Questions tagged [military]
Questions pertaining to characteristics of armed forces' structure, manpower, equipment, or expenditures.
700
questions
25
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5answers
12k views
How was the Luftwaffe able to destroy nearly 4000 Soviet aircraft in 3 days of operation Barbarossa?
According to Wikipedia:
a Soviet archival document recorded the loss of 3,922 Soviet aircraft
in the first three days against an estimated loss of 78 German
aircraft.
How were German combat ...
2
votes
0answers
177 views
Could someone help me identify this button from a WW2 prison camp field?
I'm struggling to identify a button found in a field in Italy, where WW2's prison camps were built.
Searching online I found a lot of American's Civil War buttons that could be related to it, based on ...
3
votes
0answers
296 views
Is The King (2019) historically realistic?
The King (2019) by Netflix is about king Henry V.
A few aspects of the movie struck me as either unbelievable, or contradicting what little even I know about history.
In no particular order:
The ...
-2
votes
1answer
357 views
Rifle with bayonet thrown like a javelin
I mean certainly there had to be a circumstance at one point where a soldier's only chance was to throw his rifle and somehow ended up winning? my searches have garnered no luck..
edit:for the 150 ...
3
votes
1answer
198 views
Can someone identify this military uniform?
I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me anything about this military uniform. Thanks so much for any help!
1
vote
0answers
122 views
Can anyone identify the uniforms in these pics, dated 1903 - 1904, Calcutta?
A little background... his father was a merchant with offices in Bremen and Calcutta; his mother tutored the children of the Viceroy of India. In later documents he states he was a member of the Royal ...
0
votes
5answers
704 views
Were Allied high commanders that bad at the end of WW2?
I have heard by some friends, speaking of military history, that Allied commanders were well known for being, at best, mediocre in their performance of fight. They were not able to give precise ...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
Can anyone identify this military uniform (1900-1915)?
Can anyone identify this uniform? Uncertain of the time frame, suspect it is 1900 - 1915.
4
votes
0answers
170 views
What uniform is my great great Cossack grandfather wearing?
The man bellow with the medals and the beard is my great great grandfather. He was a cossack in the Urals, I have been looking for ages but I can not find what Cossack uniform he is wearing.
I really ...
37
votes
2answers
10k views
Did the Soviet army intentionally send troops (e.g. penal battalions) running over minefields?
You can hear this story/claim stated in various way, from just regular troops doing it, to just penal battalions, to strenuous denial nobody ever did this in the Soviet army. (Just look at a Quora ...
5
votes
1answer
258 views
Would Victorian era British soldiers wear their short sword bayonets while wearing uniform when off duty?
In depictions of the Victorian era we often see lower ranks of soldiers wearing uniform when off duty in pubs or frequenting fairs, or just milling about as extras in the background etc.
My question ...
19
votes
2answers
3k views
How did Roman armies survive in the desert?
I'm writing a novel set in the third century. A general is marching his army through the middle of the Syrian Desert. How did Roman armies with tens of thousands of soldiers survive in the arid ...
2
votes
2answers
152 views
What uniform is Alexander Duncan McLennan wearing?
I am trying to identify this uniform. It’s a photo of my great grandfather Alexander Duncan McLennan 1861 - 1919.
He was born in Glasgow in 1861 so was Scottish. The only record I can find of an A ...
3
votes
1answer
372 views
How long did men have to serve in the US army until they were promoted to sergeants during WW2?
During the Second World War men rose through ranks much quicker than they do today due to heavy losses and they went from private to corporal and corporal to sergeant after serving only a small amount ...
7
votes
0answers
151 views
Did the German ship SS Hansa (former Albert Ballin) continue her journey to the West after 30 January 1945?
Looking for refugees or families of refugees who were on board the Hansa on January 30th 1945 when she left Gotenhafen with the Wilhelm Gustloff. I am trying to find out what happened to the Hansa ...
1
vote
0answers
128 views
What branch of service and rank is this 1860 photo?
This is a cabinet photo taken by Kelley's in New York, but we are having a difficult time identifying his branch of service and rank. Any leads to this genealogical effort would be greatly appreciated!...
-2
votes
1answer
206 views
What are some instances of professional army funding being stolen in full?
It feels like with large empires using professional armies for distant provinces, especially during classical or medieval times, funding of those armies were most likely to be bottlenecked by small ...
3
votes
1answer
135 views
Could British India have realistically allied with both Afghanistan and the Punjab?
In his book The Return of a King, historian William Dalrymple is strongly critical of British policy toward Afghanistan prior to the disastrous invasion of 1839. He implies, quoting the British envoy ...
-2
votes
3answers
291 views
Which, if any, successful invasions have been planned by one person without relying on specialized experts?
10 years ago, I read the following quote
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a ...
-1
votes
3answers
505 views
Has a sniper ever disabled a tank?
In theory, a sniper can disable a tank.
shoot out the gun sight
shoot out the driver sight
wait for crew to open the hatch because they can't see
shoot the crew
Has this ever happened? The snipers ...
4
votes
5answers
750 views
Is there any example of one country devastating a third? [closed]
My question comes from a video game I am playing:
I am playing Austria, in Napoleonic wars. I am fighting France as main adversary, but I just captured and looted Bavaria and Saxony, two little ...
2
votes
0answers
138 views
Can anybody identify the cap-badge and/or uniform in this image?
Can anybody identify the cap-badge and/or uniform in this image?
I'm hoping the period is c. 1899/1900 and should be UK based???
My searches to date have turned up a blank; but then I have no ...
-1
votes
1answer
151 views
Was the Horo Cavalry “Balloon cloak” effective?
Was the Horo Cavalry Balloon cloak effective? and if so is there a European/Non Japanese Variant?
My understanding is to defend against arrowfire positioning armor away from the body is ...
1
vote
7answers
536 views
Have there been any great female military commanders?
From Alexander the Great to Saladin, from Muqali to Horatio Nelson, from Napoleon I to Winfield Scott, history is loaded with great male generals.
Have there been any great female generals? Warfare ...
0
votes
2answers
265 views
How rigorously do combat engineers follow command hierarchy?
This is related to chain of command
I am interested if certain branches are looser than others when it comes to chain of command. The reason being that engineering, especially combat engineering, ...
29
votes
6answers
8k views
Why command hierarchy, if the chain of command is standing next to each other?
Screenshot's from 1:08:19. I transcribe:
2: Order the 58th to withdraw.
1 to 3: Fraser, order the 58th to withdraw.
3: Yes sir.
I don't understand this command hierachy:
Similarly, an ...
6
votes
1answer
235 views
What kind of uniform is this? (Circa 1940s, possibly Israeli)
This photo is in a photo album from Jersusalem, with mostly family-type photos, some with Hebrew writing on the back. Some of the photos are dated and they range from the 1930s to the 1950s, and this ...
7
votes
1answer
380 views
What kind of bullet did I find in Swiss glacial ice?
I found this bullet frozen in glacial ice in Switzerland. There is no visible stamp on it anymore and unfortunately did not have any precise measuring equipment with me. I can measure the size of my ...
6
votes
2answers
696 views
When the Swiss Guard was formed, was the height requirement 174 cm (5' 8 1/2")?
The current minimum height required for the Swiss Guard at the Vatican is 5'8 1/2" or 174 cm (Swiss Guard requirements).
Has that always been the case? I remember reading years ago that the minimum ...
0
votes
1answer
121 views
Is there a source for Medieval army composition and tactics across cultures?
It's mostly a source question, because the topic is too large to be covered by simple questions and answers, so im sorry if i posted this in the wrong place.
I'm trying to research on the ...
34
votes
7answers
9k views
How were Martello towers supposed to work?
Having recently seen a Martello tower on the East coast of England, I tried to find-out what the defensive strategy was supposed to be - but the internet seems very short on information.
The South-...
5
votes
2answers
365 views
Why did the German Military and Police not intervene during the years of NSDAP ascend?
I am currently following a free course provided by the Open University which features a brief timeline on the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler.
This timeline dates Hitler's entry into politics to 1920, ...
2
votes
0answers
111 views
Where was this destroyed bridge in South Vietnam?
Can anyone provide the location of this destroyed bridge during the Vietnam War? I believe the sign at the end of the bridge refers to the Big Red One, 1st Infantry Division
8
votes
1answer
3k views
Military Uniform of Great Grandfather
Can anyone identify this uniform? It is a photo of my great grandfather that a relative came across. I know he was in the US Army during WW1. He moved to the US from Italy sometime before that. Nobody ...
2
votes
1answer
206 views
What uniform is my ancestor wearing?
Can anyone identify this uniform?
I believe this man is an ancestor of mine, the picture was shared with me by my father 2nd cousin - whom we found through DNA matching. She does not know his name. ...
3
votes
1answer
183 views
Can anyone help identify this French military uniform?
Can anyone help identify this French Military Uniform?
The picture belongs to a woman – my father's 2nd cousin found through DNA matching – and she says it's her grandfather, who was a Frenchman. ...
3
votes
2answers
299 views
When and how did steel supplant iron for artillery?
When did steel supplant iron for use in making artillery pieces? And was it a peacetime innovation, or was it the result of wartime pressure to accept change?
In reading Reign of Iron, it becomes ...
0
votes
1answer
207 views
Did America help the Chinese nationalists to repel the communist advance?
As an answer said in this subject (What are some major military successes the Soviet Union achieved against the Western World?), it seems that the politics of USA had a great issue on the help of ...
1
vote
3answers
300 views
What is an example of effective flanking maneuvers in medieval battles?
I'm interested in better understanding medieval military tactics. I know that flanking maneuvers are often considered devastating in battles but I can find any good examples of this tactic being ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views
For how many years in the eighteenth century were Russian soldiers present within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth borders?
For modern Poland, the answer is rather simple. Russian, and later Soviet soldiers, were stationed inside the Polish borders for almost the whole 19th and 20th centuries (with a notable exception for ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Why did the Korean War result in a stalemate?
In the Korean War, the United Nations forces lead by the US held overwhelming military and technological superiority over the Chinese. Even with the initial set back from the Chinese ambush AFTER the ...
6
votes
1answer
344 views
Is this a Masonic Ring?
I told by my Auntie that she had a Masonic ring that came from my Great Grandfather from my mum’s side of the family and I’m skeptical if this ring she sent a photo of is really a Masonic ring. I ...
5
votes
1answer
320 views
How would an SS officer travel from Auschwitz to Berlin?
To get to Berlin from Auschwitz in early July 1944, before the attempt on Hitler's life, would an SS officer be apt to take a night train? How regularly would trains run from Oswiecim, i.e. would ...
4
votes
1answer
149 views
Seeking identification of a military uniform in a watercolor painting
Can anyone provide information for the uniform in this watercolor? It was discovered in an estate sale in New York City as part of a larger art collection (no other similar pieces). The lettering at ...
3
votes
1answer
225 views
What was the name of the torpedo boat with mechanical problems accompanying the Wilhelm Gustloff?
The Wilhelm Gustloff was a German cruise ship that was used as part as a means of evacuating refugees from Gotenhafen (today Gdynia) in January 1945.
The Wikipedia article reads:
The ship left ...
2
votes
1answer
352 views
What did NATO AFCENT commander Bennecke do during World War 2?
The commander of Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) from 1968–1973 was (Konrad Max Arthur) Jürgen Bennecke, a German.
In short: Bennecke's publically available bio has some gaps in ...
0
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4answers
1k views
What was the last profitable war? [closed]
I was having a conversation with family and friends this weekend and this question came up: "what was the last profitable war?" Of course in history there were wars that turned a profit, ones I can ...
2
votes
2answers
173 views
Where can I find data on the amount of fuel carried by WWII Warships and what their operational ranges were?
I am looking for a fairly comprehensive source where can I find data on the amount of fuel carried by WWII Warships and what their operational ranges were? I mean, I want to look up this information ...
3
votes
3answers
573 views
At what point did the United States have a truly federal army?
Wikipedia states that:
The Congress of the Confederation created the current United States Army on 3 June 1784.
But how much was it truly a federal force? I assume it had one central command from ...
-2
votes
1answer
308 views
Why aren't all front-line soldiers issued suicide pills? [closed]
I know that certain soldiers (on secret missions) and spies have been issued them,
One of the objectives of the Dieppe Raid in August 1942 was to discover the importance and performance capability ...
