British Grenadiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill

Title: Battle of Bunker Hill
Artist: Edward Percy Moran
Date: 1909

A depiction of the battle of Bunker Hill by Edward Percy Moran (1862-1935), known for his scenes of American history. This significant battle took place on 17 June 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after the adjacent Bunker Hill. Although the uniform details are inaccurate, the formation of the British grenadiers advancing uphill toward the Americans behind prepared positions is largely representative of the closeorder formation used by the British during their assault. After the experience of the retreat from Lexington, British commander Lieutenant-General Thomas Gage ordered his men to form in two rather than three ranks but retained the close-order formation. Although Gage attempted to outflank the American position, a quick reaction by American commanders frustrated British efforts and resulted in a sustained firefight on unequal terms. The British grenadiers were ordered to assault the American lines with the bayonet but their close-order formations made it difficult for them to cross several fences and as the formations lost cohesion the grenadiers lost momentum. As a result many grenadiers began to fire at the enemy rather than carry home their charge. In the aftermath of Bunker Hill British commanders understood that the bayonet was the most effective weapon against the untrained Americans. Conversely, American commanders realized that effective use of terrain and cover, including walls, fences, and woods, could negate some of the lethal nature of the British bayonet charge.

Source :

Book "Continental versus Redcoat: American Revolutionary War" by David Bonk
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/371124825518568626/

Gideon von Laudon at the Battlefield of Kunersdorf

Title: Gideon von Laudon nach seinem Sieg über das Schlachtfeld bei Kunersdorf reitend (Gideon von Laudon riding after the victory over the battlefield of Kunersdorf)
Artist: Siegmund L'Allemand
Date: 1878

Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon (German: Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon (originally Laudohn or Loudon) (February 2, 1717 – July 14, 1790) was an Austrian generalisimo, one of the most successful opponents of the Prussian king Frederick the Great, allegedly lauded by Alexander Suvorov as his teacher. He served the position of military governorship of Habsburg Serbia from his capture of Belgrade in 1789 until his death, cooperating with the resistance fighters of Koča Anđelković.

The Battle of Kunersdorf, fought in the Seven Years' War, was Frederick the Great's most devastating defeat. On August 12, 1759, near Kunersdorf (Kunowice), east of Frankfurt (Oder), 50,900 Prussians were defeated by a combined allied army 65,000 strong consisting of 41,000 Russians and 24,000 Austrians under Pyotr Saltykov. Only 3,000 soldiers from the original 50,900 comprising the Prussian army returned to Berlin after the battle, though many more had only scattered and were ultimately able to join the army afterward.

Source :

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

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

The storming of Königsberg by Austrian Army

Title: Die Erstürmung des Königsberges bei Oberselk durch das k.u.k. 18. Jägerbataillon am 3. Februar 1864 (The storming of Königsberg in Oberselk by Austrian 18th Infantry Battalion on 3 February 1864)
Artist: Siegmund L'Allemand
Date: 1864

This impressive canvas was painted by Siegmund L'Allemand (8 March 1840 - 24 December 1910), a notable Austrian artist. Born in Vienna in 1840, L'Allemand had his first painting lessons from his uncle Fritz L'Allemand. He later studied under Ruben and Karl Blaas and eventually in 1883 he succeeded them as professor of the Viennese Academy.From 1883 Siegmund L'Allemand served as a professor, and later the head of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. An interesting footnote is that he chaired the admissions committee that in 1907 rejected admission to a young aspiring art student named Adolf Hitler!

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Siegmund_L'Allemand_Die_Erst%C3%BCrmung_des_K%C3%B6nigsberges_bei_Oberselk_1864.jpg

Danish Attack at Dybbøl (1864)

Title: Ottende brigades angreb ved Dybbøl 18. april 1864 (Eighth Brigade's attack at Dybbøl 18 April 1864)
Artist: Vilhelm Rosenstand
Date: 1894

On the morning of 18 April 1864 at Dybbøl, the Prussians moved into their positions at 2.00. At 10.00 the Prussian artillery bombardment stopped and the Prussians charged through shelling from the Rolf Krake which did not prove enough to halt them. Thirteen minutes after the charge, the Prussian infantry had already seized control of the first line of defence of the redoubts.

A total massacre of the retreating troops was avoided and the Prussian advance halted by a counter-attack by the 8th Brigade, until a Prussian attack threw them back; that attack advanced about 1 km and reached Dybbøl Mill. In that counter-attack the 8th Brigade lost about half their men, dead or wounded or captured. This let the remnants of 1st and 3rd Brigades escape to the pier opposite Sønderborg. At 13.30 the last resistance collapsed at the bridgehead in front of Sønderborg. After that there was an artillery duel across the Alssund.

During the battle around 3,600 Danes and 1,200 Prussians were either killed, wounded or disappeared. A Danish official army casualty list at the time said: 671 dead; 987 wounded, of whom 473 were captured; 3,131 unwounded captured and/or deserters; total casualties 4,789. The 2nd and 22nd Regiments lost the most. Also, the crew of the Danish naval ship Rolf Krake suffered one dead, 10 wounded.

The Battle of Dybbøl was the first battle monitored by delegates of the Red Cross: Louis Appia and Charles van de Velde. Following the battle, the Prussians used the fort area as a starting point to attack Als in June 1864.

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dybb%C3%B8l

Panzer IV Ausf.F1/G/H Medium Tank in Battle

Title: Panzer IV Ausf.F1/G/H medium tank
Artist: Unknown
Date: Unknown

Whilst the propaganda headlines may well have gone to the big cats such as the Panther and the Tiger, the Panzer IV was the backbone of German armoured capability throughout the war. The iconic German tank of the Second World War, the Panzer IV fought from the invasion of Poland to the fall of Berlin. The Panzer IV was constantly updated, with its sound design giving it a longevity well beyond that of its contemporaries. By mid-war it was packing a deadly long-barrelled 75mm gun, giving it great hitting power and better mobility and its armour had been doubled in places greatly increasing its survivability.

By the time of massive battles in Russia in middle of the war the Pz IV was also carrying the detachable screen side armour known as schürzen. This was in response to the threat posed by Russian anti-tank rifles and, latterly, by Allied hollow charge bazooka style weapons.

This is the backbone of the Panzer regiments!

Source :
http://store.warlordgames.com/products/panzer-iv-plastic-box-set

The Delaware Regiment at the Battle of Long Island (1776)

Title: The Delaware Regiment at the Battle of Long Island
Artist: Domenick D'Andrea
Date: 2004

The battle of Long Island, a British victory, began just after the Siege of Boston. As the British fled after their defeat in that siege, General George Washington guessed that they would head south and try to take New York. Therefore, he and his army went there and prepared for the British to attack. As it turns out, the British had in fact gone North to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They reached the Hudson River on June 29, 1776, and on July 3, British General William Howe arrived on Stanton Island. The next day (July 4, 1776) was the day that the America's Continental Congress announced the independence of America.

While all of this was happening, George Washington had been preparing for battle in New York. He had created a wall of men with guns to defend the city from any attacks from the sea and placed 10,000 men on Brooklyn Heights to defend Manhattan. He was ready for anyone who would attack New York. There was just one problem: the British would be attacking Long Island, not New York.

On August 27, 1776 the British landed on Long Island, which is south of New York. Two days later, General Howe learned that the Americans had no one guarding the road leading North from Long Island into New York, but had defenses set up on all the other roads. Using this information, Howe led his men up the North road. He then proceeded around to attack the Americans Guarding the left road, who were led by General John Sullivan. While Howe's army attacked Sullivan's from the back, a German troop, which was allied with the British, attacked from the front. Sullivan fought as well as he could, but he was soon overpowered and forced to retreat behind the Brooklyn walls. Howe, feeling proud of his victory, led his men and attacked the men guarding the right road, using the same technique. They, like Sullivan's men, fought hard but were forced to retreat to Brooklyn.

Source :

http://www.revolutionary-war.net/battle-of-long-island.html

The Battle of Lexington (1775)

Title: The Battle of Lexington (1775)
Artist: William Barnes Wollen
Date: 1910

A painting of the battle of Lexington (April 19, 1775) by William Barnes Wollen (1857–1936). Courtesy of the Council, National Army Museum, London, UK. The disposition of the British troops and American colonists in the painting represents the prevailing image of closely ranked British engaging a loosely formed enemy. The colonists were drawn up in a formal line on the village green at Lexington where, after refusing to disperse, they were fired upon by British regulars deployed in a three-rank, close-order formation. While some of the colonists that engaged in the running battle with the British on April 19, 1775 may have been veterans of the French and Indian War, they had little organization or training. After that initial exchange of musketry the American tactics largely involved hit-and-run attacks on the British column returning to Boston. The Colonists made extensive use of available cover, stone walls, and fences, and repeatedly forced the British to deploy from march column into line, only to find the Americans had dispersed.

Source :

Book "Continental versus Redcoat: American Revolutionary War" by David Bonk

Friedrich the Great Carrying the Flag (1758)

Title: Friedrich der grosse als Fahnentrager auf dem Schlachtfeld’ (Frederick the Great as standard-bearer at the battlefield)
Artist: Arthur Kampf
Date: 1900

On 25 August 1758 Prussian army defeated the numerically stronger forces of Russian Army at Zorndorf (approximately 90 kilometers east of Berlin) with superior organization. During the battle, Prussian king Friedrich II had taken the flag of  Prussian Infantry Regiment Nr.46 that lying on the ground and then led his retreating soldiers to a successful counterattack. Inspired by this event, German painter Arthur Kampf recreated the King Friedrich's Prowess 150 years later. In contrast to the many detailed and colorful battle scenes from that time, King Friedrich and the flag fill the whole height of the painting. Friedrich placed expansively in the foreground., Only dimly behind the dense smoke powder as a recognition to Prussian soldiers who will bring unity and dynamism for the next glorious attack. The painting staged Friedrich as a model for unconditional sacrifice: The Carrying of the Flag resolutely onward, it seem that the King does not fear for death, even though the fallen soldier has been pictured to his right and left. The German painter used the motif of the flag that had been used since the Prussian-Danish war in 1864 as a symbol for victory. However, he had made a significant error in his paintings: The four corner keys of the flag of the infantry regiment No. 46 were not red but black. Arthur Kampf, ‘Friedrich der grosse als Fahnentrager auf dem Schlachtfeld’ (‘Frederick the Great as standard-bearer at the battlefield’) now in the possession of German Historical Museum, Berlin.

Source :
https://www.dhm.de/lemo/bestand/objekt/friedrich-der-grosse-als-fahnentraeger-auf-dem-schlachtfeld-um-1900.html

The Second of May 1808 (The Charge of the Mamelukes)

Title: El 2 de mayo de 1808 en Madrid (The Second of May 1808 in Madrid)
Artist: Francisco Goya
Date: 1814

After Spanish Prime Minister Manuel Godoy allowed the French Invasion of Spain, the Spanish people revolted against the French on the second of May in 1808. On display from the Museo del Prado, Francisco Goya depicts the Spanish uprising in his Second of May, 1808 (1814). The scene is very chaotic, depicting what the uprising must have been like when the unarmed and untrained Spanish people started attacking the Turkish soldiers of the French army. The scene is very bleak however the Turkish soldiers have looks of surprise and bewilderment. The Spanish people have looks of determination and outrage that the French have come into Spain. The Turkish soldiers serve as a familiar scene of Spanish Christians fighting against Muslims. The Turkish soldiers evokes feelings of hatred and distrust which were common emotions Spanish people felt about Muslims as well as any other invaders to Spanish territory. Because of Godoy as well as the monarchs of Spain allowing the French Invasion it was up to the Spanish people to rise in power to try to overthrow their invaders. Unfortunately they were unsuccessful and the War of Independence would last for four years. Due to lack of judgement as well as the misuse of political power, the most powerful people in Spain had drag its country and its people through many hardships.

Source :
http://span2322finalproject.weebly.com/featured-art.html

Rocroi, the Last Tercio

Title: Rocroi, el último tercio (Rocroi, the last tercio)
Artist: Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau
Date: 2011

Rocroi, The Last Tercio (2011) by the contemporary artists Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau is on display from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Rocroi, The Last Tercio depicts the defeat of the Spanish army in the Battle of Rocroi against the French. The Battle of Rocroi occurred near the end of the Thirty Years' War and is an important battle in world history. The French defeat of the Spanish army marks the end to a century and a half of battles won by the Spanish army7.  Interestingly however, unlike in The Surrender of Breda by Velazquez, Ferrer-Dalmau only paints the Spanish army. The last tercio, or the last third of the Spanish army stands together proud and defiant as they await the French artillery. Even though Spain suffered a massive loss, within the painting, Spain can be seen as still having dignity. By only showing the bravery of the Spanish army and not the victorious French army, makes the viewer almost believe that Spain had won the Battle of Rocroi. The attention to detail as well as the long lances is very similar to Velazquez's representation of the surrender of the city of Breda. After waging wars and other military campaigns for around 150 years, Spain had finally abused their power and spread themselves too thin. Once the French had defeated the Spanish army, Spain would no longer live in a Golden Age.

Source :
http://span2322finalproject.weebly.com/featured-art.html

Afghan War

Title: Afghan War
Artist: Unknown
Date: Unknown

Soviet convoy ambushed by the Mujahideens. The Soviet–Afghan War lasted over nine years from December 1979 to February 1989. Insurgent groups ("the Mujahideen") who received aid from both Christian and Muslim countries, fought against the Soviet Army and allied Afghan forces. Between 850,000–1.5 million civilians were killed and millions of Afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to Pakistan and Iran.

Source :
http://www.favewallpapers.com/73577-diorama-afghanistan-battle-militants-soviet%20troops.html