Battle of Wilsons Creek and Second battle of Winchester

Two American Civil War battles today - the Battle of Wilson’s Creek - an early Union defeat in Missouri that saw the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the Union commander in the state and the Second battle of Winchester, an early battle in the Gettysburg campaign.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Today we add a series of 23 articles on the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, one of the most distinctive fighter aircraft of the Second World War.

Memphis, Mill Springs, Milliken's Bend and Mobile Bay

Four American Civil War battles today: The naval battle of Memphis, 6 June 1862, a Union fleet defeats the Confederate defenders of the city on the Mississippi and seizes control of Memphis; Mill Springs or Logan Cross Roads, 19 January 1862, a Union victory in eastern Tennessee that had little long term impact; Battle of Milliken’s Bend, 7 June 1863, a failed Confederate attempt to relieve the siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, a Union victory that closed the port of Mobile to Confederate blockade runners

Short Stirling

The Short Stirling was the first of the four engined "heavies" to enter RAF service, but was also the first to be withdrawn.

The Short Stirling also takes us over the one million words mark in original articles.

Battle of the Aegates Islands, 241 BC

The Battle of the Aegates Islands, 241 BC, was a decisive Roman naval victory that ended the First Punic War.

First Punic War

The sack of Agrigentum, 254 B.C., saw Carthage recapture and sack her former ally, lost to Rome in 262 B.C. The Siege of Panormus, 254 B.C., saw the Romans capture an important Carthaginian base in northern Sicily. The Battle of Panormus, 251 B.C. was a Roman victory over a Carthaginian army attempting to recapture Panormus, on the north coast of Sicily. The Siege of Lilybaeum, 250-241 B.C., was a long running Roman attempt to capture the main Carthaginian base left on Sicily. The Battle of Drepanum, 249 B.C. was the only serious Roman naval defeat of the First Punic War. The Siege of Drepanum, 242-241 B.C. saw the Romans threaten one of two remaining Punic bases on Sicily.

Velites were Roman light infantry, equipped with a small round shield, a bundle of light javelins and a gladius

P-47 Thunderbolt and related aircraft

Six American fighter aircraft today, starting with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the most famous fighter aircraft of the Second World War.
It had four precursors, starting with the Seversky P-35, the first fighter produced by the Seversky company. The Seversky XP-41 was a project that never entered production, being replaced by the Republic P-43 Lancer, an undistinguished fighter that saw limited service in 1940 (In 1939 Seversky was renamed Republic). The Republic XP-44 Rocket was the final stepping stone on the road to the P-47 Thunderbolt. It never progressed beyond the prototype stage and was cancelled in favour of the Thunderbolt.
Finally, the Republic XP-72 was a development of the P-47 Thunderbolt that did not enter production.

Battles of the First Punic War

A return to the First Punic War today, starting with the Siege of Messana of 264 B.C., the first fighting between Rome and Carthage. The following year saw a Roman campaign on Sicily that resulted in an alliance between Syracuse and Rome, allowing the Romans to concentrate on defeating Carthage. The main event of 262 was the siege and battle of Agrigentum, a major Roman victory but one with disappointing results.
The first years of the First Punic War saw the fighting concentrated around Sicily. However, in 256 the Romans launched an invasion of Punic North Africa. They landed near the town of Aspis, capturing it after a siege. From there they moved on to besiege Adys. While they were engaged in that siege the Carthaginians advanced to offer battle, suffering a heavy defeat at the battle of Adys, a victory that came close to ending the war.

Avro Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster was the most famous RAF bomber of the Second World War, dominating Bomber Command's strategic bombing campaign against Germany. We add a series of nine articles on this aircraft.

Ten Hawker Aircraft of the 1930s

For a period in the 1930s the Royal Air Force was dominated by Hawker aircraft.
The Hawker Hart was a fast light bomber that could outpace any RAF fighter when it first appeared in 1928. It was also the start of a series of seven aircraft that appeared at regular intervals during the 1930s.

The Hawker Demon was a two seat fighter produced from the Hawker Hart. The Hawker Hind was a replacement for the Hawker Hart light bomber designed to fill a gap before the arrival of more modern aircraft. The Hawker Audax was the first of a series of army co-operation aircraft based on the Hawker Hart. The Hawker Hardy was a further development of the Hawker Audax army co-operation aircraft, designed specifically for service in the Middle East. The Hawker Hector was designed to replace the Hawker Audax as an army co-operation aircraft. The Hawker Hartebeeste was a version of the Audax produced for the SAAF. The Hawker Osprey was a naval version of the Hawker Hart light bomber, converted to act as a Fleet Spotter/ Reconnaissance aircraft

The Hawker Nimrod was a naval version of the Hawker Fury single seat fighter

The Hawker Henley was designed as a light bomber closely related to the Hawker Hurricane although it only saw service as a target tug

Battle of Hampton Roads

We return to the American Civil War with the Battle of Hampton Roads. This was the first battle between ironclad warships, making it one of the most significant battles in naval history. The battle itself was tactically a draw - neither of the two ironclads involved could sink the other - and a strategic victory for the Union, who retained command of the James River.

Hawker Tornado, Typhoon and Tempest

The Hawker Tornado was a variant of the Typhoon powered by the failed Rolls Royce Vulture engine.
The Hawker Typhoon was originally designed as an interceptor. Despite failing in that role, it later became a very potent ground attack aircraft.
The Hawker Tempest was the final development of the Typhoon and was an excellent fighter aircraft capable of taking on the German jets