Greatest British Army victories and defeats

**Litotes** · 01-02-2010, 18:52

The noted military historian, Richard Holmes, summarised the victories and defeats of the British Army in this recent magazine article which I found in a waiting room:

Mail on Sunday

Nothing about BAOR 1945-89!!!

Litotes

**Gren** · 01-02-2010, 19:21

Mboto gorge

Hero of the hour a Captain E BlackAdder

'Hero of Mboto Gorge' in 1892, where he had faced "ten thousand Watutsi warriors armed to the teeth with kiwi fruit and dry guava halves"

Some battle that, and one that we could all do well to remember!

**StickyToffeePudding** · 01-02-2010, 19:26

4000+ dead POWs in Turkish hands after Kut, 1916, is enough to put you off your kebabs and more than enough reason to keep giving them grief!

**björn** · 01-02-2010, 20:30

Interesting view on the Somme.

**sneeky_turd** · 01-02-2010, 20:36

Originally Posted by bjÃ¶rn

Interesting view on the Somme.

Suprising to see it at number one.

I thought no.10 should of read Kohima/Imphal.

**Pararegtom** · 01-02-2010, 20:41

Originally Posted by Litotes

The noted military historian, Richard Holmes, summarised the victories and defeats of the British Army in this recent magazine article which I found in a waiting room:

Mail on Sunday

Nothing about BAOR 1945-89!!!

Litotes

Holmes is a Bore, Somme at No1 ?

**björn** · 01-02-2010, 20:46

Absolutely. Great in magnitude, certainly, but as opposed to battles such as Waterloo or El Alamein (or indeed all of the other battles mentioned in the article), its impact was only indirect, whereas the others can de described as decisive. I'm surprised that Assaye isn't mentioned, for instance.

**llech** · 01-02-2010, 20:48

Would've thought that there were more defeats what about the retreat of Dunkirk, Tobruk, Crete or Dieppe (even though we took Canadians along to show them how to get a shoeing).
Or even Suez, yes yes i know they were told to get fooked by Uncle Sam in the end, but a defeat is a defeat.

**Ruckerwocman** · 01-02-2010, 20:57

Originally Posted by Gren

Mboto gorge

Hero of the hour a Captain E BlackAdder

'Hero of Mboto Gorge' in 1892, where he had faced "ten thousand Watutsi warriors armed to the teeth with kiwi fruit and dry guava halves"

Some battle that, and one that we could all do well to remember!

Fat lot of good it did him too. He still was ordered over the top. I'll bet he didn't get a gong either. ;)

**tangosix** · 01-02-2010, 22:07

Hello,

Beda Fomm is one of our greatest and most neglected victories.

tangosix.

**Spanny** · 01-02-2010, 22:21

Originally Posted by llech

Would've thought that there were more defeats what about the retreat of Dunkirk, Tobruk, Crete or Dieppe (even though we took Canadians along to show them how to get a shoeing).
Or even Suez, yes yes i know they were told to get fooked by Uncle Sam in the end, but a defeat is a defeat.

I'd have thought Dunkirk could have ended up much worse with 250,000 Brits taken prisoner

**sapperbraindead** · 01-02-2010, 22:34

In recent history from my limited military history knowledge,Burma WW2,Malaya Emergency,Op Storm for victories.
Singapore/Malaya,Palestine,Aden,Cyprus,NI for defeats.
Been pushing our luck since the longbow went out of fashion :(

**jonwilly** · 02-02-2010, 00:06

Holmes is a Bore, but a knowledgeable one.
Try telling any 'Civvy' that the Somme was our greatest victory.
Would have rated Slim's MANDALAY/MEIKTILA as Britain's greatest WW II victory in the field.
john
Good thread.

**cdo_gunner** · 02-02-2010, 13:14

Interesting list but he doesn't venture further back than the 18th century. What of Agincourt? Or is he only thinking of the modern British army established after the civil war?