Military History Anniversaries 16 Thru 31 July
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Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 31 July Events in History over the next 15 day period that had U.S. military involvement or impacted in some way on U.S military operations or American interests Jul 16 1779 – American Revolution: Battle of Stony Point » In a well planned and executed nighttime attack, American Brigadier General Anthony Wayne on the orders of General George Washington launches a coup de main against British fortifications at Stony Point, New York approximately 30 miles north of New York City. He earns the moniker “Mad” Anthony Wayne for the ensuing maneuver. The British fort on the cliffs at Stony Point overlooking the Hudson River threatened West Point, which was only 12 miles upriver. Wayne, at the head of 1,200 light infantry, successfully assaulted what the British believed was an impregnable position, losing only 15 killed and 83 wounded while the British lost 94 killed and wounded and 472 captured. Remarkably, the attack took place under cover of darkness, employed only bayonets as weaponry and lasted a mere 30 minutes. Two days later, Wayne, now dubbed “mad” for his enthusiastic and successful undertaking of a mission that had seemed doomed to failure, destroyed the fortifications and evacuated the area. Congress rewarded Wayne’s efforts with a medal. Much of Wayne’s ensuing career involved divesting Native Americans of their land. Following the victory at Yorktown, Wayne traveled to Georgia, where he negotiated treaties with the Creeks and Cherokees. They paid dearly in land for their decision to side with the British, and Georgia paid Wayne in land—giving him a large plantation—for his efforts on their behalf. In 1794, President George Washington called upon Wayne to bring the ongoing violence with British-backed Indians in the Northwest Territory to a close. Wayne was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, near what is now Toledo, Ohio, and gained much of what would become Ohio and Indiana for the U.S. in the Treaty of Greenville. Jul 16 1861 – Civil War: Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) At the order of President Abraham Lincoln, Union troops begin a 25 mile march into Virginia for what will become the first major land battle of the war. The new Union volunteer army under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell marched from Washington DC toward the Confederate army under Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard, drawn up behind Bull Run creek west of Centreville. Beauregard's men defended the strategic railroad junction at Manassas, just west of the creek. On July 17th, McDowell sent a small force across Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford to test the Confederate defenses. A brief skirmish ensured, with light casualties and 1 | P a g e little result. McDowell made plans to attack the north or left end of Beauregard's line, while making a simultaneous demonstration where the Warrenton Turnpike crossed the creek at a stone bridge. Early on the 21st, two of McDowell's divisions crossed at Sudley Ford and attacked the Confederate left flank on Matthews Hill. Fighting raged throughout the morning as Confederate forces were driven back to Henry Hill and more Union brigades crossed Bull Run. In the afternoon, Confederate reinforcements arrived via railroad from Gen. Joseph Johnston's army in the Shenandoah Valley, among them a brigade of Virginians under Gen. Thomas J. Jackson. Jackson organized a defense of Henry Hill bolstered by artillery. McDowell also ordered more infantry and artillery to Henry Hill, where the fiercest fighting of the new war occurred. Additional Confederate reinforcements broke the Union right flank, and Jackson held his ground on Henry Hill "like a stone wall." Under counterattack and with no reinforcements, the Federals retreated, and, when pressed hard by the Confederates, rapidly deteriorated into a complete rout. The next day, the shattered Union army reached the safety of Washington and the first battle of the war was over. Estimated casualties: U.S. 2896 | Rebel 1982. The emboldened Confederates would fight on for nearly four more years. Jul 16 1863 – Civil War: Draft Riots Continue to Rock New York City » The draft riots enter their fourth day in New York City in response to the Enrollment Act, which was enacted on March 3, 1863. Although avoiding military service became much more difficult, wealthier citizens could still pay a commutation fee of $300 to stay at home. Irritation with the draft dovetailed with opposition to the Emancipation Proclamation of September 1862, which made abolition of slavery the central goal of the war for the Union. Particularly vocal in their opposition were the Democratic Irish, who felt the war was being forced upon them by Protestant Republicans and feared that emancipation of slaves would jeopardize their jobs. Their fears were confirmed when black laborers replaced striking Irish dock workers the month before the riots. Roter destroying the Westhawken ferry terminal (left) and charge of the police on the rioters at the Tribune Office (right) Discontent simmered until the draft began among the Irish New Yorkers on 11 JUL. Two days later, a mob burned the draft office, triggering nearly five days of violence. At first, the targets included local newspapers, wealthy homes, well-dressed men, and police officers, but the crowd’s attention soon turned to African Americans. Several blacks were lynched, and businesses employing blacks were burned. A black orphanage was also burned, but the children escaped. Not until 17 JUL was the violence contained by the arrival of Union troops, some fresh from the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. More than 1,000 people died and property damage topped $2 million. The draft was temporarily suspended, and a revised conscription began in August. As a result of the riots and the delicate political balance in the city, relatively few New Yorkers were forced to serve in the Union army. 2 | P a g e Jul 16 1915 – U.S. Navy: The first combatant Navy ships passed through the locks in July 1915 when battleships USS Missouri (BB 11), Ohio (BB 12) and Wisconsin (BB 9) transited the canal. Jul 16 1927 – U.S.*Nicaragua: Augusto César Sandino leads a raid on U.S. Marines and Nicaraguan Guardia Nacional that had been sent to apprehend him in the village of Ocotal, but is repulsed by one of the first dive–bombing attacks in history. Jul 16 1940 – WW2: Directive No. 16: Operation Sea Lion » Hitler setd in motion preparations for a landing in Britain. He prefaced the order by stating: "As England, in spite of her hopeless military situation, still shows no signs of willingness to come to terms, I have decided to prepare, and if necessary to carry out, a landing operation against her. The aim of this operation is to eliminate the English Motherland as a base from which the war against Germany can be continued, and, if necessary, to occupy the country completely." The code name for the invasion was Seelöwe, "Sea Lion". Hitler's directive set four conditions for the invasion to occur: o The RAF was to be "beaten down in its morale and in fact, that it can no longer display any appreciable aggressive force in opposition to the German crossing". o The English Channel was to be swept of British mines at the crossing points, and the Strait of Dover must be blocked at both ends by German mines. o The coastal zone between occupied France and England must be dominated by heavy artillery. o The Royal Navy must be sufficiently engaged in the North Sea and the Mediterranean so that it could not intervene in the crossing. British home squadrons must be damaged or destroyed by air and torpedo attacks. This ultimately placed responsibility for Sea Lion's success squarely on the shoulders of Grand Admiral Erich Raeder and Hermann Göring, neither of whom had the slightest enthusiasm for the venture and, in fact, did little to hide their opposition to it. Nor did Directive 16 provide for a combined operational headquarters, similar to the Allies' creation of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) for the later Normandy landings, under which all three service branches (Army, Navy, and Air Force) could work together to plan, coordinate, and execute such a complex undertaking. The invasion was to be on a broad front, from around Ramsgate to beyond the Isle of Wight. Preparations, including overcoming the RAF, were to be in place by mid- August. Jul 16 1942 – WW2: The Paris Vel’ d'Hiv Roundu » Though many Paris police joined resistance movements, the institution as a whole was placed at the service of the collaborating Vichy government and the Nazis themselves, actively assisting in the arrest and deportation of French Jews. One moment in particular casts a long shadow. On this day police officers, acting on German orders, 3 | P a g e began rounding up and arresting 13,152 Jews of which about 4,000 were children. They were brought to the city's indoor velodrome, the Vel d'Hiv', where they were held for days in searing heat with almost no food, water or sanitation. Those who did not die in the velodrome itself were deported to extermination camps. Though French police had already begun arresting both foreign and French Jews in 1941, the Vel’ d'Hiv Roundup, as it is known, was the first in which women, children and the elderly were also taken. But, much like the history of French police throughout World War II, even this dark chapter is not completely black and white. Despite the thousands of Jews rounded up at Vel d'Hiv, the Germans were left furious. Almost 10 thousands fewer Jews had been arrested than they had expected.