Startling Combat Numbers From History

Battle of StalingradBattle of StalingradThis battle was arguably the most important moment of WWII. It was the fierce fight for control of the Russian city on the Volga River. This battle decided the war's path. The German 6th Army taking the city changed everything. The Soviet Union would pay any cost to keep Stalingrad from German control. The 37th Guards Division, led by Viktor Zholudev, took the main hit fighting for a tractor factory in Stalingrad.

Of the 10,000 troops who entered combat,fewer than 500survived without injury. The guards' median survival time in combat was under 24 hours.

Germany invadedDenmark and Norwayat the same time on April 9, 1940. Adolf Hitler had signed a non-aggression pact with the Danes, but any treaty with Nazi Germany meant nothing.

The Danish army offered little resistance against the German attack. After two hours, the Danish government ordered its troops to stop, fearing the Luftwaffe would destroy Copenhagen. Small resistance groups persisted, but the entire situation ended in six hours.

The British quickly took the Faroe Islands and Iceland, Danish provinces, stopping them from falling to Germany. Another Danish territory.Greenland, came under US protection and joined WWII with the Americans in December 1941.

Some state the average age of an American GI in Vietnam was just 19 because of a 1980s anti-war song byPaul Hardcastle. Exact average age for those who served is hard to calculate. The figures from the Vietnam War Memorial offer clues about those who did not return home.

The Memorial lists 58,256 men. Their average age comes out toHe was 22.8 years old. The youngest man,Pfc. Dan Bullock of New York, lied about his age to join the army. He was only 15.

Many people see WWI as a senseless killing where thousands died over a few miles of muddy land on the Western Front. That image has some truth, but other fronts looked different. Eastern Prussia (now Poland) and Russia were too wide for two trench lines. Movement remained important, and cavalry still played a part in WWI.

In 1916, the Germans attacked the French fortress ofVerdun, the British and Russians planned their own moves to ease pressure on France. The British launched a costly attack at the Somme while the Russians advanced in the east.Aleksei BrusilovThis operation, thought a mere distraction, became the single most successful action in the entire conflict. His men smashed through the Austro-Hungarian Army in one day, taking 26,000 prisoners and advancing 45 miles.The Brusilov Offensive covered 45 miles..

After three months, Brusilov's army took 15,000 miles of territory and eliminated or captured 1 million Austro-Hungarian troops.One million Austro-Hungarian troops fought.. Austria-Hungary became an ineffective fighting force in practice.

This 1896 war holds the record for the shortest conflict in history.This 1896 war holds the record for the shortest conflict in history.A succession dispute in the British protectorate of Zanzibar (modern-day Tanzania) caused a brief battle. A naval bombardment lasted 38 minutes, and the Zanzibar sultanate surrendered. This cost 500 lives.

The 16th century saw one of history's largest naval battles between the Habsburg-led Holy League and the Ottoman Empire. The clash happened in the Ionian Sea.The Battle of Lepanto took place in the Ionian Sea.The battle involved 490 war galleys and about 150,000 sailors for the Holy League.The Holy League won a crushing victory.The Holy League won a crushing victory.

The League did not last long after the battle. The defeat lifted the aura of Ottoman invincibility at sea. Galleys soon gave way to the age of sail.age of sailLepanto proved a key moment in the history of the Mediterranean.

The gigantic 15th-century bombard was a gift to Scottish King James II from the Duke of Burgundy. The massive cannon could fit a child inside, but no record shows kids used as ammunition in combat.

James II's interest in artillery ended in disaster.literallyMons Meg was taken out of action in the 16th century. Its huge size and heavy ammunition made it devastating but impractical to move. It is now on permanent display at Edinburgh Castle.Edinburgh Castle was involved..

The number was 300.This refers to the ancient battle.The battle between a coalition of Greeks and the Persian Empire is best known for the presence and ultimate sacrifice of 300 Spartans. They held off a much larger Persian army for two days by using the narrow passes of the Hot Gates.The battle happened at Hot Gates.The Persians sought to nullify the numerical advantage. A local tip gave the Persians a secret passage to surround the Greeks. Trapped Spartans fought hard, but other groups also fought.

The Greek army was more than just a band of Spartan warriors. The bold 300 took most of the glory, but they were only a part of a larger army of about 7,000 strong.Seven thousand men fought.. As the army faced encirclement, Leonidas and his men stayed behind for others to flee. However, 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans, or what remained, were also present.The army was about to be surrounded. Leonidas and his men stayed behind to let others escape, but 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans, or what was left, were also there. Not to mention the Helots.Those who accompanied the Spartans to battle do not mention this part in the movie.They certainly do not mention that part in the movie 300..

The USS David Dixon Porter.IndianolaUnion Admiral David Dixon Porter planned an audacious scheme. He made Confederates blow up an armored Union gunship captured in February 1862, though the South did not use the prize much.David Dixon Porter.Porter caused Confederate engineers to blow up the ship.

Porter devised a fake “ironclad” to send toward where southern salvage crews worked on the Indianola.Indianola.He grafted a wooden hull, mimicking an ironclad's armor, onto an old flatboat, adding “cannons.” Smudge pots burned to suggest a working steam engine.

The improvised vessel carried “Deluded People Cave In” on its side, costing only $8.63 to build. As Dixon’s dummy ironclad approached, Confederate salvage crew panicked and set charges on the real ironclad to stop the Union from taking it back.dummy ironclad.The Confederate salvage crew panicked and set charges on the real ironclad to prevent the Union from recapturing it.

History often requires rounding numbers for a better fit. The so-called Hundred Years' War between England and France did not last 100 years or remain a single fight. It involved three wars close together; the gap between the second and third phases was about 26 years.

The French and English did not fight for 116 years. Conflicts started with Edward III's claim to the French throne. Momentum shifted; by 1429, the English led, but Joan of Arc changed the direction at the Siege of Orleans.Siege of Orleans.. Charles VII.drove the remaining English out of France and secured victory in 1453.EnglishHe went out of France and claimed victory in 1453. Only Calais stayed in English control.

Female workers filled the shortage of men in American munitions factories. Unlike the Axis powers, the Allies used women to help the war effort. Some 350,000 American women served in uniform, while others took factory jobs vacated by men called to service.350,000 American women.many others took jobs in factories vacated by men called to service.

Theaverage weekly wage.a skilled female worker earned about $525 today, though living costs were lower then. This wage was low and much less than what men earned for the same jobs. A male worker made about $54 a week, or $925 adjusted for inflation.

Tanks appeared on the battlefield in 1916. Secret research by British businesses and the military created the tanks. The name tank hid the machine's true nature from spies. With the Western Front a solid line of trenches, the British conducted experiments to find ways to break the stalemate.British conducted experiments.They sought ways to break the deadlock.

TheMark IV.The I4 MPH, perhaps the best recognizable First World War tank, suffered reliability problems. Many broke down before reaching enemy trenches. Its slow speed made it an easy target for soldiers with proper equipment. Isolated successes existed, but WWI tanks remained an interesting sideshow, not a game-changer. Tanks made their mark in WWII.