Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 52 i History of War

1854 CRISIS IN CRIMEA Florence Nightingale trains and leads 38 nurses to tend British sick and wounded during the Crimean War, the first mission of its kind outside the British Isles. 1883 ROYAL RED CROSS To acknowledge heroism and sacrifice among British military nurses, the Royal Red Cross, often called the nursing equivalent of the Victoria Cross, is created with the support of Queen Victoria. “EXPERIENCE REVEALS THAT FURTHER PLANNING AND ORGANISATION IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE PROPER CARE OF BRITISH SOLDIERS” 1899-1902 BASICS IN THE BOER WARS British nurses deploy to South Africa during the Second Boer War, and their experience reveals that further planning and organisation is necessary to ensure the proper care of British soldiers. 1902 ROYAL NURSING SERVICE Royal warrant establishes Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing…

“IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 1914 ALONE, MORE THAN 100,000 BRITISH CASUALTIES WERE EVACUATED ABOARD TRAINS FROM BATTLEFIELDS IN FLANDERS” It was the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. On 1 July 1916 the Battle of the Somme commenced. Before the sun set, 57,470 soldiers became casualties, and 19,240 of them were dead. During that horrific day and the three that followed, ambulance trains completed 63 treacherous round trips from stations where wounded men lay awaiting evacuation to port cities on the coast of France. The trains brought 33,392 casualties from the combat zone. The immense carnage at the Somme required the trains to carry wounded well beyond their designated capacity. For example, Train No. 29 transported 761 men while fighting raged on 2 July – more…

The American Civil War saw the naval forces of both North and South deploy a plethora of ships and boats of all types, and the New Orleans campaign of April 1862 saw virtually all such vessels plying the waters of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Though most ocean-going wooden warships still carried sails, large numbers of frigates and sloops were now also equipped with steam engines and driven through the waves by screw propellers. Sails were employed when cruising, and the steam engines were turned on when battle was in the offing. In addition to the guns sited to fire broadsides, some newer warships were fitted with a pair of large, muzzle-loading ‘pivot’ guns that could be turned to fire to both port and starboard as required.…

“THE WINTER LULL IN FIGHTING ENABLED HIM TO PLAN AN AMBITIOUS SERIES OF BATTLES” On 20 March 1918 General Marie-Émile Fayolle, who was to lead the Allied reserves that engaged and halted ‘Operation Michael’, the first strike of the German 1918 Spring Offensive, noted in his diary, “More and more it seems to be confirmed that the Boche will not attack.” In their shattering offensive that commenced the next morning, General Erich Ludendorff’s armies would secure that elusive and momentary advantage essential to battlefield victory – surprise. Several other factors facilitated their early success. First, it was a matter of scale: an attack with 74 infantry divisions along an 80-kilometre (50-mile) front was the largest seen on the Western Front since the battles of 1914. Second, it was a result…

“DESPITE A SHAMBOLIC DIVERSIONARY ATTACK THAT DECIMATED THE PRESTIGIOUS TIMOK I DIVISION, IN THE MAIN THE FIRST ARMY ADVANCE WAS A MODEL OPERATION” No matter how inexperienced or overconfident the Austro-Hungarians were, they were fighting a nation already stretched to breaking point by only two months of fighting. Still lacking basic kit such as boots, uniforms and trenching tools for a great chunk of the Serbian army, munitions and medical supplies were also in the red, and those that could be seized from the retreating enemy did little to ease the pressure. Despite the casus belli of Russia’s war being the defence of Serbia from Austria-Hungary, the Entente’s priorities had shifted dramatically. Russia’s offensive in Galicia had ended in retreat and France was desperately digging in to keep the Germans…

In 1939 London was the largest city in the world and home to more than 8.6 million people. Consequently, it became a major target of Luftwaffe bombing raids. In a horrifying twist, the targets were not just military and industrial but also deliberately included civilians in an attempt to sap morale. 20,000 tons of high explosives were dropped on London between September 1940 and May 1941, and the damage was enormous. The city was attacked 71 times (including on 57 consecutive nights) and resulted in significant numbers of destroyed and damaged buildings and the deaths of over 20,000 people. Bombing attacks continued throughout the war, and a vigorous blackout was enforced until 17 September 1944. London was then attacked by V-1 and V-2 rockets, which caused further casualties. The war…

The Fleet Air Arm Museum is home to hundreds of historic aircraft and thousands of other artefacts and records, making it the largest naval aviation museum in Europe. However, some of the museum’s most precious treasures are held locked away in its reserve collection, Cobham Hall, which is ordinarily off-limits to the general public. The hall houses 30 rare and unique aircraft, as well as vessels such as the Seaplane Lighter H21, which is the oldest aircraft carrier in the world and a huge milestone in maritime history. Also on display in the hall is a Supermarine 510, a number of Westland helicopters and a Sea Harrier XZ499, which flew sorties during the Falklands War. Over four dates in 2018, Cobham Hall is opening its doors to members of the…

Between 1939-45 the British Red Cross sent out 20 million food parcels to British and Commonwealth prisoners of war. These packages were an essential lifeline for the physical and mental health of POWs, particularly when their Axis captors often deliberately neglected to feed them properly. The Red Cross worked with the Order of St John under the auspices of the Joint War Organisation (JWO) in 17 British centres to assemble the parcels. The centres were entirely staffed by volunteers, and 163,000 parcels were packed every week for shipment. The JWO had eight ships under permanent contract that shuttled between Lisbon and Marseilles before the parcels travelled by rail to Geneva under the supervision of the International Red Cross Committee. The Committee would then distribute the parcels to Axis prison camps.…

Manufactured by the Royal Ordnance Factory, the QF 25-pounder was a major British artillery piece that combined the dual role of a gun and howitzer. Designed in the 1930s and in service from 1940, the 25-pounder was arguably the most outstanding field piece used by British and Commonwealth forces during World War II. By 1945 over 12,000 had been produced and the gun was known for its durability, easy operation and versatility. 25-pounders could double as an anti-tank gun and be deployed for jungle, airborne or mountain roles. After World War II it saw service in Korea and Malaya among other conflicts and remained the standard British divisional field gun until 1967. It also saw service for many other nations and was in widespread use until at least the mid-1970s…

08 ON TO NEW ORLEANS With the bulk of his fleet past the line of the forts, Farragut heads further up the Mississippi towards New Orleans, which he reaches the next day. The city is undefended. Forts Jackson and St Philip capitulate two days later. 07 MANASSAS STRIKES AGAIN... AND AGAIN Brooklyn makes it upriver past Fort St Philip but is attacked and rammed by CSS Manassas. Fortunately, the improvised chain mail armour hanging over its side prevents crippling damage and it leaves Manassas behind it. After a brief lull, Manassas returns to the fight further upriver, but is run off by USS Mississippi, which hammers the pesky Confederate ram with gunfire. Manassas grounds ashore and is set on fire by its commander. 06 BLUE DIVISION Aboard Hartford, Farragut pushes…

The German army’s ‘storm troop’ tactics, which proved so effective in March 1918, are often represented as an innovation that broke the Western Front trench stalemate that had existed since the end of 1914. In fact, it was the scale on which these tactics were applied rather than the method itself that really made a difference on 21 March. German methods were merely one manifestation of the combined-arms tactical systems that all armies had been developing since 1915, which paired overwhelming artillery fire with infantry shock action to overcome fixed defences and capture ground. Nor were such tactics a surprise to the Allies. The Italian Second Army had been overwhelmed by them at Caporetto in October 1917, and they had been used against the British on a small scale in…

Moved by reports of Serbia’s immense suffering in autumn and winter 1914, many female volunteers travelled to Serbia with the British Red Cross to provide the medical assistance that the Serbian army so desperately needed. Sally White, the author of new book Ordinary Heroes: The Story Of Civilian Volunteers In The First World War, explains what motivated these women to leave the comfort of their homes and journey to the Balkans to see the war at its most barbaric, and what they experienced there. When did the first volunteers depart for Serbia, and in what capacity did they serve? The first units arrived in Serbia in March 1915. Mabel Grouitch, wife of the Serbian Foreign Secretary Slavko Grouitch, set up the Serbian Relief Fund in London during the winter of…

“THE TANK WAS AN INFANTRY SUPPORT WEAPON THAT WOULD UTILISE SPEED, FIREPOWER AND ARMOUR PROTECTION IN THE REDUCTION OF ENEMY STRONGPOINTS” The development of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles in the United States lagged behind the European powers until the early 1930s, when the US Army began exploring the introduction of the ‘combat car’. Its first operational tank, the M1 Combat Car, entered service in 1937, while a new light tank, the M2, was already in the design phase and nearing production. Although the M2 was deployed with US Army and Marine Corps forces soon after the United States entered World War II, the follow-on Light Tank M3 was the most widely produced American light tank of the conflict and also served via Lend-Lease with British and Soviet forces. The…

Author: Duncan Leatherdale Price: £15.99 (Hardback) Publisher: Pen & Sword History Released: Out now Along with the Battle of Britain and the evacuation of Dunkirk, the Blitz remains one of the most evocative symbols of the United Kingdom’s struggle to survive in 1940. British cities were relentlessly bombed by the Luftwaffe to damage military targets and public morale, and it was London that suffered the most damage and casualties. The war had a huge impact on civilians of all ages, and although the effect on adults and children has been well documented, the wartime lives of teenagers has been surprisingly neglected. Collective memories invoke images of Londoners sleeping in Underground stations, serving soldiers and evacuated children, but teenagers, who are usually a visible presence in 20th-century history, are relatively invisible…

THUNDERBIRD IS GO Taken: 12 September 1961 Major general E.J.H Bates, director of the Royal Artillery, supervises a crew preparing a Thunderbird guided missile at Horseshoe Barracks, Essex, for departure to Germany. The missile was deployed to support the British Army of the Rhine as anti-aircraft defence against potential Soviet offensives. The Thunderbird was designed to target high-altitude targets, at a range of up to 50 kilometres (30 miles). FROZEN LANDING A US Army DC3 basks in the midnight sun on the beach of Sólheimasandur, Iceland. The aircraft has remained in this same spot since November 1973, when its crew was forced to make a crash-landing. Although decades of weather have worn it down, much of the airframe can be identified, and is today a peculiar destination for tourists and…

“THE EVOLUTION OF SUCH CARE HAS RESULTED IN GREATER SURVIVABILITY” Since the earliest days of battlefield medicine, nursing professionals have utilised the latest available treatments and techniques to render the best possible care to critically wounded patients. The evolution of such care has resulted in greater survivability as these nurses demonstrate their capabilities under conditions that remain difficult at best. QARANC nurses complete rigorous training to fulfil their collective mission. BATTLEFIELD LIFESAVING Throughout the history of warfare soldiers often died of their wounds on the battlefield. For want of a simple tourniquet they bled to death, and traumatic amputation resulted in shock. There was little understanding among fellow soldiers who might attempt to render aid. But through the introduction of medical personnel trained to perform life-saving treatments amid the rigours…

The fall of the Hatteras and Port Royal forts to solely naval elements had been made much easier by several technical developments earlier in the century. In the days of sail, the advantage in any contest between a ship and a land fort had been with the guns ashore. A sailing man o’war would have been compelled by its reliance on wind for movement to remain in place to duel with a fort’s guns, since manoeuvring while under sail and having to contend with shifts in the wind, currents and changes in tide, all while shooting at the shore, was very tricky. Staying put was also risky, as the wooden ship became increasingly vulnerable to being hit the longer it was there and the shore gunners had found the range.…

“IT’S A CHARGE, BOYS, IT’S A CHARGE”Gordon Flowerdew The British cavalry training manual of 1907 stated that modern weapons would never replace “the speed of the horse, the magnetism of the charge, and the terror of cold steel”. It was an extraordinarily unrealistic statement, quickly proven wrong when war broke out just seven years later. However, old military traditions die hard. In 1918, when the Allied armies were seemingly on the verge of collapse, an intrepid young Canadian cavalry officer proved that, while the cavalry was no longer master of the battlefield, the spirit of the cavalier will never die. On 21 March 1918 the German army launched Operation Michael, the first stage in its great Spring Offensive, which aimed to split the Allied armies and sweep the British out…

Author: Jem Duducu Publisher: Amberley Publishing Price: £20 It is nothing short of astonishing that more than four decades have elapsed since the appearance of the last major history of the Ottoman Empire, especially given the ongoing turmoil sweeping the Muslim world and its impact on Christian countries. Jem Duducu has filled the gap with a thoroughly researched and readable account of a dynasty that ruled great swathes of Islamic territory for more than six centuries – longer than any Western empire. “At its peak, the Black Sea and the Red Sea were Ottoman lakes,” the author points out, “and virtually the entire North African coast owed allegiance to the sultan”. This vast state was created in the 14th-16th centuries by Ottoman, or Osmanli, Turks, who ruled until its dissolution…