Urban operations involve close-quarters fighting within towns and cities. The environment is 3-dimensional and man-made features channel forces. This tag highlights battles shaped by streets, buildings, rubble, and civilian environments.
The Battle of Chotusitz (17 May 1742) was Frederick the Great’s hardest-won early victory — a chaotic, bloody battle that secured Silesia but exposed deep weaknesses in Prussian command and coordination. Frederick’s maintenance of a fresh reserve to be committed at the decisive moment was a lesson that stayed with him as a commander.
After the successful D-Day landings on June 6, the Allies needed to link the Utah and Omaha beachheads, build forces to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula, and be prepared for the expected German counterattack that they knew was coming. The key to all of that was the town of Carentan on the Cotentin – a port city with major road and rail junctions.
The town was defended by tough German paratroopers from Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6
For the French Marines, Bazeilles is their sacred ground. Like the Alamo to Americans or ANZAC Cove to Australians. The French Army of Chalons under Marshal MacMahon, accompanied by Emperor Napoleon III, was attempting to relieve another French army besieged at Metz. The Prussian Army moved rapidly and now also threatened to encircle the Army of Chalons. The village of Bazeilles was critical to preventing the encirclement .
The Second Anglo-Afghan War of 1878-1880, was part of the ‘Great Game’ between Great Britain and Russia as both sought greater influence and to undermine the other in Central and South Asia. In 1878, Russia sent a diplomatic mission to the court of Sher Ali Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan. The British mission was refused entry into Afghanistan. Fearing that the Russians had gained an advantage, the British used this as justification to invade Afghanistan, ostensibly to secure India’s northwest frontier.