Forgotten Battle 33

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Lang Vei

Intro

The battle of Lang Vei occurred on the evening of February 6 to the morning of February 7, 1968. It was fought by soldiers of the NVA attacking an American special forces camp held by soldiers from Laos, South Vietnam, and 24 Americans. This battle in the isolated jungle of Vietnam would become one of the most nightmarish for American Special Forces in the whole war.

Part I

By the year 1968, several major things had happened that impacted in the American Intervention in Vietnam. The first was the 77-day siege of a marine base called Khe Sanh. The second was the Tet Offensive which was fought from January 30 to March 20. These campaigns successfully steered most of Americans' attention away from a small special forces camp in the Quang Tri province of South Vietnam. This camp was called located near a South Vietnamese village called, Lang Vei.

The first camp at Lang Vei was constructed in 1966 around the same time that American marines arrived at Khe Sanh. It was purposely positioned near Vietnam's border with Laos. This was done with the intentions of training both South Vietnamese and Laotian soldiers for special operations of their own and to observe enemy movements along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This camp was attacked and severely damaged by the NVA that year. A year later, a new camp was constructed seven kilometers to the west of Khe Sanh. This camp's garrison at Lang Vei consisted of 24 American green berets, 14 South Vietnamese Special Forces, and 443 local South Vietnamese recruits who were called, Civilian Irregular Defense Group soldiers (CIDGs). 

In command of the garrison was Captain Frank Willoughby. The base at Lang Vei was armed with plenty of rifles and ammunition for the defenders. They also had two M40 recoilless rifles, two M30 mortars, and nineteen 60 mm mortars positioned around the camp. Until February of 1968, the garrison at Lang Vei had little contact with any NVA or Viet Cong units. But nothing could have prepared them for what they would face on February 6.

Part II

Unknown to the Americans, the NVA was preparing to launch an attack to capture the base at Lang Vei. The task was given to the PAVN 24th Regiment, led by Colonel Le Cong Fhe. Their attack-force consisted of three infantry battalions and two sapper battalions. In addition, they were to be supported by two armored companies which each contained seven (14 overall) PT-76 light tanks. These tanks sported armor that was 20 mm thick on the turret, 10 mm thick on the front of the hull, and 14 mm thick on the sides. They were also armed with a 76.2 mm D-56T rifled tank gun and a 7.62 mm PKT machine-gun. Overall, a single tank weighed over 14 tons.

Prior to the attack, Staff-Sergeant Dennis Thompson had led a patrol that discovered tank tracks in the vicinity of the base at Lang Vei. After reporting this to Captain Willoughby, the latter requested to be supplied with anti-tank mines. For reasons unknown, this was denied. Instead, they were supplied with more than 100 disposable (and untested) M72 light anti-tank weapons (LAWs).

On January 23, the outpost at Ban Houei Sane (held by soldiers of the Royal Laotian Army) was attacked and overrun by the North Vietnamese 24th Regiment. The next day, the defenders retreated to the American outpost of Old Lang Vei and reported that the North Vietnamese attack-force had included over a dozen tanks. Once again, Captain Willoughby contacted 5th Special Forces command at the city of Da Nang and reported the findings. The Army responded by supplying them with more LAWs to the camp. On the night of February 6, 1968, the North Vietnamese finally launched their attack on Lang Vei.

Part III

At 11 PM, the Captain Willoughby heard a heavy rumbling sound close to Lang Vei. After spotting the tanks, the defenders opened fire. The NVA quickly returned fire and began to punch right through the defenses. Using their LAWs, the Americans tried to destroy the oncoming tanks. Unfortunately, many of the LAWs either misfired or simply bounced off the tank's armor. Although they were able to destroy or damage seven of the 14 attacking tanks, it wasn't long before the NVA were inside the camp and their tanks began to easily destroy its bunkers. 

In the face of this ruthless attack, most of the CIDG and Laotian soldiers panicked and abandoned their posts at Lang Vei. In desperation, the 24 Americans quickly radioed the marines at Khe Sanh for help. Unfortunately, Khe Sanh was simultaneously under heavy attack from the NVA and unable to respond. With few options left, eight American green berets (including Captain Willoughby) and a number of South Vietnamese retreated into the camp's underground Tactical Operations Center (TOC). Soon, the tanks began blasting away at the TOC in an attempt to destroy it. When they failed, one of the tanks maneuvered  directly onto the TOC's roof in an attempt to crush the bunker and those inside. Amazingly, the bunker held firm, but the tank's weight crushed the main radio antenna and knocked out all communications. This left those in the TOC completely isolated and unable to call for help.

At Old Lang Vei, one of the green berets gathered up many of the fugitive Laotian soldiers and prepared to launch a counter-attack to rescue the men trapped in the TOC. Sergeant First Class Eugene Ashley personally led three charges and killed several of the NVA. Unfortunately, all of these charges were beaten back and he was severely wounded. After this, the Laotians refused to continue fighting. Sergeant Ashley later died from his wounds.

Back at the TOC, the NVA began to harass the trapped defenders. They tossed down thermite grenades. After this they threw in tear gas. The South Vietnamese soldiers eventually buckled under the pressure and decided to surrender. But as soon as they walked out of the bunker, they were all executed. The eight Americans however, refused to surrender and began destroying classified documents inside the TOC. In frustration, the NVA began throwing down fragmentation grenades which severely wounded all the defenders. They finally placed C-4 in the ventilation shaft which blew a large hole in the bunker. Amazingly, the TOC remained standing and the hole allowed the green berets to finally radio for air- support. After calling in three airstrikes on the NVA, Captain Willoughby and six other green berets (one had succumbed to his wounds) decided to break out of the ruined camp. They successfully eluded the NVA and were evacuated to Khe Sanh by helicopter. 

Epilogue

The battle of Lang Vei had ended in a major defeat for the Americans. Of the 24 green berets stationed at Lang Vei, seven were killed, three were captured, and eleven were wounded. In addition, more than 300 CIDG and Laotian soldiers were either killed or captured. By contrast, the NVA claimed to have lost seven tanks and suffered around 90 KIA and 220 wounded. Sergeant First Class Eugene Ashley was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor during the battle. What remained of the camp was later destroyed by airstrikes.

In spite of their tactical victory at the battle of Lang Vei, the NVA ultimately failed to capture the prime objective which was the marine base at Khe Sanh. Like the Tet Offensive, that too ended in a military disaster for them. For the Americans, the battle of Lang Vei eventually faded into memory. Today, it remains a forgotten stand in a foreign land by a few brave men against overwhelming odds. 

https://arsof-history.org/articles/19_aug_lang_vei_page_1.html

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/green-berets-battle-of-lang-vei.html

https://www.specialforces78.com/lang-vei-extraction-of-survivors-under-heavy-fire/

https://www.thehistoryreader.com/military-history/february-6-7-1968-battle-lang-vei-special-forces-camp/

Forgotten Battle 32

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Cisterna

Intro

The battle of Cisterna occurred from January 30 to February 2, 1944. It was fought between soldiers of the American 3rd Infantry Division and US Army Rangers against the German 15th Panzergrenadier Division in the Italian town of Cisterna. This three day battle would have a major impact on the Allied Invasion of Italy and forever change the use of rangers in combat.

Part I

In January of 1944, the Allied Invasion of Italy was in full swing. By now, the Anglo-American advance had been stopped at an Axis perimeter called, the Gustav Line. To break the deadlock at the Gustav Line, General John Lucas decided to launch Operation Shingle. The plan was to land two Allied divisions at beaches near the port-city of Anzio. They would then outflank the Germans on the Gustav Line and capture Rome.

On January 22, 1944, thousands of American and British soldiers stormed ashore the beaches of Anzio. After just a single day of fighting they had captured the port. However, General Lucas then ordered his soldiers to fortify the beachhead and prepare for a potential counterattack by the Germans. Unfortunately, this costed the Allies the initiative as the German commander (Field Marshal Albert Kesselring) had no intention of attacking them on the beaches. He simply rushed more German soldiers to occupy the hills surrounding them and contain the Allies.

When the Allies tried to move their soldiers off the beaches of Anzio, they ran into a nearly impenetrable ring of defenses that they were unable to break through. After a week of heavy fighting and no progress, General Lucas decided to launch two simultaneous attacks. One would involve the British 1st Infantry Division moving against German positions in the Alban Hills. The second would be a night infiltration to capture the Italian town of Cisterna. This task would be given to three battalions of US Army Rangers.

Part II

Cisterna was targeted due to its proximity to a crucial communications route between the German position at the Gustav Line to Rome. If the Americans were to capture it, they could cut off the German reinforcements, isolate the defenders on the Gustav Line, and hopefully enable them to break out of the Anzio perimeter. The man chosen to command the operation was, Colonel William Darby.

The 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions (a total of 767 men) were to move under the cover of darkness and capture the town before dawn. They were to then hold it until reinforcements from the 7th and 15th Infantry Regiments and the 3rd Infantry Division. While this was happening, the 4th Ranger Battalion would advance along the Conca-Cisterna Road, clearing mines and knocking out enemy outposts before link up with the first two battalions. 

At 1:30 in the morning of January 30, the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions began their advance. For the next few hours, they followed the Mussolini Canal and successfully bypassed numerous German fortifications. But when they reached an open plain 800 yards south of Cisterna, the Germans opened fire. The rangers did not realize until too late that the Germans had anticipated an attack on Cisterna and had rushed an elite panzer division to intercept them (allied intelligence had failed to spot their movements). As soon as the sun came up, the tanks closed in and surrounded the rangers who were both outnumbered and severely outgunned.

Part III

In the thick of the fighting, was Private First Class James Palmer of the 1st Ranger Battalion. He and his fellow rangers found themselves under heavy fire from all sides. They dove for what little cover they could find and tried fight back as best they could. Using their bazookas and grenades, the rangers were able to destroy at least three of the German tanks. But soon after hours of fighting, their ammunition began to dwindle and the Germans kept pouring more of their own soldiers into the fray.

 

They quickly radioed the 4th Battalion for help. After realizing the situation, Colonel Darby personally led the 4th Battalion up the road to try and reach the trapped rangers. Unfortunately, they ran into a blockade of German defenses that stopped them dead in their tracks. Elements from the 3rd Infantry Division also attempted to relieve the trapped rangers at Cisterna. Among them, was Private First Class Alton Wayne Knappenberger.

On February 1, Knappenberger and his battalion were crossing an open plain when they came under heavy fire from the German counterattack. After seeing the officers all get killed or wounded, he decided to take the initiative and attacked a German machine-gun. While zigzagging to dodge its fire, he eventually got close enough to return-fire, kill its crew, and knock the gun out. When a second machine-gun opened fire, Knappenberger then repeated his actions and knocked this one out as well. He then advanced to a nearby knoll where he was joined by six of his surviving comrades. Together they held their position for several hours and killed at least 60 of the attackers. However, they were all eventually forced to retreat after running out of ammunition.

In spite of their best efforts, it became clear to the rangers of the 1st and 3rd battalions that they were fighting a losing battle. The final straw came on February 2, when the Germans paraded a number of captured Americans before their tanks and threatened to kill them if their comrades didn't surrender. With almost no ammunition left and no hope of relief, the rangers surrendered.

Epilogue

For the American Army Rangers, the battle of Cisterna had been an unequivocal disaster. Of the 767 rangers that had become trapped, only six had managed to escape the encirclement. The rest of them had all been either killed or captured. Among the six to escape was James Palmer. During the fighting, he had successfully killed several Germans before sneaking out through the brush. He was later found walking alone on the Cisterna Road while severely wounded. The German casualties are believed to be around 600 to 800 killed, wounded, or missing. 

For his valor during the battle, Alton Knappenberger received the Congressional Medal of Honor. He would continue to see heavy combat for the remainder of the war. In spite of the failure to capture Cisterna, the Americans had successfully managed to push three miles forward from the Anzio perimeter. When the Germans attempted to follow up on their victory with a counter-attack on Anzio, they were pushed back with heavy losses. The town of Cisterna would remain in German hands until May 1944, when the Allies finally broke through the German line. On June 4, they finally liberated Rome.

For the rangers, their part in the Invasion of Italy was over. It became clear to the Allied commanders that they were meant to be used as an elite raiding force instead of a line infantry unit. On June 6, 1944 (D-day), US Army Rangers would earn their redemption when they scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc and destroyed the German artillery stationed there. They would continue to accomplish many more missions until the end of World War II.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/rangers-ravaged-at-cisterna-75-years-ago/

https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2026/04/23/how-wwii-battle-of-cisterna-destroyed-and-transformed-army-rangers.html

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA428671.pdf

the-one-man-army

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/173124/survived-battle-cisterna-story-pfc-james-palmer-1st-ranger-battalion-wwii

Forgotten Battle 31

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The SLA Shootout

Intro

The SLA Shootout took place on May 17, 1974. It was a two hour gunfight between six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army and officers of the LAPD. This shootout was fought on East 54th Street within Los Angeles, California, and would leave a lasting impression on the city's law enforcement forever.

Part I

The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) is believed to have been formed in the year 1973. The man responsible for it was an ex-convict named, Donald DeFreeze. While he was incarcerated, DeFreeze met a student from UC Berkeley named, Willie Wolfe. Together, they decided to form a far-left marxist group that could fight against the corrupt and racist American society. On March 5, 1973, DeFreeze escaped from Soledad Prison and fled to Oakland, California. There, he met another far-left radical named Patricia Soltysik who had also attended UC Berkeley. And it was here that DeFreeze formed the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Before long, the SLA gained almost dozen members. Their mission was to spread left-wing ideology which included: marxism, anti-capitalism, feminism, and vanguardism. Each member adopted a new name, purchased a small arsenal of weapons, and prepared for their first act of rebellion. DeFreeze decided that the SLA's first major act would be to assassinate a public figure. The target would be the Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools, Marcus Foster. 

Marcus Foster was a highly respected public figure and the city's first black superintendent of an urban school system. However, his alleged support for a student identification program convinced DeFreeze and the SLA that Foster was a race-traitor and supporter of fascism (Foster was actually against the program). On November 6, 1973, Foster and his Deputy Superintendent (Robert Blackburn) were leaving a school board meeting when several gunmen opened fire on them. Foster was shot eight times and died at the scene. Blackburn was severely wounded but survived.

Members of the SLA immediately sent letters to the media claiming responsibility for the assassination. In spite of their justification for killing Foster, the public (especially college students) reacted with scorn and outrage. Two months after the murder, two SLA members were stopped and arrested by the police. While the two men were being taken into custody, the police discovered weapons and SLA fliers within their car and began a state-wide manhunt for the group. But the SLA got wind of the arrests and quickly set fire to their safe-house before the police could arrive. 

Part II

The negative reception to the assassination of Marcus Foster convinced DeFreeze to change his tactics. He decided that kidnapping an important figure would bring much needed news coverage to the SLA. This time, their target was a UC Berkeley undergraduate named, Patricia "Patty" Campbell Hearst. Patty Hearst was the daughter of newspaper publisher Randolph Apperson Hearst and the granddaughter of the famous congressman, William Randolph Hearst. Due to her status as the heiress to the Hearst family fortune, DeFreeze was convinced that her kidnapping would invite nationwide news coverage that would spread the mission of the SLA.

On February 4, 1974, three members of the SLA broke into Patty Hearst's apartment and abducted her at gunpoint. As DeFreeze had predicted, her kidnapping made headlines across America. Two days after the abduction, a letter appeared to media from the SLA. In it, they claimed responsibility for Hearst's kidnapping and ordered that all their following demands be printed in all newspapers. Six days later, a recording was delivered to the KPFA radio station in Berkeley. It was revealed to have been made by Patty Hearst herself. In it, she claimed that she was being treated well and asked the police to not look for her. Over the next two months, four more recordings were released. In them Patty seemed to be growing more hostile and gravitating towards sympathizing with her captors. Fifty-nine days after her abduction, a fifth tape was recovered. Here, Patty Hearst denounced her family, pledged her allegiance to the SLA, and called herself, "Tania".

On April 15, two weeks later, five members of the SLA broke into the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco and stole over $10,000. Upon reviewing the banks surveillance tapes, investigators discovered that one of the robbers holding up the bank employees was none other than Patty. A few days later, a sixth tape was recovered where Patty admitted to willingly participating in the robbery and reiterated that she was not brainwashed. With Patty Hearst now confirmed to have become a full fledged member of the SLA, local police and the FBI decided to ramp up their efforts to track down and arrest the organization.

Part III

Three months after the Hibernia Bank robbery, the SLA was operating in the city of Los Angeles. On May 16, two of its members (Bill and Emily Harris) entered a sporting goods store and were caught shop-lifting. While they were fighting with a security guard, Patty Hearst (who was acting as a lookout) pulled a rifle and fired warning shots at the shop's overhead sign. This enabled Bill and Emily to run to their car and drive away with Patty in the backseat. Police were alerted to the scene and later found the vehicle abandoned. Upon searching the vehicle they discovered a parking ticket with an address. Suspecting the SLA, the LAPD converged on the house. Although, it was abandoned when they arrived, the police found evidence that confirmed the SLA was in the area.

The next day, the LAPD received a 9-1-1 call claiming that several armed people had taken up residence at 1466 East 54th Street in downtown Los Angeles. It was the break they were waiting for. Within minutes more than 400 cops and a handful of FBI agents surrounded the neighborhood. Captain Mervin King ordered his officers to evacuate the houses on 54th Street and slowly converge on the target house. The cops then split into two groups. One group (led by Sergeant Albert Preciado) approached and deployed by the front of the house. The second group (led by Sergeant Ron McCarthy) moved to the house's back entrance. 

With the house now surrounded, an officer grabbed a bullhorn and shouted, "Occupants of East 54th Street, this is the Los Angeles Police Department speaking. Come out with your hands up!". He repeated this order a total of 18 times but got no answer. After observing the SLA members barricading the doors and arming themselves with rifles, the SWAT teams decided to start firing tear gas. As soon as they did, the SLA members opened fire, and the gunfight began. The SWAT officers were armed with semi-automatic AR-15 and AR-180 rifles. By contrast, the SLA members were armed in M-1 carbines and a BAR that had been converted to fully automatic fire. Several officers would later report seeing hand grenades being tossed at them from the house.

For the next two hours, the SWAT officers traded fire with the SLA. The balance finally tipped at 6:45 PM, when the house caught fire. This was likely due to all the burning teargas canisters fired into the house. The fire forced the SLA members to retreat to a crawlspace under the house. From, its entrance they resumed firing at the police who fired back. At this moment, one of the SLA members (Nancy Ling Perry) exited the house. As she crawled on her hands and knees, she pointed a pistol at the officers and fired. Her shot missed. The police immediately returned fire and killed her on the spot. Then a second SLA member (Camilla Hall) exited the crawlspace and raised a revolver at the SWAT officers. She was killed with a single shot to the head. Her body was then pulled back inside the crawlspace by another SLA member. Soon after this, the shooting stopped and the LAFD moved in to put out the fire.

Epilogue

After the fire was out, the police moved in and found the bodies of six members of the SLA (five in the crawlspace, and one on the ground outside). They were identified as, Donald DeFreeze, Willie Wolfe, Nancy Ling Perry, Angela Atwood, Camilla Hall, and Patricia Soltysik. All had died from a combination of gunshot wounds, burns, and smoke inhalation. By contrast, the LAPD had suffered no casualties.

The entire incident was covered live by multiple news organizations. With the use of brand new portable mini-cams, this was the first ever police-involved shootout to be broadcast on live television. Among those to watch the shootout on live TV was Patty Hearst. After the shop-lifting incident, she along with the Bill and Emily Harris had switched vehicles and driven out of Los Angeles to a hotel in Anaheim. Together, they watched the showdown on the television in their hotel-room.

For the SLA, the shootout was the beginning of the end. On September 18, 1975, Patty Hearst along with Bill and Emily Harris were captured in San Francisco. Patty was sentenced to seven years in prison for her role in the Hibernia Bank robbery. Twenty-one months later, she was released after President Jimmy Carter commuted her sentence. She was later granted a full pardon in 2001 by President Bill Clinton. Bill and Emily Harris were sentenced for their roles in her kidnapping.

Today, the two hour shootout between the LAPD and the Symbionese Liberation Army is remembered as a great triumph of American law enforcement against organized crime. It showed what the police were capable of and served as a deterrent for any future anti-government organizations who believed themselves capable of operating outside the law. Never again would any home-grown guerrilla networks wreck such havoc within the United States of America.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-17/lapd-raid-leaves-six-sla-members-dead

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/guerrilla-rise-and-fall-symbionese-liberation-army/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-18-me-59109-story.html

https://www.dailynews.com/2014/05/15/photos-and-video-symbionese-liberation-army-shootout-with-the-lapd-40-years-later/

Forgotten Battle 30

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Ligny 

Intro

The battle of Ligny occurred on June 16, 1815, outside the town of Ligny in what is now Belgium. It was fought between the French Army led by Napoleon Bonaparte against the Prussian Army led by Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher. This climactic battle took place during the War of the Seventh Coalition and would be Napoleon's final battlefield triumph.

Part I

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from the island of St Elba and returned to France. Upon learning of this, King Louis XVIII sent the French Army to apprehend Napoleon. Its commander (Marshal Ney) vowed to bring Napoleon back to Paris in an iron cage. But when Ney and his army encountered Napoleon (and the latter's Imperial Guard) on March 7, the most unexpected thing happened. Napoleon walked into the open and approached the French Army. He then opened his coat and said, "Soldiers, if any of you wants to kill his general, his emperor, here I am". After a few tense seconds, the soldiers of the French Army shouted, "Vive I'Empereur" and joined him.

With the French Army now rallying around Napoleon, King Louis XVIII and his family were forced to flee Paris. Napoleon arrived in the city on March 20 and was greeted with a hero's welcome. He then declared that he had no intention of igniting another war and only wished rule France peacefully. However, the nations of the prior coalitions (mainly Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia) did not believe him and began to mobilize their armies.

Six days before Napoleon arrived in Paris, the Congress of Vienna declared him an outlaw. Realizing that his hand had been forced, Napoleon quickly mobilized the French Army to meet the oncoming threat. He knew that his only chance of victory was to attack and destroy the allied coalition before it could be formed. After learning that the armies of Great Britain and Prussia were massing in the country of Belgium, Napoleon invaded the country and began marching to meet them.

Part II

Napoleon's plan was to launch a pincer movement against the Allies. He divided his army into two groups. One force of 21,000 (primarily cavalry) was placed under the command of Marshal Ney. Their objective was to attack the Anglo-Dutch army located at the Belgian hamlet of Quatre Bras. Napoleon took command of his group and marched to meet the Prussian Army (which he considered to be the greater threat) with more than 60,000 soldiers and 210 cannons. If all went according to plan, they would attack and defeat both armies on the same day.

There were two men commanding the two allied armies in Belgium. The 1st Duke of Wellington (Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley) commanded the British while Prince William of Orange was in command of the Dutch. Their army combined, numbered more than 30,000 soldiers. Both men knew that even this number would not be enough to defeat Napoleon. Their best chance of victory was to link up with the Prussian Army (who numbered 80,000 strong) and combine their forces. On June 15, they deployed their forces around the Quatre Bras hamlet.

The man who commanded the Prussian Army was Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher. Marshal von Blücher was a highly experienced military commander who had fought against Napoleon many times before. Therefore, he knew that it was of critical importance to combine his army with Wellington's. He and his massive army camped at the village of Ligny. However, upon learning of Napoleon's movements, Blücher ordered his men to dig in and fortify the village. The stage was set for a massive battle.

Part III

The first clash was at 10 AM in the morning of June 16 at the Belgian municipality of Fleurus. Two French cavalry units attacked the Prussian dragoons stationed there and drove them back. After less than an hour of skirmishing, the Prussians retreated from the town. Just after 11, Napoleon himself entered Fleurus and constructed an observation post.

From there, he observed that even though the Prussians had superior numbers, Blücher had arrayed them in a very wide perimeter that stretched his army dangerously thin. At 2:30 in the afternoon, Napoleon ordered a column of infantry to assault the Prussian line at St. Amand. After opening fire with a massive artillery barrage, Commander Dominique Vandamme's III Corps launched its attack. Initially, they were successful. But then were forced to retreat by a Prussian counter-attack. Almost immediately, Marshal Étienne Gérard's division directly attacked St. Amand from the west. The town changed hands multiple times and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

At 3 PM, Marshal Gérard launched a direct attack on Ligny. The French infantry crossed over an open field and engaged the Prussian defenders in firing at point blank range. The battle quickly devolved into a house to house fight that lasted for the next two hours. As the casualties continued to mount, the Prussian defenders received reinforcements and briefly pushed the French out of Ligny. But by now, part of the town had caught fire and many of the defenders were overcome by the smoke and flames. At this moment Napoleon ordered his elite Imperial Guard to move forward.

With a thunderstorm approaching, Napoleon knew he needed to strike a decisive blow before it began to rain. At 7:45 PM, the Imperial Guard and the French heavy cavalry stormed into Ligny and engaged the defenders in hand to hand combat. Now, the exhausted Prussian line finally buckled and began to retreat. The Imperial Guard pursued them into the town killing and capturing thousands. Blücher tried to personally rally his men, but his horse was shot from under him and he fell wounded. Soon, the Prussians were in full retreat. The fighting finally ended just as darkness fell.

Epilogue

The casualties for the Battle of Ligny were costly for both sides. The French Army had suffered over 12,000 killed, wounded, or captured (among the dead was Marshal Gérard). The Prussians had lost more than 16,000 casualties total. By the next morning, the French were in complete control of the battlefield and Napoleon claimed victory. 

At the same time as Napoleon's attack on Ligny, Marshal Ney had attacked Wellington and Prince William at Quatre Bras. Although he was able to stop the Anglo-Dutch army from linking up with the Prussians, Ney was unable to dislodge them from their positions. But upon learning of the Prussian defeat at Ligny, Wellington and Prince William decided to retreat from Quatre Bras along the Brussels road. They stopped the next day at another municipality called, Waterloo. There, they occupied the high ground and awaited Napoleon's Army.

Although he had no way of knowing it, Napoleon's victory Ligny would be the last of his military career. After the battle, he decided not pursue the retreating Prussians. Believing that Blücher was now out of the fight, he took his army and marched after Wellington. This proved to be a critical mistake since the bulk of the Prussian Army had successfully escaped the battle and was now in the process of regrouping. 

At 3:30 AM on June 17, Blücher sent a letter to Wellington saying that he would reinforce the latter if he could hold his position for at least a day. Wellington was inspired to remain where he was when Napoleon's Army arrived and engaged them at Waterloo on June 18. Just when it seemed that the French were about to win, the Prussian Army arrived the battlefield and smashed right into their right flank. When this happened, the tide of the battle turned and Napoleon was defeated for the final time. After this, the War of the Seventh Coalition was over.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/napoleons-last-victory/

http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/Ligny_1815.htm

https://battlefieldanomalies.com/napoleonic-wars/the-battle-of-ligny/

https://www.thoughtco.com/napoleonic-wars-battle-of-ligny-2361104

Forgotten Battle 29

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Kinman Island (Guningtou)

Intro

The battle of Kinman Island occurred from October 25 to October 27 of 1949. It was fought between the Republic of China Armed Forces (Taiwan) against the People's Liberation Army (China). This two day battle had massive repercussions for the two nations involved and would later be branded, "the battle that saved Taiwan". 

Part I

By the year 1949, the Chinese Civil War had finally been won. The communists led by Mao Zedong had defeated the nationalists led by Chiang Kai-Shek and taken complete control of China. The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949. Chaiang Kai-Shek and those loyal to him began withdrawing from China to the island of Taiwan (formerly known as, Formosa). 

During the withdrawal, several thousand nationalist soldiers stayed behind on a few offshore islands in China's Fujian province. One of them was the island of Kinmen (mandarin for "golden gate"). At more than 116 miles from Taiwan, it was the furthest outpost that was still being held by the nationalists. And because it was also only six miles from mainland China, it was also one of the most contested pieces of real estate between the two sides.

Unwilling to recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, Mao Zedong of China's Communist Party immediately began making plans to invade it. In order to do so, they would have to capture the two islands being held by the nationalists off China's coast. They were islands of Xiamen and Kinmen. If both of these island were taken, the communists would have a direct unobstructed path to capture Taiwan. 

Part II

The two men that Mao chose to coordinate the invasion of Xiamen and Kinmen were Marshal Chen Yi and General Ye Fei. Both men had seen heavy combat in World War II and the Chinese Civil War. However, they were highly inexperienced when it came to conducting amphibious operations. Since his army lacked the transports needed to cross the strait, General Ye ordered his men to seize local fishing boats. On October 15, communist 29th and 31st Armies landed on multiple beaches on Xiamen. After just two days of fighting, they were in complete control of the island. 

Contrary to what the communists believed, the soldiers of the Republic of China (the Taiwanese) 12th Army Corps stationed on Kinmen numbered close to 40,000 strong. The man chosen by Chiang Kai-Shek to command this garrison, was General Hu Lien A surprising addition to the Taiwanese command structure was a Japanese general named, Hiroshi Nemoto. General Nemoto had seen combat against the Soviet Red Army in Manchuria during World War II. After the Japanese surrender and the forced demobilization of his army, Nemoto had stayed behind to oversee the evacuation of 40,000 Japanese citizens from the area. In June of 1949, he was transferred to Taiwan to aid Chiang Kai-Shek in securing control over the island.

Upon learning of the communist capture of the Fujian Province, General Nemoto was shipped to Kinmen to help General Hu bolster the defenses. Anticipating that the communists would attack the beaches with tanks, Nemoto advised Hu to put anti-tank obstacles on the island's beaches and concentrate the garrison in positions just beyond the beaches. Although he had no way of knowing when the communists would attack, General Hu did as Nemoto advised. He also had dozens of anti-tank mines placed all along the beaches of Kinmen. For the next few weeks he and his garrison awaited the oncoming invasion. It finally happened on the morning of October 25.

Part III

General Ye's plan was to land three infantry regiments on the beaches of the Kinmen town of Longkou on October 24 under the cover of darkness (to avoid being detected by enemy aircraft). After they established a beachhead, they were to hold it until the following morning when the boats returned with a second wave of reinforcements. This wave would include tanks that would enable the communists to breakout of the beachhead and press further inland.

After being delayed for a couple hours (due to a breakdown in communications among the commanders), the first wave of communists got underway. But as they approached Kinmen around midnight, multiple things went wrong. Because they had been ordered to sail without lights, many of the boats became separated and got lost across the channel. Then just after midnight, a nationalist sentry patrol accidentally caused one of their own landmines to detonate on the beach. The resulting explosion alerted the defenders, made them turn on their searchlights, and train all their guns on the beaches. As a direct result, they spotted the communist ships approaching at 12:30 AM and a firefight began.

As the communists struggled to land their troops ashore, many of the boats got snagged on underwater obstacles. This made them easy targets for the nationalist machine-guns, costal artillery, and tank units stationed on the beaches. Those that survived the sinking of their boats were gunned down as they tried to wade ashore. The ones who did manage to get ashore found themselves unable to move off the beaches. 

In spite of these setbacks, two of the communist infantry regiments were able to land to the north of Longkou. At 2:10 AM, the communist 253rd and 251st regiments landed over 5,000 soldiers near the town of Guningtou (where the nationalist line was weaker) and successfully pushed the defenders off the beach. They then advanced further inland, captured Guningtou (and two other towns), before setting up a strong defensive perimeter on Kinmen. From there, they awaited the arrival of the second wave to reinforce them.

However, by now it was low tide. This caused many of their boats to become stuck in the mud and easy prey for the nationalist air-force who took to the skies at first light. As a direct result, they could not return to China to pick up the second wave of troops. At 4:30 AM, the nationalists launched a massive counter-attack with tanks and planes. After two days of heavy fighting, the nationalists had retaken all the towns and surrounded the communists at Gunningtou. At 10 AM on October 27, the latter realized the situation was hopeless and surrendered.

Epilogue

The casualties for the battle of Kinmen Island were heavy for both sides. The nationalist soldiers suffered a total of 1,267 killed and 1,982 wounded. By contrast, the communist losses are reported as 3,873 killed and 5,175 captured (the entire landing force). Over the next few weeks, some of the captured communists were executed and some of them agreed to defect to Taiwan. The rest were all released in a prisoner exchange in 1950.

For Mao Zedong and the communists, the invasion of Kinmen Island was a disaster. Although he remained in complete control of mainland China for the rest of his days, he and his government would never again attempt to invade Taiwan. To this day, Kinmen Island remains under Taiwanese control and serves as a bastion to deter any invasions from China in the future.

For General Hu and his nationalist army, the battle was a hard-fought victory. He later named the units who won the battle, "the Bears of Kinmen". By defeating the invasion of Kinmen, they had saved their nation from being taken over by the communists. In May of 2025, October 25 became a national holiday for the people of Taiwan.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/battle-of-guningtou-the-republic-of-china-fights-for-survival/

https://www.chinafile.com/photo-gallery/cold-war-island-thaws

https://www.eurasiantimes.com/looking-back-at-history-when-taiwan-beat-china/

https://japan-forward.com/hiroshi-nemoto-the-japanese-general-and-chiang-kai-shek/

Forgotten Battle 28

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The battle of Tuyutí 

Intro

The Battle of Tuyutí occurred on May 24, 1866. It was fought within the Tuyutí Marsh in the southwest corner of the country of Paraguay between the armies of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay against the army of Paraguay. This battle (which many historians would call the, "Latin Waterloo") was bloodiest event of the worst war fought in the history of South America and would change the fate of one nation forever.

Part I

In the year 1865, the political situation on the continent of South America had reached a breaking point. A series of civil wars and coups had plunged the entire southern part of the continent into one of the most destructive wars of the 19th century. The country that was at the center of this conflict was the nation of Paraguay. The leader of Paraguay was Francisco Solano Lopez. Lopez had succeeded his father as President of Paraguay in 1862. After touring Europe, he returned to his country with the very latest in military technology. He brought with him, thousands of guns, ammunition, and several dozen steamships which he used to bolster the Paraguayan Army and Navy into a lethal fighting force that could rival its much larger neighbors (Brazil and Argentina).

In the year 1864, civil war broke out in the nation Uruguay. On one side, was the reigning Blanco Party headed by President Atanasio Aguirre. The other side was the rebelling Colorado Party led by Venancio Flores. To Lopez's anger, he noticed that the nations of Brazil and Argentina were backing Flores and the Colorado Party. Believing that this would threaten Paraguay, Lopez pledged his support for President Aguirre and demanded that the Brazilian Emperor Pedro II cease his intervention in Uruguay. When his demand fell on deaf ears, the Paraguayan Army launched an incursion into the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso in December of that year. They defeated the Brazilians stationed there and by January of 1865, the southern border of Mato Grosso was under Paraguayan occupation.

After this, President Lopez sent a demand to Argentina's President Bartolomé Metre for permission to cross the Argentine province of Corrientes with his army to aid the Blancos in Uruguay. President Mitre declined this demand so Lopez declared war on Argentina and sent 20,000 soldiers into the Corrientes province in March of 1865. Unfortunately, the civil war in Uruguay was now over. Aided by Brazilian troops, Venancio Flores and his Colorado Party entered the capital city of Montevideo, defeated the Blancos, and forced them into exile. With Flores now the president, Uruguay along with Brazil and Argentina signed the Treaty of the Triple Alliance and declared war on Paraguay.

Part II

Almost immediately, the tide of the war turned against the Paraguayans. The Allies destroyed most their navy at the battle of Riachuelo on June 11, 1865. Two months later, the Paraguayan Army was decisively defeated at the battle of Yatay Creek on the banks of the Uruguayan River. These defeats coupled with the massive numbers of Allied troops massing to the north and south of Paraguay, forced President Lopez to pull his armies back to the mainland and prepare for an invasion.

In April of 1866, the Allies launched an incursion into Southern Paraguay. After a month of marching and fighting, the Allied Army camped a few miles north of the Paraná River in a marshy swamp called, Tuyutí (Guarani for: white mud). Upon learning this, Lopez ordered the Paraguayan Army to launch an attack on the Allied camp. Led by General Alexandre Argolo, the Paraguayans advanced in four columns and numbered more than 27,000 infantry and cavalry. By contrast, the Allied Army was made up of 22,000 Brazilians (led by General Manuel Osório), 11,800 Argentines (led by President Mitre), and 1,200 Uruguayans (led by President Flores). Their entire force consisted of 35,000 infantry, cavalry, and 48 artillery guns.

General Argolo divided his force into four columns. His plan was to launch a pincer movement against the Allied position and catch them by surprise. However, during the night of May 23, many Paraguayan soldiers got lost in the thick marsh and struggled to get through them. By noon the next day, only one of General Argolo's columns had made it through to the Allied camp. To make matters worse, the Allies had spotted the Paraguayans struggling to get through Tuyutí and were ready to meet the attack. In spite of these setbacks, the sole Paraguayan column (led by Colonel Jose Diaz) decided to launch their assault.

Part III

The first to attack were Colonel Diaz's cavalry units. At 11:55 AM, they charged at full gallop toward the first Allied line of defense (manned by the Uruguayans). When the attackers were at grapeshot range, the Allied artillery opened fire and ripped through the cavalry lines with deadly accuracy. When they got within 180 meters, the Uruguayan infantry opened fire and mowed them down. The few horsemen who survived abandoned the assault and pulled back. At this point, Colonel Hilario Marcó arrived on the battlefield with four infantry regiments. With Colonel Diaz's infantry on their right, they launched another assault on the Allied camp (once again, against the Uruguayans).

By now however, the Brazilians had moved up on the Uruguayan left flank and fired down upon the Paraguayan infantry. At the same time, the Paraguayan cavalry launched another charge. Both attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties. Even so, the Paraguayans refused to give up and sent more infantry to assault the Allied center. Even though the Brazilian general (António Sampaio) was shot off his horse and killed, each attack was repelled with no attacker getting closer than fifty meters to the Brazilian/Uruguayan lines.

Then without warning, Paraguayan cavalry and infantry under the command of General Vincente Barrios emerged and struck the Brazilians in the left flank. Although the Brazilian Light Brigade was initially pushed back, they were reinforced by two infantry regiments and stopped the Paraguayan advance. The latter was then annihilated by a burst of cannon fire from the allied artillery units. The final action occurred on the Allied right flank, when the last Paraguayan column under General Francisco Resquín arrived on the battlefield.

General Resquín's cavalry charged against the Argentine lines. The Argentine infantry responded by fixing bayonets and forming squares which fended off the Paraguayan attacks. At the same time, the Argentine artillery fired canister rounds into the Paraguayan ranks. After losing an entire regiment of cavalry, General Resquín could see the situation was hopeless and pulled his forces back. By 4:30 PM, all fighting in the swamp of Tuyutí had ceased.

Epilogue

The casualties for the four hour battle of Tuyutí were horrific. The Allied casualties are listed as 996 killed and 3,232 wounded. Although the exact numbers are not known, the Paraguayan casualties are believed to have numbered more than 6,000 killed and over 7,000 wounded (out of 26,000 engaged). It was a disaster that they would never recover from. From this point onward, the Paraguayans would never mount another major offensive against the Allies.

The War of the Triple Alliance went on for another four years. During this, the Paraguayan Army continued to suffer multiple defeats. Even after the Paraguayan capital (Asunción) fell in 1869, President Lopez refused to give up and turned to guerrilla warfare. After another year of brutal fighting, on March 1, 1870, Lopez and what remained of his army were cornered by the Brazilian Army at a hill called, Cerro Corá. President Francisco Solano Lopez was shot and killed during this final battle after allegedly shouting, "I do not surrender nor deliver my sword. I die with it and for my country!". With that, the War of the Triple Alliance was finally over.

For the nation of Paraguay, the war had been utterly devastating. The nation ultimately lost more than a quarter of its territory to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. In addition to this, more than sixty percent of its population (including ninety percent of its men and boys) had died. To this day, the nation of Paraguay has still not fully recovered. The battle of Tuyutí remains the most iconic battle of this devastating conflict. It is now remembered as the pretext to the near-annihilation of a whole country in the worst war fought in South America.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/war-of-the-triple-alliance-bloodbath-in-paraguay/

https://www.grunge.com/1167842/tragic-details-about-the-war-of-the-triple-alliance/

https://www.erroluys.com/paraguayanwar3.html

https://thebattlecast.com/2018/12/30/show-24-the-paraguayan-war-and-the-battle-of-tuyuti/

Forgotten Battle 27

Welcome back viewers

This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Wilson's Wharf (Fort Pocahontas)

Intro

The battle of Wilson's Wharf took place on May 24, 1864. It was fought between infantry soldiers of the Union Army of the Potomac against cavalry of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in what is now Charles County, Virginia. This small battle was the first confrontation between black soldiers and the Army of Northern Virginia and would become a major turning point in the war to end slavery.

Part I

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation (aka: Proclamation 95). This declared that all slaves within the Confederate States of America were now free in the eyes of the Union and all slaves who successfully escaped bondage would be permanently free. In addition to this, former slaves would be permitted to serve within the Union Army and Navy. Although this did not include the slaves within the border states (Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware), Lincoln had officially changed the narrative of the Civil War. The war against secession was now a war against slavery.

The impact of Lincoln's proclamation was felt almost immediately. Thousands of slaves across the south soon found the courage to escape from their plantations and enlist in the Union Army. This in turn, caused the Confederacy to lose a large percentage of their workforce and also deprived them of international recognition from the countries of France and Great Britain.

In May of 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant launched his Overland Campaign against Confederate General Robert E. Lee. During this campaign, a series of bloody battles were fought across the state of Virginia that cost both armies very dearly. However, the more ground the Union armies gained, the more slaves in the south were inspired to escape to freedom. In addition to this, a series of outposts and fortifications were constructed along the rivers to guard supply lines. One of them was located outside Charles City on the James River. It was called, Fort Pocahontas.

Part II

The man who was in command of Fort Pocahontas was, Brigadier General Edward Wild. General Wild was a former physician who had joined the army in 1861. He had previously seen combat at First Bull Run and South Mountain (where he had lost his left arm). An ardent supporter of the Abolitionist Movement, he had raised a regiment that was almost entirely comprised of former slaves and free blacks (they were nicknamed, the African Brigade). 

During the month of May 1864, he had landed with his regiment in support of General Benjamin Butler's Bermuda Hundred Campaign. At a place called Wilson's Wharf (a rendezvous point for a steamboat line on the James River), General Wild's men constructed a stronghold. Due to its close proximity to Jamestown, they named the fortification, Fort Pocahontas. The fort's garrison was manned by a total of 1,100 soldiers. They included the whole regiment of the 1st United States Colored Troops (USCT), four companies from the 10th USCT, and a section of Battery M of the 3rd New York light artillery (armed with two 10-pounder Parrot rifles). Other than the artillery men and the officers, the entire garrison was composed of black soldiers. On May 23, they were joined by the gunboat, USS Dawn (which was armed with 2 x 32-pounder guns).

When Confederate President Jefferson Davis learned of a "black fortification" being built at Wilson's Wharf, he became enraged and sent orders for Major General Fitzhugh Lee to capture it. General Lee (Robert E. Lee's nephew) took his cavalry brigade and road to the wharf. He arrived outside the fort on the morning of May 24 with 2,500 men. 

Part III

At 11 in the morning, several confederate scouts approached the fort and exchanged fire with the black soldiers on guard duty. After noting the poor condition of the fort and the "inferior garrison", they withdrew and reported back to General Lee. Expecting a quick and easy victory, Lee sent a surrender demand to General Wild at 1:30 PM that day. He promised that the black soldiers would receive the same treatment as white soldiers as prisoners of war. But if the demand was rejected, then he (General Lee) would, "not be answerable for the consequences". 

Although, he was outnumbered more than two to one and Fort Pocahontas was only partially complete, General Wild did not believe Lee's promise of "humane treatment". Only a month earlier, a garrison of black soldiers had been attacked by confederate cavalry at Fort Pillow in Tennessee. Even after surrendering, nearly all the black soldiers had been massacred. Wild sent a written reply to Lee that read, "Present my compliments to General Lee and tell him to go to hell. Take the fort if you can". Angered by this, Lee's men prepared to launch their attack. The fighting began at 2:30 PM.

General Lee ordered a two-pronged attack to be launched on Fort Pocahontas. Lee sent one brigade to attack the left flank of Fort Pocahontas. This attack was meant to be a diversion while Lee sent two other brigades to attack the fort's unfinished right wall. Unfortunately for the rebels, General Wild had anticipated this and had both his cannons moved there. The advancing cavalry (who were dismounted) ran into an abatis and were cut down by enfilading fire from both the defending infantry and artillery. Simultaneously, the rebel attack on the left was also beaten back with heavy casualties.

Unwilling to accept defeat, General Lee ordered another charge on the fort's unfinished right wall. Using the cover of the dense woods, the confederate cavalry once again advanced dismounted. And once again they were stopped by heavy fire from the fort's defenders. This time, the USS Dawn also began lobbing shells into the confederates as they tried to get through the abatis. The few who managed to reach the fort's wall were killed with bayonets. Due to the massacre at Fort Pillow, the defenders decided to take no prisoners that day. The fighting continued for the next four hours until finally, Lee called off further assaults and retreated from the area. By 6 PM, the battle of Wilson's Wharf was over.

Epilogue

Compared to other battles in the Civil War, the casualties at Wilson's Wharf were relatively light, yet far lopsided. Reports of the casualties for each side vary by sources. The accepted number of union casualties is 6 killed and 40 wounded. General Lee did not report his casualties. But it is believed that the confederates suffered between 150 to 200 killed and wounded. 

For the confederates, the battle was a highly embarrassing defeat. General Fitzhugh Lee would never be in full command for the rest of the war. In his report, he claimed that his army had been defeated by a "well-entrenched" enemy backed by six gunboats. He also neglected to mention that the garrison was made up of black soldiers.

For the union, the battle at Wilson's Wharf was a small yet important morale victory. For the first time, black soldiers had stood their ground against the Army of Northern Virginia and emerged victorious. It proved that they could hold their own against overwhelming odds and inspired many more men (black and white) to enlist in the union armies and continue the bloody fight to end slavery in the United States. Today, the battlefield at Fort Pocahontas has been preserved for visitors. It remains a testament to General Wild and his African Brigade's brave stand in the name of freedom.

https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/wilsons-wharf-confederate-beatdown/

https://ironbrigader.com/2025/02/23/the-battle-of-wilsons-wharf-was-a-victory-for-the-black-troops-of-the-usct/

https://www.beyondthecrater.com/wargaming/acw-miniatures/charge/charge-issue-27-page-7-the-battle-of-fort-pocahontas-wilsons-wharf-by-jerry-stefek/

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/thenceforward-and-forever-free