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Trench Warfare

Trench warfare reflects positional struggles characterised by attrition and limited manoeuvre. From the mid-19th century, the dominance of firepower became so overwhelming that armies were forced to entrench to survive or to conduct economy-of-force operations. This tag highlights battles defined by entrenched lines and industrial-scale fire.

Ils ne passeront pas' (They shall not pass)

📝🔒Field Note: Battle for Verdun, France, Feb – Dec 1916

November 2024. Verdun, northeastern France. This is my second time exploring the battlefields of Verdun. The first impression is the massive scale of the fortification complex. Large and small forts with interlocking and mutually supporting fields of fire cover several hundred square kilometres. The ground is still broken by overlapping shell craters, stretching in all directions. Even after more than a century, the terrain remains uneven, cratered, and difficult to walk on. It is not a single battlefield, but a vast zone of destruction.

Belleau Wood

📝🔒Field Note: Belleau Wood, France, June 1918

July 2012,  Belleau Wood, near Château-Thierry, France. I am exploring the site of the legendary US Marine battle in June 1918. The first impression of ‘Bois Belleau’ is confinement. The ground is enclosed by dense woodland, with limited lines of sight and little sense of distance.

Liege Forts - Fort Barchon

📝🔒Field Note: Liege Forts, Belgium, August 1914

October 2025, Liege, Belgium. I am visiting the ring of great forts that once protected the Belgian city of Liège. In the 1880s, the Belgians constructed a series of forts to protect Liège against a potential German attack.
The twelve forts of Liege could cover the approaches and support the neighbouring forts. The forts are: Fort Liers, Pontisse, Barchon, Evegnee, Fléron, Chaudfontaine, d’Embourg, Boncelles, Flemalle, Hollogne, Loncin, and Lantin.

Australian Army soldiers instructs Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel during a trench clearing serial as part of OP KUDU Rotation 10 in the United Kingdom. *** Local Caption *** Under Operation KUDU, the ADF has deployed personnel to Europe and the UK in support of Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s aggression.

💡 Tactical Innovations: Lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War

Modern warfare, as seen on the Eastern Front, is defined by fragile logistics, pervasive drone use, and small, decentralised teams operating with limited support, which forces junior leaders to make rapid decisions under extreme uncertainty. Success depends on cognitive skills over technology, including disciplined situational awareness, procedural identification, adaptive leadership, and the ability to operate independently without reliable resupply, evacuation, or higher command control.

Opdycke's Tigers at Franklin, by Don Troiani

⚔️ Battle of Franklin, Tennessee,
30 November 1864

On the evening of 30 November 1864, Gen. John Bell Hood hurled his Army of Tennessee against entrenched Union forces at Franklin, Tennessee. Five hours of brutal fighting cost the Confederacy thousands of casualties and some of its finest generals. This battlefield study examines the strategy, terrain, and leadership decisions that made Franklin a decisive prelude to the Battle of Nashville.

Polygon Wood, with the Butte visible in the background

⚔️ Battle of Polygon Wood,
26 September – 3 October 1917

The Battle of Polygon Wood is significant to me. My grandfather served in 5th Australian Division Signal Company and fought at Polygon Wood with the Division.

The Battle of Polygon Wood was fought between 26 September and 3 October 1917, as part of the Third Battle of Ypres. The aim was to seize the German-held high ground around the Ypres salient. The battle demonstrated the brutal effectiveness of the Allied limited-objective ‘bite and hold’ tactics, and forced the Germans to reassess their ‘Eingreif’ tactic of immediate counterattacks.

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⚔️ Battle of New Orleans, Louisiana,
08 January 1815

The Battle of New Orleans was a brief but memorable encounter between American regular and volunteer forces under Andrew Jackson, and a regular British force under General Pakenham. What the combatants didn’t know was that the peace treaty to end the war had been signed prior to the battle.

Photos of the Tamil Tiger armoured bulldozer immediately following the battle—courtesy of the small museum beside the memorial.

⚔️ First Battle of Elephant Pass, Sri Lanka,
10 July – 9 August 1991

Elephant Pass is in the Vanni District of the Northern Province. It is a critical piece of terrain because it controls access between the mainland/Kilinochchi district and Jaffna Peninsula. Elephant Pass was the scene of much fighting between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers). The First Battle of Elephant Pass was the largest single engagement of the 26-year Civil War.

Chancellorsville 2

⚔️ Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia,
27 April – 6 May 1863

After the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, President Lincoln replaced General Ambrose Burnside with General ‘Fighting’ Joe Hooker. Hooker’s army of about 134,000 Federal troops on the north side of the Rappahannock River faced about 60,000 Confederate troops under General Robert E. Lee on the south side. Hooker’s plan was bold. In response, Robert E. Lee, made some of the boldest decisions in military history, and achieved his greatest victory.