AdmiralTheisman Posted May 4, 2016 Report Share Posted May 4, 2016 May 4th, 1799: The second Siege of Seringapatam, between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company and the Indian princely state of Hyderabad, ends with the successful British storming of the fortress-capitol, achieved after a siege of around a month. British guns had achieved in opening up a breach, helped by mines, in a weaker part of the defenses, which was ultimately stormed by British troops. The result of the battle was the death of the Mysorean leader, the Tipu Sultan, who de-facto led Mysore in place of the Wadiyar dynasty. Following the battle, along with re-adjusting Mysore's borders, the British would re-install the previous Wadiyar dynasty, establishing a princely state protectorate. The ultimate effect of the battle was the end of a significant faction opposed to British influence, helping to secure British control over the southern part of India. While the extent of Mysore's challenge to the British is debatable (some of the books and sources I have been recently reading bout them take a very pronounced pro-Mysore stance, and in my opinion omit information to attempt to improve their case - ie. over-stating progress in the Mysorean navy's construction schemes by stating only their very ambitious construction goals without stating the actual progress attained, or ignoring military defections), they seem to have generally, at least temporarily under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, have been a surprisingly competent and capable force. It is of course easy to recognize the advantage of modern weapons and to attempt to acquire them, something most states during the colonial age succeeded in, the Europeans always being eager to make a profit and to throw a wrench into the gears of their competitors. However, the Mysorean leadership during the period seems to have had a much better grasp than most of the need for supporting institutional infrastructure behind such military machinery; that in addition to having troops with European guns, one also needs effective officer leadership and operational experience, military training, a local industrial base capable of producing one's own weapons, and that infrastructure projects and economic reforms (standardization of weights and measures, promotion of financial systems) are vital for providing the economic base for these armies - and that your helpful foreign "advisors" should be in general taken with a grain of salt; used, but not enabled to make themselves indispensable. While some books may make excessive claims upon the Mysoreans, claiming them to have been of a similar nationalistic fire as the French, and of the same industry and vigor as the Americans, they do seem to have been substantially more effective than the rather mediocre efforts vis a vis the British of the rest of the Indian states during the era. Of course, in the case of Tipu Sultan, this is in many degrees overshadowed by religious policy; a debate exists between two sides, one of which claims him to be a stern but fair leader between the Hindus and Muslims of Mysore, while the opposing one claims widespread depredations and discriminations against the Hindu population, as well as large-scale outright massacres in conquered states. It is possible that the second one may bear significant influence from the British, who were always very eager to discredit their rivals (as with all colonizers, although the British are probably the best at propaganda from the lot; it was standard operating procedure to portray local leadership as despotic/immoral/tyrannical/backwards/mentally unsound when they were a nuisance (and to portray them as time-honored/progressive/customary/morally upright/in line with the natural order of things when they were in line properly), Belgian policy against kings in Rwanda forms a good example), but regardless I would have to claim my lack of significant reading upon religious policy from academic sources as to avoid making a firm judgement, although claims about some of the contents of his diary which talked of the conquest of the world by Islam put him in a bad light by modern, western eyes. Also reminds me that I should re-read the Sharpe's Tiger, my vague memories involve only escaping some tigers and killing Tipu Sultan. Good romp, sadly the collection I had (most of the series!) was returned to their original bookstore many years ago, although the books are also available online. Reading on a computer is sadly distracting though. Tipu's tiger, which also could emanate mock wails of the soldier and growls of the tiger. LostCosmonaut, Belesarius, Mohamed A and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronezhilet Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 May 5th, 1945. All German forces in the Netherlands capitulate. Prince Bernhard on his way to Wageningen where the documents were signed: German negotiating delegation: Right front is Lt.Gen. Reichelt. Behind him, his translator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronezhilet Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 I said all. I lied. An island called Texel was liberated on May 20th, which had seen heavy fighting between Georgian troops and the German army. More on that here. The last municipality in the Netherlands to be liberated was another island called Schiermonnikoog, which was liberated only on the 11th of June. Also, I forgot to say something in my previous post... Thanks, allies. AdmiralTheisman and Belesarius 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 This weekend is the 74th anniversary of the battle of Midway. http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/a-cruise-through-the-battle-of-midway-2/ Donward 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted June 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 23.30hrs 5th June 1944The Final Embarkation: Four 'stick' commanders of 22nd Independent Parachute Company, British 6th Airborne Division, synchronising their watches in front of an Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle of 295 Squadron, No 38 Group, Royal Air Force, at about 23.30 on the 5th of June, just prior to take off from RAF Harwell, Oxfordshire. This pathfinder unit parachuted into Normandy in advance of the rest of the division in order to mark out the landing zones, and these officers, (left to right, - Lieutenants, Bobby de Lautour, Don Wells, John Vischer and Bob Midwood), were among the first Allied troops to land in France. From WWII Colorized Photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted June 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 0630 June 6 1944 the invasion started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 Some more great photos: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/06/06/d-day-71-years-the-invasion-in-color/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meplat Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Lord_James, Belesarius, Sturgeon and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted June 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted June 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 D-Day +2 "U.S. Army troops of the 2nd Infantry Division march through the liberated village of Colleville-sur-Mer on the 8th of June 1944." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donward Posted June 23, 2016 Report Share Posted June 23, 2016 Happy 75th Anniversary of Operation Barbarossa! Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted June 23, 2016 Report Share Posted June 23, 2016 Which means 72nd for Operation Bagration. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted July 1, 2016 Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 "that wheresoever throughout the civilized world the accounts of this great warfare are read, and down to the latest period of recorded time, in the glorious annals of our common country there will be no brighter page than that which relates THE BATTLES OF GETTYSBURG." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 July 1 marks the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, 100 years ago. The Express has a short list of some figures who fought in the battle and lived, including Adolf Hitler and J.R.R. Tolkien. H/T Weaponsman Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted July 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2016 SS Rowan, caught fire and exploded after a German aerial attack, 11 July 1943, Invasion of Sicily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Prokhorovka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted July 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 July 17, 1927, USMC Maj. Ross E. Rowell, leads a flight of five DHs, which are two-seat biplanes, in a strafing and dive bombing attack against bandit forces surrounding a garrison of Marines at Ocotal, Nicaragua. Although instances of diving attacks occur during World War I and U.S. Marine Corps pilots use the same technique in Haiti in 1919, this attack is considered the first organized dive bombing attack in combat. - Naval History and Heritage Command Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted August 6, 2016 Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 Belesarius, AdmiralTheisman, Priory_of_Sion and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted August 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 Animea successfully removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donward Posted August 6, 2016 Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 REMOVE ANIMEA!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted October 27, 2016 Report Share Posted October 27, 2016 October 26, 1990, YF-23 PAV-2 first flies. (PAV-2 is the one nearer the camera) This was the first aircraft to fly powered by a variable cycle engine. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T___A Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 The US declares war on Germany and enters WW1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Seventy years ago today a bronco-busting, hell-raising country boy with some busted ribs thought maybe his mach-meter was malfunctioning: Xlucine, Sgt.Squarehead and Bronezhilet 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 Today marks the 272nd anniversary of the Battle of Culloden: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donward Posted April 16, 2018 Report Share Posted April 16, 2018 The result of Culloden is why a certain section of my family high-tailed it to North America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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