander of the Pacific Fleet, who had been having a stogie on what was, after all, his flagship. Mildly amused, Lee came because he didn't want the master-at-arms chewed out by an irate officer of the deck.
As the master-at-arms left the chart house, he could hear Lee saying, "You're a lieutenant, j.g., and I'm a vice admiral, and I can smoke any Goddamn place I want to."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 25, 2023, 12:14:00 PM
yeah, I've seen a few senior officers like that....
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 26, 2023, 10:37:21 AM
1260 tHe fighting between the Guelphs and Ghibellines in pre Renaissance Italy was utterly cutthroat.
The Guelph troops of Venice, Trent, Padua, and Vicenza invested San Zenone. Completely circled and with no possibility of mounting a defence, Alberico surrendered in the hopes of saving his and his relatives' lives. The hatred his brother had incurred, however, was too great. The following day his sons, some still young children, were chopped to pieces before his eyes while he languished in chains. His female relatives were paraded naked through the streets and then burned alive. Alberico, having been forced to assist in their execution, was then tortured with hot irons, tied to the tail of a horse, and dragged through the streets until dead.

1810   The battle of Grand Port, Mauritius, a French base in the Indian Ocean
French frigate squadron of Bellone, Minerve, Victor and captured Indiaman Ceylon, defeated a British squadron at Vieux Grand Port, Mauritius. HMS Nereide (38), Cptn. Nesbit J. Willoughby, and HMS Iphegenia (36), Cptn. Henry Lambert, struck. HMS Sirius (36), Cptn. Samuel Pym, and HMS Magicienne (32), Cptn. Lucius Curtis,  were both burnt to prevent them falling into enemy hands after grounding.
Nesbit J Willoughby, Captain of the Nereide, was a foolhardy, brave sea dog.  Regularly in trouble with superiors, he had made lieutenant twice and been demoted for being insubordination.
He was tried by court-martial at Cape Town in 1808 on charges of cruelty; he seems to have taken a great delight in inflicting punishment, but he was acquitted with the advice to be more moderate in future in his language.
At Grand Port, Willoughby initiated the attack against the wishes of Captain Lambert, who felt obliged to follow.  The entrance was very tricky and Nereide and all of the other ships grounded under heavy fire by the forts guarding the port.
Under heavy fire, his ship had 222 casualties out of a crew of 281.  His own Injuries included the loss of an eye, and a portion of his neck was blown off revealing his windpipe.  Once again he survived his wounds.  Realizing that the navy would not employ him with these disabilities, he did what seemed righteous to him.
He volunteered for the Russian army to oppose the invasion of 1812.  Fighting with them, he was captured by the French and forced to accompany them to Moscow.  And then still under guard, he returned to Poland.
C. Northcote Parkinson (Parkinson's Laws) declared him "The Immortal".  For as the French troops died like flies around him, he just went on and on.  Surviving everything that man and nature threw at him.
Finally escaping from the French control, even the Russians would not believe this damaged man should be at war.
So, he joined the Prussian army.
The Annual Register of his death noted: "He was eleven times wounded with balls, three times with splinters, and cut in every part of his body with sabres and tomahawkes: his face was disfigured by explosions of gunpowder, and he lost an eye and had part of his neck and jaw shot away... and at Leipzig had his right arm shattered by cannon shot."
He is remembered as one of the most reckless characters in British naval history, partially due to his being court martialled four times.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on August 26, 2023, 12:30:25 PM
Brothers can be nothing but trouble sometimes.  :o
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 27, 2023, 12:47:59 PM
 413 BC   a lunar eclipse caused the Athenians to postpone an attempt to escape from Syracuse harbor, dooming them to destruction

1776      The largest battle of the American Revolution began on the northwestern end of Long Island, near the village of Brooklyn, George Washington had concentrated some 10,000 indifferently equipped troops, a mixture of raw recruits, militiamen, and some Continentals. Facing them were some 20,000 well-trained and well-equipped British regulars and Hessian mercenaries. In a three day battle, the Patriots were soundly beaten, and only some desperate rear guard fighting and a fortuitous fog saved the army, as Washington evacuated his troops to Manhattan Island.

Head-Quarters,
Colonel Roger Morris's House,
ten miles from New York,
September 19, 1776

 

Gentlemen: I was honoured the night before last with your favor of the 13th instant...
In respect to the attack and retreat from Long Island, the publick papers will furnish you with accounts nearly true. I shall only add, that in the former we lost about eight hundred men; more than three-fourths of which were taken prisoners. This misfortune happened in great measure, by two detachments of our people who were posted in two roads leading through a wood, in order to intercept the enemy in their march, suffering a surprise, and making a precipitate retreat, which enabled the enemy to lead a great part of their force against the troops commanded by Lord Stirling, which formed a third detachment, who behaved with great bravery and resolution, charging the enemy and maintaining their posts from about seven or eight o'clock in the morning till two in the afternoon, when they were obliged to attempt a retreat, being surrounded and overpowered by numbers on all sides, and in which many of them were taken. One battalion (Smallwood's of Maryland) lost two hundred and fifty-nine men, and the general damage fell upon the regiments from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, and Colonel Huntington's, of Connecticut.
As to the retreat from the Island, it was effected without loss of men, and with but very little baggage. A few heavy cannon were left, not being moveable on account of the ground's being soft and miry through the rains that had fallen.
The enemy's loss in killed we could never ascertain; but have many reasons to believe that it was pretty considerable, and exceeded ours a good deal. The retreat from thence was absolutely necessary, the enemy having landed the main body of their army there to attack us in front, while their ships of war were to cut off the communication with the city, from whence resources of men, provisions, &c., were to be drawn....
I have the honour to be, &c.,
Go. Washington.

Washington’s summary of the battle was fairly accurate, though he was wildly optimistic in his assumption that British loses “exceeded ours a good deal”: U.S. casualties amounted to about 2,500, including some 300 dead and many prisoners, while the British suffered only about 400 from all causes.

Nevertheless, Washington had conducted an effective retreat from an untenable position, preserving the army to fight another day.

 


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 28, 2023, 09:36:14 AM
1645. Death of Hugo Grotius.

On February 25, 1603, a Dutch East Indiaman captured a Portuguese vessel, a perfectly legal proceeding at the time, given that the Netherlands were in revolt against Spain, which happened also to own Portugal. But a surprising legal problem arose when the Dutch vessel returned home. It seems that some of the Dutch East Indian Company’s shareholders were Mennonites, and thus pacifists, and flatly refused to benefit from the proceeds of an act of war. Worse, the peace-loving burghers proposed to pull out of the East India Company and organize one of their own, which would not indulge in warlike pursuits.
Afraid that the proposed new company would cut into their profits, the less peacefully-inclined shareholders decided to take action to establish firmly the legitimacy of prize taking in both law and public opinion. Casting about for a legal expert, they settled upon the youthful, but brilliant Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), then serving as official historian for the Dutch Republic..
In 1605 Grotius produced De jure praedae, which may be loosely translated as “The Law of Loot”, a profoundly learned work that traced the history of prize from Biblical and Classical times through the medieval Mediterranean maritime codes, to contemporary Western European usage. Grotius’ work formed the foundation of his subsequent life-long effort to codify international law, leading ultimately to his monumental De jure belli ac pacis – The Law of War and Peace (1625), which established him as “the Mozart of International law.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 29, 2023, 10:50:36 AM
1014         Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeated the Bulgars in the Battle of Kleidion, slaughtering thousands and blinds 15,000 more.

1526 Battle of Mohacs.  For centuries, the Kingdom of Hungary was a strong, mostly cohesive country that was a bulwark of Europe against invaders like the Mongols.  The great defenders of the country were John Hunyadi and Matthias Corvinus who developed a strong national mercenary force, the Black Army.  This left them less at the mercy of the contentious, independent nobility.
After Corvinus' death, the nobles elected young, weak kings to increase their own power, and the Black Army was disbanded.  In 1526, the Ottoman emperor, Suleiman the Magnificent, invaded Hungary.  His devastating victory at Mohacs ruined the kingdom.  It was split into Royal/Habsburg lands, Ottoman lands, and semi independent Principality of Transylvania.

1782   HMS Royal George (100), Cptn. Waghorn, while heeled at Spithead off Portsmouth to repair the coppering with the lower deck guns run out, was struck by a sudden and violent squall which threw her over so much that water rushed in the open ports. She filled and sank killing Rear-Admiral Richard Kempenfelt and about 900 crew.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 30, 2023, 05:49:28 PM
1814 landing party. from HMS Menelaus (38), Cptn. Peter Parker (Killed in Action), engaged ashore in Chesapeake Bay.

Never knew that Spider-Man served in the RN.

1888   Lord Walsingham kills 1070 grouse in a single day
1918    Fanya Kaplan shoots Lenin, but only wounds him; is later shot in the Alexander Garden on the Kremlin's west wall.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 31, 2023, 01:11:43 PM
1729. John Blackader, late Lt Col, 26th Foot (the Cameronians), and Col of the Glasgow Militia, diarist,
dies at 65
1842.  Congress replaces the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group of senior officers who oversee naval technical affairs, with the five technical Bureaus, ancestors of the Systems Commands. One of the 1842 Bureaus, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, continues to serve under its original name.  "CNOs come and go but the Bureaus go on forever. "

1862  The daily rum issued to US Navy sailors on board vessels is abolished. On July 14, by an Act of Congress, the spirit ration ceases Sept. 1. Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles issues a further order requiring captains of naval vessels to remove all distilled liquors from their ships except those that serve as medical stores. Ale, beer, wine, and other liquors not distilled are exempted from the provisions of the act of July 14.

1935. "Shock Worker" Aleksei Stakhanov (1903-1977), allegedly digs 102 tons in 6 hours, at the Central Irmino Coal Mine

1995. the ashes of former Ensign George Gay, sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8, were scattered across the waters into which his comrades had fallen during the Battle of Midway
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 31, 2023, 01:28:30 PM
1729. John Blackader, late Lt Col, 26th Foot (the Cameronians), and Col of the Glasgow Militia, diarist,
dies at 65
1842.  Congress replaces the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group of senior officers who oversee naval technical affairs, with the five technical Bureaus, ancestors of the Systems Commands. One of the 1842 Bureaus, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, continues to serve under its original name.  "CNOs come and go but the Bureaus go on forever. "

1862  The daily rum issued to US Navy sailors on board vessels is abolished. On July 14, by an Act of Congress, the spirit ration ceases Sept. 1. Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles issues a further order requiring captains of naval vessels to remove all distilled liquors from their ships except those that serve as medical stores. Ale, beer, wine, and other liquors not distilled are exempted from the provisions of the act of July 14.

1935. "Shock Worker" Aleksei Stakhanov (1903-1977), allegedly digs 102 tons in 6 hours, at the Central Irmino Coal Mine

1995. the ashes of former Ensign George Gay, sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8, were scattered across the waters into which his comrades had fallen during the Battle of Midway

ahem....

please amend to include

Quote
2018.  The Armchair Dragoons, the Regiment of Strategy Gaming, was mustered into service
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on August 31, 2023, 01:29:47 PM
 :) ;D :party: :bigthumb: :groovy:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on August 31, 2023, 05:09:53 PM
No One expects the Reiters of The Armchair Dragoons!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yrvGcCK0o_o&pp=ygUOY2F2YWxyeSBjaGFyZ2U%3D

Forward for good and better gaming!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 01, 2023, 11:22:03 AM
1778.  During the American Revolution, Capt. James Wallace commanded the 50-gun ship HMS Experiment.  In 1778 the ship was carrying the Royal Welch Fusiliers to New York.  As she approached the city, aware that a strong French squadron was lying off the harbor entrance, picking up stray British ships, Wallace decided to bring Experiment into the Long Island Sound.  But to get to New York by way of the Sound and into the East River, he had to take her through Hell Gate, which had a very torturous channel between rocky outcrops and mudflats.  This is a very slight passage between Long Island and Queens on the East River.
A black pilot was engaged to guide the ship through the “reefs and shoals.”  At one particularly perilous spot, Capt. Wallace became concerned, and gave some orders from the quarterdeck.
Without hesitation the black man touched Sir James on the shoulder, saying " Massa, you no speak here."
Although taken aback, Sir James acknowledged the man’s authority, and indeed the pilot  brought the ship safely through, a feat of navigation that elicited expressions of admiration from no less a sea dog than Admiral Howe himself.
Although history is silent on the later fate of the black pilot, his phrase, “Massa, you no speak here," reportedly became popular in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, used, for example, by sergeants when inept junior officers attempted to interfere in matters that were none of their concern. 

1933. During the 1920s and 1930s, American journalist Edgar Ansel Mowrer (1892-1977) covered Italy and Germany for the Chicago Daily News. His reporting on the rise of the Nazis in Germany earned him the Pulitzer Prize for 1933. Shortly afterwards, Mowrer was invited to leave Germany because of his “hostile” reporting.
So on September 1, 1933, Mowrer met the train that was to take him out of Germany. As Mowrer boarded the train, the Nazi official assigned to see him off snidely asked, “And when are you coming back to Germany, Herr Mowrer?”
A small group of expatriate Americans and a few German friends who were present to bid Mowrer farewell caught his reply: “Why, when I can come back with about two million of my countrymen.”
Which is exactly what happened less than a dozen years later.

1944 King George promotes Bernard Montgomery to Field Marshal.  undoubtedly the most famous British general of World War II. He was also a pompous, contentious, egotist who didn’t work and play well with others, and his battlefield skills are hotly debated.

Opinions about Monty are varied, as can be seen from this selection of choice observations about him by several other commanders and a few historians.
“ . . . a son of a bitch.” – Gen. Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith
“Small, alert, tense, . . . rather like an intelligent Terrier who might bite at any moment” – Lt. Gen. Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks
“ . . . he seems to think that all he has to do is say what is to be done and everyone will dance to the tune that he is piping.” – Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham
“His love of publicity is a disease, like alcoholism or taking drugs, and it sends him equally mad.” – General Sir Hastings Lionel Ismay
“ . . . seemed to mislay his genius when he met a mountain.” – Ronald Lewin, historian, author of Slim: The Standard Bearer, about the finest British commander in the war.
“At times [he had] a real spark of genius . . . but was never on an even plane.” -- Alan Moorehead, historian, author of Montgomery: A Biography
“ . . . a mediocre manager of armies in battle” – Geoffrey Perret, historian, author of There’s a War to be Won
“ . . . the little fart.” – George S. Patton.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 02, 2023, 09:06:42 AM
Oops, missed this.  31 August, 1895.  Count Ferdinand Zeppelin is granted a German patent for a "steerable airship.-train"

31 BC. the evening of September 1, 31 BC, Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, settled down for the night amidst his troops at Nicopolis, a small place on the northern side of the entrance to the Ambracian Gulf, just across a narrow strait from Actium, where his sometime partner and now enemy Marc Antony was camped.
Emerging from his quarters on the morning of the 2nd, Octavian chanced to see a peasant passing, driving a donkey.   Asking the man his name, Octavian was surprised to hear Eutyches (Good Fortune) and that the donkey was named Nikon  (Victory).
Word of these omens soon spread, greatly cheering Octavian’s soldiers and sailors, and perhaps helping to win the naval battle of Actium that same day.
The cynical among us will, of course, point out how odd that a stranger could get so close to so important a commander’s person, in the midst of an enormous army, but it would wrong to suggest that Octavian had set up the encounter.
It was probably the work of his good friend and generalissimo Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 03, 2023, 02:19:48 PM
1390   Geoffrey Chaucer is robbed of £20 of the King's money while traveling in Kent -- today easily £2.3 million

1780 the very conservative Austrian army tests a new weapon.  The Girondoni Air Gun was a revolutionary weapon.  The weapon was entirely quiet and had a rate of fire of six rounds a minute or more.  The breech had a moveable breech that allowed a round to fall into the chamber. The magazine
contained 30 .50 caliber bullets. Each round was discharged by the release of compressed air from a metallic "bladder" which was attached to the stock. A single bladder contained sufficient air to "fire" with a hitting power and accuracy that compared favorably with that of the contemporary musket, despite that fact that as pressure in the air bladder decreased, range decreased as well.

Range of the Girondoni Air Gun
Rounds   Yards
First 10   120
Second 10   100
Third 10     80
When fully equipped, an air gun-armed infantryman carried three full air bladders plus about 120 rounds of ammunition. Each company was supplied with an air pump, a large hand-operated contraption over six feet tall.
Using this required careful training and handling.  The bladders were somewhat delicate, a leak meant The gun would not work.  Emperor Joseph II saw the potential and persuaded the Aulic Council to equip each regiments grenadier companies.  It turned out that between the air pump and the bladders, the grenadiers were too rough.
Instead, some jager units received the weapon.  On the occasions where French troops were caught by ambush, the silence, and rate of fire, surprised and caused some panics.
Few Girondoni air guns seem to have survived, but there is one on display in the Military History Museum in Vienna, complete with all normal accoutrements, including the air pump.

1782. The only US ship of the line,  America, is given to France to replace the French ship, Magnifique, which ran aground and was destroyed Aug. 11 while attempting to enter Boston harbor.

1861. Confederates under Leonidas Polk invade Kentucky, insuring its adherence to the Union.

1944.  A PB4Y-1 Liberator plane launches an attack on German submarine pens on Helgoland Island. The pilot, Lt. Ralph Spading, sets the radio controls and parachutes out of the Liberator, which is then controlled as a drone by Ensign J.M. Simpson in a pBY.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 03, 2023, 04:58:29 PM

1944.  A PB4Y-1 Liberator plane launches an attack on German submarine pens on Helgoland Island. The pilot, Lt. Ralph Spading, sets the radio controls and parachutes out of the Liberator, which is then controlled as a drone by Ensign J.M. Simpson in a pBY.

That was part of Operation Aphrodite, the program in which Joe Kennedy Jr, brother of John F, lost his life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aphrodite

Unfortunately, that plane, same as all others but one, did no damage to its target.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 04, 2023, 10:28:16 AM
476         Odoacer deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus (475-476), ending the Western Empire.

1854. The central event of the Crimean War was the protracted siege of Sebastopol (1854-1855) by a combined British, French, Sardinian, and Turkish army.  Actually more of a protracted blockade than a true siege, for most of the operation the two sides fought each from the dubious security of lines of entrenchment that stretched literally for miles, a harbinger of the horror that was to come during the Great War.
Naturally even when neither side attempted a full-scale effort to break the enemy lines, there was much fighting and skirmishing between the lines.
One night a particularly exposed British redoubt suddenly found itself the object of a strong Russian attack.  Although the British managed to hold the Russians, they were consuming ammunition at a prodigious rate.
Fearing that his position would soon be overrun, the officer commanding the post tore a leaf from a pocket note book.  On it he scrawled "In great danger.  Enemy pressing hotly. For Heaven's sake send us some ammunition," the officer signed his name, handed it to an orderly and sent the man to the rear.
The fighting grew more intense, and as ammunition began running low the officer awaited the return of his messenger.  Time passed, as the situation seemed to grow ever more desperate.  Then, almost as suddenly as it began, the Russian assault ebbed, even as the British troops were virtually down to their last rounds.
Just about then the orderly returned, bearing a message from the Ordnance officer.  One wonders what went through the officer's mind when he read, "All communications to this Department must be written on foolscap paper with a two-inch margin."

1941. The German submarine U-652 attacks the destroyer USS Greer (DD 145), which is tracking the submarine southeast of Iceland. Though the destroyer is not damaged in the attack, USS Greers depth charges damage U-652. The attack leads President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue his shoot-on-sight order, directing the Navy to attack any ship threatening U.S. shipping or foreign shipping under escort.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 04, 2023, 10:33:09 AM
I think I used to work for that guy.  :silly:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 05, 2023, 09:42:39 AM
1781   First day of Second Naval Battle of the Virginia Capes. French under de Grasse drive off British under Graves

1813 - The schooner USS Enterprise captures the brig HMS Boxer off Portland, Maine in a 20-minute battle where both commanding officers die in battle.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 06, 2023, 11:26:56 AM
1609. John Colman, a sailor on Henry Hudson's 'Half Moon', killed by an arrow off Sandy Hook; the first recorded casualty between Native Americans and Europeans in the NJ-NY metro area

1814 Battle of Plattsburgh/Lake Champlain.  A British army and naval squadron attempt to invade American territory.  Lieutenant Thomas McDonough built and led the American naval squadron.  A Scots Covenanter, McDonough was embarrassed by his sailor language and had taught himself to utter "By Zounds" when he felt a curse coming.  During the fight on his flagship, Saratoga, A seaman was decapitated by British shot.  The head smashed full on to McDonough face, knocking him unconscious.

1939. Pilot Officer Montague Hulton-Harrup, 1st RAF airmen killed in WW II, when his Hurricane was accidentally downed by Pilot Officer John Freeborn in his Spitfire.

1940. Mussolini turns down Hitler's offer of a panzer unit to support his forces in North Africa
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 07, 2023, 10:15:50 AM
1815         Grand Review of 150,000 Russian troops outside Paris for Tasr Alexander I, Emperor Francis I of Austria, and King Frederick William III, on the anniversary of the Battle of Borodino.
Anyone who has visited Paris has seen numerous eating shops on the Boulevards, Bistros.  They got that name when Russian troops demanded food.  When the service was slow, they yelled "Bistro.  Bistro.". That is faster, in Russian.

1870 H.M.S. Captain was one of a number of radically innovative warships built during the early days of the ironclad revolution. Funded only after bruising parliamentary and press debates, and against the better judgement of the Admiralty, Captain sported two turrets of a novel design, each mounting two 12-inch muzzle loading rifled cannon. Intended to displace 6,950 tons and make nearly 16 knots, Captain had a number of flaws. One was that upon completion, she actually displaced 7,767 tons. This gave her a freeboard (height of her deck above water) of only 6½ feet, 18 inches less than intended. Moreover, due to poor construction, her metacentric height was about ten inches higher than as intended, making her roll a good deal. Finally, to top it all off, she was furnished with a full ship rig, and sails; her masts were the tallest and at 50,000 square feet her sail area the largest in the history of the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy’s ship design specialists concluded that the ship would prove unstable and dangerous in any weather, and would probably not recover if she rolled more than 20 degrees. Captain was commissioned in April of 1870. Surprisingly, she did well on initial trials, sailing as far as Gibraltar on several voyages. Then disaster struck. Late on September 6, 1870, Captain was cruising under sail with eleven other warships off Cape Finisterre, the westernmost part of France. Shortly after midnight on the 7th, a strong wind struck her and she began heeling over. Although the Captain ordered the sail cut away, before this could be done her roll increased and then very suddenly she capsized. Of some 500 officers and men aboard Captain, there were only 18 survivors, men who’d been lucky enough to be thrown clear when the ship rolled over. Among the dead were Coles himself, as well as Captain Hugh Talbot Burgoyne, the ship’s skipper, who had earned a V.C. in the Crimean War. In addition to the terrible loss of life, the sinking of H.M.S. Captain also represented a significant loss for students of ancient and ecclesiastical history, due to Lieutenant John Trevithick, the ship’s second lieutenant, who was among the dead In 1858, Trevithick had accompanied an expedition led by Lord Napier to explore and map portions of the Arabian Sea and adjacent waters. Being a man of antiquarian interests, Trevithick had spent part of his time buying up old manuscripts in local bazaars. He had an unknown number of these with him aboard Captain when she went down. Precisely what was lost can never be known, but a bit of barbarous vandalism on Trevithick’s part may provide a hint. It seems that shortly before Captain’s final voyage, Trevithick cut a parchment page from one manuscript and gave it as a gift to a fellow officer from another ship. It’s an attractive page, in two columns. One column is of text, in Coptic script carefully written in black ink with little red crosses for punctuation. The other column is an illuminated picture showing five women and a man placing a body in a tomb. This alone survived of Trevithick’s collection, and now rests in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. The page is from an ancient Ethiopian Life of Pontius Pilate.

 

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 08, 2023, 10:21:05 AM
1755. Following the Battle of Lake George (Sept. 8, 1755), German-born French Maj. Gen. Baron Jean-Armand de Dieskau (1701-1767) was captured by the victorious British, Colonial, and Iroquois forces under Maj. Gen. William Johnson (1715-1774).  It being the eighteenth century, Johnson extended the honors of war to his defeated foeman, housing Dieskau in his own tent, where the two generals, both seriously wounded, could enjoy a glass together while recuperating.

At this point a problem reared its head that was unknown in European warfare, for Native Americans didn’t quite get certain European military customs.  An inability to control one’s Indian allies had led to serious massacres of prisoners of war on both sides during the various Anglo-French wars for North America.  Johnson’s Indian allies decided they wanted to kill the French commander in various interesting ways, in vengeance for the death of their comrades in the recent battle.
Several Iroquois forced their way into Johnson’s tent.  But, although greatly desiring to kill Dieskau, they had too high a regard for Johnson, who was not only an honorary sachem of the Mohawk nation but also had a long-standing informal relationship with Elizabeth Brant, a member of one of the most noted Iroquois families.  So, rather than immediately slay the Frenchman, the warriors hovered about in the tent in a threatening fashion, hoping Johnson would by some sign express his willingness to proceed.
Seeing these warriors, Dieskau remarked to his captor-host, “These fellows have not been looking at me with a look indicative of much compassion.”
Johnson promptly replied, “Feel no uneasiness, you are safe with me.”

1923. Seven destroyers run aground on Honda Point, California.  This happened before radar was available.  Due to strong cutrents, the ships were not certain where they were on the coast.  An early radio direction station was asked to provide a bearing from the known base on land.  The operator gave a re ciprocal bearing.  This confounded the navgator and was ignored.

1935. Populist governor of Louisiana, Huey Long, dies in a fusilade of shots, most by his own bodyguards. 
"Hard work, like monogamy, is vastly overated."
A spiritual forbearer of true Armchair Dragoons.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 08, 2023, 12:11:46 PM
Well-said indeed.  :notworthy:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 09, 2023, 10:04:07 AM
490   BC   Kalimachos/ Callimachus, Polemarch of the Athenians and 191 other Athenian & Plataean heroes, plus c. 6,400 Persians, kia at Marathon
490   BC   Phidippides, c. 40, having run c. 250 KM in 3-4 days; Athens to Sparta & back, then to Marathon, to fight, & back to Athens with the good news
9         Publius Quinctilius Varus, c. 55, losing three legions in the Teutoberger Forest

1066 Duke William of Normandy concentrated an army of some 14,000 men and 3000-4000 horses, crossed the English Channel, and wrested the crown of England from his cousin Harold Godwinson. Now crossing the channel is a considerable accomplishment in any age, given its treacherous waters, so William deserves credit for that, perhaps as much as for his hard-fought victory in the Battle of Hasting (October 14, 1066). But William’s greatest struggle was perhaps logistical.
William’s concentrated his army at Dives-sur-mer, where it spent most of August of 1066 training and preparing. It was a “pot luck” host. Although it contained many of William’s Norman subjects, it also included a lot of adventurers from all over Europe, including knights from Italy and Spain, as well as from other parts of France. A large contingent consisted of Norman veterans who had long-experience of war against the Lombards and Byzantines in Southern Italy and the Moslems in Sicily.
Taking care of this army – as small as it may seem in modern terms – was a major undertaking.
The average man eats about four pounds of food a day, and drink about a gallon of water. So for an army of 14,000, William had to supply about 28 tons of food, mostly grain, plus 14,000 gallons of water, without considering more than the barest diet, nor things like beer or wine, commonplaces of the medieval diet. Thus, in a month, William’s 14,000 men required 868 tons of food and over 400,000 gallons of water.
Of course, William’s army also included between 3,000 and 4,000 horses. War horses of between 1300-1500 pounds eat about 24 pounds of feed and fodder each day. In William’s time about half of this would have been grains, mostly barely or spelt, though occasionally oats, while the other half would have been cut hay; green grass could be substituted, but in a 3:1 ratio, which would have meant that the horses would have spent so much their time eating there would have been little time for exercise and training. Of course, each horse also required between 8 and 12 gallons of water, depending upon the weather. So each day, William’s horses required 12-18 tons of grain and as much again of hay, plus 24,000-48,000 gallons of water. In addition, since stabling the horses required a daily supply of 2-4 pounds of fresh straw per animal, to line their stalls, William had to come up with 4-5 tons of that stuff each day. So for his month’s encampment, William’s horses required between 745 and 1,115 tons of feed and fodder, plus 125-150 tons of straw, and between 620,000 and 930,000 gallons of water, figures that make the supply requirements of the men seem minuscule.
Of course not only did William have to supply food and water, he also had to cope with the consequences of large numbers of men and horses consuming food and water. Each day William’s men would each have left about three pounds of feces and perhaps a quart of urine, for a daily output of about 21 tons of more-or-less solids plus perhaps 3,500 gallons of liquids. For the entire month the army was at Dives-sur-mer, this would have amounted to some 650 tons and nearly 110,000 gallons. But, as with rations, those figures pale when compared to the equivalent numbers for horses. A horse produces some 20 pounds of feces and 7.5-8.5 gallons of urine a day. So for the month the army was in camp William had to deal with about 930 tons of horse manure and 480,000-720,00 gallons of urine.
How William managed to dispose of all this sewage is unclear.

1938  During combined operations exercises at Singapore a raiding party from the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk succeeded in capturing the famous Raffles hotel, and "liberating" its entire bar.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 09, 2023, 11:28:22 AM
he just shipped all the waste to the Pyrenees?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 09, 2023, 05:19:19 PM
Well, tanners used urine for curing hides, so once it was collected, William probably made some cash there.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 10, 2023, 10:07:34 AM
1598. Francesco Cenci, Roman nobleman, c. 50, bludgeoned to death with a hammer by his children & second wife for raping his daughter.

1887. German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein (1887-1973) was the biological son of one von Sperling sister (Helene, who married Lt. Gen. Eduard von Lewinski), adopted at birth by another von Sperling sister (childless Hedwig, who married Lt. Gen. George von Manstein); and was the nephew of the third von Sperling sister (Gertrud, who was married to Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg).

1936, during the Spanish Civil War, the British Admiralty received a message from Vice-Admiral Charles G. Ramsey complaining that preparations for the upcoming Coronation naval review were being interfered with by the need to provide escort for British ships against "pirate" (i.e., Italian) submarines ambushing shipping bound for Republican ports in Spain.

1943. Battle of the Porta San Paolo: Italian troops and partisans fail to keep the Germans out of Rome, c. 600 kia
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 11, 2023, 09:42:35 AM
1611 the birth of Turenne.
The highest distinction in the French Army is general thought to be marshal. And certainly some of the most distinguished soldiers of all time have borne the title "Marshal," whether awarded by the Bourbons, the Bonapartes, or the Republic; Montluc, Vauban, Ney, Massena, Kellerman, Foch, Juin, and many more. But in fact marshal is not the highest military dignity that France can award. There is one higher, which has been awarded only four times.
The greatest of Louis XIV's marshals was Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, the Vicomte de Turenne (1611-1675). A veritable lion in battle, Turenne's abilities were recognized early; entering the army as a private in 1625, by 1643 he was created a marshal by none other than Cardinal Mazarin, the power behind the throne during Louis XIV's early years. Turenne fought Louis' battle for decades, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. So good was Turenne, that after the Peace of the Pyrenees in 1659, Louis decided to place him in overall command, in order to unify command and reorganize the army. But there was a hitch. Or rather two. To begin with, all marshals were legally equal. And while occasionally one marshal had consented to serve under the authority of another, none of Louis' other marshals were willing to serve under Turenne, because of the second hitch; Turenne was a Protestant, and no Catholic officer would willingly serve under him. So Louis cut the Gordian knot - in 1660 he created Turenne "Marshal General of France," thus ranking him above everyone.
Turenne went on to fight many more battles for Louis, in the process converting to Catholicism, before dieing "gloriously" in action on July 27, 1675 (In truth he was smashed by a cannon ball while conducting a reconnaissance).
Since Turenne, three other men have borne the dignity of "Marshal General of France," Claude Louis Hector, l'duc d'Villars, by Louis XV in 1733, who died, in bed, at an advanced age, in 1737; Hermann Maurice, Comte de Saxe, by Louis XV in 1740, who died relatively young, from "une surfeit des femmes" in 1750; and Nicholas Jean de Dieu Soult, by Napoleon III in 1847, who died at an advanced age in 1851.

The goal of all true Armchair Dragons should be to live as Turenne and to die like de Saxe.


1747  Benjamin Franklin tells how the good Quakers of Pennsylvania managed to find a way around their religious scruples about war to provide for the common defense during King George’s War (1744-1748).

My being many years in the Assembly, the majority of which were constantly Quakers, gave me frequent opportunities of seeing the embarrassment given them by their principle against war, whenever application was made to them, by order of the crown, to grant aids for military purposes.  They were unwilling to offend government, on the one hand, by a direct refusal; and their friends, the body of the Quakers, on the other, by a compliance contrary to their principles; hence a variety of evasions to avoid complying, and modes of disguising the compliance when it became unavoidable.  The common mode at last was, to grant money under the phrase of its being “for the king’s use,” and never to inquire how it was applied.

But, if the demand was not directly from the crown, that phrase was found not so proper, and some other was to be invented.  As, when powder was wanting (I think it was for the garrison at Louisburg), and the government of New England solicited a grant of some from Pennsylvania, which was much urg’d on the House by Governor Thomas, they could not grant money to buy powder, because that was an ingredient of war; but they voted an aid to New England of three thousand pounds, to be put into the hands of the governor, and appropriated it for the purchasing of bread, flour, wheat, or other grain.  Some of the council, desirous of giving the House still further embarrassment, advis’d the governor not to accept provision, as not being the thing he had demanded; but he reply’d, “I shall take the money, for I understand very well their meaning; other grain is gunpowder,” which he accordingly bought, and they never objected to it.

 1943. Cruiser Savannah is hit by a Fritz X glide bomb off Salerno.  The bomb went through the turret roof and blew through to the keel.  The on rush of sea water saved the ship by putting out the magazine fire.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HmfO9HeNrEE&pp=ygUfVXNzIHNhdmFubmFoIGhpdCBieSBnZXJtYW4gYm9tYg%3D%3D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 11, 2023, 10:15:47 AM
The goal of all true Armchair Dragons should be to live as Turenne and to die like de Saxe.

hard agree
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 12, 2023, 05:37:50 PM
1810. Robert Corbet was one of the hundreds of men who captained ships in the Royal Navy during the long wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon (1793-1815). Like most, his service was characterized by long years on patrol punctuated by occasional bloody sea fights. In Corbet’s case, his career ended on September 12, 1810, when he was mortally wounded. Corbet was in command of HMS Africaine, a 44 gun frigate, one of a small British squadron that engaged several French frigates off Mauritius. Of course, death in action was hardly a unique distinction, for it was shared by thousands of others during the wars. What made Corbet an officer of note was his brutal command style.
Corbet liked to flog his men. No one knows how many he flogged, but in just 211 days from August of 1806 to March of 1807, whilst he commanded the frigate Seahorse (38 guns), in the Caribbean, he ordered 134 floggings, an average of three floggings every two days. The total number of lashes inflicted was 2,278, making for an average of 17 licks per flogging. Corbet was so brutal, his men petitioned the Royal Navy for redress, some mutinied, and once, when he was assigned a new ship, the crew refused to muster to hear his orders, until coerced by the proximity of another vessel cleared for action. Although subject to a court martial, Corbet managed to beat the rap. Nevertheless, he also managed to annoy senior officers, who would probably have found a pretext to remove him had he not been killed in action.
Of course, there were also those who said that Cobert’s wounds were not caused by the French . . . but he was smushed by a cannon ball, which suggests otherwise.

1912. Cadet Dwight D. Eisenhower, of the West Point football squad, flubbed a tackle of Jim Thorpe, who then scored a touchdown, helping the Carlisle Indian School thump USMA, 26-6.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 13, 2023, 03:27:19 PM
509  BC   Dedication of the Temple of Jupiter, Juno, & Minerva, on the Capitoline
1782. During the War of the American Revolution, Spain and its ally France made a determined effort to capture Gibraltar, imposing a close siege on the landward approaches of the British outpost from June of 1779 to February of 1783, supporting it with warships and floating batteries whenever the resources of the Royal Navy ran thin.
The British garrison was commanded by George Augustus Eliott .
During the siege, there were many heroic deeds on both sides, and also one very curious incident.
At one point during the siege, Eliott began to notice that a small number of soldiers seemed to be almost "constantly intoxicated."  Since he had imposed a tight ban on the sale or distribution of alcohol, Eliott set out to find the source of the booze.
After a careful investigation, Eliott found that all of the men in question seemed to get their water from a well in the garden of the hospital.  He had the water tested, and it became evident that it was heavily laced with rum, making it much like grog.  Further investigation determined that a recent supply mission had brought a large quantity of rum with it.  To secure the booze, the Quartermasters had buried the casks in the hospital garden.
Soon afterwards, by the fortunes of war, an enemy shell had burst on top of the spot where the rum was buried.  This caused the casks to rupture, and a large amount of rum seeped into well.  Eliot promptly put a guard on the well, and the problem of drunkenness ceased.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 14, 2023, 08:38:54 PM
1838. A British publisher issued The Dispatches of Field Marshall the Duke of Wellington: During his Various Campaigns in India, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, the Low Countries, and France, from 1799 to 1818.  Despite the fact that it makes for some seriously dry reading, and weighs in at a dozen volumes of documents plus a separate index, The Dispatches was something of a best seller.
One day, shortly after its publication, one of the Duke’s friends remarked that he had been reading the volumes of The Dispatches that dealt with Wellington's campaigns in India from 1796 to 1805.   The man indicated that he was surprised to find that there was little about fighting in the volume, and said, “It seems to me, Duke, that your chief business in India was to procure rice and bullocks."
"And so it was," replied Wellington "for if I had rice and bullocks, I had men, and if I had men, I knew I could beat the enemy."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 15, 2023, 11:00:06 AM
1776 New York city is invaded by the British at Kips Bay.  This move could have bagged half or more of Washington's army.
But Lord Howe delayed, choosing to consolidated his beachhead and secure the city before pursuing the Americans (reportedly an accommodating widow with Patriot sympathies may have helped matters as well, as she "entertained" the general, delaying him for a time).

By the end of September 15th, the Americans had reached the security of fortified positions along Harlem Heights (just north of 125th Street on the West Side), while the British established their advanced positions along modern-day 96th Street. 
The American position on the high ground overlooked the fields of the Harlem plain to their south. Numbering about 9,000 men, the American lines extended along the Manhattanville depression called the “Hollow Way”, a valley extending diagonally from 121st Street and Eighth Avenue to the Hudson River at 130th Street, roughly following the peculiar trace of 125th Street. In addition, some 5,000 American troops were in the Kingsbridge area of the Bronx. The troops occupying Harlem Heights were divided into three brigades under the command of Nathanael Greene, Israel Putnam, and Joseph Spencer. Lt. Col. Knowlton, then some 37 years old, and six feet tall, was there with his 120 Rangers. Washington ordered Knowlton’s Rangers to undertake a reconnaissance to explore the British position at West 104th Street and skirmish with the enemy picket line to determine their position and strength.
Initially the British were encamped along the Bloomingdale Road (today Broadway) approximately at west 96th Street, with their left wing on the Hudson River and their line extending eastward into what is now Central Park, with outposts along what is now 104th Street and a picket line manned by light infantry along 106th Street. Behind the light infantry near 96th Street, on the left flank were the Hessians, while the 42nd Highlanders (The Black Watch), the 33rd Foot, and the Grenadiers were in reserve under the command of Lord Cornwallis. In overall field commander was Howe’s second-in-command Sir Henry Clinton.
Phase 1: Ranger Probe. The Rangers left their camp near Riverside Drive and 131st Street and moved south until they encountered the British picket line. As the Rangers began trading fire with the enemy pickets, three companies of British light infantry rushed up to reinforce their line. The Rangers stood their ground, trading shot for shot for more than half an hour. The British were then reinforced by two battalions of light infantry, which raised the numbers against the 120 Rangers to over 400 men.
Lt. Col. Knowlton decided to break off the action and retire after his men had fired an average of eight rounds apiece (nearly 1,000 rounds) into the enemy. The British light infantry pursued the retreating Americans sharply. The Rangers retreated back to their lines on what is now Claremont Avenue, with the British giving chase until they climbed the hill on Riverside Drive that is now the site of Grant’s Tomb. At that time a British bugler blew out the haughty and contempt-filled notes of "Gone Away," a fox hunting call that indicates the prey was in full flight.
Phase 2: American Counterstroke. As the Rangers reached the safety of the Patriot lines, Washington's Adjutant General, Col. Joseph Reed, who had observed the fire fight, recommended that the Rangers be reinforced for a counterattack. Irked by the mocking "Gone Away" call, Washington, an avid fox hunter himself, agreed and quickly planned a counterattack that would trap the British in the Hollow Way. The plan was to deploy one force as a feint, drawing the British into the Hollow Way while a second force encircled them on their left, by slipping down the shore of the Hudson River.
To  execute the plan, 150 men from the 9th (Rhode Island) Continental Infantry commanded by Lt. Col. Archibald Crary, advanced into the Hollow Way. The British light infantry took the bait and came down from the high ground. A sharp fire-fight developed, with the Americans making good use of cover to maintain a heavy fire on the British, while drawing them further up the Hollow Way, until they were in a position about where 129th Street and Broadway meet today. Then Washington’s flanking force attacked.
The flanking column, commanded by Lt. Col. Knowlton, consisted of his Rangers and three companies of riflemen from the 3rd Virginia Continentals, commanded by Maj. Andrew Leitch, Capt. William Washington, and Lt. James Monroe. Knowlton appears to have intended to advance to a rocky ledge at what is now 124th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, but the troops moved too quickly, hitting the British on the left flank rather than in their rear. During their fire fight with the Rhode Islanders, the British had adjusted their line and so prevented encirclement. Thus, when the Rangers and Virginians opened fire, the British stood their ground. Despite the death of Lt. Col. Knowlton and wounding of Maj. Leitch (who would later die), the Rangers and Virginians pressed their assault, as the Rhode Islanders attacked along the British front. Heavily pressed, the British light infantry gave ground.
Phase 3: Pursuit. As the British began retreating, the American foxes began nipping at their heels. As they fell back, to the vicinity of what is now Barnard College, the British light infantry called for reinforcements. Sir Henry Clinton quickly dispatched Lord Cornwallis and all of his reserves (the 33rd Foot, 42nd Highlanders, the Hessian and English Grenadiers, and a German Jäger company), as well as two pieces of field artillery, nearly 2,000 men. Washington also committed reinforcements including several companies of troops from Maryland, six additional companies from Nathanael Greene’s brigade, and even Lt. Col. Douglas’ 5th Connecticut Militia, who had fled at Kips Bay.
Soon nearly 4,000 men, both sides together, were heavily engaged under a hot sun on a hill in a cornfield between 116th Street and 120th Street along Broadway, now the site of Columbia University. Both sides delivered a furious storm of musket, rifle, and cannon fire. Although the British held their lines, the American fire was so fierce that the British regiments were unable to sustain their favorite tactic, the bayonet charge. The American militia who had fled the British and their bayonets days before now stood their ground and returned fire firmly. The fighting continued for two hours as both sides sustained the fire fight on the hilltop, a site today commemorated by a plaque on the Columbia University wall, just above 116th Street. The Americans pressed the British until they began to give way and fall back. Covered by the Highlanders and Jägers, the English retired to their original positions between 96th street and 104th street. Washington, fearing that Howe would order more reserves into action and undertake a counterattack of his own, recalled his men to their original positions to prepare for a possible renewal of the battle.
The long day of combat was over. Casualties were high. The British and their German allies had lost perhaps 15 percent of the troops committed, about 90 killed or mortally wounded plus perhaps 300 less seriously injured, while the Americans had lost about 10 percent, 30 killed or mortally wounded and about 100 others
Afterwards. Little remembered today, the Battle of Harlem Heights, one of the hottest fights in the Revolutionary War, provided an important boost to American morale, seriously harmed by the loss of New York City. Washington's first battlefield victory, it had demonstrated his ability to seize opportunities when they presented themselves, and to formulate and execute sound plans quickly. For the British, the battle dispelled the notion that the Americans would fold quickly.
--Richard Van Nort

1932. To commemorate the service of its citizens in the Great War, the city of Charleston paid a French sculptor to carve a monument which, upon unveiling at the Battery in the autumn, showed the figures of a warrior protecting a maiden, both in heroic nudity, with the man so well “armed” that money had to be found to procure a large fig leaf.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 15, 2023, 04:33:45 PM
1932. To commemorate the service of its citizens in the Great War, the city of Charleston paid a French sculptor to carve a monument which, upon unveiling at the Battery in the autumn, showed the figures of a warrior protecting a maiden, both in heroic nudity, with the man so well “armed” that money had to be found to procure a large fig leaf.

In case you're wondering, it's this one.

And the fig leaf isn't that large  :whistle:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1XgKdeZ1fWE5a6JfA
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 15, 2023, 10:26:58 PM
I'd be holding that shield....a little lower if I were him. And maybe a tad more toward the middle.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on September 15, 2023, 10:51:43 PM
That rather tall 'maiden' looks like she can hold her own, assuming that the warrior in from of her is average size... of build, that is, not endowment.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 16, 2023, 10:09:53 AM
1812. Carl von Clausewitz observes Cossacks setting the Great Fire of Moscow.

1861 railroads had become a well-established element in military planning, being used with increasing sophistication during the Mexican War (1846-1848), the European revolutions of 1848-1849, the Crimean War (1854-1856), and the Italian Wars of 1859-1861, which saw the first strategic use of railroads when the French move five army corps to the Alps and various Mediterranean ports, thereby stealing a march on their Austrian foes   But most of these early uses of the railroad was logistical, that is, the movement of troops and supplies by rail for the purpose of getting them from one place to another more quickly.   It was not until the American Civil War that railroads really began to be used as a strategic and even a tactical resource. This began almost literally at the start of the war, within days of the firing on Fort Sumter, when the first troops to arrive in Washington, virtually isolated between seceded Virginia and secessionist Maryland, on April 18-19, 1861, did so by rail.   But the most spectacular early use of railroads to influence the military situation took place on July 20-21, 1861, when Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston brought 12,000 troops some 50 miles by rail from the Shenandoah Valley to the Bull Run battlefield, where they detrained and immediately went into action in time to thwart the first Union offensive of the war.
Civil War Rolling Stock Requirements
                   Infantry   Cavalry   Artillery
               Regiment   Battalion   Battery
Passenger Car   16-18    7-8               3
Box Cars             5-7    2-5               1
Flat Cars              6             0              12-20
Horse Cars              12   30-40        8-15
Locomotives              2-3   2-3                2-3
Total                      42-46   41-56        26-42
These figures are for a comfortable, orderly movement, without crowding the men, animals, or equipment. Moreover, they assume that rarest of Civil War-era phenomena, full-strength units, with infantry regiments of 1,000 men, cavalry "battalions" (i.e. four companies) of 420, and artillery batteries of 155 men and six guns, since these made roughly equivalent demands on rolling stock.  Note that Confederate units usually had less baggage than Union ones, so would require less rolling stock.
Infantry was the easiest arm to move by rail, and the troops "took the cars," as they put it, at every opportunity. A full regiment, with roughly 1,000 men, 150 or so riding and draught animals, a dozen or so wagons, and 30-50 tons of stores, could board a train and be away in about 20 minutes.  The troops could entrain in a few minutes, but the animals and impedimenta took longer. Detraining required about the same amount of time.  Of course the troops themselves could detrain and go into action within minutes, as occurred on more than one occasion.
Cavalry was more difficult to move by rail. Four companies of cavalry, 420 men with about as many animals, six to eight wagons, and several tons of stores, required about half an hour to entrain or detrain.   While in a pinch the troops could go into action quickly upon detraining, the horses might sometimes require some exercise, particularly if they had been long in the cars.
Artillery was the most difficult arm to move by rail. A battery with six 12-pounder Napoleons or 3-inch Ordnance rifles had 155 men and 115 animals, plus the guns, with 18 caissons and 24 limbers, plus battery wagon and traveling forge, with about 600 rounds plus other stores.  So at a minimum a battery  required 30 minutes to entrain or detrain.  Usually it took longer, because ramps had to be improvised to permit the guns to be manhandled onto flat cars. As with cavalry, the artillery could not always go immediately into action upon detraining.
In a pinch, the troops could be crammed into a lot fewer wagons. For example, an infantry regiment could easily squeeze into a dozen passenger cars, and it was not unheard of for the troops to ride boxcars or even flat cars, as Longstreet's men did en route to Chickamauga.  By abandoning superfluous equipment, such as tents, it was possible to cram an infantry regiment into about 20 wagons of all types.   In contrast, cavalry and artillery requirements could not be cut very much.
On paper the best locomotives of the day could haul about 50 loaded freight wagons, a gross weight of some 800 tons, "on the flat" at 15 miles per hour.   More practically, considering variations in terrain and the condition of trackage, Civil War trains averaged 16 to 22 wagons, 250 to 300 gross tons, at 15 to 20 miles an hour.  In the Confederacy the average speed was only about half of this due to track and equipment problems.  Nevertheless, an average rate of 8-10 miles per hour was still a considerable advantage over having the troops move on foot.

 1914. Inter-service relations between the French Army and the French Navy probably reached their nadir at a cabinet meeting in 1914, when War Minister Adolphe Messimy attempted to strangle Minister of Marine Armand Gauthier de l'Aude.


Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 17, 2023, 09:08:01 AM
1820  Earl Van Dorn, Maj Gen, C.S.A., shot by a jealous husband, 1863, probably to the benefit of the Confederate war effort.

1870. The siege of Paris was a hard affair, characterized by hunger, desperate attempts to break out, revolutionary violence, and a devastating German bombardment, until finally, on January 26, 1871, the city surrendered.
During the siege, food supplies held out for a while, largely because as the Germans closed in, a lot of grain and some 250,000 sheep and 40,000 oxen had been brought into the city and set to graze in the parks, and there were plenty of horses as well. But things began to get difficult as December approached, forcing people to improvise.

Recipes were devised for all sorts of animals, but cat seems to have been the most popular. Usually these recipes involved trying to disguise the flavor and quality – or lack of same – of the main ingredient, so we find a recipe for cat broiled in a seasoning of pistachios, olives, gherkins, and pimentos. In addition, all sorts of ersatz foodstuffs came on the market, such as “butter” made from the fat distilled out of cosmetics.
By the beginning of December, chickens were going for fr. 26; rabbits for fr. 13; turkeys, fr. 60; and geese, fr.  45. Cats could be had for fr. 5, dogs for fr. 2 a pound, and rats for one franc, unless they were exceptionally fat, when they would run another 50 centimes. By Christmas things were getting pricier. Cats were going for fr. 6 a pound and rabbits (often cats in disguise) for fr. 40, though rats could be had for 50 centimes a pound.
As the poorer citizens of the city had to get by on only about fr. 2½ a week, many began to starve.
Most of the animals in the zoo were slaughtered, and the meat auctioned off to the highest bidders. Two of the most famous victims were zoo’s beloved elephants, Castor and Pollux, who were shot, then butchered, and auctioned off in lots. Elephant meat soon turned up in puddings, as steaks, in stews and soups, and even as blood sausages. One restaurateur, having managed to secure five pounds of good steaks, sold them at a profit of fr. 600. Not wishing to lose so lucrative a trade, he proceeded to dress up select cuts of horse meat as elephant and continued raking in the francs for some weeks more.
For Christmas, the Restaurant Voison, one of the city’s finest eateries, featured a special holiday menu that included.

Stuffed Ass’s Head

Consommé of Elephant

Roast Camel a la anglais

Kangaroo Stew

Joint of Bear, with pepper sauce

Wolf Haunch, with chevreuil sauce

Roast Cat flanked with Rats

Terrine of Antelope with Truffles

These were organized into six courses, complete with various veggies and other sides. And since there was no shortage of wine in the city, these exotic – and certainly never repeated – dishes were washed down with (presumably copious amounts of) Latour Blanche, 1861, Mouton-Rothschild 1846, Romanee-Conti 1858, Chateau Palmer 1864, after which everyone enjoyed dessert, sherry, an 1827 port, coffee, and selected liqueurs.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 18, 2023, 10:49:02 AM
First Day of the Mysteries at Athens & Eleusis  The beginnings of the Mysteries is thought to go back to Mycanean times.  Aeschylus attended some ceremonies around 500BC.

1740. 1740   Departure from St. Helens of Commodore George Anson on voyage of circumnavigation on board HMS Centurion (60) with HMS Gloucester (50), HMS Severn (48), Cptn. Hon. Edward Legge, HMS Pearl (42), Cptn. Matthew Mitchell, HMS Wager (24), Cptn. Dandy Kidd, the sloop HMS Trial, Cdr. Francis Holburne, and two storeships, Anna and Industry. 

1812   Capture of 8 armed and 18 merchant vessels by boats of HMS Bacchante (38), Cptn. William Hoste, off the coast of Apulia.  Hosts was Nelson's favorite midshipman and had a great career.  He became the terror of the Adriatic and his prize money made him one of the wealthiest sailors in the Royal Navy.  His father was left in charge of his estate.  Sadly he drank it all away.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 19, 2023, 10:25:40 AM
1789 the German princely state of Mainz maintained an army of about 2,400 officers and men, which was commanded by one field marshal and a dozen generals, who were supervised by a seven member supreme war council, for a general-to-other rank ratio of 1:120, did not posses a single cannon ball appropriate for the artillery it owned.

1:37 pm on Saturday, September 19, 1931, Hauptwachtmeister -- Police Sergeant Major -- Probst of the Bavarian Gendarmerie wrote in his notebook about a Mercedes speeding through the tiny hamlet of Baar-Ebenhausen, south of Ingolstadt, on the road to Munich.  He noted that the velocity of the vehicle was determined by two officers with stop watches, who timed it as moving through a measured distance of 200 meters in 13 seconds, for an average of 55.3 km per hour (c. 34 mph), over twice the permitted speed, and added that the license plate number was “II A – 19357”.
Probst notified his superiors in Munich about the moving violation.  Three days later Probst was informed that the car belonged to one Adolf Hitler, who lived at Prinzeregentstrasse 16, in Munich.  Probst promptly issued a speeding ticket.
Hitler, then merely the leader of the growing National Socialist movement, responded by claiming that the car was being driven at the time by his chauffeur Julius Schreck, a storm trooper who rather looked like the Nazi leader, save for a pronounced cleft chin.  Hitler then added, however, that he had instructed Schreck “to drive as fast as possible”, though he didn’t say why.
At some point the ticket was resolved, because while no record of payment or dismissal exists, there is a copy in the Bavarian archives that is stamped with the word “settled”.
Now oddly, Hitler’s little brush with the law seems to get him off the hook for murder.  Some time on September 18th, while Hitler was attending a party meeting in Nuremberg, his 25-year old half-niece and probable lover Angelika Maria Raubal, died in his apartment of a shot to the chest from his pistol, which he had left behind.  The body and pistol were discovered on the morning of the 19th, and Hitler was notified; which is why he was speeding back to Munich.  Although there’s been much speculation that Hitler killed “Geli”, or had her murdered, he seems to have been extremely devoted to her.  The most likely cause of her death was suicide.  In any case, if Hitler had killed her or ordered her death, albeit not yet the leader of Germany, he certainly was powerful enough as Führer of the Nazi Party to get someone to dispose of the evidence.
After his brief brush with history, Hauptwachtmeister Probst slips back into the mists from which he emerged, and one hopes didn’t suffer for his due diligence to duty.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on September 19, 2023, 11:05:15 AM
 :o  Great story!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 20, 2023, 09:27:48 AM
357 BC.  Birth of ambitious drunkard Alexander "The Great.". D 323 BC.

1586.  Anthony Babington, 24, who plotted to assassinate Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots, executed

1951  Operation Summit, the first helicopter-borne landing of a combat unit is performed when Marines are landed by Marine helicopter squadron (HMR 161) in dense fog in Korea.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on September 20, 2023, 10:05:09 AM
1951  Operation Summit, the first helicopter-borne landing of a combat unit is performed when Marines are landed by Marine helicopter squadron (HMR 161) in dense fog in Korea.

I refuse to believe the Marines were really the first ones to do this.  I mean, they would've been bragging about it non-stop since then, right?!
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 21, 2023, 02:49:27 PM
1452. Born.   Girolamo Savonarola, Florentine monk, preacher, radical, BBQed 1498.

1797. The Bloody Hermione mutiny.  Most mutineers were over food and pay.  The trigger for the mutiny that occurred on the Hermione in 1797 was the brutal and cruel punishments inflicted on the sailors by captain Hugh Pigot. During the eighteenth-century, the typical punishment for crimes at sea was flogging. Typically, captains were restricted to only inflicting twelve lashes, unless they requested a court martial. Pigot ignored these rules. One of the last straws for the crew was when Pigot humiliated a well-liked officer, David Casey. Pigot attempted to have Casey grovel on his knees in front of the entire crew for an oversight during his watch but he refused to be subjected to such humiliation. As a result, Casey faced twelve lashes, the normal punishment for a sailor, but not a junior officer. This was the primary trigger for the mutiny.

1956. An F11F Tiger aircraft shoots itself down while conducting firing tests over eastern Long Island, N.Y. The plane runs into 20-mm projectiles, which were fired seconds before at a higher altitude.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 22, 2023, 11:35:01 AM
66   The legio I Italica, formed by Nero.

1776. some time or other during American Rev eleven states supported their own maritime forces, only New Jersey and Delaware failing to send some ships to sea.
The most famous of the state navy vessels was the Katy, a 70-foot merchant sloop built before the outbreak of the Revolution.  She was chartered by the Rhode Island Committee of Safety in June of 1775, armed with ten 4-pounder cannon and sent to sea under Abraham Whipple, later the senior-most American naval officer during the Revolution, to patrol local waters in order to prevent depredations by British warships.  Purchased by the state in October of that year,  the following month she ferried volunteers for the new Continental Navy to Philadelphia.  In December, she was taken into Continental service under the name Providence; and was technically the first ship to join the Continental Navy.   In February of 1776, "up-armed" to 12 guns and commanded by John Hazard, Providence joined Commodore Esek Hopkins’ squadron to raid the Bahamas, helping capture Nassau on March 4th, in the Navy’s first overseas amphibious campaign.  Returning with the squadron to New England waters, over the following months Providence assisted in the capture of several British ships.  On May 10, 1776, Capt. John Paul Jones assumed command.
Under Jones’ command, Providence engaged in escort and transportation duties, supporting George Washington’s army in the New York City area.  In mid-August Jones took Providence on an independent cruise.  In a voyage that ended in Narragansett Bay in early October, Providence took or sank nearly a dozen British vessels, worth thousands in prize money, while eluding superior enemy frigates on several occasions.  Jones was then transferred to the larger Alfred, and Providence was entrusted to Capt. Hoysted Hacker.  In a week’s voyage (November 11-19), Alfred and Providence took three valuable prizes, before the latter, troubled by leaks, returned to Newport.  That December Providence joined other American vessels in retreating up the Providence River, after the British seized Newport.
During her short career, Providence seems to have engaged in about forty actions.

1797. HMS Hermione (32) handed over to the Spanish by her mutinous crew at La Guira.

1943  Wilhelm Kube, 55, SS-Commissar of Belarus blown up by a bomb in a hot water bottle placed in his bed by his mistress.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 23, 2023, 10:25:07 AM
Celebrated frigate duel between John Paul Jones' 'Bonhomme Richard' & HMS 'Serapis'.  The Bonhomme Richard was an old East Indiaman, many of it's guns were old, at least three burst from firing, killing many of their crews. 
according to the later recollection of First Lieutenant Richard Dale, Bonhomme Richard’s bow ran into Serapis’ stern and, with neither side able to take advantage of the situation, Captain Pearson cheekily asked the punning question, "Has your ship struck?". Dale reports Jones's reply as, very simply, "I have not yet begun to fight!".
Shortly afterwards, John Paul Jones got the opportunity he had been striving for—not a moment too soon, as his ship had been holed below the waterline and was becoming increasingly unresponsive. Serapis’ jib-boom caught in the rigging of Bonhomme Richard’s mizzen mast, and Jones immediately led his crew in attaching the two ships together as strongly as they could. Seeing the danger, Pearson dropped anchor. Because both ships were under sail, when Serapis came to an abrupt halt, Bonhomme Richard would keep going, and with luck, tear free. Jones’ men had been very efficient, so what actually happened was that Bonhomme Richard’s motion was turned into a rotation, and the two ships, still firmly attached, ended up side-by-side, facing in opposite directions, their great guns touching each other’s hull planks. Better still for Jones, Serapis’ spare anchor caught in the woodwork of Bonhomme Richard’s stern, locking the two ships in that extraordinary position. Making a virtue of necessity, Pearson’s crew fired broadsides straight into Bonhomme Richard’s hull, tearing huge holes in its side, and doing terrible damage to the gun-decks.
After that, Bonhomme Richard started definitively losing the battle. Still, efforts to make the situation too hot for the British, both figuratively and literally, continued. Just after 9:30 pm, one of these attempts succeeded in spectacular fashion. According to Jones's published campaign report, grenade-thrower William Hamilton ventured right out along a yard-arm until he could look almost straight down on the deck of Serapis (by this time, almost cleared of men), and began trying to drop grenades, not onto the deck but down the hatches. By good fortune, one of these ignited a charge of gunpowder placed in readiness (contrary to standard fire safety practice, but Captain Pearson had encouraged his men to "fire briskly") for loading into one of Serapis’ 18-pound guns. The problem with this version of the story is that the 18-pounders were on the lower deck, so it would take a very lucky drop to reach them from high above. Captain Pearson speculated that either a grenade had been thrown through a hole in the hull, from Bonhomme Richard’s gun deck, or that the charge had been ignited by accident. Whatever the cause, the effect was devastating. As the ignited charge blew up, it scattered burning gunpowder, setting off other charges nearby, and ultimately the chain reaction covered the entire rear half of Serapis’ lower gun-deck, killing or severely burning many of the gunnery crewmen, forcing some to leap into the sea to extinguish their burning clothes, and putting five guns out of action. In the confusion, some of the crew clambering back on board after jumping into the sea were nearly mistaken for American boarders.[12]

1780. Maj. John Andre is captured, revealing Benedict Arnold's treason

1921   Pertab Singh (1845-1922), one of the most notable Indian princes during the height of British Raj, was quite a character.  During the course of his long and faithful service to the British Empire, Sir Pertab became a personal friend to Queen Victoria, her son Edward VII, and the latter’s son George V. So when, in 1921, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), toured India, he quite naturally looked up the old family friend.
Sir Pertab took the young prince pig sticking, a favorite sport among the Indian horsey set, and one at which he was quite adept. The prince, although an accomplished polo player, was much less experienced in the pig sticking business, and made a careless mistake; He dismounted during the hunt, before the pig had been killed, which could have cost him dearly.
At that, Sir Pertab told him, “I know you are the Prince of Wales, and you know that you are the Prince of Wales, but the pig doesn’t know you are the Prince of Wales.”
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 24, 2023, 02:01:32 PM
1846. Zachary Taylor captured Monterey, Mexio, after a three day battle -- Taylor had about 3,000 regulars plus 9,000 militiamen and volunteers at Matamoros.  With his regulars and 3,000 volunteers, Taylor marched on Monterey, 200 miles to the west of Matamoros.  Although defended by some 10,000 Mexican troops, Taylor took Monterey. He faked an attack against the northeastern side of the city, while slipping a division around to attack from the west and south.  He then pressed on to occupy Saltillo against light resistance, while the Mexican army fell back more than 300 miles to San Luis Potosi, ending operations for the year.  His success won Taylor a promotion to major general.
 Taylor was an uncommon soldier.  His nickname was “Old Rough and Ready” because of the casualness of his attire.  To put it bluntly, Taylor dressed like a slob.  One soldier described him as wearing “an old oil cloth cap, a dusty green coat, a frightful pair of trousers,” while another saw him wearing “a loose, unbuttoned blue coat, a check shirt and black tie, broad brimmed planter’s black felt hat with a low crown, boots that slipped down about his calves, and trousers that were never quite stuffed in.”  Taylor’s carelessness about appearances even extended to his “war horse”; unlike most generals, who would ride large, handsome horses, Taylor's favorite mount, "Old Whitey" was a nag, and the general just as  often went into battle riding a mule, which was just as well, since he was a poor horseman, once being described as looking “like a toad” when on horseback.

1852  First Powered Flight: Henri Giffard flies 17 miles from Paris to Trappes in his coke-fired steam powered semi-rigid airship.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 25, 2023, 12:25:49 PM
1066. King Harold II Haardrada of Norway (c. 50), & Tostig Godwinson (c. 40), brother of Harold of England, traitor, kia, Stamford Bridge

1675  The officially authorized ransom for a French general was 50,000 livres, for which sum one could also ransom 7,142.9 privates, who only cost 7 livres each.

1701. The most adept embezzler in military history was almost certainly Tomas Lopez de Ulloa, the paymaster of the Spanish "Army of Flanders" from 1642 to 1651, a thief so capable that it required 50 years of meticulous investigation and auditing before the Spanish government was able to determine that his estate owed the Crown 309,325 florins, enough money to pay an army of 30,000 men for one day.

1789. As late as the eighteenth century, military engineers selecting sites for fortresses were wont to "consult the auspices" by examining the livers of domestic animals, not for reasons of superstition, but rather because a healthy liver was generally an indication of a healthy site with safe water.

1864. Col. George S. Patton III, 33, of wounds leading the 22nd Virginia at Winchester

1945. Although the VD rate in the U.S. armed forces in 1939-1945 was only about a 1/30th that of 1917-1918, on average 606 servicemen were diagnosed with venereal infections every day during World War II.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 26, 2023, 10:38:14 AM
1918       Probably most people would name the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and early 1945 as America’s greatest battle.  The Bulge, however, is only the second biggest battle in American history.  America’s biggest battle occurred a generation earlier, only about 60 miles southeast of where the Bulge unfolded, the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne.

Battles Compared
Meuse-Argonne           The Bulge
Sep 26-Nov 11, ‘18   Dec 16, ‘44-Jan 16, ‘45
Days   47                   32
US *   1.26 million   1.0 million
Enemy   0.47 million   0.5 million
US Loses       
   Dead   26,277  (559/day)   c. 10,275 (321/day)
   Wound   95,786       c. 47,500
   Missing   c. 5,000**   c. 23,000***
* Figures exclude Allied troops.
** Some captured, most later declared kia.
*** Mostly captured, some later declared kia.
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the average daily number of American battle deaths, 559, exceeded the daily average of battle deaths suffered by the French Army during the 302 day Battle of Verdun (Feb. 21-Dec. 19, 1916), about 530.
The primacy of the Meuse-Argonne extends even to materiél expended; nearly 2,500 American and French artillery pieces expended four million rounds in support of the offensive. This came to nearly 50,000 a day, the greatest barrage in American history.

1863. At one point during the Napoleon III’s “adventure” in Mexico (1861-1867), a French officer was wounded in the thigh in action against the Mexican patriots.  Taken to a hospital for treatment, he was examined by several surgeons, who despaired of saving his limb unless they could find and remove the ball.
But the Mexican musket ball proved elusive.  For four or five days the surgeons kept trying to locate it, but failed.  Meanwhile, of course, the young officer was in excruciating pain as they poked and probed for the errant ball.  Finally, unable to bear the pain any longer, the man cried out, "Gentlemen, in heaven's name, what are you about?"
"We are looking for the ball."
"Mon Dieu! why didn't you say so at first? It is in my waistcoat pocket!"
The round had gone through the man’s thigh, and he had found it in his clothing as he was being carried to the rear.  As none of the surgeons thought to confer with their patient, they assumed the ball was still lodged somewhere in his leg.
Amazingly, despite the inept medical care, the officer survived.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 27, 2023, 09:50:11 AM
1061  Roger de Hauteville, backed by his brother, the remarkably wily Robert, aptly nicknamed “Guiscard– the Weasel”, took an army of 700 knights and some infantry and landed at Messina, in Sicily, to begin the liberation the great island from the Arabs, who had been in control for some two centuries. A long and complex war ensued, lasting 30 years, before Sicily was finally free of the Arabs.
Soon after securing Messina, Roger had captured the citadel of Troina, to the south. There he was besieged by a Moslem host for four months.
It seems that while foraging for food, some of the Arab troops had discovered a large wine cellar. Perhaps it was hunger that made them defy their religious strictures against the consumption of alcohol, or perhaps they weren’t very religious in the first place. In any case, in short order virtually the entire besieging Arab army was soon roaring drunk, enabling Count Robert and his men to break out.
Of course, given the reputation of the de Hauteville clan for wily dealings, it’s not at all impossible that Robert arranged for his enemies to find the wine that confused them.

1815. When, on June 14, 1815, Napoleon began what would become known as the Waterloo Campaign, his Armee du Nord had at least 47,000 horses. There were about 25,000 in the cavalry, a further 12,000 for the artillery, and some 10,000 more for the infantry and supply columns. This amounted to about one horse for every 2.6 men in the army. Since the Anglo-Allied and Prussian armies probably had a smaller proportion of horses than Napoleon's army, because they both had much smaller artillery contingents, it is probable that the total number of horses "engaged" in the Waterloo Campaign was something around 140,000. This was a lot of horseflesh, and procuring horses for both riding and traction was a major headache in all armies. Napoleon's repeated disasters from 1812 onwards had virtually denuded France of horses by the time of his first abdication in 1814. Indeed, were it not for the fact that the year between his first abdication and his return from Elba had permitted a lot of importation of new stock, often from France's former enemies, Napoleon would not have been able to field so well balanced an army as he did for the Waterloo Campaign.

For cavalry, most armies preferred animals of about 15 hands 2 inches at the shoulder (c. 1.6 meters) and of about 450-500 kilograms, although heavier mounts (up to 550 kg) were useful for cuirassiers. In 1812-1814, Napoleon had experimented to some good effect with horses that were shorter (14 hands/1.4 meters) and lighter (c. 400 kg), due to the terrible drain on horseflesh that he suffered, but cavalrymen riding such lighter mounts were mostly suitable only for scouting and raiding, like the Cossacks on whom they were modeled. Horses for cavalry service were best procured at about five years of age, and were good for ten or twelve years of service. For hauling artillery pieces and supply wagons, big, sturdy "cold blooded" horses like Percherons were preferred. Usually, only mares or geldings were used by armies, as stallions easily became uncontrollable around mares in season.

Active service was even more punishing to horses than to men. This was partially because horses are relatively more delicate than men. For example, after a day's march (of about eight hours, broken in two segments, for a total of 16 miles), their hooves and shoes had to be carefully examined, and cleaned and repaired as necessary. In addition, their backs and throats were supposed to be examined for galls and sores, and their necks and legs carefully wiped down. If the weather was wet (as it was on the nights of June 16-17 and 17-18), every effort had to be made to provide dry footing, lest their hooves become water logged. These were all things which were likely to be difficult, if not impossible to do even during a short campaign, such as that of Waterloo, which saw the armies marching and fighting for five full days. As a result, losses of 30-40 percent during a campaign were not uncommon, and they could easily be worse, particularly if it was a protracted campaign in the winter.
Battle was tough on chargers. Marshal Ney lost seven during the campaign (two at Quatre Bras on June 16th and five at Waterloo on the 18th), and his experience was by no means a record.  Napoleon, his health being poor, spent a great deal of the campaign in his traveling coach. However, when he did ride he seems to have preferred a mare named Desire. And as for Blucher, he was so drunk for most of the campaign he probably didn't know what horse he was riding anyway.

1840. HMS Imogene (28) burnt while in ordinary in the covered South Dock at Plymouth. The fire started in HMS Talavera (74) and spread through the dockyard sheds and stacked timber. The fire also reached HMS Minden (74), but she was saved, and the Adelaide Gallery, where many important relics and trophies were lost.

1915. During the early part of World War I Germany had considerable success smuggling arms to Turkey by concealing them inside beer barrels which could then be shipped across neutral Romania, until one day when a thirsty Romanian railroad employee attempted to wet his whistle
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 28, 2023, 02:12:39 PM
48 BC. Pompey the Great, was murdered in Egypt, one day short of his 58th birthday, causing his rival, Caesar, to weep

1186. Measured by the number of ships engaged, the Battle of Dan-no-ura, near Shimonoseki in Japan, was probably the greatest naval battle of all time, with some 700 vessels of the Minamoto clan defeated about 500 ships of the Taira clan.

1850. Congress outlawed flogging in the Navy and Merchant Marine, Congress abolished flogging in the Navy and Merchant Marine, with many abstaining or absent, and most Slave State members voting against, including Jefferson Davis.

1914. On the outbreak of the war, Italy remained neutral, reminding the Germans and Austro-Hungarians that their alliance was supposed to be a defensive one.  Nevertheless, there was an Italian war plan in place.  Although the strains of the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912) had caused the Italians to inform the Germans and Austro-Hungarians that they would be unable to meet their existing treaty obligations for some time, in late 1913 they resumed their commitment.  If Italy entered the war, she would:

Send three army corps and two cavalry divisions (c. 150,000 troops) to arrive on the Rhine by M+17, to undertake operations in support of the German Army in Alsace by M+20
Undertake an offensive in the Alps designed to pin as many French troops there as possible.
Form a joint naval task force with Austria-Hungary and Germany to disrupt the movement of French forces from North Africa to Europe, and then undertake joint amphibious operations against Corsica and the South of France.
On August 6, 1914 the Germans and Austro-Hungarians informed newly appointed Italian chief-of-staff Luigi Cadorna (1850-1926) that all arrangements were in order for the movement of the Third Army by rail through Austria and southern Germany.  By then, however, Italy had already exercised its options under the terms of the alliance to remain neutral.  Nevertheless, the rail lines  remained open through the middle of August, waiting for the army which never came.
Despite being neutral, the Italian Army undertook a partial mobilization, positioning troops in the Po Valley, to be able to respond to any future political decision to join the Central Powers or to fight against them.  That decision did not come until May of the following year.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 29, 2023, 10:37:22 AM
480 BC  Salamis.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UlCUFGBJNMQ&pp=ygURYmF0dGxlIG9mIHNhbGFtaXM%3D

If you look at the channel, it is just amazing that two fleets could fit in it.  It's quite claustrophobic.
There is one memorial to a Greek captain for sinking, or capturing, seven Persian ships.  Since this was not contested, or defaced, it must be.  Taking out seven ships just seems impossible.

1925. During the Riff War, which pitted Spain against some particularly capable Moroccan rebels, some Spanish troops once again proved that even in the amid the horrors of war it was possible to turn a tidy profit. And not because everyone in the combat zone received a 50-percent pay boost, since pay, even for officers, was not precisely lavish. The way to serious profits was through graft.
This involved a group of Intendance Corps officers based in the town of  Larache. Intendants were the army's auditors, so they were in a particularly good position to juggle the books and take a little off the top. They were soon embezzling on a truly heroic scale. Upwards of 3,000,000 pesetas  were involved in 1921 alone, perhaps $5 million today. This they shared among each other. But then they got greedy.
It seems that one of their number, Captain Manuel Jordan, went on leave. After several months, he returned. When he asked for his share of the past few months take, Jordan was told that since he hadn't been around he didn't deserve any of the loot. Rather than get mad, Jordan decided to get even. After careful preparations, he managed to swipe the entire take for August of 1922, an enormous haul of over  a million pesetas. 
The righteous indignation of Jordan's erstwhile accomplices knew no bounds. They cajoled, threatened, pleaded with him for a more equitable division of the August take. But Jordan remained unmoved. So they decided to wreck his career. They laid various trumped up charges against Jordan. These sparked an investigation. And that ultimately led to jail time for all involved
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on September 30, 2023, 04:28:28 PM
1835. Prior to the mid-nineteenth century, few armies had provision for senior officers to retire. This resulted in a lot of generals and colonels being in their 70’s, 80’s, and even 90’s. For example, John de Barth Walbach was born in Germany around 1764. As a young man he served 14 years in the French Army before migrating to the United States during the French Revolution. In 1799 Walbach received a commission as a lieutenant in the Regular Army. By 1850 he was a colonel, commanding the 4th Artillery, with a brevet for brigadier general. Walbach died, still on active duty, in 1857, at the age of 93.
The glut of superannuated officers in the senior ranks, necessarily resulted in a lot of officers of lower rank serving for many years without hope of promotion. Further complicating matters was the fact that in most armies promotion was usually in the regiment. So if you were unlucky enough to serve in a regiment with a couple of old farts in the senior slots you could look forward to many years in grade; it was not unusual for lieutenants to be in their 40’s in some armies, and captains in their 50’s.
An outstanding example of what could happen when someone finally died can be found when Lt. Col. George Gordon of the 42nd Highlanders, the famous “Black Watch,” crossed the river, on September 30, 1835. Gordon’s death allowed a major with 32 years in the service to rise to lieutenant colonel, a captain of 26 years service to become major, and a lieutenant of 20 years service became a captain.
This was one reason why at gala events, officers often offered toasts to, “A long war and a glorious one,” in the hope that promotions might improve, should casualties occur.

1891. Georges Ernest Jean-Marie Boulanger, 54, French general, frustrated putchist, suicide on the grave of his mistress

1951   USS 'Monitor', sunk Dec 31, 1862, formally declared "out of commission"
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 01, 2023, 01:02:18 PM
1748   Battle of Havana. British Caribbean squadron under Charles Knowles engaged a Spanish squadron Don Andres Reggio near Havana. After a number of aborted attacks, the British succeeded in driving the Spanish back to their harbour after capturing the Conquistador and running the vice-admiral's ship Africa on shore where she was blown up by her own crew after being totally dismasted and made helpless. Both commanders were reprimanded by their respective commands for their conduct during the engagement.

1800         Spain ceded Louisiana to France in return for Tuscany, but retains the right of first refusal should Napoleon chose to dispose of the place.

1862. French Line, which operated luxury liners – Normandie, France – on the Atlantic for over a century, was founded for the purpose of transporting troops to take part in the French conquest of Mexico
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 02, 2023, 09:36:54 PM
 1795, Lieutenant John Poo Beresford, just 28, was acting commander of HMS Hussar, a 28-gun frigate, which took part in an action in the Caribbean during which two French frigates were captured. In view of his gallantry, he was given command of one of the prizes, Prevoyante, and shortly afterwards a promotion to post captain.  Although Prevoyante was rated as a 40 gun ship, at the time she was only carrying 24 guns. To remedy this problem, Beresford took hers to Halifax, and had her fitted with a full 40 guns, at his own expense (he was the bastard son of the Marquis of Waterford).  He then took her back to sea, intending to recoup his investment by capturing French merchantmen for the prize money.
While Beresford was pursuing this goal, back in London the Admiralty learned of his initiative in refitting the ship.  Now although Beresford had already served as acting commander of a light frigate, the Admiralty decided that a 40-gun ship was much to distinguished a command to entrust to so junior a captain.  Soon orders arrived transferring Beresford to the second ship captured back in May, Raison, which was only a 24-gunner.
Adding insult to injury, Raison also needed a refit, and Beresford ended up footing the bill for her as well.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 03, 2023, 07:39:18 PM


1865   Self-Proclaimed "Emperor" Maximilian of Mexico issues the "Black Decree" - anyone found fighting against him shall be executed.

1896. Wilhelm Lorenz Sigismund von Schlichting, German soldier and military reformer, sacked by Kaiser Bill for criticizing military ability of his"Supreme War Lord".

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was fond of ending the army’s annual maneuvers by leading a grand charge, usually of cavalry, but occasionally by infantry. For example, during the maneuvers of 1888 he led two divisions of cavalry to “rout” the “enemy.” Of course, being a bulb of notably low wattage, he did occasionally cause problems. For example, in 1893 he became disoriented during the “battle” and led his cavalry against his own infantry. But the following year he was again in proper form, and led his side to victory at the head of 60 squadrons of cavalry.
His successes were occasionally helped along by having the “enemy” troops switch sides – indicated by arm bands of different colors – in the midst of one of his attacks.
In any case, in September of 1904, Wilhelm decided to close the annual maneuvers with a grand assault by the Guard Corps. With sword in hand mounted on his steed, the Kaiser led the packed infantry of the Guard in an unsupported assault against the entrenched troops of the IX Army Corps, driving them from their positions at the point of the bayonet, without a shot being fired.
As one major “captured” during the grand assault observed, “Why do you Guardsmen bother carrying weapons, since you don’t need them?”
Of course, this was hardly the proper way to prepare the Imperial Army for war. And while his antics say much about Wilhelm, they say even more about the alleged professionalism of Alfred von Schlieffen, the Chief of the Great General Staff. Although he privately expressed reservations about the Kaiser’s games, Schlieffen, another supposed military genius, made no effort to put an end to them. Surprisingly, it was the allegedly inept Helmuth von Moltke the Younger who managed to get the Kaiser him to stop meddling in maneuvers.
It seems that one day Moltke quietly approached his Supreme War Lord and resolved the whole matter. Apparently he said something like, “Although Your Majesty and I both know you really can command the troops brilliantly, there are some small minded-people who might claim we’ve rigged the game to make you look good.” This argument seems to have convinced the Supreme War Lord to lay off meddling in the maneuvers..

1921         The Unknown Soldier sails from France aboard USS 'Olympia' (C-6)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 04, 2023, 10:35:16 AM
1789. The annual manpower loss through disease and desertion in the French Royal Army on the eve of the Revolution was approximately 11.5%, roughly 20,000 men out of 173,000.

1813. At one point during the War of 1812 Brig. Gen. James Winchester, who had served with some distinction during the Revolutionary War, was placed in command of a brigade of Kentucky militiamen. This created some problems, since the general was from Tennessee.
Aside from mistrusting Winchester because he was "a stranger," as Pvt. Elias Darnall observed, the Kentuckians considered the general supercilious, officious, and conceited. In short, he was "generally disliked."
While the brigade was camped in the wilderness, Winchester reserved for himself a certain log which he preferred to use when relieving himself. One particular night some of the Kentuckians covered the general's favorite log with a porcupine skin, which caused him some discomfort for a time. But worse was to come.
One night some of the militiamen carefully sawed the general's log almost through. As Pvt. Darnall put it, when the general "went to use it in the night, it broke in two and let his generalship, uniform and all, fall backwards in no very decent place."

1780.  HMS Thunderer (74),  HMS Phoenix (44), HMS Barbadoes (14)  foundered in the West Indies. 13 Royal Navy ships foundered in the great hurricane over 8 days.

1890.   Desertion among American troops on the frontier during the late nineteenth century was so common that one Secretary of War suggested it might be the best way to populate the West.

1822 Rutherford Hayes, general and President born.  Having been through about 50 engagements during the war, Hayes resigned from the Army on June 8th.   U.S. Grant, who knew something about soldiering, said that Hayes’, “conduct on the field was marked by conspicuous gallantry as well as the display of qualities of a higher order than mere personal daring.” Among the presidents, only George Washington and Zachary Taylor saw more combat service than Hayes, and he was wounded more often than any other president, at least five times, once nearly fatally; in the course of the war four horses were killed by enemy fire while he was riding them.
The ranks of the 23rd Ohio provided the nation with a number of notable soldiers and public servants.  Its first commander was William S. Rosecrans, who later led the Army of the Cumberland with considerable distinction.  The regiment’s first deputy commander was Eliakim P. Scammon, later a noted diplomat.  Joining the regiment as enlisted men, and later rising to become officers were James M. Comfy, later a prominent ambassador, Stanley Matthews, later a justice of the United States Supreme Court, and William McKinley, who later became president.
One of the most colorful characters to come out of the 23rd Ohio was Hayes’ orderly, Pvt. Billy Crump.  Perhaps the most skilled forager in the war, Crump once returned from a 20-mile excursion having “recruited” 50 chickens, two turkeys, a goose, some two dozen eggs, and nearly 30 pounds of butter for the general’s mess, all of which were rather untidily draped about his horse.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 04, 2023, 10:50:19 AM
1780.  HMS Thunderer (74),  HMS Phoenix (44), HMS Barbadoes (14)  foundered in the West Indies. 13 Royal Navy ships foundered in the great hurricane over 8 days.


Mother Nature is undefeated....
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 04, 2023, 11:59:08 AM
If I remember correctly, that was the same storm that blew the Spanish Govenor's (Of Louisiana) Invasion Fleet heading to Pensacola all over the Gulf. The third or fourth hurricane that hit his forces in a row.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 05, 2023, 03:07:15 PM
30BC. Gnaeus Seius was a Roman official who owned a wonderful horse, which he kept on his estate in Argos, in Greece. This steed had been born at Argos, descended from the mares that tradition says had once belonged to of King Diomedes of the Bistones in Thrace. Diomedes fed his mares on human flesh, until slain by Herakles, who took the horse to Argos.
Now Seius’ horse was, in Gellius’ words, “of extraordinary size, a lofty necked bay with a thick, glossy mane, and . . . far superior to all horses in other points of excellence.” It’s not known how long Seius had the horse, but in 44 B.C. he ran afoul of Marc Antony, who was Caesar’s partner in the consulship that year. Antony, the future Triumvir and lover of Cleopatra, had Seius bumped off. Meanwhile, the horse was still in Argos. By chance, Publius Cornelius Dolabella, another of Caesar’s henchmen, was passing through Argos on his way to Syria, where he had been appointed governor. Having heard of the horse, he checked it out and decided to buy it, for the staggering sum of a hundred thousand sesterces, the equivalent of several score years pay for a common Roman soldier.
Hardly had Dolabella reached Syria Caesar was assassinated, and then civil war broke out between the assassins and Caesar’s adherents, led by Antony and Caesar’s very young adopted son, Octavian. One of the assassins, Gaius Cassius, had previously commanded in Syria, and promptly raised a rebellion in the province, killing Dolabella. Taking the horse for himself, Cassius marched off to join his fellow-assassins in Greece, where the two factions were concentrating armies to settle control of the state.
Cassius met his end at the First Battle of Philippi, in 42 B.C., defeated by Marc Antony. In the aftermath of the battle, Antony took the horse for himself.
And, of course, in 30 B.C., Antony, having lost all to Octavian, committed suicide. And the horse? Well, considering the fate of the animal’s previous owners, certainly Octavian (who shortly adopted the name “Augustus”), certainly wouldn’t have wanted it. Or perhaps it had died in the interval. In any case, we never hear of it again. But ever afterwards, whenever someone had a streak of particularly bad luck, Romans were wont to say that he “owned the horse of Seius.”

1804 A British force takes four ships, under Rear Admiral Don J Bustamante y Guerra, had been carrying treasure:- $1,307,634 in silver with wool, bars of tin and pigs of copper belonging to the King; $1, 859,216 in silver dollars, $1,119,658 in gold and 150,011 gold ingots belonging to merchants, and seal skins and oil belonging to the Marine Company.

1943. Task Force 14 (TF 14) performs raids on Wake Island. Rear Adm. Sakaibara Shigematsu then orders the execution of the 98 remaining civilians captured on Dec. 23, 1941 due to his fear they would escape and weaken his garrison.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 06, 2023, 11:07:59 AM
105   BC   the Teutones & Cimbri crushed two Roman armies near Arausio, in Provence.
Quintus Servilius Caepio (c. 145-post 95 BC) was the scion of a great Roman family, his father and two uncles all having served as consul, as had his grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather.  Naturally, with such an aristocratic background, he too did well in politics, serving as praetor about 110 BC, and then governor of Further Spain for two years, winning a triumph in 108 BC for the defeat of the Lusitanians.
Elected consul for 106 BC, at a time when massive hordes of barbaric Cimbri and Teutones were threatening to descend upon Italy from both sides of the Alps, Caepio was given an army and sent to command in Narbonnensis, what is now Provence.  Now just north of Narbonnensis, in Aquitania, lived the Gallic Tectosagae, who had allied themselves with the invading Cimbri.  Caepio conducted a successful campaign against them, in the process capturing their capital, Tolosa (modern Toulouse).  The plunder from Tolosa was impressive, given –probably exaggeratedly – as over 50,000 ingots of gold and 10,000 of silver, each of 15 pounds.  Naturally, the loot belonged to the Roman people, and Caepio duly had it shipped to the capital in two convoys.  Oddly, only the convoy carrying the silver made it to Rome, that moving the gold having been set upon by bandits; at the time the bandits were generally regarded as having been in the employ of none other than Caepio himself, a belief that persists.
Meanwhile, of course, the danger from the Cimbri remained.  Although his consulship expired at the end of 106 BC, Caepio's command was prorogued as proconsul, while the Senate dispatched one of the newly elected consuls, Gnaeus Mallius Maximus, with a second army.  Unfortunately, Mallius's very existence irked Caepio's aristocratic blood, for the consul was a so-called "New Man," that is one who had no consuls in his ancestry, a jumped-up commoner as it were.  So Caepio refused to cooperate with Mallius against the invaders, despite being urged to do so by his subordinates and even his troops.  The outcome was predictable; at Arausio (Orange) on October 5, 105 BC, the Cimbri defeated both Roman armies, one at a time.  The blow to the Republic was horrific, with reports that as many as 80,000 troops perished, among them two sons of Mallius, and 40,000 camp-followers, with just ten men escaping.  Although the numbers are certainly greatly inflated, it was a critical blow to Roman power.
Caepio survived the battle.  But he was deprived of his command by the people's assembly and forcibly retired to private life, while the great Gaius Marius cleaned up the mess.  Ten years later, in 95 BC, Caepio was finally brought to trial for his misconduct by one of the people's Tribunes.  Although the aristocratic faction rallied to his side, he was convicted, and a ruinous fine was imposed, apparently in the hope of unearthing all that missing gold.  On top of that, Caepio was imprisoned for a time.  Later escaping, he fled to Smyrna, in Asia, where he lived out his life in great luxury, as befitted the man who had swiped all that gold.

1973. Yom Kippur War.  Egypt prepared with great diligence. The principal geographic feature of their front was, of course, the Suez Canal, essentially a broad river, one of the most formidable obstacles in military geography. Strengthening the Israeli hold on the east bank of the canal was the Bar-Lev Line, actually a series of concrete observation posts, positioned every 10-12 kilometers along the canal, though there were additional fortifications at the more likely crossing points. Each post held only about fifteen men and their primary task was to give warning of an Egyptian attempt to cross the canal, and direct artillery fire on them from batteries well in the rear. Behind the canal the Israelis held small armored and artillery units, and further back there were bases at which were stockpiled the weapons and equipment for reserve brigades, which could be mobilized within 24 hours of any attempt to cross the canal. The Israelis expected their artillery and air force to keep any canal crossing force busy until the reserve brigades could get moving towards the canal.
To get across the canal the Egyptians, under Anwar Sadat, realized that they needed a better army. They did this by allowing the Soviet Union considerable control over their training, a logical step since they were largely using Soviet equipment and had adopted Soviet tables of organization, not to mention the fact that the Russians knew how to turn masses of often illiterate peasants into decent soldiers. So the Egyptians trained hard, and often. But they also took some special measures to provide the divisions that would actually assault the canal line with special equipment.
There were to be five divisions in the assault wave, each assigned a front of approximately 8 kilometers. Each was given a lot of extra equipment, so that each of the five assault divisions could deploy on its front a formidable array of weapons.

Assault Division Weapons Allotments
Item   Number
RPG-7 A/T Rockets   314
106mm Recoilless Rifles   108
Sagger ATGM Launchers   24
Tanks   218
Artillery Pieces   260
Ground Support Aircraft   85
This table shows the resources available to each of the five Egyptian assault divisions between its original organic allocation and the additional allotment of equipment. In comparison, the Israeli forces this host totaled about 460 infantrymen in the Bar Lev line, supported by 28 pieces of artillery, with about 300 tanks in reserve.
The Egyptian assault on October 6, 1973, was enormously successful, the result of surprise and overwhelming material superiority..
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 07, 2023, 12:43:14 PM
3761   BC   the Creation took place, in the Jewish chronology.

1570. Although a relatively small city state in an era of emerging nation-states, Venice, “The Most Serene Republic,” remained a major international player until well into the seventeenth century, maintaining a powerful navy and a small army on the enormous profits of her extensive colonial holdings. Pay for the army, composed largely of mercenaries, was quite favorable. So much so, in fact, that the Republic rarely had trouble filling the ranks. Indeed, so lucrative was pay that late in the sixteenth century the famous Itrano brigand Marco Sciarra, “a most daring robber, and captain of a numeorus troop of banditti,” enlisted with his entire band, some 1,500 highwaymen, including 600 light cavalrymen.

Day Wages, 1570
Occupation   Ducats
Laborer             1
Common Soldier   3
Corporal                   6
Sergeant        10
Ensign                 14
Captains, usually independent contractors, were paid under the terms of their individual agreements with the Republic.

Note, by the way, that in Shakespeare’ Othello, Iago ranked as an “ensign.”

1571. Agosto Barbarigo, Venetian admiral, kia, Lepanto, Giovanni Contarini, Venetian admiral, Orazio Orsini, Patrician of Naples & Venice, Virginio Orsini, Patrician of Naples & Venice, his brother, plus 15 other Venetian captains, and c. 7,500 Italian & Spanish soldiers, marines, & sailors, as well as Ali Pasha and Mohammed Scirocco, Turkish admirals, and c. 80,000 Turkish soldiers, marines, & sailors

1916. Gefreiter Adolf Hitler was wounded iin the inner left thigh by a shell fragment during the Battle of the Somme

1942 Film was one of the many tools employed by Joseph Goebbels to build support for the Nazi regime and keep morale up during World War II. Normally, given the Propaganda Minister’s clout, film makers usually had little trouble securing resources. For example, Goebbels’ pet project, Kolberg, a Napoleonic epic of de Millean scale, which was completed in January of 1945, even as the Allies were literally standing on Germany’s borders, required that literally tens of thousand of troops be pulled away from the front for considerable periods and the expenditure of tons and tons of explosives.
In 1942, director Rolf Hansen was turning the novel Die Grosser Liebe into a film. The plot was a simple one, common to war films made in other countries, a romance between a glamorous cabaret performer, and a serviceman, in this case a Luftwaffe pilot recuperating from his wounds, who meets the woman while on a 24 hour pass. The leads were played by the expatriate Swedish actress Zarah Leander and Viktor Staal, both fairly prominent film stars of the day. In the course of the picture the couple go through various adventures and misadventures, while the world sinks deeper into war, as Germany invades the Soviet Union, until the two eventually end up marrying, looking forward to life together in a National Socialist Europe.
Now this seems like a pretty easy film to make. But one sequence presented some problems for the director. It was a dream sequence, involving Leander and a group of dancing girls. Trouble was, Leander was quite tall, and there were no chorus girls available who could do the scene with her.
Well, Goebbels and SS-leader Heinrich Himmler came up with a solution. A detail of tall, slim, handsome, pure-blooded young Aryan SS-men from the Liebstandarte “Adolf Hitler” was assigned to director Hansen.
Surprisingly, once suitably bewigged, padded, made up, attired, and coached, the SS-men made passable chorus girls, some of them looking quite fetching flitting around Ms. Leander in their little fairy wings, though a few betrayed a slight “five o’clock shadow” and there were one or two unusually prominent Adam’s apples as well.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 07, 2023, 12:59:23 PM
the famous Itrano brigand Marco Sciarra

was this before or after he was working for Spectre?!  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 08, 2023, 05:58:50 PM
1955. The sixth USS Saratoga (CVA 60) is launched. In 1972, she is reclassified as a multi-purpose aircraft carrier and receives the designation (CV-60). After nearly 40 years in service, Saratoga is decommissioned in 1994.
Saratoga was a ship that seemed to be snake bit.  She had more fires and accidents than probably any other carrier.  Among other nicknames, she was referred to as the "sad Sara."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Saratoga_(CV-60)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 09, 2023, 10:23:42 AM
1502         Lord Giulio Cesare da Varano of Camerino (68), and his sons Annibale (34), Venanzio (25), & Pirro (16), strangled at Pergola, by order of Cesare Borgia.  Meanwhile, his lieutenants secretly plan to betray Cesar.

1799   HMS Lutine (32) wrecked on the banks between Terschelling and Vlieland, coast of Holland, with a cargo of gold, silver bars and money. After the accident, many attempts were made to recover her valuable cargo, sometimes with success. In total, some 120 gold and 60 silver bars are known to be salvaged. The Lutine was insured, causing Lloyd's a lot of financial problems to pay the damage and her recovered bell is still sounded by Lloyds to announce shipwrecks .

1848. Elzear Blaze (1788-1848) served as an officer in Napoleon’s Grand Armee from 1807 through 1814, and later rose to major in the Royal Guard during the Bourbon Restoration. In his memoirs, Military Life Under Napoleon, Blaze mentions that from time to time, when Frederick the Great was reviewing his troops, he would to stop and address one of them.

“Good morning, So-and-so. Well, have you had the news, your sister is married. I received word of it from Breslau yesterday. This marriage pleases me very much. You will inform your father of my pleasure about this matter at the earliest opportunity.  He was a brave fellow, your father, one of my old soldiers of Molwitz. Tell him also, in your letter, that I have appointed him doorkeeper at Potsdam. I never forget old soldiers.”

The King continued in this way, and stopped further on, in front of an officer. He spoke to him of a lawsuit his family had just won, of the death of a relative who had left a rich inheritance, and so forth.

Blaze went on to note that he had made the acquaintance of some of Fredericks old officers, who had explained how the King accomplished this seemingly remarkable feat of memory.
When he was preparing for a review . . . he was given a dozen notes relating to divers officers and soldiers. On a slip of paper, which he held in his hand, were given the name and biography of an individual in his army, the number of his regiment, battalion, and company. The King knew in what line the man stood, and what place he occupied in the line.
And, although without actually saying so, Blaze strongly implies that Napoleon himself was also quite aware of Frederick's little morale building trickery, a technique that was probably almost as old as organized armies.

1934         King Alexander Karageorgevich of Yugoslavia (1921-1934), 45, assassinated in Marseilles by Bulgarian radical Vlado Chernozemski, 36, who is then killed by police, who also mortally wound French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou, 72, who dies shortly afterwards
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 09, 2023, 11:00:38 AM
And, although without actually saying so, Blaze strongly implies that Napoleon himself was also quite aware of Frederick's little morale building trickery, a technique that was probably almost as old as organized armies.

I had a commander once that was the exact opposite....  he was absolute crap at addressing soldiers by name - WHEN THEY WERE WEARING NAMETAGS.  So you can imagine how bad he was at knowing literally anything else about them

And it's not like it was a big unit.  This was in TEXCOM, where we had 1 tank company, 1 infantry company with only 2 M2 platoons, 1 HHC that didn't have any scouts or mortars and only half of a support platoon.  The entire battalion was maybe 300 dudes or so, and he knew almost none of them, even after 2 years
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 10, 2023, 06:48:05 PM
255 BC. worst disaster in maritime history occurred when, shortly after overwhelming the Carthagians in the Battle of Cape Hermaea, a Roman fleet of 464 war galleys – including over 100 newly captured prizes – was wrecked in a storm off Pachynus (Cape Passero), Sicily, with the loss of some 380 ships and reportedly 150,000 men .

680         Imam Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (54), Mohammed's grandson, his sons Ali ibn Husayn (12-13) & Abdullah Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn (6 months), and 70 followers, slaughtered by Caliph Yazid I ibn Muawiyah

1781   HMS Charon (44), Cptn. Thomas Symonds, HMS Guadaloupe (28), HMS Fowey (24), Cptn. Peter Aplin, HMS Vulcan fireship, and some transports, were burnt in the Chesapeake before Yorktown by hot shot from the American batteries. They would otherwise have been captured.

1825         Paulus "Oom Paul" Kruger, Boer leader, President of the South African Republic (1883-1900), d. 1904. 
. kill as many officers as possible, but, for God’s sake, spare the generals."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 11, 2023, 11:32:10 AM
1502. aided by Leonardo da Vinci's siege engines, Cesare Borgia took Fossombrone, in the Romagna, amid great slaughter, but elsewhere his treacherous lieutenant Vitellozzo Vitelli seizes Castel Durante, initiating a widespread revolt against the Borgia.

1917. New York's 69th regiment is a famous National Guard unit.  Upon mobilization, the 69th, which was designated the 165th Infantry in Federal service, formed part of the 42nd “Rainbow” Division. The regiment arrived in France late in 1917. Since like most American units it went overseas only partially equipped, upon reaching its training area, at La Fauche, the troops were issued additional equipment and new uniforms. Now it chanced that Uncle Sam did not have enough of his standard issue blouse. To remedy the shortfall, the Army had bought a stock of blouses from the British. As soon as the men of the 69th saw the crown bedecked buttons on the new blouses, they refused to wear them. Although a great deal of pressure was brought to bear, everyone took part in the “strike.” Rather than apply judicial remedies, the Army finally relented, and issued the men new buttons, with eagles on them, which they avidly sewed on to their new blouses, while most certainly getting an extra measure of satisfaction in tossing the Brit buttons into the trash.
The unit accepted British boots because the chaplain, Father Duffy, said they were alright.  "The man can stamp on them."
 In addition to its two mutinies, and many other unusual distinctions, the 69th is the only active unit in the National Guard to bear the same designation in Federal service as it did in the state militia. Although redesignated the 165th Infantry during World War I, shortly after World War II it was officially renamed the 69th Infantry, there never having been a regiment so designated in the Army list.
 

1936 Early in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), some anarchists formed a militia battalion which they dubbed Centuria King Kong.

1942. A cruiser-destroyer task force led by Rear Adm. Norman Scott intercepts a similar Japanese Navy unit. In the resulting Battle of Cape Esperance, the Japanese lose the heavy cruiser Furutaka and destroyer Fubuki, with two more destroyers sunk by American air attacks the next day. The destroyer Duncan (DD 485) is the only loss from Scott's Task Force 64. This victory is the U.S. Navy's first of the Guadalcanal Campaign.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 12, 2023, 10:31:46 AM
479 BC, an enormous Persian army of perhaps 100,000 men confronted an equally large Greek host near the city of Plataea, in central Greece about 40 miles northwest of Athens.  As was the custom of the times, the soothsayers of each army made sacrifices to seek the intentions of the gods.
For the Greeks, these rites were performed by the Spartan general Tisamenos, son of Antiochos of Elis.  Tisamenos was not a native-born Spartan.  He was a hereditary seer of the Iamidai family of Elis, and was one of the very few aliens ever granted citizenship by the Spartans, let alone rising to general among them.
How this came about is told by the historian Herodotus, in the Ninth Book of his Histories

. . . when Tisamenos was seeking divination at Delphi, the Pythian prophetess made answer to him that he should win five of the greatest contests.  He accordingly, missing the meaning of the oracle, began to attend to athletic games, supposing that he should win contests of athletics; and he practiced for the pentathlon [running, leaping, javelin, discus, and wrestling] and came within one wrestling fall of winning a victory at the Olympic games [of 492 BC] in competition against Hieronymos of Andros. 
The Spartans, however, perceived that the oracle given to Tisamenos had reference not to athletic but to martial contests.  They endeavored to persuade Tisamenos by payment of money, to make him a leader in their wars together with their kings.  Tisamenos, seeing that the Spartans set much store on gaining him over as a friend, he raised his price and signified to them that he would do as they desired, if they would make him a citizen of their State and give him full rights, but for no other payment.  The Spartans at first when they heard this displayed indignation and altogether gave up their request [for a time.  But,] when great terror was hanging over them of this Persian host [in 479 BC], they gave way and consented. 
Tisamenos, perceiving that they had changed their minds, said that he could not now be satisfied even so, nor with these terms alone; but it was necessary that his brother Hegias also should be made a Spartan citizen on the same terms as he himself became one. . . . [Being] very much in need of Tisamenos, the Spartans agreed with him on any terms which he desired.
Thus it was that Tisamenos came to be the Spartan general offering sacrifice on the morning of the great Greek victory over the Persians at Plataea.
Plataea was the first of the five victories that Tisamenos had been promised, and he went on to offer the sacrifice four more times before Spartan victories:
Battle of Tegea (c. 469 BC), over the Tegeatines and the Argives;
Battle of Dipaieis (c. 465 BC), over all the Arcadians;
Battle at Cape Tainaron (c. 465 BC), a rather shadowy affair that seems to have been more of a massacre of rebellious serfs or bandits, a “victory” gained by a dishonorable ruse, which led many to claim that it caused the gods to strike Sparta with a devastating earthquake the following year;
Battle of Tanagra (457 BC), against the Athenians.
As for Tisamenos, after the Battle of Tanagra we hear nothing more about him, or his brother Hegias.  Nevertheless, an odd fragmentary document suggests that their descendants still lived at Sparta during late Roman republican times.
GeoNote: Cape Tainaron: Alternatively known as Cape Taenarus, is today known as Cape Matapan.

61 BC, Pompey the Great decided to fatten up the haul of prisoners marching in the procession by "stealing" some captured pirate chiefs from Quintus Caecillius Metellus, who had taken them while conquering Crete and was waiting to parade them in his triumph.

1654   Delft, the Netherlands: About 30 tonnes (66,138 pounds) of gunpowder in the Estates General magazine explodes, devastates much of the city, with thousands of casualties

1795 the British fleet had 512,000 tons of ships, the French 284,000, the Spanish 264,000, and the Russian 182,000, mostly in the Baltic but with 42,000 in the Black Sea, while the rest of the European powers together had about 383,000.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 12, 2023, 12:21:50 PM
69th regiment

nice
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 13, 2023, 09:50:03 AM
54    Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, 63, the Roman Emperor Claudius (41-54), mushroomed by his wife/niece Agrippina the Younger in favor of her son, Nero.

1307  Simultaneous arrest of all Knights Templar in France - the original "Friday the Thirteenth"

1660  George Carew, who had voted to execute King Charles I, hanged, drawn, & quartered by Charles II

1718 During the reign of Charles II of Sweden (1697-1718), the daily army ration amounted to nearly two pounds of meat and two pounds of bread, plus small amounts of peas, butter, and salt, all of which could be washed down with two-and-a-half quarts of beer.

1899 The British Army regulations of 1899 had 71 articles relating to uniform and dress, but only four dealing with musketry and just one concerning field training.

1905 Friedrich von Martini, designer of the famed Martini rifles widely used in the late nineteenth century was by profession originally a lace manufacturer.

1918  Gefreiter Adolf Hitler is temporarily blinded in a mustard gas attack near Ypres

1944 Among all the other equipment with which they were encumbered, the troops who landed on the Normandy Beaches on D-Day carried syringes with an anti-toxin for botulism, since the Germans were known to be experimenting with its potential uses as a biological weapon.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 15, 2023, 04:48:55 PM
353 BC. The first recorded use of field artillery may have been. during the Greek "Third Sacred War," when the Phocian commander Onomarchus deployed catapults to deliver converging fire from his flanks during the ambush of a Macedonian army under the great King Philip II, who was forced to retire in some disorder.

0.      the Roman festival of the October Horse

1779   HMS Charon (44), Cptn. Luttrel, HMS Lowestoffe (32), Cptn. Christopher Parker (2), HMS Pomona (28), HMS Porcupine (24) and other small craft surprised fortress of San Fernando de Omoa in Honduras which during 4 day campaign was taken with 2 Spanish treasure ships. The treasure found in the fort and on board two treasure ships was worth some two million dollars.


1815. Defeating France during the Wars of the Revolution and Napoleon cost the British tax payers some £700 million, which was the equivalent of roughly 90.9 years of spending at the pre-war peacetime budget rate, and would today be worth between £21,000 million and £28,000 million.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 16, 2023, 11:05:46 AM
1746. Austrian troops investing Genoa disregarded the advice of the local peasantry to select an excellent camp site, with the result that hundreds of men and horses and tons of equipment were lost when a heavy rainfall caused a flash flood on the River Polceverra.

1815. The total amount of “prize” awarded the officers and “people” of the Royal Navy during the French Wars (1793-1815), was some £30 million, today easily the equivalent of £25 billion!

1917. When the US navy chose five battleships to send to joint the Royal Navy, older coal fired vessels were chosen due to a fuel oil shortage in England.

1942  "Senator, if you are interested in that officer's advancement, the best thing you can do is never mention his name to me again. Good-bye."

--   General George C. Marshall,
Telephone Conversation,
Overheard by an aide.

1945. Aircraft production.  By 1937 Germany was out-producing Britain (c. 3,000 aircraft a year) and Italy (c. 2,400), and was well ahead of France, which only produced about 500 aircraft that year due to Depression-inspired austerity and a poorly managed attempt to modernize the aviation industry.
Poor management, however, was not just a French problem.  There was little coherent oversight of the German aviation industry until Albert Speer became Minister of Armaments and War Production in early 1942, which resulted in a significant increase in production.
Despite Speer’s influence, the German aviation industry never experienced the sort of exponential expansion that affected the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain.  The German aviation industry suffered from too many experimental types, too many different models in production, and a generally over-engineered product.  In addition, even Speer supported the diversion of resources to certain “special projects”, such as the Me-262 jet fighter, and the “Vengeance” weapons; postwar analysis by the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey suggested that just in the last 12 months of the war alone resources expended on the V-1 and V-2 missiles might have been sufficient to produce 24,000 addition fighter aircraft.  Further problems were an increasing shortage of materials, the loss of manpower to the fighting forces, to be replaced by less-efficient slave laborers, and, of course, the continuing attention of Allied strategic bombers.  As a result, while Germany produced rather more than 100,000 aircraft from 1939 through to the end of the war, American output exceeded 300,000, the Soviets reached 160,000, and the British about 130,000.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 17, 2023, 02:03:27 PM
1551. The Italian Renaissance mercenary Giovanni Serbelloni once lost a battle because he refused to read a dispatch that omitted some of his numerous titles.
His kinsman, cardinal Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni died in Rome on 18 March 1591 and was buried in Santa Maria degli Angeli.  At his death was found a overnight bag near his bed with inside 100 thousand golden scudi and titles for other 400 thousand.

1864. One evening during the war President Jefferson Davis took an evening stroll with his wife, Varina.  As they walked, the two chanced to pass the notorious Libby Prison.  Obedient to his orders, one of the guards challenged Davis, and ordered him to walk on the other side of the street.
"I'm your President," replied Davis, or words to that effect.
"None of your gammon," responded the guard.  Leveling his musket, he went on, "if you don't get into the street I'll blow your head off."
"But I am your President," shouted Davis, and attempted to shoulder his way past the man.  The soldier shoved him back, roughly.  Enraged, Davis drew a short sword from his walking stick.  Things might have gotten still uglier had not Mrs. Davis interposed herself between the two.  Meanwhile, the shouts of the two men and cries of Mrs. Davis had attracted the prison's officer of the day, who arrived momentarily with a couple of men.  Immediately recognizing Davis, the officer hastened to make apologies, and the President and his lady went on their way.
And the sentry?  Despite an ancient tradition rewarding strict adherence to the regulations, on direct orders from Davis the man was put on bread and water for several days.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 18, 2023, 09:49:26 AM
1776         Col John Glover & his Marblehead Regiment fight the British in the Bronx
This unit was vital to Washington's attack on Trenton.  Being primarily fishermen and sailors, they managed the small boats used to cross the Delaware.
Endicutt Peabody was a well known governor of Massachusetts and it is noted that four towns were named in his honor:
Endicutt, Peabody, Marblehead, and Athol.

1799   HMS Triton (32), Cptn. John Gore, HMS Naiad (38) and HMS Alcemene (32), Cptn. H. Digy, captured Santa Brigida (36), Don Antonio Pillon, from Vera Cruz with specie valued at 1,400,000 dollars.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 19, 2023, 02:02:11 PM
202 BC. By nightfall tomorrow we shall know whether it is Rome or Carthage that shall give laws to the world!"

--   Publius Cornelius Scipio,
the eve of the Battle of Zama

1602 construction of 6.5 miles of new defenses for the Russian city of Smolensk consumed 150 million bricks, 620,000 facing stones, and one million loads of sand.

1917   Zeppelin attack on england.  The eleven attacking zeppelins dropped 275 bombs, which caused the deaths of 36 people. But five of the airships failed to return, though only one was lost to enemy action.
Despite these heavy losses, the morale of the Kaiser’s airshipmen remained high throughout the war. Indeed, it was so high that many of the men, already volunteers for hazardous duty, would eagerly volunteer for the even more hazardous duty of serving as observers.
Since navigation was often uncertain when Zeppelins were flying above clouds, some were equipped with an observation basket that could be lowered through the cloud layers. In that way one or two men in the basket would have a good view of the earth’s surface. From this position, they could keep the ship informed by telephone of the landmarks below, helping it navigate to and from its target.
Of course this was particularly hazardous, as the men were without parachutes in a flimsy basket dangling at the end of a 750 meter tether, in freezing cold. Yet there never seems to have been a shortage of volunteers for this duty. In part this was due to the very high morale of the airshipmen. But volunteers also gained a privilege denied to everyone else on the ship; the little basket dangling at the end of nearly a half-mile of cable was the only place on the airship where a man was allowed to have a cigarette.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 20, 2023, 10:46:54 AM
1808.    21 Danish gunboats, under Cptn. Johan C. Krieger, attacks a British convoy in the southern part of the Sound. The convoy consisting of 137 ships is escorted by HMS Africa (64), Cptn. John Barrett, HMS Thunder bomb, James Caulfield, and 2 brigs. Due to lack of wind Africa could not manouvere and was severely damaged.

1941  Despite concerns about their loyalty, during World War II Egyptian anti-aircraft crews proved quite adept at shooting down Axis aircraft attacking Alexandria and other places, one battery even winning a prize for the most "kills," albeit that as good Moslems they were perhaps less than overwhelmed by receiving a case of whisky.

1943. Not until September of 1943, 22 months after plunging into war with the United States and Britain, did the Japanese army staff schools and war college shift the focus of theoretical training from a conflict with the Soviet Union to one with the West.

1958. Johnny Weissmuller, sometime Olympic champion and perennial movie Tarzan, went to Cuba to play in a celebrity golf tournament.  Now this was in the final days of the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, as Fidel Castro’s insurgents were spreading across the country, fighting to replace one brand of tyranny with another.
Driving to the golf course one day with a couple of friends and some bodyguards, Weissmuller's car was surrounded by a band of guerrillas who appeared suddenly out of some roadside woods.
The guerrillas rousted everyone from the car, lined them up, and disarmed their bodyguards.
For a moment it looked like the guerrillas were going to impose some “revolutionary justice” on the rich-looking Americans, or perhaps just hold them for ransom.
At this critical moment, Weissmuller had a bright idea.
He suddenly belted out the famous “Tarzan yell”.
For a moment, the guerrillas were stunned.  Then, recognizing their prisoner, one of them cried out, “Tarzan! Tarzan!”, a shout the others quickly took up, along with cries of “Welcome to Cuba!” and other friendly comments, while crowding forward to shake Weissmuller’s hand and ask for his autograph.
Soon afterwards, Weissmuller and his party arrived at the golf course, escorted rather in triumph by some very cheerful guerrillas, who made sure he arrived safely.
What Batista or Castro thought of the incident is unrecorded.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 21, 2023, 06:26:45 PM
505BC. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus tells us one occasion when a battle of champions intended to resolve a problem with minimal bloodshed did precisely the opposite, in an incident that cannot be dated with much accuracy, but probably occurred before 500 BC, from Chapter 82 of the first book of his The Histories, Revised (Penguin Classics) .
Now at this very time the Spartans themselves were feuding with the Argives over the country called Thyrea; for this was a part of the Argive territory which the Lacedaemonians had cut off and occupied. . . .  The Argives came out to save their territory from being cut off, then after debate the two armies agreed that three hundred of each side should fight, and whichever party won would possess the land. The rest of each army were to go away to their own country and not be present at the battle, since, if the armies remained on the field, the men of either party might render assistance to their comrades if they saw them losing.
Having agreed, the armies drew off, and the picked men of each side remained and fought. Neither could gain advantage in the battle; at last, only three out of the six hundred were left alive at nightfall, Alcenor and Chromios of the Argives, and Othryades of the Spartans.  Then the two Argives, believing themselves victors, ran to Argos, but Othryades, after stripping the Argive dead and taking the arms to his camp, waited at his position.  On the second day both armies came to learn the outcome.  For a while both claimed the victory, the Argives arguing that more of their men had survived, the Spartans showing that the Argives had fled, while their man had stood his ground and stripped the enemy dead.  At last from arguing they fell to fighting; many of both sides fell, but the Spartans gained the victory.
To this account, Herodotus later adds that, in a curious demonstration of the Spartan military ethic, not long after the battle, feeling disgraced for having survived his comrades, Othryades committed suicide.

1600. Battle of Sekigahara: With the help of a little treachery, Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats the Toyotomi under Ishida Mitsunari, to secure the shogunate for his family for more than 250 years
 1797  The frigate Constitution launches at Edmund Hartt's Shipyard, Boston, Mass. The ship is now the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy.

1805. Trafalgar.  "It is annihilation that the country wants, not merely a victory."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 22, 2023, 10:53:31 PM
2134   BC   Chinese scholars make the earliest recorded observation of an eclipse

1777  Charles Scott (1739-1813), a native Virginian, gave up farming to serve in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), gaining some fame as a scout in Col. George Washington’s First Virginia Regiment, and by the end of the war had risen to captain in the Provincial forces. Returning to farming, on the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Scott – like Cincinnatus – once more abandoned the plow for the sword. During the first year of the war he rose from command of a militia company to that of the 5th Virginia Continentals.
Scott and his regiment joined Washington’s army in New Jersey in November of 1776, as it was retreating from its series of defeats in and near New York City over the summer and fall.
Following his victory at Trenton (December 26, 1776), Washington took his little army east into central New Jersey, in order to set up an attack at Princeton a few days later. Knowing Scott well from their days together during the French and Indian War, Washington assigned his regiment the task of securing a bridge over a stream to impede pursuit by the British. When Scott acknowledged his orders, Washington turned and rode off.
At that, Scott turned and addressed his troops, “Well, boys, the old hoss has put us here to defend this bridge; and by God! -- it must be done, let what will come. Now I want to tell you one thing. You’re all in the habit of shooting too high. You waste your powder and lead; and I have cursed you about it a hundred times. Now I tell you what it is nothing must be wasted; every crack must count. For that reason, boys, whenever you see them fellows first put their feet upon this bridge, do you shin ‘em”
At that a strong laugh rang out over the assemblage. Turning about, Scott was chagrined to see that Washington had not, in fact, ridden off. He had had merely gone a few yards and halted to observe Scott’s preparations, and thus had heard the colonel’s little speech, “old hoss” and all.
Perhaps anticipating a blast of Washington’s notable vocabulary, Scott was surprised when the general merely gave him a pleasant smile, and rode off.

1904   Russian fleet shoots up British fishing trawlers in the North Sea
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 23, 2023, 06:33:14 AM
1904   Russian fleet shoots up British fishing trawlers in the North Sea

and then promptly started a war with the Japanese...   ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 23, 2023, 10:46:28 AM
379 B.C., seeking to round out his holdings in southern Italy, Dionysios of Syracuse decided to attack Thurii, a Greek city about 150 miles southeast of Naples, on the instep of the Italian boot. Although today it survives only as the tiny hamlet of Thurio, back then Thurii was major city, celebrated for its wealth and the justice of its laws. Founded around 460 B.C., it numbered among its first settlers Herodotos, the “Father of History,” Lysias, one of the most noted orators of ancient times, and many other distinguished people of the age.
Faced with the might of Dionysios, the people of Thurii despaired, for his resources were far more numerous than their own. His fleet alone numbered some 300 warships, and he had an equally impressive army, which included many mercenaries, far more skilled than the city’s citizen-militia. So the Thuriians awaited their fate, ensconced in behind their walls while offering prayers to the gods for salvation.
To their amazement, their prayers were answered.
As Dionysios’ fleet sailed into the Gulf of Taranto, the winds shifted. A strong north wind buffeted the fleet, damaging and sinking many of the ships, with great loss of life. Unable to continue, Dionysios was forced to abandon his attempt to take the city.
The Thuriians, grateful for their salvation by the “divine wind,” as it were, decided it would be appropriate to thank Boreas, the God of Winds, for his favor to them. They offered sacrifices and instituted an annual festival in his honor. But that wasn’t enough, so they also declared him a citizen and gave him a house to live in whenever he chanced to be in the neighborhood.

 1653 the British Navy arrange to provide medical supplies to the fleet, allocating £5 per hundred men per ship.

1805   Trafalgar prizes Santisima Trinidad (136), Rayo (100), Bucentaure (80), Neptuno (80), L'Aigle (74), Redoutable (74) and San Francisco de Asis (74) wrecked or foundered in a storm after the battle.

1942The British opening barrage at the Battle of El Alamein, involved some 530,000 rounds in 24 hours, for an average of 22,083.3 per hour, or approximately one every 2.8 minutes from each of the 1,030 guns and howitzers available.

1943  Franceska Mann (Manheimer-Rosenberg), Polish ballerina, murdered by the SS at 26, but not before killing two of them and maiming a third

1944   U.S. submarines attacking two elements of the Japanese armada moving towards Leyte. In the Palawan Passage, USS Darter and USS Dace sink heavy cruisers Maya and Atago. Takao is also hit, but survives. Off Manila Bay, USS Bream's torpedoes damage the heavy cruiser Aoba.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 25, 2023, 11:42:39 AM
1805   Trafalgar prize Indomptable (80) wrecked and Intrépide (74) blown up deliberately after the battle.
1915.  Sergeant Dailey wins his second congressional medal of honor..Daniel Joseph Daly (1873-1937), known as “Dan”, was a one of those unique characters that the U.S. Marines seem to produce from time to time.
Only about 5'6" tall and weighing in at 132 pounds, Daly, a lightweight boxer in his youth, joined the Marine Corps early in 1899.  He earned a Medal of Honor during the Boxer Rebellion on August 14, 1900, single-handedly holding an isolated position in the Legation Quarter at Peking overnight against enormous odds, while inflicting hundreds of casualties on the enemy.  In 1915, Daly won a second Medal of Honor  for helping to lead 35 marines to safety when they were ambushed by about 400 insurgents near Ft. Dipitie, Haiti, on October 24, 1915.  During the fight for Belleau Wood, in France (June 5-10, 1918), Daly again turned in such an outstanding performance that he was nominated for a third Medal of Honor, which was disapproved in favor of the Navy Cross and the offer of a commission.  Daly declined the commission, saying "To be a sergeant, you have to know your stuff.  I'd rather be an outstanding sergeant than just another officer."
Now during the fighting for Belleau Wood, Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Daly is famous for supposedly leading an attack with the cry, "Come on, you sons of bitches -- do you want to live forever?"

1944  Acrimonious confrontation between Rachele Mussolini and Clara Petacci, as Il Duce sheepishly tries to calm things down
1944. The Battle of Leyte Gulf continues, with Task Force 38 aircraft attacking the Japanese in the Sibuyan and Sulu Seas. U.S. Navy carrier planes sink the Japanese battleship Musashi and damage numerous other enemy ships, among them battleships Yamato, Nagato, Fuso and Yamashiro. Japanese air attacks hit the small USS Princeton (CVL 23), which eventually has to be scuttled. The desperate kamikaze tactic makes its appearance, causing damage and casualties on U.S. ships off the Leyte invasion beaches.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 25, 2023, 01:00:45 PM
1944  Acrimonious confrontation between Rachele Mussolini and Clara Petacci, as Il Duce sheepishly tries to calm things down

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 25, 2023, 01:35:38 PM
There'd be some Poo Poo for sure!  :notme:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on October 25, 2023, 08:33:28 PM
"Meow Mein's"?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 26, 2023, 10:14:26 AM
899      Death of King Alfred "the Great" of Wessex (871-99), c. 50

1905  German use of wargaming during the mid-1890s was instrumental in convincing Chief-of-the-Great-General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen that a frontal attack into France from Lorraine was probably a bad idea. This ultimately led him to conceive of the right wing sweep into the French rear through Belgium that became the core of the German war plan of 1914. Moreover, as Erich Ludendorff noted in his war memoirs, the sweep through Belgium “was based on the assumption that France would not respect Belgian neutrality or that Belgium would join France. . . . Any other plan of campaign would have been crippled owing to the danger from Belgium to the German right flank, and would have precluded a quick and decisive blow at France, which was essential in order to meet in time the great danger of a Russian invasion into the heart of Germany.”
In 1905 Schlieffen ran his last wargames. Several scenarios were played, in at least one of which the French were only played by a couple of junior staff officers, hardly a fair match against more seasoned and senior officers. The final game in the series presumed a German strategic defensive against simultaneous French and Russian offensives. Schlieffen took advantage of Germany’s central position to use 15 active or reserve corps to crush the Russians, while holding off the French with only eight corps.
In the East, the Germans used their superior rail connections to execute an elaborate envelopment of one of the invading Russian armies and threw back the other, a scenario that had already been played repeatedly, with an outcome remarkably like the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. Three decades later historian Hajo Holborn would write “Hoffman and Ludendorff executed an oft-posed Schlieffen war game problem in a manner which would have delighted their military teacher.”

1918  The practice of paying prize money to the officers and men who helped capture or destroy enemy ships has its roots deep in the history of the sea. Originally a way to systematize the division of loot, by the twentieth century the custom was largely dead. Indeed, in the twentieth century only the Royal Navy continued to pay prize, doing so in both world wars.
At the end of the First World War the Royal Navy allocated £14 million, a sum that would today easily be equal to nearly $850 million. Unlike awards in previous wars, which went only to the officers and men who actually participated in capturing or destroying enemy vessels, the Royal Navy decided to award prize across the board, to all personnel in the serivce, as a way of rewarding the enormous number of sailors who performed important duties that were not likely to put them in situations where they might be able to earn prize, such as destroyermen performing convoy duty.

Typical Awards, 1919
Rank   Amount   2001
Admiral   £3,000   $150,000
Captain   800   40,000
Able Seamen   25   1,250
Boys   15   750
In the hoary tradition of prize, the money was divided according to rank, on a decidedly class conscious scale. Intermediate ranks of course received proportionally appropriate shares.

As for World War II, well, that’s another story.

1944. The Battle of Leyte Gulf ends with Navy carriers and U.S. Army Air Forces aircraft continuing the attack on the retreating Japanese. Three enemy light cruisers and several smaller ships are lost during the day. At a distinct disadvantage at the beginning of the Leyte Gulf fight, the Japanese Imperial Navy loses so many ships and men in a few days of battle that it could play only a minor role during the remainder of  the war.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 27, 2023, 11:04:28 AM
In October of 1776, George Washington’s bedraggled American Army, having been driven from New York City, was ensconced in the relative safety of Westchester County. On October 27th, as the two armies were preparing for battle near White Plains, an American patrol captured a Hessian soldier who had straggled from camp.
The man was taken to Washington. Washington explained – presumably through a translator – that the Americans bore the Hessians no ill-will, and, indeed, would offer “great encouragement” to Hessians who deserted to the Revolutionary cause. The man refused. Despite this, Washington gave the man a guinea in gold and Washington arranged for him to be sent back to the British lines.
When the Hessian returned to the British lines, he was brought to Gen. William Howe, commander of the British Army. The man explained what had happened to him, and expressed a desire to return to his regiment. Howe rewarded him for his loyalty with another guinea, and sent him back to his regiment.
Then the Hessian returned to his own people. Brought before a Hessian general, the man explained what had happened. Hearing the soldier’s story, the general promptly had him flogged, for straying from camp.
 “one wonders who kept the golden guineas."

1864   Lt. William Cushing, USN, sinks Confederate ram Albemarle with a spar torpedo attached to the bow of his launch.

 1942. Battle of Santa Cruz, USS Hornet sunk.  Hornets skipper was Charles Perry Mason.  The legal stories by Erle Stanley Garner had come out and gave the Captain a nickname, Lawyer.  Mason read Western novels and was confused by this.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 28, 2023, 07:58:30 PM

1894  Although they tended to dismiss the possibility of a German move through Belgium to outflank their frontier defenses, the French were aware of the possibility, and in 1894 their Plan XII provided covering forces to impede such an attack, to buy time for the intervention of stronger forces.  Some time after 1900 they also became aware that the Germans might use reserve forces in a front line role, and although believing reservists of limited value, in the 1903 Plan XV they began to make some use of reserve formations.  The following year a German officer, possibly a general on the General Staff, sold the French a copy of the German plan of concentration, which clearly indicated a major move into Belgium.   In December 1906, after much discussion, and probably prompted in part by insider information on German wargaming earlier in the year, the French introduced Plan XV bis.  This assumed that rather than launch an immediate frontal attack from Lorraine the Germans would open hostilities by coming through Belgium, and so the French placed strong forces northwest of Verdun.  Plan XVI of 1909 placed greater emphasis on the risk of a German attack through Belgium, though still not considering that it might be the main thrust.  In 1911 Chief of the General Staff Victor-Constant Michel (1850-1937), believing that the Germans would undertake a massive movement through Belgium, proposed a new plan.  The French should hold in Alsace-Lorraine, and undertake a massive counteroffensive into the German flank in Belgium, an operation that would require extensive integration of the reserves into the active army.  The resulting uproar led to Michel’s resignation and replacement by General Joseph Joffre (1852-1931).
Joffre takes Command.  When Joffre assumed command he made some modifications to Plan XVI, but also began to think on a grander scale, seeking to return the French Army to the offensive in the event of a war.  He initially proposed a preemptive offensive into Belgium, to head off the Germans, which found absolutely no political support, since it meant that the British would never come to France’s aid.  So Joffre kept working.  The end product was Plan XVII, approved in the Spring of 1914.
Prior to Plan XVII all French war plans had been defensive, intended to blunt and then beat back a German invasion.  But for several years some French soldiers had been trying to return to an offensive doctrine.  Among them was Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), an artilleryman.  In several books and lectures, Foch’s formula for a successful offensive doctrine involved a combination of the firepower of the later famous “French 75” and rifle fire from well trained, highly motivated infantry culminating in close assault with the bayonet.  These ideas spread, but became warped.  Some of the more ardent younger officers in the army, such as Col. Louis Loyzeau de Grandmaison (1861-1915), preached the notion that well motivated infantry were sufficient to undertake the “offensive á outrance” (arguably, “offensive to the utmost”) with the bayonet more important than the bullet or the artillery round.  Grandmaison reached the peak of his influence just about the time Joffre became chief-of-staff.  While officers like Foch, in 1914 commanding the XX corps d'armée, or Col. Philippe Pétain (1856-1951), commanding the 33e Régiment d'Infanterie, understood the relationship between firepower and spirit in the offensive, many others missed the first half of the equation.   
Plan XVII rejected a purely defensive strategy.  It was a contingency plan for an offensive-defensive strategy.  Rather than stand up to a German offensive, the French would counter it with one of their own.  To effect this, French forces were deployed in such a way as to be able to counter any of several possible German moves; once the German offensive got underway, the French would initiate a counter-offensive.
Based on French intelligence about German wargaming in 1905, Plan XVII presupposed that Germany would undertake a diversionary incursion into Belgium, while making her main effort in Lorraine, against the line Verdun-Nancy-St. Die.  So they put three armies on the German frontier, from the First Army on the right close to Switzerland to the Third Army close to Luxembourg.  The Fifth Army was posted mostly northwest of the Third, generally concentrated south and east of the frontier with Luxembourg-Belgian, to cope with the German thrust through those countries.  The Fourth Army was in reserve more or less equidistant behind the Third and Fifth; depending on what the Germans did, the Fourth Army was to move to support the troops in the threatened sector.
Like the German plan, the Plan XVII had some notable flaws.  The most important was the “offensive á outrance.”  The plan assumed that the French would respond with a vigorous counter offensive after the Germans initiated operations, but the plan included the phrase “The intention of the commander-in-chief is to deliver, with all forces assembled, an attack against the German armies,” which suggested a pre-emptive offensive.  Then there was the Grandmaisonite notion that spirited frontal attacks with the bayonet were the way to win wars.  There was also the assumption that German reserve divisions were no more effective than French ones were believed to be.  By implication, if the Germans did beef up their armies with reserve divisions in the front lines, they would actually be weakening their forces, since these troops would not be able to stand up to vigorous French infantry attacks; in 1913 French general de division Édouard de Castelnau (1851-1944), deputy chief-of-staff of the army, actually remarked that if the Germans came through Belgium in force “We’ll cut them in half.

1914. the German cruiser Emden slipped into the Sumatran port of Penang to torpedo the Russian cruiser Zhemchug, which had no one on watch, as everyone was below availing themselves of the services of some  sixty prostitutes.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 29, 2023, 01:16:52 PM
1704  Birth of  John Byng, English admiral, executed "to encourage the others" 1757

1790   Little Turtle and the Ohio Indians wiped out most of the US Army in the Battle of Kekionga.

1885. Death of  George B. McClellan, “Criticizing someone else always made McClellan feel better.” -- Chester G. Hearn, historian

1914         the Ottoman Empire entered World War I with a surprise naval bombardment of Sevastopol. 
Ottoman Army had not done well in the Italo-Turkish and Balkan Wars (September 1911-August 1913).  The First Balkan War (Oct. 8, 1912-May 30, 1913) had been particularly disastrous.  But the Turks learned quickly, and initiated reforms that began to tell during the Second Balkan War (June 29, 1913-August 10, 1913).  A comprehensive reform program continued through 1913 and into 1914.  This was largely the work of Turkish military reformers, though influenced by the presence a German military mission (which usually gets all the credit).  By the time the Ottomans entered the Great War, in October of 1914, the reforms had gone a long way, though they were by no means completed.
As the Great War was breaking out, in August of 1914, Turkish war planning was still largely defensive, with possible courses of action largely depending on contingencies.  The army was concentrated in five areas:
Thrace:  Very strong forces were ready to defend from threats to Constantinople by the Greeks or Bulgarians, or by sea against the Straits.
Caucasia:  Substantial forces were in eastern Anatolia to defend against a Russian offensive and to undertake local offensives if opportunity arose.
Syria:  Substantial forces were available in the event of war with Britain, to undertake an offensive against Egypt.
Southern Arabia:  An army corps was available to keep local tribes under control, and possibly threaten British held Aden.
Mesopotamia:  Several divisions were dispersed along the main river lines in a purely defensive posture. 
These dispositions changed after the Turks allied themselves with the Central Powers in mid-Autumn of 1914.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 29, 2023, 01:44:05 PM
I may get to Ottoman Sunset here in another week or so and see how it plays out
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on October 30, 2023, 11:24:15 AM
"Eden To Armageddon" by Roger Ford is an excellent book about WWI in the Middle East.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 30, 2023, 06:57:26 PM
1780   HMS Ontario (22) sinks in Lake Ontario (found intact almost 230 years later)

1841 Fire destroys the Armoury of the Tower of London, with devastating loss of historic arms & relics

1916, the destroyer Flusser (DD-20) was cruising up the Maine coast. Although one of the oldest destroyers in the fleet, Flusser was still a relatively new vessel, having been commissioned only in 1909. Her skipper at the time was, Lt. William F. Halsey, Jr., U.S.N.
Halsey had been in the Navy only a little longer than his ship, having graduated from Annapolis in 1904. On this particular day he and Flusser chanced to be hosting the young Assistant Secretary of the Navy, one Franklin D. Roosevelt, cousin of a certain former president. As Flusser approached the narrow strait between Campobello Island and the mainland, Roosevelt observed that he knew the local waters quite well, having sailed them often, and offered to con the ship through the treacherous passage.
The offer put young Halsey between a rock and a hard place; he could refuse the offer of the Assistant Secretary, and thus possibly ruin his career, or he could accept it, in which case if “that damned yachtsman” ran the ship aground, his career would likewise be ruined. Weighing the odds, Halsey concluded that his career prospects were probably better if he acceded to Roosevelt’s suggestion, and ceded the helm to the Assistant Secretary.
Halsey’s fears for his future quickly evaporated. He would later write, “As Mr. Roosevelt made his first turn, I saw him look aft and check the swing of our stern. My worries were over; he knew his business.” Thus did Flusser make it safely through the narrow passage, and both men later go on to greater things.

1944  USS Franklin (CV 13) and USS Belleau Wood (CVL 24) are hit by a Japanese kamikaze near the Philippines. The attack on Franklin kills 56 of her crew and the attack on Belleau Wood sees 92 of her crew killed or missing. Both ships return to the U.S. for repair.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on October 31, 2023, 07:07:31 PM
1756         Giacomo Casanova escaped from the Leads in Venice, after 14 months imprisonment

1860         Lord Thomas Cochrane, 84, Earl of Dundonald, Marquess of Maranhão, British naval officer and admiral, maritime adventurer  dubbed "The Sea Wolf" by Napoleon.

1865. The Whisker Rebellion
The Civil War was unusual in a number of ways, not least of all because it was undoubtedly the hairiest conflict in the nation's history. Forthwith, some statistics on facial hair among the generals, using Ezra Warner’s canonical listing.

              Union         Confederate
Beards          391   (67.1%)   285   (67.1%)
Mustaches   101   (17.3%)   77   (18.1%)
Other Fuzz   50   (8.6%)   14   (3.3%)
Shaven           41   (7.0%)   49   (11.5%)
Total Generals   583      425   
"Beards" refers to all forms of facial hair which covers the chin, including everything from elaborate patriarchal Santa Claus types to neat little imperials.  "Mustached" refers to men who had facial hair confined to the general area of the upper lip. They likewise came in an enormous variety of thickness and lengths, some so full and long as to create the impression of a beard.  "Other Fuzz" refers to officers with muttonchops, Burnsides, and similar arrangements, which may, in fact incorporate mustaches not catalogued elsewhere, but do not include coverage of the chin.  "Shaven" refers to generals who managed to do without facial hair.  Note that in cases where a general changed his shaving habits, he has been included in the category in which he spent the greatest amount of time, so that, for example, Robert E. Lee, began the war with a trim mustache, but shortly grew his famous beard, which he wore to the end of his days.
In examining these statistics, it is curious to note that, while the percentage of bearded generals was the same for both armies, and that of mustachioed generals very nearly so, the Confederacy clearly won in the clean-shaven category, while the Union dominated in the miscellaneous facial fur category.
The most distinguished clean-shaven Rebel officer was undoubtedly Gen. Samuel Cooper, the senior-most man in the Confederate Army.  Among the Yankees four major generals of some note were clean-shaven: Joseph Hooker, Henry W. Halleck, Edward R.S. Canby, and Francis C. Barlow.

1956. The U.S. Navy lands seven men in an R4D Skytrain on the ice at the South Pole. They are the first men to stand on the South Pole since Capt. Robert F. Scott in 1912.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 02, 2023, 11:42:17 AM
1932   The Great Emu War in Australia began and no, I'm not making that up (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War)

believe it or not, there are actually MULTIPLE games on the topic

https://www.2d6wargaming.com/products/emu-war

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1031650/Emu_War/  (OK, this one's more comedy/absurdity than a real game about the war)

play online!  https://pierrec.itch.io/the-great-emu-war

https://golosogames.itch.io/spike-ii-the-great-emu-war

PDF minis rules  https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1458027250835.pdf

cached version of Pete Belli's homebrew  https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:LryIl8V1GScJ:https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1148657/great-emu-war-1932+&cd=30&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-d

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Doctor Quest on November 02, 2023, 03:55:23 PM
Wargaming and OCD.

What could possibly go wrong?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 02, 2023, 06:22:44 PM
770 BC.  During the Eastern Zhou period of Chinese history (770 to 221 B.C.), battles allegedly were fought according to rigid rules of ettiquette, with personnel strictly enjoined from engaging or killing opponents who were of different social rank.

1475   Bartolomeo Colleoni, condottiero, at c. 75, Captain-General of Venice, but he had to pay for his own statue by Verrochio.

1500.   infantrymen had three different missile weapons available to them. There was the arquebus, a relatively light firearm manageable by one man, as well as the very common crossbow, and the longbow, which was mostly limited to use by the English. Technically the arquebus was inferior to both the other two weapons in range, accuracy, and rate of fire, while the longbow was generally superior to the crossbow.

Characteristics of Infantry Missile Weapons, c. 1500
Weapon   Weight   Proj Wt   "MV"   KE   RPM   Range
(kg)   (grms)   (m/sec)   (jls)      (m)
Arquebus   6.5       45   30           20   1           25
Crossbow   3.5      125   45         127   1 - 2   50
Longbow   3.0        75   45           76   2 - 6   50
Notes: Actual figures would have varied greatly from piece to piece due to the very serious lack of standardization that existed. Weight is that of the weapon proper, in kilograms, without ancillary equipment. In the case of the arquebus, such equipment frequently included a light stand in addition to tools for servicing the weapon. Proj Wt, is the weight of the missile, in grams. "MV", is the "muzzle velocity", or speed of the projectile as it leaves the weapon, expressed in meters per second. The higher this figure, the more accurate the weapon is likely to be. KE, is the kinetic energy possessed by the projectile as it leaves the weapon, expressed in joules, which suggests its hitting power . RPM is the number of rounds it was possible to fire per minute, with the lower figure being the sustainable rate of fire and the higher, the maximum. Range is the distance at which the weapon could reasonably be expected to be effective, expressed in meters. Maximum range was many times that given, though accuracy would deteriorate markedly.
The inferiority of the arquebus to the other two weapons was actually even greater than the data suggest. Since it was subject to fouling due to the build up of unburnt powder in the barrel, the effective range of the arquebus tended to decay after a few rounds. So it would certainly be reasonable to conclude that the arquebus was in every way inferior to the two older weapons. Technically, this was precisely the case.
But the arquebus possessed several advantages over its two rivals.
Relatively speaking the arquebus was cheaper than either the longbow, which had to be meticulously handcrafted from yew, and the crossbow, which required equally meticulous workmanship and rather expensive steel as well. The arquebus could be mass-produced by a foundry in fairly cheap cast iron. In addition, while the range, accuracy, and effectiveness of an arquebus round were inferior to those of the other weapons, an arquebusier could carry more ammunition than either of his competitors. Arquebus ammo weighed less than arrows or crossbow bolts, even after adding in the powder charge.
Rounds in Three Kilograms of Ammunition
Weapon   Round
Arquebus   50
Crossbow   24
Longbow   40
As a result of this difference in ammunition weight, an arquebusier could sustain fire longer than either a crossbowman or a longbowman. And ultimately it was sustained fire that won battles, more than accurate fire.

1766  Johann Josef Wenzel, Graf Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian field marshal, still winning at 82, d. 1858.   The grand old man of the Austrian empire, Radetzky was three years older than Wellington.  Appointed chief of staff after Wagram, he had served under Schwarzenberg in 1813-14.  His last victory was in 1849 when he defeated king Charles Albert of Piedmont at Novara.
Like Wellington, he was essentially a figure of the eighteenth century., with a charming Italian mistress who presented him in his eightieth year with his fourth illegitimate child.  In the closing years of his life he went gloriously, spectacularly bankrupt for the third time and was again compelled to appeal to the government to pay off his astronomical debts.
It is revealing that, when the Finance Minister protested that this would seriously affect an already unbalanced budget, he was immediately overruled by the young, commonsensical Emperor.
"It is cheaper than a lost war."
Had he managed to live one more year, he would have fought his last battle at the age of ninety-two and very likely have won it over Napoleon III.

1914         "Battle of the Bees": A British attempt to capture Tanga, German East Africa, from the sea is defeated by the 5th, partially due to counterattacks by African bees
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 03, 2023, 12:25:12 PM
361        Junio Roman Emperor Julian (later named "the Apostate") became sole Emperor (Nov 3, 361-Jun 6, 363).
From the time Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was granted the title Augustus, on Jan. 16, 27 B.C., until the deposition of Romulus Augustulus on September  4, A.D. 476, 81 men are more or less regarded as having served as Roman Emperor through to the end of the empire in the west.  Less than a third of these men died of natural causes.

Natural Causes
          Old Age        10        percent (including heart attacks, etc.)
          Disease        11        
          Accident        4        (includes a fall from a horse and a lightning strike)
Unnatural Causes
          Killed by mutinous troops        24        
          Assassinated by family or friends        8        
          Killed in action                                        8. (mostly against usurpers)
          Executed                                                8. (by their successors)
          Suicide                                                        7  (mostly to avoid execution by a usurper)
          Drowned while evading capture        1        
Resigned or Deposed                                      12. (deaths included above)
Now although attaining the Imperium was not likely to enhance one's chances of dying in bed of old age surrounded by one's children and grandchildren, the job never seems to have lacked for "applicants."  In addition to the canonical 81, at least 80 other men laid claim to the imperial dignity, virtually all of whom met a violent end.

1428. Thomas Montacute, 40, 4th Earl of Salisbury, of wounds from fragments of a door shattered by a cannonball on Oct 23rd during the siege of Orleans -- the first English gentleman to die by gunfire

1755. Massachusetts offers bounties for Indian scalps: £30 for Warriors, £20 for women & boys

1799 there were 539 officers in the Bavarian Army, of whom only about 48 percent (260) were noblemen and the rest commoners, while by 1811 aristocrats in the officer corps had fallen to only about 40 percent (902) of 2,243 officers.

1943. The battleship USS Oklahoma (BB 37) is refloated following months of laborious effort after being sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. Too old and badly damaged to be worth returning to service, Oklahoma is formally decommissioned in September 1944.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on November 03, 2023, 10:18:17 PM
1755. Massachusetts offers bounties for Indian scalps: £30 for Warriors, £20 for women & boys

I'm no expert (said every pundit on the internet ever) but isn't that like 2500 quid in modern pounds sterling?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 04, 2023, 09:28:38 PM
1791  Little Turtle and the Ohio Indians virtually annihilated a U.S. Army for the second time, in the Battle of the Wabash – “St. Clair's Defeat”.

1805   Battle of Cape Ortegal. British squadron, under Rear Admiral Sir Richard Strachan, of HMS Caesar (80), HMS Hero (74), Cptn. Hon. A. H. Gardner, HMS Courageux (74), HMS Namur (90) and four frigates, defeated and captured a French squadron, under Rear Admiral Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley, of Formidable (80), Scipion (74), Duguay-Trouin (74) and Mont Blanc (74) that had escaped from the Battle of Trafalgar two weeks previously.

1830. the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, the Congress of Vienna gave what is now Belgium to the Netherlands, recently elevated into a kingdom ruled by the House of Orange. This was a mite confusing to the Belgians. Until the early 1790s they had been owned by Austria. Then for nearly two decades they had more or less been incorporated into the French Empire. Now, rather suddenly, the Catholic Belgians were forcibly united with the Protestant Dutch. Needless to say, the Belgians were rather unhappy under Dutch rule.
August of 1830, anti-Dutch rioting broke out in Brussels.
With only 2,000 troops in the city, the Dutch were unable to suppress the uprising. As the rebels installed a temporary government in the city, the Dutch gathered reinforcements. On September 21st, 10,000 Dutch troops entered Brussels, intend on crushing the uprising. But the Belgians fought back, from windows, rooftops, and cellars, and behind improvised barricades in the streets. On the 26th the Dutch fell back on the fortress of Antwerp. On October 4th, the elated Belgians declared their independence from the Netherlands. With the help of an improvised army, the largely Belgian inhabitants of Antwerp promptly seized the city. But the citadel remained in Dutch hands, with a strong garrison under Lieut. Gen. David Henri de Chassé – who had fought both for and against France during the era of the Revolution and Napoleon. On October 27th de Chassé began a desultory bombardment of the, just to remind the Belgians that he was still there.
Now while all of this was unfolding, the great powers were by no means sitting idly by; fearful that the Belgian revolt would unleash a spasm of revolutionary activity across Europe. On November 4th, at a hastily convened conference in London, Britain, France, and Prussia, the three great powers most threatened by instability in the region, backed by Austria and Russia, ordered a cease-fire. A few weeks later the powers decreed independence for Belgium. Although this was a major break in the reactionary anti-nationalist policies which the “Concert of Europe” had been pursing since the fall of Napoleon, it was politically expedient. Neither Britain nor France nor Prussia were particularly happy over the incorporation of Belgium into the Netherlands, turning a small power into a potentially major one, while Austria, which had in pre-Revolutionary times owned Belgium, acceded to its independence as well.
Of course the Dutch, under King Wilhelm I, demurred. And Baron Chassé still held the citadel of Antwerp. Although it took a while to get organized, on August 2, 1831, the Prince of Orange led 36,000 Dutch troops with 72 guns into Belgium. The Belgians had been working hard to improvise an army. One force was at Brussels, under Gen. Nicolas Daine, while the other held Antwerp – save for its citadel, still in Dutch hands. Orange defeated Daine at Louvain on August 12th. This interposed his army between the Belgian capitol and the principal remaining Belgian force, at Antwerp. But the Dutch invasion had been taken against the distinct wishes of the Great Powers. And they weren’t called “great” for nothing.
Within days of the Dutch entry into Belgium, a French army over 60,000 strong was on the march, under Marshal Etienne Maurice Gérard, another one of Napoleon’s veterans. By October Gerard had forced the Dutch to retreat back into the Netherlands. Gérard began an investment of the citadel of Antwerp, to which Chassé still clung. Amazingly, the old general held out for more than a year. Finally, aided by the Royal Navy, the French began a close siege of the citadel in November of 1832. By the end of December Chassé had to give it up. He surrendered with the honors of war, and was later promoted to “General of Infantry.”
Chase was involved in the defense of Quatre Bras in the Waterloo campaign.
Although desultory fighting continued until a general armistice was concluded in late May 1833, the war was over.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 05, 2023, 10:02:55 PM
1740. One of the most famous military organizations of all time was the Prussian Army during the reign of Frederick the Great (1740-1786).
Following the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), when various armies had marched freely across their lands, the Hohenzollern princes of Brandenburg-Prussia decided to build the most powerful army possible to defend their sprawling, poor, and sparsely populated territories. The result was a unique military establishment. On Frederick’s accession as king in 1740, Prussia, 12th in population among the European powers, with but 2.5 million people, had the fourth largest standing army, some 60,000 troops. 
Under the conscription regulations of 1733, boys were registered at the age of ten, so that the army could keep track of potential recruits. Men were drafted at 18, usually for 18 to 24 months, depending upon the arm of the service to which they were assigned. Thereafter, they went into the reserve, usually to be called up for of two or three months active duty each year, for refresher training, which could be accomplished in the “off season,” the country being heavily agricultural.
About a third of the army consisted of “foreign” personnel, non-Prussian men who had enlisted – or “crimped” – for permanent service. These men garrisoned the country’s fortresses and served as the cadres of the territorial regiments.
When on active duty, the troops were subject to a harsh discipline and a rigid routine. But this was not necessarily as onerous as is generally believed. Consider the daily routine of Prussian troops, on active duty in peacetime.

Time                Activity

0400                Reveille

0500                Morning formation

0600                Training

0730                Musket Drill

0830                Tactical Drill

1200                End of training day

Afternoon        Lunch, cleaning equipment, supper, guard mount for those assigned, etc.

2130                Curfew, summer; 2030 in winter

So even when on active duty, Prussian troops, including the “foreign” troops, were pretty much off duty for about half of each day. In addition, most troops were usually formally off duty about one day in three. During their off duty hours, Frederick’s soldiers were free to seek work or run little businesses, or visit their families, the regiments being territorially based, or engage in other activities.

1780         Little Turtle and the Miami Indians defeated the French under Augustine de la Balme near Kekionga

1945. Ensign Jake C. West, embarked with VF-51 on board USS Wake Island (CVE 65) for carrier qualifications with the FR-1 aircraft, loses power on the forward radial engine shortly after taking off, forcing him to start his rear engine. Returning to his ship, he makes a successful landing, thus becoming the first jet landing on board an aircraft carrier
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 06, 2023, 03:53:04 PM


1494         Suleiman I "the Magnificent," greatest Ottoman Sultan (1520-1566), born.

1632         Battle of Lutzen: Swedes defeat the Imperialists

1779   HMS Quebec (32), Cptn. George Farmer (Killed in Action), engaged French frigate La Surveillante (40), off Ushant, but her sails caught fire and she blew up. Accompanying cutter HMS Rambler (10), Lt. George, engaged a French cutter Expedition but it bore away with Rambler too shattered to follow.

1866.       Prof. Arronax, Conseil, and Ned Land were captured by Capt. Nemo of the 'Nautilus'

1947. The awarding of prize was an ancient naval custom.  Essentially, the officers and men of a warship that captured an enemy vessel were allowed to divvy up the loot.  Although the complex formula governing the division of the spoils gave the lion’s share to the officers, and particularly the captain, a rich prize could easily leave even an ordinary cabin boy with a year’s pay in his pocket.
For much of its history the United States Navy awarded prize.  But in 1900 it was decided to abolish the practice, on the grounds that often those who ran the greatest risk had the least chance to claim prize.  For example, during the Spanish-American War, the men who served on blockade off Santiago and then fought the Spanish Fleet on July 3, 1898, received no prize, while the crews of some cruisers that had intercepted defenseless merchant ships on the high seas, did quite nicely.
Nevertheless, a case could be made that the U.S. Navy actually awarded prize money in 1947.  It seems that in November 1941, while on "Neutrality Patrol" in the waters between Brazil and Africa, the light cruiser Omaha (CL-4) and the destroyer Somers (DD-381) came upon a merchant ship flying the U.S. flag, and bearing "Willmoto – Philadelphia” on her stern.  As the appearance of the ship did not match the silhouette in the recognitions books, a boarding party was sent from Omaha.  The vessel turned out to be the German motorship Odenwald, on a blockade running mission.  As the Americans clambered aboard, the ship's crew tried to scuttle her, but the Yankee sailors were too quick, and quickly got things under control.
Oldenwald was taken to Puerto Rico.  An admiralty court ruled that since the ship was illegally claiming American registration, there was sufficient grounds for confiscation.  At that point, some sea lawyers got into the act.  Observing that the attempt to scuttle the ship was the equivalent of abandoning her, they claimed that the crews of the two American ships had salvage rights, to the tune of $3 million.  This led to a protracted court case, which was not settled until 1947.  At that time it was ruled that the members of the boarding party and the prize crew were entitled to $3,000 apiece, the equivalent today of over $25,000 according to the Consumer Price Index, but easily nearly twice that on the basis of the prevailing “minimum wage,” while all the other crewmen in Omaha and Somers were entitled to two months’ pay and allowances at their then current rate.
By then, both Omaha and Somers had already gone to the scrap yard.

1951.   A P2V-3 Neptune patrol bomber assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1) is attacked by two Soviet La-2 fighters over the Sea of Japan, about 18 miles from the Soviet coast near Vladivostok. All 10 crewmen are lost. Three days of search and rescue operations revealed no trace of them and they are declared deceased by the Navy in 1952.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Doctor Quest on November 06, 2023, 05:30:17 PM
1866.       Prof. Arronax, Conseil, and Ned Land were captured by Capt. Nemo of the 'Nautilus'

Nice touch. I see what you did there.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 07, 2023, 03:32:23 PM
218   BC   Hannibal completed the crossing of the Alps into Gallia Cisalpina [est - “around the setting of the Pleiades”.
During the early part of the Second Punic War the Carthaginian Hannibal was literally unbeatable, defeating every army the Romans could throw at him in the battles of the Ticinus and the Trebbia (218 BC) and Lake Trasimenus (217 BC).  Following the disaster at Trasimenus, the Roman Senate appointed Quintus Fabius Maximus as Dictator for a six month term.  Fabius, an old campaigner and several times consul, was aware that his tactical skills were no match for Hannibal's.  So he avoided open battle, relying instead upon ambushes, night attacks, guerrilla operations, sieges, and similar techniques to wear down the enemy, thereby earning the nickname “Cunctator” (the Delayer). 
This led to a series of operations that demonstrated  both generals’ extraordinary skill at deception and trickery, as each tried to outsmart the other.
On one occasion Hannibal had been forced to retreat by some clever maneuvering on Fabius's part.  Outnumbered, with supplies running low, and night approaching, the Carthaginian found himself confronted by some difficult terrain, which would impede his movement so much that Fabius might be able to pick off part of his rear guard. To keep Fabius at arm's length, Hannibal had torches tied to the horns of cattle and turned the terrified animals loose in the direction of the Roman army.  As the cattle fled through the countryside, the torches spread the flames to the surrounding brush.  When the Romans saw the moving flames, they at first thought they were witnessing a supernatural apparition, but were soon disabused of this notion by their scouts.  Learning of the trick, Fabius decided that it might well be a ruse on Hannibal's part to set him up for an ambush, and pulled his troops back to their camp.
Later that same year, Hannibal was confronted by two Roman armies, one under Fabius and the other under his chief subordinate, Marcus Minucius Rufus.  Fabius was wary and clever, while Minucius was unthinking and impulsive. Aware that his opponents were of very different character, Hannibal decided to separate them and then defeat Minucius.  Boldly advancing the bulk of his army to a position between his opponents, Hannibal concealed a portion of his troops in ambush.  He then sent a small force to seize a hill near Minucius' camp.  Minucius took the bait, and led his army out to crush these troops, only to fall into Hannibal's ambush.  Things would have gone badly for Minucius, but the wily Fabius, taking advantage of the fact that Hannibal believed he was unwilling to move boldly on the battlefield, spotted the trap, intervened, and forced Hannibal to retreat, or be caught between two foes.
The “Fabian” approach to warfare was, however, unpopular with most Romans.  Shortly after Fabius laid down his command, they once more decided to confront Hannibal in a head-on battle, which led to the Roman disaster at Cannae.

1307         Hermann Gessler, Hapsburg Bailiff of Altdorf, shot by William Tell.

1559         the “Peace of the Pyrenees” between France & Spain, finally ended the protracted Italian Wars (1494-1559)  Eighth Italian War (1551–1559):  Francis was succeeded by Henry II (r. 1547-1559), who decided to try for control of Italy once again.  He didn’t do very well on any front (though a brief English attempt to enter the war on Charles’ side did lead to the French capturing Calais after several centuries of English rule).  Meanwhile, in 1556, tired of war, Charles abdicated his thrones, leaving Spain to his son Philip II (r. 1556-1598) and the Hapsburg lands to his brother, who shortly became Emperor Ferdinand II (r. 1558-1564), and retired to a monastery.  The war dragged on a couple of years more, but by then even the remarkably slow learning Valois family could see that Italy belonged to Spain.
Arguably, these wars were really only manifestations of a struggle that began in the mid-13th century between the House of Hohenstaufen and its heirs, ultimately the Crown of Spain, and the House of Anjou and its heirs, the Crown of France, which did not end until 1815.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 08, 2023, 04:38:49 PM
392         Roman Emperor Theodosius bans pagan worship and ends the Olympic Games

1382. Legend has it that one day a strapping 13-year old lad known as Giacomuzzo was working for a farmer, hoeing vegetables in a field near his home town, Coltignola in the mountainous Romagna district of eastern Italy.
By chance, a troop of mercenaries passed down the road that ran alongside the field in which Giacomuzzo was working. Some of the soldiers, seeing the sturdy young man at work, approached him. One of them asked him the medieval Italian equivalent of “Hey kid, do you really want to tell your grandchildren that during the wars you were shoveling shit in Louisiana?”
Realizing that they have a point, but unable to make up his mind, Giacomuzzo said, “I’ll throw this mattock at that tree. If it hangs in the branches, I’ll join you.” It did, and he did. Giacomuzzo promptly left the field, stole his father’s horse, and joined what turned out to be the company of Boldrino da Panicale (1331-1390), a moderately successful condottiero.
This, at least according to an old tradition, marked the beginning of the military career of one of the most notable of the condottieri, Giacomo Attendolo, known as Muzio Attendolo Sforza (1369-1424).

The real story isn’t much less interesting
The Attendolo family were actually prominent local landowners with a history of military service. When Giacomuzzo was 13 he enlisted as a page in Boldrino’s service, and two years later re-enlisted as a man-at-arms, a testimony to his large size, great strength, and aggressive manner. It was a busy life. In Giacomuzzo’s very first year with Boldrino, he saw action serving the Church against Gentile da Varano of Camerino, a rather recalcitrant papal vassal, fought for Perugia against some exiles, and helped run the protection racket against Siena. Boldrino offered an excellent education in the mercenary’s trade, having himself studied at the feet of the great John Hawkwood, learning not only how to fight and manage troops, but to negotiate contracts, betray employers, and divide up the loot properly. And Giacomuzzo proved an apt pupil. By 1386, the young man, then about 17, was already commanding a squad of nine lances – each a combat team of 3-5 mounted troops headed by a heavy cavalryman. But soon after he had an altercation with another squad leader that left the latter dead. For reasons of health, Giacomuzzo left Boldrino’s service for that of Alberico da Barbiano (1349-1409), one of the greatest of contemporary condottieri, who nicknamed him "Sforza" ("Strong") for his great physical strength. A few years later Giacomuzzo formed his own independent company, drawing upon kinsmen and family retainers.  For several years he served as a sub-contractor to Alberico and others, slowly building his company and his reputation.
By 1398 Sforza was commanding 100 lances and taking on independent contracts. A decade later he commanded 600 lances, an enormous force, in the service of the Angevine King of Naples against his Aragonese rival, fighting in the centuries-long dynastic dispute between the two royal lines over the throne of Naples. He remained thereafter largely in the service of the Neapolitan Angevines, who named him Grand Constable of the Kingdom in 1416, while his “company” came to number some 7,000 men, horse and foot together.
Muzio Attendolo Sforza drowned while on campaign at the age of 54.
His son married the only daughter of the last Visconti Duke of Milan, and founded a line of princes that reigned there, with occasional interruptions, from 1450 to 1535, while marrying into the most noble houses in Europe, so that almost every modern European royal is his descendant.
Not bad for a kid who reportedly started out hoeing vegetables.

1813. HMS Atalante, Frederick Hickey, wrecked off Halifax by running on the Sisters Rocks, or the eastern ledge, off Sambro Is. having mistaken guns fired by HMS Barrosa (36) for the fog-signal guns at the lighthouse on the same island.

1923  Hitler's "Munich Beer Hall Putsch"
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 09, 2023, 06:24:48 PM
479 BC 
During the “Golden Age” of Athens, cock fights were staged annually at state expense in the city’s theatre. The source of this custom was an incident that occurred as the Athenians were on the march in Central Greece to join the Hellenic Army that would defeat the Persians invaders in the Battle of Plataea . As told by the Romano-Greek scholar Claudius Aelianus (fl., c. AD 175- c. 235), in his collection of Historical Miscellany,

When Themistocles went forth with an army of the citizens against the Persians he saw some cocks fighting; neither did he behold it slightly, but turning to the whole army said, "These undertake this danger, neither for their country, nor for their country’s gods, nor for the monuments of their ancestors, nor for fame, liberty, or their children; but that they may not be worsted, or yield one to the other."

Apparently the Athenians took these words to heart, and helped win the battle, which decisively crushed the Persian threat to Greece. To commemorate the incident, Themistocles arranged for the city to hold the annual cock fights.

63   BC   Catiline fled Rome, his conspiracy against the Republic having been revealed.

1916  Munitions disaster at Bakaritsa, near Arkhangel, Russia -- 30,000 tons explode, thousands die

1921. USS Olympia (C 6) arrives at the Washington Navy Yard from France carrying the body of the Unknown Soldier of World War I for internment at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

1938  Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher, 48, executed by Stalin for 'espionage'
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 10, 2023, 08:52:39 PM
1801. Kentucky outlaws dueling, which continues anyway

1850 Death of sir Phinea's Riall.
July of 1814 an American Army under Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown, invaded Canada across the Niagara River. Seizing Ft. Erie by a coup de main on July 3rd, Brown pressed on to win a hard fought victory at the Battle of Chippewa two days later (traditionally the occasion of the famous cry “Those are regulars, by God!”). The British and Canadians, under Maj. Gen. Gordon Drummond fell back toward Lundy’s Lane. Brown delayed following up for several days, to gather reinforcements and supplies. Late on July 25th, Brown made his move; the resulting Battle of Lundy’s Lane was a hard six hour fight that remains the bloodiest battle ever on Canadian soil.
In the course of the battle, the principal American attack, a frontal assault by Brig. Gen. Winfield Scott against the British-Canadian line, was actually a holding action; while Scott was pinning their attention to their front, Maj. Thomas Jesup’s 25th Infantry traversed a fairly dense woods to fall on the British left.
As the 25th Infantry emerged from the woods and began rolling up British and Canadian units, British Brig. Gen. Phineas Riall was severely wounded in the arm. One of his aides attempted to get the general to the rear, only to find that their way blocked by a group of soldiers. The aide shouted, “Make room there men, for General Riall.”
An officer replied, “Aye, aye, sir!,” and made way for the two men to pass. But as they did so, he suddenly grabbed the general.
“But I am General Riall!”
“There is no doubt on that point,” replied the officer, and I, Sir, am Captain Ketchum of the United States Army.”
“Ketchum!” echoed the shocked Riall, adding, “Well, you have caught us sure enough!”

1938. Kate Smith introduced Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on radio.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 11, 2023, 12:52:16 PM


1675         Tegh Bahadur, 54, Sixth Sikh Guru (1665-1675), murdered by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, after five days of torture to encourage him to convert to Islam

1918. an Armistice at 11:00 a.m. ended the Great War.

1923. An Eternal Flame is lit at the Tomb of the "Soldat Inconnu" at the Arc de Triomphe

1940. Thousands of French students silently lay wreaths at the Tomb of the "Soldat Inconnu" to protest the German occupation

1942. During World War II, Japanese Emperor Hirohito honored three Germans by awarding them fine samurai swords. What is interesting about these awards is who received them.
One sword went to Reichsmarshal Herman Goring. This would seem appropriate. After all, Goring was the head of the German Air Force, not to mention the fact that he had been Hitler’s right-hand-man for many years.
A second sword went to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Once again, certainly a approriate award. After all, Rommel was one of the most distinguished field commanders in the war, with many spectacular victories to his credit.
The third sword went to Bernhard Rogge. Who was Bernhard Rogge? Well, he was the skipper of the famous surface raider Atlantis, which terrorised the shipping lanes for some time early in the war. A distinguished enough record. Still, what had he done to deserve such personal recognition from the Japanese emperor? The short answer is, that he had greatly facilitated the capture of Singapore.
It seems that on November 11, 1940, Rogge’s Atlantis catpured the Blue Funnel Liner Automedon, near the Nicobar Islands, in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Bound from Britain to Singapore, the ship carried a varied cargo. It also carried some interesting documents.
Captured aboard Automedon were the minutes of a meeting of the British War Cabinet held on August 8, 1940, plus an 87-page secret report by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Both documents dealt with British defensive arrangements for Malaya and Singapore.
Recognizing the enormous importance of these documents, Rogge passed them on to his superiors. And they very thoughtfully passed them on to Japanese intelligence, who found them of graet interest. Thus, Rogge contributed materially to the Japanese capture of Malaya and Singapore, which they overran in only about 60 days in Decemebr and January of 1941-1942. And thus did Rogge merit his samurai sword.

1971. The mayor of Paris endorses an addition to the Arc de Triomphe.  In honor of Charles Degaulle, the Eternal Siren is to be emplaced.
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 12, 2023, 12:48:20 PM
1658 the Spanish Army established a new garrison at Badajoz, northwest of Madrid, one result of which was that over the next year the illegitimacy rate in the city tripled.

1870. Shortly after the Prussians invested Paris on September 20, 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War, the French resorted to the use of balloons to carry passengers, mail, and some specialized cargoes from the besieged city to the provinces. At least 66 balloons were lofted, including one that brought Leon Gambetta out on October 8, so that he could help organize new armies in the provinces that attempted to liberate the “City of Light.” Attempts to make return trips to Paris by balloon proved uniformly unsuccessful, but pigeons were used to carry correspondence into the city, using a special photographic process that reduced the documents to microscopic size.
The Prussian Army considered the balloons a very serious problem. Not only were they being used to reconnoiter the siege lines, but they enabled the besieged to coordinate their break-out efforts with the French armies still in the field. In addition, the balloons had caught the imagination of many people in neutral countries, raising sympathy for the French.
So the Prussians decided they needed a way to destroy the balloons. Now there had been earlier efforts at creating anti-balloon weapons. After all, the French had introduced the use of balloons in warfare during the 1790s. Hot air balloons, and later hydrogen balloons, had seen considerable use over the following decades, as recently as during the Lombardy-Venetia War (1859), the American Civil War (1861-1865), and even the Paraguayan War (1866-1869). Nor had efforts to develop weapons that could destroy aerostats (i.e., “balloons”) lagged long behind their introduction. But these had been improvised weapons, usually light artillery pieces mounted on special carriages. That would not do for the Prussian Army. In typical Prussian fashion, what the they wanted was a proper anti-balloon gun. So specifications were issued, bids received, and in a surprisingly short time, a contract was granted to the Krupp Works.
In an equally surprisingly short time, within weeks in fact, Krupp came up with a workable weapon, the Ballonabwehrkanone. The Ballonabwehrkanone was a rifled 36-mm (1.4-inch) breech loading gun. Mounted on a special carriage that made moving it easier than a normal artillery piece, it had a 360-degree traverse, and could be elevated to 85-degrees. The Ballonabwehrkanone, the first purpose-built anti-aircraft weapon in history, achieved only one “kill,” when it brought down the balloon Daguerre just west of Paris on November 12, 1870.

1912  Medal of Honor winner Major General Henry Clay Merrian dies.
During the Spanish-American War the “Merriam Pack” was the standard U.S. Army knapsack. Invented by Maj. Gen. Henry Clay Merriam (1837-1912), who earned a Medal of Honor during the Civil War, the pack consisted of a canvas box with hickory rods that held it square, while at the bottom end there were fasteners to fit it into a belt that fell just below one’s kidneys. One’s blanket roll would then be fitted horse-shoe fashion over the pack, to which it was fastened with straps, while additional straps permitted one to fasten one’s rolled up overcoat beneath the pack. Needless to say, the Merrian Pack was very uncomfortable. But that did not necessarily make the Merrian Pack unpopular, at least with new troops.
It seems that the Merrian Pack could easily hold a full quart of whiskey, “with some space left for socks, shaving materials, and a deck of cards or so,” in the words of Pvt. Charles Johnson Post of the 71st New York. In addition, the blanket roll could hold three more quarts, one on top and one to each side, snuggly secured and well padded. Moreover, that rolled-up overcoat could hold another quart – indeed Pvt. Post swore a buddy managed to secrete a demijohn – nearly a gallon! – in his . Thus, a properly equipped soldier could easily manage to go to war with at least four quarts of whiskey, and even more if he’d replaced the water in his canteen with the “more precious fluid.”
Of course, once the troops became a little more seasoned, they quickly discarded the Merriam Pack for an old fashioned Civil War style blanket roll – it may not have permitted a man to carry as much “soldier’s friend” as the Merrian Pack, but it was a heck of a lot lighter and more comfortable.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 13, 2023, 04:14:14 PM
36 BC   Ovation for Octavian for the defeat of Sextus Pompeius in Sicily by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (who only got the corona rostrata)

1002. St. Brice's Day Massacre: King Ethelred II initiates the slaughter of all Danes in England


1942. Cmdr. Herbert E. Schonland, Rear Adm. Norman Scott, Boatswains Mate First Class Reinhardt J. Keppler, and Capt. Daniel J. Callaghan courageously fight enemy forces during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Schonland later receives the Medal of Honor for his actions, while Scott, Keppler, and Callaghan posthumously receive the Medal of Honor for their actions.
Gunners Mate Third Class Kenneth J. Spangenberg is killed on board USS San Francisco in the Battle of Savo Island and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
All five Sullivan brothers are lost when the USS Juneau (CL 52) is destroyed during the naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

1970  Felix Unger is asked to remove himself from his residence, at the request of his wife.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on November 13, 2023, 09:20:25 PM

1970  Felix Unger is asked to remove himself from his residence, at the request of his wife.

At least he got to keep the fry pan...
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 13, 2023, 11:36:10 PM
You two are quite the...Odd Couple.  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 14, 2023, 04:01:37 PM
1809   HMS Chiffonne (36), Commodore John Wainwright, HMS Caroline (36), Cptn. Charles Gordon, HEICS Mornington (22), HEICS Ternate (16), HEICS Aurora (14), HEICS Mercury (14), HEICS Nautilus (14), HEICS Prince of Wales (14), HEICS Vestal (10), HEICS Ariel (10), HEICS Fury (8) and HEICS Stromboli bomb-ketch destroyed more than fifty Joasmi pirate vessels at Ras-al-Khaimah in the Persian Gulf.

1823 war threatened between the Kingdom of Burma and Britain.  Fearing the worst, the government of Lord Liverpool consulted the Duke of Wellington as to who would be the best man to command in a campaign to capture Rangoon and impose a favorable settlement on Burma.
Wellington promptly replied, "Send Lord Combermere."
"But," protested the Cabinet, "We have always understood that your Grace considered Lord Combermere a fool?"

"So he is a fool, and a damned fool; but he can take Rangoon!" replied the Duke.

Lord Combermere began life as Stapleton Stapleton-Cotton (1773-1865).  The son of the Baronet of Combermere Abbey, Stapleton-Cotton joined the British army through purchase in the early 1790s, and over the next 25 years had a career rather typical of a British aristocrat of his times, serving variously in India, Africa, Ireland, and on the continent, and, from1808 in Spain and Portugal, rising to command Wellington's cavalry.  In the Peninsula he earned the nickname "Golden Lion" from the French, both for his battlefield prowess and his rather spectacular taste in uniforms -- reportedly he could compete with Joachim Murat in sartorial splendor. 
Despite Wellington's curious endorsement, the Cabinet decided not to place Combermere in command of the Burmese expedition. 
Note: Combermere was the father of Wellington Henry Stapleton-Cotton, the Second Viscount (1818-1891), who had an honorable if unspectacular career in the British Army, rising to colonel in the Guards and followed by many years of service in the House of Lords, who is nevertheless today more famous than his father, his ghost having allegedly been photographed sitting in the family home.

1917 the U.S. Navy issued a new model cutlass, with a blade nearly 25 inches long, perhaps in the hope that Uncle Sam’s bluejackets might find it useful for boarding German dreadnoughts.

1933  Hitler’s private sleeping carriage, which bore the number 10222, is still in service today, reserved for the use of the President of the German Federal Republic, though its designation has been changed to 8940322.
1956. Hungarian Revolution finally crushed by overwhelming Soviet forces
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 15, 2023, 11:45:32 PM
353BC.   The first use of "artillery" on the battlefield, as opposed to during sieges, seems to have occurred during the Greek "Third Sacred War," when the Phocian commander Onomarchus deployed catapults to deliver converging fire from his flanks during the ambush of a Macedonian army under the great King Philip II, who was forced to retire in some disorder.
1818. the end of the Napoleonic Wars, King George III of England was sunk deep in madness, and the royal authority was being exercised by his son the Prince of Wales (or as Beau Brummel was wont to call him, “The Prince of Whales”). The Prince-Regent himself had only one child, Princess Charlotte, a bright young women who, in contrast to her father was widely admired. Alas, Princes Charlotte died in childbirth 1817, thus altering the line of succession. When George III died, he was, naturally succeeded by the Prince-Regent, who duly became George IV in 1820. Since the Prince-Regent lacked a legal heir of his body (there were a number of illegitimate offspring), the succession would pass to a sibling. Now the Prince-Regent had a flock of brothers and sisters, but in 1817 none of them had any legitimate children of their own either. Next in line after George IV’s siblings, were two German cousins, who also lacked heirs. The next in line after them was thus Princess Friederike Catherine Sophie Dorothea von Württemberg, the grand-daughter of Augusta of Hanover, the Princess Royal of England, elder sister to George III. If this came to pass even the staunchest Tories might have abandoned their devotion to legitimacy, for Princess Catherina, as she was commonly, known, was married to one Jerome Bonaparte, sometime King of Westphalia, and she, or her heirs, would only have had to join the Church of England to be able to claim the throne.
England was spared the indignity of a Bonaparte on the throne because, in 1818, George IV’s bachelor brother Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, aged 50, married the 31-year old Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who, the following year produced a daughter, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent, who although only fifth in line to the throne, inherited it when her Uncle William IV died in 1837, as Queen Victoria, to reign until 1901.

1918. French casualties in World War I – whether killed, wounded, or missing – averaged 37,000 for each of the 51 months of the war, though for August and September of 1914 casualties actually averaged 164,000 a month.
 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 16, 2023, 10:50:02 PM
202 BC. The personality of Hannibal so dominates the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.) that the Roman victory in the titanic struggle is often overlooked. One reason for that victory was the prodigious effort made by the Republic to maintain strong armies in the field at whatever cost. As a result, despite repeated devastating losses blows – Lake Trasimenus, Cannae, and others – the Romans never lost heart, tapping the enormous resources and energies of the Republic to eventually attain a nearly total victory.
It is estimated that in the course of the long war nearly 100 percent of eligible male Roman citizens served at some time or other. For many periods as much as half of the eligible men were under arms. Out of a pool of available male citizens which never exceed about 340,000, fully 120,000 died in the war, by one estimate as many as 80,000 of them as a result of combat.
Altogether 55 legions were raised during the war. This figure includes four legions raised from the discharged veterans of the 30 legions that were disbanded in the course of the conflict, plus four more from the remnants of the 15 that were destroyed in combat, and two composed of slave who volunteered in exchange for eventual freedom. Although the average term of enlistment for the 55 legions that served was about five years, several were under arms for much longer periods.

Legionary Service 218-202 B.C.
Years   Legions
15   2
11   2
10   1
8   11
7   2
6   5
5   6
4   4
3   7
2   10
1   5
The two legions which remained under arms for 15 years were composed of survivors of the disaster at Cannae in 216 B.C., when four legions were destroyed, two of which had been recruited in 218 and two in 217. Thus, upon their discharge in 20 B.C., a year after the end of the war, some of the veterans of the two Legiones cannaneses had been in the service for more than 18 years

1788  By carefully parlaying all his perquisites, plus taking a little off the top now and again, Lt. Col. Sir Mark Wood, the Chief Engineer of the Bengal Army in the late, managed to salt away some £200,000, an impressive piece of change in any era.

1940. The first attack by New York City's "Mad Bomber," George Metesky: Over 16 years until he was caught, he planted 33 bombs, of which 22 exploded, injuring 15 people

1961. Franz Halder, who had been Chief of the General Staff of Hitler's Army from 1938 until September of 1942, worked for many years as an advisor to the U.S. Army's Historical Division, and upon retirement in 1961 was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 17, 2023, 10:50:31 PM
375         Roman Emperor Valentinian I (364-375), c. 54 dies, of apoplexy when visited by some arrogant barbarians.

1796    Death of  Empress Catherine II "the Great" of Russia (1762-1796), 67, in bed, alone, without a horse

1878   Anarchist Giovanni Passannante stabs King Umberto I of Italy, who wounds his attacker in return, using his dress sword, in the last case of a royal engaging in hand-to-hand combat

1885   Battle of the Slivnitza begins: by the 19th King Milan Obrenovic's Serbs are defeated by Prince Alexander Battenberg's Bulgarians, in the last battle commanded by sovereigns in the field
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 17, 2023, 10:58:10 PM
So where was Catherine's horse if it wasn't in the bed with her?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 18, 2023, 05:40:11 AM
This day in history - 1948, and a new wargamer is born  :)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 18, 2023, 08:17:07 AM
Happy Birthday, Bob! Hope it's a great day and you get some wargaming in. And cake. Lots of cake!  :party:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bob48 on November 18, 2023, 08:24:38 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 18, 2023, 10:16:23 AM
That's a great idea, a Waterloo Cake. Three layers, one for each army involved.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 18, 2023, 01:05:04 PM
Bob Hope?
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on November 18, 2023, 05:37:51 PM
(https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/765x765/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.genius.com%2Fa331ccd13f8532dc642d83b08394bb3f.175x219x1.jpg)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 18, 2023, 08:03:11 PM
1421. St. Elizabeth's Flood: A seawall on the Zuiderzee in the Netherlands collapses, c. 10,000 die

1944. A young general came to Washington, sent from the Southwest Pacific with the mission of explaining to Army Chief-of-Staff George C. Marshall how Gen. Douglas MacArthur wished to fight the war against the Japanese.
The young general made an impressive presentation, albeit that it was much too long Worse, the presentation was not very cogent. Needless to say, it was also not particularly convincing. When he concluded, the general added, "I will stake my military reputation on the soundness of these plans."
At that, Marshall, who could explain the strategic, logistical, and tactical problems of the American Civil War in under 20 minutes, leaned across the table and asked acidly, "Just what is your military reputation?"

1989. Last US battleship is retired.
Beginning in 1895 with the second class battleships Texasand Maine, the United States Navy would eventually put into commission 61 battleships, more than any other fleet save the Royal Navy. By the time the four sisters of the Iowa Class were stricken from the Navy List, nearly 110 years later, various American battleships had seen wartime service in six wars: that with Spain in 1898, the world wars of 1917-1918 and 1941-1945, Korea, 1950-1953, Vietnam, 1968-1969, and Operation Desert Storm, 1991, not to mention occasional more limited operations, such as the Vera Cruz landings in 1914.
In the course of their active careers, these vessels suffered the loss of over 2,400 sailors killed in the line of duty.
Some 260 men perished when the Maine exploded on February 15, 1898, an incident which, despite strenuous – and often strident – claims to the contrary has still not been adequately explained.
Nearly 300 other battleship sailors were killed in various shipboard accidents, about half of them in turret explosions,

Kearsarge (BB-5)    April 12, 1906   10 killed
Georgia (BB-15)    July 15, 1907   10
Mississippi (BB-41)   June 12, 1924   48
Missisippi (BB-41)   November 20, 1943   43
Iowa (BB-61)    April 19, 1989   47
Nearly 2,000 American battleship men were killed by Japanese air attack. Most of these men, about 1,500, perished at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Of those who died that day, over a thousand were crewmen of the USS Arizona (BB-39) and the rest were serving aboard the other six battleships present. In the course of the 44 months of war that followed Japanese air attacks, notably kamikaze, killed over 400 American battleship men. In addition, approximately 30 American battleship sailors were killed by “friendly fire” during enemy air attacks.
During World War II and later conflicts American battleships were occasionally struck by enemy coast defense fire during shore bombardments. Several of these resulted in casualties, but it seems that only one man was killed; On February 17, 1945, during the preliminary bombardment of Iwo Jima , the USS Tennessee (BB-43) received a hit on one of her 5”/38 gun mounts, which killed Seaman First Class Leon Andrew Giardini and wounded four others.
Apparently only 38 American battleship sailors were killed in surface combat. This occurred off Guadalcanal on the night of November 14-15, 1942. This was a wildly confusing action that saw the South Dakota (BB-57) and the Washington (BB-56) take on HIJMS Kirishima. During the action the “Sodak” was struck by numerous enemy 5-, 6-, and 8-inch rounds, plus one – possibly two – 14-inchers. The 14" round – or rounds – that South Dakota collected on this occasion make Kirishima the only enemy battleship ever to lay a glove an American one.
But then, there were only two other occasions when American battleships engaged enemy ones.
The first encounter between an American battleship and an enemy one occurred on November 8, 1940, just a week before the Guadalcanal shoot-out, when the USS Massachusetts (BB-59), sister to the South Dakota, swapped rounds with the French Richelieu at Casablanca, to the misfortune of the latter; the “Big Mamie” received one hit in return during this action, but it was from a French shore battery, not the battleship, and she suffered no casualties from the experience.
The third, and last time, American battleships engaged enemy ones occurred during the Battle of Surigao Strait (October 24-25, 1944), during which Mississippi (BB-41), Maryland (BB-46), West Virginia (BB-47),Tennessee (BB-43), California (BB-44), and Pennsylvania (BB-38) engaged the Japanese Fuso and Yamashiro, with most of the work being done by the first three plus flocks of cruisers, destroyers, and torpedo boats that were in support; PennsylvaniA did not fire.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 20, 2023, 09:39:19 AM
636         (A.H. 15) the Moslem Arabs defeated the Persians in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, leading to the collapse of the Sassanid Empire

1703  "The Man in the Iron Mask," of natural causes, after 24 years in the Bastille and other prisons

1828  Manikarnika Tambe, later Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi (1842-1858), a leader of the "Sepoy Mutiny", and lover of Harry Flashman, kia

1912  the launching of H.M.S. Dreadnought in 1905 touched off a naval arms race that saw something like 125 battleships and battlecruisers laid down before the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Of these, almost a third were built by Britain. In a show of imperial unity, several dominions and colonies offered to help defray the cost of this great shipbuilding program. In this way, two new battlecruisers of the Indefatigable Class were laid down in 1910, sponsored by Australia and New Zealand, and named, appropriately enough, in their honor.  Of these, Australia became the nucleus of the new Royal Australian Navy. New Zealand , on the other hand, was presented to the Royal Navy, because the Dominion could not afford to man and operate her; in fact, New Zealand had to go into debt to find the £1,684,990 to pay for the ship, a loan that was not finally paid off until two world wars had past.
Displacing some 22,000 tons at full load, H.M.S. New Zealand was an imposing vessel, toting eight 12-inch rifles at speeds up to 26 knots. Shortly after she was commissioned, in November of 1912, the Royal Navy thoughtfully sent the new battlecruiser on a good will visit to New Zealand, to show the folks what all that debt had gotten them.
While touring New Zealand in April, May, and June of 1913, the ship was visited by a delegation of Maori chiefs.  The chiefs pronounced some traditional Maori blessings on her, and also presented a number of gifts.  One of these was a ship’s wheel made from native woods and inscribed with the defiant war cry of the famous Maori chief Rewi Maniapoto, "Ake! Ake! Ake! Kia Kaha! –We will fight on, for ever and ever and ever!” In addition, the ship’s captain was given a green stone tiki pendant and a traditional Maori piu-piu, a black and white flax war kilt, and told that if he wore these in battle the ship would never come to harm.
New Zealand’s captains followed these instructions. And no harm befell the ship at the battles of Helgoland Bight (August 14, 1914) and Dogger Bank (January 24, 1915). Indeed, at Dogger Bank, when Vice-Admiral David Beatty came aboard New Zealand after having to abandon his flagship due to damage, he found Captain Lionel Halsey wearing both the tiki and piu-piu.
At Jutland (May 31-June1, 1916), New Zealand’s skipper, John Green, wore only the tiki, for he was little too plump to look good in the piu-piu. Nevertheless, Green kept the piu-piu close at hand, hanging in the ship’s conning tower.  Even so, the talismans provided excellent protection; of six ships in the Battle Cruiser Fleet, two blew up under enemy fire, Indefatigable and Queen Mary, while Princess Royal, Tiger, and Lion, were heavily damaged, suffering several casualties, Lion only surviving by chance and raw courage. In contrast, New Zealand took a single hit, and lost only one crewmember, a pet canary.
Battlecruisers were known for the weakness of their armor, but H.M.S. New Zealand was clearly much better protected than most. And the tiki and piu-piu? Well, they’re preserved at a museum in New Zealand, but are apparently not currently on exhibit.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 20, 2023, 12:37:01 PM
Great story!  :applause:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 20, 2023, 09:14:35 PM
1256   The Mongols under Hulugu Khan capture Maymum-Dis, mountain fortress of the Assassins

1759, the battle of Quiberon Bay, one of the most hair raising fights in the age of sail. The British, under Hawke, maintained a close blockade on the French coast in the vicinity of Brest. In that year, the French had made plans to invade England and Scotland, and had accumulated transports and troops around the Loire estuary. The defeat of the Mediterranean fleet at the Battle of Lagos in August made the invasion plans impossible, but Choiseul still contemplated a plan for Scotland, and so the fleet was ordered to escape the blockade and collect the transports assembled in the Gulf of Morbihan
Having struggled with unfavourable winds, Conflans had slowed down on the night of the 19th in order to arrive at Quiberon at dawn. 20 miles off Belleisle he sighted seven of Duff's squadron.] Once he realised that this was not the main British fleet, he gave chase. Duff split his ships to the north and south, with the French van and centre in pursuit, whilst the rearguard held off to windward to watch some strange sails appearing from the west. The French broke off the pursuit but were still scattered as Hawke's fleet came into sight. HMS Magnanime sighted the French at 8.30 and Hawke gave the signal for line abreast.
Conflans was faced with a choice, to fight in his current disadvantageous position in high seas and a "very violent" WNW wind, or take up a defensive position in Quiberon Bay and dare Hawke to come into the labyrinth of shoals and reefs. About 9 am Hawke gave the signal for general chase along with a new signal for the first 7 ships to form a line ahead and, in spite of the weather and the dangerous waters, set full sail. By 2.30 Conflans rounded Les Cardinaux, the rocks at the end of the Quiberon peninsula that give the battle its name in French. The first shots were heard as he did so, although Sir John Bentley in Warspite claimed that they were fired without his orders. However the British were starting to overtake the rear of the French fleet even as their van and centre made it to the safety of the bay.
Just before 4 pm the battered Formidable surrendered to the Resolution, just as Hawke himself rounded The Cardinals. Kersaint attempted to come to the aid of Conflans, but Thésée performed her turn without closing her lower gunports; water rushed into the gundeck, and she capsized with only 22 survivors. Superbe also capsized, and the badly damaged Héros struck her flag to Viscount Howe before running aground on the Four Shoal during the night.
Meanwhile, the wind shifted to the NW, further confusing Conflans' half-formed line as they tangled together in the face of Hawke's daring pursuit. Conflans tried unsuccessfully to resolve the muddle, but in the end decided to put to sea again. His flagship, Soleil Royal, headed for the entrance to the bay just as Hawke was coming in on Royal George. Hawke saw an opportunity to rake Soleil Royal, but Intrépide interposed herself and took the fire. Meanwhile, Soleil Royal had fallen to leeward and was forced to run back and anchor off Croisic, away from the rest of the French fleet. By now it was about 5 pm and darkness had fallen, so Hawke made the signal to anchor.
During the night eight French ships managed to do what Soleil Royal had failed to do, to navigate through the shoals to the safety of the open sea, and escape to Rochefort. Seven ships and the frigates were in the Vilaine estuary but Hawke dared not attack them in the stormy weather. The French jettisoned their guns and gear and used the rising tide and northwesterly wind to escape over the sandbar at the bottom of the river Vilaine. One of these ships was wrecked, and the remaining six were trapped throughout 1760 by a blockading British squadron and only later managed to break out and reach Brest in 1761/1762.The badly damaged Juste was lost as she made for the Loire, 150 of her crew surviving the ordeal, and Resolution grounded on the Four Shoal during the night.
Soleil Royal tried to escape to the safety of the batteries at Croisic, but Essex pursued her with the result that both were wrecked on the Four Shoal beside Heros. On the 22nd the gale moderated, and three of Duff's ships were sent to destroy the beached ships. Conflans set fire to Soleil Royal while the British burnt Heros

1805         Premiere of Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" in Vienna, with Napoleon sitting in the Hapsburg imperial box

1956         the USS 'Hartford', Farragut's Civil War flagship, sank at dockside, Norfolk, Va, the nation being too cheap to preserve her
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 21, 2023, 05:51:08 PM
53 BC   Marcus Licinius Crassus, c. 60, beheaded by the Parthians (no molten gold involved), his head is then used as a prop in a play

1338. An archer named Robin Hood is enlists in the service of King Edward III at the garrison on the Isle of Wight

1917. Like most young Germans of noble family, Rudolph von Eschwege (b. 1895) was destined for a military career. And thus it was that the young man joined the cavalry, shortly before Europe erupted into what would become World War I. The young officer took part in the opening campaigns of the war, seeing action on several occasions. But it soon dawned on all but the very slow learners that cavalry wasn’t likely to garner much glory in this new kind of war. So late in 1915 von Eschwege joined the air service.
The young man was soon serving with the 36th Squadron, conducting reconaissance missions over the Western Front. In 1916 he was transferred to the Macedonian Front. It was over Macedonia that he began to acquire a reputation as a fighter pilot, scoring two kills while serving with the 66th Squadron. In Janaury of 1917, he was transferred to the 30th Squadron, and began raking up an impressive score, and soon became known as " The Eagle of the Aegean."
By October of 1917, von Eschwege had achieved 16 kills. Now all of these had been of Allied aircraft, often observation planes but sometimes fighters. The Allies had also deployed a number of observation balloons over the front, and these were proving troublesome to the German and Bulgarian troops holding the lines.
An observation balloon was essentially a large gas bag tethered to the ground by a cable. From under the balloon, a small gondola was suspended, from which one or two men could observe the front, direct artillery fire, and even spot troops movements in the enemy’s rear, communicating with the ground by telephone. Surprisingly, given they were held aloft by highly flammable hydrogen, observation balloons were rather hard to shoot down. In fact, by October of 1917 the Allies had not yet lost a single observation balloon to enemy aircraft over Macedonia.
So although observation balloons seemed pretty inoccuous targets, they began to interest von Eschwege. Now the British were in the habit of lofting an observation balloon pretty much every morning on the western side of the River Struma, which gave them an excellent view of the Bulgarian lines. The young German ace decided to make it his personal business to down the balloon. And he did so on the morning of October 28, 1917, flying a Halberstadt Scout. He dived down on the balloon from out of the sun, guns blazing, and had the satisfaction of seeing the British observer take to his parachute. But the balloon failed to explode! Apparently von Eschwege had either missed the gas bag entirely, or the rounds " he had thoughtfully loaded his machine guns with incendiary rounds " failed to ignite the hydrogen; there probably was not enough oxygen mixed with the hydrogen for it to explode. Finally, on his fourth pass, by which time the balloon was proably well perforated, and thus well aerated, von Eschwege was rewarded with a spectacular explosion, and watched as the burning balloon plunged earthwards; by his reckoning it was his 21st kill, though officially only 17 had been confirmed. At that moment, however, he spotted several Allied fighters that were rapdily approaching. On any other occasion, von Eschwege might have tried tangling with the enemy fighters, but with his ammo low, he eluded them and headed for home.
On the morning of November 21st, he downed another balloon, near Orljak. And then he spotted yet another. He bore in, and suddenly the balloon’s observation gondola exploded in a tremendous blast that tore von Eschwege’s airplane to pieces, apparently killing him instantly.
Having become tired of losing their aircraft, the men of No. 17 Balloon Section of the Royal Flying Corps had prepared a decoy target. They packed 500 pounds of explosives in the balloon's gondola, and then connected the detonator to the ground by a wire. When von Eschwege bore in for the kill, they had detonated the explosives.
Rudolph von Eschwege was officially credited with 20 kills, and claimed six more. Only 22 at the time of his death, von Eschwege never knew that he had been awarded the coveted "Pour le Merit - the Blue Max," the highest decoration of the House of Hohenzollern.

1920. Mussolini's Blackshirts kill 11 political opponents in Bologna
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 21, 2023, 07:59:02 PM
1338. An archer named Robin Hood is enlists in the service of King Edward III at the garrison on the Isle of Wight

they seem to keep forgetting this part in the movies
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on November 22, 2023, 06:30:06 AM
^ I think the one with Russell Crowe had an opening scene with robin and a couple of the Merry-Men-To-Be in the King's service.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 23, 2023, 09:00:45 AM
1529. During the siege of Florence by Imperial forces in 1529-1530, one of the key defensive positions that enabled the city to hold out for ten months was Mount San Miniato, which had been fortified under the direction of the distinguished military engineer Michelangelo Buonarotti.

1816. Defeating France during the Wars of the Revolution and Napoleon cost the British tax payers some £700 million, which was the equivalent of roughly 90.9 years of spending at the pre-war peacetime budget rate, and would today be worth between £21,000 million and £28,000 million.

1898. Craps was not widely played in the U.S. Army until the Spanish-American War, when white regulars and volunteers for the first time served protracted tours of duty with the black regulars of the four “colored” regiments, among whom it was a common form of gambling, after which it became a favorite among American troops in two world wars.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 23, 2023, 01:34:39 PM
31 years ago today I was eating Thanksgiving dinner at the Shoney's on Avent Ferry road South of the NC State campus, because there were only two of us that spent all weekend at the radio station keeping it on the air over the Thanksgiving break

Of the 96 hours over that weekend, I think we were on the air for 84 of them between us including a bunch of them together

I didn't have anything else to do that weekend and wasn't going to go back to Oklahoma again, so I racked up a monster paycheck at the radio station and had a buffet for Thanksgiving dinner 😎
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 23, 2023, 03:39:56 PM
60 BC. After  the Third Mithridatic War (66-61 BC), Pompey the Great claimed to have inflicted over 12 million casualties on enemy troops, to have sunk or captured 846 enemy ships, and to have accepted the surrender of 1,538 towns and cities, claims which many Romans took with a grain of salt.

1783         Benjamin Franklin has a congenial conversation with Giacomo Casanova in Paris

1915  During the opening stages of the British campaign against the Turks in what is now Iraq,  during World War I, Arab irregulars were quite active in harassing the invaders, especially at night.
It was not uncommon for raiders to sneak into camps, evading sentries and making their way among sleeping soldiers, to steal whatever they could find, such as boots, rifles, and blankets, and then getting away, usually without waking anyone.  One night in January of 1915, a raider managed to make off with a yellow flag from the camp of the 2nd Battalion, the Norfolk Regiment, shortly after which a Turkish spokesman reported the capture of “an enemy flag.”
Since flags have historically been among the most treasured of war trophies, the raider was probably well-rewarded for his efforts.  Naturally, other Arabs sought to emulate his achievement.  Soon thefts of the yellow flags became rather common.  To stop them, the British set booby-traps, and several raiders were killed trying to make off with the flags.
At the time of the first theft, Captain Alfred J. Shakeshaft of the Norfolks wrote in his diary, “We wondered if this would be hung up in the military museum at Constantinople.”  One wonders even now, particularly since yellow flags were the British Army’s standard markers for latrines

1986 the Council of the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago 30 miles west of Land's End, England, concluded a treaty of peace with the Netherlands, thus ending a technical state of war that had existed since 1651, when the Dutch got tired of having their ships victimized by Scillian "false-lighters," who would erect decoy beacons to lure ships onto rocks to be plundered.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 24, 2023, 12:28:35 PM
50. The Roman Emperor Claudius (A.D. 41-54), was the first to declare that members of the Army's auxilia, recruited from non-citizens, were to receive the citizenship upon  completion of 25 years' of service, to include their wives and hitherto illegitimate Children.

1783. The Imperial German Füsilier-Regiment Generalfeldmarschall Prinz Albrecht von Preußen (Hannoversches) Nr. 73 wore a blue cuff band bearing the British battle honor “Gibraltar,” commemorating its descent from a Hanoverian regiment that had served in the defense of “The Rock” during the siege

1916, at the height of the Great War, Hiram Maxim was deaf, having fired his invention, the first really practical machine gun, some 200,000 times while selling it to virtually every army in the world

1945. During World War II the prostitute population of Fayetteville, North Carolina, site of Fort Bragg, rose from a “normal” level of about 200 to occasional peaks of some 5,000, as the number of troops stationed there rose and fell.

1977  The tomb of Philip II of Macedon is discovered near Vergine, Macedonia
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 24, 2023, 12:38:51 PM
That's probably a very low number for Fayetteville these days
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 24, 2023, 11:17:18 PM
That's probably all those, 'Flat-Landers' coming up to see the sights. There's got to be a joke about, 'Tar Heels' in there somewhere.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 25, 2023, 10:34:05 AM
2348   BC   The "Great Flood" of Noah begins according to the estimate of the Episcopal Bishop John Ussher

638 B.C. the Chinese Duke of Sung refused to attack an enemy army as it was crossing a river, believing such an act to be unchivalrous; not surprisingly, he lost the resulting battle, though he afterwards boasted that he had perserved his honor.

1739. Admiral Lord Vernon, who campaigned in the West Indies during the so-called “War of Jenkin’s Ear,” concentrated his attentions on destroying the Spanish revenue service, so that English smugglers would have an easier time trading with the enemy, to whom he was otherwise rather lenient, not even plundering the city of Portobello, Panama, when he captured it, lest it offend potential customers.

1809         British diplomat Benjamin Bathurst vanished in Perleberg, Germany, probably bumped off by Napoleon's agents, but fueling numerous woo-woo theories

1870  When the Franco-Prussian War broke out, General Abel. Douay was named commander of the 2nd Division of the I Corps. On August 4th, Douay’s division formed the advanced guard of the Army of the Rhine, at Wissembourg, in eastern Alsace, preparing to advance into Germany. By a surprise concentration, three German corps fell on the French force. Despite a desperate resistance, the French, greatly outnumbered (c. 60,000 to c. 8,000), were driven from the town. Douay himself was mortally wounded during the fighting when a mitrailleuse, an early machine gun, exploded during the fighting. He died soon after, the first French general to fall in the war. In death, Douay received honors from Prussian Crown Prince Frederick William (later the Emperor Frederick III, the father of “Kaiser Bill”), who had commanded the attacking forces, and other German commanders.
Meanwhile, after driving the remnants of Douay’s division from Wissembourg, the Germans pressed on, though not after collecting the spoils of war.
Among the loot were four carriages that belonged to Douay. One was described as “a businesslike traveling office.” The second was “an elaborate kitchen wagon, complete with mini-wine cellar, cages for live poultry, and all the tools of the culinary arts.” Finally, there were to two well-appointed camp wagons. In the wagons were found the late general’s considerable collection of uniforms, and “corsets, crinolines, and peignoirs,” belonging to the general’s mistress, who was, alas, not among the spoils.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 25, 2023, 10:46:46 AM
I, too, hope to one fuel some woo-woo theories
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 26, 2023, 01:18:07 PM
634         "Battle of the Euphrates Bridge" - The Persians annihilated a Moslem Arab army

1692, admiral Edward Russell was in command of the ships that were to oppose the fleet France was concentrating under the Count de Tourville for an invasion of England in order to restore James II. Now according to tradition, there was great sympathy in the Admiralty for James, who had been an excellent naval officer. And so, as Russell was preparing to put to sea with an Anglo-Dutch fleet numbering perhaps 120 vessels, including over 80 ships-of-the-line, he was handed sealed orders from the Admiralty with instructions to open them when he had reached a certain latitude. Russell, however, had apparently been informed of the contents of the orders, which instructed him to avoid action with the French. Moreover, he had actually been approached in secret with an offer of huge bribe if he avoided action or, if forced to fight, threw the match. So even as his fleet was about to sail, the good admiral made a secret journey from Portsmouth to London, and had a private audience with King William III.
Russell explained to the king the absurdity of these secret instructions (what, for example, was he to do if he encountered the French before opening the orders to avoid them?) Mentioning the offer of a bribe, he suggested that treachery was afoot. He concluded by asking the king to either issue fresh orders permitting him to take on the enemy, or accept his resignation. William told him to take the bribe, and then, with his own hand, wrote orders that Russell was to take, sink, burn, or otherwise destroy as many of the enemy as he should meet, and dated the document so that it superseded any orders issued by the Admiralty.
With his new orders in hand, Russell returned to Portsmouth, put to sea, and between May 29th and June 4th inflicted a stunning series of defeats on the French in raids on the ports of Barfleur, Cherbourg, and La Hogue, a feat, oddly, witnessed and greatly admired by the deposed James II.
Returning to England in triumph, Russell was summoned to the Admiralty to explain why he had disobeyed orders. With a flourish, he produced the king’s instructions.

1703. The Great Storm.  One of the most severe storms recorded in the south of England.  Winds gust up to 120 mph and around 9,000 people die.  In London, approximately 2,000 chimney stacks are blown down.  The lead roofing on Westminster Abbey is torn off.  On the Thames, over 700 ships were pushed together in the Pool of London.

1741. When in the field the Comte de Saxe (1696-1750) always traveled with a theatrical troupe – partially to enjoy the show and partially to enjoy the actresses – and it was usually at the conclusion of a performance that his subordinates learned whether a battle was imminent, for after curtain call, one of the starlets would appear to announce the name of the play for the following night, but would occasionally say, “Gentlemen, there will be no play tomorrow for the marshal gives battle” before explaining what was scheduled for the day after that.

2016  thie death Fidel Castro Ruiz, 90, sometime Hollywood bit player, lousy baseballer, Dictator of Cuba (1957-2008)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 27, 2023, 01:13:58 PM
1770. Horatio Nelson entered as midshipman in HMS Raisonnable.

1828 the newly elected, but not yet inaugurated, President of Mexico, Manuel Gomez Pedraza, a moderate liberal, used the army to eject the governor of the State of Mexico, Lorenzo de Zavala.  Not a man to take such high-handed and illegal treatment lightly, in December, supported by General de division Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, a hero of Mexico’s War for Independence, Zavala rallied most of the garrison of Mexico City to his side. There followed four days of bloody fighting.  Zavala's men won the fight, and installed another supposed liberal, Vicente Guerrero, as President.
Now, during the fighting there was considerable looting on the part of the city's underclass, aided and abetted by soldiers and even officers.  When the property owners sought redress, they were ignored.  For those among the victims who were Mexicans there was no further recourse.  However, some of those who had lost property were French citizens, and they promptly took their cases to their consul.  But they found that that the consul was only mildly interested in the matter, doing little more than sending occasional notes to the Mexican government.  So the matter died.
But in 1838 one of the French claimants, a pastry cook known as Monsieur Remontel managed to get the ear of someone higher up the food chain in the French government.  He claimed that his shop in the Tacubaya district of Mexico City had been looted by Mexican officers during the four days of fighting back in 1828, and he wanted compensation.  This time, word went up the chain-of-command, and King Louis-Philippe decided to champion his subject’s claims.  Soon, the French Minister presented a demand that Mexico pay some 600,000 pesos in compensation, an enormous sum for the times, since a common Mexican workman's daily pay was only about one peso.
Now for some years Mexico had been in a state of considerable disorder.  Domestic affairs had never been orderly, with the presidency changing hands repeatedly by coups and counter-coups over the previous decade, and secessionist movements had threatened to separate various states from the central government, with Texas actually achieving independence in early 1836.  And in any case, of course, the country was broke.
So President Anastasio Bustamante rejected the demand.  And on March 21, 1838, a French naval expedition showed up off Vera Cruz and presented an ultimatum; pay up or suffer the consequences.  Bustamante tried negotiations, while making efforts to bolster the country’s coast defenses, but on April 16th, the French imposed a blockade of the Mexican Gulf coast and bombarded the island fortress of San Juan de Ulua, which guarded the harbor of Vera Cruz, and quickly seized it, thus controlling maritime access to the country.
This marked the beginning of desultory hostilities that came to be known as "The Pastry War" in both France and Mexico.  There was little fighting, though the French made occasional raids into the interior to "sting” the Mexicans into cooperating.  On November 27th, the French commenced a heavy bombardment of Vera Cruz proper, which was followed by some listless negotiations, and then on December 5th, the French took the city by a coup de main.  They remained for most of the day, hauling off considerable loot, including most of the Mexican fleet.
The disaster at Vera Cruz, coming on top of the increasing impact of the blockade, was the final blow for Mexico.  Negotiations resumed, and the Bustamante government promised payment in full.  On March 9, 1839, the French politely sailed for home
The Pastry War had complex historical consequences.  The loss of the Mexican fleet proved an immense handicap in Mexican efforts to curb a secessionist movement in Yucatan, as well as recover Texas.  In addition, the war led to the return of the amazingly corrupt, yet remarkably adept Antonio Lopez de Santa to the scene.
Ousted from political life in 1836, after bungling the suppression of the Texas War for Independence, Santa Anna had retired to his hacienda at Jalapa, in the mountains west of Vera Cruz.  When the French invested Vera Cruz, Santa Anna rode down from the mountains, quite illegally took command of the defending forces, and helped prolong the resistance.  Actually in the city when the French stormed in on December 5th, legend has it that when the final French assault began, he was in the arms of his mistress and had to flee through the night wearing only a towel.  Santa Anna redeemed himself, however, after a fashion, later that same day when, as the French pulled out of Vera Cruz, he led some troops in pursuit through the streets of the city.  As his men tangled with the French rear guard, the general’s left was leg mangled by some grapeshot, necessitating an amputation that left him in considerable pain for the rest of his life.  Santa Anna had the severed limb preserved in a richly decorated casket, like a saint’s relic, and would parade it on special occasions to remind everyone of his devotion to the patria, which he otherwise served so poorly.

1941. a Joint Army-Navy signal was sent senior commanders in the Pacific ended with, "This dispatch is to be considered a war warning," to which the CNO added to CINCUS Kimmel "an aggressive move by Japan is expected within the next few days" .

1942. with the United States engaged in World War II, the science fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp (1907-2000) realized he needed to do his bit. At the suggestion of his friend, fellow-science fictioneer Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1998), a former naval officer (USNA, 1929), who was working as a civilian scientist in a laboratory at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, de Camp applied for a commission in the Navy.
After the paperwork made its way through the system, de Camp was ordered to appear before a board of officers to assess his suitablility for a commission. The board, composed of crusty old salts, some of whom had been pulled out of retirement to assist in the war effort, reviewed his qualifications and found them excellent. De Camp had received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Cal Tech in 1930 and a master’s from Stevens Institute three years later.
Then came the time for some general questions. One or another of the officers made some innocuous inquiries, but de Camp could sense that there was something wrong, a tension among the interviewers.
Finally, one of the officers almost abashedly asked, “Mr. de Camp, why do you write?”
De Camp replied, “Why, to make money.”
At that, there was an immediate reduction in the tension in the room; the board members, hard-headed realists all, apparently had feared that he would start talking about an inner compulsion to pursue his art or some other touchy-feely explanation, and were pleased to learn that his muse was driven by the need to make a living, since during the Depression he had been unable to find work as an aeronautical engineer. De Camp was commissioned a lieutenant.
Commission in hand, de Camp was recruited by Heinlein to work with him in the aviation materials lab at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. Another co-worker was Isaac Asimov (c. 1920-1992), a young science fiction writer and scientist who had also been recruited by Heinlein. They were part of a team that performed technical anlysis and evaluation of materials. Conspiracy theorists, of course, believe the three were deeply involved in the “Philadelphis Experiment,” in which the Navy supposedly dematErealized a destroyed and transported it out of Philadelphia.
A laudable ambition in war or peace.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 28, 2023, 07:12:30 PM
1520   Magellan's fleet emerges from the strait that now bears his name onto the Pacific Ocean.

1721  Louis Dominique Bourguignon, known as "Cartouche", 27-28, noted highwayman, broken on the wheel at Paris

1795  US pays $800,000 & a frigate for "protection" from Algerian & Tunisian pirates

1912. One of the Imperial-and-Royal Austro-Hungarian Army's most dedicated soldier diplomats, Alois Esterhazy, the Prince de Galanthe-Forchtenstein (1844-1912), served as military attaché to the Court of St. James from 1884 through 1901. The urbane, free-spending Esterhazy was popular in Britain. He traveled in all the right circles, and knew everyone who was anyone both in Society and in the British Army. In short, he was the perfect military attaché in all respects. Save one.
Military attaches were supposed to collect information. But as an intelligence operative, Esterhazy was a complete failure. In all the years that he served in London, Esterhazy managed to forward to his superiors virtually nothing in the way of useful military information. He spent most of his time at the races, where he bet heavily and often won, or visiting French resorts, where he pursued young women with considerable success. Back in Vienna his lack of success in the pursuit of information does not seem to have caused much alarm. There were a variety of reasons for this.
The Imperial-and-Royal service was, after all, not particularly noted for its efficiency. Esterhazy was also a distinguished Hungarian nobleman, a matter of considerable importance in an army which placed great emphasis on aristocratic lineage. And, of course, he was a relatively high ranking officer - eventually a general - in an army that had twice as many officers relatively speaking as did any other. But there was one reason that was even more important than all of these. It seems that Esterhazy's tenure in London was good for the Imperial-and-Royal Joint Finance Ministry, for he paid all his own expenses, so that the army got a military attaché on the cheap.

1918. During the final 200 days of World War I Germany suffered 681 men killed in action each day, Britain 510, France 908, and the U.S. only 251.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on November 30, 2023, 09:46:52 AM
44   BC   Legio IV declared for Octavian, joining the Martia, which had already defected from Marc Antony.

1760. Rogers' Rangers capture Detroit from the French.

1776. Continental brig Reprisal arrives in Quiberon Bay, France, becoming the first Continental vessel to arrive in Europe. Reprisal was carrying Benjamin Franklin who was acting as the diplomatic agent to the country.

1682   Death of Prince Rupert of the Rhine, 62, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria & of Cumberland, Earl of Holderness, etc., general and admiral

1811  At the Admiralty Sessions, the master of a merchant vessel was sentenced to pay a fine and be imprisoned 12 months in Newgate for enticing seamen from the King's service.

1878. the Royal Navy was still issuing pork and beef that had been salted down in 1805..

1941. Army Intel analysts in Hawaii recommended "Our forces should be placed on the alert and stay there, due to the imminent possibility of an attack," and were ignored by Lt. Gen. Walter Short.

1944 USS Maryland (BB 46) is hit by a kamikaze off Leyte. She is repaired in time for Okinawa Invasion where she is hit by a kamikaze again April 7, 1945.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 30, 2023, 09:56:28 AM
1760. Rogers' Rangers capture Detroit from the French.

and the French have thanked us ever since
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on November 30, 2023, 10:26:13 AM
 ;D  True that! Or else the Detroit Lions would've been the Detroit Lyons?  :nope:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 11, 2024, 11:12:38 PM
532       The Nika Riots begin in Constantinople, tens of thousands died as Justinian and Belisarius "restored order.

347     Born Flavius Theodosius -- Roman Emperor Theodosius I "the Great" (379-395), last ruler of the united empire.
From the time Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was granted the title Augustus, on Jan. 16, 27 B.C., until the deposition of Romulus Augustulus on September  4, A.D. 476, 81 men are more or less regarded as having served as Roman Emperor through to the end of the empire in the west.  Less than a third of these men died of natural causes.

Classicist Philip Matyszak recently examined the various ways in which those who attained what he called "the most dangerous job in the ancient world" passed from the scene.

Natural Causes
          Old Age        10        percent (including heart attacks, etc.)
          Disease        11        
          Accident        4        (includes a fall from a horse and a lightning strike)
Unnatural Causes
          Killed by mutinous troops        24        
          Assassinated by family or friends        8        
          Killed in action        8        (mostly against usurpers)
          Executed        8        (by their successors)
          Suicide        7        (mostly to avoid execution by a usurper)
          Drowned while evading capture        1        
Resigned or Deposed        12        (deaths included above)
Now although attaining the Imperium was not likely to enhance one's chances of dying in bed of old age surrounded by one's children and grandchildren, the job never seems to have lacked for "applicants."  In addition to the canonical 81, at least 80 other men laid claim to the imperial dignity, virtually all of whom met a violent end.


1943  Carlo Tresca, 63, anarchist, assassinated on Fifth Avenue at 13th Street, by pro-Fascist gangsters
1944  Galeazzo Ciano, 40, Italian politician, executed by his father-in-law, Mussolini
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 13, 2024, 09:44:02 AM

1500  Cesare Borgia captures the citadel of Forli, and the great Caterina Sforza, taken weapons in hand.  At one point in the siege, the attackers brought up Catherine's children and threatened to kill them if she did not surrender.  Caterina patted her stomach, "I can make more.". Mother Love is truly amazing.

1916  Joseph Joffre, the French  supreme commander from the outbreak of the World War until December of 1916, probably holds the world's record for sacking generals.  Even before the war he had been known to can generals who turned in a poor performance during maneuvers.  In fact, he actually sacked seven division commanders during mobilization, before the shooting began.
During the first 90 days of the war Joffre not only sacked 65 division commanders, but also 22 of the 65 replacement generals (33.8 percent), and then 6 of these 22 "third-generation" commanders (27.3 percent).  Nor were senior officers immune, for in that same 90 days he also sacked two of the five army commanders and 19 of 37 corps commanders.  Adjusted for casualties – in 1914 generals still often led from the front – only 3.5 percent of the French  generals holding divisional or higher command in 1914 still held posts of equal or greater responsibility at the end of the war, in 1918. 

1992   Born   HAL, noted cyber personality, d. 2010

2015  John E. Hill, American wargame designer, 69
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on January 13, 2024, 10:31:02 AM
1992  ;D
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 14, 2024, 09:31:31 PM
1642. Castro was an ancient city of Latium west of Lake Bolsena, north of Rome. For centuries a dependency of the Papal States, in 1537 Pope Paul III made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the Duke of Castro. The fief remained in the Farnese family for more than a century thereafter. But in 1642 Duke Odoardo Farnese – who was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza – had a run-in with Pope Urban VIII, a member of the Barberini family. The duke had a lot of debts. The Pope demanded that the duke pay some of them. The duke refused. So on October 13, 1641, a small papal army under Urban’s nephew, Taddeo Barberini, Prince of Palestrina and “The General of the Holy Church,” occupied Castro and some other territories. Duke Odoardo still refused to pay his debts, so on January 13, 1642, the pope formally confiscated Castro and several other fiefs. This initiated the “First Castro War,” 1642-1644.
Duke Odoardo slowly mobilized a miniscule army, and secured an alliance with Grand Duke Ferrante II d’Medici of Tuscany, the Most Serene Republic of Venice, and Duke Carlo II de Nevers of Mantua, all of whom had territorial issues with the papacy, and secured support from France, just then at war with Spain, the dominant power in Italy. Eventually Odoardo was able to raise an army of some 3,000 troops. After much delay, the duke advanced into the States of the Church, inflicting a defeat on Don Taddeo, who handled the papal army badly, not least because he was pocketing a substantial portion of the money appropriated for its support (In fact, the shortage of funds became so severe that jokes circulated about collecting “Alms for the Pope’s Army.”). In mid-1643 an armistice was called. Desultory peace negotiations went on for a time at Orvieto, to no avail. Late that year, hostilities were resumed, though little fighting took place. Finally, under pressure from the French, on March 31, 1644, Pope Urban concluded the Treaty of Ferrara with Duke Odoardo and his allies, which ended the war on the basis of status quo ante bellum, which included an agreement by the duke to pay his debts. Thus ended what was sometimes called the “Barberini War.”
A few weeks later, Pope Urban died, to be succeeded on the See of Peter by Innocent X, a reforming pope.
In 1646, Duke Odoardo died, to be succeeded by his son Ranuccio II. Ranuccio repudiated his father’s agreement to pay the debts. Worse, he refused to recognize Cristoforo Guarda, whom the pope had appointed Bishop of Castro. And as the good bishop was traveling to his new see, his party was ambushed and he was murdered. Determining that the deed had been committed at the instigation of Duke Ranuccio, the pope ordered the occupation of the fief, touching off the Second Castro War, which lasted only a few weeks.
A papal army quickly invested the citadel of Castro. Meanwhile, Duke Ranuccio collected together an army, which he entrusted to the command of Jacopo Gaufrido. A civilian functionary – he had been Secretary of State of Parma – Gaufrido lost a hard fought battle in August against an army from Bologna, and was himself captured while trying to escape. Soon afterwards, having heard news of the defeat of Gaufrido’s army, Castro surrendered.
In victory, Innocent X dealt harshly with his enemies. Gaudrido was tried for making war on the Church, and punished severely. Ranuccio – on whom the pope was unable to lay his hands – was excommunicated. As for Castro, since its people had put up a stout defense, on September 2, the pope ordered the city destroyed and the populace dispersed.
The Castro War was pretty small, even by contemporary standards. Aside from the handful of dead and the destruction of Castro, it’s principal consequences were that the papal treasury received a thorough overhaul, since Innocent soon discovered that a lot of money destined for the army never made it, and the production of a great deal of art, for although defeated, the graft he collected permitted Don Taddeo to amass an impressive number of notable works, as may be noticed by anyone who’s visited the Barberini Palace and National Gallery of Antique Art, at No. 13, Via Quattro Fontane, Rome, including such items as Camassei’s “The Massacre of the Niobids.”

1798  Lt. Lord Camelford, commanding HMS Favorite (16), shot dead Lt. Charles Peterson commanding, HMS Perdrix(22),  for mutiny in an argument over seniority at English Harbour, Antigua.

1811  Cumberland merchant ship, Cptn. Barret  with 26 men, defeated four French privateers, taking 170 men, who had boarded the Cumberland, prisoners.

1842. Among the many regiments that have served in the British Army over the centuries is one that holds the dubious distinction of having been wiped out more often than any other in the history of the service, the former 44th Regiment of Foot.

The 44th Foot had its origins in 1741, when one James Long raised a regiment for the British Army.  For a time known as the 55th Foot, in 1748 the regiment was redesignated as the 44th, and was later renamed the 44th East Essex.  In 1851 the regiment merged with the 56th West Essex Regiment and became the 1st Battalion of the new Essex Regiment.

On four occasions the regiment was virtually obliterated in action.

Sept. 21, 1745, the Battle of Prestonpans, Second (or maybe Third or Fourth . . . ) Jacobite Rising: Of 291 men present in five companies, some were killed but most were captured, including 13 officers, among them Lt. Col. Sir Peter Halkett, commanding.
July 9, 1755, the Battle of the Monongahela ("Braddock's Defeat"), French & Indian War:  The regiment lost heavily, with many killed, including Col. Halkett and his son, and most of the rest wounded.
January 13, 1842, Battle of Gandamak, First Anglo-Afghan War:  The final battle of the British retreat from Kabul, only one man escaped death or capture, to make it back to India, Surgeon William Brydon; 41 men were subsequently released from captivity
July 1, 1916, Battle of the Somme, The Great War:  In 90 minutes (1050-1220) the 1st Battalion took so many casualties that it was unable to continue in action.
On might also include the Battle of New Orleans (January 8, 1815), where the regiment suffered 36 killed, 162 wounded, and 80 captured, for 278 casualties, not to mention one officer subsequently cashiered.  Making matters worse, American observers claimed that the regiment left the field precipitously.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 15, 2024, 10:11:05 PM
588   BC   Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem, which fell on July 23, 586 BC

69. Aulus Marius Celsus (fl. c. A.D. 20-c. 75), was one of the more interesting minor actors on the Roman stage during the year of the Four Emperors (A.D. 69). Although his origins are obscure, he was probably a distant kinsman of the great Marius (157-86 BC), as the gens Marius was quite small and most Marians seem to have come from around Arpinum -- modern Arpino -- in Southern Latium, also the ancestral home of the great orator, and wannabe warrior Cicero.
Aulus was probably born some time between A.D. 20 and 25, the son of Quintus Marius Celsus, who served a praetor peregrinus (foreigners' magistrate) in 31, as by 63 he was commanding a legion, the XV Apollinaris. He probably had been in this post from 61 or 62, when the legion was transferred from it’s original home station, in Pannonia (western Hungary), to the East, to serve under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo (c. A.D. 7-67) during a ultimately victorious campaign against the Parthians (58-63) that secured Roman control of the Kingdom of Armenia. At the end of the war, the legion was stationed at Alexandria-by-Egypt, possibly with Marius still in command. In 66, however, with onset of the Great Jewish War (66-70), the Emperor Nero (r., 54-68) seems to have made a clean sweep of eastern commands, replacing Corbulo with Titus Flavius Vespasianus (A.D. 9-79), later the Emperor Vespasian (r. 69-79). If Marius was still in command of XV Apollinaris, he would have been replaced at that time, as the legion went on campaign in Judea under Vespasian’s son, also T. Flavius Vespasianus (39-81).
Whatever Marius was doing between A.D. 63 and 66, he seems to have gained the confidence of Nero, no mean feat. Whereas Nero ordered Corbulo to kill himself, apparently after having become peripherally involved in a conspiracy against the Emperor (think Rommel and Hitler), he designated Marius for a consulship in 69. In early 68, however, Nero’s misrule led to a series of revolts, and Servius Sulpicius Galba (A.D. 3-69), governor of one of the Spanish provinces, marched on Rome. The Senate deposed Nero, who shortly committed suicide. Galba was elevated to the imperium in June of 68, by which time Marius was firmly in his camp, having even had his claim to the consulship confirmed for the coming year.   
By early 69, however, Galba ran into some trouble; having no son, he had adopted a member of the old nobility. This greatly annoyed Marcus Salvius Otho (32-69), who had been one of Galba’s earliest supporters, and expected to be the one adopted. So in January, Otho suborned the loyalty of the Praetorians. Learning of this, Galba dispatched Marius to calm the troops. It was to no avail, for they ignored Marius and murdered Galba in the Forum on the 15th, proclaiming Otho Emperor. Their blood being up, the Praetorians then decided to knock off some of Galba’s principal supporters, and Marius figured on their list. Otho thought that Marius was worth saving, however, and resourcefully threw him in prison for a time. He then pardoned Marius, confirmed his prospective consulship, and even began including him among his close advisors.
Now even before these events had unfolded, on January 1, 69, the legions in Germany had proclaimed their own emperor, Aulus Vitellius (A.D. 15- 69), and begun a march on Rome. Otho concentrated an army, and gave Marius an important command. Together with the other Othonian generals, Marius advanced to the Po, and inflicted a defeat on the Vitellian advanced guard in the vicinity of Placentia (Piacenza) and Cremona. But shortly afterwards, the bulk of the Vitellian troops came up. Marius and his colleagues advised Otho to avoid battle and fall back to concentrate greater forces, but the Emperor overruled them, placing his brother Titianus in command. At the First Battle of Bedriacum (April 14), the Othonians suffered a crushing defeat. Otho committed suicide, and Vitellius was shortly confirmed as Emperor by the Senate.
Vitellius was surprisingly lenient toward his enemies, pardoning all of them, including Titianus, and even allowed Marius to assume his consulship in July. This was a matter of statecraft, rather than innate generosity, for Vitellius appears to have recognized that a noble gesture might help cement his tenuous claim to the imperium. And sure enough, word soon came that the Egyptian garrison, the eastern legions, and the troops on the Danube, had decided to back Vespasian (who had been a supporter of Galba) for the imperium, and some of them were already on the march for Rome.
Commanded by Marcus Antonius Primus (c. A.D. 30/35->81), in October of 69, Vespasian’s troops from the Danube reached the Po Valley. Vitellius concentrated a strong force to meet them, but in the Second Battle of Bedriacum (October  24), this army was completely defeated. After plundering nearby Cremona, Vespasian’s victorious troops shortly marched on Rome, where Vitellius was first made a prisoner, and later killed.
And Marius? Well, Vespasian thought him sufficiently capable as to name him governor and commander of Lower Germany (the Rhenish Netherlands), Vitellius’ former province, and a critical post given that the local Batavian tribesmen were in revolt. Marius commanded in Lower Germany for about two years, 71 to 73, and inflicted a major defeat on the Batavians, which is commemorated at Castra Vetera (Xanten) by a monument erected by the VI Victrix. Probably on the strength of this victory, in 73 Marius was transferred to Syria, which he governed until 75, when he seems to have died in office, as he is not heard of thereafter.
Marius appears to have been an able administrator and a good commander, and certainly was quite a survivor, given that he had the confidence of five successive emperors – Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian – who succeeded each other in rather quick order between mid-68 and the end of 69.

1919  The 'Great Molasses Flood' in Boston, 21 die
1919  Karl Liebknecht (47) and Rosa Luxemburg (47), communist revolutionaries, murdered by the Freikorps in Berlin

1961   U.S. Air Force radar early-warning station Texas Tower 4, c. 75 miles SE of Coney Island, was destroyed by an 85 feet high “monster wave", 28 died

 




Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 21, 2024, 08:31:19 PM
1793   King Louis XVI of France (1774-1792) - "Citizen Capet", beheaded by the Revolutionaries for treason

1850  Pay in the Royal Prussian Army during the early nineteenth century was so poor that the young Helmuth von Moltke, who would go on to conquer France in 1871, translated Edward Gibbon's enormous The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire into German in order to raise cash.

1940  In order to conduct a lottery to allocate additional flights to New York's LaGuardia Airport, in late 2000 the Federal Aviation Administration borrowed from the Smithsonian Institution a large fish bowl and a set of numbered balls that were first used in 1917 and again in 1940 for a very different kind of lottery.
 
1945         The Red Army destroys the German Tannenberg monument in East Prussia
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 22, 2024, 10:45:13 AM
1670. The construction of the Citadel of Lille in France by the great Vauban in 1667-1670 required some 60,000,000 bricks and 3,300,000 ashlars as foundations stones, plus untold tons of miscellaneous stone, masonry, mortar, and earth, for a total mass of materials so great that it proved more economical to dig a canal of some 20 kilometers in length than to transport the materials by wagon.

1755  John Jervis (later Earl of St Vincent) passed as Lieutenant

1849  Having captured the Sikh fortress of Multan, British troops and agents of the Crown made off with an estimated £5 million in gold, silver, and jewels, a take easily worth $600 million today.

1880 Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, which had just attained its independence, asked the Tsar's Minister of War for the loan of 300 veteran NCOs to help train his new army, whereupon the Russian general replied that he could not spare the NCOs, but would the prince settle for 300 generals?

1942. Task Force 6814, later the Americal Div, composed of Nat'f Gd regiments made available by the "triangularizing" of existing divisions, sails from New York for the South Pacific; the longest troop movement in WW II.

1941. During World War II, USS Louisville (CA 28) arrives at New York with $148,342.212.55 in British gold brought from Simonstown, South Africa, to be deposited in American banks.

1951. Fidel Castro is ejected from a US Winter League game for beaning a batter
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 23, 2024, 07:39:41 PM
971        Battle of Shao: The Southern Han, with a corps of war elephants, are defeated by Song crossbowmen

1781. The 74 gun ship-of-the-line HMS 'Culloden' grounds in a storm on Montauk Point, Long I., NY, and is a constructive total loss, but there are no casualties.  This established a naval tradition as the next ship named Culloden grounded in the approach of Nelson into Aboukir Bay.  Firmly aground, the crew could only watch as Napoleon's fleet was smashed.

1857. In those days a custom prevailed in the army, and for aught I know continues still, called "wetting the colours;" in plain English this means [a new ensign] standing champagne to the mess on first carrying the colours . . . .
In another regiment, one of these "Colour" nights nearly ended in a Court-martial; the giver of the wine was orderly officer of the day, and as such had to visit the guards at night.  He left the mess apparently quite sober, but the fresh air outside, acting on the wine he had drunk, caused him to fall off his pony, and he slept in the ditch by the roadside.
Some half hour after, his Colonel, a very big man, came by on his way to bed; he saw the prostrate ensign, and after trying to awaken him, put him on his shoulders and carried him around the various guards, finally putting him to bed.
Next day the [young officer’s] report had to be written, and the report stated that the guards had not been visited at night.  About noon the Adjutant appeared and requested his immediate attendance at the orderly room.  There the Colonel sat looking very stern.
"Mr. — — , I see your report omits to mention that you visited the guards last night. What is the reason ?"
[Ensign] — - — hung his head; he was not going to lie, and say that he was taken ill.
The Colonel again spoke:  "I do not understand this, for I see that the sergeants of the Quarter Guard and the Prison Guard state that you turned them out at 12.30 and 12.50 respectively.  How do you account for this?" 
The Colonel, after keeping up the mystery a short time longer, dismissed the orderly room, and walking home with the youngster said, "You may thank your stars that I found you and carried you round last night.  Don't do it again.”

1937. Stalin's first "Purge Trial": Karl Radek & 16 others tried & shot.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 24, 2024, 11:00:29 AM
1634         Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II declares his generalissimo Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein a traitor.

1847         Col. Sterling Price defeats c. 1,500 Indians & Mexicans to secure New Mexico for the US

1862  Romania, formed by the merger of Wallacha & Moldavia under Alexander Ion Cuza, Prince of both states since 1859, as "Dominator" (1862-1866)

1961  A B-52 breaks up over the North Carolina coast, losing two H-bombs, one of which is still missing

1965  Winston Spencer Churchill,sometime soldier and British Prime Minister, dies at 90,
Having been invited to make a speech at Westminster College, a small liberal arts school in Fulton, Missouri, in the late winter of 1946 former British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill traveled to the United States. Early in March he was a guest of President Harry S Truman at the White House for several days. It was an amiable visit, and the two men got along well, though Truman apparently cleaned Churchill out at poker.
As the time for Churchill's speech approached, the two boarded a special train to take them to Fulton.
Shortly after boarding the train, the President asked if Churchill would like some whiskey. Never averse to a little booze – or a lot, for that matter – Churchill readily accepted the offer. But then Truman hauled out a bottle of his favorite potable, Wild Turkey. 
Churchill recoiled in horror, “That’s not whiskey, that’s bourbon!”
Within minutes, a presidential aide was on the telephone, and soon afterwards a wholly unscheduled stop was made at a railroad station in western Maryland, where several cases of Johnny Walker Red were brought aboard.
Thus properly lubricated, on March 5th Churchill delivered what would come to be known as the "Iron Curtain" speech, coining a phrase as he noted the onset of what would becom the Cold War.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 25, 2024, 11:11:52 AM
750        Battle of the Zab: The Abbasids defeat and overthrow the Umayyads, and take control of the Caliphate.

1782. The Battle of St Kitts (aka The Battle of Frigate Bay). The British fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood out manouvered and was attacked by a larger French fleet under the Comte de Grasse off Basse Terre, St. Kitts. Hood repulsed repeated attacks but could not prevent the loss of the Island.

1787  Capt Dan Shays' rebels failed to capture the arsenal at Springfield, Mass.

1908. From the mid-seventeenth century the favorite drink of the Royal Navy was rum, its status formalized by the daily issue of a an eighth of a pint of a "cocktail" of one part rum to two-parts water known as "grog" that began in 1740 and continued until.1970.  Issued as a way of controlling excessive drinking among the sailors, grog was also found to be useful in curbing scurvy, the scourge of long range voyages, when fresh provisions ran out.  But while the daily grog ration certainly helped curb scurvy, it only made limited inroads against drunkenness, since the men often managed to lay their hands on illicit potables

So popular was rum that during the early twentieth century British sailors had a little ditty that satirized the alleged drinking habits of several of their most important commanders.

 

Admirals on Rum

When Beresford
Arrives on board
The first thing- he wants is RUM.

And Percy Scott
He likes it hot
And he drinks quite a lot of RUM.

And Fisher too
He tells his crew
That rum will make them lither:

When with the Fleet
He drinks it neat
And not a bad judge either!
 

1945  Audie Murphy earns the Medal of Honor
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 26, 2024, 11:05:33 AM
724         Caliph Yazid II (720-724), at c. 37, of grief on the death of his girlfriend.
 or maybe TB.

1808         Australia's "Rum Rebellion": Armed colonists unseat Gov. William Bligh (of Bounty fame), and install a provisional government

1844  King Charles XIV of Sweden (1818-1844) began life in 1763 as Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, the son of a French petty government functionary.  In 1780 the young man joined the army, and by the outbreak of the Revolution of 1789 had risen to sergeant.  Promotions thereafter came rather swiftly, as, by dint of battlefield performance and devotion to the Republic, he rose to general de division in 1794.  Bernadotte fought on many a field, served for a time as Minister of War, and later became one of the first Marshals created by Napoleon during the Empire.
As a marshal, Bernadotte saw action on numerous occasions, usually ably, but he would often clash with his Emperor.  By chance, in 1808, Bernadotte, charged with operations against Sweden on the Baltic coast of Germany and Denmark, showed great consideration for his prisoners.  So, when Crown Prince Charles August of Sweden died suddenly in 1810, leaving King Charles XIII heirless, Bernadotte was offered the honor of replacing him.  He agreed, and in August of that year was elected Crown Prince and Generalissimo of Sweden.
Within a short time, King Charles’ disability becoming apparent, the new crown prince, now named Charles John, was also directing the government.  Surprisingly, Charles John identified closely with the interests of his new nation, and opposed Napoleon’s imperialist efforts.  In 1813 he openly brought Sweden into the war against Napoleon, and was among the most steadfast of his erstwhile overlord’s enemies.
After the death of Charles XIII, Bernadotte assumed the throne as Charles XIV.  As king Bernadotte, however, concealed a very great secret, which was not revealed until after his death.
As the king lay gravely ill, his attending physician asked permission to bleed him.  The king refused.  The physician insisted, and after a time the king acceded.  But he added, “You must swear that you will never reveal to anyone what you have seen.”
The physician agreed, and the operation was performed.  Nor did he break his promise until after the king’s death.
What was it Bernadotte was so anxious to keep secret?
Like many a young soldier, Bernadotte had acquired a tattoo, obviously during the French Revolution.  It was a red Phrygian cap, symbol of liberation, with the words “Death to All Kings

1913. The body of John Paul Jones is laid in its final resting place in the chapel of the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.

1918  Born, Nicolae Ceaucescu, Romanian dictator (1965-1989), executed 1989
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 26, 2024, 12:03:02 PM
Great story! As I recall, Napoleon held a grudge against Bernadotte from years earlier for marrying his childhood sweetheart, can't remember her name. He also had good chance at grabbing power ahead of Napoleon but hesitated and then ended-up working for Bonaparte instead. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 27, 2024, 10:32:28 AM
80  The Unusual Military Career of Titus Pontius Sabinus

Titus Pontius Sabinus was a Roman soldier who was probably born around A.D. 80-85, and died some time in the middle of the Second Century.  Although he hailed from Ferentinum [Ferentino], in Latium about 65 miles southeast of Rome, the gens Pontius was originally of Oscan origin.  It first appears in history borne by a number of notable Samnite generals during in the interminable series of Roman-Samnite Wars; one Gaius Pontius commanded the Samnites when they inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Romans at the Caudine Forks, in 321 BC.  It seems likely that these generals were probably related, and that persons in later ages bearing the name Pontius had some family ties to them.  Thus, it’s probable that Titus Pontius Sabinus and the best known member of the family, Pontius Pilate, who flourished in the early First Century, were kinsmen. 
The evidence we have for T. Pontius Sabinus’ military career derives from his funerary monument.  Although it actually doesn’t say a word about anything prior to about the year A.D. 110, from it we can infer a great deal about his earlier life.  Pontius was probably born early in the reign of Domitian (81-96), because by 110, he was commanding an auxiliary cohort, an appropriate command for an up-and-coming junior officer in his mid-to-late 20s.  As member of the equestrian order, the Roman upper middle class, he had probably served a tour as a contubernius when he was 16 or 18, during Nerva’s reign (96-98) or perhaps early in that of Trajan (98-117).  A contubernius was a volunteer aide-de-camp and orderly, serving for a year or two on the staff of a kinsman or family friend who held some field command or possibly even a governorship; something like the one year volunteer n the old Imperial German Army.  During such service, the young man would learn the ropes, perhaps find himself at the head of an occasional detail, often a cavalry troop, to give him a taste of command, and perhaps even see some combat.  After that short tour of military duty, Pontius would have completed his education, and perhaps even served in some junior administrative or electoral post in his home town.   
By 110 Pontius was prefectus of the Cohors I Pannoniorum et Delmatarum equitata cR, an impressive command, since it was a partially mounted auxiliary regiment which, unusually, was composed of Roman citizens recruited from Dalmatia and Pannonia (Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary today), as indicated by the “cR.”  During Trajan’s Parthian War (114-116), Pontius was tribune in the legio VI Ferrata, and appears to have seen considerable action; he was awarded the corona muralis, usually given for being the first to scale an enemy fortification or for distinguished service in defending a fortress, plus the hasta pura, an untipped silver spear, believed by some historians to indicate an outstanding non-combat contribution to victory (much like the Distinguished Service Medal), and a small silver replica of the legionary standard.
Now not long after the Parthian War, Pontius did a curious thing; he transferred to the centurionate, that is, in imprecise modern terms, he went from being a field grade officer to being a senior NCO.  Although not unheard of, this was an unusual career move, but Pontius’ experience, not to mention his superior education and considerable wealth, landed him the rank of hastatus in the 1st Cohort of the legio XXII Primigenia, stationed in Germania, in effect, the third ranking “enlisted man” in the division.  And over the next few years (117-122), Pontius rose quite rapidly, and did a good deal of traveling through the empire.  He served in the XIII Gemina in Dacia, and was then promoted to primus pilus – command sergeant major – of the III Augusta in Numidia.
Now Pontius’ rapid rise, and the transfers that accompanied them, suggest that he benefited from some friendly outside influence.  He may have been related to the Pontii Laeliani, a prominent senatorial family with holdings in Italy and what is now southern France, two of whom would hold the consulate.  In addition, Pontius was married to a woman of equestrian rank named Valeria Procula, the sister of Lucius Valerius Proculus.  Valerius Proculus was already building a very distinguished career as a civil servant, and would eventually rise to be Governor of Egypt, the plumiest post in the Empire, and one reserved for equestrians – never senatorials – with the strongest ties to the Emperor.   Both Pontius Laelianus and Valerius Proculus had strong ties to Hadrian, who assumed the Imperium in 117, and they may have looked out for their younger kinsman.
Now while Pontius had been rising rapidly, a persistent rebellion had been plaguing Britain, which required the Emperor’s attention in 122.  Pontius was appointed  commander of three vexillationes – task forces – of 1000 men each, drawn from the VII Gemina and  XXII Primigenia in Germany and the VIII Augusta in Spain, a force which probably also had some attached auxiliaries.  Presumably, who was apparently serving in Germany or Spain, perhaps as primpilus of the VII Gemina or VIII Augusta, for he held this post twice in his career, or holding some staff assignment.  In any case, command of such a substantial force on such a crucial mission certainly testifies to Pontius’ skill and reliability as an officer.  Pontius seems to have seen considerable service in Britain.  During his tour there, he apparently organized a new cavalry squadron, for we hear of an ala Sabiniana in the British garrison for the next 200 years.   He also seems to have come to the attention of his emperor, from the evidence of his subsequent assignments.
From Britain, Pontius was transferred to Rome, and served as tribune commanding the III Cohort of the Vigiles.  A paramilitary force of some 7,000 men in seven battalions, the Vigiles combined the duties of a fire department and police force for the imperial city.  Following that assignment, Pontius was given command of the Cohors XIII Urbana, in Lugdunum (Lyons in France).  The cohors urbanae consisted of 14 battalions assigned to internal security – and counter coup – duties, mostly in Rome, but with one each at Carthage and Lugdunum.  After completing that assignment, Pontius returned to Rome as tribune of the Cohors II Praetoriana, that is, of a battalion of the Imperial Guard.
Some time in the mid-130s, when he was in his 50s, Pontius was given a final assignment, governor of Narbonnensis, essentially Mediterranean France, a comfortable and profitable assignment in a region in which the Pontii Laeliani had strong ties, once again suggesting some family connection.
Titus Pontius Sabinus seems to have retired around the time Hadrian died (138).  He returned to his home town, Ferentinum, where he served a five year term as a “Quadrumvir”, one of the four city managers, was elected flamen – senior priest – of the local religious establishment, and was named patron of the city,.  He died some time in the reign of Antoninus Pius.

661   Ali ibn Abi Talib, 62, son-in-law of Mohammed, the Fourth Caliph (656-661), murdered -- the first Shia Imam

1302  Dante is expelled from Florence by the Black Guelfs

1776. Charles Scott (1739-1813), a native Virginian, gave up farming to serve in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), gaining some fame as a scout in Col. George Washington’s First Virginia Regiment, and by the end of the war had risen to captain in the Provincial forces. Returning to farming, on the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Scott – like Cincinnatus – once more abandoned the plow for the sword. During the first year of the war he rose from command of a militia company to that of the 5th Virginia Continentals.
Scott and his regiment joined Washington’s army in New Jersey in November of 1776, as it was retreating from its series of defeats in and near New York City over the summer and fall.
Following his victory at Trenton (December 26, 1776), Washington took his little army east into central New Jersey, in order to set up an attack at Princeton a few days later. Knowing Scott well from their days together during the French and Indian War, Washington assigned his regiment the task of securing a bridge over a stream to impede pursuit by the British. When Scott acknowledged his orders, Washington turned and rode off.
At that, Scott turned and addressed his troops, “Well, boys, the old hoss has put us here to defend this bridge; and by God! -- it must be done, let what will come. Now I want to tell you one thing. You’re all in the habit of shooting too high. You waste your powder and lead; and I have cursed you about it a hundred times. Now I tell you what it is nothing must be wasted; every crack must count. For that reason, boys, whenever you see them fellows first put their feet upon this bridge, do you shin ‘em”
At that a strong laugh rang out over the assemblage. Turning about, Scott was chagrined to see that Washington had not, in fact, ridden off. He had had merely gone a few yards and halted to observe Scott’s preparations, and thus had heard the colonel’s little speech, “old hoss” and all.
Perhaps anticipating a blast of Washington’s notable vocabulary, Scott was surprised when the general merely gave him a pleasant smile, and rode off.
On January 2, 1777, Washington added to his victory at Trenton one at Princeton, due in part to Scott’s effectiveness in protecting the army’s movement.

1967  Astronauts Edward H White II (36), Roger B Chaffee (31), & Virgil "Gus" Grissom (40), Apollo I fire
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 28, 2024, 01:42:40 PM
18 BC. Among his many military reforms, Augustus set the pay for the army. Surprisingly, over the next 250 yeas or so, the army would receive only three raises. Domitian (r. 81-96) would raise the pay in A.D. 84, by the simple expedient of adding a fourth payday to the annual calendar. In 197 Septimius Severus (r. 193-211), who believed in enriching the army and ignoring everyone else, doubled the pay. Fifteen years later his son Caracalla (r. 211-217) increased pay by 50 percent, to insure the loyalty of the troops after he had murdered his younger brother and co-emperor.

This table sets out the standard pay rates for legionary “enlisted” personnel, but not for officers, who were compensated on a much higher scale.

Figures are in sestertii, the value of which remained fairly stable until widespread debasement of the coinage began under Maximinus Thrax, who came to power in 235. This debasement was one factor in the disastrous bout of civil wars the followed over the next 50 years.

 

                            27 B.C.-A.D. 84      A.D. 84-197      A.D. 197-212      A.D. 212-235

Primus pilus.         54,000.                    72,000.              144,000.             216,000

Primi ordines.        27,000.                    36,000.                72,000.              108,000

Centurio.                 13,500.                   18,000.                 36,000.                54,000

Eques legionis.        1,050.                     1,400.                   2,800.                   4,200

Miles legionis.            900.                     1,200.                   2,400.                    3,600

Eques cohortis.           900.                    1,200.                   2,400.                    3,600

Miles cohortis.            750.                    1,000.                   2,000.                    3,000

The ranks were,
  Primus pilus, or primpilus: senior centurion of the legion, something like a divisional command sergeant major.
  Primi ordines: the senior centurion in command of a cohort, a battalion-like formation.
  Centurio: effectively a company commander, though not actually an officer in the modern sense.
  Eques legionis: legionary cavalryman
  Miles legionis:  legionary infantryman
  Eques cohortis: cavalryman of an auxiliary cohort
  Miles cohortis: infantryman of an auxiliary cohort.
Personnel assigned to various special duties, such as legionary clerks, standard bearers, scouts, and so forth, would receive additional sums above their normal base pay, usually defined as a “pay-and-a-half man” or a “double pay man.”.
Although about half of a soldier’s pay ended up as deductions – rations, equipment, pension, etc. – his compensation compared rather favorably with most civilian jobs. In the First Century, for example, a secretary, a fairly high status civilian occupation, might earn about 700 sestertii in a year, assuming he worked full time. As for purchasing power, for one sestertius a person could buy a pound of bread and a pint of vino vulgaris in Rome itself, where prices were about double those in the provinces, and maybe have a little left over to spend an hour or so in the baths.

1814. Surrender of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) to HMS Bacchante (38), Cptn. William Hoste, HMS Saracen (18), John Harper, and troops.

1865. Confederate torpedo boat St. Patrick strikes the side-wheel gunboat USS Octorara, off Mobile Bay, but her spar torpedo fails to explode.

1920. The Spanish Foreign Legion was formed -- "The Bridegrooms of Death".

1965  French general Maxime Weygand (1867-1965), who lost the big one in 1940, was officially certified as having been born “of unknown parentage" in Brussels, Belgium, by two male witnesses who claimed to be unable to sign their names. Initially raised by one Virginie Saget, a widowed midwife in Marseilles, at the age of 6 he entered a boarding school there run by a David Cohen de Léon and later enrolled in a Roman Catholic secondary school. In 1884 using the name “Maxime de Nimal,” apparently adapted from the maiden name of M. Cohen de Leon’s wife, he was admitted as a foreign student to the French military academy at Saint-Cyr. Upon his graduation in 1887, he was commissioned in the cavalry. At that time François-Joseph Weygand, an accountant for the Cohen de Leon family, legally “acknowledged” the young man as his son, and the young man changed his name to Maxime Weygand.
Now one would think this should settle the matter of Weygand’s parentage. But it only makes it more certain that the accountant was not his father. To begin with, while M. Cohen de Leon might have waived the boy’s tuition because his purported father worked for him, someone had to be paying the young man’s bills at his secondary school, and someone had to have some pretty impressive connections to get him into Saint-Cyr. And then there was the cost of outfitting the new sous lieutenant of cavalry in 1887.
So, who were his parents?
Rumors of his parentage are linked to the Belgian royal family and their circle.
The principal “suspects” are,
The Empress Carlota of Mexico, a Belgian princess, and Lieutenant Colonel Alfred van der Smissens, a Belgian volunteer in the service of her husband, Maximilian.
Carlota and Colonel Feliciano Rodriguez of the Imperial Mexican Army.
King Leopold I of Belgium, brother to Carlota, and a Polish noblewoman, possibly one Countess Kosakowska
Colonel van der Smissens and Countess Melanie Marie Zichy-Metternich, daughter of the Count Metternich, Napoleon’s nemesis and the “re-arranger of Europe,” who was one of Carlota’s ladies-in-waiting in Mexico.
We can address these in turn.

Carlota had gone to Mexico in May of 1864 with her husband, the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, who was shortly proclaimed Emperor by a French-backed conservative faction in a civil war. By early 1866 the “Empire” was in trouble, as the Republican forces under Benito Juarez made dramatic gains, while the United States had initiated diplomatic and military moves that soon encouraged Maximilian’s sponsor, French Emperor Napoleon III, to withdraw his support. In a desperate bid to secure foreign assistance, that summer Carlota sailed for Europe. Landing in France in early August, she had two interviews with Napoleon III, who refused further assistance. Carlota departed for her husband’s estate near Trieste. Meanwhile, she had begun displaying signs of mental instability – not unreasonable given the stress she was under. In late September she went to Rome, to seek help from Pope Pius IX. The Pope declined. Carlota’s behavior while at the Vatican was extremely erratic, and the Pope even had to lodge her for a night, when she became hysterical, an historic first. She hung around Rome for some weeks, pestering the Pope, and at times behaving irrationally. Near the end of that month, her family dispatched a physician from Brussels to escort her to Trieste for treatment. She was later moved to Brussels, where she lived in seclusion until her death in 1927.
The tale about Carlota and Count van der Smissens is often repeated in Mexican histories of the French intervention, and may reflect an actual relationship between the Empress and the colonel, perhaps even an affair.
The rumor that Feliciano Rodriguez was Weygand’s father derives from the great Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, who said he had it from the colonel himself, who was the brother of his maternal grandmother. Rivera also claimed that in 1917 he met with Weygand, who freely admitted the tie. This seems very unlikely. Weygand himself apparently never learned who his parents were. And Rivera was notorious for fabricating stories about his life.
For various reasons, Carlota is not likely to have been Weygand’s mother. Weygand’s birth was registered in Brussels as January 21, 1867, and so he would have been conceived in April of 1866. So when Carlota arrived in Paris in August, a pregnancy would probably have begun to be noticeable, and by the time she arrived in Rome, in September, it would have been obvious, but the scandal sheets of the day reported no such condition. Moreover, when Weygand was born, Carlota was still in Trieste; she didn’t return to Brussels until the summer of 1867. Most importantly, however, is that Carlota was almost certainly barren. Although married to Maximilian since 1857, they had produced no children, while Maximilian, who had numerous affairs, had produced least one illegitimate child while they were in Mexico, and perhaps others over the years as well (it’s good to be an archduke). So it seems highly unlikely that Carlota was Weygand’s mother, particularly since some historians believe Weygand’s date of birth was post-dated by perhaps as much as two years. Naturally, this doesn’t necessarily get Carlota off the hook for having had affairs with van der Smissens or Rodriguez.
What about Leopold? Well, he was certainly capable of acting like a cad and spurning his own illegitimate offspring, after all, this is the guy who ran the slaughter house known as “Kongo Free State” for several decades.  Carlota could easily have learned of the Countess Kosakowska’s pregnancy when she passed through Belgium en route to Paris, and offered the protection of her household. Although by the time the child was born Carlota was very unstable, and she would fall into complete madness after learning of Maximilian’s execution (June 19th), her assistance could have continued through the boy’s early life. The fact that the child was being supported by her household could readily have given rise to speculation that she was his mother.
And then there’s the Countess Zichy-Metternich and van der Smissens. The Countess was married to a distant cousin with whom she was on bad terms, and an affair between her and van der Smissens would not have been impossible. Naturally, something would have had to be done with the child, and we’re back to Carlota lending a hand.
Now that’s about as far as the evidence can go. Certainly Weygand had a very high ranking, deep pocketed patron, and some connection to the Belgian royals seems certain.

Or perhaps not.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 29, 2024, 11:25:04 AM
661    Ali ibn Abi Talib, 60, son-in-law of Mohammed, Fourth C


1861. SecTreas John Adams Dix, under President James Buchanan, signaled Revenue Service officers "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot."

1895 At one point in the seventeenth century, the French Army was losing as many as 120 officers year to duels. While that was extreme, other armies suffered steady losses as well. Until well into the nineteenth century, most Western armies regularly lost officers through duels.
Now dueling was actually illegal in most countries. In addition to attempts by church authorities to impose religious penalties for dueling, most countries had laws barring the practice, if only because it represented a steady drain of officers. But enforcement was usually weak, and penalties little more than slaps on the wrist, largely because “honor” and “face” were considered so important.
Occasionally, however, a monarch did put some teeth into his efforts to suppress the practice.
For example, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (r. 1611-1632) pretty much put an end to duels in his army when he showed up for one with a hangman in tow and explained that if anyone was killed, the survivor would quickly join him. But after the king’s death the practice was resumed.
King Frederick William II of Prussia (r. 1786-1797) also tried his hand at abolishing duels. Tired of losing several of officers a year in duels, in 1794 he enacted a law that imposed severe penalties on duelists. Merely issuing a challenge could earn someone three to six years in prison. Actually taking part in duel had even worse consequences. Seconds and other observers could get ten years in prison, and the duelists might get life. In addition, participants lost their titles of nobility and any honors, including their military rank. Actually killing someone in a duel could lead to a date with the hangman.
With the king bearing down hard, a number of duelists were dealt with very severely, and for a time the incidence of duels fell. During the French Wars (1793-1815), the rate of duels remained relatively low. But once the wars were over, the number of duels began to rise again; from 1815 through and 1821 there was an average of one duel each month between officers, and the practice continued to spread thereafter, as part of the militaristic ethos of the Prussian Army. Although still officially barred, the army became lax in enforcement. Soon after the advent of the new German Empire, in 1871, enforcement essentially became a dead issue. Duels continued in the German army into the twentieth century, though they usually tended to be to “first blood” or some other less-than-fatal outcome, rather than death, as in the past.
The German Army wasn’t the only one plagued by dueling. Most European armies – and societies – suffered from the problem (the Duke of Wellington once engaged in a duel, while Prime Minister, no less), and in most Latin American ones as well. Duels were also common in the United States, despite its republican character and opposition to the practice on the part of such prominent Founders as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Hamilton and his son, as well as naval hero Stephen Decatur all died in duels. There was a steady loss of officers in the Army and Navy (averaging something like one per year per service) until 1826, when President John Quincy Adams decided to become less tolerant of the practice. Despite this, occasional duels between officers occurred until virtually the end of the century; the last one seems to have taken place as late as 1895.

1913 Upon becoming President, Woodrow Wilson was shocked to discover that the Joint Army-Navy Board had developed “war plans” for certain contingencies, and immediately suspended its meetings and ordered the two services to stop planning for possible conflicts.  Convinced he was more competent than the planners, who recognized the country could be drawn into WWI, he ensured that America was woefully unprepared for hostilities.

1915. Erwin Rommel is awarded the Iron Cross, First Class, for action in the Argonne

1916. First German zeppelin raid on Paris

1941  Gen. Ioannis Metaxas, Mussolini's bane, Greek dictator (1936-41), suicide at 69
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Putraack on January 30, 2024, 09:37:44 AM
Great story! As I recall, Napoleon held a grudge against Bernadotte from years earlier for marrying his childhood sweetheart, can't remember her name. He also had good chance at grabbing power ahead of Napoleon but hesitated and then ended-up working for Bonaparte instead.

Desiree Clary, and Napoleon dumped her around 1794  for Josephine.

There was a 1951 novel, which I read while recovering from a flu years ago

And a 1954 movie, starring Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons. I watched it after reading the book, and saw Brando... looking... INTENSE... for the whole movie.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 30, 2024, 01:04:43 PM


1648. Peace of Munster: Spain recognizes the independence of the Netherlands, ending the Eighty Years' War and clearing the way for the two countries to become allies against France for the rest of the century

1661  Oliver Cromwell, dead since 1658, is exhumed and ceremonially executed in punishment for the death of Charles I

1841. Félix François Faure, President of France (1895-1899), d. in office, of "the sweet death"

1866. In the early 1860s, with the United States preoccupied by the Civil War, with the help of a defeated conservative faction in the Mexico, French Emperor Napoleon III attempted to impose on the country a puppet regime headed by an Austrian Prince, Maximilian von Hapsburg.
Despite the inability of their armies to cope with Napoleon’s professional troops, the Mexican people, led by President Benito Juarez, resisted desperately, and a protracted people’s war resulted.
By early 1866 Napoleon III was already contemplating a withdrawal from Mexico (perhaps encouraged by the presence of a large U.S. army under Phil Sheridan camped along the Rio Grande). This, of course, was not known to the Juaristas. Among the leaders of the Mexican patriots, someone hatched a scheme to end the war by assassinating Napoleon.
The plan was simple. The chosen agent was one José Maria Cocio. Cocio had a unique talent, he was an expert archer, perhaps the best in Mexico. The plan was to get Cocio to France, where sympathetic expatriates would help him procure a bow and arrows, and a supply of poison, and then await an opportunity to do in the Emperor.
Now Napoleon maintained pretty good security, as a result of the several attempts to knock him off. The most notable of these was the 1858 plot to blow up his carriage hatched by the Italian nationalist Felice Orsini. Nevertheless, the Juarista plot arguably had a very good chance of succeeding. While the Emperor’s security personnel were alert to the danger posed by bombs, daggers, or firearms, they had probably never given a thought to the possibility that someone might try bumping him off using an arrow.
But Cocio never left Mexico. There was a leak, and the plot was blown. As a result, Mexico had to endure Napoleon the Little for another year, while the French were stuck with him for four more.

1897. Theodore Roosevelt gives cousin Franklin, Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" for his 15th birthday

1898. Theodore Roosevelt gives cousin Franklin, Mahan's "The Interest of America in Sea Power" for his 16th birthday

1904 Capt. Sir William C. Pakenham (1861-1933) was the British naval attaché in Japan. On the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, he secured permission from Adm. Togo Heihachiro to serve as observer in the battleship HIJMS Asahi. Pakenham remained aboard for fourteen months, never setting foot ashore lest permission to return be refused. As a result, he endured endless days on blockade duty. But the boredom was worth it. Pakenham had the privilege of being present for the Battle of the Yellow Sea (Aug. 10, 1904), during which Togo’s squadron blocked an attempt by the Russian fleet at Port Arthur to escape to Vladivostok, and then, nine months later, at Tsu-Shima Strait (May 27-28, 1905), during which he was almost killed, but also witnessed the virtual annihilation of the Russian relief fleet that had sailed all the way from the Baltic.
After the war, Packenham’s experiences made him a strong supporter of the trend toward the all big gun Dreadnought-type battleship.
During World War I Pakenham commanded the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron in the Battle of Jutland (May31-June 1, 1916) and by the end of the war was commander of the Battle Cruiser Force of the Grand Fleet.
Pakenham retired as a full admiral in 1926, with the unique distinction of having been in the three biggest battleship fights in history.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on January 30, 2024, 11:37:18 PM
Thank you Putraack for the info.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on January 31, 2024, 07:26:31 PM
0.       Feast of Saint John Bosco, Patron of Juvenile Delinquents and clearly of Armchair Dragoons.



1434. When the highly talented Czech general Ian Zizka died, his skin was tanned and used to top a drum, so that he could continue to lead his troops.

1504 End of Second Italian War or Louis XII's Italian War (1499–1504): Allied with the Swiss and Venetians, Louis XII of France (r. 1498-1515), overran Milan, and then cut a wonderfully devious deal with Ferdinand II to rob the latter’s kinsman Federigo of Naples (r. 1496-1501) of his kingdom, which was promptly done.  Naturally, the two royal thieves soon fell out over the loot, leading to a war in which the Spanish ousted the French from Naples by the end of 1503, in a brilliant campaign conducted by Gonzalvo de Cordoba, “El Gran Capitan.”

1827, a certain drummer in the British garrison at Gibraltar had, in 14 years of service, accumulated - and survive - a remarkable 25,000 lashes, roughly one for every 4.9 hours he had been in the Crown's service.

1915  during the Battle of Bolimów, Germany made the first major poison gas attack of W.W. I, but the Russians held.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 01, 2024, 01:53:03 PM
390 BC When he was just 16, Marcus Manlius had already slain two enemies in single combat, and in the course of his military career would gain thirteen Civic Crowns for saving the life of a citizen in battle, as well as thirty other decorations and many other honors, including the cognomen Capitolinus, for holding the Capitoline Hill against the invading Gauls in 390 B.C., a deed for which he was also awarded the very first Mural Crown, though this did not prevent the Senate from executing him for trying to organize debt relief for plebs.

213 BC, during the Hannibalic War, the consul Quintus Fulvius Flaccus had made a surprise forced march to the Roman colony at Beneventum, tipped off to the presence nearby of a substantial Carthaginian force under a general named Hanno. Anxious to get at the enemy before they realized their danger, Fulvius devised an ill-conceived plan to undertake a surprise dawn attack.

What happened next is recounted by Titus Livius, in Book 25 of his Roman History:
Leaving their kit and all their baggage in Beneventum, they started at the fourth watch [0300] and reached the enemy camp just before dawn.
The Romans’ appearance created such alarm that, had the camp been on level ground, it could undoubtedly have been carried at the first assault.  Its elevated position and its entrenchments saved it; in no direction could it be approached except by steep and difficult climbing.  When day broke a hot fight commenced. The Carthaginians did not confine themselves to defending their lines, but, being on more even ground themselves, they threw down the Romans who were struggling up the heights.
Courage and resolution, however, overcame all difficulties, and in some places the Romans had forced their way to the breastwork and ditch, but with heavy loss in killed and wounded, when Fulvius, calling round him the superior officers, told them that they must desist from the hazardous attempt.  He thought it would be wiser to march back to Beneventum for that day, and on the next day to bring their camp close up to the enemy's camp . . . .  To make more certain of this, Fulvius prepared to send for his Co-Consul, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, and his army and direct their joint operations against Hanno and the Campanians.
The "retire" was already being sounded when Fulvius' plans were shattered by the angry shouts of the soldiers who spurned such cowardly tactics.
The allied Paelignian Cohort happened to be in closest touch with the enemy, and their commanding officer, Vibius Accaus, snatched up a standard and flung it across the enemies' rampart, at the same time invoking a curse on himself and his cohort if the enemy got possession of the standard.  He was the first to dash over the ditch and rampart into the camp.  As the Paelignians were fighting inside the lines, Lucius Valerius Flaccus, the commanding officer of the Third Legion, began berating the Romans for their cowardice in letting the allies have the glory of capturing the camp, when Titus Pedanius, a centurion of the leading maniples took a standard out of the bearer's hands and shouted, “This standard and this centurion will be inside the rampart in a moment, let those follow who will prevent its capture by the enemy.”  His maniples followed Pedanius as he sprang across the ditch, then the whole of the legion pressed hard after.  By this time even Fulvius, seeing them climbing over the rampart, changed his mind, and instead of recalling the troops began to urge them on by pointing to the dangerous position of their gallant allies and their own fellow citizens.  Every man did his best to push on; over smooth and rough ground alike, amidst missiles showered upon them from all directions, against the desperate resistance of the enemy who thrust their persons and their weapons in the way, they advanced step by step and broke into the camp.  Many who were wounded, even those who were faint from loss of blood, struggled on that they might fall within the enemies' camp.
In this way the enemy camp was taken, and taken too as quickly as though it lay on level ground, entirely unfortified.  It was no longer a fight but a massacre, for they were all crowded together inside the lines.  Over l0,000 of the enemy were killed and over 7000 made prisoners.
This rather stiring episode not only demonstrates the initiative and courage of the troops, but it is also the occasion on which the word “cohort” first appears in literature, with the specific mention of the Paelignians, and implied in the description of Pedanius as a centurion commanding several maniples.

1743   Wounded during the Battle of Dettingen, at which his father, King George II, routed the French, the Duke of Cumberland refused treatment for his wounds because the Count of Fenelon, who had been captured, was “more dangerously hurt than I am, and stands more in need of assistance.” 

1800. USS Constellation engages French frigate La Vengeance in a 5-hour battle during the Quasi War.

1811 For many years the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot was nicknamed the “Sleepy Queen’s Royal Regiment.”
This curious nickname came about as a result of the escape of the French garrison from Almeida, Spain, on the night of May 10-11, 1811.
Despite allowing the French to escape, the men of the Queen’s Regiment, as well as those of the 4th and 36th Foot (all of whom had been tasked with keeping the enemy bottled up) had laid on an impressive pursuit, even abandoning much equipment in order to lighten their burdens. They actually managed to catch up with the French, albeit just as the latter were crossing the River Puerco into the safety of Marshal Massena’s army.
News of this untoward development was brought to Lt. Gen. Thomas Picton by an Irish officer.  Picton, who had a fiery temper, bellowed, “What the devil were the 2nd doing?”
“Faith,” replied the Irishman, “I suppose they were asleep.”
“Asleep!  What, then, was the 36th about?”
“Devil a one can tell, but maybe they were watching the 2nd, for fear somebody would waken them.”

1814  Following Napoleon’s abdication, the Royal Navy discovered that it had to find work for 60 admirals, 850 captains, and 4,000 lieutenants, in fleet reduced to perhaps 10-percent of the size it had been a few months earlier.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 02, 2024, 06:06:07 PM
1754  Born Charles de Talleyrand, French minister and diplomat, "a silk stocking full of shit", d. 1838

1777  Very early in the Revolutionary War, Congress resolved to recruit a regiment of riflemen from the rugged frontier folk of Virginia and Pennsylvania. An enormous number of men came forward to offer their services. Too many, in fact.
When the officers appointed to organize the two companies allocated to Virginia arrived at the appointed rendezvous, they found 500 men ready to serve, far more than the approximately 200 required. Now the volunteers were all good men. And a mite touchy lest some preference be shown to another. So merely picking 200 men out of the mass of volunteers would not do.
To resolve the dilemma, one of the recruiting officers devised a simple test.
Taking a board one foot square, he chalked upon it the profile of a face. He then nailed the board to a tree and paced off 150 yards, where he drew a line in dirt. Each volunteer was asked to put a round in the target, as close to the nose as he could.
The first 50 men to step forward obliterated the nose, requiring a replacement. In this way the Virginia companies were filled with little difficulty and, under Daniel Morgan, later one of the most successful American commanders of the war, almost immediately set out to join George Washington’s army in front of Boston.

1780. During the War of the American Revolution, the annual death rate from disease among British troops was about 1-percent for men in England, 6-percent for those in New York, 11-percent for those aboard transports bound for the West Indies, and 16-percent for those actually stationed in the West Indies.

1794  Because he bore a rather archaic Scottish name, U.S. Army Capt. Robert MisCampbell, who was killed at the head of a squadron of dragoons during the Battle of Fallen Timbers, has sometimes been reported as having been a woman serving disguised as a man.

1800. USS Constellation, (38) Cptn. Thomas Truxtun, defeats la Vengeance (54), Cptn. Pitot

1926  Died, Gen. Vladimir Sukhomlinov, 77, Russian War Minister (1909-1915), who did his best, which wasn't good enough, but had a splendid uniform

1933. Chancellor two days, Adolf Hitler dissolves the Reichsstag

1939, learning that a midshipman’s cruise planned for his ship was to include training in the use of the .50-caliber anti-aircraft machinegun, the skipper of the USS Arkansas (BB-33) wrote to the Navy Department, to note that he would be happy to comply, but “ . . . it is felt that .50-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns should be installed.”

1941  . Lend Lease shipments to the Soviet Union during 1941 included 20,000 surgical saws and 15,000 amputation knives.

1943  the last elements of the German Sixth Army, surrounded at Stalingrad for over ten weeks, surrendered to the Red Army
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 04, 2024, 12:37:11 PM
1479 Venice and Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II (r. 1451-1481) agreed to end a long war over control of various territories in Greece and the Aegean.  Rather than "peace," what followed was a "cold war" between the Serenissima and the wily Ottoman emperor, who not only wanted to acquire Venice's eastern territories, but was widely known to be interested in some Italian real estate as well.  So when Mehmet expressed a very un-Islamic interest in having his portrait painted by one of Italy's revolutionary new painters, the Venetians readily agreed.  In a move that would foreshadow the "confidence building measures" and "cultural exchanges" of the twentieth century's Cold War, the Venetians dispatched the artist Gentile Bellini (c. 1429-1507) to Constantinople, who would not only paint the Grand Turk's portrait, but also serve as a sort-of "cultural ambassador," and a spy as well.
Now Bellini's arrival in Constantinople in late 1479 greatly pleased Mehmet.  So naturally, Bellini prospered at the Sultan's court, securing numerous commissions.  The portrait of Mehmet, then about 48, that now hangs in the National Gallery in London is believed to be one of these.
Among the other the works that Bellini painted while in Constantinople was one that depicted John the Baptist, after his beheading.
Now Bellini had probably never seen an actual beheading, and apparently got it wrong.  In contrast, the Sultan was an old hand at the practice, having had occasion to indulge in it on an industrial scale.  Indeed, on August 14th of 1480, while Bellini was still at his court, Mehmet had beheaded hundreds, perhaps thousands, of residents of Otranto, on the heel of Italy, which he had just captured, for refusing to convert to Islam; he did spare the bishop this penalty, preferring to have the old guy sawn in half instead.  So in the interests of artistic realism, Mehmet pointed out that the depiction of the Baptist's injuries was incorrect.
Bellini asked what was wrong.
Rather than explain Bellini's error, Mehmet called over one of his body guards and a slave, and had the former demonstrate the process and its results on the latter.
It's not known how carefully Bellini studied the results of Mehmet’s little demonstration.  Nevertheless, despite the fact that he was making rather good money in Constantinople, by the end of the year Bellini had departed for home, surely happy that the Grand Turk had not chosen to demonstrate the consequences of decapitation on his person. .

1810 Robert Corbet was one of the hundreds of men who captained ships in the Royal Navy during the long wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon (1793-1815). Like most, his service was characterized by long years on patrol punctuated by occasional bloody sea fights. In Corbet’s case, his career ended on September 12, 1810, when he was mortally wounded. Corbet was in command of HMS Africaine, a 44 gun frigate, one of a small British squadron that engaged several French frigates off Mauritius. Of course, death in action was hardly a unique distinction, for it was shared by thousands of others during the wars. What made Corbet an officer of note was his brutal command style.
Corbet liked to flog his men. No one knows how many he flogged, but in just 211 days from August of 1806 to March of 1807, whilst he commanded the frigate Seahorse (38 guns), in the Caribbean, he ordered 134 floggings, an average of three floggings every two days. The total number of lashes inflicted was 2,278, making for an average of 17 licks per flogging. Corbet was so brutal, his men petitioned the Royal Navy for redress, some mutinied, and once, when he was assigned a new ship, the crew refused to muster to hear his orders, until coerced by the proximity of another vessel cleared for action. Although subject to a court martial, Corbet managed to beat the rap. Nevertheless, he also managed to annoy senior officers, who would probably have found a pretext to remove him had he not been killed in action.
Of course, there were also those who said that Cobert’s wounds were not caused by the French . . . but he was smushed by a cannon ball, which suggests otherwise.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 04, 2024, 08:47:26 PM
350 BC  The torsion catapult uses the energy stored in tightly twisted ropes to provide the impetus for hurling projectiles great distances. Torsion catapults came in a great variety of sizes. Some were essentially large cross bows, firing oversized arrows; there was even an “automatic” version, with arrows dropping from a hopper while a handle was cranked, to return torsion to the ropes. Others were much larger, able to hurl huge stones or jars that might be filled with incendiaries or even snakes. Known from about 350 B.C., their use became widespread during the early Hellenistic period, in the wars of Alexander the Great’s “Successors” (332 B.C.-301 B.C.). Thereafter torsion catapults were a common feature of warfare in the Mediterranean region.
For example, during the siege of Rhodes in 305 B.C. by Demetrious Poliorcetes, the Rhodians reputedly had hundreds of catapults, which they put to good use, beating off the attacker, despite the impressive arsenal of war engines that he brought along. More than a century and a half later, in 149 B.C., during the siege of Carthage by Scipio Aemilianus, the defenders reportedly used some 2,000 torsion catapults, though they were unable to save the city.
Now the best torsion was provided by ropes made from human hair. So human hair quickly became what would, in the twentieth century, be known as a “strategic material.” The demand must have been was enormous, for we have some notion of the amounts needed. In 250 B.C. the Rhodians donated 300 talents of human hair, perhaps 75 tons, to the people of Sinope, to help them in a war against Mithridates I of Pontus, and a quarter century later King Seleucus II of Syria donated several tons of human hair to the Rhodians, apparently as a way of maintaining their friendship in the event he went to war with Ptolemaic Egypt.
Naturally, this hair had to come from somewhere. Apparently it was not uncommon for poor women in most Mediterranean lands to sell their hair, which would yield a tidy profit. So, at least among poor women, hair styles would have varied greatly, with some having lengthy tresses, ready for “harvest” and others short bobs, having just sold theirs, and many lengths in between.
Accounts of women sacrificing their hair to the war effort are commonplace in ancient literature. But these probably refer primarily to upper class women, who normally would not have sold their hair, not needing the money.

1779         John Paul Jones takes command of 'Bonhomme Richard'

1815. Shortly after the War of 1812, Congress having adjourned without appropriating funds to carry West Point through another year, Superintendent Joseph G. Swift saved the Military Academy from closing by personally borrowing $65,000 at 7-percent interest, for which he would later battle with Congress for several years before receiving full compensation.

1942. While the battle for Bataan rages throughout the night, USS Trout (SS-202) loads 20 tons of gold bars and 18 tons of silver coins as ballast to replace the weight of ammunition they had just delivered to US and Philippine forces in Manila.

1943 Franceska Mann (Manheimer-Rosenberg), Polish ballerina, murdered by the SS, but not before killing two of them and maiming a third

1970. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iLHFY2ONuEw&pp=ygUMcGF0dG9uIHRoZW1l
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 05, 2024, 07:56:33 PM

1807         HMS 'Blenheim' (74) & HMS 'Java' (32) disappear in heavy weather off Madagascar

1900 campaign to capture the Touat Oasis in Morocco cost the French Army some 20 million francs, not to mention the cost of more than 35,000 camels that were requisitioned to transport supplies.

1914 One of the important aspects of almost everyone’s planning for the expected “great war” was the assumption that hostilities would commence in late summer or early fall, which not coincidentally was also the time most armies conducted their annual maneuvers.
There was one basic factor that made late summer or early fall the optimal time to hold maneuvers or go to war.
The Harvest: Although this is pretty simplified, the two principal food crops in Europe in 1914 were potatoes, particularly important across northern and eastern Europe, and wheat, more important in southern and western Europe, and the peak of the harvest season was more or less in July and August. During the harvest armies customarily furloughed men from active duty to lend a hand in the fields. In July of 1914, for example, seven of Austria-Hungary’s army corps were at reduced strength because many troops were on leave to help with the harvest. They were scheduled to return to duty between July 23rd and July 25th, which is why the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia was issued on the 25th. One of the first signs that Germany was preparing for war took place on July 30th, when men furloughed to help with the potato harvest were recalled. Once the harvest was complete it was also easier to call up reservists, since they wouldn’t be needed in the fields, and it was also easier to requisition horses for hauling artillery and supplies. So going to war just after harvest meant you could maximize the number of troops and horses you had in the field. Also, the fact that granaries and potato cellars were full all across Europe had a role in German war planning; once the troops on the far Right Wing entered hostile territory it might not be possible to supply them by rail due to combat damage or deliberate sabotage. The German Army did have unique railroad repair units to follow in the wake of the advancing troops, but their progress would depend on how much damage had been done.

1942         Adm Yamamoto holds a staff conference aboard BB 'Nagato', to plan "Second Phase" operations, which will lead to Coral Sea and Midwy.

1948         Generaloberst Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz, 64, reportedly a suicide, but possibly murdered by the Nazi underground, while awaiting trial on war crimes charges

1958         A B-47 & F-86 collide at 36,000 feet off the Georgia coast, causing the loss of an H-Bomb, which is still missing

1985         Treaty of Tunis: The mayors of Rome, and Carthage sign a treaty of friendship to officially end the Third Punic War, 2,131 years after the fall of Carthage
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 06, 2024, 10:39:34 AM
During the Fourteenth Century an area of approximately 1,050 square kilometers just south of the forest of Fontainebleau near Paris had twelve forts, 28 fortified churches, five towers, four fortified manor houses, and six full-fledged castles, for a total of 55 fortified places, or roughly one for every 19 square kilometers, so that few people were more than six kilometers from a place of refuge

1805  The only occasion on which the Navy was ever larger than the Army occured during the Barbary War, when it had 3,191 officers and enlisted men – not counting 578 Marines – to the Army’s 2,729.

1806. British aquadron of 7 ships of the line, two frigates and two brigs, under Vice Ad. Sir John Thomas Duckworth, defeated French squadron of five ships of the line, two frigates and a corvette, under Vice-Admiral Corentin Urbain Leissègues, off St. Domingo.

1922 Under the terms of the Washington (1922) and London (1930) naval arms limitation treaties – usually wrongly termed “disarmament” treaties – the major navies of the world engaged in a proportional reduction in the size of their fleets, and established a ratio of force that each was to maintain. The British and American navies were authorized a total of around one million tons of warships and auxiliaries, while the Japanese were limited to no more than 60 percent of that figure, and Italy and France to just 35 percent. The point of the treaty was to "balance" the naval forces of each power so that no one fleet could be decisively superior to any other, taking into account each nation's strategic interests and the distances to be traveled. To work, of course, the treaty essentially required that each country maintain its fleet at the appropriate level, so that the balance of sea power would remain the same.
From the signing of the Washington treaty in 1922 until the end of the advent of the Roosevelt administration, in early 1933, the signatory powers all added new vessels to their navies within the terms of the treaties. But some did it better than others.
Navy   Laid Down   Tonnage
France   200   ships   508,330   tons
Italy   147      298,971   
Japan   188      483,262   
U. S.   74      330,890   
U.K.           168      520,845   
While Britain strove to maintain it's tonnage limits, replacing older vessels as they became obsolete with newer ones, the U.S., which should have been adding tonnage in rough equivalence to the British, slipped badly. This was due partially to a belief that war was unlikely, but mostly because the fiscal conservatives from both parties who dominated government during the Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover administrations believed spending on defense would hamper the economy. Even when, in 1927 President Calvin Coolidge, arguing the necessity of maintaining the fleet at treaty levels, proposed building 71 new warships over the next nine years, to include five aircraft carriers and 25 cruisers, the proposal was cut by Congress to just one carrier and 15 cruisers, for which insufficient funds were provided so that only seven of the cruisers were in commission by the time Herbert Hoover left the White House in 1933.
Superficially, the hands down champions in building to their quota were the French, largely because the French Navy had been very obsolete going into World War I, by the time the treaties began to be signed in 1922 they had to replace most of their existing tonnage. But it was the Japanese who actually added the most to their navy, because the 483,262 tons indicated was actually an official figure. Japanese ships built during the treaty period regularly displaced more than their officially stated tonnage; heavy cruisers, for example, ran nearly 30-percent more. Since the Japanese were building above their tonnage limit, by 1932, the Imperial Navy was at ninety-five per cent of its allotted strength and much of its tonnage was new, whereas the U.S. had allowed much of its fleet to become over aged, and thus stood at just sixty-five per cent of its treaty-limit size. In short, rather than having 60-pecent of the tonnage of the U.S. Navy, the Imperial Navy was about 85-percent.
Naturally, in 1933 the advent of the Roosevelt Administration led to the use of Depression-relief funds to begin building the Navy up to treaty limits. Nevertheless, by 1936 the overall tonnage of the Imperial Navy still stood at 72-percent that of the U.S. Navy, 784,000 tons to 1,078,000.

1941  Battle of Beda Fomm: British complete destruction of Italian Tenth Army
      British troops capture Bengazi, Libya

1922  Born John Steed, Patrick Macnee, Eton droput, sometime LIeutenant, Coastal Forces, actor ("The Avengers"), d. 2015

1969. During six months of service off Vietnam, the battleship U.S.S. New Jersey expended 6,000 rounds of 16-inch ammunition, fully 80-percent of the total that the ship had fired during several years of operations in World War II and Korea.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 07, 2024, 07:09:16 PM
1497  Bonfire of the Vanities: Florentine supporters of the radical religious regime of Girolamo Savonarola burn art, books, and other "frivolous" things.

1740. Adam Philippe, 53, le Comte de Custine, French general, guillotined 1793 for being unwilling to take the offensive with unprepared forces

1793. Cptn. Horatio Nelson joins HMS Agamemnon (64).

1864  Union Amphibious Attack on Jacksonville: RAdm John Dahlgren with five powerful warships covers the landing of Brig Genl Truman Seymour's 7,000 troops.

1933  The USS 'Ramapo' (AO-12) encounters a 112 foot "rogue wave" during a cyclonic storm in the Pacific, the tallest wave ever reliably measured

1943. USS Growler (SS 215) fights a desperate night battle with the Japanese supply ship Hayasaki, during which the boat's commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Howard W. Gilmore, rams the enemy ship, badly bending Growler's bow. Wounded by machine gun fire and unable to go below, Gilmore gives the order "Take her down!" sacrificing himself so his submarine could dive to safety. For his "distinguished gallantry and valor" on this occasion and earlier in the patrol, he is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted one rank.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 08, 2024, 03:32:23 PM
115 BC. When Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus (c. 210-c. 115 BC) was carried to his funeral, his bier was borne by a sitting praetor, and three former consuls, all of whom had, like him, celebrated triumphs, and one of whom was a former censor, all of whom were his sons.

1740 When in the field the Comte de Saxe (1696-1750) always traveled with a theatrical troupe – partially to enjoy the show and partially to enjoy the actresses – and it was usually at the conclusion of a performance that his subordinates learned whether a battle was imminent, for after curtain call, one of the starlets would appear to announce the name of the play for the following night, but would occasionally say, “Gentlemen, there will be no play tomorrow for the marshal gives battle” before explaining what was scheduled for the day after that.

1861 Stephen R. Mallory, Confederate secretary of the navy, had chaired the U. S. Senate’s naval affairs committee during the 1850s. Thus he was well qualified to plan a visionary maritime strategy that would couple modern technology, with cunning.
Mallory believed he had two duties: to protect the Southern coastlines and break the Union naval blockade. By adopting the most advanced architecture, his fewer ships might overpower the mostly wooden Union blockaders. Having long been an advocate of ironclads, Mallory pushed for their construction.
Working with former U.S. Navy officer James D. Bulloch (young Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.’s maternal uncle), Mallory proposed development of two ironclad rams that could operate both as defensive and offensive warships. Mallory looked to British shipyards that had the large-scale facilities to construct them and British seamen to sail the raiders. Bulloch was dispatched to in Liverpool in June 1861, to exploit loopholes in the Foreign Enlistment Act that barred neutral Britain from building belligerent warships.
The ironclad rams, however, presented a grave threat. If the rams could break the blockade, foreign recognition of the Confederacy might follow; failing that, they could attack New York City or Boston, and extort payments from the North. Further the Confederate cover-up of the ships’ ownership involved shadowy foreign figures, including the French Emperor, which made it more difficult to maintain peace with Britain.
The ironclads and the raiders were built supposedly as commercial vessels. The British Admiralty’s view was that it would take action against the vessels only if it could be proven that Confederate agents were the owners and were “fitting out, equipping, and arming” the ships for warlike operations. So, to remain legal, Bulloch connived to have the initial raiders leave port under various guises and sail into international waters to take on guns and ammunition.
The effects of the raiders, whether procured abroad or in the Confederacy was impressive. By January of 1863, the most famous of the raiders, Alabama, had captured or destroyed 10 merchantmen, after only about six months at sea. Despite the efforts of Alabama and other Confederate raiders, however, the Union blockade of the South tightened and no significant resources were diverted to deal with the marauders. So Confederate offensive hopes were still pinned heavily on the rams.
Bulloch had contracted with Laird & Sons shipyard to build several warships, among them the two ironclad rams. Under Lord John Laird’s leadership, the yard had pioneered the construction of iron ships and gunboats. Although only mid-sized ships―230 feet in length with 15-foot drafts―the vessels were state-of-the-art: steam powered with auxiliary sail; screw propellers; ironclad armor; below-the-waterline-rams, fore and aft. Yet their lethality stemmed, not from the rams, but from the two turrets in which rifled cannon would be ensconced, guns able to fire both solid shot and explosive shell to considerable ranges.
Bulloch, however, encountered financial, construction, and political problems, which caused delays that worried him. One cruiser fitting out, Georgia, was seized by the British, and Alabama very nearly met a similar fate, only escaping detention because Bulloch bribed a port official to look the other way. Worried the British government might confiscate the rams while still under construction, Bullock and the Confederacy’s agent in Paris John Slidell wove a silky scheme, involving an accommodating Emperor Louis Napoleon. In early 1863, Bulloch transferred the ownership of the rams to M. Bravay, owner of Bravay and Co., a French brokerage firm and an associate of Napoleon III’s lead shipwright. Bravay claimed, falsely, that he represented the Pasha of Egypt, who was the “straw owner.” Bulloch then managed the construction “from behind the desk” at Bravay’s firm.
Meanwhile, U. S. secret agents were trying to unearth proof of ownership, without which the British would have difficulty taking action. If the agents were mistaken and the Admiralty acted, the British government could face sizeable monetary damages if sued in court.
Yet the ironclads’ case differed from that of the raiders. Both Prime Minister Lord Palmerston and Foreign Secretary Lord John Russell finally perceived that ironclad vessels, featuring revolving turrets and rams provided prima facie evidence of military purpose.
By the summer of 1863, Charles Francis Adams, Jr., the American Minister to Great Britain, warned Russell that the “very existence” of the rams constituted a war threat. As Gustavus Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, stated, the U. S. Navy had “no defense against them,” neither monitors nor steam frigates. Moreover, if the British did not halt construction then, what was to prevent 20 more being built?
On September 3rd, after returning from a sojourn in Scotland, Minister Adams learned that one ram had recently completed sea trials and his diplomatic reserve broke. On September 5th he penned his sternest warning to the British government, asserting that Britain was waging war “by stealth and deception,” stating that if the rams escaped to bombard New York or Boston, the United States would retaliate, and ending “It would be superfluous in me to point out to your Lordship that this is war.”
Unbeknownst to Adams, however, in June Russell had begun an investigation of the ownership of the vessels to determine any Confederate connection. The British consul in Egypt met with the Pasha. He dispatched a telegram that was received in London on August 31, 1863, reporting that the Pasha’s ownership had been faked. However, the true owner’s identity, that is Bravay, was still murky and Russell’s legal officers, again, rejected action.
However, Palmerston and Russell agreed that the Confederate charade was dragging the government into “neutral hostility.” The international scene, too, had become complicated: the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg seemed to turn the tide of war. Moreover, an insurrection in Poland against Russia had stirred domestic sympathies. And then there was Louis Napoleon, with his naval ambitions, imperialist meddling in Mexico and various parts of Europe. Supposedly Russell had been “staggered by confident assertions of French ownership” of the ironclads, which the Lairds had corroborated. This put the Palmerston government, as a whole, at political risk. As Adams wrote, “If it acted, the [British] government must do so on the grounds of prerogative, against public opinion, regardless of the advice of counsel and be prepared to be mulcted by a jury.” So on September 3, when Russell ordered Treasury officials to detain the ironclads, he acted courageously, albeit tardily, in accord with Britain’s “international obligations” to preserve the peace.
As a corollary, Palmerston suggested the Royal Navy buy the rams, as the service was short of ironclads. But when the British naval attaché in Paris met with Bravay, he rejected the offer.
After a few weeks during which time there were peaks and valleys in this Anglo-American dispute, Lord Russell decided that the Lairds could not be trusted. On October 8, he ordered the Royal Navy to seize the rams outright.
This diplomatic contretemps finally came to a whimpering halt in early 1864. Bulloch left for France in one final attempt to convince Napoleon III to prevent the rams from being sold to Britain. The Emperor refused. Thus on February 8, Bulloch sent a letter to Bravay, authorizing him to sell the rams as soon as possible. Several months and much discussion later, the British Admiralty purchased the vessels for £180,000, to the great relief of Charles Francis Adams and the Lincoln administration.

1937 Between 1930 and 1937 five men served as directors of the Soviet Naval Academy, each of whom ended his tour by being executed.

1914    Although all had varying proportions of artillery and cavalry, the armies that marched to war in the summer of 1914 were essentially infantry armies.  The basic form of battle envisioned by all participants was the open field clash of rifle-armed infantrymen, likely to culminate in close combat with cold steel.  There were small differences in the arms issued to the infantry in different countries, which by 1914 included not only the magazine rifle but also the machine gun.

Army   Piece                        Cal   Wt   Ln   Rng   RPM   Mag   Note
Infantry Rifles
Belg  Mauser F.N. 1889         7.65   4.0   1.3   2.0   10-15   5   A
Brit   Lee-Enfield No 1                 7.70   3.3   1.1   2.0   15-20   10   B
Fr   Lebel M 1886/93                8.00   4.2   1.3   2.0   8-10   8   C
Berthier Fusil 1907                  8.00   3.8   1.3   2.0   10-15   3   D
Ger   Mauser M 1898                  7.92   4.2   1.2   2.0   10-15   5   E
Mauser M 1888                          7.92    3.8   1.2   2.0   10-15   5   F
Machine Guns
Belg   Hotchkiss M 1914   8.00 52.6 1.3    2.0   450     24-30   G
Brit   Vickers M 1912                   7.70 40.9 1.1    1.0   450        200   H
Fr   Hotchkiss M 1914           8.00 52.6 1.3    2.0   450   24-30   G
Ger   MG08                                   7.92 63.7 1.1    2.0   450        200   I
Abbreviations:  Piece is the designation of the weapon; Cal, caliber in millimeters; Wt, weight in kilograms, without bayonet in the case of rifles, which could add up to .5 kg; Ln, length in meters, without bayonet, which could add an additional .5 m; Rng, maximum range in kilometers, but most armies set sights to c. 400 meters; RPM, for rifles this it the number of aimed shots per minute possible at 400 meters presuming a well-trained man, for machine guns this is cyclic rate, the theoretical maximum number of rounds per minute, with normal rate being about half that given; Mag, is number of rounds in the magazine.

Notes:

A. Belgian Mauser F.N. 1889: Five round external box magazine.

B.   British Lee-Enfield No 1: Ten round box magazine.

C.   French Lebel M 1886/93:   Eight round tubular magazine.  Many American accounts of the war insist that this rifle had a three round clip, probably mistaking it for the Berthier.

D. French Berthier Fusil 1907:  Three round box magazine; a five round version was introduced in1915.  Commonly issued to colonial troops and even the Foreign Legion.

E.   German Mauser M 1898: Five round integral box magazine.  This remained the standard Germany infantry rifle until well into World War II.

F.   German Mauser M 1888:  Five round clip  Carried by some Landwehr and Landsturm units, essentially third line reservists and militiamen.

G. Belgian and French Hotchkiss M 1914: Ammunition came in a round metal canister.  Weight given includes tripod (27.7 kg) and water (c. 3.5 kg).  One of the most reliable machine guns of the war, it soldiered on in many armies (e.g., Spain, Poland) into World War II.

H. British Vickers M 1912: Ammunition came in canvas belts.  Weight includes tripod (22.7 kg) and water (c. 3.5 kg).  A very effective piece, but required an unusually large crew, six men or more.

I.    German MG08: Ammunition supply by belts.  Weight includes tripod (34.1 kg) and water (c. 3.6 kg)  A Maxim system, sometimes known as the “Spandau Machinegun” because most were manufactured at the Spandau arsenal.

But almost as soon as the troops began to come into contact, it became clear that the prevailing view of combat was flawed, fatally for thousands and thousands of troops on all sides.  This was largely because all of the European armies had, to a greater or lesser extent, neglected the lessons of the experience of combat from the Crimean War (1853-1856)  through the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), roughly from the introduction of the rifled musket to that of the magazine rifle and the machine gun, not to mention numerous colonial conflicts, which demonstrated that the firepower of even small numbers of infantrymen or a handful of machine guns could inflict devastating slaughter on opposing troops in open country.  And none of the participants truly understood the overwhelming power of modern artillery.
So the war that came was not the war that was expected. 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 09, 2024, 06:04:26 PM
0 BC   Apollo & Artemis born to Zeus and Leto

A.D. 90, learning that Sallustius Lucullus, the governor of Roman Britain had allowed a new type of weapon to be named the “lucullan lance”, the Emperor Domitian (r. A.D. 81-96) promptly recalled the man and had him executed, for usurping the imperial authority over military matters.

1588. Death ofÁlvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral who never lost a battle (Relief of Malta, Lepanto, etc.), at 61, before he could command the Armada against England, from exhaustion through fitting out the massive enterprise.

1674         The English recapture NY from the Dutch

1826 John "Black Jack" Logan Major General, born.  A civil war politician who developed into a very accomplished military leader, commanding XV corps under Sherman.  Depending on which source you believe, his nickname came from his heavy, dark hair and looks or from his gambling and drinking.
When John Pershing came to the attention of newspaper reporters, his old army nickname "Nigger Jack" could not be printed.  This came from his long service with the Buffalo Soldiers, who were in all negro regiments.
Newspaper editors came up with Black Jack as a nickname they could print.  Pershing, who was proud of his service with the Buffalo soldiers loathed the new nickname.  It made him sound like "A drunken gambler."

1904         A predawn Japanese torpedo boat attack on the Russian Fleet outside Port Arthur, initiates the Russo-Japanese War

1919. Reportedly, British Admiral Lord Charles Beresford (1846-1919), had such a passion for fox hunting that he had “a hunting scene tattooed across his buttocks - with the fox disappearing into the cleft."
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 09, 2024, 10:31:39 PM
Where one would hope the fox would be completely safe from pursuit.  :whistle:
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 10, 2024, 06:17:08 PM
1258  Hulagu Khan's Mongols sack Baghdad and end the Abbasid Caliphate

1417  King Henry V of England ordered that six wing feathers be plucked from every goose in 20 counties and sent to the Tower of London, to be used to fletch arrows for the royal campaigns in France.

1567  Lord Darnley, Henry Stuart, 1st Duke of Albany, 21, strangled & then blown up along with his valet, possibly ordered of his wife, Mary Queen of Scots

1692  Edward Russell (1653-1727) joined the Royal Navy at a very young age and had a spectacular career, attaining a captaincy by the time he was 19. He saw active service in the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674) and on several lengthy expeditions (1676-1682), but in 1683 he fell out of favor with the Crown. In 1688 Russell played an important role in the “Glorious Revolution,” ousting James II and helping to install the latter’s daughter Mary Stuart and her husband William of Orange on the throne.
This earned him a promotion to Admiral of the Fleet and command of the Royal Navy during the Nine Years’ War (1688-1697).
In 1692, Russell was in command of the ships that were to oppose the fleet France was concentrating under the Count de Tourville for an invasion of England in order to restore James II. Now according to tradition, there was great sympathy in the Admiralty for James, who had been an excellent naval officer. And so, as Russell was preparing to put to sea with an Anglo-Dutch fleet numbering perhaps 120 vessels, including over 80 ships-of-the-line, he was handed sealed orders from the Admiralty with instructions to open them when he had reached a certain latitude. Russell, however, had apparently been informed of the contents of the orders, which instructed him to avoid action with the French. Moreover, he had actually been approached in secret with an offer of huge bribe if he avoided action or, if forced to fight, threw the match. So even as his fleet was about to sail, the good admiral made a secret journey from Portsmouth to London, and had a private audience with King William III.
Russell explained to the king the absurdity of these secret instructions (what, for example, was he to do if he encountered the French before opening the orders to avoid them?) Mentioning the offer of a bribe, he suggested that treachery was afoot. He concluded by asking the king to either issue fresh orders permitting him to take on the enemy, or accept his resignation. William told him to take the bribe, and then, with his own hand, wrote orders that Russell was to take, sink, burn, or otherwise destroy as many of the enemy as he should meet, and dated the document so that it superseded any orders issued by the Admiralty.
With his new orders in hand, Russell returned to Portsmouth, put to sea, and between May 29th and June 4th inflicted a stunning series of defeats on the French in raids on the ports of Barfleur, Cherbourg, and La Hogue, a feat, oddly, witnessed and greatly admired by the deposed James II.
Returning to England in triumph, Russell was summoned to the Admiralty to explain his actions.  With a flourish, he produced the orders written by Willia.

1954         Eisenhower warns against US intervention in Vietnam
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 11, 2024, 01:14:27 PM
660   BC   Jimmu, descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, became the first Emperor of Japan (660-585 BC) [Trad)

55    Britannicus, son of Claudius, poisoned by Nero, one day short of his 14th birthday

1744. British Fleet of 30 ships of the line, under Admiral Thomas Mathews, engaged Franco-Spanish fleet of 27 ships of the line, under Juan José Navarro, off Toulon.

1851. Hong Xiuquan, self-proclaimed "Younger Brother of Jesus Christ", initiates the Tai-Ping Rebellion in China, which lasts until 1864 and causes maybe 50 million deaths.

1926. Born  Leslie William Nielsen, RCAF veteran, actor ("Forbidden Planet" "Police Squad), d. 2010
1941. Erwin Rommel lands in Tripoli to assume command of the Afrika Korps
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 12, 2024, 06:56:57 PM
1554         Lady Jane Grey, c. 16-17, Queen of England-for-a-Little While (c. July 10-19, 1553), and her husband Guilford Dudley, 18, executed for treason in the Tower by Queen Mary

1771.       King Adolf Frederick of Sweden (1751-1771), 50, having eaten 14 helpings of his favorite dessert, on top of a sumptuous meal

1804. Although British Admiral Graham Moore - brother of the famous Sir John Moore - captured an entire Spanish treasure fleet in September, he was not permitted a share in the booty, in as much as Britain and Spain were at the time not at war.

1836. Copenhagen, who had carried the Duke of Wellington for 16 hours at Waterloo, at about 30 .  The
most famous horses were the chargers which generals rode into battle. Actually, "charger" was a misnomer, since what a general needed was a steady, brave mount, that would do what he wanted, rather than a spirited war horse. Battle was tough on chargers. Marshal Ney lost seven during the campaign (two at Quatre Bras on June 16th and five at Waterloo on the 18th), and his experience was by no means a record. During the Waterloo Campaign, Wellington rode Copenhagen, a chestnut, 15 hands at the shoulder. Foaled in 1808, Copenhagen was about five when he was bought by Wellington during the Peninsular Campaign. Sure footed and calm, but with enough spirit when needed, Copenhagen bore Wellington through most of the famous battles in the latter part of the Peninsular Campaign, most notably at Vittoria, the Pyrenees, and Toulouse. Copenhagen died in 1836, at the relatively advanced age of 28. Napoleon, his health being poor, spent a great deal of the campaign in his traveling coach. However, when he did ride he seems to have preferred a mare named Desire. And as for Blucher, he was so drunk for most of the campaign he probably didn't know what horse he was riding anyway.

1862  US Grant begins the siege of Ft Donelson, which surrenders on the 16th after an unsuccessful break out attempt

1935. USS 'Macon' (ZRS-5) crashes into into the sea off Point Sur, Calif., after encountering a storm that tears off her upper fin, effectively ending the Navy's trouble-plagued rigid-airship program.

1955. Pres ident Eisenhower sent US advisors to South Vietnam
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Staggerwing on February 13, 2024, 10:22:44 AM
1935. USS 'Macon' (ZRS-5) crashes into into the sea off Point Sur, Calif., after encountering a storm that tears off her upper fin, effectively ending the Navy's trouble-plagued rigid-airship program.

[LTA fanboy rant]   The accident was a tipping point for the Navy's support of the rigid LTA 'Flying CV' program. It need not have happened as the tail fin was damaged in a prior incident and not fully repaired in time before that fateful flight.
Had things got differently and the Macon continued in service there *could* have been an even larger ZRS or two with longer-range modern parasite scout planes patrolling off of Oahu on a certain day during a certain December.
They and their scouts wouldn't have survived long yet could have provided hours of credible early warning of the kind admirals trusted more than a single 'newfangled unreliable' primitive radar installation.   [/LTA fanboy rant]
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 14, 2024, 05:30:05 PM
44 BC   the Roman Senate declared Caesar “Dictator-for-Life.”

1661. The troops of George Monk's Regiment of Foot lay their arms on the ground, and then resume them to swear allegiance to Charles II, who dubs them the Coldstream Guards

1779  Capt. James Cook, RN, 50, explorer, killed by Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay..

1797  Adm. John Jervis’s British squadron defeated the Spanish in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent

1918. The Gregorian calendar, introduced in Catholic countries in 1582, and adopted in Protestant countries by the mid-1700s, goes into effect in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 15, 2024, 01:42:21 PM
44 BC.    Marc Antony thrice offered a crown to Caesar, who refused it.

1503. The last and greatest representative of the Age of Chivalry, Pierre Terrail, the Seigneur de Bayard (c. 1473-1524), was the most notable man-at-arms of his age. The chevalier sans peur et sans reproche, Bayard served heroically in the long Italian wars, gaining a remarkable reputation for courage, daring, and skill with sword, lance, and horse, in battle, skirmish, and siege.
On December 28, 1503, during the general disaster that resulted for the French in the aftermath of Gonzalo de Cordoba’s brilliant mid-winter offensive at the Battle of the Garigliano, Bayard personally held a bridge over the river against the vanguard of the Spanish-Neapolitan army, aided by just fifteen knights supported by a few pikemen and archers, an action recounted in lively fashion by his biographer Samuel Shellabarger,
. . . in charge after charge, a plyìng of lance, ax, and sword, they checked the Spanish advance. Bayard's horse went down. He swung himself clear, and landed on foot surrounded by enemies, but refused surrender, continuing the fight. The Bâtard de Sandricourt charged, cut him free, and gave him another mount. The battle went on. Behind them the hurrying columns struggled forward encumbered with baggage and artillery, and reached at length the bridge of Mola di Gaeta, a choked torrent of men striving to pass and in utter rout. Here the mélée rose to its fiercest, the tenuous rear-guard alone standing between this disorganized mass and the driving pressure of the enemy. Once more Bayard's horse was killed, and once more he swung to another saddle. Others of the fifteen were taken or slain. Bellabre, at his side, hurled a Spanish knight from the bridge into the river. Around the artillery bedded in mud and blocked by the swarm of fugitives, the royal Swiss guard fought to the last, but vainly. Threatened by a detachment of Spaniards, who had crossed below and strove to cut off retreat, the guns had to be abandoned and the bridge-head surrendered. Another wave of attack swept against what remained of the fifteen defenders, but they still held firm. Bayard's third horse, mortally wounded, managed to stagger with him to the doors of Gaeta before collapsing.
Bayard went on to fight again, and again, and again. Henry VIII of England, an enemy, accorded him honors almost as great as those the King of France sovereign conferred. And Francois I was lavish with honors, even refusing to accept the accolade of knighthood from anyone save Bayard.
The perfect knight, chivalrous, generous, courageous, loyal, honorable, in late April 1524, Bayard assumed command of a defeated French army as it retreated across the River Sesia in Northern Italy. While standing under a tree directing the operation a Spanish arquebus ball struck him in the spine. In a sense this was but poetic justice, for the gallant Bayard had been in the habit of mutilating and even executing arquebusiers whenever he captured them, considering them violators of the knightly code; commoners had no right to deal death to their betters.
Seriously wounded, Bayard was captured by the Spanish, who treated him remarkably well, considering the treatment that he had regularly meted to their arquebusiers. After days of agony he died in Spanish hands on April 30, so mourned by his captors that they called a truce to return his body to his people for a decent burial. Francois I gave the fallen hero an elaborate funeral. Though his contemporaries knew it not, Bayard's funeral was also the funeral of the Feudal Age, for the cause of his death, gunpowder, was, in large measure, the cause of the death of chivalry.

1856. The stores-ship, Supply, commanded by Lt. David Dixon Porter, sails from Smyrna, Syria, bound for Indianola, Texas, with a load of 21 camels intended for experimental use in the American desert west of the Rockies.

1936. Hitler orders production of the Volkswagen

1989. Gen. Boris Gromov leaves Afghanistan, ending Soviet intervention
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 16, 2024, 10:44:52 AM
1220         The Mongols capture Bokhara

1622 Don Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba was a descendent of El Gran Capitan, who had led the armies of Ferdinand and Isabel to numerous victories against the Moors and French, helping to secure Granada and Naples for the Spanish crown. Born late in the sixteenth century, like his great ancestor, the younger Gonzalo also served in the Spanish Army for many years, with great energy and some success, though little distinction, particularly during the early part of the Thirty Years’ War. Perhaps the most interesting moment in the younger Gonzalo’s military career occurred at the Battle of Wimpfen (May 6, 1622), against the Duke of Baden.
In the course of the battle, Cordoba observed that two enemy cavalry squadrons were dangerously exposed. He concluded that a cuirassier charge might be just the thing to rout these troops and carry the day. Putting himself at the head of 22 squadrons, Gonzalo ordered the charge, and put spurs to horse with his troopers thundering behind.
Unfortunately, just as they were about to plunge into the enemy lines, Gonzalo’s gallant troopers decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and drew off. As he was out in front of his brave cuirassiers , Gonzalo failed to notice their pusillanimity, and so plunged on single-handedly into the enemy ranks.
Seeing the lone horsemen approaching, the German troopers gallantly opened their ranks to let him pass (well, actually they were “advancing to the rear” as well). So none of the enemy chose to engage Gonzalo as he rode through their ranks. One did, however, approach close enough to reach out and snatch a gold chain from Gonzalo’s uniform.
Despite this dual humiliation, Cordoba did go on to win the battle, one of several to his credit, though never enough to compensate for his failures.

1792 required all adult, white men in the U.S. to enroll in their state militia. Despite tradition, the heirs of the “embattled farmers” proved very reluctant to serve. So by 1800 most states had imposed fines for such offenses as failure to enroll, missing periodic musters, or lacking certain articles of equipment, particularly muskets, which the men were supposed to supply themselves (however common muskets may have been among frontiersmen, they were by no means as common among folks in more settled regions).
The size of the fine varied depending upon the state and the nature of the offense. Missing company training might cost a man $0.75, while failing to show up with a musket might run $2.00. Refusing to serves as a non-commissioned officer could cost a man $10.00. In general, fines levied against officers were a great deal higher than those levied against enlisted men, an interesting example of anti-aristocratic tendencies in American society.
These were very heavy fines. A common workman might earn $150 in the course of a year. In Virginia at the time a pound of beef could be had for $0.05, of mutton or pork, $0.07, of butter, $0.20-$0.25, while a dozen eggs ran $0.08, the same price as a whole chicken.
If a man was particularly recalcitrant, and not only refused to serve, but refused to pay his fines, the state could seize his goods and sell them to the highest bidder to satisfy the debt.
Despite these seemingly draconian penalties, evasion of militia duty was extremely common, so that of perhaps 500,000 active militiamen on the rolls in 1800, fewer than ten percent seem to have even owned a firearm.

1804. Lt. Stephen Decatur, with volunteers from frigate Constitution and schooner Enterprise, enters Tripoli harbor by night in the ketch Intrepid to burn the captured frigate Philadelphia.

1923         Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon open King Tut's tomb

1940         'Altmark' Incident: HMS 'Cossack' violates Norwegian territoriality to free British prisoners held aboard a German tanker

1944,  Cdr. Quentin R. Walsh, U.S.C.G., was leading a party of armed Coastguardsmen on a reconnaissance to determine the extent to which the Germans had damaged the port facilities at Cherbourg before surrendering the city. They came across a German sailor, whom they promptly captured. The man informed them that about 50 American soldiers were being held prisoner in one of the harbor forts, guarded by some German troops who had refused to surrender.
Accompanied by another officer, Walsh approached the fort and called for a parley. A German officer escorted the pair into the fort, where they confronted the German commander. They reminded him that his direct superiors had already surrendered Cherbourg, and that he had an obligation to obey their orders. The German officer flatly refused to surrender, informing Walsh that he and his men would fight to the death. Walsh quietly told him that there were 800 American troops men outside, ready to take the fort by storm if necessary. Hearing this the German commander suddenly lost interest in a glorious death for Führer and fatherland, and agreed to surrender.
The German officer must have felt pretty stupid when he discovered that Commander Walsh actually had only seven armed men waiting outside.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 17, 2024, 11:07:41 AM
364         Roman Emperor Flavius Jovianus Binda - Jovian (Jun 26, 363-Feb 17, 364), at c. 32, probably accidental carbon monoxide suffocation.

1197 Richard the Lionhearted decided to block a potential French invasion route into Normandy down the Seine by constructing an enormous castle which has come to be known as Chateau Gaillard. Since Richard was having a lot of trouble with his “dear cousin” Philip Augustus II of France, he decided that the castle had to be built in a hurry. Naturally, this upped the cost considerably.

Cost to Construct Chateau Gaillard, 1197-1198
                                   Purchase     Transport   Labor   Total
Cartage                         -               £1,010   £2,442   £3,442
Stone                         £2,030            425   650             3,105
Timber.                           1,005            251   838      2,094
Masonry Supplies *      395                 -        1,002             1,397
Metalwork & Cordage       160.                  -     113.              273
Manpower**                       -                 -    10,892            10,892
Total                            3,590         1,676.   15,927     21,203

Note: “Masonry Supplies” refers to sand, mortar, and plaster. “Manpower” refers to construction workers, miners, porters, guards, and so forth, to the exclusion of personnel involved in the manufacture or transportation of supplies
As can be seen, then as now, the principal expense in a construction project was manpower rather than materials.
Considering that Richard’s normal “annual income” was probably no more than £50,000-75,000, his enormous investment in Chateau Gaillard was not well repaid. Just as he could raise a great castle in quick time by ponying up lots of cash, so too could his enemies. Although virtually impregnable to a traditional siege, Chateau Gaillard could be blockaded and forced to surrender if someone could afford to pay enough troops long enough to starve the garrison.
In September, 1203, an army in the pay of King Philip Augustus II of France sat down outside Chateau Gaillard. They erected siege works, prevented the entry of supplies, and even stormed the outer walls. As a result, at the time of the final French assault on March 6, 1204, the combined effects of combat, hunger, and disease had reduced the defenders to no more than 140 able-bodied men.
Taking Chateau-Gaillard cost Philip Augustus a pretty penny, precisely how much no one knows, but it was probably as much as the place had cost Richard to build. Despite this tremendous outlay, it money well spent, for not only did the castle control traffic on the Seine, it also covered Rouen, the capital of Normandy, then in English hands. Three months after Chateau-Gaillard fell, Rouen was French again, and the rest of Normandy soon followed.

1782. British fleet of 9 ships of the line, under Sir Edward Hughes, engaged a French fleet of 11 ships of the line, under Bailli de Suffren, off the East coast of India.

1909. Goyaalé ("Yawner") - Geronimo, warrior, card sharp,  dies c. 79.The great Apache war chief Geronimo led his people’s resistance to the U.S. for many years before surrendering, after which he fairly quickly became a rather model citizen. Like many Indians an ardent gambler – a generation earlier the great Kiowa warchief Setanta had also been a notable sportsman – Geronimo was particularly fond of poker, at which he often won considerable sums, as can be seen in this excerpt from The Army-Navy Journal of August 29, June 9, 1900.

A Wichita press correspondent states that Geronimo, the famous Apache war chief, deposited in the bank at Chicasha $1,425 some days ago, the result of his winnings at poker. Recently he became a great poker player. He shuffles the cards cautiously, never cheats, and expects his opponents to play fair. He ìs a greater bluffer, and is not afraid to call a bluff. In the spirit of the old deacon's advice to the young men not to bet but if they did to bet on Jones's mare, the chief's conduct ín banking his winnings may be held up as a worthy example to those who seem to lighten a monotonous existence by dalliance with the deceiving jackpot."
Clearly, Geronimo played poker the way he played war, seriuosly. This is demonstrated.both by his penchant for bluffing, and the amounts involved; in 1900 $1,425 was almost as much as a first lieutenant earned in a year, and more than twice the annual wage of the average public school teacher in the nation.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 17, 2024, 01:41:12 PM
1909. Goyaalé ("Yawner") - Geronimo, warrior, card sharp,  dies c. 79.The great Apache war chief Geronimo led his people’s resistance to the U.S. for many years before surrendering, after which he fairly quickly became a rather model citizen. Like many Indians an ardent gambler – a generation earlier the great Kiowa warchief Setanta had also been a notable sportsman – Geronimo was particularly fond of poker, at which he often won considerable sums, as can be seen in this excerpt from The Army-Navy Journal of August 29, June 9, 1900.

Been to his grave and used to live across the Quad from his jail.

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on February 17, 2024, 07:01:16 PM
And I used to live where he was imprisoned for a while.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 18, 2024, 01:47:05 PM
3102. BC   Krishna, the incarnation of Vishnu [Trad]

The Athenian general and author Xenophon (427-355 BC), was so particular about the quality of his equipment that his shield came from Argos, his breastplate from Attica, his helmet from Boeotia, and his horse from Epidaurus.

185 BC. After many years of public service,  having come out on the losing side in the convoluted familial politics of the Roman Republic, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (236–183 B.C.), victor over Hannibal, retired to a villa at Liternum, on the coast of Campania, about 20 miles north of Naples.
It was a pleasant spot, well watered and fruitful, and the great general could invest his energies in managing the estate.
Then, one day, several pirate ships were seen approaching off the coast. Assuming the pirates intended no good, Scipio promptly made preparations to deal with them. He put his household into a state of defense, fortifying the villa and arming his retainers, among whom were a number of old soldiers who had attached themselves to his service, as well as some of the local citizens and even his slaves.
What happened next was quite unexpected.
When the pirate captains landed on the nearby beach, they immediately sent their boats and men back to their ships. They then ostentatiously deposited their arms on the shore and approached Scipio’s villa in a dignified, even suppliant manner. At the front gate a spokesman for the pirates declared that they had come to pay their respects to the great commander, considering it an honor to met someone so favored by the gods.
Seeing them disarmed, and outnumbered, Scipio ordered the pirates admitted. The men paid homage to the household deities, greeted Scipio with great emotion, some even kissing his hand, and presented expensive gifts.
After a brief visit, during which they exchanged pleasantries with Scipio, the pirates returned to their ships, declaring how fortunate they had been to meet so great a man.

1478. George Plantagenet, 28, Duke of Clarence, conspirator against his brother Edward IV, executed in the Tower, traditionally by being drowned in a barrel of Malmsey

1653  Start of 3 day Battle of Portland. English fleet, under Robert Blake, was attacked by a Dutch fleet escorting a large convoy, under Lt.-Admiral Maarten Tromp. Figures are unclear but each fleet had 70-80 warships and whilst the British lost 1-3 warships the Dutch lost 8-12 and 40- 50 merchantmen.

1774, on the eve of the War for Independence, merchant ships registered in the Thirteen Colonies totaled about 450,000 tons.

Between 1814 and 1868, there were apparently 34 coups, pronunciamientos, or other military interventions in political life by the Spanish Army, most of which failed.

1898. Spain did badly in its war with the United States in 1898. She could have done better. Much better. In fact, it is difficult to disagree with the belief of many Spanish officers, including Vice-Admiral Pascual Cervera, who commanded the squadron sunk off Santiago, that their government had given little thought to strategic planning beyond the notion of losing the war quickly.
The shattering defeats inflicted upon the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay and at Santiago were both avoidable.
Had the squadron in the Philippines been dispersed, rather than concentrated at Cavite, Commodore George Dewey would not have secured so signal a victory at the very outbreak of the war. With the Spanish ships dispersed among the archipelago's seven thousand islands scattered over 100,000 square miles of ocean, they would have posed a threat - a "fleet in being" - to the safety of an American expedition to seize Manila. Dewey would have found the task of searching all those potential hiding places tedious, time consuming, and potentially dangerous, yet necessary despite the relative worthlessness of the Spanish vessels in question. It would certainly have taken months to winkle out the last of the Spanish fleet. Of course, the Philippines were a side-show. The critical theater was the Atlantic.
In the Atlantic Admiral Cervera offered a much better strategy than merely sending his squadron to the Caribbean to be sunk. The U.S. could not safely invade Cuba until the Spanish fleet had been neutralized. Cervera proposed keeping the fleet concentrated in the Canary Islands. There it would continue to pose a threat to American maritime movements and at the same time be available to intercept possible American raids on the Spanish mainland. Spain's resources were adequate for this strategy. At the start of the war Spain had four major warships in commission, three Maria Teresa class armored cruisers plus the new armored cruiser Cristobal Colon, the ships that formed the core of the squadron that Cervera took to Santiago. Had Spain adopted this strategy, these vessels would have shortly been joined by two other major warships that were soon available, the battleship Pelayo, completing a refit, and the armored cruiser Carlos V, a very powerful vessel just entering service.
Even had they remained relatively inactive, these six heavy ships concentrated in the Canary Islands and supported by the available smaller cruisers and various lighter warships could easily have proven extremely worrisome to the United States Navy, constituting a relatively powerful fleet in being. From the Canaries, one or two of the armored cruisers and some of the half dozen or so smaller cruisers could have been sent to raid U.S. maritime commerce and threaten the East Coast, already experiencing something of a panic even before Cervera's squadron actually sailed. Such a strategy would have prolonged the war in several ways.
Had Spain adopted this course of action, the U.S. Navy would have been forced to divert resources from the Caribbean to chase the Spanish commerce raiders, and guard the Atlantic coastline. An American descent on Cuba or Puerto Rico would have been delayed, due to the shortage of escorts. Given that the U.S. Army was extremely concerned about the danger of operating in the Caribbean during the fever season, a landing in Puerto Rico or Cuba might easily have been delayed until the fall, assuming a decision was made to undertake one at all, given the potential danger from the Spanish fleet in the Canaries. Indeed, precisely what the U.S. would have done in such circumstance is difficult to determine. An expedition against the Canaries was actually considered by the U.S., but only after Cervera's defeat, and primarily as a means of preventing Spain from attempting to reinforce the Philippines. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the U.S. Navy could have done much more than undertaken a massive raid, lacking the logistical train to support a more serious expedition at such distance from North America
Spain did badly in its war with the United States in 1898. She could have done better. Much better. In fact, it is difficult to disagree with the belief of many Spanish officers, including Vice-Admiral Pascual Cervera, who commanded the squadron sunk off Santiago, that their government had given little thought to strategic planning beyond the notion of losing the war quickly.
The shattering defeats inflicted upon the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay and at Santiago were both avoidable.
Had the squadron in the Philippines been dispersed, rather than concentrated at Cavite, Commodore George Dewey would not have secured so signal a victory at the very outbreak of the war. With the Spanish ships dispersed among the archipelago's seven thousand islands scattered over 100,000 square miles of ocean, they would have posed a threat - a "fleet in being" - to the safety of an American expedition to seize Manila. Dewey would have found the task of searching all those potential hiding places tedious, time consuming, and potentially dangerous, yet necessary despite the relative worthlessness of the Spanish vessels in question. It would certainly have taken months to winkle out the last of the Spanish fleet. Of course, the Philippines were a side-show. The critical theater was the Atlantic.
In the Atlantic Admiral Cervera offered a much better strategy than merely sending his squadron to the Caribbean to be sunk. The U.S. could not safely invade Cuba until the Spanish fleet had been neutralized. Cervera proposed keeping the fleet concentrated in the Canary Islands. There it would continue to pose a threat to American maritime movements and at the same time be available to intercept possible American raids on the Spanish mainland. Spain's resources were adequate for this strategy. At the start of the war Spain had four major warships in commission, three Maria Teresa class armored cruisers plus the new armored cruiser Cristobal Colon, the ships that formed the core of the squadron that Cervera took to Santiago. Had Spain adopted this strategy, these vessels would have shortly been joined by two other major warships that were soon available, the battleship Pelayo, completing a refit, and the armored cruiser Carlos V, a very powerful vessel just entering service.
Even had they remained relatively inactive, these six heavy ships concentrated in the Canary Islands and supported by the available smaller cruisers and various lighter warships could easily have proven extremely worrisome to the United States Navy, constituting a relatively powerful fleet in being. From the Canaries, one or two of the armored cruisers and some of the half dozen or so smaller cruisers could have been sent to raid U.S. maritime commerce and threaten the East Coast, already experiencing something of a panic even before Cervera's squadron actually sailed. Such a strategy would have prolonged the war in several ways.
Had Spain adopted this course of action, the U.S. Navy would have been forced to divert resources from the Caribbean to chase the Spanish commerce raiders, and guard the Atlantic coastline. An American descent on Cuba or Puerto Rico would have been delayed, due to the shortage of escorts. Given that the U.S. Army was extremely concerned about the danger of operating in the Caribbean during the fever season, a landing in Puerto Rico or Cuba might easily have been delayed until the fall, assuming a decision was made to undertake one at all, given the potential danger from the Spanish fleet in the Canaries. Indeed, precisely what the U.S. would have done in such circumstance is difficult to determine. An expedition against the Canaries was actually considered by the U.S., but only after Cervera's defeat, and primarily as a means of preventing Spain from attempting to reinforce the Philippines. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the U.S. Navy could have done much more than undertaken a massive raid, lacking the logistical train to support a more serious expedition at such distance from North America

1942. USS Truxtun (DD 229) and USS Pollux (AKS-2) sink during a heavy storm in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, with the loss of 204 lives.  At that time, the greatest loss of US sailors in the war.

1943         Gestapo arrest "White Rose" resistance cell in Munich
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 19, 2024, 11:11:36 AM
281 BC. One of the most unique duels between commanders occurred., at the Battle of Corupedion, during the Wars of Alexander the Great’s Successors, when Seleucus of Syria and Mesoptomia defeated and slew Lysimachus of Bithynia, both men being, at the time, over 80 years old.

1649. Second Battle of Guararapes: The Porgtuese end Dutch attempts to colonize northeastern Brazil

1748. During a siege Afghan King Ahmed Shah’s prize cannon fired a ball in excess of 500 pounds with such devastating effect that the Persian city of Nishapur surrendered after only one round, despite the fact that the gun itself blew up.

1807. A British squadron under Adm Duckworth forces the Dardanelles

1861. Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom

1915. First British attempt to force the Dardanelles: A feeble probe alets the Turks to the weakness of their defenses

1940  When France collapsed in June, the Polish 2nd Infantry Division, raised from refugees and expatriates, retreated into Switzerland, where it was interned, though the wily Swiss left it largely intact, in case they needed some extra support should Hitler decide to invade their country as well.

1942. Feeling their mannhood insulted when higher authorities tried to limit their exposure to venereal disease by issuing prophylactics, one day on the Eastern Front during World War II the troops of the Spanish “Blue Division” afixed inflated condoms to their bayonets as they marched in review for a contingent of very senior German officers.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 20, 2024, 07:14:19 PM

Q. Fabius Labeo (c. 226 B.C.- 180 BC) was a member of an obscure branch of the patrician gens Fabia. He followed the normal “course of honor” for a Roman of his class, alternating military service with stints in public office. In late 190 B.C., Labeo was elected a praetor for 189 B.C., and was assigned command of the combined Roman-Rhodian fleet that was serving in the Eastern Mediterranean in support of operations by Gnaeus Manlius against King Antiochus III of Syria.
Manlius had completed his peace making (or perhaps “peace dictation”) with Antiochus, and the final terms included a clause whereby the latter agreed to surrender half of his fleet to Rome.
Labeo was charged with implementing this clause. Antiochus’ fleet lay at several different ports. A large number of the king’s ships were lying at Patara, then a fine harbor, but today, due to silting, a pleasant beach near Kalkan in southern Turkey. Since the treaty prescribed that half the fleet be given to Rome, Fabius ordered the Syrian warships to be cut across the beam, and took away half of each vessel.

1258  Caliph al-Musta'sim Billah of Baghdad (1242-1258), c. 45, the last Abbasid, executed by Hulagu Khan

During the War of 1812 the U.S. Navy, which never had more than about two dozen ships at sea at any time, captured 165 enemy vessels, while 526 privateers wearing the American flag took 1,334 more.

1833  Russian Black Sea fleet anchors off Constantinople, to defend it from the Egyptians

1913 Britain laid down a new class of battleship, the "R" Class, so-designated because all of the units had names beginning with the letter R. They began entering service in 1916, but proved somewhat of a disappointment in service due to major design flaws. Apparently having expended all its inventiveness on the preceding Queen Elizabeth Class, splendid oil fueled, high-speed vessels, the Royal Navy seriously bungled the design of the new class. The smaller Rs - sometimes known as the Revenge or Royal Sovereign Class - were originally intended to burn coal, with auxiliary oil-fuelling. Although converted to oil while still under construction, the Rs were much slower than their predecessors - 21.5 knots vs. 25 - and never quite measured up. Though they served in both World Wars, the Rs found little glory, being largely confined to support roles, such as convoy escort and gunfire support missions, being relegated as training ships before the end of World War II, after which they were turned into scrapped.
Well, mostly turned into scrap. But no completely. In 1950 some miscellaneous parts of HMS Royal Sovereign and HMS Revenge, specifically the rack and pinion (the large toothed steel ring and the gear that drives it) of one 15-inch gun turret from each ship was saved from the scrap heap for a "higher" purpose. The two assemblages were shortly incorporated into the elevation drive of the 76-meter radio telescope at Jodrell Bank.
Now known as the Lovell Telescope, after Sir Bernard Lovell, founder of the observatory, the telescope remains in service, helping to explore the universe, and HM Ships Royal Sovereign and Revenge can arguably claim to be the first battleships in history taking part in the exploration of space.

during the British Army maneuvers of 1913, Maj. Gen. Henry Rawlinson (who later commanded an army in France) sent his wife on a reconnaissance mission in their chauffer-driven car, as a result of which he supposedly initiated a night attack on a concentration of “enemy” troops who turned out to be some of the umpires

1919 this Anarchist bombing ofthe American Woolen Co. mill, near Franklin, Mass., went amiss, killing all four terrorists

1944  Big Week: Allied bombers begin five days of intensive air attacks on German aircraft production facilities and air bases, while their fighter escorts devastate defending Luftwaffe squadrons
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 21, 2024, 10:35:45 AM
500 BC. Roman festival of the Feralia, honoring the Manes -- spirits of the dead

1431         The English try Joan of Arc for witchcraft, at Rouen

1513.   Pope Julius II (1503-13) was one of the most aggressive men ever to hold the See of Peter. A determined reformer, Julius set out to set to assert the rights and power of the Church in Italy, where much of the vast lands of the Papal States were actually held by various princely families. Among these families were the Bentivoglio, who had held Bologna for more than a century. In 1506 Julius captured Bologna.
Having captured the city, Julius decided that it needed an heroic statue of himself to remind the Bolognese who was boss. And he decided that Michelangelo was the just the man to make it. At the time, Michelangelo was working in Florence. Now Julius and Michelangelo had quarreled bitterly over a previous commission, the papal tomb. So Michelangelo was not inclined to respond to the Pope’s call, nor were the Florentines willing to let him go, fearing for his safety. But the Pope pressed the issue, saying all was forgiven, and Michelangelo relented, while the Florentines tried to insure his safety by making him their ambassador to the Holy See.
Arriving in Bologna, Michelangelo was startled to discover that the proposed commission was to create an heroic bronze statue of Julius. Now bronze wasn’t Michelangelo’s medium, it was marble. But the Pope insisted, and Michelangelo acceded. In addition to paying the artist a princely sum, the Pope thoughtfully donated the town’s church bells to Michelangelo for use as raw materials.
Michelangelo made a clay model showing the Julius sitting on a throne. In the words of the near contemporary art historian Giorgio Vasari,
When the clay model was almost finished, the Pope went to see it before he left Bologna. The Pope said he could not tell whether the figure was blessing or anathematizing the people of Bologna. Michelangelo replied that the figure was warning the people to behave themselves.
“Should I put a book in the left hand?” Michelangelo asked.
“Put a sword,” said the Pope. “I don’t know much about books.”

1794 Born,   Antonio López de Santa Anna, perennial president/dictator of Mexico, inept commander, who did much to insure Texas independence, d. 1876

1803   English radical revolutionaries Edward Despard, John Wood, John Francis, Thomas Broughton, James Sedgwick Wratton, Arthur Graham, & John Macnamara, the last men sentenced to be drawn & quartered in Britain, are merely hanged and beheaded

1824 death of Eugène de Beauharnais, 42, Josephine's son, Napoleon's protege (b. 1781). In trying to educate Eugene in the Art of War, Napoleon wrote him many examples and tenets.  "When I have a task that requires intelligence and good sense, and I have two equally intelligent generals, I pick the one with the biggest nose."

1848. Publication of "The Communist Manifesto" by Marx & Engels, inspiring extraordinary slaughter

1914. White Wolf rebels attack Shanghai, China

1945  Born  John E. Hill, American wargame designer, d. 2015

2016. Capt. Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, RN, who flew 487 different types of aircraft, made 2,407 deck landings at sea and 2,721 take offs, at 97

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 22, 2024, 09:25:27 AM
1358  Rising of the Guilds of Paris against the Crown of France

1493  , although only 24, Charles VIII had been on the throne of France for 10 years. That year, he decided to assert a dubious claim to the throne of Naples. Naples had been in dispute between the house of Aragon and the house of Anjou for some two centuries. In 1442 King Alfonso V of Aragon had deposed Charles’ uncle, Rene “the Good,” and set himself up as Alfonso I of Naples. This passed to his illegitimate son Ferrante I in 1458. By 1493 Ferrante was ill, and the Neapolitan barons, long unhappy with Aragonese efforts to curb their power in the interests of national unity, were encouraging Charles to step in. By the time Ferrante died, in January of 1494, leaving the throne to his son, Alfonso II, Charles was already preparing an invasion of Italy.
Now at the time, France had the best army in the world, essentially the first professional standing army in Western Europe since the fall of Rome. So when Charles invaded Italy in a surprise late-season campaign in September of 1494 with 18,000 troops, including French men-at-arms, Swiss pikemen, and a train of 40 cannon, his army proved remarkably effective. With the finest artillery train in the west, great fortified cities fell so easily into his power, that in short order places began surrendering as soon as Charles’ gunners set up their pieces. By December, the French had occupied Rome, forcing Pope Alexander VI, hardly the finest occupant of the See of Peter, to concede his claim to Naples, which was technically a papal fief.
From Rome, Charles launched an unprecedented winter campaign, invading Naples on two fronts with an army swollen to 40,000 by alliances with various Italian princes.
At this point, Alfonso, an artistically-inclined prince of no great intelligence, abdicated and passed the throne to his son, Ferrante II. Ferrante, although already a proven campaigner despite his age, only 25, could put up little resistance, faced with an empty treasury, an invading army, and unreliable barons, and so fled to Sicily, where his cousin Ferdinand II (as in “Ferdinand and Isabella”), reigned. While Ferrante and Ferdinand concentrated an army in Sicily, Charles captured Naples itself on February 20, 1495, and soon was in control of most of the kingdom.
Believing his work done, within weeks Charles marched back to France. Italian efforts to interfere in his retirement led to a spectacular French victory at the Taro, in Tuscany, on July 6, 1495. Oddly, this victory came just a few days before Charles received word that an Aragonese-Neapolitan army landed from Sicily had liberated Naples on July 7th. Despite news of this reverse, Charles continued on his way, returning to France.
So in the end, Charles gained nothing from his campaign.
Well, not quite.
He did manage to keep one “conquest.” While fleeing Naples, Ferrante had neglected to take along his mistress, Caterina Gonzaga. Applying the ancient maxim, “To the victor belong the spoils, Charles promptly made the young woman his misters.
But Charles didn’t get to enjoy even that little bit of his victory for very long. Early in April of 1498, Charles accidentally bunked his head against a stone door lintel, and died of a concussion on the 7th.
The only lasting legacy of Charles’ invasion of Italy was to initiate over a generational conflict between France and Spain for control of the peninsula that would last more than 60 years (1494-1559), and end in complete Spanish dominance

1797  the Last Invasion of Britain took place, as 1,500- Franco-Irish trops landed near Fishguard, Wales, to be defeated in the 24th

1797  Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Freiherr von Münchhausen - "Baron Münchhausen", 86, German soldier, adventurer, and fabulist

1940  A Stuka of Kampfgeschwader 30 sinks two destroyers in a single attack in the North Sea off Borkum, both German, the 'Lebrecht Maas' and 'Max Schultz'

1943  Nazi Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels gives Japanese violinist Nejiko Suwa a 1722 Stradivarius, probably looted from a Jewish family, which postwar she uses to entertain imprisoned Japanese war criminals
1943   Hans Scholl (24), his sister Sophie (21), and their friend Christoph Probst (23), German "White Rose" Resistance fighters, guillotined by the Nazis
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 23, 2024, 12:16:15 PM

1440         Giles de Raiz, c. 36, Marshal of France, comrade to Joan of Arc, child molester, serial killer, executed

1524. the course of a military career that lasted about 30 years, Pierre Terrail de Bayard (1476-1524), the Chevalier san peur et sans reproche, earned 100,000 livres – today perhaps as much as $250 million in purchasing power – from the ransoms of prisoners-of-war.

1714. Following their victory in the Battle of Oudenarde (Jul 11, 1708), in the eighth year of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy, commanding a combined British, Dutch, and Holy Roman Empire army, advanced on Lille, capital of northern France, to lay it under siege.
Approaching from the north, a few miles above the city they came upon the Marquette River, which, although small, presented a rather serious obstacle to their advance, as the crossing was over a drawbridge that was defended by a stout fortification.
Looking across the stream at the drawn-up bridge, the commander of the English advanced guard, Col. Francis Godfrey of the 16th Foot (later the Bedfordshire Regiment), noted that the chains suspending it were exposed, and might be cut.  But to cut it would require a soldier to swim the river under enemy fire.  The good colonel appealed to his troops, offering a fat purse to any man who would do the deed.  Several men took up the offer, but one after another, each was shot down before he succeeded in getting across.  Then Sergeant William Littler stepped forward.  An educated man of sober habits, Littler had several times turned down a commission, preferring to remain a simple soldier.  Approaching Col. Godfrey, Littler said, "Sir, I don't want the money, only let me make the attempt, for the honour of the regiment."  The colonel assented.
Littler grabbed an axe, jumped into the river, and made his way across despite a hail of bullets.  Attaining the other bank, and thus sheltered from enemy fire, Littler, though lightly wounded, climbed up the drawbridge to a point where he could chop away at the chains.  Soon the bridge fell.  Seeing that the loss of the bridgehead was inevitable, the greatly outnumbered French abandoned the position.
As a reward for his gallantry, and over his protests, Littler was commissioned an ensign in the 3rd Foot (later The Buffs).   Over the next few decades he rose through the ranks, serving in several regiments, including the 1st Foot Guards (the Grenadier Guards).  In 1740 Littler was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the 47th Foot (later the Lancashire Regiment).  He died in 1742.
 The French commander during this campaign was James FitzJames, the Duke of Berwick, who was the illegitimate son of the late King James II of England and Arabella Churchill.  Ms. Churchill later married Col. Charles Godfrey, and bore him Francis Godfrey who was thus the half-brother of the French commander.  And, since Ms. Churchill's brother was John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, Francis was also the nephew of his own commander, which may help explain why he eventually rose to brigadier general

1760 The unreliability of the old smooth bore musket is notorious. As one British observer once observed, " . . . a soldier must be very unfortunate indeed who shall be wounded by a common musket at 150 yards, provided his antagonist aimed at him."
An excellent demonstration of this fact occurred during one battle in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). It seems that, having routed the enemy, some French troops were pursuing them off the field, which was rather shrouded in gunsmoke, a commonplace of battles using traditional black powder.
One of the French soldiers, Mercoyrol de Beaulieu, imprudently donned the headdress of a fallen Hessian grenadier. At that, about 50 of de Beauliue’s comrades, mistaking him for the enemy in the smoke, opened fire, some of them at perhaps not more than 30 paces. Amazingly, de Beaulieu emerged completely unijured, despite a ball that had passed through his coat and another that had clipped his bayonet.

1898. the eve of the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Army found that its new Krag-Jorgenson rifles had to have their sights re-adjusted for tropical service; because they originally had been calibrated at the Springfield Arsenal during the Winter of 1894, and when used in a warmer climate fired high and to the left.

1914 the Bay of Kotor, or Cattaro, as it was known then, sheltered Austria-Hungary's southernmost naval base, home to a strong force of pre-dreadnought battleships, cruisers, and lighter warships, as well as a submarine squadron. Naturally, the approaches to the base were well fortified, particularly Punta d’Ostro, on the Prevlaka Peninsula, southernmost point on the Austro-Hungarian coast, where there was a powerful coast artillery installation, high up on a sheer cliff.
When World War I broke out, Allied naval strategists realized that if they could reduce the coast defenses, they might be able to blockade Cattaro or perhaps even bottle up the Imperial-and-Royal fleet by sinking ships in the channel. Several attempts were made to reduce the batteries, beginning on August 20, 1914, just three weeks into the war, aided by Montenegrin artillery firing from the eastern side of the entrance to the channel, which they partially controlled, and there were frequent naval skirmishes around the entrance to the bay, with occasional heavy losses on both side.
Nevertheless, although they bombarded Punta d'Ostro numerous times (well, at least a dozen), regularly claiming great success, and once even asserting that they had "destroyed" the place, the Allies never managed to knock out the coast defense installation.
It seems that after the first attacks, in August of 1914, the defenders managed a very clever deception. They regularly positioned explosive charges at the base of the cliff and then about halfway up. If, during a bombardment Allied shells came to close to the battery, the defenders would detonated some of the charges electrically. From the attacking warships the explosions suggested that they were firing too low, so they would elevate their guns. As a result, their rounds would pass safely over the battery to fall harmlessly into the mountains beyond, some of which were in Montenegro.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 24, 2024, 12:07:00 PM
509   BC   Expulsion of the Tarquins from Rome & establishment of the Republic.
  Roman Festival of the Refugium, celebrating the expulsion of the Tarquins and the foundation of the Republic

1208   sometime soldier and prisoner-of-war Giovanni Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone, 22, had a vision -- St. Francis of Assisi

1582. Pope Gregory XIII introduced the reformed "Gregorian" calendar, which Catholics adopted, but Protestants took much longer, & the Orthodox even longer, messing up chronology

1690, the 15,000 strong Spanish Army of Lombardy, supporting Piedmont against the French, was suffering a disease rate of about 10 percent, so that medical costs were running about 2,000 Milanese lire a day, equal to the per diem pay for 8,000 infantrymen

1785. Carlo Maria Buonaparte, Corsican patriot and statesman, who had a famous son, died at 38.

1788  Austria concentrated 140,000 troops for a campaign against the Turks in the Balkans, of whom, by the following May, 120,000 had fallen ill, of whom 33,000 had died.

1789  From the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 to the end of 1791, some 6,000 French officers fled abroad.

1813. USS 'Hornet', under Captain James Lawrence, takes HMS 'Peacock'

1917. Britain gives the "Zimmermann Note" to the United States, revealing German efforts to get Mexico and Japan to go to war with the US

Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 25, 2024, 12:23:59 PM

1601. Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex, 35, executed for treason by his lover, Elizabeth

1634. Albrecht von Wallenstein, German military entrepreneur, murdered at 50 by imperial order

1752. Though today largely forgotten, Little Turtle was the greatest of all Native American war leaders, who inflicted more casualties on the United States Army than any other Indian.
Born in 1752, he was raised in the Ohio country. With clashes between Indians and white settlers becoming increasingly common after the Revolutionary War, in the late summer of 1790 Revolutionary War veteran Brig. Gen. Josiah Harmer was sent into the Ohio country with 320 Regulars – virtually the entire active army at the time – plus more than 1,100 militia and hundreds of camp followers.
As the American troops approached, Little Turtle, using careful diplomacy, cobbled together a coalition among the Miami, the Wabash, and the Shawnee and secured covert support from the British, still illegally occupying some frontier posts. By late September, Harmer's force was approaching the site of the principal Miami village, near modern Fort Wayne. Harmer sent out three small columns on "search and destroy" missions. In response, Little Turtle dispatched men to ambush and harass each column. No decisive clash took place, but Indian hit-and-run tactics soon forced Harmer to retreat, having lost 183 men killed (nearly 13 percent of his force) and many wounded.
Setting out in late September, by the time they camped on the evening of November 3, St. Clair's troops were about 100 miles north of Cincinnati, at Kekionga, near the headwaters of the Wabash River.
Little Turtle, who had been gathering his warriors – among them the young Tecumseh – attacked St. Clair’s ill-guarded camp at dawn the next day, achieving complete surprise. St. Clair's troops quickly fell into confusion. The result was a stunning Indian victory, with 637 of St. Clair's soldiers dead and 263 wounded, casualties of nearly 65 percent, not counting heavy losses among the many camp followers. It was one of the most crushing defeats in American military history.
Confronted with two successive devastating defeats of what was virtually the entire disposable military force of the United States, Congress authorized a major expansion of the Regular Army and passed the Militia Act of 1792, to systematize the organization, equipment, and training of the militia of the several states.  President Washington named Maj. Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne as commanding general. Wayne, a tough Revolutionary War veteran, had won fresh laurels defending Fort Recovery against Little Turtle in the aftermath of St. Clair’s defeat. Rather than immediately undertake a campaign against the Indians, Wayne put his new army – some 4,500 strong – through nearly two years of vigorous training.
His failure to take Fort Recovery caused him to be displaced by Turkey Foot as tribal leader. Turkey Foot was perhaps more ambitious than Little Turtle, but was far less capable as a commander. Thus, when Wayne finally undertook an offensive against the Ohio Indians, Turkey Foot attempted to confront him in a pitched battle. The resulting fight, at Fallen Timbers on August 20, 1794 , was a crushing defeats for the Indians. The Ohio Indian coalition fell apart.
In the aftermath of this disaster, Little Turtle was restored to authority among his people. Little Turtle inflicted more casualties on the United States Army than any other Indian war chief. In just two battles, traditionally known as “Harmer’s Defeat” and “St. Clair’s Defeat,” he slew some 820 American soldiers. In contrast, the best that all the great warrior peoples – the Apache, the Sioux, the Cheyenne, the Nez Perce, and all the rest – west of the Mississippi could do in some 940 fights with the army between 1866 and 1892 was to kill about 920 boys in blue, only about 12-perent more than Little Turtle had accounted for.
Yet today Little Turtle is hardly remembered, and certainly never numbered among the great Native American warriors.

1945 During World War II the average officer slot in the German Army had to be refilled 9.2 times.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 26, 2024, 09:29:26 AM
1775. As is well known, the Battle of Lexington, on April 19, 1775, that began the American Revolution, occurred because a British column had marched out of Boston to seize arms Massachusetts had stashed at Concord. Now, the British had actually been running little expeditions like this for some weeks, and not just in Massachusetts, but the colonists had either been unable to muster or rallied too late to stop them, or managed to get the goodies away before the Redcoats arrived. Just seven weeks before Lexington, the colonists had confronted a similar British expedition, and but for the discretion of an officer the Revolution might have begun right then.
In late February, British headquarters in Boston learned that Massachusetts had some cannon at Salem, about a dozen miles up the coast. Colonel Alexander Leslie was ordered to take a column there and confiscate the guns. On Sunday, February 26th, Leslie loaded 240 men from the 64th Foot on boats, and they rowed over to Marblehead, just three miles east of Salem, which they reached in mid-afternoon. They then took the road to Salem, with the troops marching to the tune of “Yankee Doodle” no less! Meanwhile, of course, word of the expedition had leaked, and militiamen had started to turn out, how many no one knows, though figures as high as an improbable 40,000 have sometimes been claimed. The militiamen concentrated on the North Bridge, at Salem, a draw bridge over the Merrimack River, which Leslie would have to cross to reach his objective. By the time Leslie’s column reached the bridge, ill-armed companies of militiamen from Salem and Danvers, perhaps 80 or 100 troops in all, were ensconced on the opposite bank, and had taken up the draw. For a moment things looked ugly. Profane comments were exchanged, and a couple of Redcoats fell into a physical confrontation with a colonist on their side of the river, one Joseph Whicher, who was scratched by a bayonet. Although Leslie’s force outnumbered the militiamen, and were both better trained and better armed, the good colonel could not bring himself to precipitate a fight, and so offered to negotiate. Pastor Thomas Barnard, of the First Church of Salem, a militia captain, agreed to discuss matters.
Leslie observed that his specific orders were that to march to Salem and conduct a search for hidden cannon. So he proposed that, if the colonists permitted him to cross the bridge and make a token search, he would thereby have fulfilled his orders, and could return to Boston. This seemed like a reasonable proposal, and so the colonists agreed to it. Leslie and his troops were allowed to cross the bridge, march 50 rods (825 feet) into Salem, turn about, and return from whence they came.

As a result, the beginning of the American Revolution was postponed by 52 days.

1548. Lorenzino de' Medici, 33, author, murderer of his kinsman Duke Alessandro "il Moro" de' Medici of Florence (1530-1537), murdered by his kinsman Duke Cosimo I de' Medici of Florence

1909. Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1861-1948) was a rather able, if unpleasant character who became Prince of Bulgaria in 1887 through the machinations of European power politics. In 1908 Ferdinand declared Bulgaria independent of the Ottoman Empire and himself "Tsar", or emperor. Ferdinand had many peculiarities. He once procured the purported regalia of a Byzantine Emperor from a theatrical supplier, which he kept in a trunk towards the day when he would "liberate" Constantinople and restore the empire. His assumption of the imperial dignity antagonized a number of people, most notably Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, his ally and protector, and King George I of Greece, who also had his eye on the Byzantine dignity.
Needless to say, Kaiser Wilhem II of Germany had his opinion about Ferdinand as well, as he did about virtually everything in the universe. As far as he was concerned Ferdinand was a fat upstart and a buffoon to boot. As it turned out, the Kaiser's opinion got him trouble, not for the first time.
In 1909 Ferdinand paid a visit to Berlin with the intention of signing an agreement to re-equip the Bulgarian artillery exclusively with Krupp guns. The Kaiser was, of course, obliged to pay him the courtesies due a reigning monarch and thus invited him to a banquet at Potsdam. During the festivities Ferdinand --who was an amateur gardener and ornithologist-- leaned out an open window to admire the garden, with its many beautiful flowers and birds, thus exposing a rather ample bottom. The Kaiser, who generally behaved more like an adolescent than a Hohenzollern, couldn't resist the opportunity, and delivered a sharp smack to Ferdinand's fundament. Ferdinand spun around in a rage and demanded an apology. The Kaiser replied that none was in order for a good joke. At that, Ferdinand left the palace and was soon heading for home. Soon after, the French firm of Schneider-Creuzot concluded a deal to supply artillery to the Bulgarian Army.

1936  Viscount Saitô Makoto, 77, Retired Admiral & Prime Minister of Japan, murdered by ultra-nationalists, most prominent victim of the "February 26th Incident
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 27, 2024, 11:12:04 AM
1531         German Protestant towns form the "Schmalkaldibund"

1831. The Grand Duke Constantine of Russia, governor general of Poland, is reputed to have expressed his opposition to war becaue "it soils the uniforms of the soldiers and loosens their discipline."

1852         HMS 'Birkenhead' was wrecked off South Africa, troops stood fast as women & children were rescued -- "to stand an' be still to the Birken'ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew," Kipling

1884  Desertion among American troops on the frontier during the late nineteenth century was so common that one Secretary of War suggested it might be the best way to populate the

1933         Nazis torch the Reichstag, blame the Communists, and grab more power

1944  Aside from enemy shot and shell, the troops engaged in the Normandy Campaign during World War II also had to contend with a plague of mosquitos, unusually large and aggressive ones at that.
One night, after a particularly fierce bout with the mosquitos, one soldier remarked to an MP, "Are they shooting those things at us, or are they self-proppelled?"
To which the MP replied, "One touched down on the fighter strip here today, and they put 200 gallons of gas into him by mistake before he took off."

1945  During the Pacific War, the backbone of American fast carrier task forces consisted of 21 aircraft carriers, classified as "CV", and nine light carriers, classified as "CVL."

Of these, four of the CV's were lost to enemy action, Lexington (CV-2), Yorktown (CV-5), Wasp (CV-7), and Hornet (CV-8), all in 1942, as was one CVL, Princeton (CVL-23), in 1944.  On 37 other occasions during the war, a CV or a CVL was struck by enemy bombs, torpedoes, or suicide planes but did not sink.  A look at the consequences of the enemy hits on the ships that did not sink reveals differing patterns of damage.

Results of Damage to Aircraft Carriers

Agent   Hits requiringrepair & overhaul   Weeks in yard per hit*      Weeks out of operation per hit
Submarine Torpedo

                   100 %.                                                10   **                               12.4

Aerial Torpedo   100 %.                                      10    **                                17.5

Aerial Bomb.         40 %.                                      0.3.                                        0.7

Kamikaze.              70 %.                                      1.8.                                      4.3

Note: Includes only the 37 instances on which an aircraft carrier (CV) or light carrier (CVL) was damaged by enemy action but did not sink.
*Time is that for repair of battle damage only, though in cases marked
** the figure is an estimate, because information available on the cases involved is insufficient to distinguish between time for repair of battle damage and time consumed by overhaul, since ships were often subject to modifications, upgrading of equipment, and routine maintenance while in a yard repairing battle damage.


2015. Leonard Nimoy, 83, sometime soldier, actor.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: Sir Slash on February 27, 2024, 11:42:57 PM
 :v
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 28, 2024, 11:39:56 AM
1653         Three day Naval Battle of Portland begins: Tromp's Dutch defeat Blake's English

1833         Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, Chief of the German General Staff (1891-1896), alleged military genius, d. 1913.
The Era of the Elder Moltke.  Almost as soon as the Franco-Prussian War ended, the German General Staff, headed by Helmuth von Moltke (1800-1891), began thinking about a possible future war between the two countries.  During a “war scare” in 1875 Moltke realized that the French Army had already recovered sufficiently as to be competitive in size with the German Army.  But he also noticed that French military preparations seemed most likely defensive; not only were they fortifying the relatively short frontier with Germany, but their deployment plans (procured covertly) had the bulk of their army concentrated relatively far behind the front, lying in wait, as it were, to see what direction a German offensive would take.  Moreover, France was diplomatically isolated.  Widely viewed as a radical republic, France lacked allies among the other major continental powers.  This gave Moltke time to consider his options.  As long as both Austria-Hungary and Russia were allied with Germany, France wasn’t much of a threat.  He was fairly certain that Austria-Hungary would never break with Germany, given the Hapsburg Monarchy’s need for German help to protect itself from Russia.  Of Russia Moltke was much less certain, however.  So from the late 1870s he began to plan for a war in which France and Russia were allies, though he preferred avoiding such by careful diplomacy, at which Bismarck was adept.
Working on the assumption that even if allied with Russia, France would initially take a defensive stance in the event of war, in his first post-1871 war plan Moltke proposed making his main effort in the East.  He would put half the army in the West, with seven army corps in the newly-won provinces of Alsace and Lorraine and two corps covering the frontier with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, lest the French attempt an end run through the neutral countries.  The other nine corps in the army would undertake offensive operations against Russia.  Moltke did not believe Russia could be defeated quickly, but expected his armies would be able to inflict severe reverses on the Russians, and throw them back sufficiently as to give Germany a good defensive position in the event the war dragged on.
In 1888, Germany concluded a secret military convention with Italy and Austria-Hungary, under the terms of which Italy was to put a substantial army on the Rhine.  Initially of 12 divisions, later of 10, this force was to reach Alsace by rail via Austria and be ready for operations on the 20th day of mobilization.  In the event of a war just between France and Germany, these troops were to support a German offensive in Lorraine by besieging Belfort and defending Alsace, while Germany would support Italian efforts against France in the Alps with four divisions, an undertaking which whether successful or not would tie down about eight French divisions.  Simultaneously, a combined Italo-Austrian naval offensive in the Mediterranean would impede the movements of the strong French forces in North Africa to France.
If Russia allied herself with France, the Italian troops would bolster a German defensive against the France, while the bulk of Germany’s forces were concentrated in the East for a series of offensives against Russia in cooperation with Austria.  Moltke accepted that it would not be possible to strike a decisive knock-out blow against Russia, and thus the war would be a long one, and such a situation would be best avoided through political and diplomatic action.
The Waldersee Era.  Moltke retired shortly after the agreement with Italy was concluded, just about the time that the Russo-German alliance came apart, due largely to the ineptitude of Kaiser Wilhelm.  Moltke’s immediate successor as chief of the Great General Staff was Alfred von Waldersee (1832-1904).  Although he too agreed that it would be best to avoid a two front war, Waldersee developed two different operational plans in the event one erupted.
“Good Campaigning Weather” (i.e. after the Spring rains and before the first frosts of Autumn): five to seven army corps would undertake an offensive into Russia, while fifteen to thirteen corps would deploy against the French, blunt any offensive, and then attack in turn.
“Bad Campaigning Weather”: three corps would hold the Russians, while seventeen would undertake an offensive against France
But Waldersee made several mistakes.  He was perceived as meddling in politics and was critical of the Kaiser’s plans to build a great navy.  Worse, during the autumn maneuvers of 1891, Waldersee made the mistake of defeating the Kaiser.  Waldersee was promptly demoted to command of a corps.  He was replaced as chief-of-staff  by Alfred von Schlieffen (1833-1913), who would let his “Supreme War Lord” win whenever he wanted to.
Schlieffen Era.  Soon after Schlieffen became chief of the general staff he began to reconsider Moltke’s “Russia first” plans.  It seems likely that the staff had become aware that in the event of war in which Germany made its main effort against them, the Russians planned to retreat about 100 miles into the interior, abandoning Poland and parts of Belarus to take up defensive positions in a fortified zone they were building roughly between Kovno and Brest-Litovsk.  If this happened, Schlieffen feared that Germany would find herself involved in a protracted two front war of attrition, with little chance of a quick victory, a situation which Erich Ludendorff later said was confirmed by “countless war-games.”   So Schlieffen posed the question “Would it be possible to knock France out of the war quickly, and then take on Russia?”
The basic strategic problem of a war with France was that the Franco-German border was only about 150 miles long.  The southern part of the frontier ran through the rugged Vosges mountains, and the French had built elaborate fortifications behind the frontier at Verdun, Toul, Epinal, and Belfort.  This left little room for maneuver.   In 1893 Schlieffen developed his first plan for a “France first” war, involving a frontal attack across the border, through the approximately 50-mile “gap” between the fortified zones of Epinal and Toul, against the center of the French line along the River Meurthe.  Wargaming apparently demonstrated that this was a bad idea, as it was the premise of French deployment Plans XII and XIII, which had been kindly provided by an agent in the French railway system.
 By 1899 Schlieffen decided he had found a solution, one more than 2,000 years old.  He read the account of Cannae in the first volume of History of the Art of War within the Framework of Political History by the classicist Hans Delbrück (1848-1929).  Cannae (August 2, 216 BC) was a stunning victory, in which the Carthaginian general Hannibal executed a double envelopment against a greatly superior Roman army, virtually annihilating it, in what was perhaps the most devastating single defeat of any “Western” army in history.   Schlieffen felt this was the solution to the problem of France, encirclement of a numerically superior army by an inferior force.  But in his enthusiasm over Hannibal’s brilliance at Cannae he seems to have overlooked the fact that while Hannibal won the battle, against an inept enemy commander, Carthage lost the war.
To achieve this envelopment, Schlieffen decided to attack France by going through Belgium and the Netherlands.  Decades earlier Bismarck had warned that a German invasion of Belgium or the Netherlands would immediately bring Britain into a war against them, calling the idea “complete idiocy,” but by 1899 he was long dead.
To effect this plan, Schlieffen divided the German Army into three parts: 
Four army corps (eight divisions) would deploy in the East, to watch the Russians
Nine corps and four reserve divisions (22 divisions) would be in Alsace and Lorraine.
Seven corps and six reserve divisions (20 divisions) would deploy on the Belgian-Luxembourg frontier.
While the forces in Alsace-Lorraine pinned the French, those further north would invade Luxembourg and eastern Belgium, and then swing south along the line of the Meuse to envelop Verdun, unhinging the French lines further south.  At the time, the French had adopted their Plan XIV, which presumed a German frontal attack from Lorraine, so Schlieffen’s plan had a fair chance of succeeding, especially since the Belgian Army was a very feeble force.  But it was not a formula for a knock-out blow, as the French could fall back and juggle forces to continue the fight.  So Schlieffen kept working.
His planning came to fruition in 1905.  By then the German army had grown to 23 army corps plus about two dozen reserve divisions which were suitable to undertake field operations, making 72 infantry divisions in total.  In contrast the French had 21 army corps, for about 45 active infantry divisions, but virtually no useful reserve divisions, which meant Germany had about a one-third superiority in field forces.  There was also some question as to the will of the French to sustain a war at this time, as relations between their people and their Army were amazing bad, in the aftermath of the “Dreyfus Affair” (1894-1906) and the “Affair of the Fiches” (1904-1905), in which anti-clericals and Free Masons in the war ministry hampered the promotion of officers they deemed too religious .  Moreover, French ally Russia was debilitated by her recent defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and subsequent internal disorders, and would hardly be able to pose a threat to Germany in the East.  Given these factors, Schlieffen saw an opportunity for a truly decisive victory over the French.  He would put just ten divisions in the East to keep an eye on the Russians, put eight divisions in Alsace and Lorraine on his left flank to hold the French back, and 54 divisions on his right, to execute a wide sweep through Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands into northern France, enveloping Paris and destroy the entire French Army in little more than a month, so that he could begin shifting forces to the Eastern Front by the 42nd day of mobilization.
Schlieffen developed this plan with certain assumptions in mind.  To begin with he assumed that the French would stand on the defensive, which was reasonable given their existing war plans were known to him.  In addition, he assumed both Belgium (with six divisions) nor the Netherlands (with four) would put up little or no resistance to Germany’s violation of their neutrality, and in any case dismissed their military prowess, writing “the armed forces of both states have a militia tinge about them.”  In addition, he assumed that Britain would not intervene, as they were still recovering from the unpleasant revelations of the Boer War, although he did make provisions in case six British divisions did turn up.  In what was perhaps his greater error, also assumed that beginning on the 16th day of mobilization (M+16) the troops on the outermost edge of the German right flank would be able to march on foot an average of about 20 kilometers a day for nearly four weeks, in the heat of summer, despite engaging enemy forces as necessary, keeping to a rigid timetable while their lines of supply grew ever longer, to attain victory by M+39.  The four weeks were critical, because by Germany’s M+39 Russian mobilization would be almost completed, and they would presumably soon be able to attack in the East.
Finally, Schlieffen assumed that the French would adhere to their war plan, which in 1905 was Plan XV.  That was essentially a defensive plan, which, although it had some provision for possible German maneuvers in eastern Belgium, presumed that the main threat would be a German offensive out of Lorraine.   
There is some argument as to whether Schlieffen actually wrote an executable plan based on these premises at the time, as no detailed version of the war plan of 1905 survived  What did survive were Schlieffen’s “Memorandum of 1905” dated December 1905 and an “Addendum to the Memorandum” dated February 1906 which are actually discussions of a plan.  They outline what amounts to the plan, and argue the need to increase the size of the German Army to 96 active and reserve divisions,  plus six “ersatz” divisions, but largely incorporated the assumptions described above.  Schlieffen wrote another memorandum in 1912, in which he argued for a total reorganization of the German Army in addition to its expansion, on which more later.  While it is clear that Schlieffen did not leave a plan in which “the last man on the Right” would “brush the Channel with his sleeve,” in the dubious death-bed phrase attributed to him, over the next few years his 1905-1906 vision, with its preponderance of effort on the German right and the grand turning movement that pivoted on Metz and Thionville certainly can be seen in all plans that have survived from 1905 through 1914.  Moreover, senior officers often invoked his name when discussing operations even as the campaign unfolded in 1914.
The Younger Moltke.  Schlieffen’s successor as Chief-of-the-General Staff was Helmuth von Moltke (1848-1916), known as “Moltke the Younger” to distinguish him from his uncle.  In many ways Moltke was a much better chief-of-staff than Schlieffen.  For one thing, unlike Schlieffen, he managed to get the Kaiser to stop meddling in the annual maneuvers.
Schlieffen may have written dismissively about the likelihood that the Italians would show up on his left, but detailed staff work to bring them by rail from Italy via of Austria to deploy in Alsace was regularly updated during his tenure at the general staff and continued right through August of 1914.  So it appears that Schlieffen expected ten Italian divisions on his left.  This changes the number of divisions on the German Left from 8 in the 1905 plan to 18, and the ratio between Right and Left from 6.75-to-1 to 3-to-1, which is pretty much where Moltke’s “tampering” had it; by 1912, when Moltke prepared his version of the plan, there was little likelihood that the Italians would show up, despite their recent renewal of the military agreement with Germany. In addition, Moltke saw little reason to add the Netherlands to the list of Germany's enemies.  Schlieffen had decided that the technical requirements of moving the armies necessitated occupying the so-called "Maastricht Appendix," the Dutch province of Limburg, a little sliver of land about 40 kilometers long and between seven and 24 kilometers wide, dangling south from the mass of The Netherlands between Germany and Belgium.  Moltke's analysis of the road net about Liege convinced him that it was possible to funnel both the First and the Second Army through the "Liege bottleneck".  This obviated the necessity of fighting the Dutch, which would require two reserve corps.  Furthermore, the increasing capability of German second-line forces permitted Moltke to substitute Landwehr and Ersatz (replacement) units for the three reserve corps that Schlieffen had ear-marked to blockade  Antwerp, to which the Belgians were expected to retreat after a token resistance.  So where Schlieffen had committed ten of the 54 divisions on his “strong right wing” to these ancillary operations, leaving only 44 for the famous “sweep” into northern France, Moltke was able to commit all 54 divisions to the supposed war winning flanking maneuver.
Moltke was, of course, aware of the French war plans, about which we will have more say shortly.  These were primarily contingency plans, with the troops in positions where they could resist a German offensive from Alsace-Lorraine, or, if opportunity arose, undertake offensives of their own into the disputed provinces.  While by 1914 French Plan XVII did make provision for a German threat through Belgium, and included a strong mobile reserve, Moltke believed the French would persevere in their focus on Alsace-Lorraine until it was too late to do anything to stop his Right Wing from sweeping through Belgium and encircling Paris.
So Moltke’s plan retained essentially the same basic flaws that Schlieffen’s had, and added a couple more. 
As the campaign unfolded, many German commanders thought the plan was working.  But Moltke was probably the most clear-headed of any of the senior German officers.  In the heady days before the Battle of the Marne he was the first to realize that the French were not beaten, but merely retreating in good order.
While one can argue with the British military historian and theoretician Basil Henry Liddell Hart on many issues, he was certainly right in his assessment that the plan was,
“a conception of Napoleonic boldness, and there were encouraging precedents in Napoleon's early career for counting on the decisive effect of arriving in the enemy's rear with the bulk of one's forces.  If the manœuvre went well it held much greater promise of quick and complete victory than any other course could offer, and the hazards of leaving only a small proportion to face a French frontal attack were not as big as they appeared.”
But Liddell Hart went on to add that in an era when the advancing German troops would be moving on foot on exterior lines, while the defending French troops could be shifted from place to place much more quickly by rail using interior lines.  The German plan required “a manoeuvre that had been possible in Napoleonic times.  It would again become possible in the next generation—when air-power could paralyse the defending side's attempt to switch its forces, while the development of mechanised forces greatly accelerated the speed of encircling moves, and extended their range. But Schlieffen's plan had a very poor chance of decisive success at the time it was conceived.”
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on February 29, 2024, 10:55:54 PM
106    Reportedly, the loot from the Emperor Trajan’s Second Dacian War (105-106), amounted to 5 million pounds of gold and 10 million of silver, worth perhaps $100 trillion today, but in ancient times relatively speaking several times more.

The greatest war known among the aboriginal inhabitants of North American prior to the arrival of the European was that between the Iroquois and the Huron. The feud was old, having endured centuries, for the Huron, originally settled in Ontario, were desirous of moving into New York. This constant pressure had been a factor in the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy by the legendary Hiawatha and Dekanawidah in the late sixteenth century, which united the Seneca, Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, and Oneida into a league that would ultimately come to dominate a major chunk of North America.
The final phase of struggle took place after Europeans had begun to settle North America. In 1609 the French intruded themselves into the quarrel when the explorer Samuel de Champlain used firearms to help the Huron defeat an Iroquois war party near the site where Fort Ticonderoga would later be built, in upper New York. By 1627, the Huron, with French support and guns, had effectively driven the Iroquois out of the Valley of the St. Lawrence. The French intrusion into the ancient Iroquois-Huron conflict touched off a struggle that ultimately had enormous strategic implications not only for the as yet unborn United States of America but for the entire world.
The Iroquois sought support from the Dutch, then just settling in the Hudson Valley, and later the English, who seized New York from the Dutch in 1664. Termed by one historian �the only people north of the Rio Grande who consistently practiced every principle of war at all times,� in 1648 the Iroquois, who could field some 16,000 warriors, began a devastating series of campaigns that in a generation saw them harry their foes relentlessly from New York across the Great Lakes and into Canada, until the Huron and anyone who offered them aid had been effectively exterminated. This established the Iroquois as the dominant military power in a broad swathe on both sides of the St. Lawrence River, a position which they would hold for over a century, despite the increasing encroachments of European settlers, and make a critical contribution to the expulsion of the French from North America by the British in the mid-eighteenth century.

1704  Deerfield Massacre: French & Indian raid on the Massachusetts town leaves c. 100 dead

1822  In the West African Kingdom of Bornu a large war horse – 15 hands or more – could easily cost as much as seven slaves.

The central event of the Crimean War was the protracted siege of Sebastopol (1854-1855) by a combined British, French, Sardinian, and Turkish army.  Actually more of a protracted blockade than a true siege, for most of the operation the two sides fought each from the dubious security of lines of entrenchment that stretched literally for miles, a harbinger of the horror that was to come during the Great War.
Naturally even when neither side attempted a full-scale effort to break the enemy lines, there was much fighting and skirmishing between the lines.
One night a particularly exposed British redoubt suddenly found itself the object of a strong Russian attack.  Although the British managed to hold the Russians, they were consuming ammunition at a prodigious rate.
Fearing that his position would soon be overrun, the officer commanding the post tore a leaf from a pocket note book.  On it he scrawled "In great danger.  Enemy pressing hotly. For Heaven's sake send us some ammunition," the officer signed his name, handed it to an orderly and sent the man to the rear.
The fighting grew more intense, and as ammunition began running low the officer awaited the return of his messenger.  Time passed, as the situation seemed to grow ever more desperate.  Then, almost as suddenly as it began, the Russian assault ebbed, even as the British troops were virtually down to their last rounds.
Just about then the orderly returned, bearing a message from the Ordnance officer.  One wonders what went through the officer's mind when he read, "All communications to this Department must be written on foolscap paper with a two-inch margin."

1948. Palestine: Stern Gang kills 27 British soldiers in a bomb attack on a train

By one recent estimate, for the nearly 400 million marks that the Third Reich spent to build the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz, Germany could have procured over 2,500 Pz-IV battle tanks, or nearly as many fighter aircraft.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 01, 2024, 09:21:30 AM
752   BC   Romulus celebrated the first Roman triumph, for the defeat of Caenina

509   BC   Triumph of Publius Valerius Publicola for the defeat of deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus

1449     Born    Lorenzo de'Medici, "Il Magnifico", unofficial lord of Florence, patron of the arts, d. 1492

1795, Lieutenant John Poo Beresford, just 28, was acting commander of HMS Hussar, a 28-gun frigate, which took part in an action in the Caribbean during which two French frigates were captured. In view of his gallantry, he was given command of one of the prizes, Prevoyante, and shortly afterwards a promotion to post captain.  Although Prevoyante was rated as a 40 gun ship, at the time she was only carrying 24 guns. To remedy this problem, Beresford took hers to Halifax, and had her fitted with a full 40 guns, at his own expense (he was the bastard son of the Marquis of Waterford).  He then took her back to sea, intending to recoup his investment by capturing French merchantmen for the prize money.
While Beresford was pursuing this goal, back in London the Admiralty learned of his initiative in refitting the ship.  Now although Beresford had already served as acting commander of a light frigate, the Admiralty decided that a 40-gun ship was much to distinguished a command to entrust to so junior a captain.  Soon orders arrived transferring Beresford to the second ship captured back in May, Raison, which was only a 24-gunner.
Adding insult to injury, Raison also needed a refit, and Beresford ended up footing the bill for her as well.
Despite these misadventures, Beresford’s career prospered, and he served long and well, commanding frigates, ships-of-the-line, and eventually squadrons against the Dutch, the Spanish, the Americans, and, of course, the French. At the time of his death, 1844, Beresford held a knighthood and ranked as an Admiral of the White

1805 Mehemet Ali, an Albanian, was appointed viceroy and pasha of Egypt by the Ottoman Sultan. He soon initiated a major program of modernization and industrialization. Among Mehemet Ali’s projects was the creation of a modern army, which would be useful not only to defend his interests, but also to expand his authority.
The first target of his ambitions was the Sudan, the vast, desolate, unruly land to the south of Egypt, which he wanted for its potential in mineral resources and its very real manpower resources, for he had found that Sudanese slaves made excellent soldiers. So in mid-1820, Mehemet Ali dispatched two expeditions to begin the conquest of the Sudan.
One was under Ismail Kamil Pasha, who was a pretty inept commander, described by one historian as “utterly incompetent in managing an army,” but was Mehemet Ali’s son.
 Despite his poor leadership qualities, Ismail didn’t do too badly, opening the campaign with a series of small victories over some of the poorly armed, mutually hostile tribes in northern Sudan, who had difficulties facing the new Egyptian army, with its muskets and artillery. .
In December of 1820, it was the turn of the Hannekab, who dwelt along the Nile in the vicinity of the Third Cataract.
Now it was the custom among many Sudanic tribes that the army should be led by a virgin, so that her virtue would bring it divine favor. Thus it was that on December 4, 1820, Safia, the daughter of King Zubeyr of the Hannekab led her father’s army at the Battle of Jebel Dager. Despite her undoubted virtue and the courage and skill of the Hannekab warriors, the Egyptians won the battle, and in the process captured Princess Safia.
Now Ismail may have been a poor commander, but he immediately realized that his prisoner might be put to good use. Rather than abuse her himself or send her as a gift to his father or demand an enormous ransom, as would have been standard operating procedure, Ismail took very good care of Safia.  He treated her with all the honors due a highborn woman – some people said as though she was one of his own sisters. After showering her with gifts, he sent her back to her father.
This so impressed King Zubeyr that the Hannekab shortly made an alliance with the Egyptians, by which they greatly benefited, being given additional lands and more modern arms.
Afterwards, Princess Safia quietly disappears from history. As for Ismail, he ran into some problems later; in 1822, while ill, he was captured by the enemy and burned to death.

1942         Action South of Java: Supported by dive bombers, Japanese battleships 'Hiei' & 'Kirishima' & their escorts sink USS 'Edsall' (DD-219), after a fight of nearly three hours
Battle of Bali Strait: US destroyers 'Ford', 'Paul Jones', 'Edwards', & 'Alden' escape a Japanese DesDiv
Battle of Sunda Strait: Cruisers USS 'Houston' & HMAS 'Perth', and destroyer HNMS 'Evertsen' go down fighting around 0100
Battle off Borneo: HMS 'Exeter' & destroyers HMS 'Encounter' and USS 'Pope' sunk by Japanese heavy cruisers

1991  Following USS Missouri’s (BB 63) bombardment of Faylaka Island during Operation Desert Storm, hundreds of Iraqi soldiers wave white flags and surrender to the battleship’s Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) flying overhead.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 02, 2024, 12:08:44 PM
537         the Goths besieged Rome, defended by Belisarius.
Numa Pompilius was the second King of Rome. Some time during his mythically long reign (715-673 BC), he built the Temple of Janus Geminus near the Forum. Although remodeled several times and even relocated once or twice, as originally built the temple was very small and rectangular, constructed of large roughly square stone blocks. According to the Sixth Century historian Procopius of Caesarea, who examined it personally, the temple was

. . . only large enough to cover the statue of Janus. Now this statue is of bronze, and not less than five cubits [7½ feet] high; in all other respects it resembles a man, but its head has two faces, one of which is turned toward the east and the other toward the west. And there are brazen doors fronting each face . . . .

Numa introduced the custom of keeping the doors of the temple open when Rome was at war, only closing them in times of peace. The symbolism is not clear; It may have meant that when the doors were open war was released or that when they were closed peace was secured.
Now in a notoriously belligerent age, in a very volatile region, the Romans were hardly pacifists. While records for many years are not very good, they seem to have been at war most of the time. So the temple gates were closed on only a few occasions, and we know of only a handful of those.
During the eras of the Kings (753-509 BC) and of the Republic (509-30 BC), the gates are reported to have been closed on only two occasions:
. 700 BC: Closed by King Numa himself, he being noted more for his religious and judicial skills than as a campaigner. How long the closure lasted is unknown.
235 BC: By the Consuls Titus Manlius Torquatus and Gaius Atilius Bulbus, following the conquest of Sardinia. The doors were reopened the following year, when war broke out with the Ligurians.
Surprisingly, during the Empire the doors are known to have been closed rather more often:

Jan. 11, 29 BC: By Octavian (not yet Augustus) to mark the end of the Civil Wars (44-30 BC). The near contemporary soldier-historian Velleius Paterculus (19 BC-c. AD 31), tells us that this marked only the third occasion on which the doors had been closed. It’s not known how long they remained so.
25 BC: By the now Emperor Augustus to mark the end of the Cantabrian War (29-25 BC), but it was soon reopened, as the Cantabrian rose up again, and the Salassians in the Alps, and then there were long campaigns against the Germans on the Rhine and the Danube and the Parthians in the East.
11 BC: Yet again by Augustus, to mark the conclusion of the German campaigns of 13-11 BC by Nero Claudius Drusus, brother of the later Emperor Tiberius and father of the Emperor Claudius. This closing probably lasted no more than a year or so, as Germany soon again became a major theater of operations.
9 BC: By decree of the Senate, upon completion of a massive campaign against the Germans by Drusus and Tiberius, the doors were scheduled to be closed, but before the ritual could be performed news arrived that the Dacians had begun raiding across the Danube from what is now Romania].
c. AD 65: The Emperor Nero issued coins heralding the imminent closing of the doors, but the ceremony did not take place due to the outbreak of the “First Jewish War” (66-70)].
AD 71: By the Emperor Vespasian, to mark the conclusion of the “Year of the Four Emperors ,” the Batavian Revolt, and the First Jewish War. The doors were probably opened again within a year, as revolts broke out in several provinces, including Asia and Britain.
c. AD 107: By the Emperor Trajan, having completed the conquest of Dacia, and with no wars in progress elsewhere in the Empire, a condition that may have lasted until about the beginning of 114, when he commenced his Parthian War.
c. AD 124: By the Emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138), who had a generally quiet reign, though there were military operations on several occasions during – notably on the Danube (117-118) and in Mauretania (123), and the Second Jewish War (132-136). So the doors were probably closed in 124, when Hadrian averted war with Parthia by careful diplomacy. When they were opened again is unknown.
c. AD 143: By the Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161), who had a remarkably peaceful reign. Some minor problems aside, the only major war was in Britain (139-143), which involved the suppression of some rebels, expulsion of Celtic invaders, and the extension of the frontier well into what is now Scotland, where the Antonine Wall was built. So it’s possible the doors were closed in 143, at the conclusion of this campaign. They may have remained closed for several years.
AD 192: The rather unreliable Historia Augusta reports that one of the omens preceding the murder of the maniacal Emperor Commodus on December 31st of 192 was “The twin doors of the Temple of Janus opened of their own accord,” which, if true, means they must have been closed some time earlier. The opening heralded the onset of a series of civil wars that lasted until 197.
c. AD 241, by the Emperor Gordian III (r. 238-244), probably after the suppression of a major revolt in Africa (240-241), as we know that the doors were reopened the following year, A.D. 242, when he undertook a war against the Persians.
These are apparently the only known occasions on which the doors to the Temple of Janus were closed. There certainly may have been other occasions as well, for there were periods when Rome was not at war, though specific information about the status of the temple doors has not survived. For example, available evidence indicates that the Romans were at war for 97 of the 102 years from 343 BC through 241 BC, and perhaps for as many as 100, but none of the surviving documents indicate whether the doors were opened or closed during the handful of “peaceful” years. Nor did the Romans know, which is why Velleius Paterculus wrote that the closing by Octavian in 29 BC was only the third on record.
We also don’t know how long the Romans continued the practice of opening and closing the doors of the temple to indicate war or peace. It is interesting to note, however, that Procopius tells us the custom was not abandoned until the advent of Christianity as the state religion. Arguably that could have been any time from the early Fourth Century, when Constantine adopted Christianity, to the early Fifth, when pagan temples were ordered closed. The temple of Janus itself remained closed, but otherwise undamaged for many years after the end of open pagan worship.
Then an odd thing happened.

In AD 535, by which time Rome and Italy had long been in Ostrogothic hands, the Emperor Justinian sent the great Flavius Belisarius to recover Italy for the Empire, initiating the protracted Romano-Gothic War (AD 535-554).
After recovering Sicily for the Empire in 535, in the Spring of 536 Belisarius landed in Italy proper, and on December 9th, having cleared the Goths out of southern Italy, he was welcomed at Rome by the local people as the Gothic garrison fled north. By this time Belisarius’s army, never large to begin with, was greatly outnumbered by the Goths, and he spent the winter of 536-537 putting the city into a state of defense. On March 2, 537, the Gothic King Vitiges invested Rome with about 45,000 troops, outnumbering Belisarius’s regulars by at least four to one, though he also had many untrained volunteers and conscripts. A desperate siege followed, and at one point it looked like the city would be lost. Then, according to Procopius, who was present during the siege,
. . . some of the Romans, I suppose, who had in mind the old belief, attempted secretly to open [the doors of the Temple of Janus],. But they did not succeed entirely, moving the doors only so a little. Those who had attempted to do this escaped detection; and no investigation of the act was made, as was natural in a time of great confusion, since it did not become known to [Belisarius’ subordinate] commanders, nor did it reach the ears of the multitude, except of a very few.
So the last time the Romans honored – or at least attempted to honor – the tradition of opening the doors to the Temple of Janus in war took place some 1,200 years after the custom had been established.

1502   Duke Alfonso I d'Este weds Lucrezia Borgia, and they live happily ever after

1933. King Kong" opens in New York
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 03, 2024, 01:11:23 PM
1746. The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlie's forces occupy Inverness Castle

1776. Under the command of Commodore Esek Hopkins and Marine Capt. Samuel Nicholas, the Continental Navy makes the first American amphibious landing operation at New Providence, Bahamas, and captures the forts for much needed ordnance and gunpowder.

1852. Battle of Caseros: Argentine Dictator-President Juan de Rosas (c. 23,000) is defeated by Justo de Urquiza's Argentine-Uraguayan-Brazilian forces (c. 25,000) -- the largest battle in the Americas until the U.S. Civil War

1855  Congress appropriates $30,000 to buy camels for the US Army

1924. Deposition of Abdul Mejid II (Nov 19, 1922-March 3, 1924) ends the 1300-year old Islamic caliphate

1937. Amelia Earhart (39) & Fred Noonan (45), lost over the Pacific

1945. During World War II the U.S. Army procured 123 million pair of shoes and boots, enough to provide every one of the approximately 16 million men and women who served - including sailors and marines - with nearly eight pair each
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 04, 2024, 04:36:18 PM
30BC  So much loot was transferred from Egypt to Rome in the aftermath of the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra, that annual interest rates on loans fell from 12-percent to 4-percent.

1653. Battle of Leghorn. Dutch fleet of 16 ships, under Commodore Johan van Galen (Mortally wounded), defeated English squadron of 6 ships, under Cptn. Henry Appleton,  attempting to break out of blockade at Leghorn and join  Cptn. Richard Badiley's 8 ships. 3 ships were captured and 2 destroyed.

1747. Kasimir Pulaski, Polish and American patriot, kia Savannah, 1779 -- Jeszcze Polska Nie Zginela!

1815. From about mid-1812 to the end of 1814 the United States and Great Britain were at war, a conflict sparked partially by British interference with American merchant shipping. Despite the minor inconvenience of a state of war, the desperate need of Britain’s merchants for shipping and the desperate need of American merchant mariners for work led to a very cozy arrangement between the two. Essentially, an American ship could be granted a “license” by His Majesty’s Government to carry cargoes for British merchants, thereby gaining immunity from seizure by the Royal Navy, which was assiduously sweeping the seas of Yankee vessels in the pursuit of glory and prize money.
As can be imagined, on more than one occasion one of John Bull’s numberless frigates (over 100 by 1812), swooped down upon some heavily ladened Yankee merchantman, only to be forced to cease calculating their remuneration in pounds (for the officers) or shillings and pence (for the enlisted folks) when the vessels’ skipper presented his license to the boarding officer.
Needless to say, occasional “mistakes” were made.
In May of 1813, HMS Hogue, a 74-gun ship-of-the-line, under Capt. Thomas Bladen Capel, a veteran of over eight years of command at sea, took an American merchant ship off the English coast. When, despite his claims to posses one, her master failed to produce the requisite license, Capel promptly burned the vessel. Alas, when Capel returned home, he discovered himself the object of a lawsuit by the ship’s owners, who asserted that they did possess a license, and that thus the burning of their ship had been illegal. 
The case dragged on for two years, until well after peace had been patched together. And in 1815 the High Court of Admiralty ruled that the owners had indeed possessed the claimed license (though why the captain did not have a copy was not explained). As a result, Capt. Capel was found liable to pay £4,000 to compensate the owners for their loss, a sum equal to over 300 times his annual salary, but one fortunately paid out of a special fund established by the Royal Navy to cover just such eventualities.

1930 uniforming an American soldier or marine cost Uncle Sam about $30.00-$32.00, slightly less than the price of his Springfield M1903 30-06 bolt action rifle, $32.75.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 05, 2024, 10:39:09 AM
1133         King Henry II of England, (1154-1189), not to mention Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, etc., etc., husband to Eleanor of Aquitaine, father to Richard Lionheart & John Lackland, d. 1189

1622         Duke Ranuccio I Farnese of Parma, Piancenza, and Castro (1592-1622), 52, famed for staging mass executions

1912         First wartime use of airships: Italian reconnaissance flight west of Tripoli

1946         Winston Churchill made his "Iron Curtain" speech, Fulton, Mo.  Having been invited to make a speech at Westminster College, a small liberal arts school in Fulton, Missouri, in the late winter of 1946 former British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill traveled to the United States. Early in March he was a guest of President Harry S Truman at the White House for several days. It was an amiable visit, and the two men got along well, though Truman apparently cleaned Churchill out at poker.
As the time for Churchill's speech approached, the two boarded a special train to take them to Fulton.
Shortly after boarding the train, the President asked if Churchill would like some whiskey. Never averse to a little booze – or a lot, for that matter – Churchill readily accepted the offer. But then Truman hauled out a bottle of his favorite potable, Wild Turkey. 
Churchill recoiled in horror, “That’s not whiskey, that’s bourbon!”
Within minutes, a presidential aide was on the telephone, and soon afterwards a wholly unscheduled stop was made at a railroad station in western Maryland, where several cases of Johnny Walker Red were brought aboard.
Thus properly lubricated, on March 5th Churchill delivered what would come to be known as the "Iron Curtain" speech, coining a phrase as he recognized the start of the Cold War.

1953         Josef V Stalin, Soviet dictator (c. 1926-1953), mass murderer, in bed at 73
Soviet Vozhd Joseph Stalin was extremely careful of the image that he projected, and had what was perhaps the best managed cult of personality in history.  At times he pushed his image to the utmost, projecting virtual god-like omniscience and omnipotence, while at other times he allowed himself to be depicted as the benevolent overseer of events managed by capable subordinates.  This softer image was particularly important during the Second World War, as illustrated by an anecdote recounted by his grandson Vladimir Allieluev.
 At the end of the war, with Germany under Allied occupation, Stalin ordered a monument to be erected in Berlin celebrating the Red Army’s heroic struggle to seize the city.
The noted sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich was given the commission, and in due time produced some sketches which were presented to Stalin for his approval.
Vuchetich proposed a monumental statue of Stalin triumphantly overlooking the conquered enemy capital.
Stalin glanced over the sketches, and then said, “Listen, Vuchetich, aren’t you tired of the guy with the mustache?”  Then the Vozhd proposed replacing his image with that of an heroic figure of a Red Army soldier protectively holding a little girl in his arms.  In due course this was the monument that was built (incorporating rare marbles salvaged from the devastated Reichs Chancellery Building and rubble from the Führerbunker) and which even now stands on a hilltop in Treptower Park.

1960         Elvis was honorably discharged from the US Army.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 06, 2024, 02:31:46 PM
1475         Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti, military engineer, d. 1564

1715 On his deathbed, Louis XIV, traditionally regarded as one of the greatest kings of France (r., 1643-1715), told his 5-year old great-grandson, who was about to become Louis XV, "I have been too fond of war; do not imitate me in that . . . ."  It was plain statement of the truth; from the time Louis XIV assumed full power, at the age of 18 in 1661, France was at war for about 30 of the 54 years until his death
Oddly, the longest, most terrible, and most costly of these conflicts, the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), might easily have been avoided.
The causus belli of the war was the death of the last Spanish Hapsburg, King Charles II (r. 1661-1700).  Despite having been married twice, Charles died without leaving any children, probably due to impotence, and without any clear close relative eligible to succeed him.  Now since Charles' health had always been precarious, the Spanish succession naturally interested the principal monarchs of Europe, Louis XIV, head of the House of Bourbon, and the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, head of the House of Hapsburg.  Leopold had married Charles' sister, Margarita Teresa, while Louis had wed the Spanish king's half-sister, Maria Teresa, and thus both had heirs would could claim a tie to the Spanish throne.
Attempting to settle the matter peacefully, in 1668 Louis and Leopold agreed that upon the death of King Charles, the Spanish Empire would be divided.  Louis would gain The Spanish Netherlands [Belgium], Lombardy, Sardinia, and Navarre, as well as Naples and Sicily (which France had been trying to conquer since the 13th century), plus the Philippines, while the Habsburg claimant to the throne would get Spain proper and the Americas.  This seemed an equitable solution to the problem, since each dynasty gained something from the deal, while Spain was united with neither, which would have created an unprecedented superpower.
Alas for peaceful settle of international problems, when Charles finally died in 1700, Louis promptly decided to scrap the agreement, hoping to secure the entire Spanish Empire for his middle grandson, Philip of Anjou, then about 17.  Naturally, Leopold, and most of the rest of Europe's monarchs objected.
The result was war, as the champions of the various claimants --at one point there were actually three!-- fought it out across much of Europe and goodly portions of the rest of the world as well.  In the end, exhaustion, the deaths of some of the claimants, and Bourbon victories in Spain, led to the accession of Philip of Anjou as King Philip V of Spain, who would reign, with a slight interruption, until 1746, over a rather diminished Spanish Empire.
So Louis had gained the throne of France for his family -- though with tough treaty arrangements barring the merger of the two kingdoms under a single ruler.  Of course Spain was devastated by the decade of war, while France’s economy was in a shambles.  Worse, France had lost its colonies in Hudson’s Bay, Newfoundland, and Acadia to Britain, while Spain had lost the Spanish Netherlands, Naples, Lombardy, and Sardinia to Austria, Sicily to Piedmont, Minorca, in the Mediterranean and Gibraltar to Britain, and territories in South America to Portugal
So Louis XIV can truly be considered an idiot-in-chief.

1779. Giovanni Battista Bugatti, known as "Mastro Titta", executioner for the Papal States (516 executions, 1796-1861), d. 1869

1831. Edgar Allen Poe is expelled from West Point

1836. Jim Bowie (39), William Barret Travis (26), James Butler Bonham (29), David Crockett (49), & c. 200 other Texians

18 62 USS Monitor leaves New York for Hampton Roads.

1925. Plebiscite transfers Eupen, Malmédy, & St Vith from Germany to Belgium

1945.       a US Pershing tank dueled with a German Panther in front of Cologne Cathedral --
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 07, 2024, 10:20:28 AM
150    Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla, Roman empress; daughter of Marcus Aurelius, sister of Commodus, wife of Lucius Verus, executed, 182, for conspiracy, by her brother)

1774. British close the port of Boston to all commerce

1778. Continental frigate Randolph explodes while attacking HMS Yarmouth off the coast of Barbados, killing all but four of her 305 crew.

1796. Amary Ngone Ndella, the Damel – lord – of the Wolof principality of Cayor, in the Senegambia region of West Africa, received an embassy from King Abdul Kader Kane of Futo Toro, a neighboring state. Now Cayor was committed to its traditional religion, which greatly offended Abdul Kader, a devout Moslem who had several times waged war to impose Islam on nearby peoples.
The ambassador was accompanied by two aides, each of whom carried a long pole which had curious sort-of knife fixed to its end.  When the ambassador was presented to the Damel, he offered greetings from his king, and then ordered his aides to step forward and lay their burdens at the Damel’s feet.
The ambassador then pointed to the first knife, saying, “With this knife, King
Abdul Kader will condescend to shave the head of the Damel, if he will embrace the Moslem faith. Then, pointing the second weapon, he went on, “. . . and with this other knife, King Abdul Kader will cut the throat of the Damel, if he refuses to embrace Islam – take your choice.”
The Damel replied that he chose neither to have his head shaved, nor his throat cut, and dismissed the ambassador.
Abdul Kader shortly invaded Cayor with a large army. Prepared for the onslaught, on the orders of the Damel, the people initiated “scorched earth” measures, filling in wells, destroying whatever goods, live stock, and provisions that they could not carry off, and burning their homes, before fleeing into the interior of the country. As a result, although Adbul Kader met no military resistance, as his army advanced, it began to suffer from a shortage of water. By the third day of the invasion, the situation was becoming critical, as men and horses began to die of thirst.
Then a scout brought word of a watering hole hidden in some woods. The king promptly advanced to the place, again meeting no opposition. At the watering hole, Abdul Kader’s men drank their fill, many becoming sick from over indulgence. That night, the exhausted troops slept among the trees, with scant attention being given to security.
Shortly before dawn, the Damel led his army into the woods. Many of the sleeping men were slain as they lay or trampled beneath the feet of the Wolof horses, others were cut down attempting to flee, and many more were taken prisoner. The Battle of Bungoy resulted in the virtual annihilation of Adbul Kader’s army, the king himself becoming a prisoner.
Abdul Kader was led in irons into the royal presence, and flung upon the ground at the feet of the Damel. As the prisoner awaited his fate, the Damel spoke, “Abdul Kader, answer me this question; If the chance of war had placed me in your situation, and you in mine, how would you have treated me?”
“I would have thrust my spear into your heart," came the defiant reply, “and I know that a similar fate awaits me.”
But the Damel responded, “Not so, my spear is indeed red with the blood of your subjects killed in battle, and I could now give it a deeper stain, by dipping it in your own, but this would not build up my towns, nor bring to life the thousands who fell in the woods. I will not therefore kill you in cold blood, but I will retain you as my slave, until I perceive that your presence in your own kingdom will be no longer dangerous to your neighbors. Then I will consider of the proper way of disposing of you.”
Abdul Kader remained a prisoner of the Damel of Cayor for three months, working as a slave. At the end of that time, the Damel, having received a request from the people of Futo Toro to have their king back, released the humiliated monarch, who thenceforth tended to behave himself, at least with regard to Cayor.
This – and other – deeds of the Damel Amary Ngone Ndella were later woven into an epic cycle of poems that were long recited among the Wolof, even after they converted to Islam, nearly a century later.

1810. Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood died.  Nelson's successor to command of the Mediterranean fleet and leader of the first column at Trafalgar in the SOL Royal Sovereign.

1889..
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 08, 2024, 08:01:46 PM


1604. Duel between master samurai Yoshioka Seijuro and Miyamoto Musashi, who slays his opponent on the first blow

1680. Feeding the troops was until recently one of the most important jobs of an army. Of course different armies did it in different ways. The administrative, social, and cultural background of each service dictated often strikingly different approaches to the composition and issuance of rations. Consider how the Danish Army fed its troops during the late seventeenth century.

Weekly Issue per Soldier, 1680
Item   Amount
Pork or beef   3 pounds
Fish   2
Butter   1
Hardtack   6
Groats   1½ bushel
Peas   2
Ale   70 quarts
Now the Danish pound was actually something like 10-percent heavier than the English pound, so that has to be taken into account when considering the allotments above. Still, the diet was rather starchy, given all that hardtack and groats. But whatïs really surprising about the ration is the sheer volume of groats and peas. While the meat, butter, and hardtack rations were pretty close the what most armies issued their troops, the amount of groats (cracked but not milled grain, often oats) and peas was truly enormous; at c. 75 pints per bushel, we are talking something like 300 pints nearly six cubic feet of some very dry ingredients; or perhaps that is why the ale ration was of equally heroic proportions

1854. Commodore Matthew Perry opens treaty negotiations with Japan

1862. the CSS 'Virginia' & gunboats sank two sailing frigates, threatening the Union blockade, on thefirst day of the Battle of Hampton Roads

1916. Fred T. Jane, 50, military journalist, Sciencefictioneer, game designer -- "Jane's Fighting Ships," "The Naval War Game"

1944. India: Japanese offensive against British forces near Imphal.

1966. Nelson's Column in Dublin destroyed by an IRA bomb
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Wo1um30YU&pp=ygUbY2xhbmN5IGJyb3RoZXJzIGxvcmQgbmVsc29u

1996. Lt Col John "Mad Jack" or "Fighting Jack" Churchill, DSO, MC, who fought WW II with a longbow, claymore, & bagpipes, died at 89
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 09, 2024, 11:02:30 AM
49 BC   Caesar besieges Brindisi, held by Pompey

1778. HMS Ariadne (20), Cptn. Pringle, and HMS Ceres (18), Cptn. Dacres, took American frigate Alfred (20) off the Bahamas. Her consort Raleigh escaped.

1773. Isaac Hull, who commanded the USS 'Constitution' when she took HMS ' Guerriere', d. 1843.   One of the most celebrated actions in the age of fighting sail took place on August 19, 1812, in the North Atlantic about 500 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the 38 gun British frigate Guerriere dueled with the 44 gun American frigate Constitution.
It was essentially a grudge match. The Americans were keen to wipe out numerous insults at the hands of the British, most notably the unprovoked attack in 1807 by HMS Leopard on the USS Chesapeake, and numerous instances of impressment of American seamen by British warships, including the Guerriere herself in May of 1811. The British, in turn, were also looking for a fight, to avenge an attack that same May by the USS President on the greatly outclassed HMS Little Belt, which the American frigate had mistaken for the Guerriere.
After maneuvering against each other for about three hours, at about 5:00 pm the ships began to close and the fight began, ending up slugging it out at about “half pistol shot” distance (i.e., 10-15 yards). Some 90 minutes later, the Guerriere was heavily damaged and the Constitution’s skipper, Capt. Isaac Hull, ceased firing. Hull sent a boat over to the Guerriere under a flag of truce. An officer asked the Guerriere’s skipper, Capt. James R. Dacres, if he was prepared to surrender. Dacres seemed to mulled the question over, “Well, Sir, I don't know,” then said, “Our mizzen mast is gone, our fore and main masts are gone – I think on the whole you might say we have struck our flag."
At that, enemies no longer, Hull sent boats to take off the Guerriere’s crew and offer assistance to her wounded. When Dacres came aboard Constitution, he offered his sword to Hull, who refused it. Through the night, American sailors attempted to save the British ship, and take her as a prize (as she had, in fact, been taken by the British from the French in 1806), but the effort proved hopeless, so Hull ordered her burned.
Before dispatching a party to torch the Guerriere, Hull asked Dacres if there was anything aboard her that he wished to rescue. Dacres replied, “Yes, my’s mother Bible, which I have carried with me for years.” Hull ordered an officer to secure the Bible, which was returned to Dacres, initiating a lifelong friendship between the two men.

1796. Napoleone Buonaparte marries Josephine de Beauharnais, divorced in 1810

1861. Confederate Congress authorizes paper currency in bills of $50, $100, $500, & $1,000

1862. the USS 'Monitor' fought the CSS 'Virginia' to a draw, preserving the blockade, on the second day of the Battle of Hampton Roads.  Neither vessel was rendered inoperable.  However, since fearful naval engineers ordered Monitor to only use half charges of gunpowder, the Virginia likely would have been crippled otherwise.

1942. Ernest J. King, COMMINCH U.S. Fleet, was also named CNO -- One night, about two years before Pearl Harbor, young Ens. Arthur R. Manning was serving as communications watch officer of the carrier Saratoga. A message came in. After it was decrypted, Manning took it up to the ship's darkened bridge.
Stumbling about in the dark, Manning bumped into someone. Excusing himself, he asked, "Sir, are you on duty?"
The reply came swiftly, "Young man, this is the admiral. I am always on duty," said Rear-Adm. King.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 10, 2024, 07:52:53 PM
241   BC   the Roman fleet defeated the Carthaginians in Naval Battle of the Aegates Island, winning First Punic War

1705. A French squadron of 14 ships, under Rear Admiral Jean-Bernard Desjeans, blockading Gibraltar engaged by a combined British, Dutch and Portugese fleet, under Sir  John Leake, off Marbella. HMS Revenge (70), Sir Thomas Dilkes, took Arrogant (60) and two more French line-of-battle ships were taken and two driven ashore where they were burnt.

1776. Queen Louise of Prussia (1797-1810), "The only man in Prussia" - Napoleon

1920. Maurice Magnus (1876-1920), author of Memoirs of the Foreign Legion (London, Martin Secker, 1924), which was edited for publication by D. H. Lawrence, is generally believed to have been the son of a German-born American scientist and an illegitimate daughter of a prince of the House of Hohenzollern, probably Kaiser Wilhelm I (r. 1871-1888), thus making Magnus a cousin of “Kaiser Bill,” Wilhelm II (r. 1888-1918). Magnus’ memoir claims he enlisted in the Legion in Tunisia in 1916 and served until he deserted some months later, making his way to Italy. Magnus claimed that his subsidy from his Imperial kin continued to reach him during the war, despite his being in the enemy’s service, and only ended when the Hohenzollerns were ousted from Germany in November 1918.

1944         Severe restrictions are imposed on all private travel in the UK, in preparation for D-Day
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 12, 2024, 01:47:08 AM
153 BC.   Attacking Numantia, in Spain, the Roman commander Marcus Fulvius Nobilior deployed ten elephants to literally push down the city wall, which met with initial success, until a heavy piece of masonry crashed down on one beast’s head, causing him to panic, which infected the other nine pachyderms, who promptly stampeded over the very troops whom they were supposed to be supporting.

222         Elagabalus, very strange Roman Emperor (218-222), decapitated at 19 by the Praetorians, along with his mother Julia Soaemias, c. 42

1302         Fr. Laurence marries Romeo & Juliet

1448. When the Florentines hired Leonardo da Vinci to do a mural commemorating their victory over the Pisans at Anghiari (June 29, 1440), the great artist was given a lengthy essay on the battle by his friend Niccolo Machiavelli, who, in his status as secretary of war for the republic had, not co-incidentally, signed the artist’s contract .

1759, Captain Pierre Pouchot, commanding the French post at Fort Niagara on the eastern bank of the Niagara River on Lake Ontario, first learned that the British had placed a battery nearby when a cannon ball fired by one of its pieces dropped down the chimney of his quarters, rolled across the floor of his room, and came to rest next to the bed in which he was lying.

1915 During the opening stages of the British campaign against the Turks in what is now Iraq,  during World War I, Arab irregulars were quite active in harassing the invaders, especially at night.
It was not uncommon for raiders to sneak into camps, evading sentries and making their way among sleeping soldiers, to steal whatever they could find, such as boots, rifles, and blankets, and then getting away, usually without waking anyone.  One night in January of 1915, a raider managed to make off with a yellow flag from the camp of the 2nd Battalion, the Norfolk Regiment, shortly after which a Turkish spokesman reported the capture of “an enemy flag.”
Since flags have historically been among the most treasured of war trophies, the raider was probably well-rewarded for his efforts.  Naturally, other Arabs sought to emulate his achievement.  Soon thefts of the yellow flags became rather common.  To stop them, the British set booby-traps, and several raiders were killed trying to make off with the flags.
At the time of the first theft, Captain Alfred J. Shakeshaft of the Norfolks wrote in his diary, “We wondered if this would be hung up in the military museum at Constantinople.”  One wonders even now, particularly since yellow flags were the British Army’s standard markers for latrines.
http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/capt_diary.htm

1942. Bataan: MacArthur leaves for Mindanao on a PT-Boat

1958. Mars Bluff, SC: A B-47E accidentally drops a Mk 6 30-kiloton atomic bomb

2016. Apparently, when unexploded ordnance is discovered in Germany, the Bundesrepublik pays for its removal if it is of German origins, but if it’s Allied stuff, the bill falls to the state government.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 12, 2024, 10:47:11 PM
551 BC   Completion of the Temple of Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity

1714. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) the French Army annually lost about 25% of its manpower through desertion.

1798. During the Battle of the Nile a British gunner was about fire his gun when his right arm was taken off by a French cannonball, whereupon he snatched the match from the deck with his left hand, fired the gun, and then reported to sick bay.

1940. The arrest by the Crown of Sir Oswald Moseley, the head of the British Union of Fascists, was appropriately reported the next day in The Times, in the fifth column.

1944 The Allied drive across France and Belgium in the late Summer and Autumn of 1944 was accomplished through the expenditure of about 27 million gallons of gasoline each day.
 

1945  By the end of World War II the U.S. Army had 663 battalions of field artillery, enough for over 165 divisions, though there actually were never more than 90 divisions.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bayonetbrant on March 12, 2024, 11:23:23 PM
Re: that last one about artillery

We definitely take our fire support and very seriously.

We have direct support artillery battalions assigned to each maneuver brigade and then we have general support battalions assigned at the division level and then on top of that we have multiple brigades of artillery at the core level that can be assigned to reinforce any of the divisions or the cav regiment

Oh, and down in the cav regiments we have an artillery battery in every one of the maneuver squadrons

And that's before we start talking about close air support or naval gunfire or battalion level mortars

US Army does not screw around with launching big rounds downrange
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 13, 2024, 11:04:55 PM

1489         Ottoman Sultan Bajazet II agreed to pay Pope Innocent VIII 40,000 ducats a year to keep his brother Djem as a "guest"

1758 the French Army had 181 generals, among whom were three royal princes, plus five ordinary princes, 11 dukes, 44 counts, 38 marquises, 14 chevaliers, and six barons.

1811  Battle of Lissa. Cptn. William Hoste with 3 frigates and one 22 gun ship defeated a Franco-Venetian squadron of 6 frigates and 6 smaller vessels under Bernard Dubourdieau.

1821. Although the "Metric System" had been introduced by the Revolutionary government during the early 1790s, Napoleon apparently never learned it, and during his campaigns habitually used the old traditional French system of toises (c. 6.4 English feet) and ligues (c. 3 English miles).

1855  Ladies at the court of Tsar Nicholas I (1825-1855) were normally addressed by the military titles of their husbands.

1920. Berlin: The "Kapp Putsch" fails

1945, as his glorious Third Army was driving across the Rhineland under rainy skies, Gen. George S. Patton spotted a number of troops gathered around a tank parked a rod or so off the road. Driving up in his jeep, Patton jumped out, and asked what was up. He was told that the men were trying to repair the tank, which was suffering from some malfunction. At that, the general in his natty uniform and all promptly crawled beneath the vehicle to join the two surprised mechanics who were actually working on the problem. After nearly a half hour under the tank, Patton crawled out, his normally splendid uniform torn and covered with mud and grease. Climbing back into his jeep, Patton ordered his driver to press on.
As they drove off, the generals driver asked What was wrong, General?
To this, Patton replied, I donït know, but I'm sure that the word will spread throughout the division that I was on my belly in the mud repairing a tank.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 14, 2024, 02:49:14 PM
1489         Queen Catherine Conaro of Cyprus (1474 to 1489) sells her realm to Venice

1503         Cesare Borgia investes Ceri, aided by Leonardo's siege engines & Machiavelli's advice

1757         Vice-Adm. John Byng, 52, executed "to encourage the others"

1795  Battle of Genoa. British-Neapolitan fleet of 14 ships, under Vice Admiral Hotham, defeated French fleet of 13 ships, under Rear Admiral Pierre Martin. French ships Ça Ira (84) and Censeur were captured. HMS Illustrious (74), Cptn. Thomas Lennox Frederick was too badly damaged and was set on fire.
1844  Born   Umberto I, King of Italy (1878-1900), on his father's brithday. Assassinated, 1900, after four or five earlier unsuccessful attempts

1864. Born Alfred Redl (1864-1913): An Austro-Hungarian officer, by 1901 he headed the army’s espionage and counter-espionage office, and uncovered several foreign agents. In 1907, needing money, Redl began selling mobilization plans, details about new weapons, plans of frontier defenses, and so forth to Russian intelligence. He continued to do so after his promotion to colonel and transfer to duty as chief-of-staff of the VIII Army Corps in Prague. The corps was part of the Austro-Hungarian strategic reserve, and thus Redl had access to plans for war with Serbia or Russia or both. In 1913 German intelligence uncovered his activities and passed the information on to their allies. Amazingly, rather than interrogate Redl, the arresting officers permitted him to commit suicide. Although Chief-of-the-General Staff Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf expressed outrage over this, he apparently was not displeased, perhaps because his own son had been among the many officers who – unwittingly or not – had supplied Redl with useful information. One of the most financially successful spies in history, Redl, a colonel with an annual salary of 14,000 kronen, left an estate worth about 75,000 kronen, more than Conrad’s assets, and today equal to perhaps as $7,500,000. This included a house in Vienna, a luxury three bedroom apartment in Prague, three horses, and a Daimler limo (itself costing kr 19,000), as well as “. . . wardrobes . . . stuffed with uniforms and the softest batiste shirts, ninety-five of them . . . sixty-two pairs of gloves”, not to mention jewelry, objects d’arte, and more. He also had about kr 30,000 in debts. Redl seems to have inspired the roguish “Colonel Count Alfred Renard”, played by Maurice Chevalier in the 1929 Paramount romantic comedy The Love Parade.

1863. A squadron of ships led by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut passes the heavy batteries at Port Hudson, La., to establish blockade of Red River supply lines during the Civil War. USS Mississippi becomes grounded, catches fire and blows up, killing 64.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 15, 2024, 07:44:58 PM
509   BC   Installation of the first consuls: L. Iunius Brutus & L. Tarquinius Collatinus

44 BC   G. Julius Caesar, 55 -- "Et tu, Brute?"

1330         Azzone Visconti stages a coup in Milan, which his descendants will rule until 1535

1781         Battle of Guilford Court House: The Brits barely defeat the Yankees, and decide to retire from the Carolinas into Virginia, where they will have an unfortunate encounter with George Washington at Yorktown

1924   Born Richard Topus, in Brooklyn, senior US Army pigeonmaster, 1942-1945, d. 2008

1937   Death of Rear Adm. Richmond P. Hobson, Medal of Honor, at 66 --
After the U.S. Navy blockaded the Spanish fleet in Santiago Harbor in May of 1898, some thought was given to permanently sealing the channel by sinking a block ship.

Richmond Pearson Hobson, a 27-year old Assistant Naval Constructor, ranking as a lieutenant, j.g., was entrusted with the task, using the collier Merrimac. Hobson rigged the ship for demolition. Anchors were set at her bow and stern so that they could be dropped in an instant with one or two blows from an axe, while explosive charges were affixed at intervals along her port side, below the waterline. Hobson planned to take the ship into the channel by moonlight with a running tide. At the narrowest point, about 350 feet, he would cut loose the bow anchor and stop the engines. This would cause the ship's stern to swing around until her 322¾ foot hull was athwart the channel, whereupon the stern anchor would be dropped and the charges exploded electrically, ripping opening the ship's side. Then, as the ship settled to the bottom the crew would make its getaway in small boats or by swimming to shore.
Some 200 sailors worked for nearly two days to prepare the ship. But Hobson now had to address the delicate question of who could go along. Everyone in the U.S. Navy wanted to go. All 690 officers and men aboard the battleship Iowa volunteered; one was chosen, ultimately by a coin toss, and he refused an offer of $50.00 – an enormous sum at the time – to let someone take his place. Six men were chosen to go with Hobson: Daniel Montague and George Charette, petty officers off the armored cruiser New York; Osborn Deignan, coxswain, John F. Philips, machinist, and Francis Kelly, water tender, all off the Merrimac, and J.C. Murphy, coxswain, from the Iowa, to whom was added a seventh, Coxswain Rudolph Clausen of the New York, who stowed away in order to join the party.
On June 3rd, at just about 3:00 am, Merrimac began her run into the channel, from about 2000 yards off the entrance, at her maximum speed, nine knots. At about 500 yards from the entrance a Spanish picket boat opened fire, trying to hit the ship's rudder. Closing on the channel entrance, Hobson ordered the engines stopped. Gliding on, Merrimac was subject to increasing light artillery and machine gun fire. With shells and bullets hitting the ship, she glided past the cliffs, passng beneath the Morro Castle by just 30 feet. Hobson ordered the bow anchor dropped. As Coxswain Murphy chopped through the line to drop the bow anchor, Hobson ordered the first charge detonated, then the second, and ordered the wheel put hard over to port. But the wheel failed to respond, the rudder having been shot away. Then the stern anchor was shot away, and the bow anchor line parted. Hobson ordered the other charges detonated, but they failed to go off, Spanish fire apparently having cut the wires. The ship was sinking, but too slowly and at too poor an angle to block the channel.
Merrimac drifted on, the target of numerous bullets and shells. Then, quite suddenly, she fell off to port, and her bow angled downwards as she took her final plunge. Hobson and his men abandoned ship, jumping overboard and swimming to floating debris. Within minutes Merrimac had settled on the bottom, her upper works just above water. Although in the center of the channel, she offered only a minor hazard to navigation. From the start to finish, Hobson's mission had taken little more than half an hour.
The Spanish began searching for the crew. Hobson gathered his men around a raft. They drifted quietly for more than an hour, until dawn. Then he hailed a passing Spanish launch. In a coincidence so remarkable a novelist would be embarrassed to use it, the launch was that of Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, the Spanish commander, and the old man himself helped Hobson and his men out of the water, all the while complimenting them on their courage. Cervera promptly informed the American ships offshore that Hobson and his men were all safe and uninjured, and announced that he would return them after they had rested.
True to his word, the following day Cervera dispatched Hobson and his men in a small boat. But as they were being transferred, some of the American sailors present noticed that Daniel Montague wore a bandage on his head and was bruised about the face. Knowing that Cervera had said all the men were uninjured, the Americans immediately assumed that the Spanish had beaten the prisoners. But all was soon cleared up; Montague had imbibed so much at a party the Spanish had thrown for the men that he had gotten drunk, lost his footing, and given himself a nasty cut to the head.
Each of the enlisted men who took part in the operation was awarded the Medal of Honor. Since at the time naval regulations barred officers from receiving that decoration, Hobson was advanced ten numbers in grade, and promoted to Naval Constructor, ranking as a full lieutenant. In 1933, by which time award regulations had been changed, Hobson – long retired – was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the following year advanced to the rank of rear admiral on the retired list by special Act of Congress.
Hobson was the only naval officer to receive the Medal of Honor for the Spanish-American War.

 1957. A ZPG-2 airship driven by Cmdr. Jack R. Hunt lands at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla., after a flight that began March 4 at South Weymouth, Mass., then circled over the Atlantic Ocean toward Portugal, the African coast and back for a new world record in distance and endurance, covering 9,448 statute miles and remaining airborne 264 hours 12 minutes without refueling.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 16, 2024, 08:42:40 PM
597   BC   Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonians capture Jerusalem, destroying the First Temple

33 BC at the onset of the Roman Civil War, Julius Caesar had promised a lavish donative to his troops, amounting to about 102.9 million sestertii per legion, for a total obligation of over 3.7 billion sestertii, a sum equal to about 1060% of the total annual revenues of the Roman republic

37. Tiberius, 77, Roman general and Emperor (AD 14-37), possibly murdered

1582. Sultan Murad III of Turkey (R. 1574-1595), was so impressed by the performance of a troupe of entertainers at the circumcision of his son that he enrolled the entire company in the Janissary Corps, at that time perhaps the finest body of infantry in the world.

1913 German Kaiser Wilhelm II refused to sanction the activation of three new army corps on the grounds that there were insufficient officers of noble blood available for them, and that he would not permit the admission of non-aristocrats into the officer corps in such numbers

1914         Gaston Calmette, 55, editor of 'Le Figaro,' shot by Mdm. Henriette Caillaux, wife of France's finance minister, over some indiscrete letters he had published, initiating a scandalous trial that would preoccupy public attention until the outbreak of war in late July
  During the Campaign of 1914 a quarter of all the horses in the French Army died, 90-percent of them from disease or fatigue rather than combat.

1941         The Pennsylvania Railroad's Cleveland-Pittsburgh express was derailed near Baden, Pa., with 5 deaths, over 100 injured; German inspired sabotage was suspected, but no arrests were ever made.
  several Indian nations, including the Iroquois, Ponca, and Chippewa, joined the U.S. in declaring war against the Third Reich, a measure the Sioux did not have to take, since they had never ended the state of war they had declared against the Second Reich in 1917.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 17, 2024, 09:41:31 PM
180. Commodus becomes sole Roman Emperor (180-193), without having murdered Marcus Aurelius

1658 the Spanish Army established a new garrison at Badajoz, northwest of Madrid, one result of which was that over the next year the illegitimacy rate in the city tripled.

1762  First St Partick's Day parade in New York City

1776. British forces evacuate Boston; George Washington orders an extra gill of whiskey to every Irish soldier in the army

1913   Franklin D. Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1913-1921). 
    Thomas Marshall was Woodrow Wilson's running mate for the presidency in 1912, and was duly inaugurated as Vice-President on March 4, 1913. As befitting the character of the office in those days, Marshalls tenure was hardly memorable. In fact, he is chiefly remembered today, if remembered at all, for saying What this country needs is a good five cent cigar.
Anyway, in 1915 Marshall was visiting the San Francisco Exhibition, when the Pacific Fleet paid a call. Naturally, the fleet commander invited Marshall to a reception aboard his flagship, which the vice-president graciously accepted.
What followed was observed by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, who happened to be in Marshalls party, a young fellow named Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Marshall and his party were taken to the flagship in the admirals barge. This deposited them at the foot of a gangway. With Marshall in the lead, the party walked up the gangway. As Marshall, formally decked out in frock coat and top hat, reached the top of the gangway, to step on the grating, the bo's'un began to pipe him aboard, while the side boys saluted, ruffles and flourishes were rendered, and The Star Spangled Banner began to play. Unfortunately, no one seems to have taken the opportunity to inform Marshall as to the protocol involved in boarding a commissioned warship. So there was the vice-president, with his gloves in his left hand, a cane in his right, and a cigar one hopes not a five center ïn his mouth. Hesitating but a moment, Marshall quickly shifted the cane from his right hand to his left, removed the cigar from his mouth with his left, and transferred it to his right, and then doffed his hat with his left, to stand, a mite belatedly, at attention. As the last strain of the national anthem faded away, Marshall, with gloves, cane, and cigar still in his right hand, began to don his hat. Suddenly the first round of a 17 gun salute went off. Thoroughly startled, Marshall jumped, tossing hat, gloves, cane, and cigar two feet in the air, and then groped wildly in an attempt to snatch everything before it fell to the deck or into the sea.
But there was worse in store for the vice-president. A newsreel cameraman had been present and captured the entire proceedings on film.
Afterwards, seeing his performance preserved in celluloid, Marshall said to F.D.R., . . . I will never go on board another ship as long as I live.

1966         US mini-sub locates a missing H-bomb in the Mediterranean off Palomares, Spain
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 18, 2024, 08:22:00 PM
Gallipoli Memorial Day
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives…
You are now living in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours….
You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace, after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

--   Mustafa Kemal Attaturk,
Dedication of the ANZAC Memorial,
     On the eve of Turkey's entry into World War I, British Rear-Ad. Arthur Limpus was the head of a naval mission in Constantinople. Of course, when it became clear that Turkey was about to enter the war on Germany's side, the British naval mission was recalled home. Surprisingly, Limpus saw no further significant service in the war; promoted to vice admiral, he was sent with his staff to run Royal Navy Dockyard in Malta, a post which he held from September 1914 until October 1916.

Now this is odd, because early in 1915 Britain and France decides to undertake a naval expedition against Constantinople, with the intention of forcing the Dardanelles and Bosphorus to capture the city and open an all weather sea route to Russia. The man chosen to lead that effort was Vice-Adm Sackville Carden, who was given a formidable Anglo-French fleet, including 16 mostly older battleships. But Sackville Carden proved to lack the physical and moral strength to gain success.. After frittering away several weeks in fruitless organizing, he essayed two attempts to bombard the defenses (February 19th and 25th), and then suffered a physical collapse. Rear Adm. John de Robeck inherited his command, a man whose most recent experience had been as commander of the Cape Verde Station, a small squadron of cruisers charged with helping to clear the seas of German ships.

On March 18th de Robeck boldly steamed into the Straits, and promptly had three old battleships sunk and two damaged by Turkish mines, not to mention one disabled by enemy coast artillery. This set the stage for the even more disastrous Gallipoli Campaign (April 26, 1915 January 9, 1916), which would cost the Allies a quarter of a million men killed and wounded.

Now itïs just possible that had Limpus been in command, the Anglo-French expedition might actually have been able to force the straits. After all, he probably knew more about the capabilities of the Turkish Navy and the defenses of the straits than any other Allied officer. So why hadnït he been given the job?

The answer is an odd one, though very, very British. At the highest levels it had been decided that to give Limpus the job of fighting the folks he had so recently been advising might not be considered quite gentlemanly, not cricket as it were. And so Limpus was sent to Malta, "having been instructed not to supply any information which could be used against the Turks."

1939  During their protracted duel with the “pocket battleship” Graf Spee off the Rio de la Plata on December 13, 1939, the light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles, fired some 2,500 6-inch rounds, to which the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter contributed an uncertain number of 8-inchers, together scoring only 57 hits, and not killing a single man aboard the German vessel, though inflicting sufficient damage to seal her fate.

1945  Napoleon's decorations were captured by the Prussians in 1815, who put them on display in Berlin, from which they were taken by the Russians in 1945, so that they currently reside in Moscow.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 19, 2024, 06:52:59 PM
19   BC   Triumph of Lucius Cornelius Balbus the Younger for the defeat of the Garamantes of North Africa, the last private citizen to be awarded a triumph until Belisarius in AD 534

1279  Chinese Emperor Bing, 8, the last of the Song (May 10, 1278-March 1279), suicide by jumping into the sea to avoid capture by the Mongols after the decisive Battle of Yamen.

1776  The 12,000 British troops who occupied Boston in the winter of 1775-1776, during the American Revolution, consumed an officially attested 468,750 gallons of porter and another 95,000 of rum.

1814  New Year’s Day of 1796 Henry Sturgeon (1781-1814) left the Royal Military Academy as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery.  In August of 1800, by then a lieutenant,  he took part in a raid on El Ferrol, in Spain, and the following year was wounded in the Battle of Alexandria (March 13, 1801).  In 1807, by which time he had transferred to the Royal Staff Corps and secured promotion to captain, Sturgeon began serving under Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsula, proving an outstanding officer, conducting reconaissances, performing engineer duties, and helping to plan operations.  Described by Wellington as "a clearheaded officer . . . always showing himself a clever fellow,” he was promoted to major in 1809.  Sturgeon earned a mention in dispatches for the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo (Jan. 20, 1812), was given a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel, and then got another mention for the Battle of Salamanca (July 22, 1812).  In April of 1813 Sturgeon was placed in command of the Corps of Guides, an elite unit that conducted reconnaissance, provided escorts, carried dispatches, and performed other specialized duties for the army.  In February of 1814 Sturgeon facilitated Wellington’s desire to besiege Bayonne, in southwestern France, by developing the idea for a bridge of boats over the River Adour, called by the historian Sir William Francis Patrick, in his History of the War in the Peninsula War, a “stupendous undertaking, which must always rank among the prodigies of war.”
 Just a few days after this, on February 27, 1814, Wellington defeated a French relief force in the Battle of Orthez.  Wellington promptly wrote a letter to inform Lt. Gen. John Hope, commanding the force besieging Bayonne, about his victory.  But when the officer entrusted with the letter asked for some Guides to serve as an escort, there were none to be had, Sturgeon having, for the only time in his career, dropped the ball.
Now the Duke of Wellington had a ferocious temper (see “The Duke of Wellington Never Apologizes”), so when he heard that his letter would have to be delayed, he became furious.  Summoning Sturgeon, Wellington subjected him to a severe reprimanded in the presence of some officers with whom he was dining.  Described as “violent” and with “harsh expressions,” the rebuke wholly dispirited Sturgeon.
On March 19th, during an action near Vic-en-Bigorre, Sturgeon deliberately rode into a vineyard infested with French skirmishers and was promptly killed.

1815  Louis XVIII flees Paris, as Napoleon nears

1849  Alfred Peter Friedrich Tirpitz, later ennobled, German Grossadmiral and Navy Minister, father of the "High Sea Fleet", d. 1930

1942  William Slim takes command of the British Burma Corps.

1945  As Fast Carrier Task Force 58 planes bomb Kure and Kobe Harbors, Japanese aircraft single out the US Navy carriers for attack. USS Wasp (CV 18), USS Essex (CV 9), and USS Franklin (CV 13) are hit. After struck by a second bomb, Franklin suffers subsequent explosions on the flight and hangar decks. Heroic work by her crew, assisted by nearby ships, bring the fires and flooding under control. For their actions during this occasion, both Lt. Cmdr. Joseph T. OCallaghan and Lt.j.g. Donald A. Gary receive the Medal of Honor.

1945  her old age the widow of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, wartime chief of the German Abwher, and a co-conspirator in the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler in July of 1944, was supported by an American pension apparently arranged by Allen Dulles, head of the C.I.A.

1950  Edgar Rice Burroughs, war correspondent, novelist ("John Carter of Mars", "Tarzan"), 74
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 20, 2024, 07:01:09 PM
41  Marcus Didius Falco, soldier, detective, fictionally, d. c. 100

1631  German Imperial troops sack Magdeburg, 25,000 said to have died

1703. Forty-six of the "Forty-seven" ronin, ritual suicide

1793 the outbreak of the French Wars (1793-1815) the Royal Navy had 32 frigates ready for sea, a figure that shortly rose to over 100, and peaked at 156 in 1810.

1799. Admiral Sir Richard "Black Dickï" Howe (1726-1799) reportedly never smiled, save when he was going into battle.

1813. The silver punch bowl long used on formal occasions by the British 18th Hussars (now "consolidated" with the 13th, 15th, and 19th Royal Hussars) was captured from Joseph Bonaparte, the "King of Spain" by courtesy of his brother Napoleon, at the Battle of Vitoria (June 21, 1813), for whom it had served as a chamber pot.

1890  Kaiser Wilhelm II fires Chancellor Otto von Bismarck

1918  Donald F. Featherstone, British author, military historian, and pioneer wargamer, d. 2013
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 21, 2024, 03:11:24 PM
 :ROFL:1096 Pope Urban II condemned the use of the crossbow against Christians, though he did permit it to be used against non-believers.

1472 the Lord of Cordes brought two cannon to besiege Beauvais, in northern France, which might have done for the town but for the fact that he also brought only two cannon balls, which, although they did excellent work, proved insufficient to breach the walls.

1788. Second Great Fire of New Orleans: c. 800-850 buildings houses burn after a votive candle ignites some curtains

1823 war threatened between the Kingdom of Burma and Britain.  Fearing the worst, the government of Lord Liverpool consulted the Duke of Wellington as to who would be the best man to command in a campaign to capture Rangoon and impose a favorable settlement on Burma.
Wellington promptly replied, "Send Lord Combermere."
"But," protested the Cabinet, "We have always understood that your Grace considered Lord Combermere a fool?"
"So he is a fool, and a damned fool; but he can take Rangoon!" replied the Duke.

1870 French Army recruit Théophile-Euphrasie Battreau was issued a Chassepot rifle, serial number 187017, which he toted during the Franco-Prussian War, and which, 21 years later, he took off the body of a dead Dahomeyan warrior while serving as a captain in the Foreign Legion, picking it up when he noticed a notch in the stock that had been caused by a German round during the Battle of St. Privat.

1895. Visiting the Big Apple during his tour of the United States, the notorious German anti-Semite Hermann Ahlwardt found that New York City Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt., Jr., had thoughtfully provided him with a security detail, of 40 Jewish officers.

1918 In. a number of armies, the value of wargaming was viewed with a jaundiced eye. In the British Army Gen. Sir Henry Wilson (1864-1922), was a staunch supporter of wargaming, having served as head of the British staff college from 1907 until 1910, when he was appointed Director of Military Operations. An inveterate admirer of the French Army, and a close friend to Ferdinand Foch, Wilson worked hard to insure that Britain would be ready to stand by France when war came with Germany. He developed the mobilization and deployment plans that put the British Expeditionary Force on the French left in August of 1914. But Wilson’s ambitions for a field command went unfulfilled, save for a brief tour at the head of a corps, due to political machinations
Nevertheless, in late 1917 Wilson was appointed the British representative to the newly formed Allied Supreme War Council, headed by his old friend Foch. Pondering the possibilities for the coming year, in January of 1918 Wilson decided to conduct a wargame using the personnel from his staff.
During the game, the German player undertook an offensive with 100 divisions that broke the front along the Somme at the juncture of the Anglo-French armies and led to the loss of some of the Channel ports.
With this grim possibility in mind, this Wilson recommended a number of measures to Field Marshal Douglas Haig, commanding the British Expeditionary Force. Haig chose to dismiss the recommendations, despite the fact that in February Wilson was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
On March 21st the Germans unleashed “Operation Michel,” the first attack of the “Kaiserschlacht – the Kaiser Battle,” their series of spring offensives intended to end the war. The blow came at precisely the point and in almost the strength predicted in Wilson’s wargame, and very nearly had the prediced outcome, as the British front was ripped open so badly only a desperate “backs to the wall” resistance saved the Channel ports.

Between August 9, 1914, and November 30, 1918, Britain shipped 25 million tons of all types of supplies to its armies in France, of which only 5 million tons (20.6%) were ammunition whilst over 6 million tons (23.5%) were fodder and feed for horses and mules.

 
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 22, 2024, 07:32:13 PM
1622  First Indian War: Powahaten attacks Jamestown, Va, 347 die

1808. The Battle of Sjællands Odde. Danish Prinds Christian Frederik (74), Cmdr. Carl W. Jessen, engaged English squadron of HMS Stately (64), Commodore George Parker, HMS Nassau  and 3 frigates. She grounded outside Odden harbor, was set on fire and exploded.

1817  Birth of Braxton Bragg.  his Memoirs, U.S. Grant, mentioned a tale about Bragg that circulated in the “Old Army” before the war.
On one occasion, when stationed at a post of several companies commanded by a field officer, he was himself commanding one of the companies and at the same time acting as post quartermaster and commissary. He was first lieutenant at the time, but his captain was detached on other duty. As commander of the company he made a requisition upon the quartermaster—himself—for something he wanted. As quartermaster he declined to fill the requisition, and endorsed on the back of it his reasons for so doing. As company commander he responded to this, urging that his requisition called for nothing but what he was entitled to, and that it was the duty of the quartermaster to fill it. As quartermaster he still persisted that he was right. In this condition of affairs Bragg referred the whole matter to the commanding officer of the post. The latter, when he saw the nature of the matter referred, exclaimed "My God, Mr. Bragg, you have quarreled with every officer in the army, and now you are quarrelling with yourself!”
Grant’s anecdote is probably not true, but that it circulated suggests the degree to which Bragg was, as Grant put it, “disputatious.”

1820. Commo. Stephen Decatur, 41, in a duel with Commo. James Barron. over criticism Decatur had when Barron lost his ship, USS Chesapeake, to HMS Leopard in 1807.

1910  Birth of Nicholas Monserrat.  Although a pacifist, during World War II, Nicholas Monsarrat (1910-1979), a promising young novelist, decided to do his bit to defeat Hitler. Being an avid yachtsman, he promptly joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
Commissioned a sub-lieutenant, Monsarrat saw service in corvettes during the most desperate days of the Battle of the Atlantic. Proving a capable officer, he was promoted with unusual speed for a temporary reservist. By war’s end, having commanded successively a corvette, a frigate, and an escort group, and helped conduct numerous convoys across the ocean, he had risen to captain, and was serving on the staff of the Admiralty in London.
With the formal surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, a carnival atmosphere quickly developed in London. By chance, Monsarrat was the Duty Captain in the Admiralty that night, assigned to stand watch in the command center. He arrived at the Admiralty at 9:00 p.m., by which time perhaps a million happy people were crowded into central London. From his post, Monsarrat could hear the cheers and singing of the crowds outside the historic Admiralty building, which had seen many a similar crowd celebrating Britain’s victories since it had been completed in 1726. As he would later write, “On a guilty impulse I deserted my post” to take in the scene. He made his way to the top of the great stone arch which marks the formal entrance to the Admiralty.
From the top of Admiralty Arch, Monsarrat could see an enormous host of people cheering and singing, from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square and, most astonishing of all, a city in lights for the first time since blackouts had begun, nearly six years earlier.
But then he noticed something else, which he described in his memoirs.
Then, on a half-turn, I became aware that I was not alone, on top of the Admiralty Arch.
There was someone standing within five yards of me, also staring down at the crowds, and oblivious of close company for the same reason as I had been—because we were both entranced by the magnet of what was going on below.  With that perceptible twinge of nervousness which had been built into my life for so many years, I recognized, first the rank and then the man.
The massive display of gold braid told me that he was an admiral, like his brave and lonely brother on top of the column [Nelson].  Then I realized that this was a very superior admiral indeed.  I counted one thick band of gold, and four thinner ones.  He was an Admiral of the Fleet-the highest any sailor could go.
In fact, I suddenly recognized, he was the Admiral of the Fleet.  The man in my company was the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Cunningham.

2228  Capt. James Tiberius Kirk of the 'Enterprise', in Riverside , Iowa
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 23, 2024, 02:01:08 PM
500 BC. Roman Festival of the Tubilustrium - Purification of the War Trumpets

1208. Pope Innocent III excommunicates King John and lays England under interdict until the Crown restores ecclesiastical rights

1514  Born. Lorenzino de' Medici, author, later murderer of his kinsman Duke Alessandro "il Moro" de' Medici of Florence in 1537, murdered in turn by his kinsman Duke Cosimo I de' Medici of Florence in 1548.

1603. Emperor Go-Yozei declares Tokugawa Ieyasu Shogun of Japan (1603-1616), establishing the Tokugaw Shogunate that woud rule until 1868

1680. the Jesuit missionaries of what is now Paraguay, organized a militia from among their Guarani Indian converts, under the command of former soldiers who had taken Holy Orders, who proved quite effective in beating off slaving raids from Brazil.

1806  Lewis & Clark reach the Pacific Coast

1862. Battle of Kernstown, Va: Jackson begins his Valley Campaign

1918, as the Germans unleashed the first of their massive offensives that very nearly led to victory over the Allies on the Western Front, the U.S. War Department informed all general officers that one of the principal weaknesses of American soldiers was a slovenly and indifferent salute.

1944. RAF Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade survives a 5,500 m fall without a parachute after his Lancaster is hit near Berlin
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on March 24, 2024, 08:44:37 AM
...

1806  Lewis & Clark reach the Pacific Coast
...


Did they rave about the seriously overrated In-N-Out Burger?  ::)
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 24, 2024, 01:30:20 PM
Probably too busy dodging Conestoga wagons on Sunset boulevard.
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 24, 2024, 04:45:20 PM
771   BC   Romulus, future King of Rome (753 -717 BC) and Remus (d. 753) [Trad]

809         Haroun-al-Raschid, twenty-fifth Caliph (786-809), at 44

1241         Mongols take Cracow, Poland

1401         Tamerlane sacks Damascus

1545. During the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547), England developed what may have been the most sophisticated ordnance in Europe; the very word "ordnance" was coined during this period, reportedly due to a typo in the spelling of in the "ordinance" that formalized the new system of artillery.  This was eventually inherited by his daughter, Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603).
 English artillery was under the control of the “Captain General of Artillery,” later renamed “Master of the Ordnance.”
The Master of the Ordnance was not only responsible for the manufacture and maintenance of cannon, powder, and shot, but also for the recruiting and training of artillerymen, for the supply of ammunition to arquebusiers and musketeers and archers (the longbow remained a weapon of issue for the English militia into the 1590s), and for many engineering duties as well
So there were a host of personnel under the command and supervision of the Master of the Ordnance.
 Master Gunners, senior artillery officers for a particular post or command
 A Gunner, and Gunner’s Mate for every cannon
 Wheelwrights
Carpenters
Shipwrights
 Coopers
 Smiths
 Fletchers
 Masons
 Wainwrights
 Cable makers
 Pioneers

The smiths, carpenters, wheelwrights, and wainwrights (wagon makers) were needed to make the guns and their carriages, cable makers made the ropes necessary to haul the pieces, especially those to be fitted aboard ships by the shipwrights.  Masons and pioneers were needed to build or modify fortresses, castles, storehouses, and so forth, and coopers made the barrels necessary to store powder. . 
In addition to these personnel, if the Master of the Ordnance happened to go on campaign, he would also command infantry companies, as required, to protect the guns, a task more normally assigned to the master gunner of the army in the field.
To carry out his duties, the Master of the Ordnance initially had a very small administrative staff, just a lieutenant and some clerks, the numbers of whom increased over the years.  That's because, by Victorian times the Master of the Ordnance was responsible not only for artillery, engineers, and fortifications, but also for supplies, transport, hospitals, and a lot more, and yet was not a subordinate of the commander-in-chief of the British Army.  This odd situation came about because additional tasks kept being dumped on the Master.  Since he received a cut of all money that passed through is office, the Master was not likely to protest when a new task was entrusted to his care.  Nevertheless, by Victorian times it became clear that some of the muddle that accompanied military administration was certainly attributable to the highly jury-rigged arrangement that put the Master of the Ordnance in charge of all sorts of unrelated matters.  Reform eventually took hold.
There still is Master of the Ordnance, but the post is today largely an administrative one, similar to the Chief of Artillery in the U.S. Army.

1830, over objections that long distance communications were not a military concern, the Prussian Army finally acceded to proposals by officers who had been impressed by how Napoleon had benefitted from his signal service and formed an optical telegraph section in the Guard Pioneer Battalion.

1896, the 11,520 ton battleship Kentucky (BB-6) and her sister Kearsarge (BB-5, the only American battlewagon not named for a state), were among the most powerful warships afloat when they were commissioned in 1900.  The pair toted four 13"/35 guns in two twin turrets, each of which also had a "superposed" double 8"/35 turret on its top, plus a plethora of lighter armament, and could make a respectable 16 knots.
The ships were launched in a unique double ceremony on March 24, 1898, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, which today builds Uncle Sam's aircraft carriers.  And on that occasion, Kentucky definitely stole the show.
On the appointed day, Kearsarge was launched first, christened by Mrs. Herbert Winslow, the daughter of Rear Admiral John Winslow, who had commanded the screw sloop Kearsarge in her famous 1863 duel with the Confederate cruiser Alabama.  Mrs. Winslow, who had married her cousin Herbert Winslow, also a naval officer, performed her duties properly, wielding the traditional bottle of champagne.
Kentucky's sponsor, however, had a different idea.  Miss Christine Bradley, daughter of Blue Grass State governor William O. Bradley, was a member of the Women's Christian Temperance League.  Spurning tradition, Miss Bradley chose to christen the ship with  bottle of spring water taken from Sinking Spring Farm, the old Lincoln homestead in Hardin County, Kentucky.
Word of Miss Bradley's intentions has been widely circulated.  As a result, many of the guests came prepared to "correct" her heretical proposal.  As Miss Bradley smashed the water bottle and the great ship began sliding down the ways, members of the crowd began hurling the contents of their hip flasks at the ship, and even whole bottles of bourbon, so that when she entered the water, her hull was well lubricated with a considerable amount of good Kentucky whiskey.

1917. When the United States declared war on Germany in April, the only war plans on hand were for the defense of the country against a British invasion from Canada, a conflict with Japan in the Pacific, involving a possible invasion of the West Coast, or a German invasion of the East Coast from the West Indies.

1945         Gen. George S. Patton pisses in the Rhine from a pontoon bridge near Oppehneim, Germany -- http://imgur.com/gallery/enIbnty
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 25, 2024, 02:09:51 PM
421   Venice, founded by fugitives from the Hunnish sack of Aquileaia

1300  Sometime cavalryman and poet Dante Alighieri took a walk.

1811 the famous sculptor Antonio Canova, who had carved the famous statue of Pauline Bonaparte as a reclining nude Venus, completed a marble statue for her brother depicting him as the god Mars in heroic nudity, which proved so embarrassing that Napoleon hid it in a closet, though it was later given to the Duke of Wellington, who displayed it in his London home, where it remains.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_as_Mars_the_Peacemaker

1897. Reportedly, latrines in British Army barracks were not lighted at night until1896, because the Crown could save £200 a year, not to mention the cost of installing lamps in the first place.

1898. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, recommends to Secretary of the Navy John D. Long that he appoint two officers of scientific attainments and practical ability who, with representatives from the War Department, would examine Professor Samuel P. Langley's flying machine and report upon its practicability and its potential for use in war.

1905  Most battle flags captured during the Civil War are returned to the South

1925. During the period between the world wars, Joseph M. Reeves (1872-1948), nicknamed “Billy Goat” because of his beard, was one of the most able senior officers in the history of the U.S. Navy. Both a traditionalist and an innovator, while playing at Annapolis he invented the football helmet and later became the “Father of Carrier Aviation”.
While Reeves was commanding the battleship North Dakota (BB-29) in 1922-1923, one of the ship’s float planes went into the water.  A nearby destroyer promptly dispatched a motor whale boat. While rescuing the plane's crew, one of the destroyermen briefly becoming entangled in the wreckage and was almost pulled under as it sank.
Reeves deeply appreciated this effort, and wanted to show both his gratitude for the rescue and encourage similar efforts if other planes went into the drink.  So he initiated the paperwork for awards.  But he wanted to do something more, something immediate.  Now, as captain of a battleship, Reeves had a pretty good cook, a man who was a top notch baker.  So, the next day that destroyer received enough fresh-baked apple pies for everyone in the crew to have a taste.  Knowing it came from the captain's mess only made it sweeter.  This was much appreciated, and word got out to the fleet that if one of Reeves’ flyers went in, he would be generous in his thanks.
In 1925, Reeves, having qualified as an aviation observer, became Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, aboard the Langley (CV-1). This began what was to be his most important work for the fleet: developing carrier aviation.  Now Langley was not the best ship for working aircraft, and planes often went into the sea.  Destroyers were assigned to plane guard duty, which was -- and is -- difficult and dangerous.  While planes were landing, a destroyer serving as plane guard was pretty safe, as she was in an offset position about a thousand yards behind the carrier.  So if a plane went into the sea on its landing approach, the destroyer could make a quick run toward it, put a boat into the water, and fish out the aviators with some degree of safety.
But plane guard duty when aircraft were taking off could be very dangerous.  The destroyer had to stand off the carrier's bow in case a plane fell into the water.  If that happened, attempting a rescue could put the destroyer in great danger.  The Langley was much less nimble than destroyers, and much bigger, while the rescuers’ whaleboats were even smaller, and in danger of getting too close to the flattop and being overrun.
Needing to inspire rescuers, as well as reward them, Reeves recalled the pies from his North Dakota days.  But pies are rather fragile, and don't take rough handling well.  Thinking harder, Reeves realized that the Langley was equipped with something new and unique and not available to destroyers: an ice cream machine.  So Reeves passed the word that a ship whose boat crew pulled a pilot out of the water would get ice cream, gallons of it.  Soon, instead of shunning plane guard duty, destroyermen were actually volunteering for it.
Admiral Reeves' thoughtful incentive worked where orders and exhortations might not have.  It was an easy, elegant answer that benefitted everyone.  And rewarding ships with ice cream for pulling aircrew out of the water became a tradition in the U.S. Navy that lasted into the 1950s when new destroyers began being equipped with their own “geedunk machines

2184  Pavel Andreivich Chekov, Star Fleet officer

3019. of the Third Age.  the Ring was destroyed, Gollum died, and Sauron was overthrown
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: besilarius on March 27, 2024, 12:22:22 PM
47   BC   Ptolemy XIII of Egypt (c. 15), brother and husband to Cleopatra, drowned in the Nile fleeing Caesar's troops

1794. Congress authorizes construction of 6 frigates, including Constitution

1804. From December, the month Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France, and July of 1806, there were 119 recorded incidents of anti-draft disturbances in the country, with desertions averaging about 800 a month and an officially estimated 4,000 men actually fled to Spain to evade service.

1813. The Duke of Wellington was a notably effective logistical manager, and despite great difficulties his troops were usually better equipped and supplied than those of his French opponents.
This was no mean feat.
Consider the logistical requirements of a cavalry regiment.  On paper cavalry regiments had 407 personnel, organized into six troops, plus a staff, with 478 horses and mules, including mounts for troopers plus draught animals for the baggage, service, and munitions wagons.
To feed the men each day required 407 pounds of biscuit, 407 of meat, and 407 rations of alcoholic beverages, or some 200 pounds of booze, if one included the cask, and omitting additional rations allocated to officers
Feeding the animals required a daily ration of 4,780 pounds of grain, plus 5,786 of hay or straw, not to mention water, which could, with a little luck, be obtained locally.
As the normal issue of ration was three days’ worth, the regiment had to carry a minimum of 12,642 pounds of food and drink for the men, plus 31,698 for the animals.
And then there was a daily fire wood ration of 1,586 pounds, for a three day total of 4,758 pounds, plus additional for the officers.
So the total weight of three days’ rations for a full regiment -- men and beasts, food, drink, and fire wood -- came to roughly 25 tons, if one includes additional allocations for officers.
All this was usually transported by pack mules.  Since commissariat mules commonly could only carry only 200 pounds, 246 mules were needed.  And since the mules had to be fed, a at least four more mules would be required to carry the grain and hay needed for the commissary animals each day.
Now although Wellington's cavalry was often better fed, and usually better mounted, than that of his French opponents, the Duke often remarked that the French seemed to get much better service from their troops.  This was perhaps because  nearly half -- 45.1 percent -- of the officers in the British cavalry had obtained their commissions through purchase, in contrast to only about 18 percent of those in the infantry regiments, and none at all in the French cavalry..

1865. Lincoln, generals Grant and Sherman, and admiral Porter met on the steamer 'River Queen' to plan the end of the Civil War -  President Lincoln was very fond of cats.  So much so that once while en route to a conference with General-in-Chief U.S. Grant and Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, he picked up three stray kittens and took them into the meeting.  Grant’s aide Horace Porter reported that it was a "curious sight at an army headquarters, upon the eve of a great military crisis" to see the president "tenderly caressing three stray kittens” as he discussed strategy with his commanders.
The President’s affection for cats once led to a minor tiff with Mrs. Lincoln, who was often unhappy about what she perceived to be his lack of appropriate dignity.
Reportedly, during dinner at the White House one evening, Lincoln used a gold fork from the presidential service to feed a cat named “Tabby.”
Mrs. Lincoln asked, perhaps rhetorically, “Don’t you think it’s shameful for Mr. Lincoln to feed Tabby with a gold fork?”
The President replied, “If the gold fork was good enough for former President James Buchanan, I think it is good enough for Tabby.”
Title: Re: This Day in History
Post by: bbmike on March 27, 2024, 02:56:58 PM
...
The President’s affection for cats once led to a minor tiff with Mrs. Lincoln, who was often unhappy about what she perceived to be his lack of appropriate dignity.
Reportedly, during dinner at the White House one evening, Lincoln used a gold fork from the presidential service to feed a cat named “Tabby.”
Mrs. Lincoln asked, perhaps rhetorically, “Don’t you think it’s shameful for Mr. Lincoln to feed Tabby with a gold fork?”
The President replied, “If the gold fork was good enough for former President James Buchanan, I think it is good enough for Tabby.”

 ;D