On This Day ... in 1745 & Others
The Duke of Cumberland led a British, Hanoverian, Austrian and Dutch army against the French army of Marshal de Saxe, dug in around Fontenoy. Louis XV and the Dauphin were both present with de Saxe, and the Marshal's reputation, the strength of the French positions, and a slight advantage in numbers made them confident of victory.
The Allied attack opened with Ingoldsby's Highland Brigade attacking a French redoubt by the Bois de Barry, but they were ambushed by French troops concealed in the wood. A Dutch attack on the village of Antoing also failed. Cumberland resorted to an attack along a near impassable ravine with 15,000 British and Hanoverian infantry in a massive column, which he led from the front. This advanced through heavy artillery fire from both flanks, suffering terrible casualties. Confident that the artillery had shaken the Allied column, the Gardes Francaises counter-charged, but were driven back by devastating musketry. The Allied column broke through to the second French line, but Cumberland had failed to keep supporting cavalry close enough and was unable to exploit his advantage. Louis XV also displayed uncharacteristic leadership and rallied his men. Eventually the Allies had to fall back and concede the day.
1855: At Sevastopol, Russian troops sortied from the city to take a British siege battery. Captain Hamilton gathered a small force and, despite the odds, succeeded in retaking the position. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.
1857: As the Indian Mutiny spread, rebels massacred the European population of Delhi. Mutineers attempted to seize the magazine in the city. Lieutenant Willoughby defended the magazine with just eight colleagues, mainly relatively elderly supply and ordnance officers. For five hours they held the enemy off, but when it became clear that the rebels would break in, they blew up the magazine to ensure that the weapons and ammunition stored there could not be taken. Six of the nine defenders were killed in the blast, along with many mutineers. The three survivors - Lieutenants Raynor and Forrest, and Deputy Assistant Commissary Buckley - all received the Victoria Cross.
1941: Stirling N3654 of 15 Squadron had taken off from RAF Alconbury on the evening of 10 May 1941 for a raid on Berlin. At twenty minutes past midnight on 11 May 1941, it fell victim to a German night fighter and crashed into fields 500 yards from the village of Opmeer, with the loss of all seven crewmen. The body of the pilot, Wing Commander Dale, was found after the crash and buried in Bergen General Cemetery. However, the bodies of his six colleagues were not successfully recovered until they were excavated in 2003.
1945: The Australian 6th Division, after heavy fighting, took Wewak in New Guinea, headquarters of the Japanese 18th Army.
1968: In Vietnam, Warrant Officer Simpson, a member of the Australian Army Training Team, fought a lone action to hold off a strong Viet Cong force whilst a number of friendly casualties were evacuated. A few days previously he had rescued another member of the Training Team wounded in an attack on a Viet Cong position. Simpson was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry.