France

Jean-Etienne Vachier Championnet

Biography France 4 Min Read

(1762-1800) The French general and army commander Jean-Etienne Championnet was born on 13 April 1762 at Valence (Drome) and would distinguish himself during the siege of Gibraltar in 1782. In July 1789 he joined the National Guard of Valence and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming sergeant in December 1789, lieutenant in March 1790, and premier adjutant gĂ©nĂ©ral in September…

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Armies British Fortification France Siege 7 Min Read

The Siege of Badajoz: March-April 1812

Storming of Badajoz by Chris Collingwood. The last siege of Badajoz conducted by Wellington’s army was typified by a failed main assault on the breech and a successful secondary assault on the castle. The Allies had failed to take Badajoz before, and the lack of an adequate British siege train,…

British France Siege 26 Min Read

The Siege of Orleans

The Regent of France, John, Duke of Bedford, returned to France in March 1427, accompanied by a man from the Welsh Marches who was to become one of the most redoubtable soldiers of the War—Lord Talbot. They took with them a pitifully small new army, 300 men-at-arms and 900 archers,…

Aircraft France 7 Min Read

Puma Helicopter

Puma In 1962, the French Army issued a requirement for a French-produced tactical helicopter that could transport twenty soldiers and perform a variety of cargo-carrying duties. The SA 330 Puma, a completely new design, resulted. In 1963, with French government funding, the design process began; the first prototype flew in…

British France Sea Landing 24 Min Read

INSHORE SQUADRON III

French troops wade through water during an amphibious landing. Official caption on front: “MM-44-1431.” Official caption on reverse: “Sig Corps photo-17-6-44. Elba invaded! French troops wading ashore from landing craft in the invasion of the tiny island of Elba. White smoke billowing from stern of ship caused by smoke pot.”…

France Siege Spain 15 Min Read

Siege of Saigon (March 1860–February 1861)

Capture of Saigon by Charles Rigault de Genouilly on 17 February 1859, painted by Antoine Morel-Fatio. The 11-month siege of Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam during March 1860–February 1861 by Vietnamese against the French and Spanish occurred during the long French effort to secure control of Indochina.…

Australians at D-Day

On the night of 5/6 June Bomber Command conducted precision attacks on ten German coastal artillery batteries near the beaches where Allied troops were to land. Each battery was targeted by approximately 100 heavy bombers, and all four Australian heavy bomber squadrons took part in the operation. No. 460 Squadron…

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AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT IN BRITTANY, 1758

British coastal assault on St Cast in Brittany in September 1758. A German map, published…

Elizabeth towards War I

European matchlock musketeers of the Elizabethan period. By the early 1570s the Puritans had grown…

Uniforms of Italian Wars (1494-1559)

A series of sharp but also intermittent conflicts broke out over control of Italy at…

French Artillery – Napoleonic Wars III

The artillery of the Imperial Guard, which grew into the Grande ArmĂ©e’s artillery reserve, had…