Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/News/June 2012/Articles
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- 1740 Batavia massacre (Crisco 1492)
- The 1740 Batavia massacre was a two-year war that pitted ethnic Chinese and Javanese against Dutch troops. Valckenier was later recalled to the Netherlands and charged with crimes related to the massacre; Gustaaf Willem van Imhoffreplaced him as governor-general.
- Alec Douglas-Home (Tim riley)
- Alexander ("Alec") Frederick Douglas-Home, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. After the defeat of the Heath government in 1974 he returned to the House of Lords as a life peer, and retired from front-line politics.
- Colin Hannah (Ian Rose)
- Federal governmentof the day, and the British government refused to agree to his term being extended. Hannah retired in March 1977, and died the following year.
- Henry Wrigley (Ian Rose)
- Air Officer Commanding RAAF Overseas Headquarters, London, from September 1942 until his retirement from the military in June 1946. He died in 1987 at the age of ninety-five. His writings on air power were collected and published posthumously as The Decisive Factor in 1990.
- Hugh de Neville (Ealdgyth)
- Hugh de Neville (died 1234; sometimes Hugh Neville) was the Chief Forester under the kings John, and Henry III of England. He was also the sheriff for a number of counties over his lifetime. Related to a number of other royal officials as well as a bishop, de Neville was a member of Prince Richard's household. After Richard became king in 1189 de Neville continued in his service, and accompanied him on the Third Crusade. De Neville remained in royal service following Richard's death in 1199 and the ascension of King John to the throne, becoming one of the new king's favourites and often gambling with him. He was named in Magna Cartaas one of John's principal advisors, considered by a medieval chronicler to be one of King John's "evil councillors". He deserted John after the French invasion of England in 1216, but returned to pledge his loyalty to John's son Henry III after the latter's accession to the throne later that year. De Neville continued his royal service until late in his life, dying in 1234.
- DrKiernan)
- Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) was Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary had previously claimed Elizabeth's throne as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics. Perceiving her as a threat, Elizabeth had her confined in a number of castles and manor houses in the interior of England. After 18 years and 9 months in custody, Mary was tried and executed for her involvement in plots to assassinate Elizabeth.
- Percheron (Dana boomer)
- The Percheron is a breed of stud book was created in France in 1883. Prior to World War I, thousands of Percherons were shipped from France to the US, but after the war began, an embargo stopped shipping. The breed was used extensively in Europe during the war, with some horses even being shipped from the US back to France to assist in the fighting. Beginning in 1918, Percherons began to be bred in Great Britain, and in 1918 the British Percheron Horse Society was formed. After a series of name and studbook ownership changes, the current US Percheron registry was created in 1934. In the 1930s, Percherons accounted for 70 percent of the draft horse population in the US, but their numbers declined substantially after World War II. However, the population began to recover and as of 2009, around 2,500 horses were registered annually in the US alone. The breed is still used extensively for draft work, and in France they are used for food. They have been crossed with several light horse breeds to produce horses for range work and competition. Purebred Percherons are used for forestry work and pulling carriages, as well as work under saddle, including show jumping.
- Ranavalona III (Lemurbaby)
- Ranavalona III (1861–1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from July 30, 1883, to February 28, 1897, in a reign marked by ongoing and ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the government of France. As a young woman, she was selected from among several Andriana (nobles) qualified to succeed Queen Ranavalona II. Like both preceding queens, Ranavalona entered into a political marriage with a member of the Hova (freeman) elite named Rainilaiarivony who, in his role as Prime Minister of Madagascar, largely oversaw the day-to-day governance of the kingdom and managed its foreign affairs. Throughout her reign, Ranavalona tried to stave off colonization by strengthening trade and diplomatic relations with the United States and Great Britain. However, French attacks on coastal towns and the capital city of Antananarivo ultimately led to the capture of the royal palace in 1896, ending the sovereignty and political autonomy of the century-old kingdom. The newly installed French colonial government promptly exiled Rainilaiarivony to Algiers, while Ranavalona and her court were initially permitted to remain as symbolic figureheads. However, the outbreak of a popular resistance movement, called the menalamba rebellion, and discovery of anti-French political intrigues at court led the French to exile the queen to the island of Reunion in 1897. Rainilaiarivony died that same year and Ranavalona was relocated to a villa in Algiers. The queen, her family and servants enjoyed a comfortable standard of living including occasional trips to Paris. Despite Ranavalona's repeated requests, they were never permitted to return home to Madagascar. Ranavalona died in Algiers in 1917. Buried in Algiers, her remains were disinterred 21 years later and shipped to Madagascar, where they were placed within the tomb of Queen Rasoherina in the grounds of the royal palace.
- Shangani Patrol (Cliftonian)
- The Shangani Patrol, comprising 34 soldiers in the service of the Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe). Its dramatic last stand, sometimes called Wilson's Last Stand, achieved a prominent place in the British public imagination and, subsequently, in Rhodesian national history, roughly mirroring events such as the Alamo massacre or Custer's Last Stand in the United States. The patrol comprised elements of the British South Africa Company's Police and the Bechuanaland Border Police. Scouting ahead of Major Patrick Forbes' column attempting the capture of the Matabele King Lobengula (following his flight from his capital Bulawayoa month before), it crossed the Shangani late on 3 December 1893. It moved on Lobengula the next morning, but was ambushed by a host of Matabele riflemen and warriors near the king's wagon. Surrounded and outnumbered about a hundred-fold, the patrol made a last stand as three of its number broke out and rode back to the river to muster reinforcements from Forbes. However, the Shangani had risen significantly in flood, and Forbes was himself involved in a skirmish near the southern bank; Wilson and his men therefore remained isolated to the north. After fighting to the last cartridge, and killing over ten times their own number, they were annihilated. The patrol's members, particularly Wilson and Captain Henry Borrow, were elevated in death to the status of national heroes, representing endeavour in the face of insurmountable odds.
- Singapore strategy (Hawkeye7)
- The Singapore strategy was developed by the Japanese home islands in order to force Japan to accept terms. The Singapore strategy was the cornerstone of British Imperial defence policy in the Far East during the 1920s and 1930s. By 1937, according to Captain Stephen Roskill, "the concept of the 'Main Fleet to Singapore' had, perhaps through constant repetition, assumed something of the inviolability of Holy Writ". A combination of financial, political and practical difficulties ensured that it could not be implemented. During the 1930s, the strategy came under sustained criticism in Britain and abroad, particularly in Australia, where the Singapore strategy was used as an excuse for parsimonious defence policies. The strategy ultimately led to the despatch of Force Z to Singapore and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese air attack on 10 December 1941. The subsequent ignominious fall of Singapore was described by Winston Churchillas "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".
- SMS Ostfriesland (Parsecboy)
- SMS Ostfriesland ("His Majesty's Ship Kaiserliche Werft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven. She was launched on 30 September 1909 and was commissioned into the fleet on 1 August 1911. The ship was equipped with twelve 30.5-centimeter (12.0 in) guns in six twin turrets, and had a top speed of 21.2 knots (39.3 km/h; 24.4 mph). Ostfriesland was assigned to the I Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of her career, including World War I. Along with her three sister ships, Helgoland, Thüringen, and Oldenburg, Ostfriesland participated in all of the major fleet operations of World War I in the North Sea against the British Grand Fleet. This included the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, the largest naval battle of the war. The ship also saw action in the Baltic Sea against the Russian Navy and was present during the unsuccessful first incursion into the Gulf of Riga in August 1915. After the German collapse in November 1918, Ostfriesland was eventually transferred to the United States Navy. She was sunk during air power trials off the Virginia Capes in July 1921.
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- Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith (Cplakidas)
- Al-Mundhir ibn al-Ḥārith (المنذر بن الحارث), known in Byzantine emperorboth recognition of his royal status and a pledge of tolerance towards the Monophysite Church.
- Arthur S. Carpender (Hawkeye7)
- Arthur Schuyler Carpender (1884–1960) was an American Ninth Naval District from January 1944 until August 1945, retiring in November 1946 with a tombstone promotionto the rank of admiral.
- Battle of Goodenough Island (Hawkeye7)
- The Battle of Goodenough Island (22–27 October 1942), also known as Operation Drake, was a battle of the Buna campaign. "Drake Force", consisting of the Australian 2/12th Battalion and attachments, landed on the southern tip of Goodenough Island at Mud Bay and Taleba Bay on 22 October, and following a short but heavy fight, the Japanese forces withdrew to Fergusson Islandon 27 October. After the battle, Goodenough Island was developed by the Allies and became a major base that they used for further operations later in the war.
- Convoy Faith (Nick-D)
- Convoy Faith was a small, fast Panama canal. On the evening of 11 July, four days after sailing, Convoy Faith was attacked by three Condors. Both troopships were severely damaged and subsequently sunk by torpedoes from the escorts; over 100 of the personnel aboard the two ships were killed. The freighter escaped unscathed, but was damaged in a second air attack on 12 July en route to Casablanca. The loss of the two troopships delayed the movement of a divisionof West African soldiers to India. The British military was surprised by the attack on Convoy Faith, as it had been believed that the Condors no longer posed a serious threat. In response, the convoy route between Britain and Africa was moved to the west. The German Condor force attempted to repeat its success against Convoy Faith by carrying out similar attacks on other convoys, but sustained heavy losses from Allied anti-aircraft guns and aircraft.
- de Havilland Comet (Kyteto)
- The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first production commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at its Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK headquarters, the Comet 1 prototype first flew on 27 July 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design. It featured an extremely clean design with four de Havilland Ghost turbojet engines buried in the wings, a low-noise pressurised cabin, and large square windows; for the era, it was an exceptionally comfortable design for passengers and showed signs of being a major success in the first year upon launching. However, a few years after entering commercial service, Comet airframes began suffering from catastrophic metal fatigue, which in combination with cabin pressurisation cycles, caused two well-publicised accidents where the aircraft tore apart in mid-flight. The Comet was withdrawn from service and extensively tested to discover the cause; the first incident had been incorrectly blamed on an onboard fire. Several contributory factors, such as window shape and installation methodology, were ultimately identified as exacerbating the problem. The Comet was extensively redesigned to eliminate this design flaw, with changes including oval windows and structural reinforcement. Rival manufacturers meanwhile developed their own aircraft and heeded the lessons learned from the Comet. Although sales never fully recovered, the improved Comet 2 and the prototype Comet 3 culminated in the redesigned Comet 4 series, which subsequently enjoyed a long and productive career of over 30 years. The Comet was adapted for a variety of military roles, such as surveillance, VIP, medical and passenger transport; the most extensive modification resulted in a specialised maritime patrol aircraft variant, the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod. Nimrods remained in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) until they were retired in June 2011, over 60 years after the Comet's first flight.
- Eric Harrison (RAAF officer) (Ian Rose)
- Eric Harrison (1886–1945) was an Australian aviator who made the country's first military flight, and helped lay the groundwork for the Victoria, he was a flying instructor in Britain when, in 1912, he answered the Australian Defence Department's call for pilots to form an aviation school. Along with Henry Petre, he established Australia's first air base at Point Cook, Victoria, and its inaugural training unit, the Central Flying School (CFS), before making his historic flight in March 1914. Following the outbreak of World War I, when Petre went on active service with the Mesopotamian Half Flight, Harrison took charge of instructing student pilots of the Australian Flying Corps at CFS. Harrison transferred to the RAAF as one of its founding members in 1921, and spent much of his career between the wars in technical services and air accident investigation. Promoted to group captain in 1935, he retired from the Air Force three years later when his post of Director of Aeronautical Inspection was transferred to the public service. He continued to serve in the same capacity as a civilian until his sudden death from heart disease at the age of fifty-nine, just after the end of World War II. Harrison's technical abilities and association with military flying from its earliest days in Australia earned him the title of "Father of the RAAF" for many years, until the mantle was assumed by Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams.
- Henry II of England (Hchc2009)
- Henry II (1133–1189) ruled as English Common Law.
- Henry Petre (Ian Rose)
- Henry Petre mentions in despatches. Transferring to the Royal Air Force as a major in 1918, he commanded No. 75 Squadronbefore retiring from the military the following year. He resumed his legal practice in England, and continued to fly recreationally before his death in 1962, aged seventy-seven.
- John F. Bolt (Ed!)
- John Franklin Bolt (1921–2004) was a real estate law practice, and was active in law until 1991. He died from leukemiain 2004.
- John Troglita (Constantine)
- John Troglita was a 6th-century Byzantine emperor, Justinian I (r. 527–565). In summer 546, Justinian chose John Troglita to assume overall command of Byzantine forces in Africa, where a succession of revolts by the indigenous Moorish tribes and within the imperial army itself had seriously reduced the Byzantine position. Troglita quickly secured an initial victory in the winter of 546/547 against the Moors of Byzacena, but was defeated in summer 547 by the tribes of Tripolitania, and Africa was once again laid open to destructive raids. Troglita reorganized his army and secured the assistance of some tribal leaders, and confronted and decisively defeated the tribal coalition at the Fields of Cato in summer 548. This victory spelled the end of the Moorish revolt, and heralded an era of peace for Africa. Troglita was also involved in the Gothic War, twice sending some of his troops to Italy to assist against the Ostrogoths.
- List of battlecruisers of the United States (Sturmvogel 66 and Dank)
- The lines of communication in the event of war. Heavy cruisers were also the most likely surface threat to aircraft carriers making independent raids, so a cruiser-killer was also an ideal carrier escort. Reports of a Japanese equivalent reinforced the Navy's desire for these ships. Two were commissioned in time to serve during the last year of World War II, but were decommissioned several years later.
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- Reg Saunders (AustralianRupert and Ian Rose)
- Reginald Walter Saunders Member of the Order of the British Empire(MBE) for his community service. He died in 1990, aged 69.
- STRAT-X (Sp33dyphil)
- STRAT-X, or Strategic-Experimental, was a , among others. Prominent journalists have regarded STRAT-X as a major influence on the course of U.S. nuclear policy.
- William Anderson (RAAF officer) (Ian Rose)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934, and promoted to air commodore in 1938. When World War II broke out, Anderson was Air Member for Supply. In 1940 he acted as Chief of the Air Staff between the resignation of Air Vice-Marshal Stanley Goble in January and the arrival of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett, RAF, the next month. He led the newly formed Central and Eastern Area Commandsbetween December 1940 and July 1943, interspersed with a brief return to the Air Board as Air Member for Organisation and Equipment in 1941–42. Anderson was founding Commandant of the RAAF Staff School from July to November 1943, and again held this post from October 1944 until his retirement in April 1946. Known to his colleagues as "Andy" or "Mucker", he died on his birthday in 1975.
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