Military Achievements

[Ri Fhionngaill]

Is there any particular event in military history that strikes you are almost impossible to pull off, but was done successfully by the commander? Hannibal crossing the Alps? The routs of Lowland government forces in the '45? Saying something quotable whilst being hit by a cannonball?

 

[Cicero]

I know that this isn't what you had in mind, but it is an incredible coincidence and achievement ( of sharpshooting). General John Sedgwick, the highest ranking UNION officer killed in action in the USCW, was killed at the beginning of the battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

His corps was probing skirmish lines ahead of the left flank of Confederate defenses and he was directing artillery placements. Confederate were about 1,000 yards away and their shots caused members of his staff and artillerymen to duck for cover. Sedgwick strode around in the open and was quoted as saying, "What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Although ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he repeated, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Just seconds later he fell forward with a bullet hole below his left eye.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sedgwick"]John Sedgwick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[Eumenes]

Timur's advance over 700 miles of barren Central Asian steppes in pursuit of Tokhtamysh.

 

[diddyriddick]

I know that this isn't what you had in mind, but it is an incredible coincidence and achievement ( of sharpshooting). General John Sedgwick, the highest ranking officer killed in action in the USCW, was killed at the beginning of the battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

To clarify, Albert Sidney Johnston had 4 stars on his collar, while Sedgewick only had 3. I'm sure that you meant the highest ranking Union officer killed.

 

[Belisarius]

Belisarius' reconquest of Vandal Africa and Gothic Italy with 10,000 "leftover" infantry, 5,000 Bucellarii and 1,000 Huns has to be in the top 10.

 

[Salah]

I know that this isn't what you had in mind, but it is an incredible coincidence and achievement ( of sharpshooting). General John Sedgwick, the highest ranking officer killed in action in the USCW, was killed at the beginning of the battle of Spotsylvania Court House.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sedgwick

Darn you, Cicero!!! That was the first story that came into my head when I read the OP!!!

 

[Eumenes]

Enrico Dandolo's role in the Fourth Crusade. The crusaders wanted to go to Egypt, but he hijacked the whole affair and used them to recapture Zara and then to sack Constantinople.

He was somewhere in between 70-90 years old when the city was captured, but he supposedly still showed up in full armor, ordered his galley run onto the beaches near the sea wall, jumped over the railing and planted the flag of St. Mark's in the ground.

 

[sylla1]

The non-violent civil disobedience Indian movement called by MK Gandhi significantly contributed to the retreat of the British Empire from their major colony after WW2.

(I know, Ghandi was not a commander; but the Empire was certainly a military power).

 

[Robert165]

Caesar building a bridge and crossing the Rhine? was pretty impressive to me

 

[markdienekes]

Caesar building a bridge and crossing the Rhine? was pretty impressive to me

Alesia also - laying siege while being besieged.