On This Day ... in 1762 & Others
An expeditionary force commanded by Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Cornish captured Manila in the Philippines.
The British had conceived a bold plan to attack Manila even before Spain's entry into the Seven Years war in January 1762. Their execution of that demonstrated their naval ascendancy and military prowess, but the aftermath highlighted the problems inherent in government through the East India Company.
The inspiration for the attack was as much dreams of loot as plans for commercial advantage or geopolitical advantage, and the expedition received limited support from the East India Company. But General William Draper and Vice Admiral Samuel Cornish managed to assemble in Madras a force of around 1750 soldiers (the 79th regiment, sepoys, and French deserters and other assorted troops), eight ships of the line, three frigates, and four store ships. Despite problems with elderly ships and the dangers of largely uncharted waters, all but two store ships arrived in Manila Bay on 23rd September 1762.
An immediate attack was a success. A landing south of Manila was followed by a bombardment and an assault, leading to capitulation. Acting governor Archbishop Antonio Rojo provided uninspiring leadership and surrendered the citadel and the port of Cavite as soon as the city fell.
1857: At the besieged Residency in Lucknow, Lance-Corporal Sinnott, 84th Regiment, won the Victoria Cross for bringing in the body of an officer killed in front of the fortifications.
1859: Lieutenant Goodfellow, Bengal Engineers, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts to rescue a badly wounded soldier, who sadly died of his wounds.
1879: Despite being outnumbered eight to one, Major White, 92nd Regiment, led his men in a charge up a hill held by Afghan tribesmen. The attack had begun to lose momentum when White confronted the tribal leader and killed him. This demoralised the Afghans, who gave way and ran. White received the Victoria Cross.
1902: During a confused action in Somaliland, Lieutenant-Colonel Cobbe found himself isolated, alone with an abandoned Maxim Gun. He proceeded to use this with devastating effect to turn the tide of the fighting, then ventured into the open to rescue wounded men. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.
1914: HMS E-9 scored the first Royal Navy submarine victory, sinking the German torpedo boat destroyer S-116 off the mouth of the Ems.
1918: On the Western Front, efforts to get an important message back to headquarters from a battalion of the Cameronians had repeatedly failed, with the death of five runners. Knowing the risks involved, Private Towers nevertheless volunteered to make another attempt, and ran through a hail of fire to deliver the message successfully. He received the Victoria Cross.
1940: Luftwaffe activity was very light, with only a couple of attacks on a convoy being of significance
1971: HMAS Sydney at Vung Tau embarked the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, as Australia's participation in the Vietnam war wound down.
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And in tomorrow's day in history -
At Saratoga, New York, on 7 October 1777, the British force under Burgoyne was defeated in the battle of Bemis Heights, also known as the second battle of Saratoga. The first battle there, which we mentioned earlier, had left the British in possession of the field in a technical victory. But their operational position was worsening as the Americans’ grew stronger. The British were deep inside rebel territory at the end of a long and tenuous supply line, unable to gather supplies locally because of an earlier check at Bennington, Vermont, a predicament made worse by the onset of the northern winter. They had failed to reach Albany, the objective of the campaign. Worse still, General Howe had not marched to their rescue from New York. Burgoyne was stuck, and in this unfavorable situation was forced to give battle.
The result was that a large British regular force was decisively defeated by an American force in conventional combat. The stunning victory preserved the rebel position in New York and New England, gave heart to the patriot cause and spurred the French to enter the war.
At Kings Mountain, NORTH Carolina, on 7 October 1780, two militia forces fought it out for control of the Carolina backwoods. Following the defeat of the American army under Horatio Gates—ironically the victor Saratoga—the British moved to crush the patriot movement in the deep South. The outstanding British commander, Lord Cornwallis, ordered a Loyalist militia force under Major Patrick Ferguson to root out the rebel militia and protect his flank. (Ferguson was a very capable officer, best known for developing a breech-loading rifled musket called the Ferguson Rifle, one of which may be seen today in the National Firearms Museum at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.)
The patriot militia, 900 backwoods riflemen from the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia, found the loyalists atop a height called Kings Mountain. They attacked without delay, employing their rifles from covered and concealed positions as they advanced up the hill. Ferguson and his men answered with several bayonet charges which drove the rebels back temporarily. After hours of combat and heavy casualties on the loyalist side, Ferguson was killed and his men surrendered.
The result of this battle was to turn the course of the war in the South. With the loyalist militia defeated, the backwoods became a secure flank for the rebel forces, and a denied area for the loyalists. That fact enabled General Greene to craft a campaign plan to lure Cornwallis away to where his forces could be brought to battle, and ultimately driven from the Carolinas.
The consequences of the two events came together in the fall of 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia. Cornwallis, driven from the South by Greene’s clever campaign, was besieged by a combined Franco-American force, made possible by the victory at Saratoga.
see http://op-for.com/2006/10/7_october_a_great_day_in_ameri.html
(sorry, I couldn't resist! - actually, I really like it when you do these)
Posted by: andrewdb | October 6, 2006 5:21 PM