Questions tagged [battle]
Questions related to an historical battle, being a single engagement or combat in warfare between two or more armed forces.
110
questions
3
votes
1
answer
684
views
Were trained crocodiles used as a weapon in the Battle of Saraighat?
There is a youtube video about The Ahom Kingdom. It generally sounds fairly well researched and makes only one obvious extraordinary claim. In describing the Battle of Saraighat (1671) the following ...
- 197
30
votes
2
answers
10k
views
How was Rome able to conscript and equip 400k soldiers during 2nd Punic War in a pre-industrial society?
I have counted legions and allied legions Rome conscripted during 16 years of Punic War. It's roughly 400k and could be even more.
Battle
Year
Result
Battle of Ticinus
218 BC
2,000 Roman casualties, ...
- 411
5
votes
1
answer
377
views
Battle of Ulm: why did general Mack surrender to Napoleon instead of retreating to Ulm and wait for the Russian Army?
Was there something that made being besieged at these times inconceivable? I can imagine that a lack of provisions and/or logistics of keeping ~70 000 men in a city wouldn't make the situation ideal ...
- 53
8
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Was there a battle at "Wodziki" in October 1914?
A gravestone for Friedrich Adel Ferdinand Torsten Graf Posadowsky-Wehner, Freiherr v. Postelwitz, Kgl. Preuss Oberst und Kommandeur des (2 Oster.) Gren Rgt. 13 says
gefallen am 7 Okt. 1914
i Wodziki
...
- 371
0
votes
1
answer
141
views
When did Athenian archers pepper Spartan hoplites with arrows for days on an island?
The heading is basically all I remember from school. The hoplites lacked mobility and were thus harassed for day by the lightly armored Athenian archers. Athenian victory.
- 1,097
1
vote
0
answers
101
views
Did the Battle of Red Cliffs take place on the border between Cao Cao and Liu Bei's territories?
In the YouTube video Three Kingdoms - OverSimplified, we have this depiction of the Battle of Red Cliffs:
The video suggests the Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之战) takes place on the border between Cao Cao ...
- 1,155
-1
votes
2
answers
551
views
Why did armies meet on the battlefield, and how often did they? (medieval times) [closed]
A common criticism I hear of fiction set in medieval-esque worlds is that it makes no sense for the defending army to leave the fortifications in order to meet the attacking army on the battlefield. ...
- 133
4
votes
0
answers
259
views
What was the Indian nobility's reaction to the construction of Veeranam Eri (வீராணம் ஏரி)?
Background Information
In the South of Medieval India, there was a wealthy and powerful empire called the Chola Empire.
In between the years 907-955 AD, the king (or Raja) Parantaka the First (...
1
vote
0
answers
85
views
Did any army try speed volley fire by passing pre-loaded muskets to the front line? [duplicate]
Early 16th to 18th century muskets had 2 big disadvantages. Musketeers needed minimum 20-30 seconds to reload them and they were very inaccurate, because projectile (usually small lead ball) was much ...
- 111
5
votes
2
answers
849
views
What is the reasoning behind these huge numbers for participants in the Battle of Grunwald 1410?
I was reading about the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War and I found this strange excerpt from current Wikispeedia, (which is based on an old Wikipedia ...
- 445
-1
votes
1
answer
541
views
Did a submarine ever torpedo and sink a destroyer? [closed]
The naval battle of U-405 versus USS Borie sank the Borie, but that was due to its own action of ramming U-405, which had a stronger hull to withstand depth pressures.
Did a submarine ever sink a ...
- 21
0
votes
0
answers
48
views
How effectively did Romans rotate/relieve lines with the cohort system? [duplicate]
There is a similar question on Reddit and the original poster of the question uses a YouTube video to demonstrate the point. That video showcases a rotation of Roman infantry in a cohort.
According to ...
- 153
10
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How true is this observation concerning battle?
I came across a quote:
“One who risks his life in battle has the best chance of saving it; one who flees to save it is most likely to lose it” (Anthologia Lyrica Graeca, ed. E. Diehl2 1936-42.)
The ...
- 219
28
votes
4
answers
6k
views
How difficult was to escape from a naval battle after engaging into one during the Age of Sail?
So, I am designing a board game which includes pirates/imperial battles during the age of sail. While I have found a lot of information on the internet as well as books, papers and of course other ...
- 381
6
votes
1
answer
517
views
Why were the Marines so badly outnumbered at the critical point at Guadalcanal?
Prior to the battle of Guadalcanal,, the Americans had landed 11,000 men on the island in August, 1942. This compares to the 5,000 or so men that the Japanese had on the island by the first week of ...
- 104k
4
votes
0
answers
275
views
What happened where in 1541? (Portuguese in the Horn of Africa)
Was trying to check the following description from the introduction to a board game:
In 1541, Portuguese soldiers [...] slipped into the port of Massawa
[and] join[ed] the Christian forces. At the ...
- 2,690
2
votes
1
answer
356
views
Was the Kerensky Offensive doomed from the start?
I've been reading about Russia in the Great War during 1917, and what is quite surprising for me is the Kerensky Offensive. Primarily, what is surprising is that the army was in great material terms ...
- 10.8k
0
votes
0
answers
154
views
What pre-industrial battle used a tactic to split the enemy force in the middle in this way?
I remember watching a video on a pre-industrial battle (maybe even pre musket, but not sure) on a unique battle technique. Cavalry was involved, as well as slingshot and infantry. For some reason my ...
- 149
2
votes
0
answers
74
views
Where can tactical maps for battles of the Mexican Revolution be accessed?
There are a bunch of resources on the Mexican revolution, but I've never seen an academical text that narrates the major battles in the struggle along with tactical maps.
Thus, I'm looking for a ...
- 457
40
votes
3
answers
8k
views
In the Battle of the Coral Sea, how could two Japanese scouts grossly mis-identify two American ships?
I've been reading the Wikipedia pages about the Pacific theatre in WW2; in the page describing the battle of the Coral Sea there is the following passage:
[...] the scout [from Shōkaku] confirmed ...
- 711
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Did the Roman testudo protect the sides of the formation?
I have seen several images like these, where the soldiers in testudo formation hold shields above their heads and to their sides as well.
The soldiers standing in the extreme left or right column of ...
- 133
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What is the technical term for a head on head battle?
I am writing an essay about how accurate the film "Braveheart" is. In the film Braveheart, the battle of Stirling Bridge is shown with the two armies facing each other. I would like to know what the ...
- 179
0
votes
1
answer
278
views
Why did the Persian army lose the battle of Marathon? [closed]
Persian army was an absolutely massive army,and persian empire defeated famous empires such as babylon using it, you know that then Greece wasn't a united country and it was built from different city-...
user42335
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What was the significance of the BEF moving into the gap between German forces in First Battle of the Marne?
The German troops fighting in the Battle of the Marne were exhausted and their commanders seemed to communicate very little. After the Marne they retreated to the river Aisne and more or less began ...
user42241
14
votes
3
answers
3k
views
When was the first electrical intra-battlefield communication?
When was the first time a commander used, for example, the telegraph to communicate with and coordinate different parts of the same battlefield?
I know that the telegraph was used extensively for ...
- 251
1
vote
1
answer
333
views
Why didn't the Chinese attack Hungnam during the evacuation?
The Hungnam evacuation was a notable event during the early years of the Korean War. Retreating to the port of Hungnam from the recent defeat at Chosin Reservoir, UN forces managed to evacuate about ...
- 14.4k
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What was the aftermath of a battle in the Middle Ages? How did wounded soldiers proceed?
The Red Cross was founded by 1859 over these circumstances:
Until the middle of the 19th century, there were no organized and/or well-established army nursing systems for casualties and no safe and ...
- 1,394
34
votes
16
answers
14k
views
Which battle was the most lopsided result in terms of casualties?
I have recently read about two ancient battles that were won by a much smaller army and/or lead to very different casualties:
Defeat of Boudica - according to Roman accounts only 400 Romans died as ...
- 1,077
3
votes
0
answers
103
views
Have two generals ever agreed to fight one on one to avoid a battle? [duplicate]
In fiction, there's a scene sometimes occur where 2 armies are facing each other in preparation for battle, but the leaders parlay and agree to fight one on one to determine the outcome with minimum ...
- 31
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Were the Japanese aware of Desmond Doss's actions?
I read about the amazing story of Desmond Doss and wonder if the Japanese at all aware, during the Battle of Okinawa of the extent of his actions at the time? I know a few individual Japanese would ...
- 1,077
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What battle of WW2 is depicted in this Battlefield V level?
What battle of World War II is depicted in this Battlefield V level?
Credit goes to the game makers of course, as it is their property.
Slight update: I cannot quite remember the map name, but I ...
- 670
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Did the British really bail out the Americans at the Battle of the Bulge?
Just read this article on the Battle of Kasserine Pass
America's Most Humiliating Defeat
The author made the following statement regarding British help during the battle:
As at the Battle of the ...
- 617
3
votes
5
answers
789
views
Why is a pocket-battleship large in size ?
Why is it called a pocket-battleship when it’s large in size? Isn’t anything with pocket as prefix meant to be small ?
I was reading up on Graf Spee - The German pocket-battleship.
- 219
2
votes
4
answers
925
views
Has there ever been an encirclement without superior numbers or mobility
I can't find any examples. It seems like encirclement is always just a result of some other advantage, and doesn't affect the battle in itself.
For example the classic case is Cannae. The ...
user34825
6
votes
2
answers
743
views
An American Civil War battle where a general was ordered to advance to a certain point and wait . . . so waiting was all he did?
I'm trying to pin down something I once read about what went wrong with the Union's plans for a certain battle in the American Civil War. I think I once read a few paragraphs about this in a book by ...
- 251
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
How many vehicles were involved in Operation Gothic Serpent (Mogadishu, October 3-4, 1993)?
I wanted to know how many vehicles (include their model and which country used it), aircraft and infantry were deployed in Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu in October 1993.
Specific numbers of:
...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
185
views
Who was a Roman General for a short time?
I'm trying to remember the name and battle that a Roman General. I might be unintentionally mixing parts of it up with other historic parts. The story goes the Roman Empire need someone to lead their ...
- 19
2
votes
0
answers
214
views
Why did General Dupont surrender in the Battle of Bailén?
General Dupont's had, from my inexpert view, quite a superior army when he fought the Spanish forces at the Battle of Bailén. This battle was in fact the first defeat in open field of the Napoleonic ...
- 163
3
votes
1
answer
353
views
Why didn't the Hungarians help the battle of Kosovo?
I am curious why the Hungarians, as the first neighbor of then Serbia and Bosnia, who sent troops to confront the invasion of the Ottomans, didn't also participate given that it was obvious that the ...
- 1,153
7
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Where was the Battle of Antioch (613 CE) fought?
The Byzantines were severely defeated in this battle by their Sassanid counterparts.
But where did this battle take place i.e. what was the precise location of this battle?
According to Wikipedia, ...
- 215
3
votes
1
answer
7k
views
How did knights in full suits of armor eventually die in combat? What were the most common causes of death for soldiers in full-body plate armor? [closed]
I've heard about the battle of Agincourt that many knights probably died of drowning as they fell and their helmets filled with mud. It got me thinking: If you're going into battle on foot and in full-...
- 283
20
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Has any medieval army ever fought 3 or more distinct battles on the same day?
In the fantasy fiction A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of thrones, during Robert's Rebellion, three battles were fought in the same day, in the same place.
There where particular conditions that lead to ...
- 997
1
vote
1
answer
931
views
Are there any contemporary references to the Battle of Badr outside of the Qur'an?
As the question reads, I'm trying to find sources for the Battle of Badr outside of the Qur'an from the same time period.
- 2,979
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Was the French Commander-in-Chief Gamelin a terrible general?
While doing some research on France's defeat in 1940, I saw that some harshly criticize the French Commander-in-Chief Gamelin and blame him for its speedy downfall (of course there isn't only one ...
- 462
12
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What happened at the Battle (or not?) of Luding Bridge, during the Long March of Chinese Communists in 1935?
I've just finished reading Mao: The Unknown Story by Chang and Halliday. She seems very biased against Mao and revels in accusing him of lying and manipulating. If this were to be taken as a serious ...
19
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why did few French and no Dutch pilots (but many Poles and Czechs) take part in the Battle of Britain?
Among the non-British pilots, at least 141 were Polish, 84 Czech and 28 Belgian, but only 13 were French and none were Dutch, Norwegian or Danish.
The reasons why there were many Polish, Czech and ...
- 107k
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why were there so many US military deaths outside of the major battles in WW2?
Recently I have started to take a huge interest in WW2. I've been researching new information everyday about it. But one of the things I've been interested in is the number of deaths each country ...
- 149
2
votes
1
answer
298
views
Was anyone blamed for Japan's defeat at Tai'erzhuang?
The battle of Tai'erzhuang was the first major Chinese victory in the Second Sino-Japanese war. IJA 10th and 5th divisions, aiming to take Tai'erzhuang and ultimately Xuzhou, were instead held up in ...
- 14.4k
-7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How long did the battle of Bosworth last?
How long the battle of Bosworth actually last?
The Wikipedia article on the Battle of Bosworth Field doesn't say anything about how long the battle lasted.
- 11
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How many tons of bombs were dropped on Britain between 1940 July 10 and September 7?
1940, July 10 to September 7, was the part of the Battle of Britain before the Blitz. In other words, it was the part where the Luftwaffe primarily focused on airfields, factories, and if I'm not ...
- 17.2k