Rupert Matthews's Blog, page 26
December 13, 2013
Ne Ebook - Battle of Oporto 1809
My friend Oliver has a new ebook out. You can buy yours on Kindle.
Author: Oliver Hayes
The Battle of Oporto was key early British victory in the Peninsular War that ensured that the troops commanded by Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) would not be driven out by the French any time soon.
In March 1809 the French under Marshal Soult defeated a British-Portuguese army just north of the Douro River and pushed on to captured the great city of Oporto. Soult believed that his victory had as good as won the war for him. All he needed to do was rest his men for a few days, then continue south to capture Lisbon. But then British troops were reported advancing north toward Oporto and Sould realised he had a fight on his hands. The battle that followed was a rare instance of Wellington organising an offensive against a prepared and entrenched opponent.
Written by a military author of great experience, this book explains the way battles were fought two centuries ago and explains the course of the action in an accessible but authoritative style.
This lavishly illustrated ebook is a must for anyone interested in the Peninsular War. This book forms part of the Bretwalda Battles series on The Peninsular War.
Contents
Chapter 1 - The Peninsular War
Chapter 2 - The Commanders at Corunna
Chapter 3 - Weapons, Soldiers and Tactics
Chapter 4 - The French Army
Chapter 5 - The British Army
Chapter 6 - The Portuguese Army
Chapter 7 - The Battle of Oporto
Chapter 8 - After Oporto
About the Author
Oliver Hayes is a military historian who has written extensively for books and magazines on different aspects of the military. He is now writing a series of books on the Peninsular War for Bretwalda Books.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Oporto...
Author: Oliver Hayes
The Battle of Oporto was key early British victory in the Peninsular War that ensured that the troops commanded by Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) would not be driven out by the French any time soon.
In March 1809 the French under Marshal Soult defeated a British-Portuguese army just north of the Douro River and pushed on to captured the great city of Oporto. Soult believed that his victory had as good as won the war for him. All he needed to do was rest his men for a few days, then continue south to capture Lisbon. But then British troops were reported advancing north toward Oporto and Sould realised he had a fight on his hands. The battle that followed was a rare instance of Wellington organising an offensive against a prepared and entrenched opponent.
Written by a military author of great experience, this book explains the way battles were fought two centuries ago and explains the course of the action in an accessible but authoritative style.
This lavishly illustrated ebook is a must for anyone interested in the Peninsular War. This book forms part of the Bretwalda Battles series on The Peninsular War.
Contents
Chapter 1 - The Peninsular War
Chapter 2 - The Commanders at Corunna
Chapter 3 - Weapons, Soldiers and Tactics
Chapter 4 - The French Army
Chapter 5 - The British Army
Chapter 6 - The Portuguese Army
Chapter 7 - The Battle of Oporto
Chapter 8 - After Oporto
About the Author
Oliver Hayes is a military historian who has written extensively for books and magazines on different aspects of the military. He is now writing a series of books on the Peninsular War for Bretwalda Books.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Oporto...
Plate Armour
Plate armour gave better protection than mail. By about 1300 new types of arrow and thrusting swords had been developed that could pierce mail armour. This led to the development of plate armour, made up of sheets of steel shaped to fit over the arms, legs or body. Arrows and swords tended to glance off plate armour without penetrating.
from "100 FActs about Arms and Armour" by Rupert Matthews.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arms-Armour-T...
from "100 FActs about Arms and Armour" by Rupert Matthews.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arms-Armour-T...
December 6, 2013
The Boer Commandos
During the 1880s vast gold deposits were found in the Transvaal, an independent republic in southern Africa populated by European settlers of Dutch descent, the Boers. The Boer farmers had neither the skills nor the capital to exploit the finds, so foreign mining companies and engineers were brought in. By 1895 the number of foreigners, termed outlanders, had grown to become greater than the Boers. Yet the Boer government refused to give any civil rights to the outlanders, and imposed heavy taxes on the outlanders from which Boer farmers were exempt. Since most outlanders were British, they looked to Britain for protection. Britain suggested various reforms, but the Boers refused and war broke out on 11 October 1899. The Transvaal was joined by the second Boer republic, the Orange Free State.
The only professional Boer armed forces were a few batteries of artillery, equipped with the very latest guns from Krupps in Germany. The rest of the Boer army was composed of farmers and others who rode to war with their own guns, horses and equipment. Although each man supplied his own kit, the Boers had large numbers of Mouser 7.65mm rifles, principally those of the 1894 and 1895 models. These rifles were astonishingly accurate over long ranges, had a magazine of five bullets for rapid fire and could be quickly reloaded from a pre-packed clip of ammunition.
Each district had its own unit, called a commando, which elected its officers for a campaign when mustered. The Boers called out their commandos and launched them on a rapid invasion of the two British colonies: Natal and Cape Colony. Within a week of war breaking out the Boer commandos had about 30,000 men under arms. By mid October the towns of Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley were under siege. The Krupp artillery was brought up and put into action. The style of the sieges soon developed into long range sniping combat as the Boers waited for starvation to take a grip. Attempts by the British commander in southern Africa, General Redvers Buller, to relieve the towns led to the Battle of Colenso on 15 December.
From The Historical Atlas of Weaponry by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy at Amazon or a bookshop
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Historical-At...
December 3, 2013
The Outbreak of the American Civil WAr
The US Civil War was fought by officers trained at West Point where they had been taught the theories of Jomini, learned tactical deployments based on those of Napoleon and studied the railway-based campaigns fought in Europe over the previous couple of decades. They had also taken Dunant’s views to heart and medical services in the US military were among the best in the world. In the harsh classroom of the battlefield they would realize that none of these had really prepared them for the realities of war in the industrial age. The reasons for the outbreak of the war were rooted in decades old disputes about the powers and rights of the federal US government contrasted with those of the individual states. The issue that gave the spark was slavery, supported in the agrarian southern states but opposed in the industrialized northern states. The dispute led several southern states to pass legislation to secede from the USA, the north retaliated by declaring that no state could legally secede. The first shot came from southern artillery batteries firing on Fort Sumter to enforce its surrender. The armed forces of the USA at this date dictated the early phases of the war. The federal government had control of the US Army and US Navy, but was faced by the fact that many of the best officers and men left at once to return to their southern states. Each state had its own militia, but these were of variable quality with widely differing levels of training and equipment. The southern, or Confederate States, began the war with around 120,000 men who were generally of better fighting qualities than the 150,000 men fielded by the northern or Unionist States. The Confederates had no navy to speak of, while the Unionists had all 80 ships of the US Navy, albeit that most of them were obsolete and undercrewed. Both sides realized the advantages of railways both to move troops and to keep them supplied. Indeed the Confederates won the first major battle of the war, First Bull Run on 21 July 1861 after they brought up reinforcements by train. However, the over reliance on rail meant that major operations were limited to areas which could be supplied by rail. This restricted the theatres of operations and removed the ability of either side to engage in strategic manoeuvres. Both sides likewise noted the way Moltke had used telegraph to keep in touch with his scattered armies. The Confederates used telegraph as primarily a means to send information and orders between generals. The Unionists, on the other hand, used the telegraph principally to send messages and orders from the civilian government in Washington to generals in the field. President Lincoln’s habit of interfering in the day to day conduct of campaigns drove his generals to distraction.
November 23, 2013
Tenterden Railway Station, Kent
This walk starts at Tenterden railway station because it is both easy to find and has a car park attached. The station is no longer part of the national rail network, but is instead the northern terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Railway. This privately owned line runs steam trains for families and enthusiasts to Bodiam.
There had been plans for a railway to Tenterden from Ashford or Hastings as early as 1852, but various attempts all fell through either because the military wanted a more southerly route or because of worries that the financial returns would not justify the cost. In 1896, a new law came into effect allowing railways to be built to a lower engineering standard if they were intended for rural areas where light train loads and infrequent services could be expected. This allowed railway companies to build lines more cheaply, making routes to small towns such as Tenterden more likely to be profitable.
The Rother Valley Railway, as the route was known, was approved almost at once and construction began within weeks. The line opened on 2 April 1900 running from the main line at Robertsbridge through Bodiam and Tenterden to Headcorn.
Although the line was at first a success, it began to lose money in the 1920s and by 1931 was heading for bankruptcy. A drastic reorganisation saw the line converted to using two Ford road busses mounted on metal railway wheels for passengers and cheaper goods wagons. The railway returned to a modest profit and was still struggling along when, along with all other railways in Britain, it was nationalised in 1948. The new British Railways decided it could do without such a minor line turning such small profits and closed it to passengers in 1954. The goods trains continued until 1961, but then they too were discontinued.
Almost at once a group of local railway enthusiasts put forward proposals to run the line as a part time holiday attraction. The government was unimpressed and laid its own plans to lift the track. Lengthy legal actions followed and after 13 years the Ministry of Transport finally gave way and agreed to sell the line to the charity set up by the enthusiasts. The ministry did, however, impose a condition. The line was to end at Bodiam so that the three level crossings between there and Robertsbridge would not be in use. The line reopened from Tenterden to Wittersham Road in 1973, but the need for expensive repair work to a bridge and other works meant that the full line to Bodiam did not open until 2000.
The line now runs steam trains and other excursions on most weekends of the year and on summer weekdays. There are also special days with various themes. These can vary at relatively short notice, so check the website on www.kesr.org.uk or phone the railway on 01580 762943 if you are intending to ride the trains.
There had been plans for a railway to Tenterden from Ashford or Hastings as early as 1852, but various attempts all fell through either because the military wanted a more southerly route or because of worries that the financial returns would not justify the cost. In 1896, a new law came into effect allowing railways to be built to a lower engineering standard if they were intended for rural areas where light train loads and infrequent services could be expected. This allowed railway companies to build lines more cheaply, making routes to small towns such as Tenterden more likely to be profitable.
The Rother Valley Railway, as the route was known, was approved almost at once and construction began within weeks. The line opened on 2 April 1900 running from the main line at Robertsbridge through Bodiam and Tenterden to Headcorn.
Although the line was at first a success, it began to lose money in the 1920s and by 1931 was heading for bankruptcy. A drastic reorganisation saw the line converted to using two Ford road busses mounted on metal railway wheels for passengers and cheaper goods wagons. The railway returned to a modest profit and was still struggling along when, along with all other railways in Britain, it was nationalised in 1948. The new British Railways decided it could do without such a minor line turning such small profits and closed it to passengers in 1954. The goods trains continued until 1961, but then they too were discontinued.
Almost at once a group of local railway enthusiasts put forward proposals to run the line as a part time holiday attraction. The government was unimpressed and laid its own plans to lift the track. Lengthy legal actions followed and after 13 years the Ministry of Transport finally gave way and agreed to sell the line to the charity set up by the enthusiasts. The ministry did, however, impose a condition. The line was to end at Bodiam so that the three level crossings between there and Robertsbridge would not be in use. The line reopened from Tenterden to Wittersham Road in 1973, but the need for expensive repair work to a bridge and other works meant that the full line to Bodiam did not open until 2000.
The line now runs steam trains and other excursions on most weekends of the year and on summer weekdays. There are also special days with various themes. These can vary at relatively short notice, so check the website on www.kesr.org.uk or phone the railway on 01580 762943 if you are intending to ride the trains.
November 15, 2013
NEW BOOK - The Battle of Albuera
My friend Oliver Hayes has a new ebook out.
NEW BOOK - The Battle of Albuera
Buy your copy HERE
Product Description
The Battle of Albuera was one of the bloodiest, and yet least decisive of the battles fought in the Peninsular War.
In the spring of 1811, the French armies in Portgual were in headlong retreat, falling back into Spain to regroup. As they fell back they left a powerful garrison in the great fortress town of Badajoz, soon put under siege by the British commander, Arthur Wellesley, better known by his later title of the Duke of Wellington.
French Marshal Soult gathered a large army to march to relieve Badajoz and restart the invasion of Portugal. At the village of Albuera, Soult ran into a mixed British-Portuguese-Spanish force under William Beresford placed there by Wellesley to block the road to Badajoz. What followed was one of the hardest fought battles of the entire Peninsular War.
Written by a military author of great experience, this book explains the way battles were fought two centuries ago and explains the course of the action in an accessible but authoritative style.
This lavishly illustrated ebook is a must for anyone interested in the Peninsular War. This book forms part of the Bretwalda Battles series on The Peninsular War.
Contents
Chapter 1 - The Peninsular War
Chapter 2 - The Commanders at Albuera
Chapter 3 - Weapons, Soldiers and Tactics
Chapter 4 - The French Army
Chapter 5 - The Spanish Army
Chapter 6 - The British Army
Chapter 7 - The Portuguese Army
Chapter 8 - The Battle of Albuera
Chapter 9 - After Albuera
About the Author
Oliver Hayes is a military historian who has written extensively for books and magazines on different aspects of the military. He is now writing a series of books on the Peninsular War for Bretwalda Books.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Albuer...
NEW BOOK - The Battle of AlbueraBuy your copy HERE
Product Description
The Battle of Albuera was one of the bloodiest, and yet least decisive of the battles fought in the Peninsular War.
In the spring of 1811, the French armies in Portgual were in headlong retreat, falling back into Spain to regroup. As they fell back they left a powerful garrison in the great fortress town of Badajoz, soon put under siege by the British commander, Arthur Wellesley, better known by his later title of the Duke of Wellington.
French Marshal Soult gathered a large army to march to relieve Badajoz and restart the invasion of Portugal. At the village of Albuera, Soult ran into a mixed British-Portuguese-Spanish force under William Beresford placed there by Wellesley to block the road to Badajoz. What followed was one of the hardest fought battles of the entire Peninsular War.
Written by a military author of great experience, this book explains the way battles were fought two centuries ago and explains the course of the action in an accessible but authoritative style.
This lavishly illustrated ebook is a must for anyone interested in the Peninsular War. This book forms part of the Bretwalda Battles series on The Peninsular War.
Contents
Chapter 1 - The Peninsular War
Chapter 2 - The Commanders at Albuera
Chapter 3 - Weapons, Soldiers and Tactics
Chapter 4 - The French Army
Chapter 5 - The Spanish Army
Chapter 6 - The British Army
Chapter 7 - The Portuguese Army
Chapter 8 - The Battle of Albuera
Chapter 9 - After Albuera
About the Author
Oliver Hayes is a military historian who has written extensively for books and magazines on different aspects of the military. He is now writing a series of books on the Peninsular War for Bretwalda Books.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Albuer...
November 14, 2013
Windmills near Lympne, Kent
From Lympne head west along the B2067. This road has a low ridge to its north and the vast flat expanses of Romney Marsh to the south. In Roman times this was the very roughly the line of the coast. In later centuries, as the marshes began to form, the River Rother meandered across the flat lands. Just beyond the village of Hamstreet go straight across the A2070 and continue along the B2067 to Woodchurch. At Woodchurch turn right into the village, almost at once bearing left at a Y-junction. This lane passes the church, when you should see the windmill on top of the hill to the right.
Windmills were once a common feature of the English landscape. A form of windmill was developed in what is now Iran in around ad700, but this worked on a vertical shaft principle and was quite different from the more familiar form with a horizontal shaft and vertical sails. This form of windmill seems to have been developed in northwestern Europe in the 12th century. The earliest certain reference dates to 1191 when a windmill at Bury St Edmunds featured in a legal dispute. However, windmills were so widely spread across southern England and the Low Countries within a few years that it seems certain they had been invented at least as early as 1150.
These early windmills were of the post variety in which the whole structure is mounted on a stout wooden post and turned to face the wind. In around 1270, the tower windmill was developed. This had a round stone tower as its main structure. The sails were mounted on a wooden cap, which was alone turned to face the wind. This more robust structure meant that larger windmills with bigger sails could be built, in turn making the amount of power that could be capture much greater.
Throughout the medieval period, mills continued to be powered by water if a fast flowing stream was nearby, or by wind if not. A sudden ridge such as that by Lympne was ideal for a windmill. The flat marshes to the south provided no obstacle to the wind which swept in off the sea to power the windmills.
Windmills were once a common feature of the English landscape. A form of windmill was developed in what is now Iran in around ad700, but this worked on a vertical shaft principle and was quite different from the more familiar form with a horizontal shaft and vertical sails. This form of windmill seems to have been developed in northwestern Europe in the 12th century. The earliest certain reference dates to 1191 when a windmill at Bury St Edmunds featured in a legal dispute. However, windmills were so widely spread across southern England and the Low Countries within a few years that it seems certain they had been invented at least as early as 1150.
These early windmills were of the post variety in which the whole structure is mounted on a stout wooden post and turned to face the wind. In around 1270, the tower windmill was developed. This had a round stone tower as its main structure. The sails were mounted on a wooden cap, which was alone turned to face the wind. This more robust structure meant that larger windmills with bigger sails could be built, in turn making the amount of power that could be capture much greater.
Throughout the medieval period, mills continued to be powered by water if a fast flowing stream was nearby, or by wind if not. A sudden ridge such as that by Lympne was ideal for a windmill. The flat marshes to the south provided no obstacle to the wind which swept in off the sea to power the windmills.
October 30, 2013
About Newhaven
Newhaven is on the coast about 10 miles east of Brighton. Find the Harbourside Inn overlooking Newhaven Harbour on the west bank of the Ouse.
In Newhaven most people head for the ferry terminal, eager to get over to Dieppe or Le Havre and the continental delights of France. This is a shame as this little town has much to interest the visitor. The place did not even exist until a great storm lashed the Sussex coast in 1579 caused the Ouse to flood. When the waters went down, the locals found that the river had changed its course just south of Southease. Instead of flowing into the sea at Seaford, it did so at Newhaven. The old port at Seaford was promptly abandoned and the “new haven” built here instead.
The little port in the mouth of the Ouse was for generations used by local fishermen and by small coasting craft docking here to transfer goods to barges to go up the Ouse to the Weald. Then, in 1847, a new quay was built that was capable of accommodating the new-fangled paddle steamers that were then just entering service. The ferry service to Dieppe was one of the world's first regular steam ferries and proved to be immediately and lastingly popular. Soon afterwards a railway line was built to Newhaven from London to serve the ferry.
The Ouse Valley was attractive not only to trading barges and holiday makers, but also to the military. The way the valley cuts through the South Downs made it an obvious invasion route for any hostile power that wanted to get inland quickly and efficiently. In 1860 the most likely aggressor was France, and the British government decided to take no chances. A massive artillery fort was constructed on the headland just west of the mouth of the Ouse. The fort was surrounded by impressive earthworks and contained barracks, magazines and a parade ground. Most of this is still there and can be reached by continuing down the lane on which the pub stands and that passes the marina.
Adjacent to Fort Newhaven is the Castle Hill Coastal Park. If you are feeling energetic, and can spare the time, the park is a lovely place for a stroll, especially in summer when wild flowers dot the chalkland grass. The place offers stunning views along the coast to both east and west.
from "Teashop Drives in Sussex" by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy at Amazon or a bookshop
If there are two marvellous things about England that can be found nowhere else on earth, they are pubs and tearooms. Both types have their fans but together they sum up so much about England that is special and unique. And Sussex had some of the finest in the kingdom. With seventeen drives designed to start with a light lunch, then afterwards, a leisurely drive through the beautifiul Sussex countryside. Finally stopping off for afternoon tea. What better way to spend an afternoon! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teashop-Drive...
In Newhaven most people head for the ferry terminal, eager to get over to Dieppe or Le Havre and the continental delights of France. This is a shame as this little town has much to interest the visitor. The place did not even exist until a great storm lashed the Sussex coast in 1579 caused the Ouse to flood. When the waters went down, the locals found that the river had changed its course just south of Southease. Instead of flowing into the sea at Seaford, it did so at Newhaven. The old port at Seaford was promptly abandoned and the “new haven” built here instead.
The little port in the mouth of the Ouse was for generations used by local fishermen and by small coasting craft docking here to transfer goods to barges to go up the Ouse to the Weald. Then, in 1847, a new quay was built that was capable of accommodating the new-fangled paddle steamers that were then just entering service. The ferry service to Dieppe was one of the world's first regular steam ferries and proved to be immediately and lastingly popular. Soon afterwards a railway line was built to Newhaven from London to serve the ferry.
The Ouse Valley was attractive not only to trading barges and holiday makers, but also to the military. The way the valley cuts through the South Downs made it an obvious invasion route for any hostile power that wanted to get inland quickly and efficiently. In 1860 the most likely aggressor was France, and the British government decided to take no chances. A massive artillery fort was constructed on the headland just west of the mouth of the Ouse. The fort was surrounded by impressive earthworks and contained barracks, magazines and a parade ground. Most of this is still there and can be reached by continuing down the lane on which the pub stands and that passes the marina.
Adjacent to Fort Newhaven is the Castle Hill Coastal Park. If you are feeling energetic, and can spare the time, the park is a lovely place for a stroll, especially in summer when wild flowers dot the chalkland grass. The place offers stunning views along the coast to both east and west.
from "Teashop Drives in Sussex" by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy at Amazon or a bookshop
If there are two marvellous things about England that can be found nowhere else on earth, they are pubs and tearooms. Both types have their fans but together they sum up so much about England that is special and unique. And Sussex had some of the finest in the kingdom. With seventeen drives designed to start with a light lunch, then afterwards, a leisurely drive through the beautifiul Sussex countryside. Finally stopping off for afternoon tea. What better way to spend an afternoon! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teashop-Drive...
October 28, 2013
Wantage goes to Steam
It was not until 1 August 1876 that steam trams began to run along the Wantage Line in the shape of a tramcar with its boiler and machinery located inside the car itself. The machine could carry 54 passengers. In March the following year a steam tram engine, which hauled tram cars, arrived. This was found to be too weak to haul the goods trucks, so the search for a replacement began. In May 1878 the Wantage Tramway bought a small 0-4-0WT locomotive named Shannon second hand from the London and North Western Railway. The little engine was renamed as the rather prosaic Wantage No.5 and put to work. It proved to be an outstanding success. Not only could it haul the heavy flour trucks from Clark’s Mill, but it was so efficient that it halved the coal consumption per mile.
from "Lost Railways of Berkshhire" by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy on Amazon or at a bookshop
from "Lost Railways of Berkshhire" by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy on Amazon or at a bookshop
The Wantage Tramway goes Steam
It was not until 1 August 1876 that steam trams began to run along the Wantage Line in the shape of a tramcar with its boiler and machinery located inside the car itself. The machine could carry 54 passengers. In March the following year a steam tram engine, which hauled tram cars, arrived. This was found to be too weak to haul the goods trucks, so the search for a replacement began. In May 1878 the Wantage Tramway bought a small 0-4-0WT locomotive named Shannon second hand from the London and North Western Railway. The little engine was renamed as the rather prosaic Wantage No.5 and put to work. It proved to be an outstanding success. Not only could it haul the heavy flour trucks from Clark’s Mill, but it was so efficient that it halved the coal consumption per mile.
from "Lost Railways of Berkshhire" by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy on Amazon or at a bookshop
from "Lost Railways of Berkshhire" by Rupert Matthews
Buy your copy on Amazon or at a bookshop
