Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 97 i History of War

The Battle of Waterloo has always fascinated me. On 18 June, 1815, thousands of soldiers from across Europe converged on a relatively small patch of farmland to decide what would be the final clash of the Napoleonic Wars. However, as we explore this issue, the outcome may very well have been decided two days earlier, at Quatre Bras and Ligny. These lesser-known but no less crucial engagements saw the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal Blucher separated by the French, who forced the two allies to retreat, bloodied but undefeated. Several blunders and heroic feats from both sides had huge consequences in the coming decisive battle. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE! Take advantage of our fantastic subscription offers and get History of War for less than half price! TURN TO PAGE 50…

Although he began his political career as a socialist, Pierre Laval became one of the foremost Nazi collaborators of the Second World War, and his reputation as a Nazi sympathiser is second only to that of Vichy head of state Marshal Philippe Pétain. Laval served in several positions within the Vichy regime, including vice president of the council of ministers and head of the government. He cooperated with Nazi efforts to arrest and deport Jews while also providing forced labourers to work in the Third Reich. Laval had served as French prime minister and held numerous other offices during the 1930s. Along with Pétain, Laval refused to commit Vichy to war against the Allies, and with the liberation of France in 1944 he was arrested by the Germans. He fled…

Pierre-Étienne Flandin was a conservative politician who served as prime minister of France during the Third Republic from November 1934 to May 1935. Although his tenure was brief, he was the youngest prime minister in the history of France at the time and concluded important agreements with the British, Soviet and Italian governments. Flandin was French foreign minister when Hitler ordered German troops to reoccupy the demilitarised Rhineland and subsequently favoured a policy of appeasement that emboldened the Nazi Führer in his territorial demands prior to the outbreak of World War II. Vichy head of state Philippe Pétain appointed Flandin foreign minister and prime minister in December 1940. However, he served only two months in office before being displaced by Admiral François Darlan.…

Fought on the same day as Quatre Bras, the Battle of Ligny saw Napoleon defeat part of the Prussian army commanded by Field Marshal Blücher. Almost forgotten today, Ligny still resulted in very high casualties and was – most intriguingly – the last battlefield victory in Napoleon’s military career. Zack White, PhD Researcher at the University of Southampton and host of the podcast The Napoleonicist, reveals how the emperor “clutched defeat from the jaws of victory” in a battle that did not reflect Napoleon’s military genius. What were the circumstances that led to the battle? Ligny was meant to be the realisation of Napoleon’s strategy. The previous day he had stolen a march on the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian forces by thrusting his army into a small gap between his two…

On the fog-shrouded morning of 15 December 1864, the soldiers of the 14th US Colored Troops broke through the thin screen of Confederate skirmishers posted in the rifle pits, in front of the Chattanooga & Nashville Railroad. After regrouping, they surged across the railway tracks in a bid to outflank the right of the Confederate lines on the outskirts of Nashville. Suddenly, Confederate 12-pounder smoothbore guns in a lunette adjacent to the tracks erupted with canister – tin cans filled with deadly iron balls – which shredded the regiment’s ranks. Confederate infantry, which had been hiding in a stand of timber, fired a thunderous volley into the Union regiment’s ranks. The survivors fled in the direction from which they had come – within ten minutes they had lost 117 men.…

At the height of WWII, a crack team of men and women in RAF Bomber Command transformed the aerial bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. Known as the Pathfinders, these innovative air personnel saved Bomber Command from disintegration and turned it into a formidable force that razed German cities with devastating accuracy. Using the latest technologies, the Pathfinders rattled senior Nazi commanders and helped pave the way for Allied victory in Western Europe. This remarkable story is the subject of Will Iredale’s new book The Pathfinders. The bestselling author of The Kamikaze Hunters, Iredale uncovers the Pathfinders’ origins, multinational personnel and even their impact on D-Day. Why was the initial Pathfinder Force founded in 1942? By 1941 it was clear Bomber Command could not accurately find or bomb targets over Nazioccupied…

ANDREW FIELD, MBE A former British Army officer turned historian, Andrew has written several books on the Napoleonic Wars, including Prelude to Waterloo on the Battle of Quatre Bras. This month he spoke with Tom Garner on why this battle was so critical to the Waterloo campaign (p24). WILL IREDALE During Bomber Command’s most daring missions of WWII, a few of the most skilled and bravest aircrews led the way, flying first into enemy airspace. On page 70 historian Will discusses why the Pathfinders were so critical to the RAF’s success. MYKE COLE A former intelligence officer, Myke has published several historical fiction and non-fiction titles – over on page 38 he debunks five of the biggest myths surrounding the ancient Spartans.…

“CHURCHILL COULD NOT FULLY TRUST THE NEW VICHY GOVERNMENT AND WITH THE BRITISH EMPIRE NOW ALONE, DRASTIC MEASURES WERE REQUIRED” The British naval attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria, was one of the most controversial military decisions of Churchill’s premiership. A strike against a former ally, Mers-el-Kébir resulted in the deaths of almost 1,300 French sailors and hardened the resolve of the newly established pro-German Vichy regime against Britain. After the fall of France, the French signed an armistice with Nazi Germany on 22 June 1940. Article 8 stated: “The French fleet… will be demobilised and disarmed under the supervision of Germany or, respectively, Italy. The German government solemnly declares… that it has no intention of using… for its own purposes the French fleet stationed in ports under…

As early as the 1890s, author and political theorist Charles Maurras was a proponent of conservative government. In 1899, he was one of the founders of L’Action française, a publication that supported integral nationalism, embodying concepts that the authority of the state was supreme and that the national interests of France were above those of the individual. It opposed the country’s ideals of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” and promoted a national identity based on the slogan “Blood and Soil”. During the early 20th century, Maurras penned numerous works in support of his political theories, some of which were banned by the Roman Catholic Church. During WWII, he became a strong supporter of the Vichy government and produced pro-Vichy writings. Maurras was convicted of “complicity with the enemy” in January 1945 and…

A veteran of the Great War, Joseph Darnand became one of the most despised figures in Vichy France. He organised and led the Milice Française, the secret state police and paramilitary force of the collaborationist regime. Although he fought the Germans during the early days of World War II, Darnand founded the Milice, nominally under the control of Pierre Laval, on 1 January 1943. In August of that year he also accepted a commission in the Waffen-SS and swore an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler. Engaging in operations against the French Resistance, he became personally responsible for the deaths and imprisonment of many countrymen. In April 1945 he fled to Italy, where he was captured by British troops. Returned to France, Darnand was convicted of conspiring with the enemies…

In June 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte launched one of the most dramatic campaigns in military history. Fought in what is now Belgium, his efforts ended in a decisive defeat at Waterloo – a battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars and changed the course of European history. Waterloo was such a momentous event that it is commonly forgotten that it was the culmination of two previous battles – Ligny and Quatre Bras. Both were fought two days before Waterloo with Napoleon’s intention being to divide the Allied armies of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. For Wellington, Quatre Bras was a critical engagement that he fought not against Napoleon but his famed subordinate Marshal Michel Ney. Occurring at a strategic crossroads, it was…

Discover the history of Caribbean soldiers at the National Army Museum, Scotland’s role during the Cold War and Norwich’s mighty castle National Museums Scotland (NMS) is one of the leading museum groups in the UK and Europe and looks after collections of national and international importance. Some of its individual museums include the National Museum of Scotland, National Museum of Flight and the National War Museum. The NMS has recently been awarded a grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) with the University of Stirling to conduct a £1 million research project exploring how the Cold War features in British and European museums. This is the largest grant ever awarded to the NMS and the three-year project, entitled Materialising The Cold War, will culminate in a major exhibition…

LEGLESS IN ST OMER On 9 August, Douglas Bader, one of the most famous aces of the RAF, bailed out while on a sortie over Northern France after his Spitfire was hit. There has been controversy over the identity of the aircraft that shot down Bader’s plane, with some suggestions it may have been a friendly fire incident. Landing in St Omer via parachute, Bader was quickly picked up by German authorities and taken prisoner. A double amputee, he lost one of his prosthetic legs while exiting his Spitfire, and German authorities arranged for a new leg to be delivered, as detailed in this telegram: “Wing commander Douglas Bader has been imprisoned following a parachute jump. Lost artificial limb of right leg. Sending new artificial limb via parachute from German…

Certificate: PG Director: Sergei Loznitsa Cast: Joseph Stalin, Lavrenti Beria, Nikita Khrushchev Envisioned as a propaganda feature, 40 hours’ worth of blackand-white and colour footage was captured by Soviet cameramen across the USSR, along with audio recordings of wireless broadcasts and hagiographic eulogies running 24 hours in total. An army of cinematographers photographed crowds as they gathered to hear radio addresses announcing Joseph Stalin’s death, in early March 1953, as well as the days preceding the main event, held in Red Square, where thousands upon thousands of party members and the public paid their respects to the dictator, who was lying in state. The proposed film was first put on hold, and then mothballed, after a power struggle emerged among Stalin’s cronies, followed by Uncle Joe’s regime being officially denounced…

Author: Benjamin H Milligan Publisher: Bantam Dell Price: £24 When one thinks of the US Navy SEALs, images of the special operations force that killed Osama bin Laden immediately spring to mind. Today they are a revered elite of the military world, performing daring operations in the most challenging environments and under the most difficult of circumstances. But just exactly how did a small unit of the US Navy come to such prominence and operate in areas often far away from the sea? As Milligan argues, the beginning of the Navy’s ‘inland creep’, or ‘landgrabs’, was the result of the failure of sister services to permanently establish, initially at least, their own commando units. These include the disbandment of units such as the Marine Raiders or the Army Rangers after…

Admiral Jean François Darlan held numerous posts in the Vichy government, including minister of foreign affairs, minister of the interior, and vice president of the collaborationist council. During Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa on 8 November 1942, he was commander of all Vichy military forces. When American and British soldiers came ashore in North Africa, Darlan happened to be in Algiers, visiting his son who was ill. Although some Vichy commanders chose to side with the Allies and cooperated during Torch, others decided to fight. Despite his collaborationist past, Darlan was realistic and understood that Axis forces were on the road to ruin. He signed an armistice that ended the early fighting in Morocco and Algeria, saving many American, British and French lives. However, some criticism was…

The son of a cooper, Ney had joined the French Army as a private in 1787 and rose to become a marshal. Dubbed “the bravest of the brave” by Napoleon for his extreme courage during the 1812 campaign in Russia, Ney’s heroism was beyond doubt, but Field explains that he had a mixed record as a commander. “He led from the front and was much respected in the army, particularly by the junior ranks,” he says. “However, he was a difficult subordinate and didn’t have a very good record from his independent commands. He had, on occasion, rashly engaged his troops – often against orders – and compromised the various plans of Napoleon. At a higher level he wasn’t particularly well regarded, certainly by Napoleon and other marshals.” When Napoleon…

Since ancient times, people have believed that the Spartans were history’s biggest badasses – warriors who never fled, never surrendered and never backed down from a fight. The Spartans were supposedly incorruptible, spurning wealth and luxury, always placing the welfare of their city state above themselves. The notion of the Spartans as selfless, fearless, unbeatable heroes is so widespread that if you type “Spartans” into Amazon you’ll have to scroll through pages of self-help books before you get to any history. Today, an entire industry of fitness fads, mud runs, branded weapons, and everything from apparel to action figures is built on the back of what I have termed “The Bronze Lie”. It is truly impressive how widespread this false belief is, and just as shocking when you realise how…

“THE PERSONALITY, VALOUR AND UTTER CONTEMPT OF DANGER ON THE PART OF THIS SINGLE OFFICER ENABLED THE LODGEMENT IN THE MOST ADVANCED OBJECTIVE OF THE CORPS TO BE PERMANENTLY HELD” Freyberg’s citation in the London Gazette on 15 December 1916 At 7.20am on 1 July 1916 the Battle of the Somme commenced when the British detonated a large mine under a German strongpoint defending the village of Beaumont-Hamel. The British offensive was designed to relieve pressure on the beleaguered French Army at Verdun. In addition, according to General Sir William Robertson, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, its second objective was to inflict heavy losses on the German forces. A further 16 mines were detonated before the Allies went over the top. General Beauvoir de Lisle’s 29th ‘Incomparable’ Division led the attack…

Delivered in partnership with the West India Committee and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the West Indian Soldier exhibition at the National Army Museum (NAM) highlights the little-known military heritage shared between Britain and the Caribbean. Encompassing more than 300 years of history, it tells the story of the role of West Indian servicemen and women in the British Army. The exhibition also examines the experiences of British soldiers and officers in the Caribbean and their combined service in various military campaigns. Visitors can learn about key moments in the history of the West India Regiments, including the nature of their recruitment and service and the unique position that these soldiers occupy in both the UK and Caribbean. West Indian military service has a long tradition dating back…

Author: Paul Olavesen-Stabb Publisher: Aetheris Publishing Price: £20 The above quotation summarises ATTAGirls perfectly. The story is about women in WWII but is also about equality. Yes, there is resentment, shock and disbelief at women having an active role in the war effort as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), but the book isn’t structured around that. Paul Olavesen-Stabb’s writing transports us back to 1940s Britain and brings the women’s war story to prominence with the camaraderie as shown in Band of Brothers and the emotion displayed in Testament of Youth. The RAF’s Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters are emblematic of the Second World War. Popular memory transports us to stories of the Battle of Britain and dog fights over the country, but never do we think of women as…

Author: Nathan Morley Publisher: Amberley Price: £20 The story of broadcasting in the years of National Socialism constitutes a fascinating political and social chronicle of wartime Germany’s propaganda machine. As Hitler’s armies swept over Europe, the Foreign Directorate decided to develop a radio network to broadcast Nazi disinformation. Nathan Morley reveals the little-known story of how, in 1941, Die Deutschen Europasender (DES) was introduced, in part to counter the BBC, which at the time was spreading the Allies’ side of the story to Germany and beyond on the airwaves. The powerful DES was eventually operating in 130 longwave to shortwave stations and transmitters. For Hitler, it represented the fulfilment of the twisted dream set out 16 years previously in Mein Kampf. In his book, the future Führer explicitly stressed the…

In 1944, British junior officer Lionel ‘Bill’ Bellamy was given a small china doll by his then-girlfriend Audrey before he set out for Normandy. A member of 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars, Bellamy had joined the Royal Armoured Corps in 1941 and crossed the English Channel with his unit after D-Day. Nicknamed Little Audrey, the delicate doll is just 13cm tall and wears a bouffant dress while clutching a wide-brimmed hat. Bellamy attached the doll to the searchlight on the turret of his Cromwell tank and she became a good-luck charm for the crew, who apparently accepted her “without question”. Despite the fierce fighting in Normandy and beyond, Little Audrey remained unscathed by enemy fire – until the tank was attacked in the Netherlands. On that occasion, Little Audrey was…