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No.296 Squadron was an airborne forces squadron that towed gliders during the invasion of Sicily, the D-Day invasions and Operation Market Garden.
No.297 Squadron was an airborne forces unit formed from the Parachute Exercise Squadron, which took part in the D-Day landings, Operation Market Garden and the crossing of the Rhine.
No.298 Squadron was an airborne forces squadron, which towed gliders into action on D-Day, at Arnhem and during the Rhine crossings of 1945.
No.301 "Pomeranian" Squadron was a Polish-manned bomber squadron from 1940-1943, before reforming as a Special Duties squadron in the Mediterranean in 1944.
No.346 'Guyenne' Squadron was a bomber squadron manned by Free French personnel who had previously been serving in North Africa. It formed part of Bomber Command's main force from 1 June 1944 until the end of the war.
No. 347 "Tunisie" Squadron was the second Free French Heavy Bomber Squadron, to be formed in Bomber Command, entering combat on 27 June 1944
No.405 "Vancouver" Squadron was the first Canadian heavy bomber squadron to serve with Bomber Command, operating as a bomber squadron from June 1941 until October 1942, then with Coastal Command to March 1943 and finally with the Pathfinder Force from April 1943 to the end of the war.
No.408 'Goose' Squadron was a RCAF Squadron that operated with Bomber Command from June 1941 until the end of the war in Europe.
No.410 Squadron was an RCAF night fighter squadron, which spend 1941-43 operating in Scotland and the North East of England, before moving to Lincolnshire to carry out intruder missions. From June 1944 the squadron operated over the Allied armies during their advance towards Germany.
No.415 Squadron was a RCAF squadron which was formed as part of Coastal Command, carrying out anti-shipping and anti-submarine patrols from 1942 to 1944, before converting to the Halifax and joining No.6 (RCAF) Group of Bomber Command.
No.419 'Moose' Squadron was a RCAF squadron which served with Bomber Command from its formation at the end of 1941 until the end of the war in Europe, ending the war operating the Canadian built Lancaster B.Mk X
No.420 'Snowy Owl' Squadron was a RCAF Squadron that operated with Bomber Command from December 1941 until the end of the war with Europe, with a short break in the Mediterranean in May-October 1943 to support the invasions of Sicily and Italy.
No.424 'Tiger' Squadron was a RCAF Squadron that formed in Britain in October 1942. It spent most of the war operating with Bomber Command, with a short period in North Africa in June-October 1943 to support the invasions of Sicily and Italy.
No.425 'Alouette' Squadron was a RCAF squadron and part of Bomber Command from 1942 until the end of the war in Europe, with a short break in North Africa in 1943 to support the invasion of Sicily and Italy.
No.426 'Thunderbird' Squadron was a RCAF squadron formed in Britain in October 1942 that operated with the main bomber force of Bomber Command until the end of the war in Europe.
No.427 'Lion' Squadron was a RCAF squadron which formed in Britain in November 1942, and spent the entire war serving with Bomber Command's main force.
No.428 'Ghost' Squadron was an RCAF squadron which operated as part of Bomber Command's main bomber force from 27 January 1943 until the end of the war in Europe.
No.429 Squadron was a RCAF squadron that formed in Britain in November 1942 as part of Bomber Command, and operated with No.6 (RCAF) Group to the end of the war in Europe.
No.431 'Iroquois' Squadron was a RCAF squadron that formed in Britain in November 1942 as part of Bomber Command, and operated with No.6 (RCAF) Group to the end of the war in Europe.
No.432 "Leaside" Squadron was a RCAF bomber squadron, which formed around a nucleus of eighteen crews from No.427 squadron during 1943. It formed part of the main bomber force until the end of the war.
No.215 Squadron began the war as a training squadron with Bomber Command, before serving in India from 1942 to the end of the war, as a bomber squadron until April 1945 before ending the war as a transport squadron dropping supplies to the troops in Burma.
No.218 Squadron began the Second World War as a Fairey Battle squadron in the Advanced Air Striking Force, losing all of its aircraft during the fighting in France. In November 1940 it became a night bomber squadron and served with the main bomber force to the end of the war.
No.226 Squadron began the Second World War as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, suffering heavy loses in France in May-June 1940. It reformed as a Blenheim squadron, attacking coastal targets and shipping, and ended the war as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, back in France.
No.246 Squadron served with Coastal Command during 1942, then reformed in 1944 as a transport squadron, flying to the Middle and Far East.
No.264 Squadron began the Second World War as a Defiant-equipped day fighter squadron, but after suffering heavy loses in the summer of 1940 the squadron converted to the night fighter role, operating the Mosquito from June 1942 to the end of the war.
No.295 Squadron was a airborne forces squadron, which towed gliders during the D-Day invasions, Operation Market Garden and the Rhine crossings.
No.169 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as tactical reconnaissance unit and then as a Mosquito equipped night fighter intruder unit supporting the bomber offensive.
No.171 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, operating as a reconnaissance unit for six months in 1942 and then as a bomber support squadron from September 1944
No.178 Squadron was a heavy bomber squadron that spent the entire Second World War operating in the Mediterranean.
No.185 Squadron began the war as a training squadron, before being reformed on Malta on 27 April 1941, where it took part in some of the fiercest air battles over the island, before going onto the offensive in Italy at the end of 1942.
No.187 Squadron was a short-lived transport squadron, formed in February 1945 to ferry troops to India in preparation for the planned invasions of Burma, Malaya and Japan.
No.190 Squadron went through two very different incarnations during the Second World War, spending 1943 operating with Coastal Command, before becoming a glider-towing squadron, taking part in the D-Day landings, Operation Market Garden and the crossing of the Rhine.
No.192 Squadron was formed on 4 January 1943 as a radar counter-measures squadron. It was essentially a research unit, involved in identifying the types of radar being used by the Germans.
No.199 Squadron was formed in 1942 as a standard bomber squadron, becoming a counter-measures squadron in May 1944 after its Stirlings were withdrawn from the main bomber offensive.
No.207 Squadron was reformed in November 1940 to operate the troubled Avro Manchester, and had to use that aircraft for sixteen months, before converting to the Lancaster.
No.214 "Federated Malay States" Squadron spent the entire Second World War operating with Bomber Command, with the main bomber force from 1940 to early 1944 and then with No.100 Group
Raymond Spruance was one of the most important American naval commanders of the Second World War, taking command of the American carriers part of the way through the battle of Midway and then going on to command the Fifth Fleet for the campaigns in the Gilberts, Marshalls and Marianas as well as planning and implementing the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Vice-Admiral Robert Ghormley is most famous for having been the overall American commander at the start of the Guadalcanal campaign, a role he is considered to have performed quite poorly.
No.151 Squadron began the Second World War as a Hurricane squadron, participating the Battle of Britain, before becoming a night fighter squadron in November 1940, operating first in the defensive role and later as an intruder squadron.
No.157 Squadron was the first squadron to operation the Mosquito as a night fighter, after reforming in December 1941 for that purpose.
No.158 Squadron was formed during the great wartime expansion of Bomber Command, from the home echelon of No.104 Squadron and spent the entire war operationg with the main bomber force.
No.161 Squadron was a special duties squadron, formed in February 1942 from the King's Flight and part of No.138 Squadron to carry out a mix of supply drops and agent transportation missions
No. 166 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit and later as a bomber squadron operationg the Wellington and then Lancaster
William "Bull" Halsey was a hard-hitting American Admiral who played a major part in developing the strategy of "island skipping" in the Pacific in 1943-45 which saw the United States bypass a series of Japanese held islands during their advance across the southern and central Pacific.
The MGR-1 Honest John Short Range Tactical Battlefield Support Missile System first entered US service in 1953.
The MGM-52 Lance Short Range Battlefield tactical support missile system was designed to provide nuclear fire support at Corps level and the US Army had at one point eight battalions in service.
The Circular Error Probability is a circular area around the target within which a warhead has 50% chance of landing.
The Panzer III Medium Tank was the main German battle tank for the first two and a half years of the Second World War, only beginning to lose that status after the appearance of the Panzer IV Ausf F2 in March 1942. Until then the Panzer III had been the only German designed tank armed with a gun designed to penetrate enemy armour.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1 was the first of a series of command tanks based on the Panzer III, produced when it became clear that the kleine Panzerbefehlswagen was not large enough for the role.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf E was the second command tank to be based on the Panzer III. It was based on the standard Panzer III Ausf E but with the same modifications as on the earlier Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf H was the third version of command tank based on the Panzer III, and was based on the standard Panzer III Ausf H.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf J or Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK L/42 was the first in the series of command tanks based on the Panzer III to retain the tank’s main gun.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf K/ Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK39 L/60 was the last in the series of command tanks based on the Panzer III, and the only one to be custom built with its 5cm main gun intact.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J (5cm KwK L/42) saw the frontal armour of the Panzer III increased in thickness from 30mm to 50mm, and was produced with the 5cm KwK L/42 from the start.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J (5cm KwK39 L/60) was produced after Hitler insisted on the use of a longer gun in the Panzer III.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf L was the first of two interim versions of the Panzer III produced while attempts to fit a larger gun to the tank were under way.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf M was the second of two interim versions of the tank produced while attempts to fit a larger gun to the tank were under way and was virtually identical to the Ausf L, but with the addition of fording equipment, which allowed it to wade through four or five feet of water
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N was the final production version of the standard Panzer III, and the only version to be armed with the 7.5cm KwK L/24 gun.
The Panzerkampfwagen III (Fl) was a flamethrower equipped tank based on the Panzer III Ausf M, produced early in 1943.
The Panzerkampfwagen III als Tauchpanzer (diving tank), or Tauchpanzer III, was a version of the Panzer III modified to operate underwater for up to twenty minutes.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A was the first developmental version of the Panzer III, but even though only ten were produced the type still saw active service in Poland in 1939.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf B was the second development version of the Panzer III, produced during 1937 with a different suspension system.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf C was the third development version of the Panzer III, and featured another attempt to improve the suspension, the main weak point in the earlier designs.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf D was the fourth and final development version of the Panzer III, and saw a final attempt to improve the suspension system first adopted on the Ausf B.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf E was the first mass produced version of the Panzer III, after four pre-production series.
The Panzerhampfwagen III Ausf F was the second mass-production version of the Panzer III and the first to be built in significant numbers.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf G was very similar to the previous Ausf F, although most of the production run received the larger 5cm KwK L/42 gun.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf H had been intended to be the first version of the Panzer III to use the 5cm KwK gun when 759 were ordered in January 1939, but the use of that gun on the majority of Ausf Gs and the imminent arrival of the improved Ausf J meant that only 308 would be produced.
The skirmish at Alcoentre of 8 October 1810 was a minor incident in the final stage of Wellington’s retreat into the Lines of Torres Vedras in the autumn of 1810 and saw the French nearly capture a British horse artillery battery.
The combat of Alemquer of 9 October 1810 was the last fighting between the British rearguard and the French cavalry during the retreat into the Lines of Torres Vedras in the autumn of 1810.
The combat of Granollers of 21-22 January 1810 was an opportunist Spanish victory in Catalonia, which saw a French detachment at Granollers cut to pieces by the Army of Catalonia.
The battle of Vich of 20 February 1810 was a hard-fought French victory in Catalonia, won by an isolated French division under the command of General Souham.
The siege of Hostalrich of 16 January-21 May 1810 was just about the only significant success achieved by the French during Marshal Augereau’s brief time in charge of the 7th Corps in Catalonia.
The combat of Villafranca of 30 March 1810 was the first of two defeats that ended a French attempt to capture the city of Tarragona, the last major fortress in Catalonia to remain in Spanish hands.
The combat of Manresa of 5 April 1810 was the second of two defeats that ended a French attempt to capture the city of Tarragona, the last major fortress in Catalonia to remain in Spanish hands.
The battle of Alcañiz of 23 May 1809 was only the second major Spanish battlefield victory of the Peninsular War, and demonstrated many of the problems that would dog the French for the entire war.
The battle of Maria of 15 June 1809 was a French victory that ended a brief Spanish threat to Saragossa.
The rout of Belchite of 18 June 1809 was a French victory than ended General Blake’s attempt to recapture Saragossa in the summer of 1809.
The combat of Valverde of 19 February 1810 was a minor Spanish victory on the borders of Andalusia at the start of General Ballesteros's raid into western Andalusia.
The combat of Ronquillo of 25-26 March 1810 was the second fight during General Ballesteros’s raid into western Andalusia in the spring of 1810.
The combat of Zalamea of 15 April 1810 was the first defeat suffered by General Ballesteros during his raid into western Andalusia in the spring of 1810.
The combat of Araçena of 26 May 1810 was a minor French victory that ended General Ballesteros’s raid into Andalusia of the spring of 1810.
The Lines of Torres Vedras, on the peninsula north of Lisbon, are the most famous fortifications of the Napoleonic Wars, and in 1810 were the only thing that saved Wellington from having to evacuate his army from Portugal during Marshal Masséna’s invasion of the country.
No.142 Squadron began the Second World War as a Fairey Battle squadron, suffering heavily during the invasion of France. It then converted to the Wellington, operating from Britain and then in the Mediterranean, before ending the war as a Mosquito equipped pathfinder squadron.
No.144 Squadron spent the first half of the Second World War as a bomber squadron equipped with the Handley Page Hampden, and the second half with Coastal Command, for most of that time serving as a torpedo bomber squadron using the Beaufighter.
No.148 Squadron went through three very different incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit, then as a bomber unit based on Malta and finally as a Special Duties squadron based in Libya and finally Italy.
No.149 "East India" Squadron was a mainstay of Bomber Command, taking part on the Strategic Bombing campaign from its beginnings in May 1940 until the very end of the war.
No.150 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, starting as a Fairey Battle Squadron, which later converted to the Wellington and was posted to the Mediterranean, before being reformed late in 1944 as a Lancaster bomber squadron.
The combat of Santiago of 23 May 1809 was a relatively rare victory for a Spanish partisan force over regular French troops during the Peninsular War.
The combat of the Oitabén River of 7-8 June 1809 was a victory for a largely partisan Spanish force over Marshal Ney, which played a large part in the final defeat of French efforts to conquer Galicia.
The combat of Arzobispo of 8 August 1809 was a minor French victory late in the Talavera campaign, which saw them force their way across the River Tagus.
The combat of Aranjuez of 5 August 1809 was an inconclusive skirmish between the armies of King Joseph and General Venegas, fought towards the end of the Talavera campaign.
The battle of Almonacid of 11 August 1809 was a relatively costly French victory that effectively ended the Talavera campaign.
Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal of September 1810-March 1811 was intended to be the final campaign of the French invasion of Iberia, ending the Peninsular War, but instead the French ran up against the Lines of Torres Vedras, and the campaign ended in a disastrous retreat.
The first combat of Sobral of 12 October 1810 was the first of two skirmishes around the village of Sobral that would turn out to be the only French attacks on the Lines of Torres Vedras, the strong defensive position built to protect Lisbon.
The second combat of Sobral of 14 October 1810 was a skirmish south of the village of Sobral that would turn out to be the most serious attack the French would launch against the Lines of Torres Vedras.
The combat of Guarda of 29 March 1811 was a bloodless British victory in the last stages of Masséna’s retreat from Portugal.
The combat of Sabugal of 3 April 1811 was the last serious fighting during Masséna’s retreat from Portugal in 1811, and was a missed chance for a major Allied victory over an isolated portion of Masséna’s army.
No. 106 Squadron began the Second World War as an operational training squadron, only starting combat operations in September 1940. After a brief spell with the Avro Manchester, it received the Lancaster in May 1942 and operated with that aircraft until the end of the war.
No.107 Squadron began the Second World War by taking part in the first British air raid against a German target, before taking part in the battle of France, the defence of Malta and Coastal COmmand's anti-submarine campaign. The squardon ended the war as a night intruder squadron equipped with the Mosquito
No. 108 Squadron went through three very different incarnations during the Second World War, starting as a training squadron in Britain, before becoming a night bomber squadron in the Mediterranean and finally a night fighter squadron, operating in Libya, Malta, Egypt and finally Greece.
No. 109 Squadron was formed from the Wireless Intelligence Development Unit in December 1940, and spent the next three years involved in scientific development, before joining the Pathfinders at the end of 1943.
No. 110 "Hyderbad" Squadron served in two very different roles during the Second World War, spending 1939-1942 operating as a Blenheim bomber squadron from Britain and the rest of the war as a ground attack squadron operating over Burma.
No. 114 "Hong Kong" Squadron began the Second World War as a Blenheim squadron, soon joining the RAF contingent in France. The squadron fought during the German invasion of the west, then took part in the attack on the invasion ports, before moving to North Africa in 1942, fighting on Sicily and in Italy.
No.115 Squadron was as near as any a typical Bomber Command squadron, operating with the main bomber from bases in East Anglia for the entire war.
No. 138 Squadron was a Special Duties squadron which spent most of the Second World War carrying out supply drops to resistance movements in Occupied Europe.
No. 139 Squadron was unfortunate enought to be caught up in two military disasters in the early days of the Second World War, first in France in 1940 and then in Burma in 1942. It ended the war as a Pathfinder squadron, equipped with the Mosquito.
The battle of Bussaco of 27 September 1810 was the one major battle during Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal of 1810, and was a costly French defeat suffered in an attempt to attack a very strong Allied position on the ridge at Bussaco.
No. 102 "Ceylon" Squadron was a heavy bomber command squadron that served with Bomber Command for most of the Second World War, equipped first with the Whitley and then with the Handley Page Halifax.
No. 103 Squadron began the war as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, suffering very heavy loses while equipped with the Fairey Battle. By the end of 1940 it had joined Bomber Command, and took part in the night bombing campaign for the rest of the war.
No. 104 Squadron began the war as a Group Training Squadron, spend most of 1941 operating as a night bomber squadron from Driffield, before moving to the Mediterranean, where it remained for the rest of the war.
No. 105 Squadron began the Second World War equipped with the Fairey Battle, suffering heavily during the Battle of France. After a short spell with the Blenheim, it converted to the De Havilland Mosquito, first as a low-level daylight bomber and later as a pathfinder.
The French siege of Ciudad Rodrigo of 5 June-10 July 1810 was a precursor to Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal.
The combat of Barquilla of 10 July 1810 was one of the few failures for General Craufurd and the Light Division during Marshal Masséne’s invasion of Portugal.
The combat of the Coa of 24 July 1810 was a rare defeat for Craufurd’s Light Division during Masséna’s invasion of Portugal.
The siege of Almeida of 25 July-27 August 1810 was a delaying action fought to slow down Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal in 1810, most famous for the dramatic explosion that ended the siege.
The combat of Pombal of 11 March 1811 was a skilful rearguard action fought by Marshal Ney during the retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras.
The combat of Redinha of 12 March 1811 was the second rearguard action fought during Masséna’s retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras in the spring of 1811.
The combat of Casal Novo of 14 March 1811 was a rearguard action during Masséna’s retreat from Portugal that was notable for the reckless behaviour of General Erskine, the temporary commander of the British Light Division.
The combat of Foz de Arouce of 15 March 1811 was the least successful of Marshal Ney’s rearguard actions during Masséne’s retreat from Portugal in the spring of 1811.
The passage of the Alva River of 17-18 March 1811 was a nearly bloodless success for Wellington’s army during the French retreat from Portugal in the spring of 1811.
The Vickers Archer tank destroyer came about because of a need to make the 17 pounder anti tank gun more mobile. Designed as a stop gap measure, the Archer proved to be a hard hitting and effective vehicle.
The battle of Tamames of 18 October 1809 was the first Spanish battlefield victory in the Peninsular War since Alcaniz (23 May 1809), and the most significant since Baylen, right at the start of the war.
The battle of Alba de Tormes of 28 November 1809 was a dramatic French cavalry victory that ended the Spanish Junta’s autumn campaign of 1809.
The failure of the Spanish Junta's autumn campaign of 1809 left Andalusia vulnerable to French conquest, and in January-February 1810 King Joseph led his armies across the mountains from La Mancha, occupying Seville and forcing the Spanish Junta to flee to Cadiz.
The combat of Jaen of 23 January 1810 was a French victory during the invasion of Andalusia, fought after the French had forced their way across the mountains from La Mancha.
The combat of Alcala la Real of 28 January 1810 was a minor French victory during General Sebastiani’s invasion of Granada and Malaga.
The siege of Astorga of 21 March-22 April 1810 was a preliminary operation in the period before the start of Massena's invasion of Portugal.
Lieutenant General Hatazo Adachi commanded the Japanese forces on New Guinea from November 1942 until the end of the Second World War.
Field Marshal Harold Alexander was one of the most successful senior British generals of the Second World War, and proved to be an able commander of coalition armies.
General Korechika Anami was a Japanese general and polititian who played a part in the rise of General Tojo, but whose loyalty to the Emperor helped to foil the coup attempt of 14-15 August 1945.
General Wladyslaw Anders was a Polish general who commanded the Polish II Corps during the fighting in the Western Desert and in Italy, taking part in the final capture of Monte Cassino in May 1944.
General Aleksei I. Antonov was a Soviet general who rose to be Head of Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Red Army from 1942 to 1945.
Rear Admiral Masafumi Arima was a Japanese army officer famous for being one of the earliest "kamikaze" pilots, flying his own suicide mission just before the official start of kamikaze missions.
Colonel General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim was a Prussian general who is best known for having commanded the German forces in Tunisia towards the end of the fighting in North Africa in 1943.
The M79 Grenade Launcher is a very distinctive and simple weapon which first appeared during the Vietnam War.
The battle of Fuentes de Oñoro of 3-5 May 1811 was Marshal Masséna’s final defeat after his disastrous invasion of Portugal of 1810 and led to the fall of Almeida, the last French stronghold in Portugal.
The Spanish Junta’s Autumn campaign of 1809 was a disastrous politically motivated campaign launched in the hope that a spectacular military victory might remove the pressure on the Central Junta to put in place a more permanent government.
The combat of Astorga of 9 October 1809 was a minor French setback in the autumn of 1809.
The combat of Ocana of 11 November 1809 was a minor French victory early in the Spanish Junta’s autumn campaign of 1809.
The Battle of Ocaña of 19 November 1809 was a major Spanish defeat that ended any chance of success in the Spanish Junta’s autumn campaign of 1809.
The battle of Abluera of 16 May 1811 was one of the bloodiest battles of the Peninsular War, fought to prevent Marshal Soult from coming to the aid of the garrison of Badajoz.
The combat of Usagre (25 May 1811) was a minor cavalry battle during Marshal Soult’s retreat after the battle of Albuera.
The second British siege of Badajoz of 19 May-17 June 1811 was little more successful than the first siege, which had only lasted for one week before Marshal Beresford had been forced to lift the siege
The campaign that ended in the battle of Fuentos de Onoro was the aftermath of Marshal Masséna’s retreat from Portugal early in 1811.
The siege of Almeida of April-10 May 1811 saw Wellington’s army capture the last French stronghold left in Portugal after Marshal Masséna’s retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras.
Marshal William Beresford was one of the most important British commanders of the Peninsular War, but he only held one important independent command, in Estremadura in the spring of 1811.
The recapture of the Spanish border fortress of Badajoz was the main purpose of Marshal Beresford’s campaign in Estremadura in the spring of 1811, but would prove to be beyond his powers (first siege of Badajoz, 6-12 May 1811).
Army lists for the battle of Albuera of 16 May 1811
The siege of Campo Mayor (14-21 March 1811) was a time-consuming French victory that came between the departure of Marshal Soult from Estremadura and the arrival of an Anglo-Portuguese force under General Beresford.
The combat of Campo Mayor of 25 March 1811 was the first Allied victory during Beresford’s campaign in Estremadura in the spring of 1811.
The siege of Olivenza of 9-15 April 1811 saw the town liberated by an Anglo-Portuguese force only three months after it had been captured by the French.
The siege of Olivenza of 11-22 January 1811 was an early success for the French during Marshal Soult’s invasion of Estremadura.
The French siege and capture of Badajoz of 27 January-10 March 1811 was the main achievement of Marshal Soult’s invasion of Estremadura of 1811.
The battle of the Gebora of 19 February 1811 was a disastrous Spanish defeat that ended an attempt to break the French siege of Badajoz of 27 January-10 March 1811.
Marshal Soult’s invasion of Estremadura in January-March 1811 was a delayed response to the failure of Masséna’s invasion of Portugal in 1810.
The combat of Castillejos of 25 January 1809 was a minor engagement in the far south west of Spain that badly disrupted Marshal Soult’s invasion of Estremadura.
Eugéne de Beauharnais (1781-1824) was Napoleon’s step-son and an able soldier who spent much of his career as Viceroy of Italy.
The French invasion of Portugal of November 1807 was the first campaign of what would become the Peninsular War.
The Peninsular War was one of Napoleon’s greatest blunders, leading to seven years of warfare and ending with an invasion of France, but it began with a an almost effortless invasion of Spain, which saw the occupation of Madrid, Old Castile and the fortresses on the Pyrenees, and was followed by a cynical but well managed abduction of the Spanish royal family.
Sir Ralph Abercromby (1734-1801) was the most successful British general of the French Revolutionary Wars, admittedly not a period that saw the British army at its best.
The Talavera Campaign of June-August 1809 marked a number of important 'firsts' in the Peninsular War. It was the first time that Sir Arthur Wellesley campaigned in Spain; it saw the first great Anglo-Spain victory of the war and the first really large French defeat in Spain since Baylen, and ended with the first of Wellesley’s retreats back towards Portugal.
We look at the structure of the French army in Spain and Portugal during the spring and summer of 1808
The battle of Talavera of 27-28 July 1809 was the first of Sir Arthur Wellesley’s great victories in Spain during the Peninsular War.
We also provide an article that outlines the structure of the British, French and Spanish armies that fought at Talavera, 27-28 July 1809
The combat of Alcantara of 14 May 1809 was a minor clash between part of Marshal Victor’s corps and a small Portuguese force that had been stationed just across the Spanish frontier to watch the French army in Estremadura.
The combat of Torrijos of 26 July 1809 was a clash between the Spanish rearguard and advancing French cavalry, fought two days before the battle of Talavera.
The combat of Cassa de Salinas of 27 July 1809 was a preliminary action fought on the day before the main fighting at the battle of Talavera.
The siege of Chaves of 20-25 March 1809 saw the Portuguese recapture this border town only two weeks after it had fallen to the French.
The long defence of the bridge at Amarante was the first significant Portuguese success during Marshal Soult’s 1809 invasion of the country.
Sir Arthur Wellesley’s campaign in northern Portugal in April-May 1809 was the first success during Britain’s second intervention in Portugal, and saw the invading army of Marshal Soult expelled from the country.
The combat of Albergaria Nova of 10 May 1809 was the result of an unsuccessful British attempt to trap the advance guard of Marshal Soult’s army at Oporto at the start of Sir Arthur Wellesley’s campaign in Northern Portugal of 1809.
The combat of Grijon of 11 May 1809 was the second action during Sir Arthur Wellesley’s campaign in northern Portugal of 1809 and saw the French advance guard south of Oporto fight a short rearguard action before retreating into the city.
The combat of Peso de Regoa of 10 May 1809 was a relatively minor Portuguese victory over a French column under General Loison that very nearly resulted in the capture of Marshal Soult’s entire army.
The passage of the Ponte Nova of 15/16 May 1809 was one of the most daring exploits during Marshal Soult’s retreat from Oporto of May 1809.
The combat of Salamonde of 17 May 1809 was the only serious fighting during Marshal Soult’s retreat after his defeat at Oporto on 12 May.
The passage of the Misarella River of 17 May 1809 saw Marshal Soult’s army get past the last major barrier between them and relative safety during their retreat from Oporto in May 1809.
Marshal Soult’s invasion of Portugal in the spring of 1809 was to have been the first step in Napoleon’s ambitious plan to end the Peninsular War after his departure from Spain in January 1809.
The combat of Chaves (10-11 March 1809) was an early French victory during Marshal Soult’s invasion of Portugal of March 1809.
The battle of Braga (or of Lanhozo) of 20 March 1809 was a French victory during Marshal Soult’s invasion of Portugal, won against a large force of Portuguese Ordenanza
The battle of Oporto of 29 March 1809 was the final significant success during Marshal Soult’s invasion of Portugal.
Soult's Passage of the Ave of 25-26 March 1809 saw him pass the last barrier between his army and Oporto, the first target on his invasion of Portugal.
Marshal Victor's invasion of Estremadura (or the Medellin Campaign) of March 1809 was part of Napoleon's plan to complete the conquest of Spain in 1809
The combat of Meza de Ibor of 17 March 1809 was a French victory early in the Medellin campaign that forced the Spanish to abandon their positions on the River Tagus and retreat south towards the Guadiana.
The combat of Berrocal of 20 March 1809 was a minor Spanish victory during the Medellin Campaign.
The combat of Miajadas of 21 March 1809 was the second of two minor Spanish victories during their retreat from the Tagus during the Medellin campaign.
The battle of Medellin of 28 March 1809 was the final battle during Marshal Victor’s invasion of Estremadura of March 1809 and was one of the most costly Spanish defeats of the Peninsular War.
The combat of Mora of 18 February 1809 was an inconclusive clash between a Spanish raiding party under the Duke of Albuquerque and a brigade of French dragoons under the command of General Digeon.
The battle of Ciudad Real of 26-27 March 1809 was an almost bloodless French victory over a Spanish army that had attempted to force the French out of La Mancha.
General Westmoreland is without doubt the most famous US General who served during the Vietnam War.
The combat of Igualada (17-18 February 1809) saw the French defeat the left wing of an ambitious Spanish offensive aimed at recapturing Barcelona.
The battle of Valls (25 February 1809) saw the French defeat the right wing of an ambitious Spanish offensive aimed at recapturing Barcelona.
The combat of Alcañiz (26 January 1809) was a minor French victory over a Spanish force outside Saragossa during the second siege of Saragossa
The second siege of Saragossa (20 December 1808-20 February 1809), was an epic struggle that encouraged Spanish resistance to the French throughout the Peninsular War.
Teodoro Reding was a Swiss general who entered Spanish service before the French invasion of 1808. He was largely responsible for the first Spanish victory during the uprising, at Baylen on 19 July 1808, a victory that encouraged resistance to Napoleon in Spain and across Europe.
The battle of Ucles (13 January 1809) was a major French victory close to Madrid early in 1809. It saw a French army under Marshal Victor destroy the vanguard of the Spanish Army of the Centre, under General Venegas, and ended any chance of a quick Spanish return to Madrid.
The siege of Barcelona of August-17 December 1808 was one of the great missed opportunities of the Peninsular War - for over four months large Spanish armies sat inactive around the city, until driven away by a French relief force under St. Cyr
The siege of Rosas was the first engagement during General Gouvion St. Cyr’s campaign in Catalonia in the winter of 1808.
The battle of Cardadeu of 16 December 1808 was a French victory that ended the Spanish siege of Barcelona.
The battle of Molins del Ray (21 December 1808) was the final battle during General St. Cyr’s campaign to raise the siege of Barcelona.
General Francisco Xavier Castañas was the Spanish general who won the first victory of the Spanish uprising against French rule, at Baylen on 19 July 1808.
Don Gregorio de la Cuesta was one of the least successful Spanish generals of the Peninsular War responsible for heavy defeats at Cabezon, Medina de Rio Seco and Medellin
General Joachim Blake was a senior Spanish general of Irish extraction during the Peninsular War. He is widely considered to have been brave but careful, energetic, organised but unlucky
General Carlos Areizaga was an unsuccessful Spanish general during the Peninsular War.
General Francisco Ballesteros was a Spanish general during the Peninsular War, whose career began inauspiciously in northern Spain, but who became a very successful commander of small forces in the south of Spain in 1811-1812.
The battle of Zornoza of 31 October 1808 was a French victory that came just before the start of Napoleon’s campaign in Spain in November 1808.
The skirmish at Valmeceda on 8 November 1808 was a minor French victory in the aftermath of their victory at Zornoza on 31 October 1808.
The battle of Gamonel of 10 November 1808 was the first French victory during Napoleon’s November 1808 campaign in Spain.
The battle of Espinosa de los Monteros of 10-11 November 1808 was a major French victory during Napoleon’s November 1808 campaign in Spain.
The battle of Tudela, 23 November 1808, was a major French victory that sealed the success of Napoleon’s great plan of double-envelopment during the one campaign he conducted in person in Spain.
The battle of the Somosierra Pass, 30 November 1808, was the final Spanish attempt to stop Napoleon reaching Madrid during his 1808 campaign in Spain.
The siege of Madrid of 1-4 December 1808 was the final French success during Napoleon’s only campaign in Spain.
The battle of Evora of 29 July 1808 was a French victory during the Portuguese rebellion of 1808.
The sack of Cordova of 7 June 1808 was an early indication of the ferocity which would be a distinguishing feature of the Spanish uprising against French Rule
The storm of Mataro of 17 June 1808 was a minor French victory that came just before General Duhesme’s first attempt to capture Gerona in June 1808.
The first siege of Gerona, 20-21 June 1808, was the first of three French attempts to seize this city, which blocked their lines of communication between Barcelona and Perpignan
The second siege of Gerona, 24 July-16 August 1808, was a second unsuccessful French attempt to capture the city of Gerona
The action at the defile of Cacabellos, 3 January 1809, was a minor British victory during Sir John Moore’s retreat to Corunna.
The skirmish at Constantino of 5 January 1809 was a rear-guard action during Sir John Moore’s retreat to Corunna in the winter of 1808-1809.
The fighting at Lugo on 7 January 1809 was the closest that the British and French came to fighting a full scale battle during Sir John Moore’s retreat to Corunna over the winter of 1808-1809.
The straggler's battle at Betanzos of 10 January 1809 was an incident late in Sir John Moore’s retreat to Corunna in the winter of 1808-1809.
The battle of Corunna, 16 January 1809, was the final fight during Sir John Moore’s retreat from Spain in the winter of 1808-1809.
We begin the week with a greatly expanded article on the battle of Baugé, a Scottish victory during the Hundred Years War, but one that was fought on French soil.
Sir John Steward, lord of Darnley, was a member of a distant cadet branch of the house of Stewart who came to prominence during the Scottish involvement in the fighting in France during the 1420s.
John Steward, third earl of Buchan, was the second son of Robert Stewart, first duke of Albany (c.1340-1420), the de facto ruler of Scotland for most of the period from 1388 until his death. He was also one of the leaders of the Scottish army that serving in France from 1419, defeating an English army at Bauge in 1421.
Archibald Douglas, earl of Wigtown, fifth earl of Douglas and duke of Touraine, was a Scottish magnate and soldier who’s most significant military achievement was the Franco-Scottish victory at Baugé in 1421.
The Panzer II Light Tank was the second German tank to enter mass production during the period of German rearmament in the 1930s and was the most common tank during 1939 and 1940
The 15cm slG33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) was the second attempt to mount the 15cm sIG 33 infantry howitzer on a tank chassis.
The Marder II was a self propelled anti-tank gun produced by mounting a 7.5cm PaK40/2 anti tank gun on the chassis of a Panzer II Ausf F
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf F was the last standard version of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf L “Luchs” (Lynx) was the only one of a series of reconnaissance tanks based on the Panzer II to be produced in significant numbers.
The Wespe (wasp) was the last, and most numerous, of a series of self propelled guns based on the Panzer II fuselage and carried the German army’s standard 10.5cm howitzer (the Leichte Feldhaubitze 18M or leFH18M).
The Flammpanzer II was an unsuccessful attempt to produce mount flame-throwers on an armoured vehicle, for use against enemy bunkers.
The 7.62cm PaK36(t) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D was an early and successful attempt to mount an anti-tank gun on a tank chassis.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf a/1. a/2 and a/3 were the three earliest experimental development versions of the Panzer II.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf b was the second major development version of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf c was the final development version of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf A, Ausf B and Ausf C were the most common production versions of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D and Ausf E were virtually indistinguishable fast tanks, only very slightly related to the standard Panzer II light tank.
Sir Bertram Ramsay was a British admiral best known for his role in organising the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 and for planning the naval part of the D-Day landings in 1944.
Sir William Wake-Walker was a British admiral best know for his role in the hunt for the Bismarck in May 1941.
The siege of Calais of 23-26 May 1940 saw some of the most desperate fighting during the German campaign in the west in 1940. A combined French and British force was able to hold off heavy German attacks for three critical days, allowing the Allies to consolidate their hold on Dunkirk, but at the cost of the virtual destruction of the garrison.
Operation Cycle was the code name for the evacuation of British and Allied troops from Havre on 10-13 June 1940
Operation Aerial was the code name given to the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the ports of north west France between 15 and 25 June 1940.
John Vereker, sixth Viscount Gort, was a British soldier best known for his period in command of the B.E.F. in 1939-1940, which ended with the evacuation from Dunkirk.
The battle of Boulogne of 22-25 May 1940 saw a British and French garrison hold off a determined German attack, before the British were evacuated by sea.
Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk of 27 May-4 June 1940, is one of the most celebrated military events in British history, and yet it was the direct result of one of the most crushing defeats suffered by the British army. Over nine days nearly 300,000 men from the BEF were evacuated from Dunkirk, an action that allowed Britain to stay in the war.
The Gloster E.28/39 was the first British aircraft to be powered by a jet engine, making its maiden flight in 1941.
We begin a series of articles on the Gloster Meteor with a look at the development of the aircraft.
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.I was the first Allied jet aircraft to enter service during the Second World War, and the first production version of an aircraft that would remain in front line RAF service until 1961
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.II was the designation for a version of the Meteor powered by de Havilland H.1 engines. Only one was built.
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.III was the first version of the Meteor to be produced in large numbers, and the first truly satisfactory version of the aircraft.
The designation Meteor FR Mk.5 was given to a single Gloster Meteor F.Mk.4 (VT347) experimentally modified to operate as a fighter-reconnaissance aircraft
The Gloster Meteor F.Mk.6 was a proposal for an improved version of the Meteor jet, using long engine nacelles and the Derwent 7 engine. None were built.
The Gloster Meteor T Mk.7 was a two seat trainer, based on the Meteor F Mk.4.
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.8 was the last and best day fighter version of the Meteor, and equipped the majority of home based RAF fighter squadrons in the early 1950s.
The Gloster Meteor FR Mk.9 was a low level fighter-reconnaissance version of the Meteor Mk.8.
The Gloster Meteor PR Mk.10 was a high level unarmed reconnaissance aircraft.
The Gloster Meteor NF Mk.11 was the first of a series of night fighters based on the Meteor and designed to fill a short term need for a replacement for the Mosquito
The Gloster Meteor NF Mk.12 was the second development of the Meteor night fighter, this time based around the American APS-21 radar (AI Mk.21 in RAF service)
The Gloster Meteor NF Mk.13 was a tropicalised version of the NF Mk.11, forty of which were converted on the production line to equip the RAF in the Middle East
The Gloster Meteor NF Mk.14 was the final night fighter version of the Meteor, featuring an improved clear-vision sliding canopy and slightly more powerful engines than the earlier NF Mk.12.
The Gloster Meteor U Mk.15 was an unmanned target drone created from converted surplus F Mk.4 fighters
The Gloster Meteor U Mk.16 was an unmanned target drone based on the F Mk.8.
The Gloster Meteor TT Mk.20 was a target towing aircraft based on the NF Mk.11
The Gloster Meteor U Mk.21 was an unmanned drone, similar to the U Mk.16 and like that aircraft based on the F Mk.8 fighter, but built for use in Australia
The Gloster E.5/42 was a design for a single engined jet fighter that saw some development work in 1943 as an alternative in case the Meteor project was delayed by problems with the Whittle W2.B jet engine.
The Gloster Meteor was sold to twelve countries, remaining in service in some of them well into the 1970s.
A list of the Gloster Meteor Squadrons of the RAF
The Gloster Meteor was the only Allied jet aircraft to see combat during the Second World War, making its debut a few days after the Me 262
The Gloster Meteor has a limited post-war combat career, despite remaining in serving until 1961
Today we complete our series of articles on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator
A look at the development of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the US military aircraft produced in the largest numbers
We look at the service record of the B-24 Liberator with the Eighth Air Force in England, the B-24 in the Mediterranean and the B-24 in the Pacific.
We add a list of Consolidated B-24 Liberator Groups of the USAAF
More Eighth Air Force B-24 units today:
The 466th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force, based at Attlebridge, Norfolk, from March 1944 to the end of the war in Europe.
The 467th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit within the Eighth Air Force that was based at Rackheath, Norfolk, from March 1944 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 482nd Bombardment Group provided a pathfinder force for the heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force.
The 486th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force, entering combat with the B-24 in May 1944 but converting to the B-17 two months later.
The 487th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force, based at Lavenham, Suffolk, from August 1944 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 489th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit within the Eighth Air Force, noteworthy for containing the only man to be awarded the Medal of Honor while flying an Eighth Air Force B-24 from Britain
The 490th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force that entered combat just before the D-Day landings, attacking German airfields.
The 491st Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator group of the Eighth Air Force that entered combat early in June 1944, just before the D-Day landings.
The 492nd Bombardment Group was a unit of the Eighth Air Force, but despite being a heavy bombardment group it actually spent most of its time in Europe flying Carpetbagger missions, transporting agents and supplies to resistance movements in Occupied Europe
The 493rd Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force, that entered combat in May 1944, just in time to take part in the operations to support the D-Day landings.
The Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express was produced in response to a USAAF request for long range transport aircraft.
The Consolidated RY Liberator was the US Navy designation for transport aircraft based on the B-24 Liberator, known as the C-87 in the USAAF.
Operation Tidalwave, 1 August 1943, was a low level attack on the oil refineries at Ploesti, carried out by B-24 Liberators from bases in North Africa.
The Consolidated XB-41 Liberator was a prototype for a heavily armed escort fighter based on the B-24
The 34th Bombardment Group spent the first few months of the Second World War protecting the American coast, before becoming a training squadron. Finally from April 1944 the group joined the Eighth Air Force, operating the B-24 and then B-17 over Europe.
The 44th Bombardment Group was one of those Eighth Air Force units that flew the B-24 for the entire war, spending an unusually large amount of its time on tactical missions, as well as contributing detachments to the fighting in Italy.
The 93rd Bombardment Group was one of those Eighth Air Force units that operated the B-24 Liberator through the Second World War, taking part in the Strategic bombing campaign as well as sending three detachments to the Mediterranean and taking part in the attack on Ploesti
The 389th Bombardment Group was a B-24 unit of the Eighth Air Force that gained its first combat experience on detachment to North Africa between July and October 1943
The 392nd Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator group of the Eighth Air Force which operated from Wendling from July 1943 until June 1945.
The 445th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force which operated from Tibenham from November 1943 to the end of the war in Europe.
The 446th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force which operated from Flixton, England from November 1943 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 448th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force that operated from Seething from December 1943 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 453rd Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit that was active from Old Buckenham in England from February 1944 until the end of the war in Europe.
The Consolidated Liberator III was the British designation for the B-24D, serving with thirteen squadrons, seven of them performing maritime patrol duties.
The Consolidated Liberator IV was apparently the designation given to the B-24E for RAF service, but no squadrons appear to have used that aircraft.
The Consolidated Liberator VI was the RAF designation for the B-24H and early B-24Js, the first production versions of the aircraft to be built with a nose turret and was the most numerous RAF version of the Liberator
The Consolidated Liberator VII was the British designation for the C-87 Liberator Express long range transport plane.
The Consolidated Liberator VIII was the RAF designation for late production B-24Js. The type equipped twenty three squadrons, although ten of those were post-war transport squadrons, leaving thirteen wartime operators of the aircraft
The Consolidated Liberator IX was the RAF designation given to 27 RY-3 transport aircraft. This was a transport aircraft based on the PB4Y-2 Privateer, a specifically naval version of the B-24 Liberator.
The Consolidated LB-30 was the USAAF designation for 75 Liberator IIs taken from an RAF order in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor
The Consolidated B-24G Liberator was the designation given to B-24 Liberators built by North American at Dallas. It would become the third version of the aircraft to be built with a nose turret
The Consolidated B-24J Liberator was built in larger numbers than any version of the aircraft, with a total of 6,678 aircraft being built by all five factories involved in the Liberator Production Pool.
The single Consolidated XB-24K Liberator saw the first attempt to fit a single vertical tail to the B-24 with the aim of improving the stability of the aircraft
The Consolidated B-24L Liberator was an attempt to improve the performance of the aircraft by reducing its weight.
The Consolidated B-24M Liberator was the final production version of the aircraft, and was produced by the two remaining Liberator factories – Consolidated at San Diego and Ford at Willow Run.
The Consolidated XB-24N Liberator was a second attempt to fit the B-24 with a single fin and would have been the standard version of the aircraft if the war had continued into 1946
The Consolidated F-7 was a photographic reconnaissance version of the B-24 Liberator, produced at the Army Modification Centres.
The Consolidated C-109 Tanker was a fuel transport aircraft based on the B-24.
The Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator was the US Navy’s designation for the B-24, used to fly long range anti-submarine patrols
No. 88 Squadron served as a medium bomber squadron throughout the Second World War, beginning and ending the war supporting the Army as it fought in Europe, although in very different circumstances.
No. 90 Squadron was the first RAF squadron to operate the Flying Fortress, but in an early ineffective version. It was later reformed as a Stirling and then Lancaster bomber squadron.
No. 96 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a night fighter unit (1940-1944) and then as a transport unit in India.
No. 97 Squadron was one of the small number of squadrons to use the Avro Manchester, before converting to the Lancaster at the start of 1942.
No. 98 Squadron began the war as a training unit operating the Fairey Battle, before being reformed as a Mitchell bomber squadron late in 1942.
No. 99 Squadron (Madras Presidency) spent most of the Second World War operating the Vickers Wellington, first from Britain and later from India, where it eventually converted to the Liberator.
The six Consolidated LB-30As were the first production version of the Liberator bomber to be produced, entering RAF Service in 1941.
The Consolidated Liberator I was the first version of the aircraft to see active service with the RAF, carrying out anti-submarine patrols with No.120 Squadron.
The Consolidated Liberator II was the final version of the aircraft to be build as part of the original French order for the LB-30 and the first to feature the long nose that became a standard feature of all later versions.
The Consolidated Liberator GR V was a version of the Liberator III/ B-24D modified for service with Coastal Command.
Francois Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig, 1755-1820, was one of Napoleon's more experienced marshals, rising to the rank of general of division during the revolutionary wars. Despite this he rarely held an independent command and did not take command of a large battle until Zornoza in 1808.
Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes was a very capable French cavalry commander who fought in most major campaigns of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was present at Marengo and Austerlitz, fought in Spain in 1808, took part in the invasion of Russia in 1812 and was wounded at Waterloo.
The Convention of Alessandria of 15 June 1800 ended Napoleon’s victorious Italian campaign of 1800.
The Armistice of Steyer of 25 December 1800 ended the fighting in the Revolutionary Wars.
The Peace of Lunéville of 9 February 1801 ended the Revolutionary Wars and was a major French triumph.
The Treaty of Florence of 28 March 1801 confirmed French dominance in Italy.
No. 52 Squadron saw three incarnations during the Second World War, of which only the second saw any combat, flying convoy escorts over the Mediterranean in 1943
No. 58 Squadron spent two thirds of the Second World War serving with Coastal Command, carrying out anti-submarine patrols with the Handley Page Halifax
No. 61 Squadron spent the entire Second World War as part of RAF Bomber Command, starting the war with the Hampden before converting to the Avro Manchester and finally the Avro Lancaster
No. 63 Squadron began the Second World War as a bomber-training squadron before being reformed with fighter aircraft, performing reconnaissance duties
No. 75 Squadron was a bomber squadron formed from the New Zealand Flight in 1940 and which operated with RAF Bomber Command until the end of the war.
No. 76 Squadron spent most of the Second World War flying the Handley Page Halifax with RAF Bomber Command.
With the exception of a short time spent with Coastal Command in 1942, No. 77 Squadron spent the entire Second World War operating with Bomber Command, flying first the Whitley and then the Halifax
No. 78 Squadron began the Second World War as a reserve training squadron, before beginning bombing operations in July 1940. It remained with Bomber Command for the rest of the war.
No. 82 Squadron began the Second World War equipped with the Bristol Blenheim, taking part in the Battles of France and of Britain, before moving to the Far East in 1942, fighting over Burma from 1943 to 1945.
No. 83 Squadron spent the first half of the Second World War as a night bomber squadron and the second half serving with the Pathfinders.
No. 85 Squadron began the Second World War as a day fighter squadron, taking part in the Battle of Britain, but in October 1940 it began night fighter operations, performing that role 1944, at which point it joined No.100 Group and carried out bomber support missions.
The French invasion of Spain of 1808 began with a series of surprise attacks on the key Spanish border fortifications start at Pamplona on 16 February 1808 and then Barcelona on 29 February 1808, San Sebastian on 5 March 1808 and finally Figueras on 18 March 1808
Andoche Junot was a flamboyant but temperamental French general and was probably the most able of Napoleon’s generals not to be created a marshal.
Marshal Nicholas Jean de Dieu Soult was one of the most able of all Napoleon’s marshals, rising from the ranks to become the Grand Old Man of the French Army, and only the fourth man to be created Maréchal-général of the French army.
The battle of Rolica, 17 August 1808, was the first battle during the British involvement in the Peninsular War, and the first victory for Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future duke of Wellington)
The battle of Vimiero, 21 August 1808 was the decisive battle of the first British expedition to Portugal during the Peninsular War and saw Arthur Wellesley defeat a French attack on his position
The battle of Badr (17 March 624 AD) was an early victory for the prophet Muhammad over the Quraysh tribe of Mecca
The battle of Mount Uhud (23rd March 625 AD) was a minor Muslim defeat in the period after the battle of Badr
The battle of the Ditch (627 AD) was the largest and last attempt by the Qurayesh tribe to defeat the Muslim forces of Muhammad.
Our series of Second World War squadron histories continues with a look at No. 35 Squadron, the first RAF Squadron to use the Handley Page Halifax.
No. 37 Squadron used the Vickers Wellington for most of the Second World War, fighting in North Africa (1940-43) and Italy (1943-45)
No. 38 Squadron spent most of the Second World War flying the Vickers Wellington on anti-shipping duties in the Mediterranean
No. 40 Squadron had a varied career during the Second World War, beginning as a Fairey Battle squadron, flying the Blenheim during the Battle of France, before converting to the Wellington, spending most of the rest of the war in the Mediterranean
No. 44 Squadron was the first RAF squadron to be equipped with the Avro Lancaster bomber
No. 49 Squadron was one of the small number of Bomber Command units to use the Avro Manchester, the under performing precursor to the Lancaster.
No. 50 Squadron was part of Bomber Command's main bomber force during the Second World War.
No. 51 Squadron spend most of the war serving with the main bomber force of Bomber Command, with the exception of six months in 1942 when the squadron was loaned to Coastal Command
The battle of Medina del Rio Seco, 14 July 1808, was a French victory early in the Peninsular War won by Marshal Bessiéres against a much larger Spanish army.
The first siege of Saragossa, 15 June-13 August 1808, saw the Spanish successfully defend the almost unfortified city against a strong French attack, and was an early demonstration of the determination with which the Spanish would defend some of their cities.
The action of Epila, 23-24 June 1808, was a night battle that saw the French defeat a Spanish force attempting to raise the first siege of Saragossa.
General Antoine Lasalle was a talented French cavalry commander of the Napoleonic Wars who was killed leading his men at the battle of Wagram
The battle of Cabezon, 12 June 1808, was a crushing French victory won against an inexperienced Spanish army under the command of captain-general Don Gregorio de la Cuesta.
The action at Tudela of 8 June 1808 was the first of three attempts by the Spanish to defeat or delay a French army that was marching towards Saragossa.
The action at Mallen, 13 June 1808, was the second of three Spanish attempts to stop a French army under General Lefebvre-Desnouettes from reaching Saragossa.
The battle of Alagon, 14 June 1808, was the third of three attempts made by Joseph Palafox, the captain-general of Aragon, to stop a French column under General Lefebvre-Desnouettes from reaching Saragossa.
The action at the River Cabriels, 21 June 1808, saw a French army under Marshal Moncey sweep aside part of a small Spanish force that had been left to watch the northern route between Madrid and Valencia.
The action at the Cabrillas Defile, 24 June 1808, saw the defeat of the last Spanish attempt to stop a French army under Marshal Moncey from reaching Valencia.
The first battle of Valencia (26-28 June 1808) was one of a series of Spanish victories early in the Peninsular War. A French force under Marshal Moncey launched two assaults against the defenders of Valencia and was repulsed twice.
The battle of Sahagun (21 December 1808) was a British cavalry victory during Sir John Moore’s campaign in northern Spain in the winter of 1808.
The battle of Benavente, 29 December 1808, was a rear-guard action during Sir John Moore’s retreat to Corunna.
The battle of Mansilla (30 December 1808) was a French victory over the rearguard of a Spanish army under General La Romana, fought during Sir John Moore’s retreat to Corunna.
The battle of Baylen (19 July 1808) was a crucial Spanish victory early in the Peninsular War that encouraged both Spanish resistance and Napoleon’s enemies across Europe.
Pierre Dupont de L’Etang was a French general who fought in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was an able subordinate and division commander, but his first truly independent command, in Spain in 1808, led to defeat at Baylen, and to disgrace and imprisonment.
The battle of Oporto of 12 May 1809 was Arthur Wellesley’s first victory after his return to Portugal in April 1809 (Peninsular War)
The battle of Alcolea, 7 June 1808, was a French victory early in the Peninsular War won over an army of Spanish volunteers outside Cordova
Major General Isaac Brock, 1769-1812 was a British general who captured Detroit in 1812 before being killed at Queenston Heights
The battle of Lundy’s Lane was one of the hardest fought battles of the War of 1812. Although neither side won a clear cut victory on the day, the British held their ground against American attacks, forcing the Americans to abandon their campaign on the Niagara front.