Today in military history: April 25, 2014

1185 – Battle of Dan-no-ura (Genpei War) (Naval) 

 1845-1846 print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi -
General Taira no Tomomori ties himself to an anchor so that he may die by 

his own hand and not from enemy action during the battle at Dan-no-ura.

1464 – Battle of Hedgeley Moor (Wars of the Roses) 

1607 – Battle of Gibraltar (Eighty Years’ War) (Naval) 

1622 – Battle of Wiesloch (Thirty Years’ War) 

1626 – Battle at Dessau Bridge (Thirty Years’ War) 

1643 – Battle of Sourton Down (First English Civil War) 

1707 – Battle of Almansa (War of the Spanish Succession)

 1709 painting by Buonaventura Ligli (Ventura Lirios) y Filippo Pallotta - Battle of Almansa

  

1781 – Battle of Blanford; Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill (American Revolutionary War) 

1846 – Thornton Affair (Mexican-American War) 

1862 – Capture of New Orleans, LA; Surrender of Fort Macon, NC (US Civil War) 

1864 – Battle of Marks’ Mill, and Moro Bottom, AK (US Civil War) 

1875 –Pecos River skirmish (poss. Red River Indian War) 

1915 – Landing at Cape Helles; Landing at Anzac Cove begins (WWI)  

1936 – Battle of the Ogaden ends (Second Italo-Abyssinian War) 

1945 – Red Army surrounds Berlin, Pillau, Mantua, Verona, Parma, Perwegen taken; (WWII) 

1947 – Battle of Niangziguan ends (Chinese Civil War) 

1951 - Battle of Imjin River ends; Battle of Kapyong ends (Korean War)

Men of the 3rd Ranger Company, 3rd Infantry Division, adjust their gear 

before undertaking a dawn patrol across the Imjin River, Korea. 17 April 1951

  

1959 – Rebels attack Panama (Panama) 

2007 – Battle of Thoppigala begins (Sri Lankan Civil War)

New military history research: Ancient Rome and Greece

Five articles of interest from Classical Quarterly on literature related to ancient war:

Deboray Kamen writes on a 4^th century BC speech by Demosthenes deriding Aeschines and his service to Philip of Macedon.

Jeffrey Murray discusses Diodorus Siculus’ account of the Battle of Thermopylae.  Murray examines the source of Siculus’ account since it so markedly differs from more well known accounts of the battle.

Seven iron arrowheads and spearheads were found in the Koinos hill, 

where the last defenders of the Thermopyles fell.

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Author: Therese Clutario

Louise Hodgson examines the opening of the Res Gestae and asks why Octavian points out he was nineteen when he raised forces to save Rome.  Hodgson points out that nineteen is too young for various reasons to do what he did and yet Octavian makes a strong point about his age.   

Bridget Martin takes up the task of examining the blood sacrifice scene in Odyssey and asks why those dead who are not involved with providing a prophecy to Odysseus drink the sacrificial blood.

Kenneth R. Jones examines the date of a poem purported to have been written shortly after the Island of Rhodes successfully resisted a siege in the 4^th century BC.  Jones argues that the poem could have been written much later than during the time of the successful resistance and puts forth his arguments. 

 1745 - Copper engraved view of the town & the Colossus of Rhodes.  

This a fanciful representation of the statue which fell in 226 BC.

Today in military history: April 24, 2014

1541 - Battle of Sahart (Portuguese-Ottoman War) 

1547 – Battle of Muhlberg (Schmalkaldic War)

 

1548 painting by Titian - Johann Friedrich made prisoner following the Battle of Muhlberg

1592 – Battle of Sangju (Imjin War) 

1778 – North Channel Naval Duel (American Revolutionary War) 

1862 – Farragut runs the gamut of New Orleans (US Civil War) 

1877 – Russo-Turkish war begins; North martial rule of South ends (Post-US Civil War) 

1885 – Battle of Fish Creek (North-West Rebellion) 

1916 –Easter Uprising begins (Ireland)

 Guinness Improvised Armored Car, Dublin, Easter Rising 1916

  

1920 – Poland attacks Ukraine (Polish-Soviet War) 

1943 – German SS begins full operations against Jewish resistance in Warsaw ghetto (WWII) 

1945 – Dessau on the Elbe, Ferrar, La Spezia taken by Allies (WWII) 

1947 – Battle of Niangziguan begins (Chinese Civil War) 

1949 – Taiyuan Campaign ends (Chinese Civil War) 

1965 – Military coup in Dominican Republic (Dominican Civil War)

 G.I.'s playing baseball with Dominican kids. Santo Domingo, May 5., 1965

  

1967 – Battle of Hills 881 and 861 begin (Vietnam War) 

1970 – Operation Patio begins (Vietnam War)(Air) 

1971 – North Vietnam troops attack US bases throughout South Vietnam (Vietnam War)

1980 – US hostage rescue operation Desert One catastrophe (Iranian Revolution)

 "Wreckage at Desert One", Iran (April 1980) where eight Americans died.