Questions tagged [military]
Questions pertaining to characteristics of armed forces' structure, manpower, equipment, or expenditures.
740
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14 views
How effective was Civil War-era artillery in the rain?
How did rain effect cannon of the mid-19th century? Specifically the commonly fielded types like the 12-pounder Napoleon. Could they operate effectively and reliably in heavy rainfall?
I’ve been able ...
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0answers
19 views
Are there any examples of neutral armies meeting?
Usually, when two armies of different nations are in close proximity to each other, it is for good reason. For example,
They are at war with each other;
There are tensions between their nations and ...
13
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1answer
966 views
Based on his service record, where was this soldier deployed in WW2?
I am trying to work out where my grandmother's cousin, Henry Adler, saw action during WW2. Henry was born June 14th 1917 in Glasgow. I have his Soldier's Service and Pay Book as well as his Soldier's ...
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0answers
114 views
How did Tamerlane become a military leader if he was crippled in childhood? [closed]
According to his wiki page, Tamerlane was crippled in his childhood and then went on to become a military leader, taking part in many conquests and sieges.
How did a cripple become a military leader? ...
-4
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1answer
146 views
What was the extent of military conscription by the German Army during World War 2? [closed]
I have three questions about this that I hope people can help me out with:
How many soldiers were conscripted in total (in all countries)?
What was punishment like if you refused?
How many conscripts ...
3
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1answer
185 views
What can we deduce about the expected career of a US Navy “lifer” in 1972?
In 1972, a member of the U.S. Navy who's already accumulated several years of service mentions that he's expecting to spend his entire working life in the USN. What does that imply about his ...
1
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0answers
64 views
What is the performance of shells circa 1938? [closed]
The golden age Superman wasn't invulnerable to conventional ammunition, as "nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!" [Action Comics no. 1] This got me thinking: exactly how ...
1
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0answers
53 views
What were the proportions of state militias in Continental Army?
The wikipedia article on the Continental Army suggests that "The army never numbered more than 17,000 men." but also lists a number of 80,000 as the peak size. The former number refers specifically ...
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0answers
152 views
Did people shoot from both sides of the bow in medieval times?
Most modern archers are taught to shoot with Mediterranean style; that is, putting the arrow on the left side of the bow (if they're right handed) and pulling the string with 3 fingers. Some claim ...
26
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5answers
13k views
How did archers judge distance before range finders?
Before electronics, was there a method for judging distance in archery?
What methods were used historically?
How were combat archers trained to judge distances?
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0answers
34 views
What is a good book with authoritative histories of individual RAF bases?
I write a lot about RAF radar systems. It is common to refer to the base where it was first built, like RAF Bard Hill. However, I find it very difficult to find anything about Bard Hill, what does ...
8
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2answers
2k views
What was the significance of the BEF moving into the gap between German forces in First Battle of the Marne?
The German troops fighting in the Battle of the Marne were exhausted and their commanders seemed to communicate very little. After the Marne they retreated to the river Aisne and more or less began ...
1
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1answer
218 views
What evidence is there of tank-vs-tank combat in Asia during the second world war?
It has been known that the Japanese army during the Second World War did not value tanks highly and as such they were not always used effectively and had significantly worse characteristics than ...
2
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1answer
201 views
How did British aircraft fare against Japanese aircraft during the Second World War? [closed]
It goes without saying that both the Supermarine Spitfire used by the UK and the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero are iconic fighter aircraft of the Second World War. But how did these aircraft fare when they ...
0
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0answers
73 views
What authority did the US Army have in Egypt between 1945 and 1950?
I am trying to research a brief period of time in Egypt immediately after Britain's withdrawal in 1945, specifically the presence and authority of the US military there (if any) before 1950.
Was ...
0
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2answers
262 views
How did an advancing force walk during WW1?
I am searching for any noticeable orders, doctrine or any piece of information about how an advancing force should be organized. I am interested in the scope 1914-1918, on European and Middle-East ...
7
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3answers
325 views
Did the Germans consider an amphibious landing for Fall Blau?
In the operation Fall Blau (Case Blue) the German Wehrmacht advanced towards the Don river, and then sent Army Group A into the Caucasus region to take the oil fields in the region.
They managed to ...
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1answer
170 views
What kind of rifle used this shell case?
Please, anyone able to tell me what kind of shell is it and what mean this symbol on the bottom ? Is it from 1917?
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1answer
104 views
What uniform is this man wearing (probably Austro-Hungarian circa 1900)?
Trying to identify time period, soldier rank and war for this ancestor who live 1876-1918. Probably served in Austria Hungarian war. He was a Croat. It appears that the uniform is dark navy?
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72 views
Why do graduates of Nanjing Political College receive a dagger that says “military spirit” (“軍魂”)?
Beyond the generality of the college being administered by the PLA, why are they given a dagger, and more specifically, why does it say "military spirit"?
I've looked at the Wikipedia article about ...
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1answer
100 views
Can anyone help identify the era or other specifics of this Air Force jacket?
Thrifted a few years ago and haven't been able to determine anything about it in that time. I would like to have enough information to at least speculate on the rank and/or military activity of the ...
2
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3answers
255 views
Were Israeli-Arab conflicts in the Cold war testing grounds for NATO and Warsaw Pact equipment?
During the Cold War, Israel and it's Arab neighbors often came into conflict with each other and fought a number of wars during which Israel often used weaponry from the West (USA, UK and France) ...
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2answers
263 views
When did the US start using sniper + spotter teams, rather than solo snipers?
The US sniper teams are a definite trope of TV and movies, but historically many armies have used solo snipers, without the spotter.
When I look for info, I either find gun info, sniper statistics or ...
asked Jan 17 at 21:10
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica
4,0871 gold badge15 silver badges26 bronze badges
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0answers
94 views
What actually happened during the elephant duel (Songkram Yutahatti) between King Naresuan of Ayutthaya/Siam and Mingy Swa of Hongsawadee/Burma?
Before we start, I just want to say that I find Thai history and the history of Southeast Asia in general to be extremely fascinating and interesting. I think that it’s just as interesting as Chinese ...
2
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1answer
121 views
What was the total megatonnage of all munitions expended in World War 2?
I'm wondering about the total megatonnage of all munitions expended during World War Two in all theaters.
I've seen estimates of 2, 3 and 5, but no concrete cited sources for a specific number.
4
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1answer
219 views
How were wars financed under Islamic empires?
A related question is this thread, where the subject in question were banks, and how they operated and profited under Islamic rule.
In Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), charging interest on loans is ...
38
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2answers
8k views
Why did the German army execute so few soldiers in World War I compared to most other armies?
According to Alexander Watson's Ring of Steel and other sources during the whole of the First World War the German army only executed 48 of its soldiers, compared to over 300 in the British and 600-...
14
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2answers
407 views
How “successful” were WWII pigeon-guided missiles?
In World War II, a prototype missile guidance system was developed in Project Pigeon, whereby a pigeon's pecks (or pecks by multiple pigeons) would be used to guide a missile.
Test runs were ...
2
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1answer
191 views
Can anyone identify this possibly Czechoslovak uniform?
I have this photo of my Great Grandfather Antonin Hošek and his wife Elisabeth Hofrichter with my Grandma as a baby Alzběta Hošková. I am trying to find out more about my family's past and I'd love to ...
2
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1answer
103 views
Can anyone identify this uniform? Time period is 1841
This is a charcoal drawing of my great great grandfather. He was born in 1819 and I was told he served for 7 years. It looks like in the lower right hand corner it shows 1841. I heard he served for ...
3
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3answers
106 views
Where can I find an official record of names and service dates for commanding officers of former US Navy vessels?
I'm particularly interested in records for the Indiana-class pre-dreadnought battleship named USS Massachusetts (BB-2). Can this information be found online?
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2answers
212 views
How were the Burmese able to sack Ayutthaya when it was one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities in Asia at the time? [closed]
So I’m “watching” (more like skipping to the interesting scenes) the Thai lakorn/historical drama Sri Ayodhaya and in one episode, this one professor said that Ayutthaya was an incredibly wealthy and ...
3
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0answers
148 views
Can anyone identify the regiment and rank from this photograph?
Can anyone identify the regiment this officer belongs to and his rank please? He seems to be wearing an Indian General service medal (1895-1902 pattern) with a battle clasp, but I cannot make out the ...
6
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1answer
612 views
Did RAF fighter pilots wear ties while flying in WW2?
Did RAF fighter pilots wear ties while flying in WW2?
It seems like that would be uncomfortable, if not dangerous, while you are experiencing high-Gs and low oxygen. However, the above movie includes ...
18
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5answers
7k views
How did the Druids learn the Greek language by the time of Caesar's campaign in Gaul?
In Latin class, we are translating parts of Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. One thing that struck me as odd is how Caesar describes the customs of the Gauls, especially in Book 6, where he ...
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1answer
148 views
During the Korean War, what B-29 crew roles did the abbreviations IVO, CFC, and VC mean?
I was researching a B-29 crash that my grandfather was in during the Korean War, and he was listed as the IVO on the flight. I couldn't find what that abbreviation meant, nor could I find some of the ...
5
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0answers
101 views
Who would have used this c1890s canvas bag?
I have an OLD canvas bag measuring 14 x 11", opens to two pouches. It has a leather strap on the back that makes it look like it was possibly used as a backpack.
Printed on the front is "2 SEP.CO. ...
4
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0answers
162 views
Help identify details from a Soviet military uniform?
My family on my great-grandfather's side came from Romania and I have a picture of one of his brothers in a soviet military uniform.
I know nothing of his involvement in the military and was hoping ...
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2answers
137 views
How to you reply to Henry Ford and Otto von Bismarck? [closed]
All history is bunk -- Ford
All history is fairy tales rewritten by the winner of the last war --
Bismarck
There is a LOT of truth to what they say. And with PhD thesis like
the courtmartial of ...
26
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5answers
13k 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
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0answers
191 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 ...
6
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1answer
589 views
Is The King (2019) historically realistic? [closed]
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
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1answer
367 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 ...
4
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1answer
216 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!
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0answers
130 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 ...
2
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5answers
795 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
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1answer
152 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
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0answers
181 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
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2answers
11k 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
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1answer
274 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 ...
