Their finest hour?

[ThrawnBlaze]

I cant wait to see Dunkirk I was always a fan of history and I hope the movie does it justice!

[rico21]

Bataille de Fontenoy 11 mai 1745
Citations passées à la postérité

« Messieurs les Anglais, tirez les premiers! »

— Attribuée au comte d'Anteroches

« Voyez ce qu'il en coûte à un bon cœur de remporter des victoires. Le sang de nos ennemis est toujours le sang des hommes. La vraie gloire est de l'épargner. »

— Louis XV, roi de France à son fils, le dauphin Louis-Ferdinand. dont la bataille avait été le baptême du feu et qui se réjouissait de la victoire
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle of Fontenoy 11 May 1745
Quotes passed to posterity

"Gentlemen of the English, shoot first!" "

- Attributed to the Count of Anteroches

"See what it costs for a good heart to win victories. The blood of our enemies is always the blood of men. The true glory is to spare it. "

- Louis XV, king of France to his son, the dauphin Louis-Ferdinand. Whose battle had been the baptism of fire and who was delighted with the victory

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: rico21

Bataille de Fontenoy 11 mai 1745
Citations passées à la postérité

« Messieurs les Anglais, tirez les premiers! »

— Attribuée au comte d'Anteroches

« Voyez ce qu'il en coûte à un bon cœur de remporter des victoires. Le sang de nos ennemis est toujours le sang des hommes. La vraie gloire est de l'épargner. »

— Louis XV, roi de France à son fils, le dauphin Louis-Ferdinand. dont la bataille avait été le baptême du feu et qui se réjouissait de la victoire
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle of Fontenoy 11 May 1745
Quotes passed to posterity

"Gentlemen of the English, shoot first!" "

- Attributed to the Count of Anteroches

"See what it costs for a good heart to win victories. The blood of our enemies is always the blood of men. The true glory is to spare it. "

- Louis XV, king of France to his son, the dauphin Louis-Ferdinand. Whose battle had been the baptism of fire and who was delighted with the victory

warspite1

What is the significance of this post on this thread please?

[rico21]

Simply that ancient classical wars offered more Chevalerie than the cowardice of the asymmetrical wars of today[:)]

[warspite1]

First Brexit and now 'cowardice of the asymmetrical wars of today'.

Can we leave modern day politics and wars of today out of this thread please to stop it from getting locked?

Thank-you.

[rico21]

All right, bye

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

I didn't expect that there would be so many claiming that certain campaigns or battles didn't count because they didn't fight it alone. Of course I knew about that, but in my humble opinion, didn't diminish their honour. Rather it increased it.

warspite1

As per post 8 I think that wars fought with others shouldn't necessarily be precluded from any such list - and there is no exact science here.

On reflection I think the Battle of the Atlantic is worthy of inclusion. After all, it was a battle won, it was fought by many, incredibly brave - and perhaps unsung - heroes, such as Captain Walker (see below), but also the merchant seamen of all nationalities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_John_Walker

Like the Battle of Britain, the battle could not have been won without proper planning and co-ordination of a number of areas - not just the fighting arm, but also the political/economic and technological arena. Getting the merchant vessels built/repaired, getting contracts in place to utilise neutral shipping and arrangements for shipping from the various Governments-in-Exile. Ordering the'Ocean-class' from the US in 1940. The British cancelled/delayed battleships and carriers to get the much needed escorts built too.

There was the continuous technological progress too that kept the Allies ahead of the U-boats. The US began assisting before they had officially entered the war and the Emergency Shipbuilding Program started in late 1941. And one mustn't forget the Canadian contribution; the creation of a Canadian ship building industry - and navy - almost from scratch.

It wasn't won alone, but the United Kingdom provided the commitment, the energy and the determination to get the job done.

That was more or less what I thought when I put it on the list. It is nice to see someone who agrees with me. [:)]

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Defeating a greatly diminished French army and a shadow Napoleon?

Well possibly. But how many people dismiss the achievements of the German Army and Case Yellow as being nothing special on the basis that the French Army was in a mess and had a Commander in Chief that was about 30 years past his sell-by date? Not many. It also ignores the fact that Wellington’s army was not homogenous; being made up of British, ‘Germans’ and Dutch-Belgians and the quality of units within varied enormously. There is also the old chestnut about the Prussian contribution.

I found interesting quote about England and Wellington:

"The French system of conscription brings together a fair sample of all classes; ours is composed of the scum of the earth — the mere scum of the earth."
— The Duke of Wellington on the British Army, 1813

Source

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Defeating a greatly diminished French army and a shadow Napoleon?

Well possibly. But how many people dismiss the achievements of the German Army and Case Yellow as being nothing special on the basis that the French Army was in a mess and had a Commander in Chief that was about 30 years past his sell-by date? Not many. It also ignores the fact that Wellington’s army was not homogenous; being made up of British, ‘Germans’ and Dutch-Belgians and the quality of units within varied enormously. There is also the old chestnut about the Prussian contribution.

I found interesting quote about England and Wellington:

"The French system of conscription brings together a fair sample of all classes; ours is composed of the scum of the earth — the mere scum of the earth."
— The Duke of Wellington on the British Army, 1813

Source

warspite1

You tell 'em Wellington [:)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2saolpwN4A

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: warspite1



Well possibly. But how many people dismiss the achievements of the German Army and Case Yellow as being nothing special on the basis that the French Army was in a mess and had a Commander in Chief that was about 30 years past his sell-by date? Not many. It also ignores the fact that Wellington’s army was not homogenous; being made up of British, ‘Germans’ and Dutch-Belgians and the quality of units within varied enormously. There is also the old chestnut about the Prussian contribution.

I found interesting quote about England and Wellington:

"The French system of conscription brings together a fair sample of all classes; ours is composed of the scum of the earth — the mere scum of the earth."
— The Duke of Wellington on the British Army, 1813

Source

warspite1

You tell 'em Wellington [:)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2saolpwN4A

warspite1

Actual footage of the Duke of Wellington (shot during a fly-on-the-wall documentary made for BBC2 in 1805).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clM1i88s-7Q

[Orm]

I thought more would favour the English victory against The Spanish Armada. I do not agree that it was the weather that decided this campaign. Even though it was the weather that caused the massive Spanish losses. It was the actions of the English fleet, and their ally, that caused the Spanish to flee the long route around Great Britain instead of withdrawing through the English channel.

Without the stout English defence in this part of events the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) might have been much shorter.

The English morale increased for years as a result of the Spanish Armada. It strengthened the protestant religion, especially in England. It might even have affected the outcome of the Dutch revolt.

That the 2nd Spanish Armada, and the Third, was defeated by the weather is another story.