Questions tagged [military]
Questions pertaining to characteristics of armed forces' structure, manpower, equipment, or expenditures.
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What would the arms, armor, and uniforms of medieval Aquitaine soldiers have been?
I'm working on a project, and am wondering what medieval soldiers from Aquitaine and Gascony would have looked like. I tried Google searches and I couldn't find anything. I searched with questions ...
9
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2answers
351 views
What is this war machine shown on Trajan's column?
The most comprehensive visual evidence about Roman army of I-II centuries is the Trajan column. It shows in great detail cloths, weapons, ships, military machines and other equipment of the Roman army....
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1answer
99 views
How to decode / read US Veterans Bureau Form 7202?
In doing some family background research, I came across an old military service record which says it is a "Form 7202 - Rev. Sept., 1927". I would like to decipher the meanings of the various codes to ...
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2answers
140 views
Besides the US in 1958, has there been a post-WWII show of force by any military in the Taiwan Strait (excluding Taiwan and China)?
CNN's article US Vice President Pence set to inflame China tensions: 'We will not be intimidated' describes an upcoming speech by US VP Pence and the existence of a proposed military exercise in ...
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1answer
128 views
How effective were archers/ slingers / skirmishers in Greek, Roman and Medieval Period?
So it seemed that from the accounts of Thermopelea, Roman military strategy of waiting out an arrow storm, and Knights holding out for hours behind a shield wall during the first crusade it ...
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3answers
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Which air minister said (before or during WW2) that parachute troops are just a circus?
In Chapter 32, Airborne Forces of Liddell Hart (ed), The Soviet Army, Kurt Student says, after noting the abscence of paratroop involvment in the invasion of Poland (p. 378), that
`Parachute troops ...
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1answer
121 views
How frequently did the KMT use telegrams to communicate; from where (roughly) and to whom?
This answer to the Chinese Language SE question Historical: How was Chinese written in telegrams and early computers? says (in part):
Following is a telegram code "dictionary" used by Japan ...
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2answers
4k views
What was the fastest military draft in the United States?
In the United States, men aged 18-25 are required to register for a possible military draft. The original argument was that the country would need large numbers of troops in a hurry, and (back then) ...
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How did succession work in the modern Argentine military dictatorships?
For example, it says on the wikipedia page for Alfredo Oscar Saint Jean, an Argentine president and general: "Saint-Jean's brief period as President in June and July 1982 ended when he was succeeded ...
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1answer
178 views
Did Imperial Russian officers always serve terms of five years?
I noticed that the chief commandants of Kamchatka seemed to serve terms of about five years (Koselev 1802-1807, Petrovskii 1807-1813, Rudakov 1813-1817). These seem to have been Majors-General (rank ...
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2answers
408 views
Which Allied aircraft scored the most air-to-air kills against the Me 262 in WWII?
Backgound:
The Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") fighter version of the Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, with the first test unit having been formed on 19 April,...
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349 views
Why can't people on the back of the phalanx “reorient” their shield?
What do men in the middle of a phalanx contribute?
says that phalanx are vulnerable from behind
So what does people in phalanx formation when they get smacked from behind? They just keep pointing ...
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3answers
504 views
How can a skilled battle commander like Napoleon Bonaparte lose to Prussians at Waterloo (Belgium) as such?
According to this website Napoleon Bonaparte lost the battle at Waterloo to Prussians because(Chronologically):
1. The failure of Grouchy keeping the Prussians away from the Battlefield.
2. The ...
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2answers
209 views
Trying to identify a military uniform, ca. WWI
I've recently come into a a large group of dry glass plate negatives, and this is one of the first images I've come across. Most of the the other slides I've seen, so far, are likely from the early ...
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2answers
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When did SHAEF / Eisenhower move HQ from London to France during WWII?
SHAEF meeting in London 1944
Two different reputable sources indicate two different time frames for SHAEF's move from London to Versailles:
The Military Agency Records of the National Archives ...
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2answers
365 views
Example of a battering ram used to successfully breach a gate
I am looking for a specific example of a battering ram used to breach the gate of a castle or fortification in Europe. I can find lots of indirect references to the use of battering rams on gates (...
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2answers
406 views
What do men in the middle of a phalanx contribute?
I understand how the Phalanx can have an almost impenetrable front, and I understand the rear and sides may have to defend against an attack like the front - but what purpose do men in the middle ...
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0answers
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What was the maneuver called when an infantry co. fired in two different directions while advancing? [closed]
When a Napoleonic-era infantry company was taking fire from front and rear, what is the maneuver called where they covered their rear while advancing forward?
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2answers
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Why didn't Eisenhower personally sign Act of Military Surrender in Reims, 1945?
My question is about German Army Surrender in Reims. The unconditional surrender was signed by Colonel General Alfred Jodl, on behalf of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and General Walter Bedell Smith ...
11
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2answers
346 views
Identification of radio equipment and its purpose in Vietnam
The following photograph is from the first years of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. These soldiers are wearing baseball caps and their patches are in color. Later, the patches were olive drab. Obviously, ...
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2answers
402 views
Has the training of Russian troops improved since 1989? [closed]
Recently, USA has excluded Pakistan from military training list. On the flip side, Pakistan has signed an agreement with Russian Federation for the training of its officers. My personal assessment is, ...
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1answer
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In Britain, what was the “Junior Service” in 1913?
I read a marriage notice from 1913, which noted that the father of the groom "has four sons abroad, three having served with distinction in the junior Service".
(West Sussex Gazette, Thu 13 Feb 1913, ...
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0answers
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Can you identify this military uniform? Montana 1850-1920
Portrait taken in Montana-best guess between 1850 and 1920. WWI?? Slouch hat. Single-breasted coat with 5 or 6 buttons. Breast pocket on each side; diagonal, flap with button. Knee-high boots. Curvy ...
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1answer
83 views
Can the assignment “Depot Battalion” in Hart's Annual Army List be linked to a specific regimental assignment?
In this question I asked about the meaning of the assignment "depot battalion" in Hart's Annual Army List, a book that lists the assignments of every British officer in the Victoria era, each year.
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What does “Depot Battalion” mean in Hart's Annual Army List?
Copies of Hart's Annual Army List are available online, and consist of a list of all British army officers employed in a given year.
Some of the listings are self-explanatory (e.g. so-and-so with ...
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0answers
89 views
Mutual support in Latin American wars of independence
Nascent Latin American countries expelled Spain with some mutual aid from each other. Between 1815 and 1822, independent Argentina and Chile sent newly acquired naval forces (under Bouchard, Brown, ...
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2answers
3k views
Who was Richard of York at the Battle of Grunwald?
Gloria.TV states that "the foreign knight,...Richard of York" fought, and was killed, at the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) in 1410. I can find no one from the house of York who might have been at ...
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2answers
384 views
Why were so few Koreans enlisted in the Japanese Army before conscription was introduced in 1944?
Citing two sources, the article Korea under Japanese rule gives the following figures showing that very few Koreans who volunteered for enlistment into the Japanese army 1938 – 1943 were actually ...
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1answer
175 views
Can someone help me ID this insignia?
Charles Miller - fought with US Army at battle at Wounded Knee - this photographer took images during and after the Battle. Anyone recognize the insignia? He later became a Mason? Could it be from ...
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1answer
211 views
Where was this flag flown?
I have a 48 Star flag that I have recently acquired from a seller off of a similar setting to Craigslist. He said he’s found it in an attic and really has no other information on it. Because the size ...
2
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1answer
208 views
Turko-Mongol horse tactics and Western European response
Did not seem that Western European armies stood up to Turco-Mongol military tactics such as the horse archer. Did these European armies ever learn to counter those tactics? The Slavs (Polish) had a ...
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5answers
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Why didn't line infantry tactics try to keep up a constant volley of fire?
Often in movies on the American revolution and back when muskets were common place the opposing armies would line up facing each other and take turns firing. One side, then the other. Kind of like a ...
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2answers
234 views
Are there any surviving military textbooks from the Napoleonic era?
Napoleon attended school for military officers, so it stands to reason they would have some books around which they based their curriculum. Are there any complete and publicly available recordings of ...
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1answer
220 views
What were the American-equipped armies of Nationalist China equipped with?
During the latter years of WWII, the US equipped and trained a number of Chinese (Kuomintang) armies to fight the Japanese. Initially the Chinese armies were greatly inferior, armed with bolt-action ...
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2answers
508 views
How professional and well equipped were US Civil War soldiers?
Essentially, what the question says - did the war cause Americans to become better at war than the Eurasian powers (Germany, France, England, Russia, Japan, whatever, I am just making up a list) at ...
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1answer
289 views
How much time would it take to mobilize an army during WW2?
How long would it take to mobilize the armed forces of a Western country during the 20th century? Specifically, during and around WW2. I'm also looking for the number of troops as-well.
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1answer
211 views
Origin of the Petropavlovsk artillery company
The frontier port of Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, was an army outpost which acquired an artillery company at some point before the garrison was dissolved in 1812 and the port became regional capital in ...
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0answers
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How did the Russian Empire choose officers for Kamchatka?
The Russian Imperial army and navy had to build frontier outposts in very remote locations. Around 1800, the few forts and ports in Kamchatka might have a Lieutenant as commanding officer, a couple of ...
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1answer
189 views
How to attack Fort Ross
Imperial Spain was upset when the Russian-American Company founded its Californian outpost Fort Ross. Local Spanish officials always stayed cordial with the Russians, though. Both sides were remote ...
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4answers
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Is there any evidence of armies enrolling women in fighting roles in significant number in antiquity or the middle ages?
Most sources I find seems to portray women's participation in warfare, as leaders and or soldiers, as more of an exception than the rule during antiquity and the middle ages.
Is there any source ...
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1answer
163 views
What cult images are likely to be found in a Second Punic war era Roman field camp?
Were cult images (e.g. statues of gods) carried by a Roman army (or its commander) around 200 BC? If so, which gods? And were would they be kept while in camp? (I am not referring to items individual ...
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2answers
308 views
What was the legal process of raising a legion in late Republican Rome?
I've read some about both the Roman army and the Late Republican period, but realized that, while I understand well enough how legions worked in the field, I have only a very incomplete idea of who ...
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2answers
318 views
Understanding my 96 year old father's US Army discharge papers
I have my father's discharge papers and medals. I am trying to organize and classify his medals properly.
Line 32 reads - Sicilian, Naples-Foggia, Southern France, Rhineland GO105 WD45
Line 33 reads ...
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1answer
262 views
Why did the wagon forts of the Hussites fade away?
The wagon forts of Hussites were quite successful tactically, and helped them repel five crusades from European leaders.
I was wondering why did the wagon fort tactics not see a wider adoption in ...
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2answers
1k views
Distinguish Mitsubishi G6M1-L2 and G4M1 aircraft in this picture
Here is a picture of Bataan 1 and Bataan 2:
Wikipedia:
Bataan 1 and Bataan 2 were two demilitarized Japanese bomber/transport aircraft that carried the first surrender delegations from Japan to Ie ...
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3answers
404 views
How accurately could ancient soldiers/commanders maneuver during battles
I am currently working on a small strategy game/interactive simulation of historical battles, whose main goal is to give the player – playing as the general of a ancient army – a more realistic amount ...
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6answers
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Why didn't Wehrmacht soldiers refuse to kill civilians?
Why didn't Wehrmacht Soldiers refuse to execute civilians (and Kids) when it was clear that they did nothing wrong?
I know that they were probably told they're partisans or Jews or something along ...
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4answers
509 views
Has an offensive ever succeeded without an advantage in artillery?
I am asking if an offensive has ever succeeded without an advantage in artillery. You can quantify this in any number of ways:
Number of guns
Shell tonnages
Some qualitative technical advantage in ...
10
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1answer
155 views
How was the Roman army in fact organized during Caesar's campaigns in Gaul?
I'm finding contradictory descriptions about how Roman legions were organized during the Gallic Wars (58-50 BC).
An appendix on Roman military organization in The Landmark Julius
Caesar highlights ...
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2answers
1k views
Were the mongol army boots of 13th century lined with fur?
I want to know about 13th century Mongolian army boots.
I know they used leather for their boots. The leather and the source of the leather is irrelevant to my research for now.
My question is that ...
