Greatest Military Feats
- Thread starter -musketeer-
- Start date
Joined Mar 2011
1,367 Posts | 2+
Florida
Well, Xander..you disagree and I respect that but it was a great victory..no, a great rout, no matter by what yardstick it's measured.
Joined Apr 2011
1,461 Posts | 2+
Melbourne Australia
Joined May 2011
516 Posts | 1+
Leon, Spain
Battle of Apros was amazing! 3000 Catalans vs 31 000 Byzantine Imperial troops. The result is 25 000 Byzantine casualties and only 36 Catalan casualties!!!!!!!!!!! Also Gembloux in 1576 was also impressive as an outnumbered Spanish force inflicted 10,000 Dutch casualties and only lost 20 men!
Joined Apr 2010
6,329 Posts | 6+
US
You know you sliced Lucius' post in half, right? That completely changes the point he was trying to make.
Joined Nov 2010
976 Posts | 0+
Ηνωμένες &
I second Marathon, but also add in Salamis and Thermopylae, not to get gratuitous but I am a philhellene after all...
Joined Jun 2009
6,987 Posts | 17+
Glorious England
Joined Sep 2010
10,810 Posts | 50+
Serbia
Joined Aug 2010
6,752 Posts | 17+
The Far East
what about the battle of Isandlwana in 1879 when a zulu army wiped out a british force of 1300. to often its looked at as a defeat, we need to accord the zulus as being brave and intelligent in how they pulled off the attack, they earned that victory
Joined Nov 2010
976 Posts | 0+
Ηνωμένες &
I should give an honorable mention for Cannae as well, one of the hugest blood baths in military history, in one battle Hannibal inflicted almost as many fatalities than the Vietnam war did on the American side.
Also, the defense of Finland during the Winter war, should probably get an honorable mention as well.
Also, the defense of Finland during the Winter war, should probably get an honorable mention as well.
Joined Aug 2010
6,752 Posts | 17+
The Far East
more, the romans lost something like 70,000 at Cannae, america lost around 60,000 in the vietnam war if we are to include the 2,000 or so that are still reported as missing in action
Joined Nov 2009
3,901 Posts | 56+
Outer world
Sure it was a great victory, never denied this.
It was an amazing victory for british, but I wouldn't include it in "greatest military feats", just this.
Joined Apr 2011
1,461 Posts | 2+
Melbourne Australia
Just to be clear I have quoted the original, my post and your objection.
I focused on the fact that in talking about Normandy Lucius gave the impression that Normandy was a US operation. . It may have been unintentional, if so it was sloppy. If it wasn't then it was misleading.
If you are going to give an example then it should be complete.
I take nothing away from the US actions but the landings were so much more.
First the Dieppe landings by British and Canadians showed that attacking a harbour was difficult and costly in lives. So their sacrifice should be acknowledged
From this the idea of Mulberry Harbour was developed ( British design). The two harbours towed across were for Omaha and Sword.
Without them any landing would have been impossible because the landing forces needed supplies. Omaha Mulberry was not securely anchored and broke up leaving Sword as the only harbour still working. Any operation of such magnitude is not down to one group. If it had been a US action alone then the loss of Omaha Mulberry would have made it a disaster.
Just giving an opinion without supporting evidence is not history.
Joined May 2011
15,791 Posts | 1,621+
Navan, Ireland
Good point we can be very Euro-centric and what is a defeat for one is a great victory for another.
How much was down to good thinking by the Zulu however is open to debate, they most likely intended to attack that day anyway. Chelmsford conviently marched off with half the redcoats for a recon in force.
Even worse arrogant staff officers refused the regimental officers of the 24th request that they pull redcoats (about 600 men) close together but left them scattered. When the attack came they were unable to form a tight defence, auxiliaries could not stand against the Zulu and broke. The redcoats companies were picked off one by one.
If Chelmsford had been there with more redcoats? Who knows.
You could add Rorkes Drift into the mix as well.
Joined Jan 2011
887 Posts | 0+
Podolia
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- Salvation of Paris by Russian troops at the beginning of the First World War.
- Two defense of Sevastopol.
- Defense of the Brest Fortress.
- Battle of Kruty (300 students and 100 Cossacks against the 4000 Red Army)
- Battle of Chemulpo (Cruiser "Varyag" and gunboat "Korean" with Japanese squadron Admiral Uriu:2 Armoured cruisers, 4 protected cruisers, 1 aviso, 8 torpedo boats)
- Two defense of Sevastopol.
- Defense of the Brest Fortress.
- Battle of Kruty (300 students and 100 Cossacks against the 4000 Red Army)
- Battle of Chemulpo (Cruiser "Varyag" and gunboat "Korean" with Japanese squadron Admiral Uriu:2 Armoured cruisers, 4 protected cruisers, 1 aviso, 8 torpedo boats)
Joined Sep 2010
10,810 Posts | 50+
Serbia
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What exactly do you mean here?You refer to the fact that mobilisation of Russian forces was much quicker than Germans predicted?
Alcibiades
Joined Mar 2010
9,845 Posts | 31+
Yeah that ones got me confused to, and i wouldn't call the Battle of Chemulpo a great milatry feat. Brve certainly great milatry feat nope. Certainly no Gloworm
Joined Apr 2010
6,329 Posts | 6+
US
I think you're misunderstanding his post. He was saying that the impressive feat was the fact that the Americans took part in 2 separate amphibious landings on different parts of the globe in a matter of weeks. I don't think he meant to slight any of the other nations that contributed to D-Day. I think calling his post "sloppy" or "misleading" is a little out of line.
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