 ochoin  | 11 Mar 2015 3:04 a.m. PST |
We wargamers appreciate that even on real battlefields, the dice may not favour even a commander with virtually decisive advantages. Military history is replete with examples of surprise results, when the underdog gains an unlikely victory. A "lucky" victory or two & the campaign may well be won. Which do you think the most surprising results? 1. The Greeks winning the Persian Wars. 2. The Colonials winning the American War of Independence 3. The Texans winning The Texas Revolution 4. The Japanese winning the Russo-Japanese War 5. The Israelis winning the 6 Day War
Feel free to add others.
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 Editor in Chief Bill   | 11 Mar 2015 3:06 a.m. PST |
German East Africa in WWI (well, not quite a victory…) |
| Martin Rapier | 11 Mar 2015 3:56 a.m. PST |
Marengo Austerlitz Valmy The 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War |
| Editor in Chief Bill | 11 Mar 2015 4:26 a.m. PST |
David and Goliath
Monitor vs Merrimack/Virginia
1st Bull Run
Rorkes Drift |
| Ewan Hoosami | 11 Mar 2015 4:40 a.m. PST |
Long Tan
Thermopylae
Battle of Yavin |
| Grelber | 11 Mar 2015 4:56 a.m. PST |
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| Deucey | 11 Mar 2015 5:06 a.m. PST |
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| Winston Smith | 11 Mar 2015 5:45 a.m. PST |
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| Florida Tory | 11 Mar 2015 7:40 a.m. PST |
The Flagstaff War The Second Seminole War And, for the more mainstream view, I agree with all 4 of Martin's choices Rick |
| Otto the Great | 11 Mar 2015 7:40 a.m. PST |
I do not think your examples are underdogs. They are forces that may have been out numbered, but had better leadership, training, or motivation. They were the victors and it was not because they were lucky. |
| rmaker | 11 Mar 2015 9:09 a.m. PST |
The Japanese winning the Russo-Japanese War Let's see, the Japanese have wide open oceanic lines of communication while the Russians try to fight at the wrong end of a 4000 mile mostly single track rail line with a hole in the middle. Who's the underdog? |
| Deucey | 11 Mar 2015 9:15 a.m. PST |
Alexander's war on Persia. Thebes defeats Sparta. Syracuse stymies Athens. Vienna and the Turks. Malta and the Turks. Malta and the Germans/Italians. 4th Crusade takes out Constantinople. Hastings? |
| Knight of St John | 11 Mar 2015 9:23 a.m. PST |
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| Lee Brilleaux | 11 Mar 2015 9:42 a.m. PST |
There was an affair in south-east Asia about forty or fifty years ago when a giant superpower did so poorly it had to make movies contesting the result for years afterwards. |
| Brian Bronson | 11 Mar 2015 10:20 a.m. PST |
Taffy 3 in the Battle off Samar |
| skippy0001 | 11 Mar 2015 10:45 a.m. PST |
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| Tango01 | 11 Mar 2015 11:02 a.m. PST |
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| David Manley | 11 Mar 2015 11:28 a.m. PST |
As mentioned above I wouldn't say the Japanese were the underdog in the RJW by a long mile. Similarly Midway, the US held all the aces there and it was their battle to lose. Vietnam springs to mind as the most obvious example to the casual observer at least, |
| David Manley | 11 Mar 2015 12:44 p.m. PST |
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| Weasel | 11 Mar 2015 1:01 p.m. PST |
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| Tango01 | 12 Mar 2015 11:57 a.m. PST |
Ha!Ha!Ha!.
You kill me Weasel!! (big smile) Amicalement
Armand |
| Rhysius Cambrensis | 12 Mar 2015 12:06 p.m. PST |
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