Cry “Havoc!” International Newsletter of Reviews, Commentary, Insights & Information August 1, 2001 No. 35

THE BATTLE OF RIDGEFIELD

P3 VS F8: THE REAL STORY

BATTLE OF MANILA BAY

and more.... Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

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August 2001 p. 2 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

CONTENTS

Let Slip The Dogs of War David W. Tschanz 4

The Battle Of Ridgefield Steven Darley 5 Benedict Arnold meets the British in Connecticut

The Pirates Of St. Tropez Robert W. Lebling 11 Muslim seafaring brigands use France as headquarters.

Civil War Medicine Janet Phillips 17 Review of Robert Denney's classic

U.S. P3 Orion Meets PRC F8 Fighter Robert A Miller 19 The American pilot's account of what happened

Bits 'N Pieces Staff 22 Member news from around the world

The Battle of Manila Bay George M. Dewey 23 Dewey defeats the Spanish Fleet in 1898

Former editorial assistant PV2 Karl M. Tschanz re- cently completed Basic Training at Fort Sill where he learned how to use the M16A2. The picture of Karl to the left was taken in January 1992 at Khobar Towers, under the watchful eyes of the 1st Cavalry while on a Cub Scout out- ing to visit the military units stationed there. Lit- tle did anyone know that it was a harbinger of things to come....

August 2001 p. 3 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

CRY “HAVOC!” LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR

Editor & Publisher: David W. Tschanz CH35 has been completed just as our occa- sional editorial assistant (and my son) Karl M. Senior Contributing Editor: James P. Tschanz completes his Basic Training at Fort Werbaneth Sill. I will admit to editorial indiscretion in that I deliberately delayed the issue until I could write Contributing Editors: J. Michael Flynn, TW the above and enclose the picture on the previ- Gideon, Janet Phillips, Brian R. Train, Ken- ous page. I'm proud of him! neth W. West Steve Darley makes his first appearance in our pages with an analysis of the Battle of Cry “Havoc!” is published four times a year Ridgefield and the role of Benedict Arnold in it. by TNT Enterprises. One year membership subscriptions are $25.00, payable in US Muslim pirates in France? That's what I funds. Electronic subscriptions are $10.00. asked when I first received new member Bob All checks should be made out to TNT En- Lebling's article. But as you will discover for terprises and should be sent to David W. yourself it is a fascinating topic! Tschanz, 7862 W. Irlo Bronson Hwy. #188; Newly minted Contributing Editor Janet Kissimmee, FL 34747. Outside the United Phillips returns to our pages with a review of an States please address all correspondence to important book on Civil War medicine. David W. Tschanz; Box 8050 Aramco; Dhah- Bob Miller also returns with a review and ran 31311; Saudi Arabia. examination of the P3 Orion - Chinese F8 midair collision this past spring. Internet E-Mail: [email protected] A special reprint of Admiral George M. All printed material is sent via first class Dewey's account of the battle of Manila Bay mail. rounds out the issue. Now -- one more thing. I deliberately left out Submissions are welcome. A complete set of the date of the battle of Manila Bay. There's a Writer’s Guidelines can be obtained upon one subscription extension to the member who request. first e-mails in the date (print copy people have a separate contest based on postmark). Cry “Havoc!” is the official publication of the Military History Special Interest Group of American Mensa, Ltd. Views expressed in Cry “Havoc!” are solely those of the individual authors, and not American Mensa, which has no opinions.. Membership in American Mensa, Ltd., is not required for subscription. or sub- mission of materials An electronic version of Cry ”Havoc!“ is available through Mag- Web at http://www.magweb.com

November 2000 p. 4 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

Feature THE BATTLE OF RIDGEFIELD Stephen Darley North Haven, Connecticut

Introduction at Ridgefield were so outstanding that the Congress was The Battle of Ridgefield, which occurred on April pressured to promote him to Major General, although 27, 1777, is not considered to be a major battle of the they did not give him back his seniority. Revolutionary War by normally accepted standards. Ridgefield is significant because it delayed Ar- There were relatively few casualties on either side. It in- nold’s resignation until Burgoyne had begun his thrust volved neither large armies nor the two commanders-in- from Canada. Arnold did submit his resignation to the chief. It had no major strategic objective and did not re- Continental Congress on July 10. At Washington’s re- sult in a decisive defeat for either side. At first glance it quest, Congress responded on July 12th by ordering Ar- would appear to be one of many little skirmishes in a nold to report to Washington to assist in the defense of larger war that would take six and a half years in which the Burgoyne invasion. Arnold reluctantly agreed and to decide a winner. offered his services to Washington. It was largely due to Ridgefield, however, is a significant battle for three Arnold that the Burgoyne advance was stopped at the reasons. First, it revealed to Washington that isolated Battles of Saratoga. Without Ridgefield, it is doubtful and unsupported American supply depots, such as that Arnold would have been available to participate in Danbury, were vulnerable to enemy attack. In fact, when that battle. supplies were stored at Danbury after Tryon’s raid, Washington posted a sizable force nearby under General Situation in 1777 Israel Putnam. He did not fail to provide proper support The war for American independence was approxi- the second time. Second, it made an important and last- mately twenty months old in early 1777. Since George ing impression on the British that even in an isolated Washington had taken command of the Continental area like Danbury, the Americans could, and often did, Army, he had forced the British Army to leave Boston offer a military response to a British attack that was ef- and then found himself pushed out of New York and fi- fective and decisive. In other words, the Americans were nally through New Jersey and across the Delaware River not afraid to fight British regulars in the backcountry into Pennsylvania. The American attempt to invade Can- where there were no British ships to afford protection. ada had not worked as Washington planned, despite the One commentator has concluded that “while the British heroic efforts of Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgom- raided the coast of Connecticut and other northern mari- ery. In October of 1776, Arnold had delayed the British time states throughout the war, they never attempted to penetrate inland again, but contented themselves with the destruction of coastal facilities. ”Finally, and most importantly, the Battle of Ridgefield helped to reinforce the up and down reputation and career of then Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. By any reasonable measure, Arnold was the most effective fighting General on the American side. A fact that was, at the time, recognized more clearly by the British than by many of Arnold’s contemporaries-both military and civilian. Because the Continental Congress in its promotions to Major General slighted him in February of 1777, he was contemplating resigning from the army, and had so intimated to Wash- ington, prior to the Battle of Ridgefield. Arnold’s actions

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counterattack from Canada as - Brown, Easton and Hazen. Arnold spent some time in Commander on Lake Champlain New Haven with his family after his success on Lake and bought the Continental Champlain. He left New Haven in January of 1777 to as- Army another winter of sume second-in- command of the troops around New- survival. port. After he received Washington’s letter, he also Washington had made a spent some time trying to overturn the promotions or at daring raid on the British en- least to get himself promoted with his seniority restored. campment at Trenton on Christ- By mid April, Arnold realized there was nothing to be mas morning of 1776 and had achieved in Newport because there was no immediate captured and effectively de- American offensive planned but, more importantly, he stroyed the British Army units needed to spend some time in Philadelphia dealing with stationed there for the winter. the promotion issue. Arnold received permission to leave He followed that victory with another at Princeton and Newport to return to his family in New Haven before then retired to his winter quarters in Morristown, New heading to Philadelphia. It was fortunate both for him Jersey. Meanwhile, “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne, the and the American cause that he made that decision. flamboyant British Lieutenant General, was in England and had convinced the decision-makers there to give Danbury Raid him an army to try a second invasion south from Canada The British Commander-in-Chief, Sir William Howe, to cut the colonies in half. In late 1776, a British army un- who was at winter quarters in New York City, sent a small der the command of Sir Henry Clinton captured Newport, force on a surprise raid on the American supply depot at Rhode Island and established a base of operations there. Peekskill, N.Y. in February of 1777. The supplies stored At the beginning of 1777, the British seemed to have the there were destroyed with minimal loss of British sol- upper hand but victory was not certain for them and diers. Howe liked that success and two months later he Washington was encouraged by his recent victories at planned another raid on an American military supply de- Trenton and Princeton. pot. This time it was to be Danbury, Connecticut. Howe thought that the two raids would help deflect criticism Major General Promotions By Continental Congress that he was too easy on the colonials. Howe’s spies had The Continental Congress, acting at the behest of correctly informed the British that the Americans had Washington to improve the organizational capacity of “considerable amounts of clothing, provisions, pork, the army, promoted five Brigadiers to Major General in flour, munitions, medicines, Army tents and other items” February of 1777. Benedict Arnold, who was a senior in depositories at Danbury and the surrounding area. He Brigadier and had been involved in some significant mili- wanted to follow up his recent raid on American supplies tary actions since 1775, was not one of the five. It turned with another that involved even bigger stakes. It was be- out that all of those promoted by the Congress were jun- lieved by many on the British side that it would not take ior to Arnold in terms of appointment to Brigadier. This much to get the Americans to end the war and that de- was a situation where political considerations com- stroying their supplies would completely demoralize the pletely out-weighed seniority or ability in the promo- poorly supplied American Army. Moreover, Howe was tions. Arnold, who was in Newport at the time the having his own supply problems and could use the re- appointments were announced, had recently com- bels' supplies for his own men. manded the American forces in the naval battle on Lake Howe selected Major General William Tryon, the Champlain. Some naval historians regard this battle as former British Governor of North Carolina and New York, one of the finest examples of tenacity and courage com- to head the Danbury raid. The size of the force is subject bined with superb naval skills in delaying a far superior to varying estimates but Howe himself stated that the force. By his daring exploits, Arnold had demonstrated force consisted of “a detached Corps of troops consist- to the British that Americans could fight when led by an ing of 1800 Rank and File”. Other estimates place the able leader. force at 2000 men. Howe tried to confuse the Americans Washington had informed Arnold by a March 3rd by sending a diversionary force up the Hudson River to- letter of the promotions made by the Congress and of ward the Peekskill area. The diversion worked to a large his failure to get one of those promotions. Arnold was extent by keeping the only sizable American force in the incensed over his slight by the Continental Congress, area holding in their positions and unable to render any because he knew that he had proven himself time after real assistance during the Danbury raid and the subse- time as a military commander. Not only that, but the quent battles. Brigadier General Alexander McDougald, summer before he had been forced to face a court-martial who was in the Peekskill area, commanded this division instigated by his enemies from Ticonderoga and Quebec of the Continental Army. Washington learned of the

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British troop movements up the Hudson River and when the Brit- alerted McDougald to watch for British activity in his ish first landed area. was the in- Connecticut seemed like a good choice for Howe. trepid Benedict Not only was it relatively close to Howe’s base of opera- Arnold, who tions in New York, it also targeted a fairly isolated spot was still with which was not heavily guarded and it could be reached his family in primarily by sea. The Continental Army command New Haven. seemed to believe that if it avoided a troop concentra- Even though tion in the Danbury area, the enemy would not realize he was trou- the substantial build up of supplies they had stored bled by his there for future use. Howe felt he could destroy some failure to get valuable supplies without serious risk to his own forces promoted to and that at the same time he could help advance the Brit- Major General ish war effort by capturing enemy supplies for use by and wanted to the British. Howe also had intelligence reports, which get to Philadel- turned out not to be accurate, that suggested he could phia, he imme- influence the choice of sides by a sizable number of peo- diately answered the call to arms understanding better ple in the countryside of Connecticut. than most how valuable his services would be. Recruit- General Tryon and his troops left New York by in g a few locals from New Haven, including some of his ship on April 22nd and arrived at Compo Beach on the old comrades from the Connecticut Footguards like Elea- afternoon of April 25th. Compo Beach is at the mouth of zor Oswald and John Lamb, he rushed towards Danbury the Saugatuck River in Norwalk, Connecticut. The to help stop the British. Another local Connecticut militia troops were unloaded from the ships and on the morning leader who answered the call was Major General David of the 26th they began the march to Danbury, which was Wooster, who had served in the French and Indian War 22 miles away. Connecticut, as with other coastal colo- and in the early months of the Revolution. The early arri- nies, had men assigned to watch the shoreline for British vals from around the area, including Brigadier General activity, so knowledge of the movement of Tryon’s Gold Silliman, who was a local militia commander from troops was soon conveyed to various towns throughout Fairfield, ended up in Bethel, which was a neighboring Connecticut. The British, however, made good time on town, and others soon followed. The gathering of poten- their march and arrived at Danbury on the afternoon of tial adversaries in Bethel was conveyed to General Tryon April 26th. This was much too soon for any major oppo- at one o’clock on Sunday morning. “This news upset the sition to get organized and the British were able to march plans previously made by him for a stay in Danbury over to Danbury uncontested and without any problems. The the Sabbath.” small American militia force guarding the supplies of- Tryon’s troops had found some liquor among the fered no resistance to Tryon’s army but did hide some stores and had consumed a large amount of it making supplies before they left. many of his men too drunk to perform their duties. Tryon The British immediately began to gather up the was aware that the arrival of American forces in a nearby supplies that were stored in various locations around town left him exposed. Moreover, he was a long way Danbury. As the supplies were located, they were taken from the protection of his ships and he wanted, as he to a central location to be destroyed. Tryon had his subsequently stated, “to avoid Mr. Arnold”, whose im- troops continue to use this method until the morning of minent arrival had also been reported to Tryon. The Gen- the 27th when he realized that it would take too long. eral made the decision to conclude the destruction of the The British then began to burn the individual buildings American goods and form up his troops for the return that housed the supplies in order to save time. Most of march. Tryon made another very important decision that the supplies accumulated by the Americans were de- on the return march he would not return the same way he stroyed and the British burned a number of homes and had come but rather he would make a wide sweep public buildings. Each side promulgated different esti- through Ridgefield and Wilton to avoid contact with the mates of the amount of goods and supplies that were ul- gathering American forces at Bethel. The British began timately destroyed. their return march early Sunday morning, April 27th , and Meanwhile, the local American forces in Connecti- they left a burning town and, according to local Danbury cut were converging on Danbury, determined to try to accounts, some local residents dead and wounded. stop the British and avenge the losses in Danbury. One Tryon had achieved his basic objective of destroying of those people who answered the call to arms sent out

Augusr 2001 p. 7 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35 rebel supplies “at the cost of a few wounded” but that gotten together to face their little army. Tryon believed was about to change. he had gotten away from Danbury soon enough and that by taking the different route back, he had successfully Battle Of Ridgefield avoided the army of the other side. Arnold sent a letter to McDougald, who was still in Wooster initiated the first action in the Battle of Peekskill, on the morning of April 27th, stating that “at 9 Ridgefield, at about eight o’clock in the morning, when this morning the Enemy set Fire to the Meeting House he overtook the British army and fell on their rear detach- and most of the Buildings in Town”. He further reported ment while they were halted to rest and eat. This action that the British then left Danbury and seemed to be was short lived and ended up with Wooster capturing a marching toward Peekskill and Tarrytown, New York. number of British prisoners. Each side had different esti- Arnold assumed “they are destined for the latter”. Ar- mations of the number of prisoners. McDevitt estimates nold informed McDougald that “we propose following the number to be between 12 and 15 British soldiers them immediately in hopes of coming up with their rear”. taken prisoners. Some American reports stated that the He urged McDougald to “take them in front”. Arnold number could be as high as 40. concluded by stating that “Our loss at Danbury is great Tryon realized that the Americans were closer than but I hope not ‘irreparably”. Arnold, who was writing he thought and that he would not have an uncontested from “Wt. Red’ing”, was convinced that the British were route back to his ships. The British army then proceeded headed to attack Peekskill again. at a faster pace, but Wooster continued to harass his Arnold, Wooster and General were acting as an in- rear units. At one point in those efforts, Wooster formal joint command of the American forces that would thought he could capture some British field pieces and be resisting Tryon. The three generals agreed that made a major thrust to do so. In that attack, Wooster first Wooster would take command of a smaller force of ap- had his horse shot out from under him. When he proximately 200 men to attack the British rear, and that mounted another horse to continue the attack, he re- Arnold and Silliman would go to Ridgefield with approxi- ceived a shot in his groin, which threw him off his horse. mately 400 men to confront the British there. The troops under Wooster were untested militia and The British were forced to travel along the existing when they saw that Wooster was wounded, they took roads because they had supplies in wagons and live- him up and left the field of battle. Wooster had his stock with them. The American force, on the other hand, wound attended to by a local physician and was then could make much better time across the interior that was taken by carriage back to Danbury. His wound turned largely wilderness at that time. Arnold pushed his men out to be fatal and he died on May 2nd while recuperat- and they were able to arrive in Ridgefield before the Brit- ing in Danbury. Some of the more adventurous of ish. The British were not trying to hurry because they Wooster’s men circled around and joined with Arnold were unaware of the numbers that the Americans had and Silliman in their Ridgefield efforts. SOLICITING

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flanking maneuvers on each side of the barricade. The flanking party on the left side was able to get to the top of the ledge from which they had a good view of the bar- ricade and the troops behind it. The British immediately began firing at the troops behind the barricade and, more particularly, at Arnold who was conspicuously directing his troops about thirty yards away. Arnold’s troops, primarily inexperienced militia, were not disciplined enough to stay in position and take enemy fire. Some began to run from their positions. Ar- nold drew his sword and rode back and forth among the retreating men to try to form them into a more disciplined rear guard. In the midst of his efforts to control his men, Arnold’s horse was shot out from under him. “Having been hit by nine balls, the tortured animal, thrashing in Local legend in Ridgefield has tried to make death throes, had his rider pinned to the ground. An en- Wooster the hero of the battle because of Arnold’s sub- emy soldier, climbing the ledge, rushed forward with sequent treason. However, most historians recognize bayoneted musket in hand. Supposedly he shouted, that Wooster’s effort to harass the British rear units was ‘Surrender! You are my prisoner!’ ‘Not yet’, was Ar- inconsequential to the progress of the British army to re- nold’s alleged reply as he deftly retrieved a pistol from turn to their ships. Undoubtedly, Wooster could have his saddle holster, took aim and leveled his adversary been more effective if he had a larger force and if his with one shot. Freeing himself from the flailing horse, Ar- force consisted of trained soldiers instead of untested nold hobbled off toward a nearby swamp, with musket “militia”. Wooster’s military career, while it included two balls flying around him.” An English magazine described wars, was not as successful as Arnold’s. In 1776, Arnold’s action as his “usual intrepidity”. Wooster had been discharged from his command in Arnold’s actions had the immediate impact of de- Canada in disgrace. He certainly did not have a military laying Tryon’s march back to his ships at Compo Beach. reputation comparable with Arnold’s in the view of ei- Since it was late in the day, the British moved to the edge ther the Americans or the British. of town and rested for the night. Meanwhile, that night Arnold and Silliman arrived at Ridgefield at ap- Arnold was riding through the countryside to try to put proximately 11, their numbers constantly growing. “Gen- his force back together and recruit some new men in or- eral Arnold’s fame was widespread and all men der to attempt to stop Tryon again. “By early morning on considered it a unique privilege to serve under his com- Monday, April 28, he had raised the rebel standard two mand”. Most authorities have estimated Arnold’s force miles north of Norwalk at a geographical point where at 500 men. Arnold made his stand “at a naturally defen- Tryon would have to follow one of two roads to the sive position blocking the road leading to the village”. coast.” Arnold had his men set up a barricade across the road Unfortunately for Arnold, Tryon learned where he consisting of “logs, stones and carts”. The site was a was making his stand and maneuvered around the good choice because on the right was a farmhouse and American position. “By the time Arnold learned about then the land dropped of at a sharp angle and on the left Tryon’s maneuver, he could not redeploy his force was a “rocky ledge”. It would be difficult, therefore, for quickly enough to strike effectively at the enemy col- the British to flank the barricade on either side but rather umn.” The action then became a continuous hit and run would be forced to meet it head on. Two hundred men attack on the British columns by Arnold and his troops. were posted at the barricades and the rest of the troops Finally the British reached the hill overlooking Compo were placed so that they “protected the flanks”. Beach and were reinforced by the troops from the ships. Tryon’s army came upon the barricade that Ar- Because of the presence of Lamb’s artillery with the nold’s force had erected at the outskirts of the small vil- American forces, Tryon sent a force of 400 troops, lage of Ridgefield about 3:00 in the afternoon. Tryon, mostly from the ships, to run off the Americans for the who assumed that his army could overrun the barricade last time. with no problem, ordered a frontal attack. Much to his Arnold had been leading the harassing troop move- amazement Arnold’s troops held steady under the Brit- ments all day and according to one observer, “exhibited ish fire. Arnold described this engagement as “a smart the greatest marks of bravery, coolness, and fortitude” action which lasted about one hour”. Finally, seeing that during those efforts. As the 400 British troops came to- the frontal attack would not work, Tryon sent out ward them, Arnold’s untrained militia again broke ranks

Augusr 2001 p. 9 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35 and began to run away. As Arnold tried to form his men, showed little concern for threats by officers to resign. In he had another horse shot out from under him and a all likelihood, Arnold’s resignation, if offered in May, musket ball passed through his coat. Arnold himself es- would have been accepted caped once more and realized that there was nothing Both sides in the battle had some casualties but it more he could do. was certainly not a major battle. Howard Peckham, the acknowledged expert on battle casualties, concludes that Conclusions the British had 25 killed in action, 117 wounded and 29 The Danbury raid and the Battle of Ridgefield were missing in action. He states that the American losses concluded with the British army being loaded on their were 20 killed and 75 wounded. If Peckham is correct, the ships and heading back to New York. Arnold sent a let- British got the worst of the encounter and the higher ter to McDougald the evening of the 28th advising him British casualties, without question, were an important that Tryon and his army had left for New York on the factor in the British reticence in attacking American sup- British ships. He favorably commented on “many of the ply depots that were not on the coast. No one can really officers and men” who he said had “behaved well”. He say how that decision affected the course of the war. also had harsh words for the militia, “I wish never to see The Danbury raid did not achieve the British objec- another of them in action”. tive of limiting the Continental Army’s ability to wage The Continental Congress approved the belated war by destroying their supplies. It is true that the British promotion of Benedict Arnold to Major General on May destroyed a large storage of supplies at Danbury. How- 2nd even before he could make it to Philadelphia to meet ever, as McDevitt says, the loss of the Danbury supplies with them. Given the proximity in time to the Battle of did not impact the American army’s campaign of 1777 at Ridgefield, it is obvious that the promotion was a reward all. The fact of life in the American army was a severe for those services. The approval, unfortunately, did not shortage of supplies, and this was true in all zones of include restoring his seniority. That promotion for Bene- combat and at all times. “The loss of these stores (speak- dict Arnold was too little and too late as it turned out. ing of the Danbury supplies) appears to have been but The Continental Congress, in a further effort to re- one more headache for the overburdened procurement ward Arnold and to try to undo their initial slight, service of the American Army.” The shortage of supplies passed a formal Resolution on May 20th directing: “That for the Continental Army was so acute that the loss of the Quartermaster-general be directed to procure a horse the Danbury supplies barely rippled the water. It is a sad and present the same...to Major-general Arnold... as a commentary on the state of the Continental Army in 1777 token of their approbation of his gallant conduct in the and the inability of the Continental Congress to supply its fighting army in the field. Finally, the real hero of the Battle of Ridgefield was Benedict Arnold. His commanding presence in the heat of battle, in this as in other battles, did much to advance his immediate military objective of stopping the British. Arnold, once again, proved himself to be fearless in bat- tle and willing to lead his men by example. He constantly exposed himself to enemy fire and by the force of his presence turned raw untested recruits into a minimal fighting force that could achieve unexpected results. He also won an overdue promotion.

Keeler Tavern References Robert McDevitt, Connecticut Attacked: A British action against the enemy in their late enterprise to Viewpoint, Tryon's Raid on Danbury (Chester, Con- Danbury...” necticut: Pequot Press, 1974). The approval of Arnold’s promotion by the Conti- Silvio Bedini, Ridgefield in Review ( Ridgefield: nental Congress proved to be enough incentive to keep Ridgefield 250th Anniversary Committee, 1958) Arnold in the army and engaged in the fight to restore James Kirby Martin, Benedict Arnold Revolutionary his seniority. If Arnold had resigned in early May, after Hero, An American Warrior Revisited ( New York: NYU Ridgefield, instead of July 10th, there would have been Press, 1997). no actual Burgoyne threat to cause Washington to have George L. Rockwell, The History of Ridgefield, Con- immediate need of his services and Congress to ignore necticut (Ridgefield: George L. Rockwell, 1927). his resignation. During the first half of 1777, Congress

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Feature

THE PIRATES OF ST. TROPEZ

Robert W. Lebling, Jr. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Under cover of darkness, they beached their small, Christian land." Perhaps they did not regard it as suffi- lateen-rigged sailing vessel on the rocky shore and be- ciently important, compared with the momentous events gan the slow, silent climb to the manor house on the hill. then taking place in the Iberian Peninsula. Storm clouds shrouded the moon, darkening the coastal At that time, the Umayyad dynasty of al-Andalus, Mediterranean landscape; sporadic rain and gusting which had ruled Spain for scarcely a century, was being winds concealed the sailors' approach. They were 20 challenged from all directions. Revolts were underway in men, armed with daggers and short swords, and clad in scores of Spanish cities, some led by Arabs, some by the fighting tunics of al-Andalus -- Islamic Spain. North African Berbers, and others by muwalladun, or They climbed carefully, avoiding the brambles that Muslims of Spanish stock. The Umayyad ruler Abdullah, covered the slopes to their left and right. A few lights an educated, pious man who lacked political skills, strug- still burned in the manor house. The Provençal noble- gled desperately to maintain his realm, but by 912 the man and his family had finished their last meal of the amirate had virtually disintegrated, and Abdullah con- day. After listening to the songs of a visiting trouba- trolled little beyond the walls of his capital, Cordoba. dour, they were preparing to sleep. But it would not be In that year, he was succeeded by his talented long before the evening serenity of that coastal villa grandson Abdul Rahman III, who was destined to be- would be shattered by screams and chaos. come one of the greatest leaders in the history of Islamic This was the opening act in an 85-year drama Spain. Over the coming years Abdul Rahman would end played out along the southern coast of France in the the rebellions, establish a caliphate in al-Andalus, and ninth and 10th centuries of our era. It has been called the preside over a "golden age" of prosperity that saw Cor- second Arab invasion of France. The first invasion, doba become the leading intellectual and political center launched almost two centuries before, is the one most of of Europe. us know about: Conducted from al-Andalus by an army All this occurred while Andalusi Muslims, building on horseback, it was thwarted by Eudes of Aquitaine at on a minor raid in Provence were gradually extending Toulouse in 721 and by Charles Martel at Poitiers in 732. their control into neighboring areas of France, northern The second invasion, much less well known, began Italy and even Switzerland. But if Muslim historians are as a freebooters' adventure along the beautiful stretch of silent, the Europeans whose lives were so disrupted by coastline now known as the French Riviera. A small- these events left records of the original incursion and its scale raid expanded into something much more ambi- aftershocks, and from them we can reconstruct the story. tious, giving the Arabs of Spain, for a moment in history, One of the most detailed accounts comes from Li- effective control of the coastal plain linking France and udprand of Cremona, a 10th century Italian bishop and Italy and of the mountain passes into Switzerland -- diplomat. He described the 20 men who launched the some of Europe's most vital trade and communication second Arab invasion of France as "Saracen pirates"; routes. they might have described themselves as adventurers. Their identities are lost to history. They may have be- An Islamic State? longed to a Spanish Muslim faction that had lost an in- Arab chroniclers of the period -- that is, those ternecine power struggle in al-Andalus, and were looking whose works have come down to us -- are generally si- for unclaimed lands to conquer. Or they may have had a lent about what one Western historian called this formal link with the Umayyad government at Cordoba, "strange Islamic State encapsulated within a wholly operating under the Muslim equivalent of a letter of

Augusr 2001 p. 11 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35 marque, with official authority to raid Frankish lands. Li- ridge known as the udprand suggests the latter stating that the base they Massif des eventually established in southern France operated un- Maures. Some say der the protection of Abdul Rahman III and in fact paid the ridge takes its tribute to him. name from the in- vading Arabs, who Tempting Riches of Provence were also known as The raiders were attracted to a region with great Moors; others natural appeal. The French coast from Marseilles to It- claim it derives aly, with its rocky headlands and lush, wooded coves, from a Provençal studded with palm trees and brilliantly colored flowers, corruption of the must have been as alluring to Muslim adventurers of the Greek word ninth century as it is to travelers today. Indeed, accord- amauros, meaning ing to the 17th century Arab historian al-Maqqari, some dark or gloomy -- Muslim authors of earlier times believed that the French an apt description would be barred from Paradise, because they had al- of the mountain's thick forests of cork oak and chestnut. ready been blessed by their Creator with a paradise on Before sunrise, the pirates attacked and captured earth: fertile lands abounding in fig, chestnut and pista- the manor house and secured the surrounding area. chio trees, amid other natural bounties. When dawn finally broke they could see, from the The raiders arrived in Provence in about 889, at a heights of the massif, towering Alpine peaks to the time of great confusion and misery. Just 30 years earlier, north, thickly forested slopes below, and the broad blue France's southern coast had been plundered and pil- expanse of the Mediterranean to the south. laged by Norse pirates. Entire towns were leveled, and many local inhabitants were put to the sword. Duke Occupiers Boso of Lyons, a usurper related by marriage to France's The raiders decided to stay. They began building ruling Carolingian dynasty, took advantage of the chaos stone fortifications on the surrounding heights. As fur- and, with the support of local counts and bishops, set ther defense against Frankish attack, Liudprand says, the up his own breakaway kingdom in Provence in 879. The Arabs encouraged the growth of particularly fierce bram- Carolingian kings could not evict him. When Boso died ble bushes that proliferated in the area, "even taller and in 887, his son and heir, Louis, was too young to rule ef- thicker than before, so that now if anyone stumbled fectively; local lords and princes began asserting their against a branch it ran him through like a sharp sword." independence and challenging one another. The Carol- Only "one very narrow path" offered access to the cor- ingian empire was splitting into western and eastern sairs' fortifications. "If anyone gets into this entangle- Frankish kingdoms. There was no central authority ment, he is so impeded by the winding brambles, and so along the southern French coast, and Provence was ripe stabbed by the sharp points of the thorns, that he finds for the plucking. it a task of the greatest difficulty either to advance or to Arab freebooters struck often along these shores. retreat," the cleric wrote in his history, titled Antapodo- Just as in later centuries British privateers -- pirates -- of- sis, or Tit for Tat. ten worked hand-in-glove with the Royal Navy, so An- Their defenses secured, the adventurers began dalusi corsairs plied the western Mediterranean in the launching raids into the countryside. They sent messen- sympathetic shadow of a large Muslim naval fleet, built gers back to al-Andalus with word of their conquests, up by the Umayyad government only a few decades be- praising the lands of Provence and making light of the fore in response to the Norse raids that also struck the military ability of the local inhabitants. As a result, a new coasts of al-Andalus. band of about 100 Andalusi fighters, certainly including The 20 Muslim corsairs set sail from a Spanish cavalrymen and their mounts, soon arrived to bolster the port, intent on raiding an unknown target to the east. original 20. Stormy weather forced them to retreat --"unwillingly," Many more followed as the Muslims' military victo- Liudprand says -- into the Gulf of St. Tropez, where they ries mounted. Administrators and supplies arrived from beached the craft without being spotted. The gulf opens Cordoba. In time, the Muslim presence along the Riviera toward the east; the present-day fishing port of St. grew to such an extent that military expeditions some- Tropez, fashionable vacation spot of artists, film stars times involved thousands of troops. The Gulf of St. and the well-to-do, is situated on the southern shore. Tropez became a regular port of call for Muslim naval The pirates landed northwest of there, and, drawn by the and cargo ships in the western Mediterranean. torch lights of the manor house, headed up the mountain

Augusr 2001 p. 12 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

The Muslims called their base Fraxinet (in Arabic, themselves were of insignificant strength, after crushing Farakhshanit), after the local village of Fraxinetum, one faction with the help of the other, increased their named in Roman times for the ash trees (fraxini) then own numbers by continual reinforcements from Spain, common in surrounding forests. Today, this village sur- and soon were attacking everywhere those whom at first vives as La-Garde-Freinet, a picturesque, unspoiled set- they seemed to defend. In the fury of their onslaughts ... tlement tucked amid forests of cork oak and chestnut all the neighborhood began to tremble." some 1300 feet (400 meters) up in the Massif des European chroniclers claim that the Arabs laid Maures, between the Argens Plain and the Gulf of St. waste the coastal territory around Fraxinet, today called Tropez. About a half-hour's hike up from the village are the Côte des Maures, and then moved into neighboring the ruins of a stone fortress said to be the one built by areas in search of plunder. First, pressing eastward, they the Arab pirates. Other high points in the area were also "visited the county of Fréjus with fire and sword, and fortified by the Muslims, but local authorities state that sacked the chief town," according to historian E. Levi- nothing remains of those structures. Provençal, a 19th century expert on al-Andalus. The town of Fréjus, a major seaport founded by Julius Caesar New Allies or Not? in 49 BC and given the name Forum Julii, was reportedly Gradually local Frankish lords, seeking to take ad- razed and its entire population driven off. vantage of the new political and military realities, sought The raiders drove on, hitting one town after an- the aid of the Andalusis in settling their private quarrels. other along the Côte d'Azur. Eventually the Muslim The strategy backfired, according to Liudprand: "The forces looped back to the west, raided Marseilles and people of Provence close by, swayed by envy and mu- Aix-en-Provence, then headed up the Rhône Valley and tual jealousy, began to cut one another's throats, plun- into the Alps and Piedmont. North African Berber sol- der each other's substance, and do every sort of diers experienced in mountain warfare were probably conceivable mischief.... They called in the help of the used extensively in the Alpine operations, historians be- aforesaid Saracens ... and in company with them pro- lieve. By 906, Andalusi forces had seized the mountain ceeded to crush their neighbors.... The Saracens, who in passes of the Dauphiné, crossed Mont Cénis and

Augusr 2001 p. 13 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35 occupied the valley of the Suse on the Piedmontese tambourine to the area, and Reinaud believes the second frontier. The Arabs erected stone fortresses in areas Arab invasion of France had a "considerable influence" they conquered -- in the Dauphiné, Savoy and Piedmont on the development of local agriculture. Some French -- often naming them Fraxinet, after their base. The name scholars believe the Muslims of Fraxinet introduced the survives to this day in these areas, in various forms like cultivation of buckwheat, a grain that has two names in Fraissinet or Frainet. modern French, blé noir (black wheat) and blé sarrasin It did not take much longer before direct communi- (Saracen wheat). Furthermore, strong similarities have cations between France and Italy were virtually severed been noted between the poetry of the Provençal trouba- by the Arab expansion. Pilgrims bound for Rome dours and that of Andalusi poets, but this particular case through such Alpine valleys as the Doire, Stura and of cross-fertilization may have occurred even earlier than Chisone were forced to turn back or risk falling victim to the Arab capture of Fraxinet. Arab raiding parties. In 911, the bishop of Narbonne, We know little of the individuals who directed or who had been in Rome on urgent church business, was took part in this Muslim enterprise in France. Rarely are unable to return to France because the Muslims con- Muslims of Fraxinet mentioned by name in the European trolled all the passes in the Alps. By about 933, says chronicles of this period. Liudprand tells of one Arab Levi-Provençal, "light columns, very mobile, held -- at military commander with the Latinized name Sagittus least during the summer -- all the country under a reign (perhaps Sa'id) who led an Andalusi fighting force from of terror, while the bulk of the Muslim forces was en- Fraxinet to Acqui, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) north- trenched in the mountainous canton of Fraxinetum, in west of Genoa. But about all we learn of Sagittus is that the immediate vicinity of the sea." he died in battle at Acqui in about 935. As for the "reign of terror," another 19th century A leader of Fraxinet itself, Nasr ibn Ahmad, is men- historian, J. T. Reinaud, observes: "One saw ample evi- tioned in the Muqtabis of Ibn Hayyan of Cordoba, the dence forthcoming for the oft-repeated saying that one greatest historian of medieval Spain. According to that Muslim was enough to put a thousand [Franks] to 11th-century chronicle, Abdul Rahman III made peace in flight." But an element of cultural bias colors the existing 939-40 with a number of Frankish rulers and sent copies chronicles: Not all Provençals feared the Andalusis of of the peace treaty to Nasr ibn Ahmad, described as Fraxinet. Some formed alliances with them. "There are ... "commander" of Farakhshanit, as well as to the Arab reasons to believe that a number of Christians made governors of the Balearic Islands and the seaports of al- common cause with the Muslims and took part in their Andalus -- all of them subject to the Umayyad caliphate. attacks," Reinaud notes in his Invasions des Sarrazins Nothing else is known about the Fraxinet commander. en France, et de France en Savoie, en Piémont et en The first serious effort to expel the Muslims from Suisse. If the villagers and townsfolk of Provence and Fraxinet was made by Hugh of Arles, king of Italy, in neighboring regions feared the Muslims as much as about 931. Hugh enlisted the aid of Byzantine warships contemporary chroniclers claim, they somehow managed on loan from his brother-in-law Leo Porphyrogenitus, nonetheless to cooperate with them in a wide range of emperor of Constantinople. The warships, hurling "Greek social, economic and artistic fields. fire," attacked and destroyed a Muslim fleet in the Gulf of The Arabs of Fraxinet were not simply warriors; St. Tropez. Meanwhile, in a coordinated land assault, careful reading of the chronicles reveals that many Mus- Hugh's army besieged the fortress at Fraxinet and suc- lim colonists settled peacefully in the villages of ceeded in breaching its defenses. The Muslim defenders Provence. They taught the Franks how to make corks for were forced to withdraw to neighboring heights. But just bottles by stripping the bark every seven years from the when the end of Muslim power in France seemed inevita- cork oaks that proliferate in the forests of the Massif des ble, local politics intervened. Maures. Today, the cork industry is the area's chief local Hugh received word that his rival Béranger, then in enterprise. The Muslims also showed the Provençals Germany, was planning a return to France in a bid to cap- how to produce pine tar from the resin of the maritime ture the throne. The king, desperate for allies, sent the pine, and to use the product for caulking boats. Reinaud Greek fleet back to Constantinople and formed a hasty believes the Muslims kept a naval fleet permanently alliance with the Muslims he had just sought to expel. He based in the Gulf of St. Tropez, in part to facilitate com- signed a treaty conceding control of Fraxinet and other munications throughout the western Mediterranean. The areas to the Muslims and stipulating that Arab forces tar of Fraxinet would have been used by those sailors. should occupy the Alpine heights -- from Mont Genèvre Today in France, pine tar is called goudron, from the Pass in the west to the Septimer Pass in the east -- and Arabic qitran, with the same meaning. block any attempt by Béranger to cross into France. Li- The Muslims also taught the villagers medical udprand was outraged by Hugh's actions; in the midst of skills and introduced both ceramic tiles and the his chronicles, the historian chides the king: "How

Augusr 2001 p. 14 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35 strange, indeed, is the manner in which thou defendest later named. (Its name at the time was Mons Jovis, Latin thy dominions!... Thou allowest them to escape who are for "Mount Jupiter" -- a term the Arabs of that era incor- without doubt criminals, and fit to be put to death." porated into their name for the entire Alpine region, Jabal After seizing the Great St. Bernard and other key Munjaws.) Alpine passes, the Andalusi forces spread out into the St. Bernard, of course, later founded the well- surrounding valleys. Grenoble and the lush valley of the known hospice for travelers in the heights of the Great Graisivaudun were captured in about 945. St. Bernard that exists to this day. Some scholars believe About 10 years later, Otto I, king of Germany and the St. Maiolus incident furnished the impetus for build- later Holy Roman Emperor, perhaps fearing the Muslims ing that refuge. Bernard's name, incidentally, was also would invade his realm, sent an envoy to the caliph at given to the celebrated dogs trained there to rescue trav- Cordoba, Abdul Rahman III, urging an end to raids by elers trapped in the winter snows. the Arabs of Fraxinet. The caliph's response to the ap- peal is not known. William of Arles In the early to mid-960's, the Muslims began a slow Along the Riviera itself, local lords gradually over- but steady withdrawal from the Alpine regions. To some came their differences and, in about 975, they united un- extent this was due to growing Frankish military pres- der Count William of Arles, later marquis of Provence, in sure, and perhaps to the diplomatic initiatives of Otto I. a bid to drive the Muslims out of France for good. Wil- But one modern scholar, Middle East specialist Manfred liam was a popular leader, and managed to persuade war- W. Wenner, suggests the withdrawal may have been riors from Provence, the lower Dauphiné and the county prompted by a foreign-policy change in Cordoba. Abdul of Nice to join his cause against the Muslims. Rahman III died in 961 and was succeeded by his son The Andalusis consolidated their forces at Fraxinet Hakam II, a peaceful man who did not share his father's and "came down from their mountainous resort in serried enthusiasm for military operations in southern France ranks," as Reinaud says, to encounter the Christian and the Alpine regions. Wenner believes Hakam may forces at Tourtour, near Draguignan, about 33 kilometers have "withheld permission for reinforcements to leave (20 miles) northwest of Fraxinet. The Muslims were for Fraxinetum from Spanish ports," making it increas- driven back to their mountain stronghold, and the Franks ingly difficult for the colony to maintain a military pres- laid siege to the fortress. The Andalusis, realizing their ence in the Alps, particularly in the face of ongoing local fate was sealed, abandoned the castle in the dark of resistance. night and fled into the surrounding woods. Most were By 965, the Andalusis had evacuated Grenoble and either killed or captured by Count William's forces, ac- the valley of the Graisivaudun under continuing Frank- cording to contemporary accounts, and those who laid ish pressure. The fertile farmlands and prosperous vil- down their arms were spared. It is said that the Frankish lages they relinquished were divided up among the army also spared the lives of those Muslim colonists liv- Frankish troops who replaced them, in proportion to ing peacefully in neighboring villages; most of these each soldier's valor and service. According to Reinaud, were made serfs, subject to local landlords. writing in about 1836, "even today such families of Dau- Fraxinet had served as the administrative capital of phiné as the Aynards and Montaynards trace the turn of all Muslim colonies in France, northern Italy and Switzer- their fortune to this struggle with the Muslims." land, and its castle is believed to have held vast quanti- As late as 972, the Muslims still controlled the ties of treasure. All the booty from Count William's Great St. Bernard Pass. In that year, they captured and conquest was said to have been distributed among his held for ransom the famed French cleric St. Maiolus, ab- officers and men. His second-in-command, Gibelin de bot of Cluny, who was traveling through the pass on his Grimaldi of Genoa -- an ancestor of Prince Ranier III, who return from Rome. The ransom for Maiolus and his large rules present-day Monaco -- received the area where the entourage was set at 1000 pounds of silver -- one pound hillside village of Grimaud stands today, overlooking the for each Andalusi soldier involved in the operation. The port of St. Tropez. Ruins of Grimaldi's feudal castle, built ransom was eventually paid through the sale of abbey in the Saracen style, still crown the village. holdings, and Maiolus and his party were released. The Thus ended the Muslim colonization of southern incident provoked outrage throughout Christian Europe France. Andalusis made later attempts to establish foot- and sparked further efforts to dislodge the Fraxinet col- holds along that coast: They raided Antibes in 1003, ony and its satellites. Narbonne and Maguelone in 1019, and the Lérins Islands Shortly after 972, the Muslims were driven from the off Cannes in 1047. But never again were the Muslims heights around the Great St. Bernard. One of the leaders able to repeat the stunning success of Fraxinet. of the opposing forces in this hard-fought battle was The mountainous regions of inland Provence are Bernard of Menthone, for whom the mountain pass was dotted with hundreds of old fortified hill villages, like

Augusr 2001 p. 15 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

Grimaud, whose very existence is a reminder of the underbrush, as fragmentary and mysterious as the tale "Saracen period." These villages were first built for pro- that underlies them. Beyond this, the pirates of St. tection against Muslim raids, and later served to protect Tropez and their cohorts live on as part of the folk mem- the villagers from marauders of their own faith. The ory of Provence, remembered as conquerors, teachers peasants lived within their walls, venturing out to work and agents of change in a dark and troubled era. their fields by day. By the 19th century, however, with the establishment of durable peace and order, peasants Quotations from Reinaud are taken from the English translation began leaving the hill villages and moving down into the of his work, Muslim Colonies in France, Northern Italy & Swit- valleys. Today, some of these villages lie wholly or par- zerland, translated by Haroon Khan Sherwani and published in Lahore in 1955 by Sh. Muhammad Ashraf. Excerpts from the tially abandoned, but many are being restored, their old Antapodosis are from The Works of Liudprand of Cremona, stone structures converted into weekend or summer translated by F. A. Wright and published in London in 1930 by homes for the affluent, or housing small colonies of art- George Routledge & Sons, Ltd. ists and craftsmen. Old mines and remnants of forges at Tende in the Maritime Alps northeast of Monaco and at La Ferrière, near Barcelonnette, have been identified as sites where Muslims extracted iron ore and manufactured weapons. Another surviving echo of the Fraxinet period are the old round towers erected for defense and as watch- posts not only by the Muslims but also by local Chris- tians. The Frankish towers mimic the style of Arab ones. Ruins of what are called "Saracen towers" are found all along the coast, as well as in nearby Alpine valleys. These are the remaining physical traces of the Ar- abs of Fraxinet: courses of cut stone, jutting from the

Some Ways For Old Salts to Simulate Being in the Navy 1. Lock all friends and family outside. Your only means of communication should be with let- ters that your neighbors have held for at least three weeks, discarding two of five. 2. Surround yourself with 200 people that you don't really know or like: people who smoke, snore like Mack trucks going uphill, and use foul language like a child uses sugar on cereal. 3. Unplug all radios and TVs to completely cut yourself off from the outside world. Have a neighbor bring you a Time, Newsweek, or Proceedings from five years ago to keep you abreast of current events. 4. Monitor all home appliances hourly, recording all vital information (i.e.: plugged in, lights come on when doors open, etc.) 5. Do not flush the toilet for five days to simulate the smell of 40 people using the same commode. 6. Lock the bathroom twice a day for a four hour period. 7. Wear only military uniforms. Even though nobody cares, clean and press one dress uniform and wear it for 20 minutes. 8. Cut your hair weekly, making it shorter each time, until you look bald or look like you lost a fight with a demented sheep. 9. Work in 19-hour cycles, sleeping only four hours at a time, to ensure that your body does not know or even care if it is day or night. 10. Cut a twin mattress in half and enclose three sides of your bed. Add a roof that prevents you from sitting up (about 10 inches is a good distance) then place it on a platform that is four feet off the floor. Place a small dead animal under the bed to simulate the smell of your

Augusr 2001 p. 16 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

Review

CIVIL WAR MEDICINE

Janet Phillips Ashdown, Arkansas

Robert E. Denney, Civil War Medicine Care & Comfort was appointed to the office of executive secretary. Olm- of the Wounded. New York: Sterling Publishing Com- sted was the architect and superintendent of New York’s pany, Inc., 1995. 383 pages. Central Park. The United States Sanitary Commission did heed the lessons learned by the British Sanitary Commis- Robert E. Denney chronicles the history of medical sion after the fiasco of the Crimean War. The Sanitary treatment during the Civil War in day-by-day accounts Commission took on the responsibility to spread infor- from 1861 to 1865 drawn from letters, reports, journals, mation about sanitation and hygiene to Armies. It was and diaries from both sides of the conflict. Denney, a noted the Regular Army did not suffer as much disease veteran of both the United States’ Marines and Army as the volunteers and their camps were much cleaner. and the past president of the Civil War Round Table of The Sanitary Commission published reports on the Washington, D.C., writes brief explanations of the day’s proper location and the disposal of wastes in a military historical significance before posting the first hand ac- camp. counts of that day. Most of the book are the reflections The book gives accounts of moving the wounded of the people involved in the war such as surgeons, to hospitals. In the early years of the war, the wounded soldiers, nurses, or members of the Sanitary Commis- soldier would often have the experience of lying in a sion. In Civil War Medicine Care & Comfort of the field, without water or food for hours or days. In the Wounded, Denney allows the first hand reports to be- event the soldier was lucky enough to be discovered, he speak the valiant struggles of those trying to save lives then had the pleasure of being transported over miles of amidst the horrors of diseases, unsanitary conditions, rough road in an impractical cacolet or litter. The lack of supplies, and inadequate transportation systems wounded were also transported by boats and on trains for the wounded. which was not a pleasant experience. The patients were The armies that fought in the Civil War lost more often exposed to the elements and cramped condition. men to disease than to combat. Not much was known about bacteria in the 1860’s. Doctors did know of the “malarial miasmas” of swamps and the “mephitic efflu- via” believed to be around privies and unburied gar- bage. These were the most popular beliefs for the origins of disease. Civil War Medicine is a testimonial of the constant catastrophic consequences of measles, dysentery, scurvy, malaria, typhoid, typhus, and small- pox. Two out of three fatalities died from disease. As- sistant Surgeon United States Army writes on June 29, 1862: Many of the wounds began to look badly; typhus symptoms rapidly developed; operative cases showed little or no disposition to heal; three or four cases of pure typhus occurred, and one half of the whole num- ber of these men died during the month...... , p.125) The creation of the United States Sanitary Commis- sion alleviated some of the unprepared state for war by the Army Medical Department. Frederick Law Olmsted

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A major cause of illness in the war was the clothing and food issued to the troops. Some of the troops were outfitted with shoddy uniforms, blankets and linens. Food was a major problem. The troops were issued ra- tions but were required to prepare their own meals. The soldier was issued beef , flour, hard bread, beans, rice, coffee, sugar, candles, and vinegar. One seasoned gen- eral even remarked, “beans kill more than bullets.” The Sanitary Commission issued pamphlets on the proper preparation of food in the field to avoid a common mal- ady known as “death by frying pan.” Denney’s documentation of Civil War Medicine is extensive. Each day of the book has at least two entries of letters, journals, or diaries. Denney does provide a . Often the impression of Civil War medicine is of crude brief narrative of the day before posting the entries. The amputations and mass death. This book shows the peo- voices of the people give the book an authentic voice. ple involved were trying to do their best to save lives. The book encompasses each day of the war. This is am- The success of the Sanitary Commission and the United ple reading for those interested in a daily account of the States Army Medical Department can be documented in aftermath of the battles. The descriptions of the disease, the lessening of fatalities as compared to the Mexican filth, and loss of life depicted in gruesome detail of the War. The Mexican War death count had been seven dis- war are not for the weak of heart or stomach. One flaw ease deaths to every battle death. of the book is the confusion from so many personal ac- Civil War Medicine is a finely documented book. It counts. Another flaw of the book is an actual lack of is a must to accompany other Civil War books such as history despite all the first hand documentation. To un- Doctors In Blue The Medical History of the Union Army derstand the significance of many events, looking at an- in the Civil War by George Worthington Adams. other reference is often necessary.

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Feature US P3 ORION MEETS PRC F-8: AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT

Robert A. Miller Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia

The story behind this article is a bit complex. I re- At this point, the F-8 reportedly broke in two. Orion ceived the original text (in a sidebar on the following crew members reported seeing a parachute, so it can be page) from Geoff Riddell. It was far too technical for assumed that the Chinese pilot ejected. He did not me, so I turned it over to Bob Miller for a "translation" survive. which is what appears directly below. Bob also wrote The P-3 continued its left roll to a near inverted po- up a glossary to accompany the article. So thanks to sition. Number one engine had ingested debris from the Geoff, Bob and the unknown "Denny the Rod", here is a fighter and flamed out. The number one propeller was pretty accurate account of the entire incident from the also badly damaged. US P3 pilot. Upside down, with a smashed radome, a punctured (depressurized) fuselage, one dead engine and damaged From a telephone conversation with US Navy Lt. prop and complete loss of airspeed and altitude instru- Shane Osborne (Aircraft Commander of the P-3 Orion), ments (not to mention damaged flight controls), Lt. Os- the following account was given of the mid-air collision borne struggled to regain control of his aircraft. with a Chinese F-8 fighter. It was later discovered that the Orion’s damage was The F-8 pilot attempted to fly very close to the even worse than first feared. Number three propeller was P-3’s left wing in what was an obvious harassment exer- damaged as well as parts of the tail surfaces of the cise. At the time, the US Navy P-3 was cruising at 180 aircraft. knots in level flight at 22,000 feet. As if they needed anything else to go wrong, the This was a foolish and dangerous maneuver on the HF radio antenna wire separated and wrapped around part of the Chinese pilot because (a) jet fighters do not the trim tab of the elevator. handle well at such low speeds and (b) large, heavy air- Although a sturdy aircraft, the P-3 Orion was never craft (such as the Orion) create quite a bit of rolling air designed for such turbulence in their flight path — not unlike the wake “aerobatic” flying. Lt. which trails behind a boat. Of course, air turbulence is Osborne and his co- invisible. pilot together had to ap- Upon closing with the P-3’s left wing, the Chinese ply all their strength to F-8 became unstable and impacted the Orion’s number regain level flight. The one engine and propeller. At the same time, the F-8’s tail Orion had dropped to (vertical fin) impacted the Orion’s left aileron and drove (estimated) 15,000 feet it to the full up position. The evidence of this impact is a and was still descend- large hole punched in the left aileron. ing at about 3,000 feet As a consequence of the immediate application of per minute. full up left aileron (which, of course, caused the right ai- Full power was ob- leron to go full down), the P-3 “snap rolled” to the left. tained from the remain- The stricken Chinese F-8 then crashed into the nose of ing engines (numbers 2 the Orion, smashing the radome and breaking off the two and 4) and full right ai- sets of pitot tubes. leron was required to hold the aircraft level.

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Descent was finally arrested at (estimated) 8,000 feet above the sea. The Original Text Numbers one and three propellers were damaged to such an extent that they could not be feathered. Number I had the opportunity to talk w. Lt. Shane Osborne via one prop was missing an entire blade and was, therefore, phoncon (he was in Disney World!) this past Mon- causing serious vibration. A danger existed that the day. The whole story is more incredulous than the prop or indeed the entire engine could be ripped from print version. The F-8 attempted to join their left the wing. wing..the P-3 was doing 180 KIAS at 22K...for a 3rd Lt. Osborne ordered the crew (24 total) to “Prepare pass. This A/S is a bad combination clearly for the for bailout.” This is probably a “first” in the long history F-8. His wing came up, either trying to stop closure of the Orion. Once he determined that the aircraft was or as a result of being too slow, and he impacted the actually “flyable,” the order was amended to “Prepare #1 prop. The vert fin of the F-8 prob drove the P-3 for ditching.” port aileron full up,..there's a big hole in the port ai- The odds of successfully ditching a large, heavy leron. The P-3 snap rolled near inverted in 2 seconds aircraft in the ocean are, under the best of circum- per Shane..that's 3-4x the max roll rate of the P-3 w/ stances, not good. In this case, Lt. Osborne had a se- max aileron only. verely damaged, barely flyable Orion that, most likely, could not have survived a water ditching. The F-8 impacted the radome & broke in two. Chute The closest “friendly” airfield was more than 600 was sighted by P-3 crew. The P-3 #1 engine flamed out miles away, so the only available option was the Chinese due FOD, the radome exploded due F-8 impact, the P-3 airbase on Hainan Island. Ironically, this was the home depressurized, lost all airspeed & altimeter info due base for the Chinese fighter that originally caused the lost probes & vibrated violently due damage to #1 and problem. #3 prop and tail damage. The HF wire separated and With two engines out, damaged flight controls, no wrapped around the elev trim. Shane said it took both flaps, vibrating propeller, a high gross weight (108,000 pilots max pull to right the A/C to wings level and still pounds), Lt. Osborne managed to plant the Orion on the took cherry lights (max power x 3 ) and full right ai- Hainan runway at 170 knots (very high landing speed). leron to hold wings level initially. The P-3 had rolled A heroic bit of flying that, clearly, saved twenty-four to 130 degrees w/ 30 degrees nose down. They made a lives. recovery at estimated 15 K altitude but still had a 3k Epilogue ROD despite max power. Maxpowr was required to The Chinese Air Force officials had the affront to arrest descent thru 8 K. They most feared #1 prop complain that he landed “Without permission.” Can you separting due high vibes, despite attempted Fx. The think of a good two-word reply to that? cockpit ordered bailout (prob a P-3 first) until they re- covered control and then commanded a Prepareto Ditch....before assessing the extent of damage and question of control. They finally selected an emer- gency landing at the nearest field..Hainan. Other AI- lied fileds were 600 + miles away. They made a 170 Kt GS (they had INS info in the cockpit), no flap, high GW (108K), no trim, no KIAS, damaged aileron, high drag due #1 windmill, damaged elevator, near full R ai- leron landing at Hainan. Heroic flying that clearly saved 24 lives. Tell the rest of the story if you hear an opinion that starts w. "they should have ditched." A 170 Kt, no radome, no flap, #1 windmill, no trim, dam- aged aileron ditch would have lost 24 lives. I vote for the flight crew and great flying.

R / Denny the Rod

(Thanks to Bob Miller for the translation!)

Augusr 2001 p. 20 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

GLOSSARY OF AVIATION TERMS AND concert) to control the aircraft attitude and “flight EXPRESSIONS. envelope.” TRIM (or Trim Tabs) are small devices found on the There are three different ways of expressing the flight control surfaces used to set a “bias.” Up or down, SPEED of an aircraft such as the P-3 Orion: left or right, whatever is needed to zero the pilot’s pres- Indicated Airspeed (IAS or KIAS). This is the indi- sure on the controls. They just make flying physically cation given on the aircraft “Airspeed Indicator.” It be- easier. comes less accurate the higher you go and the warmer *** the air temperature. Speed is usually expressed in knots Most large aircraft have RADAR. It is mostly used (K). for weather mapping, although military aircraft may use it True Airspeed (TAS). This is the indicated airspeed in “search” mode. The radar antenna is usually located in corrected for altitude, barometric pressure and tempera- the aircraft nose and must be protected (and streamlined) ture. TAS is usually higher than IAS. by a cover called a “Radome.” The radome is made of fi- Ground Speed (GS ). The speed the aircraft is mak- berglass and must be protected by a coat of radar trans- ing over the ground. If, for example, an airplane is flying parent paint. This paint used to always be black at 200 knots TAS into a 50 knot headwind, the GS would (neoprene), but now you can get it an any color. be150 knots. RADIOS: There are basically three types of aircraft Yes, for the technical nitpickers, there is a fourth radios: HF (High Frequency), VHF (Very High Fre- way of expressing speed: Mach Number. A typical quency) and UHF (Ultra High Frequency). HF is needed cruise speed for a Boeing 747 would be Mach 0.84 — or for very long range communications. 84% the speed of sound. ENGINES : On multi-engine aircraft, engines are numbered from left to right. Number One Engine would There are several ways of expressing ALTITUDE: be the leftmost. MSL (Mean Sea Level) As the name implies, this is FOD (Foreign Object Damage) Jet engines do not altitude above sea level and is adjusted for local baro- like to ingest nuts, bolts and birds. Turboprops are jet metric pressure by a little knob on the Altimeter. engines connected through a gearbox to a propeller. AGL (Above Ground Level) How high the airplane PITOT/STATIC System: The Airspeed, Altitude is actually above the ground below. This can be meas- and VSI indicators need a sample of the dynamic and ured only by a radar altimeter. static wind pressures on the aircraft in order to provide FL (Flight Level) This is just a handy way to knock proper readings. This is accomplished by a “Pitot Tube” off the last two zeros. FL220 would mean 22,000 feet and “Static Port” mounted on the outside of the aircraft. MSL. When FL is used, the altimeter is set to a standard The pilot’s and co-pilots instruments are independ- barometric pressure of 29.92” or 1013 Millibars ently given these air pressure samples by separate sys- (Hectopascals). tems. Unfortunately, on the P-3, the pitot tubes are There is one more instrument associated with the mounted fairly close together — therefore were subject above group: VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator). This tells to simultaneous damage by the Chinese fighter. the pilot how fast he is going up or down in thousands- SNAP ROLL: the immediate application of FULL ai- of-feet per minute. leron (either left or right) that results in a very rapid roll. WINDMILLING: If an engine must be shut down FLIGHT CONTROLS (on a multi-engine prop aircraft), the propeller blades are Airplanes have three active flight control systems: turned into the wind (feathered) so the prop will not ro- AILERONS (roll), ELEVATORS (pitch) and RUDDER tate and cause drag. If the engine is shut down and the (yaw). prop can not be feathered, the prop will spin and act like Turning is accomplished (mostly) by the ailerons a dragging brake. “rolling” the aircraft left (port) or right (starboard). The If a propeller is badly damaged (as was the case rudder is just for “coordinating” (cleaning up) the turn. with the P-3), not only does the offending prop cause Note: Left and Right in an aircraft is ALWAYS the pi- drag, but serious vibration as well. lot’s left and right. The elevators raise or lower the attitude of the air- craft nose up or nose down. This affects both climb/descent and speed. The controls of an airplane are completely and ut- terly UNLIKE a car. The three flight controls and the throttles (engine power) work together (hopefully in

Augusr 2001 p. 21 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

Feature BITS N' PIECES

Member News from Around the World

Cry "Havoc!" was saddened to learn recently of the passing of Dale Tomlinson. Tomlinson had authored "Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign" that appeared in CH 28 (August 1999). A veteran of the Korean War, Tomlinson had been a member of the original Military History SIG back in the 1970's and rejoined the present one in 1998. Dale will be missed by all of us.

Sometime Editorial Assistant Karl Tschanz com- pleted BasicTraining at Fort Sill, OK on August 23rd (and is the reason we delayed this issue, see pictures on page 3 of the youthful warrior). PV2 Tschanz is slated to begin training as a fire direction specialist on a MLRS also at Fort Sill with post AIT assignment still open.

Welcome to new members Clay West (Connecti- cut), Martina Deichman (Weisbaden), Steve Darley (Connecticut), Simon Small (Goteburg, Sweden), Major Luis Gonzalo Paz Asensio (Buenos Aires, Argentina), David Saks (Johannesburg, South Africa), Robert Le- bling (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia), Judy Vasiliauskas (Ne- vada), Jerry Maltz (Arizona), Edward Haidinyak (Illinois), Robert Naborney (New York) and Robert Nock (Maryland).

SIG member Judy Vasiliauskas was elected Na- tional Secretary of American Mensa at the Annual Gen- eral Meeting. Congrats to Judy! (See what contributing to Cry "Havoc!" can do for you!).

David Tschanz recently earned Certified Internet Webmaster status (okay, you ask, then where is the SIG's website? -- to which I reply, "I'm working on it"). And someone mumbles that the shoemaker's children go barefoot...

News items can be sent to Cry "Havoc!" by e-mailing [email protected]

Augusr 2001 p. 22 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

Feature THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY George M. Dewey Admiral, United States Navy

I am currently in the midst of research on certain kind of countermarch, as it were, until headed in the di- aspects of the Spanish-American War. I came across rection of Cavite. This brought the ships within two or this account, written by Admiral Dewey of what is still three miles of shore, with a distance of four hundred one of the most one-sided naval victories in history. yards between ships, in the following order: Olympia Since the SPAW is one of the least known and leats un- (flag), Baltimore, Raleigh, Petrel, Concord, and Boston. derstood wars in US history, I thought this account would be enlightening to the readership -- DWT Opening Rounds About 5:05 the Luneta and two other Manila batter- Preparation for Battle ies opened fire. Their shots passed well over the vessels. Once through the entrance, as I deemed it wise to It was estimated that some had a range of seven miles. keep moving in order not to be taken by surprise when Only the Boston and Concord replied. Each sent two the ships had no headway, and as, at the same time, I did shells at the Luneta battery. The other vessels reserved not wish to reach our destination before we had suffi- their fire, having in mind my caution that, in the absence cient daylight to show us the position of the Spanish of a full supply of ammunition, the amount we had was ships, the speed of the squadron was reduced to four too precious to be wasted when we were seven thou- knots, while we headed toward the city of Manila. In the sand miles from our base. My captains understood that meantime the men were allowed to snatch a little sleep at the Spanish ships were our objective and not the shore their guns; but at four o'clock coffee was served to them, fortifications of a city that would be virtually ours as and so eager were they that there was no need of any soon as our squadron had control of Manila Bay. orders to insure readiness for the work to come. With the coming of broad daylight we finally Signal lights, rockets, and beacon lights along the sighted the Spanish vessels formed in an irregular cres- shore, now that we were sure of grappling with the en- cent in front of Cavite. The Olympia headed toward emy, no longer concerned us. We waited for dawn and them, and in answer to her signal to close up, the dis- the first sight of the Spanish squadron, which I had tance between our ships was reduced to two hundred rather expected would be at the anchorage off the city of yards. The western flank of the Spanish squadron was Manila. This seemed naturally the strong position for protected by Cavite Peninsula and the Sangley Point Admiral Montojo to take up, as he would then have the battery, while its eastern flank rested in the shoal water powerful Manila battery, mounting the guns which have off Las Pinas. already been enumerated, to support him. But the admi- The Spanish line of battle was formed by the Reina ral stated in his report that he had avoided this position Cristina (flag), Castilla, Don Juan de Austria, Don An- on account of the resultant injury which the city might tonio de Ulloa, Isla de Luzon, Isla de Cuba, and have received if the battle had been fought in close Marques del Duero. proximity to it. The Velasco and Lezo were on the other (southern) The Nanshan and Zafiro, as there was no reserve side of Cavite Point, and it is claimed by the Spaniards ammunition for either to carry, had been sent, with the that they took no part in the action. Some of the vessels McCulloch, into an unfrequented part of the bay in or- in the Spanish battle-line were under way, and others der that they should sustain no injury and that they were moored so as to bring their broadside batteries to might not hamper the movements of the fighting-ships. bear to the best advantage. The Castilla was protected When we saw that there were only merchantmen at the by heavy iron lighters filled with stone. Manila anchorage, the squadron, led by the flag-ship, Before me now was the object for which we had gradually changed its course, swinging around on the made our arduous preparations, and which, indeed, must arc of a large circle leading toward the city and making a ever be the supreme test of a naval officer's career. I felt

Augusr 2001 p. 23 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

confident of the outcome, though I had no thought that occasional low-toned command by the quartermaster at victory would be won at so slight a cost to our own side. the conn , or the roar of a Spanish shell. The Manila bat- Confidence was expressed in the very precision with teries continued their inaccurate fire, to which we paid no which the dun, war-colored hulls of the squadron fol- attention. lowed in column behind the flag-ship, keeping their dis- The misty haze of the tropical dawn had hardly tance excellently. All the guns were pointed constantly risen when at 5.15, at long range, the Cavite forts and at the enemy, while the men were at their stations wait- Spanish squadron opened fire. Our course was not one ing the word. There was no break in the monotone of the leading directly toward the enemy, but a converging one, engines save the mechanical voice of the leadsman or an keeping him on our starboard bow. Our speed was eight

Augusr 2001 p. 24 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35

knots and our headed back to the eastward, thus giving the squadron converging an opportunity to use their port and starboard batteries course and ever- alternately and to cover with their fire all the Spanish varying position ships, as well as the Cavite and Sangley Point batteries. must have con- While I was regulating the course of the squadron. Lieu- fused the Span- tenant Calkins was verifying our position by crossbear- ish gunners. My ings and by the lead. assumption that Three runs were thus made from the eastward and the Spanish fire two from the westward, the length of each run averaging would be hasty two miles and the ships being turned each time with port and inaccurate helm. Calkins found that there was in reality deeper water proved correct. than shown on the chart, and when he reported the fact So far as I to me, inasmuch as my object was to get as near as pos- could see,, none sible to the enemy without grounding our own vessels, of our ships was the fifth run past the Spaniards was farther inshore than suffering any any preceding run. At the nearest point to the enemy our Adm. Montojo damage, while, in range was only two thousand yards. view of my lim- ited ammunition supply, it was my plan not to open fire Spanish Fleet Destroyed until we were within effective range, and then to fire as There had been no cessation in the rapidity of fire rapidly as possible with all of our guns. maintained by our whole squadron, and the effect of its concentration, owing to the fact that our ships were kept "You may fire when ready" so close together, was smothering, particularly upon the At 5.40 when we were within a distance of 5,000 two largest ships, the Reina Cristina and Castilla. The yards (two and one-half miles) , I turned to Captain Gri- Don Juan de Austria first and then the Reina Cristina dley and said: "You may fire when you are ready, made brave and desperate attempts to charge the Olym- Gridley." pia, but becoming the target for all our batteries they While I remained on the bridge with Lamberton, turned and ran back. In this sortie the Reina Cristina Brumby, and Stickney, Gridley took his station in the was raked by an 8-inch shell, which is said to have put conning-tower and gave the order to the battery. The out of action some twenty men and to have completely very first gun to speak was an 8-inch from the forward destroyed her steering-gear. Another shell in her fore- turret of the Olympia, and this was the signal for all the castle killed or wounded all the members of the crews of other ships to join the action. four rapid-fire guns; another set fire to her after orlop; At about the time that the Spanish ships were first another killed or disabled nine men on her poop; another sighted, 5.06, two submarine mines were exploded be- carried away her mizzen-mast, bringing down the ensign tween our squadron and Cavite, some two miles ahead and the admiral's flag, both of which were replaced; an- of our column. On account of the distance, I remarked to other exploded in the after ammunition-room; and still Lamberton: "Evidently the Spaniards are already another exploded in the sick-bay, which was already rattled." filled with wounded. However, they explained afterward that the prema- When she was raised from her muddy bed, five ture explosions were due to a desire to clear a space in years later, eighty skeletons were found in the sickbay which their ships might manoeuvre. and fifteen shot holes in the hull; while the many hits At one time a torpedo-launch made an attempt to mentioned in Admiral Montojo's report, and his harrow- reach the Olympia, but she was sunk by the guns of the ing description of the shambles that his flag-ship had be- secondary battery and went down bow first, and another come when he was finally obliged to leave her, shows yellow-colored launch flying the Spanish colors ran out, what execution was done to her upper works. Her loss heading for the Olympia, but after being disabled she was one hundred and fifty killed and ninety wounded, was beached to prevent her sinking. seven of these being officers. Among the killed was her When the flag-ship neared the five-fathom curve off Cavite she turned to the westward, bringing her port batteries to bear on the enemy, and, followed by the "To my gratification not a single squadron, passed along the Spanish line until north of [American} life had been lost..." and only some fifteen hundred yards distant from the Sangley Point battery, when she again turned and

Augusr 2001 p. 25 Cry "Havoc!" No. 35 valiant captain, Don Luis Cadarso, who, already Victory and Breakfast wounded, finally met his death while bravely directing Feeling confident of the outcome, I now signalled the rescue of his men from the burning and sinking that the crews, who had had only a cup of coffee at 4 vessel. AM, should have their breakfast. The public at home, on Though in the early part of the action our firing account of this signal, to which was attributed a noncha- was not what I should have liked it to be, it soon stead- lance that had never occurred to me, reasoned that ied down, and by the time the Reina Cristina steamed breakfast was the real reason for our withdrawing from toward us it was satisfactorily accurate. The Castilla action. Meanwhile, I improved the opportunity to have fared little better than the Reina Cristina. All except one the commanding officers report on board the flag-ship. of her guns was disabled, she was set on fire by our There had been such a heavy flight of shells over shells, and finally abandoned by her crew after they had us that each captain, when he arrived, was convinced sustained a loss of twenty- three killed and eighty that no other ship had had such good luck as his own in wounded. The Don Juan de Austria was badly damaged being missed by the enemy's fire, and expected the oth- and on fire, the Isla de Luzon had three guns dis- ers to have both casualties and damages to their ships to mounted, and the Marques del Duero was also in a bad report. But fortune was as pronouncedly in our favor at way. Admiral Montojo, finding his flag-ship no longer Manila as it was later at Santiago. To my gratification not manageable, half her people dead or wounded, her guns a single life had been lost, and considering that we useless and the ship on fire, gave the order to abandon would rather measure the importance of an action by the and sink her, and transferred his flag to the Isla de Cuba scale of its conduct than by the number of casualties we shortly after seven o'clock. were immensely happy. Victory was already ours, though we did not know it. Owing to the smoke over the Spanish squad- ron there were no visible signs of the execution wrought by our guns when we started upon our fifth run past the enemy. We were keeping up our rapid fire, and the flag-ship was opposite the centre of the Span- ish line, when, at 7.35 , the captain of the Olympia made a report to me which was as startling as it was unex- pected. This was to the effect that on board the Olym- pia there remained only fifteen rounds per gun for the 5-inch battery. It was a most anxious moment for me. So far as I could see, the Spanish squadron was as intact as ours. I had reason to believe that their supply of ammunition was as ample as ours was limited. Therefore, I decided to withdraw temporarily from action for a redistribution of ammunition if necessary. For I knew that fifteen rounds of 5-inch ammunition could be shot away in five minutes. But even as we were steaming out of range the distress of the Spanish ships became evident. Some of them were perceived to be on fire and others were seeking protection behind Cavite Point. The Don Antonio de Ulloa, however, still retained her position at Sangley Point, where she had been moored. Moreover, the Spanish fire, with the ex- ception of the Manila batteries, to which we had paid little attention, had ceased entirely. It was clear that we did not need a very large supply of ammunition to fin- ish our morning's task; and happily it was found that the report about the Olympia's 5-inch ammunition had been incorrectly transmitted. It was that fifteen rounds had been fired per gun, not that only fifteen rounds remained.

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