On This Day ... in 1653 & Others
The great Dutch Admiral Marten Tromp, with eighty warships, escorted a huge convoy of 150 homeward-bound merchantmen up the Channel - legend has it that he tied a broom to his masthead to show his intention to sweep the English from the seas. General-at-Sea Robert Blake
commanded some eighty-five English warships, and intercepted Tromp off Portland on 18 February, and a running battle lasting three days developed. The Dutch merchantmen kept to the French side of the Channel, with their escorts forming a protective screen. The first two days proved indecisive; Tromp manoeuvered with great skill, although he was displeased with the indiscipline of some of his captains. Finally, on the third day, the English broke through the defences off Cap Gris Nez, and captured some sixty merchantmen. Tromp was forced to hug the French coast with his remaining ships, and the English broke off the action, assuming that the Dutch would be wrecked so close to a lee shore. Splendid seamanship by Tromp, however, allowed him to save his force from disaster and reach home.
1897: Following the murder of the British Consul-General in Benin, Mr Phillips, and seven others in January, a punitive expedition was dispatched under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Rawson. His force comprised a Naval Brigade of seamen serving as infantry, and 500 police from the Niger Coast Constabulary. Despite considerable resistance, the force succeeded in taking Benin city on 17/18 February.
1900: The advance of Sir John French's cavalry had not only relieved Kimberley on 15 February, but also posed a significant threat to the rear of Piet Cronje's Boers. They withdrew, pursued by the main British force, but on 17 February were beaten to a crossing over the Modder River by French's cavalry. On 18 February, Kitchener, temporarily in command due to Lord Robert's illness, launched an attack on Cronje's laager at Paardeberg. The attack was beaten off, but the Boers proved unable to escape, and eventually surrendered on 27 February.
During Kitchener's attack, two posthumous Victoria Crosses were won. Sergeant Atkinson of the Yorkshire Regiment risked his life repeatedly, braving heavy enemy fire seven times to fetch water for wounded men. On his last sortie, he was hit in the head and died of the wound a few days later.
Similarly, Lieutenant Parsons of the Essex Regiment went to the aid of one of his men who had been hit twice. Having helped the man reach cover and dressed his wounds, Parsons ran through enemy fire to the river to fetch water, then carried him back to safety. Returning to the front line, Parsons was killed in action a short time later.
1944: 19 RAF Mosquito aircraft, from 21, 464 RAAF, 487 RNZAF Squadrons and the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit attacked Amiens prison in Operation Jericho, releasing delayed-action bombs at very low level to breach the walls of the prison and allow prisoners held by the Gestapo to escape.
102 prisoners were killed, but 258 did succeed in escaping.
Group Captain Pickard and his navigator, Flight Lieutenant Broadley, who led the attack, were shot down and killed, having delayed their departure from the target area to ensure the success of the raid.
Comments
legend has it that he tied a broom to his masthead to show his intention to sweep the English from the seas
Strangly enough, when the UK & US went into Iraq they tied a welcome mat to a tank turret to usher in the terrorists.
Posted by: Lucyp | February 17, 2007 10:47 PM
Strangely enough, when the UK & US went into Iraq they tied a welcome mat to a tank turret to usher in the terrorists.
Yeah, I miss the old days. It would have been much more interesting to tie a hippy to the turret.
Posted by: trainer | February 18, 2007 1:40 AM
a hippy? one of the long haired free love chicks? hmm... ushering in free love and expensive VD's
Posted by: Rhys | February 18, 2007 6:44 AM
From post combat reports that I have read, hippies strapped 2 deep to a Warrior's turret make an excellent reactive armour upgrade - & nothing that post an RPG hit,you cant get off with a power hose.
Posted by: Mr Free Market | February 18, 2007 3:45 PM
"We musn't underestimate American blundering. I was with them when they blundered into Berlin in 1918."
Posted by: Capt Louis Renault | February 18, 2009 2:02 AM
During WWII US subs tied a broom to their periscope when entering port to indicate "a clean sweep" and a successful patrol
http://img204.imageshack.us/i/cleansweep1vv7.jpg/
Col Beausaber
Posted by: Beausaber | February 18, 2010 11:32 PM
Every US submarine is still issued a broom, for the same purpose. I have a coworker, a retired sub sailor, who was aboard one of the fast attacks during Desert Storm. They launched all their SLCM cruise missiles, all of which hit their assigned targets. When they returned to their home port, they had their broom tied to the number 2 periscope.
Posted by: Bob | March 1, 2010 10:02 AM