As one of the most famous battles of Vietnam, the battle of Dong Ap Bia provides a useful case study for the concept of mission command. Infamously known as Hamburger Hill, the high casualties and subsequent abandonment of the mountain caused critics to question the decision of military leaders. As with many battles in Vietnam, the commander, LTC Honeycutt, contended with the enemy while attempting to exert control with incomplete information in jungle-covered mountains. Although he was generally successful in fulfilling the six imperatives of mission command, it does not prove decisive to the U.S. Army’s ultimate victory. LTC Honeycutt’s approach to mission command is both lean and blunt, focused on success in combat.…
Shots rang out at Chancellorsville, Virginia! The bloody battle lasted from April 30 to May 6. The Battle at Chancellorsville started with the Union army crossing Rappahannock River on the morning of April 27, 1863. On May 1, general Joseph Hooker of the Union advanced from Chancellorsville toward general Robert E. Lee, but general Lee split his army, leaving a small group at Fredericksburg to discourage Major General John Sedgwick from advancing, while he attacked Hooker's force with about four-fifths of his army. After making contact with Lee on May 1st on the Orange Turnpike east of the Chancellor house, Hooker pulled his men back and gave up the initiative to general Lee.…
The Battle of Cowpens was a very significant battle taking place on January 17, 1781. This battle was a huge victory, unexpectedly won giving hope to colonists fighting for freedom. This battle took place in South Carolina on the border of North Carolina and although it seemed small the effect was huge. It has been said that 1000 American soldiers fought off 1100 British soldiers and American Loyalists.…
3. T or F George Washington was the commanding general at the Battle of Saratoga. (Reading)…
The Killer Angels written by Michael Shaara, is a historical fiction novel that describes in great detail the events that took place during the battle of Gettysburg. In the forward we are given an in depth view of each of the main characters and key figures of the battle. For instance, we are told that that General Robert Edward Lee is an honest man with no vices who does not believe in slavery, he is also suffering from heart trouble. He leads the confederate army. And then we have Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain who has a brother, Thomas, who serves in the Twentieth Maine as an aide to his brother.…
During the brutal battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, soldiers of the 23rd Ohio Volunteers were under fire from confederate troops. Seeing his fellow soldiers were getting low on moral, future President William McKinley under no orders from a commanding officer, brought hot coffee and food to every soldier in his regiment. After the war, McKinley went on to become Governor of Ohio and Congressman of Ohio. He was elected twice as President of the United States before being assassinated on September 6th 1901. On October 13th 1903, the Ohio Battlefield Commission dedicated the McKinley monument in his honor, on the spot where he delivered coffee and food to the men of his regiment.…
* Site where the Continental Army camped during the winter of 1777- '78, after its defeats at the Battles of the Brandywine and Germantown.…
This was a battle led by General George Washington as he crossed the Delaware river in 1776 leading 5,400 troops in order to surprise the Hessian force celebrating Christmas at their base of Trenton, New Jersey. This had come at the result of several months of defeats on Washington’s part that had caused the loss of…
It was December; cold and harsh. The Continental Army outside and risking frostbite walking through snow. Their spirits low after several defeats, the soldiers needed motivation. The British soldiers have been following the Continental Army all the way to New Jersey. Commander-in-chief George Washington had a plan though. He was going to cross the Delaware River and surprise the Hessians. The problem was, the army was suffering under terrible conditions. There were many ice storms and the Delaware River was full of several mini glaciers. This was the colonists last hope of winning the war. This, was The Battle of Trenton.…
The Lincoln county war took place in New Mexico between 1878 and dragged on through 1881. It was all started between John Tunstall who owns and manages a large ranch operation in Lincoln County. Two Irish men, J.J Dolan and L.G Murphy operated the general store in town, which was named the house. Through the house the access to lucrative beef contracts with the government was controlled.…
At the time Washington received several contradicting reports about the British troop movement and continued to believe they were going to attack from Chadds Ford. The British appeared on the American flank around 2 p.m. that day. With the Americans outflanked/out maneuvered and surprised, they attempted to reposition their troops to meet the unexpected attacks from their right. The British were slow to attack which bought time for the Americans to position some of their men on high ground near the Birmingham Meeting House, a few miles north of Chadds Ford. The British attacked causing Washington’s army in Chadds Ford to bear most of the brunt and eventually retreat. The American were also forced to leave behind most of their cannons because their artillery horses were killed (supply). On the east bank of Brandywine, the British launched an attack against the weakened Americans forcing several division to retreat and leave behind most of their cannons also. General John Armstrong who was employed by General Washington to overlook Chadds Ford with 1,000 troops never engaged in combat and ultimately retreated. Darkness brought the British offensive to a halt. Most of the defeated Americans retreat to Chester. This battle demonstrated several principles of war by employed by the British, mass/shock and awe, offensive, and surprised.…
Wars can be a difficult subject for students to grasp and understand. The Fighting Ground is a well written historical fiction text written by Avi in 1984. This story takes place in New Jersey on April 3-4, 1778. TheAmerican Revolution is being fought and the main characterJonathon runs off to join the war effort. This story is simple and doesn’t contain any milestone Revolutionary battles, but it does provide a view of a skirmish through a young boy’s eyes. While out fighting on his first day the protagonist is captured by Hessian mercenaries. Jonathon learns that war is not as thrilling as he originally thought it would be. The text helps readers recognize that much can be learned from the smallest events, even though they may appear insignificant.…
The Battle of Hue in 1968 was the bloodiest battle of Vietnam. On the night of January 30th 1969 the North Vietnamese (NVA) launched a massive offensive against the south called the Tet offensive. This offensive attacked all major political and military objectives within South Vietnam. This offensive was supposed to conduct a “shock and awe” that would demoralize the South Vietnam and Allied Forces. The city of Hue was one of these cities. At midnight the NVA started their assault on Hue City sending an entire division to attack and ending up seizing all of Hue City except for the ARVN Headquarters and the MACV Headquarters in the southern part. This caused the Marines and ARVN to fight an enemy largely outnumber in an urban environment. (O’Neill, 2003)…
Following its defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, the Union Army, which was led by Major General William S. Rosecrans, went back to its base at Chattanooga. Reaching the safety of the town, they quickly created defenses before General Braxton Bragg's pursuing Army of Tennessee arrived. Moving his men onto Missionary Ridge to the east and Lookout Mountain to the south, Bragg soon commanded the approaches to the city and placed the Union troops under siege.…
The Duchess of Malfi takes place in Italy, mostly at the Duchess’s palace in Malfi, in the sixteenth century. The Duchess is a young widow whose two brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal, are visiting her from Rome at the play’s start. Antonio, the manager of her household, has just returned from France. Before leaving the Duchess, Ferdinand engages Bosola, previously used by the Cardinal as a hit man, to ostensibly manage the Duchess’s horses, but in reality to spy on her for the brothers so they can be sure she remains chaste and does not remarry. Bosola is reluctant, but eventually agrees.…