On this day in Military History

[valtrex]

WWI-1917: The Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) carries out the deadliest German air raid on London. Gotha G.IV heavy bombers bomb with the first daylight the UK capital which results in 162 deaths, including 46 children, and 432 injuries. The reason for the relatively large numbers of casualties seems to have been ignorance as to the threat posed by aerial bombardment of a city in daylight.


1940: German troops advance on Paris. General Weygand declares the French capital an open city.


1944: Near Villers-Bocage, Michael Wittmann's Tiger tank from the 12th SS Panzer Division, destroys 25 tanks and other vehicles of the British 7th Armoured Division.

The Tiger 205 of SS-Obersturmführer (1st Lt) Michael Wittmann, on its way to Normandy

1944: During the German counterattack on Carentan, the Battle of Bloody Gulch takes place near Hill 30 (U.S. Army designation) approximately one mile (1.6 km) southwest of Carentan in Normandy, France, between elements of the German 17. SS Panzergrenadier-Division and 6. Fallschirmjäger-Regiment, and the American 501st, 502nd and 506th, Parachute Infantry Regiments (PIR) of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, reinforced by elements of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division. The 17. SS Panzergrenadier-Division suffered severe losses.

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1800: Battle of Marengo: Napoleonic Forces defeat the Austrians near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy, driving them out of Italy, and enhancing Napoleon's political position in Paris.


1807: Battle of Friedland: Napoleon's Grande Armée defeat the Russians near Königsberg (now Kaliningrad). It was the last battle of the War of the 4th Coalition (the fourth major concerted effort of multiple European powers, among them, Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to contain Napoleonic France).


1846: Bear Flag Revolt begins. Anglo settlers in Sonoma, California, start a rebellion against Mexico and proclaim the California Republic.

The first Bear Flag raised by the Anglo-American settlers to symbolize their taking control

1940: Germans enter Paris.



1940: Rommel's 7th Panzer Division takes Le Havre. The French government leaves Tours for Bordeaux. Army Group C, with 24 divisions, prepares to cross the upper Rhine to attack the Maginot Line in Alsace.


1982: The Falklands War ends: Argentine forces in the capital Stanley unconditionally surrender to British forces.

Alfredo Astiz signing the surrender document on board the British HMS Plymouth

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1389: Battle of Kossovo: Battle fought at Kosovo Polje (“Field of the Blackbirds”) between the army of the Serbian principality under Stefan Lazar Hrebeljanović, ruler of Moravian Serbia, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I. The battle ended in a Turkish victory, the collapse of Serbia, and the complete encirclement of the crumbling Byzantine Empire by Turkish armies.


1944: During the Pacific Campaign of WWII, the Battle of Saipan is fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June 1944 to 9 July 1944. The United States 2nd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division, and 27th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Holland Smith, defeated the 43rd Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshytsugu Saito. U.S. casualties accounted for 2,949 KIA, 10,364 WIA. Japanese lost 30,000 men (KIA, WIA & POW)

[stonecutter]

Nice work, Valtrex. Keep 'em coming!

[Ali Baba]

Great Read, Great Thread Man, Keep It Up.

[valtrex]

1487: The Battle of Stoke Field, the final battle of the Wars of the Roses (a series of dynastic civil wars between supporters of the rival houses of Lancaster and York, for the throne of England) occurs. The Yorkist Army, numbering some 8,000 men led by the claimant of the York dynasty, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, is defeated by King Henry VII's of England Northern Army of some 12,000 men, commanded by the Earl of Oxford.


1746: During the War of the Austrian Succession (a war which used as its pretext the ineligibility of Maria Theresa of Austria to succeed to the Habsburg throne her father Charles VI; in reality this was a convenient excuse put forward by Prussia and France to challenge Habsburg power) the Battle of Piacenza takes place. A Franco-Spanish army of 40,000-strong under Jean-Baptiste Francois des Marets, Marquis de Maillebois & Jean-Thierry du Mont, Comte de Gages is heavily defeated by the 55,000 Austrians of Prince Josef Wenzel. Austria had 700 dead. The Spanish army suffered almost 9,000 casualties and the French added approx. 4,000 to this total.

Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary & Bohemia, Archduchess of Austria

1815: Two days before the decisive Battle of Waterloo, the Battle of Ligny occurs. It is regarded as the last victory of the Napoleon's military career. 68,000 French troops of Napoleon's Armée du Nord (northern army) defeat the 84,000-strong Prussian Army under Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher.


1815: Two days before the decisive Battle of Waterloo, the Battle of Quatre-Bras is fought between the 36,000-strong British Army under the Duke of Wellington and the 20,000 men (2,000 horse) of the left wing of Napoleon's Armée du Nord (northern army) under Marshal Michel Ney. Although the battle tactically ended in a draw, it is considered a French strategic victory.


1913: On the morning of 16 June (08:30) the Bulgarians launch surprise attacks on the Greek (Nigrita) and Serbian (Gevgelija) Army without a previous declaration of War. The 2nd Balkan War begins.


1920: The C-i-C of the Greek Army in Minor Asia, Lt. General Leonidas Paraskevopulos, orders the XIII Infantry Division, Archipelago Division and the Cavalry Brigade to attack the Turks occupying the Soma-keresun & Ayvali-kemer Heights.

Gen. Paraskevopulos with his staff officers

1940: French front cracking as the Germans break through in Champagne to Dijon, with units of XIX. Panzer-Korps reaching Besancon on the Swiss border. German forces, supported by heavy artillery and Stuka dive bombers, continue their assault against the Maginot Line on a broad front. The French government of Paul Reynaud resigns and is replaced by one led by Marshal Petain who immediately appoints Weygand as Minister of National Defence. 57,000 British troops are evacuated from Nantes and St. Nazaire.

Nice work, Valtrex. Keep 'em coming!

Great Read, Great Thread Man, Keep It Up.

Thanks, guys

[Spiritbreaker]

Great job vatrex.one question.Are u sure about kosovo battle,i was always thought and we always celebrated it on 28 of june on St.Vidus day.might be the Julian date that was 15j june

[valtrex]

Great job vatrex.one question.Are u sure about kosovo battle,i was always thought and we always celebrated it on 28 of june on St.Vidus day.might be the Julian date that was 15j june

I was really puzzled on the calendar issue (being Chrisitian Orthodox myself, I've learned that calendar is not something to be taken lightly ); So, I decided to follow the calendar the battle took place. I did the same thing for the Anglo-Dutch wars.You are obviously right.

[valtrex]

1497: During the Cornish Rebellion (a popular uprising by the people of Cornwall against the imposed by the King of England War Taxes on the impoverished Cornish, to finance a campaign against Scotland, led by the Cornish lawyer Thomas Flamank and Michael An Gof), the Battle of Blackheath occurs. A Royalist Army of 25,000-strong under King Henry VII, defeats some 9-10,000 Cornish rebels commanded by Michael Joseph the Smith (An Gof).

Commemorative plaque in Cornish and English for Michael Joseph the Smith (An Gof) and Thomas Flamank mounted on the north side of Blackheath common, south east London, near the south entrance to Greenwich Park

1920: During the Greek Campaign to Minor Asia, Greek Archipelago Division defeats the Turkish 61st Division in the Battle of Balikesir, near the site of the ancient Greek City of Adramytion.

Greek heavy artillery fires at the Turkish positions

1940: Liner RMS ”Lancastria”, with 3,000 British troops aboard, bombed and sunk at St. Nazaire, in North West France with the loss of an estimated 4,000 plus lives.

[stonecutter]

Liner RMS ”Lancastria”, with 3,000 British troops aboard, bombed and sunk at St. Nazaire, in North West France with the loss of an estimated 4,000 plus lives.

Holy ****... We cannot even imagine such casualties today.

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1429: During the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Patay occurs. 1,500 French under the leadership of Joan of Arc, defeat the 5,000-strong English longbowmen and cavalry under Sir John Fastolf. This turns the tide of the Hundred Years' War.

Battle of Patay from Les Vigiles de Charles VII by Martial d'Auvergne, written circa 1477-84

1757: During the Seven Years' War, the Battle of Kolin, near Prague, occurs. 44,000 Austrians under Leopold Joseph von Daun, defeat 32,000 Prussians under King Frederick the Great of Prussia. The battle was Frederick's first defeat in this war.

Frederick the Great in the battle of Kolin

1812: U.S. Congress declares War on the United Kingdom. President James Madison signs the Declaration of War on June 18.


1815: During the War of the 7th Coalition, the Battle of Waterloo occurs. An Imperial French Army commanded by the French Emperor Napoleon, is defeated by the combined Armies of the 7th Coalition, led by the Duke of Wellington. The defeat at Waterloo put an end to Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French.


1913: A day after the Bulgarian surprise attacks against their former allies, General Constantine Kallares, C-i-C of the Greek forces comprising II Infantry Division and Cretan Gendarmerie, in Thessaloniki, sends the following message to the commander of Bulgarian forces cantoned in the city:
Sir, since Bulgarian troops began hostilities in the countryside against our Army, I have the honour to request you to leave the city of Thessaloniki one hour after the delivery of this letter. The arms of your men must be delivered to our officers, while your officers may keep their swords. A train will transport your men to the front and measures will be taken to allow them to safely pass the front line. After this deadline expires I must, to my regret, give orders that your troops will be considered hostile.
As expected, the Bulgarians ignored the ultimatum and plans for their disarmament were initiated. At 08:00 of 18 June, after an all-night clash, 1,279 Bulgarians (19 officers) are held prisoners.

General Kallares

1953: Men of the Greek Battalion of the Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea, defend OP ”Harry” (U.S. Army designation, Height 440), against consecutive Chinese attacks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Pz5Bj4e4k

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1306: During the Wars of Scottish Independence (a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and England, in the late 13th-early 14th century), the Battle of Methven occurs. A 4,500-strong Scottish army under Robert I the Bruce, King of Scotland met the English army of some 3,000 men under the French-English nobleman Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, at Methven, near Perth, Scotland. Before dawn on 19 June Bruce's army was taken by surprise and almost destroyed. Scottish losses accounted for 4,000 dead. The English had 600 dead or wounded.

Robert the Bruce of Scotland

1807: During the Russo-Turkish War, fought between 1806-1812, the Naval Battle of Athos occurs. A Russian fleet commanded by Admiral Dmitry Nikolayevich Senyavin, attacked and destroyed an Ottoman fleet of some 20 naval vessels under Kapudan Pasha (Ottoman Admiral) Seyit-Ali, between the Athos peninsula and the island of Lemnos, in Greece. As a result of the battle, the Ottoman Empire lost a combat-capable fleet for more than a decade and signed an armistice with Russia on 12 August.


1821: Following the outbreat of the Greek War for Independence, on 25 March, a small force of 500 Greeks consisting a volunteer unit mostly made up of young Greek students studying in Europe, from both upper and middle classes, named ”Sacred Band”, formed by the brothers Alexandros and Nikolaos Ypsilanti, invaded the Ottoman-dominated Danubian principalities of Moldavia-Wallachia hoping for a Russian intervention on their behalf. They fought the Ottomans at the Battle of Dragashani, Wallachia on 19 June where the Sacred Band was destroyed by the better trained and better equipped Ottoman forces. The remaining Greeks led by Georgakes Olympios and Ioannes Kolokotrones, tried to escape to Greece. Olympios was killed in Moldavia in a clash with the Ottomans. Kolokotrones and his men arrived in Greece in August.

Alexandros Ypsilanti in a Russian hussar uniform. Although an ethnic Greek, he fought for the Russians in the battle of Dresden where his right hand was torn off by a shell

Battle of Dragashani: Ottoman cavalry attack Sacred Band

1940: The Germans invite the French to send a representative to discuss armistice terms as their troops reach River Loire, advance on Lyons, capture Strasbourg, Brest and Tours. Rommel's 7. Panzer-Division captures Cherbourg along with 30,000 prisoners.

Major General Erwin Rommel, then commander of the 7. Panzer-Division, with captured British officers in Cherbourg

1944: During the War in the Pacific, the Naval Battle of the Philippine Sea occurs. It was the largest aircraft carrier battle in history, fought on 19 and 20 June. The engagement proved disastrous for the Japanese Navy which lost three aircraft carriers and some 600 aircraft. Losses on the U.S. side on the first day were only 23, and on the second 100, most of them resulting from the night landings.


2009: Operation Panchai Palang (Panther's claw) in Helmand, Afghanistan: British troops begin, one of the largest air operations in modern times, when more than 350 troops made an aerial assault on Taliban positions and subsequently repelled Taliban counter-attacks.

[Tengu]

June, 20

451: Battle of Chalons
The Battle of Chalons occurred on June 20, 451, in present-day France. Pitting Attila the Hun against Roman forces led by Flavius Aetius, the Battle of Chalons ended in a tactical draw but was a strategic victory for Rome. The victory at Chalons was one of the last achieved by the Western Roman Empire.

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1940: German troops capture Lyons and the vital port of Brest in Bretagne. French envoys drive behind German lines to receive armistice terms. Italian forces begin an offensive along the Riviera coast into France.


1945: Australian troops land at Lutong on Sarawak.

June, 20

451: Battle of Chalons
The Battle of Chalons occurred on June 20, 451, in present-day France. Pitting Attila the Hun against Roman forces led by Flavius Aetius, the Battle of Chalons ended in a tactical draw but was a strategic victory for Rome. The victory at Chalons was one of the last achieved by the Western Roman Empire.

Also known as the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields.

Coin of Aetius, General/Ruler in Gaul under Valentinian III and one of the last great Roman Generals

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1798: During the Irish rebellion, the Battle of Vinegar Hill occurs. 15,000 British soldiers under General Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake, launched an attack on Vinegar Hill the largest camp and headquarters of the Irish rebels. The Irish army of 18,000 was routed and what ensued was a massacre of hundreds of stragglers, including many women and children, by the British cavalry and infantry.


1813: During the Peninsular War (a contest between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars), the Battle of Vitoria occurs. A 105,000-strong coalition army of British, Spanish and Portuguese under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, defeated the 60,000-strong (11,000 cavalry) French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.

The Monument to the battle in Vitoria, Spain

1824: During the Greek War of Independence, the Turko-Egyptian Fleet of some 176 naval vessels under Hosref Pasha, disembarks 6,000 troops on the Greek island of Psara, one of the three Greek islands that played a key role and made many contributions to the war against the Ottomans with their vast navy and ships (the other two being the islands of Spetsae and Hydra). Out of its 30,000 inhabitants, 18,000 were either killed or captured alive and sold as slaves. The island never recovered from the complete destruction. The tragic event of the destruction of Psara inspired the poet Dionysios Solomos - the author of the "Hymn to Liberty" (the Greek National Anthem) - to write a poem about it, called "The Destruction of Psara":
"On the all-black ridge of Psara
Glory walks by herself taking in
the bright young men on the war field
the crown of her hair wound
from the last few grasses left
on the desolate earth"

The flag of the Psarian revolutionaries

1826: During the Greek War of Independence and the Egyptian invasion of Mani, Peloponnese, the Battle of Vergas occurs. 7,500 Maniots under Petros Mavromichales, defeated the 12,500-strong Egyptian army commanded by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. The Egyptians suffered 3,900 casualties.

The Maniot Panoraea Vozikes. During the battle, she saw her father being captured alive by two Egyptians. She rushed headlong to them and killed them both with her reaping hook

1913: During the 2nd Balkan War, the Battle of Kilkis-Lachanas occurs. It was fought between the 85,000-strong Greek Army (73 Infantry Battalions, 33 Field Artillery Battalions, 9 Mountain Artillery Battalions, 8 Cavalry Squadrons and 8 Cavalry Troops) under the C-i-C of the Greek Army, Crown Prince Constantine and the 40,000-strong Bulgarian Army (32 Infantry Battalions, 1 Cavalry Regiment and 62 Artillery guns) under Field Marshal Nikola Ivanov occupying the town of Kilkis and the surrounding heights. The battle started on 18 June and it was generalised on the 21st. It ended at 11:15 of 21 June, when the Greek flag was hoisted on St. George height. The victory proved important for the Greeks and prejudged the outcome of the 2nd Balkan War. From Kilkis, the Greek Army marched towards Doiran, Kerkine, Strumnitsa, Delhi-Risar and Kressna straits. The victory was great, so were the casualties: 8,652 men killed & injured (37 Officers killed, 85 injured). There are no official records for the Bulgarian casualties. The Bulgarian POWs were 2,500 Officers & men.

Gerasimos Raphtopoulos (left) is the youngest ever NCO in the history of the Greek Armed Forces. He was born in Phiscardo, island of Cephallonia in 1900. During the 1st Balkan War, against the Ottomans, he volunteered at the age of 12 & was accepted as private of the 18th Infantry Regiment of the IV Division. For his courage in the battle of Sarandaporon he received a Manlicher-Schonauer rifle as a gift. In the battle of Kilkis-Lachanas, he managed to escape from enprisonment, killing 3 out of the 5 Bulgarian soldiers who had captured him. On his way back, he found a wounded Evzone & carried him with him. For his valour, he was promoted to the Corporal's rank on August 28th, 1913 at the age of 13

WWI-1919: Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttles the German fleet in Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed are the last casualties of World War I.

Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter

1942: Tobruk falls to the Italians and Germans, who capture 32,000 prisoners, 2,000 tons of fuel, 5,000 tons of food and 2,000 vehicles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJHrnVeNgIc
Italian Newsreel: The fall of Tobruk

1945: Organised resistance on Okinawa ends after 82 days of the bloodiest fighting in the Pacific, during which 98,654 Japanese have been killed and 6,922 captured. U.S. losses were 6,990 killed and 29,598 wounded.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Lbv0K8gCs