Questions tagged [military]
Questions pertaining to characteristics of armed forces' structure, manpower, equipment, or expenditures.
676
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1answer
39 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 ...
-3
votes
2answers
103 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
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2answers
219 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
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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 ...
0
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0answers
71 views
Are there examples of successful army building? [closed]
Army building is the process of organizing an army in a country where the army has been either:
destroyed by a war
dissolved by a government
...
In the history, some countries have built armies from ...
6
votes
1answer
220 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
323 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
529 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
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1answer
97 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
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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
348 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
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0answers
106 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
191 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
159 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
275 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
189 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
276 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 ...
0
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0answers
39 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
335 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
305 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
143 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
279 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
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2answers
164 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
535 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
296 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Did USS Buck (DD-761) send the message “Temper, Temper”?
In a March 26, 2019 Reddit post with 1.1k upvotes, there is a picture with a story as follows (emphasis added).
15 Mar 1952: The Wisconsin receives her first direct hit in her history when one of ...
13
votes
1answer
234 views
How long did it take US fleet submarines during World War 2 to charge their batteries?
How long did it take a US fleet submarine running on the surface to recharge its battery fully for maximum duration submergence?
I realize that the answer depends on how many engines were being used ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
Difference between acts of “merit” and acts of “valor” in military decorations? (e.g. V device)
I used to think valor is for combat and merit is non-combat. Then I realize Purple heart, a successor of Badge of Military Merit, is awarded for "being wounded or killed in any action against an enemy"...
2
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0answers
216 views
Trying to identify what military service, war and rank by the uniform
I have been searching google images, tried a reverse search and found nothing. I have looked on many sites and cannot identify the service. I do know he has 9 buttons on his coat, 3 on the cuffs, red ...
0
votes
1answer
228 views
Can you explain how officers were able to refuse orders historically in France? Elsewhere?
I've read several biographies that pertained to military history in England and France especially around the time of Napoleon. I noticed that the authors referenced the ruler requesting the service of ...
3
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2answers
315 views
Can anyone help to identify and date this uniform or the medals?
Found in my late Aunt's possessions. Photograph of unidentified uniform:
9
votes
3answers
227 views
What was the timetable for Germany's Invasion of the Low Countries (Fall Gelb) in WW2?
I was watching the 1969 classic movie 'Battle of Britain' the other day and noted numerous scenes where the British were very concerned about a German invasion; "what are they waiting for?" was a ...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
What is this Uniform and Medal Ribbon?
I am trying to help someone. She has sent me a black & white photo. I think the battle dress is post WW2? And the man could be an officer? Ie the wearing of a tie. I just cannot work out the ...
36
votes
10answers
7k views
Why did it take so long to abandon sail after steamships were demonstrated?
1807, Robert Fulton's Clermont the first ship to demonstrate the feasibility of steam propulsion for commercial use, but it also carried sail.
1819, The first steamship to cross the Atlantic was the ...
2
votes
1answer
255 views
Military reforms after the battle of Manzikert?
After the battle of Manzikert and during Alexius's reign was there any attempt towards military reform to go back to the theme peasant-soldier system instead of mercenaries?
In John Julius Norwich's ...
3
votes
1answer
339 views
Number of foreigners in the Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht during WWII
During World War II, thousands of non-German men fought in the Waffen-SS and in the Wehrmacht. People from all Europe, volunteers from neutral and occupied countries and enemy prisoners. Even Russian ...
1
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0answers
95 views
helmet change from Greek to Macedon, Rome and Medieval period
Why did Roman helmets not cover the mouth like their greek counterparts? Did individual soldiers need to shout commands? Same for companion calvary Boeotian helmet vs that of medieval knights.
4
votes
1answer
248 views
Identity of pre 1930s US battleship
Need help in identifying this battleship--USS Nevada, Pennsylvannia or Arizona?
1
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0answers
59 views
Identify prior 1930's US Battleship and US Navy plane [duplicate]
Looking to identify this battleship--USS Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona?
0
votes
1answer
218 views
Did Japan have secret films about going into the US in the 40s?
This film (narrated by Ronald Regan) was produced in the 40s. It discusses detailed planning for an air mission into an area in Japan.
Did Japan have similar fims in the time period to aid them in ...
6
votes
2answers
471 views
Why would high-ranking officers wear a helmet exhibiting their rank near the enemy?
Buckner had arrived with his standard three stars showing on the front of his steel helmet and a nearby Marine outpost sent a signal to Buckner's position stating that they could clearly see the ...
0
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1answer
227 views
Why were general and flag officers allowed to fly aircraft in combat?
LTG Frank M Andrews and Maj Gen Robert Worley both died while piloting combat aircraft in a war.
I'm assuming that generals and admirals are less skilled or prepared to pilot aircraft, as their ...
25
votes
8answers
5k views
Operation Vengeance and Individual Targeting of Enemy Commanders
Operation Vengeance (1943) was a US military operation aimed specifically to kill Japanese Admiral Yamamoto.
It looks like something weird in contemporary era: are there any similar military ...
21
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1answer
3k views
Did firing trials of pre-WW1 British dreadnoughts involve actually firing at them?
On the Wikipedia page of HMS Dreadnought it is mentioned that during firing trials against HMS Hero there were some vulnerabilities of its fire control systems revealed: namely, wiring and voice tubes ...
33
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2answers
5k views
What was the function of the walls of Jericho?
The walls of old Jericho have been dated to around 8000bc. This is thousands of years before the nascent civilisations of Babylon and Egypt built similar fortifications and thousands of years before ...
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3answers
461 views
Was it possible to organize a women's uprising or feminist movement in the Middle Ages? [closed]
Women in Europe endured thousands of years of gender inequality, culminating in the Middle Ages. Women in the Middle Ages had few rights and were treated like minors and properties, yet they did very ...
