Which historic battle do you read the most on?

2014-05-06T22:45:11-04:00

Everyone has a particular battle or two that they read the most. Each time I read about the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, I learn more about what happened there each time from books I have not read yet.

What is your favorite battle you keep great interest in?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2014 11:02 PM

2014-05-06T23:02:17-04:00

Gettysburg, far and away. I had 2 classes on just that battle in my History degree program.

Response by PO2 Rocky Kleeger made May 6 at 2014 11:05 PM

2014-05-06T23:05:18-04:00

From a song by Johnny Horton, I got into studying the battle of Bull Run - just because I liked the song I studied a lot about the battle in Manassas Creek

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2014 11:46 PM

2014-05-06T23:46:30-04:00

Sir,

I find Operation Overlord, the Battle of Normandy, to be the most fascinating. The level of detail in the planning and execution for each phase of that battle was remarkable, and it makes me proud that the Allied Supreme Commander was our very own General Eisenhower.

"The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2014 11:58 PM

2014-05-06T23:58:35-04:00

I enjoy reading anything about WWII. In my opinion this was the last "honorable" war. Wars have "rules". The wars we have fraught since WWII have been ones where the front lines were not clearly defined, your enemy could possibly be a child soldier or a civilian, dirty tactics are used, etc., we basically entered the era of the guerrilla warfare. It's hard to fight a war when the other party knows it does not have the technology or tactics to beat you and must resort to dirty practices.

I am honored and proud to have served my country in the last conflict but honestly feel I was born two generations late.

Response by CMC Robert Young made May 7 at 2014 6:29 AM

2014-05-07T06:29:37-04:00

Anything to do with WWII in Europe but very particularly D-Day.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2014 6:36 AM

2014-05-07T06:36:40-04:00

I find both Gettysburg and Antietem to be rather fascinating. Gettysburg because of it's (quite literal) impact on eventual US history and my puzzlement of the logic behind Pickett's charge, and Antietem just for the absolute violence. In fact I find the civil war itself to be amazing in general because of the way men would essentially sacrifice themselves by simply walking into fire.

"Civil War historian James M. McPherson places these statistics into gruesome and sobering context by pointing out that the number killed or mortally wounded that day at Antietam is approximately twice the number of total deaths from the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001; total casualties that day were nearly four times the total of U.S. casualties on D-Day. Viewed in a contemporary context, casualties that single day at Antietam exceeded the combined American losses in all other 19th century wars involving the U.S. (i.e., the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, and all the Indian Wars)."

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2014 11:14 AM

2014-05-07T11:14:00-04:00

By and far Gettysburg is my favorte. I have visited there many times and I can never get enough of the history that is all around you.

Response by SPC Christopher Perrien made Oct 15 at 2015 3:56 PM

2015-10-15T15:56:24-04:00

Seemed to be stuck with Pearl Harbor and Midway, given there are a few persistent "people*" that think Japan could somehow have invaded Hawaii and/or won WWII.

*-most seem to be Canadians, No clue why, except for the War of 1812 has something to do with it.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 15 at 2015 5:39 PM

2015-10-15T17:39:22-04:00

60 AD a wife of a ruling Briton, Boudicca, was stripped of the rights to her estate when her husband died. She and her 2 daughters experienced further indignities at the hands of the Romans. She raised an army of 100,000 to include many chariots and proceeded a campaign to slaughter Roman civilians and soldiers alike. She seemed invincible.

The Roman army commissioned to fight Boudicca was a fraction of Boudicca's forces. The Roman Legions prepared a battlefield with a large forest behind them to protect their flanks and rear. They were in tight formations when Boudicca and her army charged the Roman Legions. The attack was chaotic as chariots and infantry rushed to the legions. The inertia was so great the Romans were killing the Britons in contact, and the main body of the Britons pushed the army into the legions' who were superb at close combat.

With that battle the Britons lost a warrior queen, a large army, and dreams of freedom that will come into fruition hundreds of years later.

I also like Alexander the Greats battles against superior numbers. By the way, he slaughtered 100,000 Afghans at one time in his Afghanistan Campaign.

Response by PFC Bill Benavidez made Dec 31 at 2017 10:01 PM

2017-12-31T22:01:31-05:00

Normandy invasion

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2017 10:41 PM

2017-12-31T22:41:34-05:00

Any battle related to WWII has interested me since I was a child, especially when it comes to the specific weapons/vehicles used. I also did a research report and presentation on the Battle of the Nile a few years ago, and that was an incredible battle to learn about!

Response by SGT Michael Szachnitowskik1035 made Jan 4 at 2018 7:35 AM

2018-01-04T07:35:58-05:00

I read about Vietnam and operation desert storm i was born in 68 and my uncle served in the army with the 101st airborne division

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 4 at 2018 1:20 PM

2018-01-04T13:20:35-05:00

The Battle of Alesia, during Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul.
In 52BC, Caesar laid siege to Alesia, then a major city of the Arvenii Gauls.
After campaigning for a decade in Gaul, he was eager to deal a decisive defeat on them, and hopefully kill or capture Vercingetorix, the Gaul chieftain, in the process. Alesia was too valuable to let fall into Roman hands, and it's defenses were stout - on high ground with two rivers to the north and south of the city.
Since an assault would be costly, Caesar decided to build a fortification (a circumvallation) all the way around the city in order to starve them out. Over 16km of earthworks and field fortifications made up this position.
Vercingatorix thought this a perfect opportunity to deal a decisive blow to the Romans, and sent his cavalry all over Gaul to put in for reinforcements to attack the Romans while they were invested in the siege. Breaking the siege to face the Gauls in the field would mean relief to the city - and it's defenders would likely attack the Roman rear given a chance. Maintaining the siege meant the Romans would have their legions spread over a 16km front - easy pickings for a breakthrough. Or so Vercingatorix thought.
Caesar did neither.
Upon hearing of the Gual's plans, he set his Legionaries to dig ANOTHER set of fortifications around the first - essentially preparing to fight in a doughnut. In a matter of only days, the Legionaries constructed a 20 ft ditch, and filled it with water from the rivers. Pallisades, towers, and other fortifications protected the moat against a crossing. When the Gauls showed up, they tried to tempt the Romans into breaking their siege, to no avail. Several assaults were attempted and repelled, and when the battle concluded, Vercingatorix was captured and organized resistance largely ended.

It was an amazing feat of engineering to complete the original siege works, but what the legions did in just a few days is nothing short of astonishing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alesia

Battle of Alesia - Wikipedia

The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was a military engagement in the Gallic Wars that took place in September, 52 BC, around the Gallic oppidum (fortified settlement) of Alesia, a major centre of the Mandubii tribe. It was fought by the army of Julius Caesar against a confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Arverni. It was the last major engagement between Gauls and Romans, and is considered one...

Response by SPC David Willis made Jan 4 at 2018 1:36 PM

2018-01-04T13:36:23-05:00

Like a few people here have said I think D-Day or Operation Overlord is fascinating. From the corpses with counter intel in their pockets placed on the shores to be found, to the erecting of fake landing gear and troops to throw off where the attack would come from, to the massive AB operation, to the huge amphibious assault and follow on missions in the coastal areas. I'm really not sure if there has been a larger scale operation in modern history when it comes to just how many moving parts there were.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Jan 7 at 2018 8:23 PM

2018-01-07T20:23:50-05:00

Only a select few on this forum will know about this battle that took place between two huge armies in the New York area in the year 385 A.D.

This battle, between a people called the Nephites and a people called the Lamanites went head-to-head in mortal combat over a long period.

The leader of the Nephites was a well-known prophet-general called Mormon. His son, Moroni, was among the last of the 24 survivors who eventually buried sacred, golden plates to be unearthed centuries later in Palmyra, New York. Those plates were the basis of what is called the Book of Mormon.