Friday, 31 August 2018

Professor Sir James Mirrlees obituary

Sir James Mirrlees passing on his wisdom to young economists at St Petersburg State University in 2010

James Mirrlees’s first thought was that he was the victim of a prank. “My second thought was to check the [phone] call was genuine,” he said. Having ascertained that it was real, he was “full of glee” at sharing the Nobel prize in economics in 1996. “My subject has always been economics and human welfare,” explained the softly spoken Scot. “It is a delight to have been able to contribute to that field and to have it recognised.”The award was for Mirrlees’s work on “information asymmetry”, which is about making transactions with imperfect knowledge. “That just means not knowing as much as you would like,” he explained. Information asymmetry is where one party, the buyer or the seller, knows more about the goods or the service than the other. People selling their home know more about the house than a buyer; those seeking health insurance know more about their health than the insurer.Mirrlees studied the applications of information asymmetry, exploring why buyers and sellers failed to possess all the information they needed when making a purchase or a sale and the implications for any deal. In insurance, for example, high-risk customers such as smokers, the elderly or those living in difficult environments may be more likely to take out cover. This could raise premiums for all customers, forcing the healthy or those who live in safe environments to withdraw. The solution is to perform actuarial work, screen all customers and charge different premiums based on potential risks.Receiving the Nobel prize was not the greatest day of Mirrlees’s life. That had been in 1968, when, according to the man once described as a self-effacing academic’s academic, “I finally cracked the optimal tax problem . . . It came in a flash and was very satisfactory.” He had been investigating the links between levels of taxation and motivation to work and concluded that British tax rates could reasonably be higher, “particularly for middle-income earners”, adding: “It could become a disincentive, but you could use the revenue for health services, education and welfare.”

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Історія українського війська

Литовський стрілець, кінець XV — початок XVI ст.

Автори реконструкції: М. Відейко, А. Галушка, О. Ком’яхов

Близько 1500 р. цей тип піхотинця вже починав сприйматися як архаїчний, але на теренах Східної Європи він зберігався довше, ніж у більш розвинених західних країнах, в тому числі через те, що такій піхоті довелося протистояти іншому супротивнику — кінним лучникам Кримського ханату та Великого князівства Московського.

Основна зброя стрільця — арбалет (куша). Потужний композитний лук арбалета має основу з дерева (тис, ясен, горіх чи в’яз), до якої з одного боку прикріплені накладки з рогу, а з протилежного — з жил. Тятива зроблена із жил. Лук замотаний у водовідпорний матеріал (просмолену тканину чи шкіру). Більш потужні сталеві луки для арбалетів на той час уже почали з’являтися, але були набагато дорожчими. Ложе арбалета дерев’яне, із залізним стременом для зручності зведення тятиви. Тятива натягується металевим важелем (кранекеном, «козячою ногою»), що лежить на траві перед стрільцем. Короткі стріли-болти зберігаються у шкіряному сагайдаку (тулі), що висить на правому боці стрільця.

Стрілець прикривається від ворожих стріл щитом-павезою на дерев’яній підпорці. Такі щити були масово поширені в піхотинців у всій Європі у попередні кілька століть. Висота павез могла бути різною, переважно 1—1,5 м. У цього стрільця вона ближча до верхньої межі. Павези робилися із дерева (часом вони були на диво легкими) та вкривалися шкірою. На шкірі часто робили яскраві малюнки геральдичного чи релігійного змісту. На цій павезі зображений Святий Юрій-змієборець та герб міста Києва (рука з кушею — зображення взято з герба Києва у гербовнику Конрада Ґрюненберґа 1480 р.).

На лівому боці у стрільця висить короткий меч-катцбальгер із характерною гардою у вигляді літери S. Катцбальгери набули особливої популярності в німецьких ландскнехтів, що саме тоді з’явилися у державах Священної Римської Імперії. Довжина такого меча була від 70 до 85 см, вага 1,5—1,8 кг. Стрілець міг ним битися, якщо ворог наближався впритул.

Як і меч, захисний обладунок стрільця показує «останні тренди» тогочасної військової моди. На голові шолом-салед німецької роботи, за зразок для якого експонат із лондонської Колекції Воллеса, датований 1500 роком. Груди й живіт захищає металева кіраса, закріплена хрест-навхрест ремінцями на спині. Кірасу доповнює захисний доспіх для рук, що також кріпиться ремінцями. Такі недорогі захисні комплекти (зразком для малюнка послужив комплект із Королівського музею зброї у Лідсі) щойно поширилися на німецьких землях. Стрілець одягнутий у сіру вовняну куртку, міцні лляні брунатні штани та шкіряні черевики на зав’язках — поширений робочий одяг того часу.

Поле битви – Україна. Від «володарів степу» до «кіборгів»


Битва під Оршею 8 вересня 1514 року


Починаючи з останніх років XV століття Московське князівство узяло курс на захоплення руських земель, що знаходилися під владою Великого князівства Литовського. Коли у березні 1503 року було укладено перемир'я між Литвою та Московською державою, то під владу Москви перейшов величезний простір чернігово-сіверських земель на лівому березі Дніпра, що були захоплені московськими військами під час військових дій. До цього призвела страшна поразка литовського війська над рікою Вєдрошею під Дорогобужем у 1500 році: все військо Великого Князівства було знищено, а його командувач гетьман литовський князь Костянтин Острозький попав у полон.

Головною метою московського князевя Василя ІІІ був Смоленськ, який Литві вдалося утримати. Нова війна 1508 року виявилася невдалою для Москви. Так само невдалим виявився й початок нової війни, що розгорілася у 1512 році. Великий князь Василь розірвав мирну угоду під тим приводом, що набіг кримських татар на Московську державу був спровокований королем Сигизмундом.  Смоленськ відбив дві московські облоги протягом 1512 та 1513 років. Великий князь Литовський і король Польський Сигизмунд І вирішив, що місто може відбити будь-який натиск східного ворога, й не посилив його залогу. Розплата не забарилася. Новий московський похід, який очолив особисто Василь ІІІ, врахував попередні невдачі: 30 липня 1514 року оборонці здалися великому князеві Василю, і Смоленськ було майже на сто років взято до Московської держави. Проти Великого Князівства і Польщі зібразася сильна коаліція сусідів: Священна Римська імперія, Тевтонський орден і Данія вичікували слушного моменту, щоб також отримати частину володінь Сигизмунда.

Велике московське військо (два корпуси під проводом воєвод Івана Челяднина та Михайла Голиці) рушило вглиб Литви. Польські джерела пишуть про 80-тисячну силу, але дослідники вважають це перебільшенням. З іншого боку, в останні роки російські історики стали давати оцінку московського війська лише в 12-15 тисяч, при тому, що польсько-литовське військо оцінюване в 16-18 тисяч. На думку автора, така занижена оцінка сил Москви визвана методологічними похибками російських дослідників. Більш вірогідним є припущення, що польсько-литовське військо мало силу до 25 тисяч, а його супротивник – від 35 до 40 тисяч.

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Історія українського війська

Піхотинець князя Сигізмунда Корибутовича у битві під Вількомиром, 1434 р.
Автори реконструкції: М. Відейко, А.Галушка, О. Ком’яхов

Піхота того періоду складалася з вояків, озброєних по-різному; але працювали вони разом, однією командою, підтримуючи один одного. До такої команди входили алебардисти, списоносці, стрільці-арбалетники та щитоносці-павезники. На той час чи не найдосвіченішими піхотинцями Центрально-Східної Європи були чеські гусити, що взяли участь у нещасливій для Русі битві під Вількомиром у війську князя Сигізмунда Корибутовича; останній протягом попередніх півтора десятиліть брав активну участь у подіях у Чехії.

Основна зброя цього піхотинця — алебарда раннього типу (за зразок взято одну з алебард із Королівського музею зброї у Лідсі, датовану XV ст.).

Її бойова частина — комбінація прямокутного широкого леза бойової сокири, гостряка списа та гака — кувалася зі звичайного заліза; але її рубальна грань гартувалася так, щоб мати необхідну міцність для розрубування обладунку супротивника. Бойова частина насаджувалася вушком на держак приблизно двометрової довжини. Вушко охоплювало держак з двох боків довгими залізними смугами, за допомогою яких бойова частина надійно закріплювалася на держаку. Ці ж смуги запобігали спробам ворога перерубати держак. Вага алебарди могла коливатися від 2,5 до 5 кг; умілий удар нею залишав страшні рани і міг пробити плитовий обладунок.

Окрім алебарди, вояк має зброю ближнього бою — корд, тобто короткий (до 80 см) меч вагою близько 1 кг. Такі мечі були поширені в цей період серед нижчих верств населення. За модель на малюнку взято німецький корд XV ст. також із Королівського музею зброї у Лідсі. Корд у шкіряних піхвах — на боці вояка.

Голова вояка захищена залізним шолом-капаліном, що був популярним у Європі протягом кількох століть (за зразок служив експонат лондонської Збірки Воллеса). Шолом має форму капелюха із крисами; він носився поверх стьобаного підшоломника (що служив додатковим захистом голови) та іноді також (як у цього вояка) — кольчужного каптура.

Корпус вояка захищає бригандина (шкіряна куртка, підшита пластинами заліза — за зразком з Королівського музею зброї у Лідсі, датованим XV ст.) та стьобана куртка. На ногах шкіряні черевики на зав’язках та полотняні ногавиці, зшиті між собою так, що утворювалися примітивні штани (така мода лише щойно почала поширюватися в Європі).



This Week in History - Hitler's assault on Poland (1 September 1939)

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Border clashes, sabotage carried out by German guerrilla units, and high-altitude reconnaissance flights by the Luftwaffe had put a strain on German-Polish relations. Despite the German threat, only 65% of the Polish army was mobilized; France and England pressured Poland not to commit to what they feared would be seen as an act of provocation. German Panzers reached Warsaw in a week. Russia invaded on 17 September, intervening 'to protect its fraternal Byelorussian and Ukrainian population' and acting under secret terms of a recently signed non-aggression pact with Germany. The last Polish resistance was crushed early in October and the country was partitioned.

For the German Army this campaign was a necessary trial of new technology, organization and training, and above all of a new tactical doctrine of mechanized, combined arms warfare. The significance of this in the campaign's rapid success was generally underrated at the time, as was the effectiveness of the Polish Army's gallant but hopeless resistance. However, the German achievement was fully appreciated by a few more perceptive observers, amongst whom the term 'Blitzkrieg' was coined. This became established currency a few months later as the doctrine, improved by lessons learned in Poland, was applied so devastatingly in the invasions of the Netherlands, Belgium and France.







Almost exactly five years later, on 2 September, a future president of the United States (and the future father of a president) was the pilot of one of four TBM Avengers in a raid on Japanese installations on Chi Chi Jima. Lieutenant (Junior Grade) George Bush's plane was hit by antiaircraft fire but he completed his attack and was on target with a number of bombs. His engine burning, he flew several miles from the island, then bailed out with one other crew member. For this action, Bush was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. For more information about George Bush and his fellow pilots, Warrior 52: US Naval Aviator 1941-45 examines service life and wartime experiences in all three types of carrier squadron vividly portraying what it was like to fly and fight for the US Navy. 

Further reading

Essential Histories 35: The Second World War (2) Europe 1939-1943 details the events running up to 1 September 1939, and places the invasion of Poland in context. Alternatively turn to Essential Histories Specials: The Second World War: A world in flames which combines all six Essential Histories on World War II. Campaign 107: Poland 1939 The birth of Blitzkrieg (extract below) gives a full account of this astonishing month, demonstrating the success and failings of the new German method of war, and giving full credit to the Polish Army for its stubborn defence which inflicted over 10,000 casualties on the Germans. For the subsequent blitzkrieg attack on France, see Campaign 3: France 1940 Blitzkrieg in the West, and Fortress 10: The Maginot Line 1928-45 is a study of the fortifications that failed to save France.

Warrior 46: Panzer Crewman 1939-45 looks at the recruitment, training and service conditions of the men on the front line of the Blitzkrieg, assessing their combat experience across all the theatres of World War II. The German invasion force totalled 53 divisions, of which 37 were infantry, Warrior 59: German Infantryman (1) 1933-40, follows 30 Infantry Regiment through the first years of the war, and the extract below details their entry into Poland. Men-at-Arms 311: The German Army 1939-45 (1) Blitzkrieg and Men-at-Arms 117: The Polish Army 1939-45 explore the uniforms, insignia, equipment and organisation of the opposing armies. Detailed information about the history, design and deployment of the German tanks used is provided in New Vanguard 26: German Light Panzers 1932-42, New Vanguard 27: Panzerkampfwagen III Medium Tank 1936-44 and New Vanguard 28: Panzerkampfwagen IV Medium Tank 1936-45.


An extract from Campaign 107: Poland 1939 The birth of Blitzkrieg
1 September 1939

The war was scheduled to start at 0445hrs, but in fact began around 0400hrs when the old battleship Schleswig-Holstein slipped its moorings in Danzig and began a bombardment of the neighbouring Polish transit base on Westerplatte. Due to treaty restrictions, the Poles were forbidden from fortifying the peninsula, but in fact had reinforced the walls of many buildings. As a result, the small garrison was able to hold out for a week in spite of intense bombardment and repeated infantry assaults. Westerplatte was sometimes called the 'Polish Verdun' due to the horrendous pounding the tenacious defenders received during the first week of fighting.

The remnants of the Polish fleet were smothered by German air attack. The submarine flotilla dispersed into the Baltic to lay mines and hunt for coastal transports, while the only remaining major surface combatants - the destroyer 
Wicherand the minelayer Gryf - began mine-laying operations off the coast. The small naval air detachment was wiped out in air raids during the first few days of fighting. On 3 September, the Kriegsmarine sent two destroyers towards the Polish naval facilities, but they were damaged by gunfire from the coastal guns at Hel and gunfire from Wicher and Gryf. The Luftwaffe responded with a highly effective air raid, which sank Poland's two remaining major warships. The smaller coastal minelayers escaped the air raids until 16 September when they were finally sunk. 

Fighting in the port city of Danzig was conducted by paramilitary units on both sides and was especially savage. Workers in the Polish post office barricaded the building but were eventually overwhelmed by the SS Heimwehr Danzig supported by marines and paramilitary units. Many of the workers were shot after surrendering.

Luftwaffe operations along the coast were constrained by dense early morning fog in many areas. The initial German attack across the Pomeranian corridor was preceded by efforts to seize key rail bridges and stations along the Chojnice-Tczew line. At 0430hrs, Stukas from 3/1 Stuka Geschwader bombed the key Tczew bridge in the Pomeranian corridor, hoping to disarm the demolition charges, but the mission failed. The Wehrmacht then attempted to sneak several armoured assault cars into the station behind the daily civilian transit train. However, the Poles were ready, having been alerted by the premature Stuka attack, and they set off the demolition charges, dropping the bridge. The attack on Chojnice was spearheaded by an armoured train but was beaten back. 

The Polish forces of Army Pomorze in the Pomeranian corridor consisted of two infantry divisions and a cavalry brigade. Their deployment was more political than tactical, since Warsaw feared that the Germans might attempt to seize the corridor as they had the Sudetenland in actions short of a full-scale war. The Polish units were positioned to make sure that any German actions would by resisted. Once full-scale war broke out and the German Fourth Army began its assault, their political mission became moot, and they began a fighting withdrawal southward to more defensible positions. In the rearguard, the Pomorska Cavalry Brigade fought a day-long series of engagements with the German 20th Motorised Infantry Division along the Brda Rivers, prompting the German commander to request permission to withdraw 'before intense cavalry pressure'. In the late afternoon, the commander of the 18th Lancer regiment, Col K. Mastelarz, led two understrength squadrons in a raid behind the lines. Galloping out of the forest, they caught a German infantry battalion in the open and mounted a successful sabre charge that decimated the startled German formation. Towards the end of the skirmish, several German armoured cars arrived and began firing at the mounted troops. About 20 troopers were killed including the commander before the cavalry could withdraw. The following day, Italian war correspondents were brought to the scene and were told that the troopers had been killed while charging tanks. The story became more embellished with every retelling, becoming a staple of German propaganda and the most enduring myth of the Polish campaign. In spite of the cavalry's defence, the 3rd Panzer Division was able to secure an unopposed crossing over the Brda Rivers.

While the Fourth Army was fighting its way across the Pomeranian corridor, the German Third Army in East Prussia began the first attacks southward towards Warsaw. Two corps began the assault, which soon became entangled in the Mlawa fortification line. Mlawa was one of the few locations with any significant modern fortifications, as it was the obvious approach route to Warsaw from the north. Two German divisions of the 1st Corps conducted the assault with the support of tanks from the Kempf Panzer Division. Manned by the Polish 20th Infantry Division, the fortifications held out against repeated assaults. In the meantime, the Wodrig Corps attempted to skirt around the Mlawa defences to the east, attacking the right wing of the 20th Infantry Division with two infantry divisions. However, the fortifications were situated with swampy ground on either side. Curiously enough, the defensive positions of the Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade along the Ulatkowka River were attacked by the sole German cavalry unit, the 1st Cavalry Brigade, in one of the few cavalry-versus-cavalry battles of the war. While there were some skirmishes between mounted patrols, most of the fighting was dismounted. By the end of the first day of fighting, the German Third Army was stalled.

The driving force in the Wehrmacht's assault on Poland was Rundstedt's Army Group South, especially its two northern elements, the Eight and Tenth Armies in Silesia. These formations were intended to crash through the opposing Army Lodz and Army Krakow, cross the Warta River, envelope the Polish forces along the western frontier and drive on Warsaw. As a result, these two armies had a disproportionate share of the Panzer and light divisions. The opening phase was largely uneventful, as the main Polish defensive line was in the scattered forests about 32km (20 miles) from the frontier. The most intense battle in this sector occurred around the village of Mokra, which was held by the Wolynska Cavalry Brigade. Despite repeated attacks by the 4th Panzer Division during the day, the cavalry held its ground and inflicted significant losses. The German tank attacks were poorly co-ordinated with the accompanying infantry; a reflection of the novelty of massed tank operations and the difficulty of putting the new doctrine into practice. At least one of the German attacks was repulsed with the assistance of the armoured train 
Smialy in one of several encounters between Panzers and armoured trains during the campaign. Stuka attacks against the brigade's rear area caused serious losses of horses and supplies, but were unsuccessful in breaking Polish resistance. If the defence of Mokra was proof of the excellent training and morale of the cavalry, it was also evidence of its shortcomings in contemporary conflict. Casualties were so high that the brigade was forced to withdraw that evening, with the 4th Panzer Division on its heels.

The Germans had greater success against Army Krakow to the south. Army Krakow had one of the most difficult tasks of the Polish higher formations, facing the heaviest concentration of German divisions including most of its mechanised forces; four Panzer divisions and four light divisions. In addition, its sector spanned an area from the Upper Silesian industrial region to the Carpathian foothills in the south. While the Wolynska Cavalry Brigade was preoccupied with the main assault against its positions around Mokra, the 1st Panzer Division drove a wedge between it and the Polish 7th Infantry Division to its south. This division was attacked frontally by the German 46th Infantry Division, and its southern flank was threatened when the 2nd Light Division pushed into the defences of the Krakowska Cavalry Brigade. Two more German infantry divisions were ready to reinforce the assault on the hapless 7th Infantry Division. Less progress was enjoyed to the south when the 8th and 239th Infantry Divisions assaulted the fortified zone around the industrial city of Katowice. The neighbouring 28th Infantry Division and 5th Panzer Division struck the Polish 55th and 6th Infantry Divisions. 

Aside from the regular military operations, there was considerable turmoil in the rear areas due to the operations of German guerrilla units that had been formed prior to the war by the Abwehr (Military Intelligence). Silesia had a sizeable pro-Nazi German minority and there were numerous small-scale skirmishes between regular Polish army units, police and German guerrilla groups.

The 22nd Panzer Corps, operating out of Slovakia, began a determined attack on Polish mountain defences along the Dunajec River. The 2nd Panzer Division manoeuvred its way past the Polish Dunajec line, held mainly by KOP border troops, obliging Army Krakow to commit its mechanised reserve, the 10th Mechanised Brigade. The German advance was finally stopped later in the day when reinforcements arrived in the shape of units of the Polish 6th Infantry Division. The German 1st and 2nd Mountain Divisions, supported by Slovak units, began attempts to cross the Carpathian mountains in the Army Karpaty sector. No serious gains were made on 1 September due to the difficulty of the terrain.



An extract from Warrior 59: German Infantryman (1) 1933-40

German Infantry in Poland, September 1939
The men of 30 Infantry Regiment had arrived in Landsberg after leaving the depot. Few Germans expected Hitler's threats to Poland to result in war, especially after the bloodless victory of the Sudetenland the previous year. However, the officers and NCOs made sure that everything that could be done was so done before H-hour. The men were paraded in battle order and all their kit checked.

The night before the attack it was quite clear to everyone that this time Hitler's political gamble would not pay off: the army would be fighting the next morning. Very few men were able to sleep with the thought of battle running through their minds, particularly the perennial fear of infantrymen - wounds. This young army was 'more afraid of debilitating wounds and especially blindness than it was of death: death only happened to other people anyway.' As dawn approached the men of 30 Regiment heard aircraft overhead. The Luftwaffe had co-ordinated its arrival over the border at just the right moment, for, as the infantry moved off, they heard and saw the bombing on the horizon before them. 'Explosions from bombs dropped on Polish concentration areas sent black plumes of smoke into the sky, and we were pleased that it was our air force.' (Altenstadt)

As the tanks and mobile infantry sped ahead, the infantrymen concentrated on their main task: much marching and some combat. Although trained to march long distances, they nevertheless became more and more tired: 'The weight of the equipment we were carrying was also a burden, one which we could not relieve. Machine gunners felt that their weapons were wearing a permanent groove in their shoulders, ammunition carriers felt their arms were getting longer, or their necks were worn raw from the carrying straps for the ammunition boxes.' Their feet began to swell with the heat, the sweat and the marching.

Only one concession had been made to the infantry of this period, which was that packs and heavier equipment were carried in horse-drawn carts which followed their platoons. The horse was still much more a part of the German army at this time, and there were very few truly motorised divisions. Most of the fighting infantry went into battle on foot, and in the whole division, only a few staff officers had cars; the only motorised units were the anti-tank gun platoons.

One factor which sustained the men was their food. Each company had a field kitchen attached to it, and these antiquated but essential devices were always ready, especially with the midday meal. As the battalion came to the end of the morning's march, 'every man's spirit rose at the thought of hot food and coffee. The men moved off the roads, the platoon and company wagons, plus all the accumulated transport moved into air concealment positions, and for an hour or so, things were good.' The fact that the Luftwaffe had complete air superiority helped.

The reasonably mild weather of September 1939 meant that the troops marching east in the wake of the advancing tank divisions only saw clouds of dust ahead of them, which became more distant as the day went on. However, Polish resistance had not ended, and as they advanced they occasionally came under fire from rearguard enemy soldiers who fought bravely.

As soon as they were fired on, reconnaissance troops in the advance guard reported back to company headquarters. Following their intensive training, when the German troops were ordered into the attack they did so unhesitatingly. 'Light machine guns fired on the enemy positions - often a trench in a farm yard, or a few men behind a hedgerow - winning the fire fight. Then the assault infantry went in, and soon more Polish troops were removed from the field of battle.' 

Up to this time the advance had been almost undisturbed, with few alarms or stops caused by the Poles. The march was seemingly never ending. They had begun their long walk on 1 September at dawn, and on 12 September had marched in the wake of the Panzer divisions, for over 150 miles. They were starting every day at dawn, and stopping only as night fell, marching all day with 20 minute breaks every two hours. The dust of the primitive roads meant constant attention to weapons was essential.

'We were fed from field kitchens at around midday, and again in the early evening: otherwise it was march, march and keep on marching. We never came up to the tanks which were very soon twenty or more miles in front of us.' (Altenstadt) Dust covered the men, mixing with their sweat to form a hard pancake on their faces and any other exposed skin.





Thursday, 30 August 2018

100 Years Ago



French dash to the Somme

The Germans are retreating as fast as they dare, as fast, that is, as they can without retreat degenerating into a rout. They are covering the same ground as that over which they retired in the spring of 1917 about as quickly as they did then, but with this great difference — that this time the Allies are close on their heels.
The towns and villages that fall one by one into the hands of the advancing troops are a sorry sight. They are battered out of all recognition. Most of them I know, some of them well. When I went to Moreuil and Montdidier I simply did not recognize them. I could not place any of the houses and not many of the streets I had known. Looked at from the west, Montdidier is a particularly gruesome spectacle. It is not only that the insides of the houses are exposed. The very foundations of the town are laid bare. They seem to have been turned inside out, and upside down. It is like looking at a grave that has been burst open and violated. The naked cliff of sandstone on which it stands is thrown open to view instead of being hidden by a clustering mass of houses, and cliff and fallen stonework form a formless jumble of chaos and destruction which in no way suggests that it could ever have been the handiwork of man.
Roye, fortunately, is not so bad. Some of the streets have been blown up by mines; the church and a certain number of houses have been destroyed by shells, but it still looks like a town, and there are still houses standing, on the walls of which the Germans have left characteristic inscriptions as a trace of their occupation. The brick ramparts overhanging the Avre facing west across the Santerre Plateau have suffered particularly badly, but they are picturesque in their ruin. It is not much consolation to reflect that in the case of these recently destroyed places the ruin is mostly the result of the fair wear and tear of war. But it is in a way comforting to feel that the Germans must by now be bitterly regretting the wantonness with which they blotted out of existence with fire and dynamite during their last retreat the towns and villages of behind their present line. They are in something the same plight as the ancient wanderers in the wilderness, whose soul fainted within them because they found no city to dwell in. And it is their own doing.

Десять книжок, що...


Колись розмістив це на іншій площадці, але залюбки повторю

1. Енеїда, Іван Котляревський – я був, здається, у першому класі, коли батько мені дав цю книжку й сказав, що у Давній Греції учнів вчили, даючи їм завдання вивчити напам’ять Іліаду й Одісею Гомера, і що він не вимагає в мене вивчити напам’ять Енеїду, але хотів би, щоб я її прочитав. Я її прочитав, і перечитував – як на мій тоді юний вік, ні те, що це вірші, ні мова, якою вони були написані, не злякали мене. Мова не здавалася якоюсь відмінною від тої, якою розмовляли в нас вдома, тож до теревенів про австроугорський генштаб я завжди ставився як до патякання ідіотів. Видання в нас було простеньке, не розкішне з ілюстраціями Базилевича, але таке було у моєї тьоті, так що я мав можливість не раз ним помилуватися. Взагалі це видання, як на мене, зробило більше для створення умов для незалежності України ніж мало що до Чорнобильської катастрофи

2. Книга будущих командиров, А.Митяев – «моє» було саме перше видання, ще без усяких репродукцій не дуже гарних картин, просто із рисунками. Про Другу світову там була лише глава про Сталінград, все інше додали вже в наступних перевиданнях. Як зараз зрозуміло, багато в чому це був переказ для дитячої аудиторії тритомника з історії воєнного мистецтва Строкова (і частково Разіна), якщо казати про освітлення подій до більшовицького перевороту. При всіх її, як я зараз розумію, недоліках і неточностях, вона багато зробила для формування мого інтересу до воєнної історії

3. Тореадори з Васюківки, Всеволод Нестайко – сперше я взяв її в бібліотеці, не знаючи особливо, що воно за таке, просто книга. Ну власне, тоді вона була досить новою книгою. Вже пізніше прийшло усвідомлення, що по-перше, в початковій школі ми ходили в Театр Юного Глядача (поряд зі школою) на виставу по першій частині цієї чудової книжки (Пригоди Робінзона Кукурузо), а крім того, у дитячому журналі Барвінок я читав одну главу із останньої частини. Словом, ця книга малює світ мого раннього дитинства, кінець 60-х, десь як я їх і пам’ятаю. Плюс гарний гумор, плюс пригоди – відмінне читання. Не знаю, одначе, чи мої хлопці прочитають книжку, бо їм надто багато треба пояснювати буде, ті реалії, які «само собою» для мого покоління, для них так само екзотичні, як реалії кнгижки ну хоч про стародавній Рим...

Wednesday, 29 August 2018

This Week in History - Second Manassas (25-31 August 1862)

https://ospreypublishing.com/thisweekhistory/

Since 'Jeb' Stuart's raid behind the Union lines on 22-3 August there had been skirmishes and manoeuvring along the Rappahannock and, in the early hours of 25 August, Robert E Lee had launched 'Stonewall' Jackson on a bold, 56-mile flanking march. By midnight on August 26 Stuart had captured Manassas Junction and by morning most of the rest of Jackson's force were feasting on the massive Union supply depot there and destroying what they couldn't carry away. Jackson then withdrew to what he himself described as a 'commanding position' by the village of Groveton, waiting for Lee and James Longstreet to link up with him, having followed the route he had taken. He was also ready for the full Union response to his presence in what had been their rear. The expected clash took place on August 28, a fierce prelude to the main battle, in which the Stonewall Brigade reinforced their reputation and the Iron Brigade first established theirs.

On August 29 Jackson's corps was positioned in a strong defensive line along the workings of an unfinished railroad. Fierce attacks were met with equally fierce defence and the Confederates were pushed back but not broken. In one of the several spectacular misjudgements that lost him this campaign and his command, the Union General John Pope wrote a despatch early the next morning claiming victory in a 'terrific battle … which lasted with continuous fury from daylight until dark, by which time the enemy was driven from the field, which we now occupy.' In fact, with Lee and Longstreet now on the scene and placing a fresh corps most threateningly on his left flank, it was Pope who was to be driven from the field on 30 August.

The first day's fighting had been inconclusive although Pope thought he had the Confederates beaten. However, Lee had brilliantly executed his strategy of forcing a confrontation at a place of his choosing with the Army of Virginia, before it could be reinforced and lengthen the odds against him to two-to-one. He had also fulfilled his purpose of drawing the war away from the Confederate capital and positioning himself to take it into Union territory. 

On the morning of the second day Lee had set a trap and the confident Pope blundered straight into it. Lee's line was now in the shape of a V, Jackson's corps along the unfinished railroad as before and Longstreet's corps angled off to its right. The final stage
 of the battle is described in the extract below.

Thursday, 23 August 2018

До 79-тої річниці

До вищезазначеної річниці - розділ із книги, що вийде наступного місяця.
Гітлер дотримувався іншої думки. У листопаді того ж таки 1937 року він виголосив довгу помову перед керівництвом збройних сил Німеччини. Її зміст відомий із стенограми, що велася ад’ютантом Гітлера (за чиїм іменем цей документ отримав назву «меморандум Госсбаха»). Гітлер заявив, що його мета виходить за межі просто знесення Версальської угоди та повернення відтогрнутих у Версалі німецьких територій та колоній. Метою мало бути «збереження расової спільноти» (Volksmasse) та забезпечення її зросту. Для цього необхідно забезпечити «життєвий простір», Lebensraum, що неможливо без війни, бо «сила... є основою експансії», тим більше що було ясно, що цей простір реально отримати лише на сході, що лежить під владою більшовицького режиму. Міркування Гітлера не відповідали реальному ходу подій (він вважав, що з Британією Німеччині нема чого ділити, наприклад). Але Гітлер передбачав близьке поглинення Австрії та Чехословаччини, як і сталося. Військовий міністр генерал Бломберґ та командуючий сухопутними силами генерал Фріч висловили запокоєння такими планами, але на початку 1938 року вони обидва втратили всої посади через гучні скандали. Гітлер не став замінювати Бломберґа іншим військовиком, але сам став головнокомандувачем збройними силами Німеччини.

Friday, 17 August 2018

16 August 1819: Militia massacres protesters at ‘Peterloo’

Dominic Sandbrook explores this big day in history

As many as 15 people may have been killed, and a further 500 badly injured, during the 1819 riot in Manchester that came to be known as the 'Peterloo' Massacre. (Rischgitz/Getty Images)

When the people of Manchester awoke on Monday, 16 August 1819, it was already shaping up to be a fine, hot day. By mid-morning thousands of people were streaming past the mills and chimneys towards St Peter’s Field in the town centre. To the watching townsfolk they presented an extraordinary spectacle. Each local village had sent its own contingent, but far from being the disorderly rabble of press hysteria, they seemed remarkably well turned out. Many were women, dressed all in white. And everywhere were flags and banners, woven in bright silk. “No Corn Laws”, they read, “Annual Parliaments”, “Universal Suffrage”, “Vote by Ballot”. The only banner that survives today was carried by Thomas Redford of Middleton. “Liberty and Fraternity” read the message on one side, picked out in gold letters. “Unity and Strength” it read on the other.

Thursday, 16 August 2018

100 Years Ago




One of the finest fights the Canadian cavalry have been in was on Sunday morning on the Amiens-Roye road, between Goyencourt and Andechy. Two giant pill-boxes of heavy steel and cement stand sentinel over the main road and two cross-roads. They held up our infantry during the first Somme advance, and although the concussion from our heavy shells killed most of the garrisons, the forts were not destroyed. After the advance they were strengthened, and used for defence in the March Allied retirement. A hasty attempt to blow them up was unsuccessful.
Now, they once more frowned on the attacking troops. A force of Canadian cavalry divided into small parties and spread over tracks which led towards the redoubts. The German outposts were surprised and killed, and there seemed a chance of gaining the position by surprise. The garrison’s attention was taken up by minor fights on either side, when suddenly a party of the Canadian cavalry charged down the main road to within 50 yards of the little forts, when they encountered barbed wire and were held up. They had considerable losses in men and horses from machine-gun fire. The mounted men galloped to shelter, but the troopers who had been dismounted, sheltered by their dead horses and what cover they could get, went on cutting wire. With a semblance of a path cut through, the cavalry commander, in conjunction with some whippet Tanks, launched another party. Guided by their unmounted comrades, the troops got through the first wire and were right on top of the positions. They fired point-blank into the little forts, and then swerved to the right into the shelter of a small wood. There were a considerable number of casualties, but the German garrisons, panic-stricken at the closeness of the horsemen and afraid of being cut off, fled out through the rear trenches. The gaining of the position meant everything to the British and French infantry. It was one of the hardest fights Canadian cavalry have been in during this tremendous battle.
The motor machine-gunners have a new mascot in a fine Dachshund bitch they took from a dugout where she refused to leave the body of her master, an officer. She is suffering from shell shock and whines at every explosion, but the unit means to bring her back to Canada.

The Allied advance, August-September 1918

The Allied advance, August-September 1918
This week's chapter examines the Battle of Bapaume continued, the fighting on the Oise, the Battle of the Scarpe, the Drocourt-Queant line breached, the French advance on the British right, development of the Allied plan, the American part in the Battle of St Mihiel, German views, aviation record
On the night of August 26-27, the Germans began to yield ground, as the German High Command felt that their troops could not continue in the positions held in front of Chaulnes, Roye .and Noyon. Roye was abandoned on the 26th and the Germans began to retire from both sides of the town on a front of about 12 miles

Wednesday, 15 August 2018

301 рік тому

сталася битва під Белградом - найвідоміша перемога одного з найвидатніших європейських полководців початку 18 століття, принца Євгена Савойського. Пам'ятайте в "Швейку":

Prinz Eugenius, der edle Ritter,
wollt’ dem Kaiser wiedrum kriegen
Stadt und Festung Belegrad.
Er liess schlagen einen Brücken,
dass man kunnt’ hinüberrucken
mit der Armee wohl für die Stadt


Ks. Eugeniusz Sabaudzki na polu bitwy, mal. Jacob van Schuppen, 1718 r.

This Week in History - Bosworth 1485 (18-24 August)

Bosworth 1485 (18-24 August)




'Give me my battle-axe in my hand,
Set the crown of England on my head so high!
For by Him that shape both sea and land,
King of England this day I will die!'

("The Ballad of Bosworth Field", the work of an unnamed supporter of the Plantagenets
from northern England, written sometime during the ten years after the battle)

With the battle threatening to turn against him, Richard staked all on a heroic charge with Henry Tudor the objective. He personally killed Henry's standard bearer with his lance, then swept a second defender out of his saddle with a blow of his axe and was very close to his goal. But the momentum of the charge was spent and Richard with his household were gradually overwhelmed. After his horse, already wounded, became trapped in some marshy ground Richard fought on to die bravely on foot. The Tudor victory did not bring the Wars of the Roses to an immediate end. Following his coronation on 30 October, Henry had to deal with a number of real threats and challenges. The last military action took place in 1497 and the last serious plot was eliminated in 1499. The traditional image of Richard III as monstrous king was a Tudor creation motivated by the need to justify the illegitimacy of Henry VII's accession. In truth, Richard served his brother Edward IV and his country well both in peace and war; he was a good and brave soldier. Indeed he seems to have been no worse and was quite possibly a rather better man than his peers, whether friends or enemies.

Further reading

Campaign 66: Bosworth 1485 The Last Charge of the Plantagenets (extract below) is a detailed reconstruction of this pivotal battle and the events and actions immediately preceding it. To place Bosworth in the context of the whole war, Essential Histories 54: The Wars of the Roses 1455-1485 is a compact account of the entire dynastic struggle, which spanned nearly all of the second half of the 15th century as well as the background to the war, and the consequences. Campaign 120: Towton 1461 England's bloodiest battle is a study of the longest and bloodiest battle of the War of the Roses, and another crucial battle of the wars, Tewkesbury, will be covered in Campaign 131: Tewkesbury 1471 The last Yorkist victory to be published in October.

Men-at-Arms 145: The Wars of the Roses. It also surveys the arms and armour, livery and badges of the opposing sides. Warrior 35: English Medieval Knight 1400-1500, (extract below) by the same author and illustrator as Campaign 66, describes the life and experiences of the 15th-century knight from his training as a squire to his involvement in battles in England and France. It also closely examines his dress and weaponry and explores the social mechanisms that attached systems and great families to each other.

Tuesday, 14 August 2018

This Week in History - Napoleon launches assault on Smolensk (17 August 1812)

Napoleon launches assault on Smolensk (17 August)













Fresh from their decisive victory at Salamanca on 22 July, Wellington and his army made a triumphal entry to Madrid. One of his soldiers recalled 'deffening shouts of; "Vivi les Angoles, Vivi les Ilandos"'. 'The inhabitants testified their Joy,' wrote Captain Bragge. However, Private William Wheeler of the 51st complained, 'But amidst all this pleasure and happiness we were obliged to submit to a custom so unenglish that I cannot but feel disgust while I am writing. It was to be kissed by the men. What made it still worse, their breath was so highly seasoned with garlick, then their huge mustaches well stiffened with sweat, dust and snuff, it was like having a hair broom pushed into ones face that had been daubed in a dirty gutter.' Wellington was admitted to the Order of the Golden Fleece, given a large estate near Granada and appointed Generalissimo. He was surrounded by women wherever he went, causing an ensign in the Coldstreams to remark: 'Lady Wellington would be jealous if she were to hear of his proceedings. I never saw him in his carriage without two or three ladies.' After this high point came the failure to capture Burgos and a tough tactical withdrawal in terrible weather to Portugal, leaving the French once again in command of Spain. However, Wellington's successes of 1812 and the drain on French resources caused by Napoleon's activities to the east enabled him to go onto the offensive the following summer with excellent prospects of final victory. 

On the same day Napoleon was closing in on the city of Smolensk and on 17 August, he launched his assault on Smolensk just after midday. By 4.30pm, at the end of the afternoon's fighting, Marshall Ney had cleared the southern part of the city and was on the Dnieper. The Russians withdrew the next day but left a key ford unprotected, allowing Ney to cross and immediately harass them. On 19 August Ney engaged the Russian rearguard at Valutino. This turned into a major battle, which could have been decisive, if Junot and Murat had appreciated the opportunity to outflank Barclay, taken the initiative and fully committed their Corps. As it was, the Russians extracted themselves and fell back further east with some protection from the weather. They were to stand and fight next at Borodino on 7 September and on 14 September Napoleon had won his empty and fatal trophy, Moscow.

Monday, 13 August 2018

Sir VS Naipaul obituary

Nobel prizewinning author whose books posed profound questions about the postcolonial world

VS Naipaul in 2001, the year he was awarded the Nobel prize for literature
VS Naipaul in 2001, the year he was awarded the Nobel prize for literature
Did VS Naipaul set out to cause offence, or did it happen by accident? Few would take issue with the Nobel prizewinner’s immense talent as an author, yet he also succeeded in getting up the noses of almost everyone he encountered, becoming English literature’s greatest postcolonial writer and a pariah to the postcolonial literary world, who no doubt felt that he had taken on the values of the old colonial masters.
For many his best book was A House for Mr Biswas (1961), which tells the story of one man’s lifelong struggle to create meaning and permanence out of poverty and insignificance. He never made any secret of the fact that the story was based on the experience of his father and his conflict with a large clan of Hindu relations ranging from landowners to labourers.

Friday, 10 August 2018

Reginald ‘Titch’ Snowling - obituary

Gunner who was probably the shortest man to land on the D-Day beaches and later blew up two German tanks with one shell

Reginald ‘Titch’ Snowling with his medal last year
Reginald ‘Titch’ Snowling with his medal last year
At 4ft 11in tall, Reginald “Titch” Snowling was almost certainly the smallest soldier to land with British forces in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and was also unique in knocking out two German Panther tanks with a single shot.
Afterwards Snowling said: “The tanks just blew up. When our Rifle Brigade went up in their half-tracks to have a look, there was nobody left alive. The officer in charge came back and asked, ‘Who fired that shot?’ And when told it was me said, ‘Make sure he gets a Military Medal.’ But I never got one.”

100 Years Ago

A brilliant success

Troubles are multiplying for the Germans. Today, with French cooperation, we launched the first offensive on a large scale this year, recalling the great attacks of the Somme, the battle of Arras, or that of Flanders. It was admirable in its organization and execution, taking the enemy completely by surprise.
The attack was made by the Fourth Army, under the command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson, in conjunction with French troops, both being under command of the British Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief. The front of attack was about 15 miles, of which British troops had charge of the northern 12 miles from near Mericourt to a point south of the River Luce and the Amiens-Roye road below Hangard, while the French extended the attack for another three miles to and across the River Avre. The time chosen was half-past 4 this morning.
It was an anxious night, for we had no idea whether the Germans had any warning of our plans. They took some prisoners in the fighting below Morlancourt two days ago, and it was possible that these men might have given some information away. From prisoners, indeed, we gathered that the Germans anticipated some sort of local operation hereabouts some time soon, but they had no inkling that the blow was to come so quickly, or that it was to be of anything like the shattering force with which it was delivered. The night passed well, therefore, and when the critical moment came there was no sign of apprehension on the enemy’s part. Then, out of the silence, it sounded to onlookers as if our barrage was as splendid and as heavy as any that the war has known. It lasted only for a few minutes before the attack started, but those few minutes were enough to flatten the enemy defences and to leave him stunned and naked. Our men as they went forward all seem to have had the same impression of the enemy being completely smothered, so that only scattered machine-guns here and there opposed our advance in the frontline positions, and these were easily accounted for either by Tanks or infantry with the help of smoke screens. Tanks joined in the attack everywhere, and did magnificent service. In little more than two hours we had heard of the capture of the whole tier of nearer villages.

The new allied offensive

The new Franco-British offensive under the command of Sir Douglas Haig on the Allied front before Amiens is one of the greatest and most gratifying surprises of the war. It surprised the British public just as much as the enemy for, with the exceptions of the battles of Messines and Cambrai, never has a secret been better kept. Most people have been speculating about the possibility of an early German attack in the neighbourhood of the Lys, and the whole country hailed with deep delight the news that on Thursday the British Fourth Army and the French First Army had struck swiftly and deeply astride the Somme, and between the Somme and the Avre.
From the outset the attack went forward at unusual speed. The new “whippet” tanks and squadrons of armoured cars greatly assisted the infantry in their rapid advance. No offensive in which the British Army has participated has made so much progress on the opening day. By nightfall Amiens was free from the danger of any recurrence of the bombardment which has wrought so much destruction. The advance of the French on the right has freed the main railway line to Paris from menace, and yesterday trains were once more running from Amiens to St Just. All the testimony tends to show that the rout of the Germans was complete, at any rate in the broad centre of the attack. By noon yesterday the count of prisoners had reached 17,000, 4,000 taken by the French and 13,000 by the British. The number of guns captured is estimated at between two and three hundred. This battle differs from any in which we have engaged, for tanks and cars, and even cavalry, are operating considerably in advance of the main fighting line. We know that the Germans have suffered one of the worst reverses since the war began. The prospects of effective retaliation on a great scale in the West this autumn are diminishing. For the moment the initiative has clearly passed to the Allies. The plans of Hindenburg and Ludendorff are more deranged than ever, and the outlook for the Allies was never more promising. We may add that though our total casualties are said to be light, last night’s aviation report showed that losses among our gallant young airmen are exceptionally heavy. Fifty of our machines are reported as “missing”.

Thursday, 9 August 2018

The Times History of the War - The Battles of Amiens and Bapaume, August 1918

The Battles of Amiens and Bapaume, August 1918
This week's chapter examines the Battle of Amiens resumed, work of the cavalry and tanks, defensive tactics, Ludendorff's order, Humbert's attack towards Lassigny, Allies reach the line of 1917, King's visit to the Front, German damage to Amiens, Lassigny captured, enemy withdrawal on the Ancre, German comment on the fighting, British dispositions, opening of the Battle of Bapaume, progress of the attack, work in the air, fall of Albert, Thiepval ridge carried, air fighting in August.
At one point the French had some difficulty with a village which was heavily defended with machine-guns, many of which were in the upper stories, which held them up for a time. Five of the heavy tanks were brought up and proceeded to demolish the houses from which the fire came. In this way 10 houses were dealt with in succession

Wednesday, 8 August 2018

Jack Tredrea obituary

Commando who led a platoon of headhunters in Borneo, but did not get the message that the war had ended in August 1945

Jack Tredrea was part of the elite Z Special unit during the Second World War
Jack Tredrea was part of the elite Z Special unit during the Second World War
Emperor Hirohito had announced Japan’s surrender in mid-August 1945 and the Second World War was officially finished, but no one had told an Australian commando who was leading a platoon of headhunters against Japanese forces in the Borneo jungle.
Warrant Officer II Jack Tredrea fought on, continuing to harass and ambush the enemy with rifle fire, grenades, parangs and a silent assault by poison dart propelled from a blowpipe.