Today marks the 100th anniversary of the famous Charge of the Light Horse, in which 400 mounted infantry of the 4th and 12th Australian Light Horse Regiments audaciously charged against over a thousand entrenched Ottoman defenders of Beersheba, Gaza. Their success secured the area’s only potable water source before the Turks could destroy the wells and opened the way for the Allied capture of Jerusalem.
Painting by Ian Coate.
On the morning of October 25th, 1983, we awoke to reports that US forced had invaded the small Caribbean nation of Grenada, in order to liberate American medical students from danger posed by political instability. Joined by Regional Security System troops from a variety of Caribbean partner nations, they swiftly overwhelmed the Grenadian and Cuban troops. While Operation Urgent Fury was in name, a joint force operation, and included the use of Special Operations Forces, it highlighted many interoperability challenges, such as use of joint operational overlays and communications issues.
Several stove pipe problems suffered by the pre-Goldwater-Nichols military were identified during this operation. Additionally, Urgent Fury was conducted with many systems dating from the Vietnam war.
Just six years later, during the invasion of Panama, saw the first employment of several new weapons developed during the Reagan buildup such as the F-117 stealth fighter and the Marine Corps LAV-25. Grenada was a great learning experience for the US military as it highlighted issues with joint service operations, particularly in the communications arena as well as interoperability between Special Operations and General Purpose forces. For example, SOF also took a much more prominent role in operation Blue Spoon during the Panama invasion. We’ve come even further in the past three decades.
Finally, as with any conflict, lives were lost. Let us not forget the 19 Americans killed in action and the 116 who were wounded. Unfortunately, there were also 24 Grenadian civilians killed in the conflict.
This circa-1978 US Army photo depicts a Soldier conducting a wear test of the developmental Personal Armor System, Ground Troops Helmet and Armor Vest, as they interact with use of the M202 FLASH system. PASGT was the first American use of Aramid (Kevlar) for an issue ground helmet. The helmet also offered a greater area of protection of the head resulting it briefly being referred to as the “Fritz” helmet due to its similar shape to the WWII German helmet.
As you can see, the Soldier is wearing OG-507 fatigues, although the Helmet features a camouflaged outer layer. The original concept was to just integrate the Camo pattern and forego cloth covers. This concept was abandoned due shine. Additionally, the print could wear off and the cloth cover better protected the Helmet’s Aramid material.
This photo is from a 1975 US camouflage evaluation. On the left is a vertical Tigerstripe print overprint on the ERDL pattern. To the right is a Tigerstripe pattern. Both uniforms are the Rapid Deployment Force cut.
As time marches on, younger Americans step into the breach. It’s our duty to teach them about their heritage. Today is an important date in US military history for two reasons.
First, is the creation of the 75th Ranger Regiment through the activation of its 3rd Battalion. It’s also the date of 1993’s Battle of Mogadishu during which, elements of TF Ranger which had deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, conducted an operation on that city’s Olympic Hotel in order to capture key leaders of the Aidid Militia.
Unfortunately, during the exfil portion of the raid a battle ensued that claimed the lives of 18 Americans and wounded another 73. Additionally, CW3 Michael Durant was captured by the militia. Fortunately, Durant was later repatriated and went on to retire from the 160th. Of the men killed that day, two would be awarded the Medal of Honor, Delta Operators Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, for their selfless efforts to protect Durant after his aircraft, callsign Super 64, was shot down.
If you are unfamiliar with the events, one of the best accounts of the battle is contained in the book, “Blackhawk Down” by author Mark Bowden. Much of the information was serialized prior to the book’s publication in the Philadelphia Enquirer. Later this was made into a movie bearing the same name.
Please take a moment to remember these men and their sacrifice.
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kociuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian military engineer and a military leader who became a national hero in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and the United States.
Ko?ciuszko took part in the American Revolutionary War as a colonel in the Continental Army, and as an accomplished military architect, he designed and oversaw the construction of the fortifications at West Point, New York. In 1783, the Continental Congress promoted him to Brigadier General.
Returning to Poland, Kociuszko was commissioned as a Major General in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Army in 1789. After the Polish–Russian War of 1792 resulted in the Second Partition of Poland, he organized and led the 1794 “Kociuszko Uprising” against Russia.
Russian forces captured him at the Battle of Maciejowice in October 1794 and the defeat of the Kociuszko Uprising led to Poland’s Third Partition in 1795, which ended the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s independent existence.
The “Racawice Panorama” is a monumental cycloramic painting located in Wrocaw, Poland. It depicts the Battle of Racawice, during the Kociuszko Uprising and is one of only a few preserved relics of the genre, and is the oldest in Poland. The panorama stands in a circular fashion with the viewer in the center, and the use of additional artificial terrain effects creates a feeling of reality.
The photos depict a critical moment during the Battle of Racawice when Kociuszko, on horseback, rallied forces of his army for an assault on the Russian cannons…
Sources: Wikipedia and LH
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Vickers Guide has announced that Ian McCollum of the popular Forgotten Weapons media channel has joined the Vickers Guide team as a historical advisor and commentary contributor. Ian is also traveling with Vickers Guide on various photo shoots, getting his hands on the actual firearms in the books, and interacting with Larry Vickers and team, so be on the lookout for future “on location” social media posts! Ian’s knowledge of historical firearms is profound and thoroughly well-rounded, and readers are certain to appreciate his contributions.
They are going to continue trickling out teasers as we get closer to the upcoming release of the next installment in the Vickers Guide series (Vickers Guide: WWII Germany).
Ian will be making his first Vickers Guide appearance in the upcoming Vickers Guide: WWII Germany release.
Additionally, Vickers Guide has a survey open to select the weapon for the print for the WWII Germany volume. Be sure to participate.
