Personnel
German Aces WWII
Pilots from nations rapidly overrun often were able to join the Allies and thus fight for the war’s duration—and run up higher scores. The French allowed pilots to include probable kills, unlike other nations. Russia provided the only female fighter aces—and by the end of the war more than 150 Russian pilots claimed scores of at least 20 (50 had…
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Officers, mid-17th century to early 18th century
During this period-with the notable exceptions of England and the United Provinces-monarchs in Europe increasingly took direct control of military affairs away from powerful noble military families and mercenary captains. As they did, better-supervised and more-professional officer corps slowly took shape on land and at sea. The progress of professionalization…
MOLLY PITCHER
Don Troiani, Artist Thought to be Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, iconic figure in the US War of Independence, b. 1754, d. 1832 A water bearer to the troops in one of the hardest-fought battles of the American Revolution, a woman nicknamed Molly Pitcher became famous when she took the place…
The Praetorian Guard – Second Century I
The Praetorian Guard had played an enormously important part in the imperial politics of the first century AD. This also coincided with our richest body of written evidence for the Roman Empire. The second century is entirely different. A succession of strong and competent emperors contributed to a period of…
The Praetorian Guard – Second Century II
The governor of Britain, like any provincial governor, enjoyed the prestige of having his own military staff, singulares, drawn from soldiers in the provincial garrison, including the auxilia, and serving on detachment. These men were known as beneficiarii, literally because they benefited from the privileges and status afforded by the…
Partisan Warfare in Russia
The legendary First World War and Russian Civil War partisan cavalry unit known as ‘Shkuro’s Wolves’, pictured in 1919 during a lull in anti-Bolshevik operations. Recruited from Kuban Cossacks, the Wolves were named after their wolf-skin standard and papakhas (hat). Locally recruited Basmachi guerrillas pose with their Soviet commissar and…
Partisan Warfare in the Rear of Eastern German Army Groups I
A group of partisans stand by the remains of a supply train. They are wearing what appear to be paratrooper jump suits. NKVD and army partisan formations wore as much uniform clothing as they could to help distinguish themselves from the civilian population; it was also a matter of pride…