Well done, TH
Another interesting thread to enliven MB or, as my sister used to say, "to improve the shining hour."
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Originally Posted by The Batlord
Peleliu and Okinawa from the Pacific theater of WW2 are pretty fascinating to me. Peleliu had a harrowing beach assault, worse than Omaha beach even from what I hear, but both battles marked a change in Japanese defense tactics, where before they'd been obsessed with repulsing the American Marines at the beach without much in the way of a backup plan, but then they switched to an in-depth strategy, turning tiny islands into impenetrable fortresses that led to what sound like the worst things anyone has ever gone through since the trenches of WW1. Totally waiting for those movies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Peleliu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa |
^ I haven't checked the links, Batlord, but I can believe they were tough battles because of the notorious intransigence of the Japanese troops, their refusal to surrender, and the consequent need to fight every inch of the way, foxhole by foxhole, copse by copse.
Like Trollheart's examples in the OP, to read about a battle in which the out-numbered underdog wins is particularly satisfying, especially if that force is using intelligent tactics to defend its own territory against invasion. After all, who does not cheer on Dustin Hoffman as he exacts his nerd's revenge in Straw Dogs?
Until I think of a battle that fits my own description, I'd like to mention a couple of my
least favourites: The Battle of Antietam (aka Sharpsburg), 1862, and The Battle of The Somme, 1916:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam
This battle turned into a horrendous slugfest concentrated on one small patch of land, The Cornfield. Southern and Union forces were ranged against each other, pouring into the Cornfield to be shot down or bayoneted in "the bloodiest single-day battle in American history":-
Quote:
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After two hours and 2,500 casualties, they were back where they started. The Cornfield, an area about 250 yards (230 m) deep and 400 yards (400 m) wide, was a scene of indescribable destruction. It was estimated that the Cornfield changed hands no fewer than 15 times in the course of the morning.
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And for the British, the most ghastly day of military destruction goes to the Battle of the Somme. Thanks to the ineptitude and folly of the commanders, " British casualties on the first day were the worst in the history of the British army, with 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 of whom were killed."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme