Reply With QuoteTexicans? What the hell is that?
My vote's for Thermopylae, although I'm intrigued the Korean Chosin Reservoir was omitted. Mirbat's a dead cert for anyone familiar with the SAS' history.
And while the Somali numbers I believe are still essentially estimates, Op Irene wouldn't qualify for this list?
Texicans? What the hell is that?
Royal, I read it was a few hundred Adoo (got that from various different books), just wondering which one of us is nearer the mark ... considering your history I expect you're more in the know than I am.
I read about a battle in Croatia where a group of 100 Canadian soldiers managed to hold off 1000s of attacking serbs until they were relieve by a group of 600 Belgians who couldnt hold them off. Its in a book called "Tested Mettle".
There were 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.
Don't forget the 101st Airborne at Bastogne in WW2.
I stand corrected: 300 Spartans it was.
Bastogne was a brave stand but not a small unit action.
"Texican" was what many Texans called themselves during the revolution up until the annexation of the state into the U.S.
Somalia and BHD had many courageous acts including two CMH winners but it was a police action that went horribly wrong; the mob that was involved wasn't by any means a trained military force.
I'm learning in this thread about Mirbat and look forward to more details.
The Aussies in the Pacific during WWII was certainly a commendable feat of arms but, as noted, it was a fairly large unit and 6 to 1 odds against Diggers isn't a fair fight-- the Aussies will win every time
WESTERPLATTE
First Battle of WWII at Westerplatte
Polish garnison defending 7 days with:
205 troops
40 pistols
160 rifles
41 machine guns
* 16 heavy-mg
* 17 hand-mg
* 8 light-mg
one cannon 75mm, 300 shells, destoyed after 28 shots 1-st day
4 mortars 81 mm,860 shells, destoyed after 104 shots 2-nd day
2 AT cannons 37 mm
~1000 grenades
from Nazis:
2600 troops
diving bombers Stukas
mortar-howitzers 110mm
dreadnought "Schleswig Holstein"
*4 x 280 mm
*10 x 150 mm
*4 x 88 mm guns
Garnison survived:
17 huricane shellfires
14 ground assaults
19 night escapades
dive bombings
Garnison eventually surrended.
Polish loses: 15 KIA with one murdered after surrending,13 heavy wounded & 30 slightly wounded.
German loses: ~1000 WIA & KIA exact number unknown
Small map:
Hey Evan Lloyd I've Never Read Tested Mettle. But i think your Talking about the Medak Pocket.. It was a Mechanized battalion (At the time i think it was 4 rifle companys and some support coys making up 900 soldiers) Of canadians Stopping the ethnic cleansing of a Large predominatly serbian area of south east croatia known as the krajina by the Croatian army. i'm not to certain of the force facing the Canadians but after 15 Hours of fighting 27 Croats were reported dead with out one serious canadian casualty. The Medak Pocket was the center of the fighting where the canadians were consentrated i think... you may be talking about something else though.Originally Posted by EvanLloyd
My vote goes to Wake Island. Some 450 Marines equipped with WW1-era equipment repelled 2 Japanese invasions with minimal casualties. The only reason they surrendered was because their CO was out-of-contact with the unit and thought the Japs had overrun the island.
Chosin Reservoir and Bastogne are also great situations, but involved large units.
Yeh im not refering to the battle of the medak pocket. But thanks for the explanation, im sure most here have no idea about that battle.
More information can be found Here click on Mirbat.
Judging by Chris1's link, I stand corrected. I've not looked at the battle since I was doing YO training (a good few years ago). I know the numbers are debatable as the Adoo carried away their dead and wounded. I am sure though that Kealy (my spelling mistake previously) got an MC rather than a DSO.
Yeh, i reckon you're right ... as far as I remember, which aint too far though
Battle of Camerone,Mexico 1863.60 foreign legionnaires fought against 1800 Mexicans.Few survive.30 years later Mexican army build a monument to honor legionnaires.
about Cassino
Poles, of course
I'm very glad to see that you guys know something about The Warsaw Uprising. It's interesting that the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade was planned to jump into Warsaw to help, but allied command canceled this idea b/c officially it was very hard to transfer soldiers so far from UK. Polish parachutist was very angry about that but finally they fought in "Market Garden". BTW If you've seen "A bridge to far" you may remember G. Hackman (-graet actor) who was playing gen. Sosabowski (-great person) seing in Polish - "Sznur!" (ang. rope!) when Poles were crossing a river to help the Red Devils in Arnhem.
My egzample of Greatest Defensive Small Unit Battle comes from a Polish military history too. This is one of the most famous battles of WWII for Poles. It's called in Poland "The Defence of Westerplatte". You probably know something about it. Herrmannek
It started 1st of September 1939 at 4.45 a.m. when German WW1-old battleship "Schleswig Holstein"(had arrived at Gdansk for a 'courtesy call'...) fired a first shot on Polish ammunition depot and installation in Westerplatte near Free City of Gdansk (ger. Danzig). And the WW II began. Polish positions: few buildings prepared as bunkiers, a brick wall, several trench systems, were defended by circa 150 - 180 soldiers and a very small number of haevy weapons: two 37 mm anti-tank cannons, one 75 mm cannon, two or four (?) 81 mm mortars and machine guns (almost no AA guns). Germans in greatly superior force were constantly attacking from all sides, from the sea - battleship and other warships, land - infantry (aot. Marinesturmkompanie, SS, SA, Danzig Police) and air - Stukas. Poles were completelly surrounded, but they didn't want to give up. They thought their fight has a sense, they hoped that maybe some help will come. Before the war the defence of their positions was meant to last only a few hours or at the worst two days untill another Polish troops would arrive. They was very glad when on the 3th day of fighting they heard on the radio that UK and France declared war to Germans, but as you know their hopes were vain b/c UK were not able to do something those times and France... - never mind. Defenders were right in one thing, their fight had a sense. All Poland knew about their bravery b/c all the time Polish radio reported to the world "Westerplatte still fights on" and it was very important to rest of Polish army and people. Battle finished after one week. Polish commander - major Henryk Sucharski surrendered Polish positions only because there was no possibility to help the wounded anymore and there was to little ammunition to continue fight and of course there was no hope to win. Probably in fact maj. Sucharski wanted to surrender earlier b/c since the second day of defence he had been in nervous shock (?) from the Stuks raid but kpt. Franciszek Dabrowski practically took the command of the defence - and he did it well. After the battle Germans were surprised that there were so few Poles, they were imressed by the skill and intensity of the defence. Something about that tells numbers of casualties: Polish - only 15 killed but many wounded (almost everyone), Germans - about 300 - 400 killed and wounded but real number isn't known. German commander Friedrich Eberhardt allowed maj. Sucharski to keep his officer's sword (sabre) and Polish POW's were treated well.
"The Defence of Westerplatte" has still a great moral value for Poland b/c like many others polish battles showed what really means very old Polish army motto: "God, Honour and Homeland" . To be less pathetic that of course showed also how a small unit can stop a better equipped superior enemy by kicking their asses.
Another my another egzample - the defence of Red Devils in Arnhem commanded by Lt Col John Frost
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