Undeterred by its losses in the Coral Sea, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) prepared to invade Midway Atoll- 1,300 miles northwest of Hawaii – in a final effort to defeat the US Pacific Fleet. Committing their largest naval operation of the war, the Japanese were unaware that the Americans had already decoded their messages andContinue reading “The end of Yorktown, 4th June 1942”
Tag Archives: historian
The Ishtar Gate: Power and procession in ancient Babylon
Built during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC), the Ishtar Gate was one of the most important entrances to the city of Babylon (Iraq). Along with the Hanging Gardens, the gate became an iconic symbol of imperial prestige and ancient craftsmanship. Due to a lack of stone in southern Mesopotamia, the two sectionsContinue reading “The Ishtar Gate: Power and procession in ancient Babylon”
The Coral Sea, 7th May 1942
In May 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) prepared to capture Port Moresby on New Guinea. Its airfield could be used to dominate the Coral Sea and isolate Australia from the United States. The invasion force – spearheaded by aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku – was unaware that the Americans had cracked their codes andContinue reading “The Coral Sea, 7th May 1942”
Assault on the dry dock, St Nazaire, 28th March 1942
The colossal German battleship Tirpitz was a major threat to British sea routes in early-1942. If deployed in the Atlantic it would take refuge in the port of St Nazaire, where the Normandie Dock – the largest of its kind in the world – was big enough to accommodate it for repairs. If the dryContinue reading “Assault on the dry dock, St Nazaire, 28th March 1942”
Plaju refinery, Palembang, 14th February 1942
Japan’s conquest of the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) depended heavily on securing the vast natural resources of the archipelago. Near Palembang, capital of South Sumatra, was an Allied airfield (‘P1′) as well as two oil refineries – Plaju and Sungei Gerong – which processed a third of the Indies’ oil production. If the refineriesContinue reading “Plaju refinery, Palembang, 14th February 1942”
Road ambush at Bakri, 18th January 1942
For chronological order, click here to see the previous WW2 post! By mid-January 1942, the relentless Japanese advance across Malaya had forced British and Commonwealth forces to withdraw to Johore in the south of the country. It was here that one of the few local victories against the Japanese came on 18th January. At dawn,Continue reading “Road ambush at Bakri, 18th January 1942”
Air attack on Repulse, 10th December 1941
For chronological order, click here to see the previous WW2 post! In late-1941, Malaya and Singapore hosted several airbases and an important naval base which allowed the British to strategically dominate the Far East. Despite a lack of reinforcements, it was assumed that these positions could be defended. But British planning failed to fully account forContinue reading “Air attack on Repulse, 10th December 1941”
Machine gun dog cart, Belgium, 1914
Before mass motorisation, dogs were widely used as cheap and efficient pack animals in the Low Countries. In 1913 the Belgian army accepted a small carriage, designed by Lieutenants Blancgarin and Van de Putte, that could mount a Maxim machine gun and ammunition. It would be pulled by sturdy dog breeds such as the BelgianContinue reading “Machine gun dog cart, Belgium, 1914”
The Prussian Guard at Ypres, 11th November 1914
On the morning of 11th Nov 1914, German forces launched a final attempt to capture Ypres and the Channel ports. After a two hour artillery bombardment, thousands of troops came out of the mist and attacked a thin Allied line stretching from Polygon Wood to Messines. During the attack, four regiments from the elite PrussianContinue reading “The Prussian Guard at Ypres, 11th November 1914”
Ambush at Mtsensk, 6th October 1941
Four days into the main phase of Operation Typhoon – the German offensive to capture Moscow – Kampfgruppe Eberbach moved up the Orel-Tula highway. With the Lisiza River bridge quickly captured, Eberbach sent across five tank companies and a battalion of motorcycle infantry to secure a nearby ridge. The crossing site would be held byContinue reading “Ambush at Mtsensk, 6th October 1941”
Empire of History 