The Malayan Campaign

70 years ago this month the Japanese, led by Tomoyuki Yamashita invaded Malaya with the ultimate goal of conquering Great Britain's prized Asian colony of Singapore. For his effort and inspired leadership Yamashita would gain the nickname "Tiger of Malaya."

The campaign began on December 8th, 1941 when the Japanese 25th Army landed in northern Malaya. Making generous use of bicycles to move quickly through the jungle Japanese troops surged southwards towards Singapore.

For Great Britain, the situation took a critical turn for the worse on December 10th. Force Z, a naval battlegroup composed of the battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruiser Repulse and four destroyers was overwhelmed by Japanese aircraft. Losing both the Prince of Wales and the Repulse, the British were left without a naval force to counter the invasion.

Operating with impunity in the air and at sea the Japanese arrived at Singapre in less than two months. On January 31, 1942 British engineers blew the causeway connecting Singapore with the mainland. Singapore would only hold out until February 15th.

    One of the many aspects of the American Civil War that amazes me is how Richmond and Washington D.C. lasted so long without an assault despite only being located approximately 100 miles apart. One major reason that the South never seriously threatened Washington was the extensive series of forts that encircled the Union capital.
    Sixty-five forts ringed the capital, providing support form one another and giving good reason for even the boldest of Confederate commanders to contemplate the cost of an attack. Government concern for the upkeep of the forts waned in the days after the Civil War. While evidence of some of the forts has vanished, others, such as Battery Kemble are well-preserved and today constitute a series of parks overseen by the National Park Service as the Fort Circle Parks.

Looking for a last-minte Christmas present for a young person in your life? Written by the author of the Battle Maps blog and in the tradition of John Haaren's Famous Men series Alacrity Press is proud to introduce a new entry to biography-driven history, Famous Men of the Second World War. In this book adults, youth and older children can learn about history's most complex event through the eyes of the people who played pivotal roles in the conflict. Oh, just so you know it is relevant, the book contains over a dozen battle maps. Joy!

A support website with a sample chapter and other neat goodies (click on downloads) may be found at www.famousmenww2.com. The book is also available from the Alacrity Press bookstore.

Battle of Prague (1757)

One of the major battles fought during the Seven Years' War was Frederick the Great's bold attempt to capture the city of Prague. Known as the Battle of Prague or Battle of Štěrboholy, the engagement took place on May 6, 1757. Considered by some to be the first true world war, the European battles during the Seven Years' War centered around Prussia. Beset on all sides by Austrian, French, Russian, Saxon, and Swedish forces, Frederick managed not only to survive but to lead tiny Prussia to victory over its foes.

In early spring Frederick divided his forces into four groups which converged on the city of Prague. The Austrians, under Field Marshal Maximilian Ulysses Count Brown, had spent the winter constructing fortifications east of the city. With 60,000 troops and a position protected by a swamp to the west, the town to the east and a steep ravine to the north, the Austrians were confident of victory.

Though typically outnumbered during the war, the Prussians boasted over 100,000 men. 30,000 were dispatched to cut off the Austrian retreat route. 67,000 were ordered to attack the Austrian positions. Attacking from the southeast, Frederick's men soon found themselves struggling to work their way through marshy ground. The Austrians pressed the attack but in doing so opened up a hole in their line. Seeing the hole, generals Hautcharmoy and Bevern filled the hole with Prussian infantry. The tide of battle turned to the Prussian's advantage. Mortally wounded by Prussian fire, Brown and his troops retreated into the city of Prague.

Austrian losses were 12,000; Prussian were 14,000. With a much smaller population Prussia could ill-afford heavy losses. Though Prussia had won the battle, Frederick decided against an assault on the city. An Austrian force under Count von Daun would relieve the besieged city the following month.

Okay, this in not a battle map, but I sure found it interesting. I was looking through a book printed around 1920 on Google Books (I've forgotten the name). I came across the photo on the left of the Battleship USS Texas that was taken during World War I. I began to think back to our family visit to the USS Texas last year. Looking over my photos I found one that i took from almost the exact same spot, only 90 years later. The good looking kid in the photo on the right is my son. I heartily recommend a visit to this wonderful museum ship if you are ever in the Houston area.

1759 Battle of Quebec

Over the millennia all too many battles have been fought that settled nothing. The 1759 Battle of Quebec was fought with less than 10,000 men, yet was so crucial that it settled the destiny of an entire continent (North America). In 1754, France controlled most of modern-day Canada  and America. The British were hemmed in a narrow strip on the east coast. By 1763 France had lost all its North America possessions east of the Mississippi. It can also be argued that the war led directly to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 that truly set America on the pathway of Manifest Destiny.

The Battle of Quebec was preceeded by a three month siege. The French forces were led by Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, the British by General James Wolfe. The British fleet was able to move up the St. Lawrence with relatively little impunity due to inability of a French fleet to reinforce after meeting disaster at the Battle of Cartagena off the coast of Spain. While Wolfe's camp was some ways downstream from Quebec at the Falls of Montmorence (Montmorency), his subordinate, Monckton, was able to establish artillery on Point Levis (Levy on this map) across from Quebec and bombard the city. Montcalm had a superior defensive position and would not budge despite British attempts to draw him into battle.

On the night of September 12th, Wolfe initiated a risky landing upstream of Quebec (left side of the map). A small group of soldiers scaled the bluffs and took out the sentries. Wolfe's troops quickly disemarked and climbed up the bluffs. By dawn, the troops were assembled on the Plains of Abraham. Montcalm had believed such a manuever to be impossible, saying that 100 men could hold off an army until daylight.

The English formed a line from one side of the peninsula to the other. At about 10AM, Montcalm, riding a black horse, ordered a general advance. Both sides held their fire. The French finally unleashed two unorganzied volleys. When the French had closed to 30 yards, the British unleashed two violent volleys that sent the French into retreat. During the retreat, Montcalm was struck by canister shot. he was able to make it back into the city where he died the next day. Wolfe, too, would perish. Mortally struck in the chest early in the battle, Wolfe died on the battlefield, but not before watching the French go into full retreat.

After Wolfe died, the British began a disorganized pursuit of the French. Brigadier-General George Townshend, knowing that French reinforcements were coming up behind, reorganized two battalions to face the new threat. Bougainville, inexplicably, decided to retreat rather than battle the British. It was six more days before the city fell to the British, but its fate had been sealed. It was almost four more years until the war was over, but the Battle of Quebec was the deciding battle.

Battle of Jenkin's Ferry

This past Saturday I was driving back through Arkansas with my family. We stumbled upon Jenkin's Ferry State Park, not far south of Little Rock. To call it a state park is generous at best. It is more like a boat ramp, pavilion and a couple of historical markers. Anyway, I stopped to read the markers.

While names like Gettysburg, Shiloh and Chickamauga come to mind when one thinks of the American Civil War, numerous smaller engagements took place. One of the more desperate battles for the Union occurred at Jenkin's Ferry on April 30, 1864.

The conditions on the day (only one day after the anniversary - May 1) of my visit were very similar to the actual battle. It had rained all night and the river was swollen. Union Major General Frederick Steele was leading his forces in a retreat back to little Rock late in the disastrous Camden expedition. Steele had already lost many men and abandoned much of his baggage as it was near impossible to move wagons through the muddy river bottom. 

Steele reached the battle site on the evening of the 29th. The Jenkins family  had run a ferry service at the easily forded part of the river for many years. Too swollen to ford, a pontoon bridge was erected and men and equipment moved across all during the night. The 40th Iowa Infantry and 43rd Illinois Infantry served as pickets to keep the Confederates at bay.

At daybreak on the 30th, over 2 miles of baggage train and artillery still had yet to cross the river. The battle raged back and forth with each side seeming to hold the upper hand. Eventually Steele was able to get most of his forces across the river and back safely to Little Rock. The Confederates lost about 1000 men, the Union 700.