* The US Naval Aviators of the Battle of the Midway: found the Japanese on a navigational hunch, but then deployed selflessly - even to the point where individual pilots (knowing that they hadn't enough fuel to get back to the Carrier Yorktown) continued to straff and bomb the four Imperial Japanese Carriers. This action and their victory turned the course of the war in the Pacific.
Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.
* The Special Air Service (SAS) (Pagoda Team), Iranian Enbassy, May, 1980, London.
Rescued all hostages (bar one, who the bad guys killed) being held by terrorists in that building. The bitter irony being that this happened not long after 'Desert One', where Carter sent in the Delta Force to try and resue the US hostages being held in Iran.
* The Ghurkhas - The Falkland Islands, 1982.
Just hearing that the Ghurkhas were about to attack their position in squadron strength (60 blokes) sent nearly 4,000 well dug-in Argentinian soldiers fleeing without a shot being fired. The only casualties being a number of the 'defenders' triping up and falling as they tried to catch their mates up in the ensuing sprint to get outof there.
* The Special Boat Service (SBS) Royal Marines - Jangi Fort Prison, Afghanistan, 2002.
8 members of the SBS (Special Boat Service) were just about to leave the area after (and working with) the US and its native allies had taken (albeit nominally) the fort and agreed that all non-allied combatants inside were now PoW's. Alas, and as is the way of things in that neck of the woods, no one had taken the weapons off the now prisioner Taliban.
In the ensuing firefight (it appears the the prisioners didn't want to hand over their weapons), two CIA men were pinned down. One ('Mike') was killed outright, the other going to ground.
Seeing that this poor guy needed bringing to safety, the SBS laid down such a withering rate of fire that those inside though that they were being attacked by at least a battalion (650 men) sized division.
Leaping over the wall of the fort, the SBS ran down to where the CIA operative was hiding. They secured him and brought him to safety - leaving a string of now dead Taliban in their wake. The US soldiers in situ were busy calling down an air-strike, the results of which managed to persuade those inside the fort to either behave or die. Not many behaved.
For his bravey, the SBS SNCO was awarded the highest US military award, the Congressional Medal of Honour - an award rarely if ever awarded to non-US military personnel and for which he has to seek the Queen's permission to wear.
* South Wales Borderers, 24th Foot - Rourke's Drift, Natal Province, South Africa, 1879.
Nuff said..........
Did some one above mention Napoleon at Moscow? A victory? Hilter failed to see that one coming also and they both took a hiding for their troubles.
And I think someone else mentioned that certain British divisions (whilst acquitting themsleves very well during the Napoleonic campaigns at Trafalgar & Waterloo) taking a mauling during the recent unpleasantness that was the American War of Independence? Whilst the outcome of that particular skirmish is not in doubt, the understanding of same rather depends on whose version of history you've been taught. The US/Colonial forces of the day were shored-up by battalions of German & Prussian mercenaries, to say nothing of the French, Dutch and Danish forces that were roped in to give you a hand.......
Oh, and don't go believing all that nonsense in Mel Gibson's travesty of events that is the film 'The Patriot'. Lord only knows where he made that lot up; it doesn't stand up to any serious historical scrutiny - be careful what you watch!
And Hanibal? You just gotta love any dude who can spank Roman ass whilst riding an elephant as he's doing it - inelegant, but classy all the same.
And lastly, I found this offering from Clive very interesting indeed:
"piss poor planning prevents piss poor performance"
Prevents it does it? I would have thought that it would have absolutely guaranteed a consummate cluster-fugg?! Shall we look at this again?
The seven 'P's are:
Proper
Planning &
Preparation
Prevent
Piss
Poor
Performance
Quod Erat Demonstrandum.
Dive safe all - always.
