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Military History Matters 134

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Highlights:

From the Editor:

One hundred and sixty years ago this summer, the largest battle ever fought on US soil proved to be the turning point of the American Civil War.

Following his recent, stunning victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville, in Virginia, General Robert E Lee had by 1 July 1863 moved his Confederate army more than 120 miles north to the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – taking the conflict towards the population centres of the Union.

What happened next – as Lee’s forces collided over three days with the Federal Army of the Potomac – would not only change the course of US history, but also give rise to any number of spurious myths and legends about what really took place.

In our cover story for this issue, the American historian Fred Chiaventone addresses some of the more common misunderstandings about this crucial engagement.

Elsewhere, in our latest two-part special, Graham Goodlad analyses the career of Andrew Browne Cunningham, the WWII commander-in-chief of Britain’s Mediterranean Fleet – known to his peers as ‘ABC’, and believed by many to be the country’s most gifted admiral since Nelson.

In this issue too, David Porter reveals how the roots of the war in Ukraine are deeply entwined with the nation’s turbulent history; and Tim Newark goes in search of the real Vlad Dracula, a 15th-century warlord just as terrifying as any fiction.

Finally, to mark the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of The World at War, Taylor Downing celebrates the enduring popularity of the most comprehensive television series ever made about the Second World War.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

LAURENCE EARLE

Cover Story

Left The Battle of Gettysburg. A 19th century print shows Major General Winfield S Hancock riding along the Union lines during the Confederate bombardment prior to Pickett’s Charge.

Gettysburg: the five key mythsThe greatest battle in American history took place 160 years ago this summer, in July 1863. Fred Chiaventone identifies some common misunderstandings about this crucial…

Features

Cunningham & Cape Matapan: taking on Mussolini’s battle fleetFor our special this issue, Graham Goodlad analyses the achievements of Admiral Andrew Browne Cunningham, universally known to his peers as ‘ABC’. In this first…

Above The three British warships that played the leading role in the Battle of Cape Matapan. In the foreground, firing a broadside, is HMS Valiant, with HMS Barham and HMS Warspite behind.

Cape Matapan, 27-29 March 1941Graham Goodlad analyses Cunningham’s masterpiece, the battle which broke the power of fascist Italy in the Mediterranean.

Opposite An early portrait of Vlad Dracula, known as Vlad the Impaler, the 15th century prince of Wallachia whose cruel methods of punishment made him notorious across Europe. right Wallachia, as depicted in the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle. The historical region north of the Lower Danube and south of the Carpathian mountains, it is now part of Romania.

The real Vlad Dracula: in search of a 15th-century warlordThe fanciful character of Dracula the vampire evolved from a real-life figure who was just as terrifying as any fiction. Tim Newark explores the myth…

Left A 1919 caricature entitled ‘World peace in Ukraine!’ shows Ukrainians in the centre, under attack from a Bolshevik (to the north), a Russian White Army soldier (to the east), and (to the west and south west) a Polish soldier, a Hungarian (in pink uniform), and two Romanian soldiers.

Battlefield Ukraine: lessons from historyThe roots of the current war in Ukraine are deeply entwined with the nation’s turbulent military history. Here, David Porter examines some of the most…

Opposite Children at Birmingham’s Moor Street railway station, September 1939. Millions of British city children were evacuated to safer locations during World War II. above The series was narrated by Laurence Olivier, recorded between productions at the National Theatre, at which he was then Director. He hated the work.

Fifty years of The World at WarHalf a century on, the most comprehensive series ever made about the Second World War is still being shown on television channels around the globe.…

Comment

Film Review – Apocalypse Now ReduxWhen they arrived on set, they held a feast that included dancing and chanting that lasted nearly two days. It also included the ritual slaughter…

War Classics: ‘The Face of Battle’The Vietnam War and associated public distaste for military intervention also provided a challenge as to how the study of warfare was conducted and presented.

News

LefT A member of the dive team exploring an amtrac (amphibious tractor), one of the few known underwater relics from the 1944 US invasion of Guam. The island was occupied by the Japanese for two and a half years.

Survey explores underwater battlefield in western Pacific

Right Surveying work being carried out at the site of Carleith Farm, where the remains of the Roman fortlet were recently found.

Roman fortlet rediscovered on Scotland’s Antonine Wall

Below The interior and exterior of the pillbox uncovered on Blackdog Beach, Aberdeenshire. The structure had tumbled upside down and was buried by sand.

Long-lost pillbox found buried in sand on a beach near Aberdeen

Right The sword belonging to General Everard Bouverie, pictured [far right] in 1860. Some 45 years earlier, he had used it during the Battle of Waterloo.

Rare sword used at Waterloo acquired by Northamptonshire Abbey

Above Christian with her husband John in 1943 [left] and in 2021 [right]. below An Allied tanker sinks after being hit by a torpedo fired from a U boat during the Battle of the Atlantic.

102-year-old WREN recalls the vital role she played in the Battle of the Atlantic

Views

Military history exhibitions and events: what to see in 2023A look at some of the best military history events and exhibitions to check out.

National Museum of Nuclear Science & HistoryReviewing the best military history exhibitions with Christopher Warner.

Reviews

The Armchair General: can you defeat the Nazis?REVIEW BY TOBY CLARK Here is a history of the Second World War with a twist. John Buckley is a professor of military history at…

The Coalitions Against NapoleonREVIEW BY ANDRÉ VAN LOON The subject of The Coalitions Against Napoleon is fascinating and rich in potential. Moving beyond the well-trodden path of personality-based…

The Great Defiance: How the world took on the British EmpireREVIEW BY ANDREW MULHOLLAND This is a provocative book which will ruffle feathers, perhaps among some MHM readers. But it is also an important one.…

The Women Behind the Few: the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and British Intelligence during the Second World WarREVIEW BY COLIN POMEROY With The Women Behind the Few, Sarah-Louise Miller has produced a truly excellent book telling the story of women in multiple…

Hitler’s Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt, and Schmidt unguardedREVIEW BY CALUM HENDERSON ‘The longer the war lasts the lesser my opinion of the generals.’ These were the words in April 1943 of Ulrich…