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Biker, Happy Joan of Arc Day!

  • Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Now I'm worried.


“Holmes and Watson are on a camping trip. In the middle of the night Holmes wakes up and gives Dr. Watson a nudge. "Watson" he says, "look up in the sky and tell me what you see."

"I see millions of stars, Holmes," says Watson.

"And what do you conclude from that, Watson?"

Watson thinks for a moment. "Well," he says, "astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meterologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I see that God is all-powerful, and we are small and insignficant. Uh, what does it tell you, Holmes?"

"Watson, you idiot! Someone has stolen our tent!”
 
Biker! Happy Battle of Alexandria Day!

No not the one in 1801 silly the one on this day in 30 BC - where Mark Antony achieved a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
The Battle of Alexandria was fought on July 31, 30 BC between the forces of Octavian and Mark Antony during the Final War of the Roman Republic. Although Antony's side was plagued by desertions, he still managed to narrowly win the battle. The desertions continued, however, and, in early August, Octavian launched a second, ultimately successful, invasion of Egypt.

Octavian launched his second assault by land from east and west years apart, causing the city to fall without much of a fight. Antony committed suicide following the desertion of his fleet, as did Cleopatra nine days after the battle. Octavian had Caesarion, Cleopatra's son by Julius Caesar, executed. Octavian recognized the value of holding Egypt and had the kingdom annexed as a Roman province. Following the annexation of the kingdom, all Roman officials sent to Egypt were from the equites class, and no senator could visit Egypt without direct permission from Octavian.
N-R0018-0110-suicied-of-cleopatra.jpg

Suicide of Cleopatra
Artist: [h=2]Reni, Guido (Italian, 1575-1642)[/h]​
 
Pa! Happy Everlasting League Day!
800px-Bundesbrief.jpg

I know it sounds like a good comic that could be made in Sir Sean Connery's final movie but it's really about the day in 1291when the Everlasting League formed, the basis of the Toblerone munching Swiss Confederation (Independence).

The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance (German: Bundesbrief) documents the Eternal Alliance or League of the Three Forest Cantons (German: Ewiger Bund der Drei Waldstätten), the union of three cantons in what is now central Switzerland. It is dated in early August, 1291 and initiates the current August 1 national Swiss holiday. This agreement cites a previous (lost or most likely not existent in written form) similar pact. It is currently exhibited at the archives of the Swiss Charters of Confederation in Schwyz.
This inaugural confederation grew through a long series of accessions to modern Switzerland. The Alliance was concluded between the people of the alpine areas of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden (homines vallis Uranie universitasque vallis de Switz ac communitas hominum Intramontanorum Vallis Inferioris). The participants are referred to as conspirati and (synonymously) coniurati, traditionally translated in German as "Eidgenossen".
The charter was set up as a canon for judicature and defense purposes (only two of seven paragraphs address foreign dangers), probably prompted by the death of Rudolf I of Habsburg on 15 July 1291 to ensure legal certainty.
The authenticity of the letter used to be disputed as a supposed modern forgery but modern historians now agree that it is certainly a product of the 14th century: In 1991, the parchment was radiocarbon dated to between 1252 and 1312 (with a certainty of 85%). The document is thus certainly not a late forgery tied to the emergence of the modern federal state in 1848. It should rather be seen in the context of chapter 15 of the Golden Bull of 1356, where Charles IV outlawed any conjurationes, confederationes, and conspirationes, meaning in particular the city alliances (Städtebünde), but also other communal leagues that had sprung up through the communal movement in medieval Europe. It should be mentioned that it was very common to produce documents only when needed in this period; agreements were made by word of mouth (which is still a legal form of contract in Switzerland today), which means the date of any documents was subject to "moving" through time to meet the purpose of the document.
So there you have it, the formation of the famously neutral, highest automatic weaponry owning, multifunctional knife wielding, gold hiding Swiss.

I wonder how many of you have noticed the bear hidden in the Toblerone logo? It's there in plain sight but rarely seen.


Speaking of hidden things, ever noticed the Arrow in FedEx?


​
 
Morning Pa,

Different sort of history thread today, more of an infomercial for a chap who entertains my twisted little mind on the web.

He goes by the Moniker Lloyd Nickolas and reminds me of a strangely fused Graham Chapman and Kenny Everett. He describes himself thus;
Being a website of meanderings amongst the diverse interests of Lloyd, archaeologist, photographer, explorer, toast farmer, armourer, evolutionary psychologist, oxymath, erumite, gentleman.
I particularly like the oxymath as I seem to have the skills to go there. He doe's steampunk, history, model making and a rather entertaining YouTube channel and I fear that he may be a long lost cousin or fruit from your loins from your motorbiking days!
days! Website to be found here and worth a gander if at a loose end.
[video=youtube;yzbfuI0PMdA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzbfuI0PMdA[/video]

 
​Pa! Happy La Chapelle-aux Saints Cave Day!
article-1260294-08D9B027000005DC-162_306x423.jpg

The 'Old man of La Chapelle' was recreated from the skull and jaw of a male found near La Chapelle-aux-Saints, in France in 1908. He lived 56,000 years ago. His skeleton indicated he suffered a number of illness including arthritis and had numerous broken bones. This was not noticed when he was first discovered and gave rise to the mistaken belief that neanderthal man was a hunched individual. His relatively old age of between 40 to 50 indicates he was looked after by a clan

[h=3]First discovery of a Neanderthal tomb
The La Chapelle-aux-Saints cave, bordering the Sourdoire valley, revealed many archeological artifacts belonging to the late Mousterian culture, including the first ever recognized Neanderthal burial discovered on August 3, 1908. Jean and Amédée Bouyssonie, as well as L. Bardon, led archaeological digs in the cave from 1905 to 1908, discovering over 1,000 pieces of stone industry (mainly flint), bones of different fauna including reindeer, bovid, horse, fox, wolf and even a rhinoceros’ tooth. The most spectacular discovery was that of a very well preserved skeleton of an adult Neanderthal man who appears to have been intentionally buried in a rectangular pit 30 centimeters deep, 1.45 meters long and 1 meter wide.
This discovery led to a controversy between adversaries and partisans for the existence of tombs during the Mousterian. Arguments for the existence of a tomb were the sleeping position of the body, and the funeral "gifts" associated with the pit like stone tools and animal bones. Archeologists believe the Chapelle-aux-Saints cave wasn’t used as a habitat, but a place for funeral feasts. One year later, at the La Ferrassie site, another Neanderthal tomb was discovered which helped to confirm the practice of entombment among Neanderthals during the middle Paleolithic.
Modern period
During the French Revolution, the commune changed its name to La Chapelle-aux-Prés following a decree from the National Convention.
[/h]
anthropologie20pari_0281.jpg
 
Whilst sitting reading and out of my nut on too much coffee it struck me that we don't really learn as a race.

In late May 1274 BC the Battle of Kadesh took place.

The Battle of Kadesh (also Qadesh) took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II at the city of Kadesh on the Orontes River, in what is now Syria
The battle is generally dated to 1274 BC, and is the earliest battle in recorded history for which details of tactics and formations are known. It was probably the largest chariot battle ever fought, involving perhaps 5,000–6,000 chariots.



[TABLE="class: infobox vevent, width: 315"]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Belligerents[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]New Kingdom of Egypt[/TD]
[TD]Hittite Empire[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Commanders and leaders[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ramesses II

[/TD]
[TD]Muwatalli II

  • Hattusili III
  • Mittanamuwash of Pitassa
  • Masturish of Seha River Land
  • Piyama-Inarash of Wilusa
  • Sahurunuwash of Carchemish
  • Sattuara of Mittani
  • Niqmepa of Ugarit
  • Talmi-Sarruma of Aleppo
  • Niqmaddu of Kadesh
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Strength[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20,000 men
(half engaged)
  • 16,000 infantry
  • 2,000 chariots
    • 4,000 men
[/TD]
[TD]Somewhere between 23,000–50,000 men
  • Somewhere between 15,000–40,000 infantry
    (not engaged)
  • Somewhere between 2,500–3,700 chariots
    • Somewhere between 9,000–11,100 men
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Casualties and losses[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Unknown[/TD]
[TD]Unknown[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

In July 1943 the Germans and the Russian started having a square go at Kursk, it was the worlds biggest tank battle.

The Battle of Kursk was a World War II engagement between German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front near Kursk (450 kilometres or 280 miles southwest of Moscow) in the Soviet Union during July and August 1943. The German offensive was code-named Operation Citadel (German: Unternehmen Zitadelle) and led to one of the largest armoured clashes in history, the Battle of Prokhorovka. The German offensive was countered by two Soviet counter offensives, Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev (Russian: Полководец Румянцев) and Operation Kutuzov (Russian: Кутузов). For the Germans, the battle represented the final strategic offensive they were able to mount in the east. For the Soviets, the decisive victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war.
The Germans hoped to weaken the Soviet offensive potential for the summer of 1943 by cutting off a large number of forces that they anticipated would be in the Kursk salient assembling for an offensive. By eliminating the Kursk salient they would also shorten their lines of defence, taking the strain off of their overstretched forces. The plan envisioned an envelopment by a pair of pincers breaking through the northern and southern flanks of the salient. Hitler thought that a victory here would reassert Germany's strength and improve his prestige with allies who were considering withdrawing from the war. It was also hoped that large numbers of Soviet prisoners would be captured to be used as slave labour in Germany's armaments industry.
The Soviets had intelligence of the German intentions, provided in part by British intelligence service and Tunny intercepts. Aware that the attack would fall on the neck of the Kursk salient months in advance, the Soviets built a defence in depth designed to wear down the German panzer spearheads. The Germans delayed the start date of the offensive while they tried to build up their forces and waited for new weapons, mainly the new Panther tank but also larger numbers of the Tiger heavy tank. This gave the Red Army time to construct a series of deep defensive lines. The defensive preparations included minefields, fortifications, pre-sighted artillery fire zones and anti-tank strong points, which extended approximately 300 km (190 mi) in depth. In addition, Soviet mobile formations were moved out of the salient and a large reserve force was formed for strategic counteroffensives.
The Battle of Kursk was the first time a German strategic offensive had been halted before it could break through enemy defences and penetrate to its strategic depths. Though the Soviet Army had succeeded in winter offensives previously, their counter-offensives following the German attack were their first successful strategic summer offensives of the war.
[TABLE="class: infobox vevent, width: 315"]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Belligerents[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
23px-Flag_of_German_Reich_%281935%E2%80%931945%29.svg.png
Germany[/TD]
[TD]
23px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281923-1955%29.svg.png
Soviet Union[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Commanders and leaders[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Erich von Manstein
Günther von Kluge
Hermann Hoth
Werner Kempf
Walther Model[/TD]
[TD]Georgy Zhukov
Konstantin Rokossovsky
Nikolai Vatutin
Ivan Konev[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Strength[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
  • 912,460 men
  • 2,928 tanks
  • 9,966 guns and mortars
  • 2,110 aircraft
[/TD]
[TD]
  • 1,910,361 men
  • 5,128 tanks
  • 25,013 guns and mortars
  • 2,792 to 3,549aircraft
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: #B0C4DE, colspan: 2, align: center"]Casualties and losses[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Operation Citadel:
  • 54,182 men
  • 323 tanks and assault guns destroyed, and ~600 tanks and assault guns damaged
  • 159 aircraft
  • ~500 guns

Battle of Kursk:

  • Approximately 198,000 MIA, KIA, & WIA (per German military medical data)
  • Estimate 760 tanks and assault guns destroyed,
  • 681 aircraft (for 5–31 July)
[/TD]
[TD]Operation Citadel:
  • 177,847 men
  • 1,614 – 1,956 tanks and assault guns destroyed or damaged
  • 459 aircraft
  • 3,929 guns

Battle of Kursk:

  • 254,470 killed, missing or captured
    608,833 wounded or sick
  • 6,064 tanks and assault guns destroyed or damaged
  • 1,626 – 1,961 aircraft
  • 5,244 guns
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Just stuck in my head that they were using tanks and chariots, the counterparts through time and the numbers of tanks/chariots was about the same, despite all those years.
Rethinking about it I think I'm tired and wired on coffee and both battles begin with "K" and it means I get to use the word "salient" which is a word I really like the sound of. Hmm I think I'll stop typing now.
 
Knowing Uncle Kelly likes a good tank battle (he is "Kelly's Hero" after all) here's a bit about Germany's tank Ace.

[video=youtube;YWKfpOtFtBc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWKfpOtFtBc[/video]
 
Gonna have to play catch up on this thread when I get back. Off to load the car now and thence off to Mesquite's gaff with the promise of a fine dinner tonight, good conversation with him and his missus then a hearty breakfast in bed tomorrow (I can dream) before we set off out west.

Catch ya later kiddiewinks.

Pa.
 
Pa! Happy Battle of Tettenhall Day!
Wolves-beer-fest-logo.jpg


Well Pa, in honour of you crossing the water on a blitzkrieg type sausage raid (again that sounds so wrong) I thought I'd bore you all with a tale of the battle of Tettenhall which took place on this day in 910 - The last major Viking Army to raid England was defeated at the Battle of Tettenhall by the allied forces of Mercia & Wessex, led by King Edward (of potato fame) & Earl Aethelred.
The Battle of Tettenhall (sometimes called the Battle of Wednesfield or Wōdnesfeld) took place, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, near Tettenhall on 5 August 910. The allied forces of Mercia and Wessex met an army of Northumbrian Vikings in Mercia. The allied army scored a great victory over the Viking force, the last major army sent by the Danes to ravage England.
After successful raids by Danish Vikings, significant parts of North-Eastern England, formerly Northumbria, were under their control. Danish attacks into central England had been resisted and effectively reduced by Alfred the Great, to the point where his son, King Edward of Wessex, could launch offensive attacks against the foreigners. Edward was allied with the Mercians under his sister Æthelfleda, and their combined forces were formidable. The allies launched a five-week campaign against Lindsey in 909, and successfully captured the relics of Saint Oswald of Northumbria.
The Vikings quickly sought retaliation for the Northern excursion. In 910, the Danelaw Kings assembled a fleet and transported a Danish army, via the River Severn, directly into the heart of Mercia. There they ravaged the land and collected large amounts of valuable plunder, but quickly sought to return North rather than be trapped in hostile territory. They knew King Edward was away, massing a fleet of ships in Kent. However, to the surprise of the Danes, the King met with his Mercian allies and moved to surround the raiders. The Vikings found their way to Bridgnorth was blocked by the allied army. Unable to reach their exit route to the sea, and pursued through hostile land by Edward and Aethelfleda's forces, they were forced to choose battle.
While little is known of the exact maneuvers employed at the battle, it is obvious the allies trapped their Viking opponents and inflicted heavy casualties on them. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that "many thousands of men" were killed, referring to the Danes. Seemingly unable to retreat, the Kings leading the Viking raid were both killed by the allied troops.
With the Northern Danes subdued, the forces of Wessex and Mercia could be focused against those who had settled further South. It was also the defeat of the last great raiding army from Denmark to ravage England. With allied strength rising, England was soon united under one domestic monarch, and Danish expansion was quelled permanently.
The Battle of Tettenhall figures prominently in the concluding chapter of Bernard Cornwell's 2013 novel The Pagan Lord. This is book 7 of his ongoing series, The Saxon Stories. In it, the primary character, Uhtred of Bebbanburg lures the Danish army north to Tettenhall and holds them at bay until the combined forces of King Edward of Wessex and Æthelflæd could arrive.
And just for you! -
<span style="color:#006400;"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;">[video=youtube;lZjO3OclSUQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZjO3OclSUQ[/video]
​
 
Yup goatboy, someone mentioned sausage fest and I fled to the shropshire hills, on a testing trip, funnily enough came back through bridgenorth. It's a bit of a hill town like mount st michelle, walls built 1200 ish. The solar charger powered the battery but the battery wouldn' charge my new phone, had my old phone that it charges with me, but they take different sims. I would do a trip report, but it would be a moan about the heat the tent the phone etc.
Have they all gone to the moot and left you? Also saw a poster you may like in a shop window. Simoilar to this one from the national archives, and being it's the start of ww1.....

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/airraids.htm
 
petrochemicals said:
Yup goatboy, someone mentioned sausage fest and I fled to the shropshire hills, on a testing trip, funnily enough came back through bridgenorth. It's a bit of a hill town like mount st michelle, walls built 1200 ish. The solar charger powered the battery but the battery wouldn' charge my new phone, had my old phone that it charges with me, but they take different sims. I would do a trip report, but it would be a moan about the heat the tent the phone etc.
Have they all gone to the moot and left you? Also saw a poster you may like in a shop window. Simoilar to this one from the national archives, and being it's the start of ww1.....

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/spotlights/airraids.htm
Click to expand...

That's a lovely poster, can imagine the folks trying to remember the difference as they head for the basement. I think they have all scooted off to the MOOT, Though yourself and Huon don't have that excuse! (Well you're forgiven for being trapped in the hills, but I reckon Huons all greased up in olive oil and drunk on Spanish red! whilst wrestling octopus!)
 
Goatboy said:
That's a lovely poster, can imagine the folks trying to remember the difference as they head for the basement. I think they have all scooted off to the MOOT, Though yourself and Huon don't have that excuse! (Well you're forgiven for being trapped in the hills, but I reckon Huons all greased up in olive oil and drunk on Spanish red! whilst wrestling octopus!)
Click to expand...

Speaking of missing peoples, where's beelebob these days? Him with his stent and you with your hip, your all set to go terrorising each other and everyone else! Are you going back to that gathering again with him this year?
 
petrochemicals said:
Speaking of missing peoples, where's beelebob these days? Him with his stent and you with your hip, your all set to go terrorising each other and everyone else! Are you going back to that gathering again with him this year?
Click to expand...

Bob went back to work last week, though I did get down for a visit before hand and went to Cumbrae with his walking group. He's been busy getting back to health and staying indoors had been driving him crazy. He's done really well and I'm chuffed for him to have bounced back so well, he really pushed himself to do so. ((What gathering are you pertaining too!?) (Hmmm maybe better not say!)
 
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