Successful Last Stands

[oscssw]

Given that this is October 26 and I am a USN sailor (AKA Tin Can sailor), I have just raised a glass of very good single malt to the Rear Adm. Clifton A.F. Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.3 (“Taffy 3”), and especially to his Tin Can sailors.

The combination of surface torpedo attacks from the destroyers and the harassing attacks from the air hindered a Japanese pursuit of the hapless carriers. Following their torpedo attacks, the destroyers actually closed to within 4,000 yards of the Japanese leviathans and engaged them with their 5-inch guns. The enemy answered the American fire with 8-, 14-, 16- and even 18.1-inch rounds. Despite the early success of the American destroyers, their luck finally ran out after an hour of fighting as the Japanese gunners found their mark and methodically demolished one escort carrier, two destroyers and one destroyer escort.

It was not in vain, however. Just after 9 a.m., the enemy commander ordered a withdrawal of his forces. The Japanese inability to close with the escort carriers had deprived them of the initiative and cloaked Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita in a true fog of war. MacArthur’s invasion force had been saved by the sacrifices of the tin can sailors and a handful of aviators, although the cost was high. In addition to the enormous loss of life on the destroyers and escort carriers, another 116 men perished due to the poorly coordinated rescue efforts of Admiral Halsey and his staff. The survivors of the three destroyers were left to the mercy of shark attacks, dehydration and exposure as the men drifted helplessly on the high seas for 2 1/2 days. 

I'd like to explore Last stands including those that "in the long run" despite the losses of the defenders prove successful.

Here is my list:

Battle of Thermopylae

Battle of Roncevaux Pass

Battle of Agincourt

Stand of the Swiss Guard

Capture of Fort Saint Elmo

Battle of Myeongnyang

Siege of Szigetvár

Battle of Hodów

Battle of Mount Tabor

Battle of Mobekk

Battle of Leybar Bridge

Battle of Camarón

Battle of Shipka Pass

Battle of Rorke's Drift

Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge

Battle of Kollaa

Siege of Bastogne

Battle of Castle Itter

Battle of the Imjin River

Battle of Hill 488

Battle of Longewala

[lordroel]

Oct 26, 2021 17:18:34 GMT oscssw said:

Given that this is October 26 and I am a USN sailor (AKA Tin Can sailor), I have just raised a glass of very good single malt to the Rear Adm. Clifton A.F. Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.3 (“Taffy 3”), and especially to his Tin Can sailors.

The combination of surface torpedo attacks from the destroyers and the harassing attacks from the air hindered a Japanese pursuit of the hapless carriers. Following their torpedo attacks, the destroyers actually closed to within 4,000 yards of the Japanese leviathans and engaged them with their 5-inch guns. The enemy answered the American fire with 8-, 14-, 16- and even 18.1-inch rounds. Despite the early success of the American destroyers, their luck finally ran out after an hour of fighting as the Japanese gunners found their mark and methodically demolished one escort carrier, two destroyers and one destroyer escort.

It was not in vain, however. Just after 9 a.m., the enemy commander ordered a withdrawal of his forces. The Japanese inability to close with the escort carriers had deprived them of the initiative and cloaked Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita in a true fog of war. MacArthur’s invasion force had been saved by the sacrifices of the tin can sailors and a handful of aviators, although the cost was high. In addition to the enormous loss of life on the destroyers and escort carriers, another 116 men perished due to the poorly coordinated rescue efforts of Admiral Halsey and his staff. The survivors of the three destroyers were left to the mercy of shark attacks, dehydration and exposure as the men drifted helplessly on the high seas for 2 1/2 days. 

I'd like to explore Last stands including those that "in the long run" despite the losses of the defenders prove successful.

Here is my list:

Battle of Thermopylae

Battle of Roncevaux Pass

Battle of Agincourt

Stand of the Swiss Guard

Capture of Fort Saint Elmo

Battle of Myeongnyang

Siege of Szigetvár

Battle of Hodów

Battle of Mount Tabor

Battle of Mobekk

Battle of Leybar Bridge

Battle of Camarón

Battle of Shipka Pass

Battle of Rorke's Drift

Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge

Battle of Kollaa

Siege of Bastogne

Battle of Castle Itter

Battle of the Imjin River

Battle of Hill 488

Battle of Longewala

Well i will put this on the list, the Battle of the Afsluitdijk

The Battle of the Afsluitdijk of 12–14 May 1940 was an unsuccessful attempt by German Wehrmacht forces to seize the Afsluitdijk during the invasion of the Netherlands. German invasion plans called for a simultaneous attack on Vesting Holland from multiple directions, expecting to capture the country's capital and most important region in a day's time.

To facilitate an attack from the north, Wehrmacht elements commanded by General Kurt Feldt first needed to cross the Afsluitdijk, a 32-kilometer-long (20 mi) causeway and dike connecting the country's northern provinces to its western province of North Holland and ultimately to Amsterdam and beyond.

Despite finding themselves outmanned and outgunned, Royal Dutch Army troops commanded by Captain Christiaan Boers managed to successfully hold back the attackers at Fort Kornwerderzand, protected by modernized heavily fortified defensive positions. The German Army was thus prevented from immediately concentrating its full strength on the country's most vital area.

The pinned down German forces were eventually forced to retreat and subsequently routed their attack across the IJsselmeer, bypassing the Afsluitdijk and landing north of Amsterdam. The Dutch garrison capitulated on May 14, after the bombing of Rotterdam. Kornwerderzand was the only line of defense that successfully withstood an enemy attack during the conflict, and was one of the few Blitzkrieg defeats suffered by the Wehrmacht.

[simon darkshade]

Battle of Saragarhi: 21 Sikhs vs at least 12000 Afghans

[575]

The Danish one that immediately comes to mind is Battle of Mysunde 2. February 1864 on the Sli Fiord where Danish 18. Infantry Regiment and 6. Fortress Battalion with 3. Brigade in reserve 11 km.s to the north (2500 men the total force actual force at Mysunde a Battalion of some 600 and 100 of the 6. Fortress Battalion reinforced during battle by another Battalion, a half Battalion and a Field Battery)with 20 guns was attacked by the Advance Guard of 1. Prussian Corps numbering as many as 10,000 troops with 64 guns.
Fought in a thick fog which obscured sighting of guns the battle raged from 1030AM to 4 PM; even if the Prussians managed to break into the Danish defensive trenches the Prussian General v. Manstein at 4PM retreated from action leaving the field to the Danes and not able to contribute to v. Moltkes plan of encircling the Danish Army by crossing the Sli Fiord at Mysunde.
Losses killed and wounded - Danes 141, Prussians 199.

[stevep]

Oct 26, 2021 17:18:34 GMT oscssw said:

Given that this is October 26 and I am a USN sailor (AKA Tin Can sailor), I have just raised a glass of very good single malt to the Rear Adm. Clifton A.F. Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.3 (“Taffy 3”), and especially to his Tin Can sailors.

The combination of surface torpedo attacks from the destroyers and the harassing attacks from the air hindered a Japanese pursuit of the hapless carriers. Following their torpedo attacks, the destroyers actually closed to within 4,000 yards of the Japanese leviathans and engaged them with their 5-inch guns. The enemy answered the American fire with 8-, 14-, 16- and even 18.1-inch rounds. Despite the early success of the American destroyers, their luck finally ran out after an hour of fighting as the Japanese gunners found their mark and methodically demolished one escort carrier, two destroyers and one destroyer escort.

It was not in vain, however. Just after 9 a.m., the enemy commander ordered a withdrawal of his forces. The Japanese inability to close with the escort carriers had deprived them of the initiative and cloaked Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita in a true fog of war. MacArthur’s invasion force had been saved by the sacrifices of the tin can sailors and a handful of aviators, although the cost was high. In addition to the enormous loss of life on the destroyers and escort carriers, another 116 men perished due to the poorly coordinated rescue efforts of Admiral Halsey and his staff. The survivors of the three destroyers were left to the mercy of shark attacks, dehydration and exposure as the men drifted helplessly on the high seas for 2 1/2 days. 

I'd like to explore Last stands including those that "in the long run" despite the losses of the defenders prove successful.

Here is my list:

Battle of Thermopylae

Battle of Roncevaux Pass

Battle of Agincourt

Stand of the Swiss Guard

Capture of Fort Saint Elmo

Battle of Myeongnyang

Siege of Szigetvár

Battle of Hodów

Battle of Mount Tabor

Battle of Mobekk

Battle of Leybar Bridge

Battle of Camarón

Battle of Shipka Pass

Battle of Rorke's Drift

Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge

Battle of Kollaa

Siege of Bastogne

Battle of Castle Itter

Battle of the Imjin River

Battle of Hill 488

Battle of Longewala

  Well there's a number there I don't recognise so will try and look up sometime but been busy and running late today so possibly tomorrow.  Are they all in date order?

[oscssw]

"Are they all in date order?"

No Steve they are not.

[lordroel]

History Is Filled with 'Last Stand' Battles (These You Won't Forget)

The Siege of the Alamo – February 23 – March 6, 1836

This famous battle pitted rebellious Texans, some of whom were Americans, against a Mexican army sent to crush their nascent independence movement. Mexican leader General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna laid siege to the small mission, bombarding it for days and having several small skirmishes before a final assault on the night of March 5-6. All the combatants in the Alamo were killed other than one man, a slave of the Texan officer Col. William Travis, and several women. This short term Mexican victory backfired when “Remember the Alamo!” became the rallying cry. It has since become arguably the most famous battle of the American West.

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift – January 22-23, 1879

Immediately after their victory at nearby Isandlwana, a large Zulu army attacked a company of British soldiers at the Rorke’s Drift outpost. Though badly outnumbered, the English managed to hold off their opponents and inflict heavy casualties through sheer determination and bravery. The successful defense was a bright spot compared to the debacle at Isandlwana and 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded among the participants.

The Battle of Camarón – April 30, 1863

This is the French Foreign Legion’s defining battle. A company-sized patrol of 65 Legionnaires escorting a supply convoy was overtaken by a force of 800 Mexican cavalry, later reinforced by some 2,200 infantry. The French soldiers took cover in the nearby Hacienda Cameron Inn and swore to defend it to the death. The ensuing battle lasted around seven hours and ended only when the last 5 Legionnaires made a bayonet charge. The last two men alive were given permission by the Mexican commander to leave with the body of their commander, Captain Danjou, who had a wooden hand. Today that hand is the most revered artifact in the Legion’s long history.

The Fetterman Massacre – December 21, 1866

Captain William Fetterman longed for action against the local Native Americans, who had carried out a campaign of raids against the encroaching Americans. On December 21, he received all the action he could want and more. The native warriors, led by such braves as Crazy Horse, laid an ambush by attacking a wood-gathering party away from the camp. This brought out Fetterman at the head of 80 infantry and cavalry. Estimates are about 1,000 warriors attacked and overwhelmed them, killing all the Americans. Since the native accounts vary, it is still not known exactly what happened.

The Lost Battalion: The Men of the 77th Division, October 2-8, 1918

Some 554 men of the US 77th Division were surrounded by German troops when the French forces on their flank were stopped, leaving them isolated. Wishing to restore this hole in their lines the Germans attacked the American for six days; almost two-thirds of them became casualties. Despite this and shortages of food, water and ammunition, the Americans held out until other allied attacks forced a German retreat, relieving the beleaguered Yanks.

Siege of the International Legations, Peking Boxer Rebellion – June 20 – August 14, 1900

When the Chinese Boxer Rebellion attempted to drive foreign influence out of China the legations belonging to a number of foreign nations were besieged. The Boxers received on-and-off assistance from elements of the Chinese government. The siege was punctuated by periods of truce intersperse with heavy fighting. The 409 European, Japanese and American soldiers and sailors defending the legations suffered almost 50% dead and wounded. Two forces, one Japanese and one French, suffered over 100% casualties as wounded men returned to action only to be wounded again!

The Battle of the Little Big Horn – June 25-26, 1876

America’s most famous last stand. Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th Cavalry Regiment against a large Native American encampment. Underestimating his foe, Custer split his command into three separate elements and attacked a much larger force of native warriors. The column led by Custer was wiped out. The remaining columns later linked up and made their own stand on a hill, surviving when their enemy moved off the next day. The events of the battle are even today the subject of much speculation and argument.

Wake Island – December 8-23, 1941

This isolated Pacific outpost was attacked the day after Pearl Harbor but a mixed forces of US Marines, Sailors and civilian workers managed to fend off the first landing attempt by the Japanese on December 11, sinking two destroyers and damaging a cruiser. Afterward the Japanese applied more resources to taking the island and a second attempt on December 23 succeeded despite heavy casualties. The small American force inflicted casualties all out of proportion to its size but suffered greatly in captivity after the battle.

Stalingrad – July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943

This famous battle was also the last stand of the entire German 6th Army, proving everything was indeed bigger on the Eastern Front. After being cut off by Soviet counteroffensives, Nazi forces were prohibited from breaking out by Adolf Hitler, who was loath to ever retreat or give up territory. Unable to break the encirclement from outside, the Germans watched as their brethren in Stalingrad were slowly ground up in bitter urban warfare. Eventually their food and ammunition were exhausted and the 90,000 survivors surrendered. Only around 5,000 survived the war and returned to Germany in 1955.

Battle of Thermopylae – 480 BC

The sacrifice of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans has been told and retold until it is now practically a cliché. Though there were many more Greeks present, including Arcadians, Thebans and Thespians, the Spartans have received credit for the spirited defense of the Greek army’s rear guard. The main Greek army, variously estimated from 5-7,000 held off a much larger Persian force for two days. While ancient chroniclers claim the Persian force at over a million, modern estimates are much lower, at most a few hundred thousand, still long odds. On the third day, with the Persians now outflanking the Greeks Leonidas, his Spartans and around a thousand others remained to act as a rear guard. They were slaughtered but entered the annals of military history where they are celebrated to this day.

The Swiss Guard During the Sake of Rome – May 6, 1527

On this day a Hapsburg army entered Rome to sack and occupy it. Many of the troops were mutinous Lutheran mercenaries eager to claim loot. As this force closed on the Vatican, it became clear the Pope’s life was in jeopardy. To buy him time to flee 189 Swiss Guards made a stand on the Vatican grounds; only 42 survived the onslaught but Clement VII was able to reach relative safety. Today each new group of recruits to the Papal Guard is sworn in on May 6.

Battle of Shiroyama – September 24, 1877

This battle marked the end of the Samurai and ushered in a new age for Japan. Takamori Saigo, the leader of a group of 500 Samurai which had been defeated earlier, took position on a hill named Shiroyama near the city of Kagoshima. The Japanese army of 30,000 equipped with modern weapons surrounded them and began a punishing artillery bombardment. By morning only 40 Samurai remained. Saigo had been wounded earlier and either died or committed ritual suicide. The last 40 warriors charged, sword in hand, only to be shot down. The battle was used as a general influence for the final battle scene in the movie The Last Samurai.

The Battle off Samar – October 25, 1944

With a large Japanese fleet bearing down on them, the destroyers, destroyer escorts and escort carriers of the US task force designated Taffy 3 made a desperate stand. Beyond them was the US amphibious force conducting landings at Leyte Gulf. If the Japanese battleships and cruisers reached them it would be a slaughter. Taffy 3’s sailors fought with such aggressiveness the enemy fleet was turned back, though at a loss of 5 ships sunk, including two of the tiny carriers, and 2,496 casualties. It is still lauded as one of the US navy’s proudest moments.

Defense of Arnhem Bridge – September 17-26, 1944

The most distant of the airborne attacks of Operation Market Garden, British paratroopers were able to seize this bridge over the Lower Rhine River in order to hold it for advancing British 2nd Army. That force was delayed by a stubborn German defense, leaving the paratroopers isolated and with little supply. After holding for 9 days, the survivors withdrew, leaving a large number of wounded to be taken prisoner. It was a dark day for the British Army despite the valiant performance of the airborne troops.

The Warsaw Ghetto – April 19 – May 16, 1943

As the Nazis began to round up the last Jews from the Warsaw Ghettos, an underground group of Jewish fighters chose to resist. The ensuing battle was desperate and uneven as the poorly armed Jews fought to stave off almost-certain death in the camps. The Nazis used the incident as an excuse to murder thousands of ghetto residents and quickly deported the rest, leaving the Ghetto an empty and haunted place.

Battle of Karbala – October 10, 680

This battle took place in what is now Iraq between the Umayyad caliph Yazid and supporters of Hussein Ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad. Hussein’s followers numbered perhaps 72, facing thousands of enemy soldiers. All of them were killed making their stand which is now an important day in Shia Islam. Even today in Muslim culture struggling against long odds is known as “facing one’s Karbala.”

The Stand of the Saxon Housecarls at Hastings – October 14, 1066

Hastings is widely known as a critical battle of European history, but less well known is the stand made by the English Housecarls, essentially household troops in service to King Harold. When that ruler was killed during the battle, his Housecarls took positions around his body and fought until they were wiped out. While the battle was ultimately lost the Housecarls honored their oaths and fought to the last man.

[oscssw]

Let us not forget Grenville's HMS Revenge "Out-gunned, out-fought, and out-numbered fifty-three to one",

The Spanish had dispatched a fleet of some 53 ships under Alonso de Bazán Intent upon the capture of the English at Flores in the northern Azores. In late August 1591 the Spanish fleet came upon the English while repairs to the ships caused the crews, many of whom were suffering an epidemic of fever, to be ashore. Most of the ships managed to slip away to sea. Grenville who had many sick men ashore decided to wait for them. When putting to sea he might have gone round the west of Corvo island, but he decided to go straight through the Spaniards, who were approaching from the eastward.

The battle began late on 31 August, when overwhelming force was immediately brought to bear upon the ship, which put up a gallant resistance. For some time he succeeded by skillful tactics in avoiding much of the enemy's fire, but they were all round him and gradually numbers began to tell. As one Spanish ship retired beaten, another took her place, and for fifteen hours the unequal contest continued. Attempts by the Spaniards to board were driven off. San Felipe, a vessel three times her size, tried to come alongside for the Spaniards to board her, along with Aramburu's San Cristóbal. After boarding Revenge, San Felipe was forced to break off. Seven men of the boarding party died, and the other three were rescued by San Bernabé, which grappled her shortly after. The Spanish also lost the galleon Ascensión and a smaller vessel by accident that night, after they collided with each other. Meanwhile, San Cristóbal, which had come to help San Felipe, rammed Revenge underneath her aftcastle, and some time later, Bertendona's San Bernabé battered the English warship with heavy fire, inflicting many casualties and severe damage. The English crew returned fire from the embrasures below deck. When morning broke on 1 September, Revenge lay with her masts shot away, six feet of water on the hold and only sixteen men left uninjured out of a crew of two hundred and fifty. She remained grappled by the galleons San Bernabé and San Cristóbal, the latter with her bow shattered by the ramming.[The grappling maneuver of San Bernabé, which compelled the English gun crews to abandon their posts in order to fight off boarding parties, was decisive in securing the fate of the Revenge.

when the end looked certain Grenville ordered Revenge to be sunk: "Sink me the ship, Master Gunner—sink her, split her in twain! Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain! ". His officers could not agree with this order and a surrender was agreed by which the lives of the officers and crew would be spared. After an assurance of proper conduct, and having held off dozens of Spanish ships, Revenge at last surrendered. The injured Grenville died of wounds two days later aboard the Spanish flagship.

The captured but heavily damaged Revenge never reached Spain, but was lost with her mixed prize-crew of 70 Spaniards and English captives, along with a large number of the Spanish ships in a dreadful storm off the Azores. The battle-damaged Revenge was cast upon a cliff next to the island off Terceira, where she broke up completely.

[oscssw]

The Battle of Valcour Island October 11, 1776 at Valcour Bay, New York

American Forces Commanded by Brig. Gen. Benadict Arnold British Forces Commanded by Gen. Guy Carlton and Capt.Thomas Pringle

The Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, was a naval engagement in a narrow strait in Lake Champlain, between the New York mainland and Valcour Island. It is generally regarded as the first naval battle fought by the U.S. Navy. Although the outcome of the battle was the destruction of most the American ships, the overall campaign delayed the British attempt to cut the colonies in half by a year and eventually led to the British military disaster at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

Following the failed American invasion of Canada, the British Navy launched a counteroffensive intended to gain control of the Hudson River Valley, which extends southward from Lake Champlain. Control of the upper Hudson River would have enabled the British to link their Canadian forces with those in British-occupied New York City, dividing the American colonies of New England from those in the South and Mid-Atlantic, and potentially finishing the revolution.

Access to the river's source was protected by American strongholds at Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga, and elimination of these defenses would require the transportation of troops and supplies from the British-controlled St. Lawrence Valley to the north.

Roads were either impassable or nonexistent, making water transport over Lake Champlain the only viable option, but the only ships on the lake were in American hands, and even though they were lightly armed, they would have made transport of troops and stores impossible for the British. The two sides therefore set about building fleets; the British at St. Johns in Quebec and the Americans at the other end of the lake in Skenesborough. The British had adequate supplies, skilled workmen, and prefabricated ships transported from England, including a 180-ton warship they disassembled and rebuilt on the lake. All told, the 30-ship British fleet had roughly twice as many ships and twice the firepower of the Americans' 16 vessels.

Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold's flagship was initially the USS Royal Savage, a 2-masted schooner, but he transferred to the USS Congress, a row galley. Arnold's fleet included USS Revenge and USS Liberty, also schooners, as well as the USS Enterprise, a sloop, and 8 gondolas: USS New Haven, USS Providence, USS Boston, USS Spitfire, USS Philadelphia, USS Connecticut, USS Jersey, USS New York, and the galley USS Trumbull.

Facing them were the ships of the British Royal Navy constructed in Quebec: The flagship HMS Inflexible'; the schooners HMS Maria, HMS Carleton, HMS Royal Convert, the ketch HMS Thunderer, as well as over 20 gunboats armed with a single cannon. Arnold shrewdly chose to force the British to attack his inferior forces in a narrow, rocky body of water between the coast and Valcour Island, where the British fleet would have difficulty bringing its superior firepower to bear.

The British fleet took up positions at noon around 300 yards in front of the American battle line with the small gunboats forward, and the five main ships around 50-100 yards behind the gunboats. The British then opened up a huge broadside against the American ships which continued for the next 5 hours.

During the exchange of cannon fire, the Revenge was heavily hit and abandoned. The Philadelphia, was also heavily hit and sank later at around 6:30 P.M. The Royal Savage, ran aground and was set on fire by the crew to prevent the ship from falling in British hands. The Congress, and Washington were heavily damaged, and the Jersey and New York, were also badly hit. On the British side, casualties began mounting too. The HMS Carlton was heavily hit as it tried to land a boarding party on the grounded Royal Savage and was forced to withdraw under heavy fire. One small gunboat, commanded by Lt. Dufais, blew up and sank from a direct hit. Most of the other small gunboats were also hit, forcing them to withdraw and reform their battle line 700 yards from the American line. Two of the gunboats were so heavily damaged that they were forced to be scuttled after the action.

On October 11, the battle was not going well for the Americans when the sun set. Aware that he could not defeat the British fleet, Arnold decided to withdraw. He managed to sneak his fleet past (and through) the British fleet during the night and attempted to run for the cover of the shore batteries situated at the American-held fort at Crown Point at the south end of the lake. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and the Americans were caught short of their goal.

On October 12, after sailing only 8 miles, Arnold drove one ship, the Providence ashore in the shallow water of Buttonmold Bay off Schuyler Island where the heavier British ships could not follow, and the American ship was then stripped of guns, powder and everything else of use. The New Jersey also ran aground while the crew from the Lee did likewise.

On October 13, the British fleet finally caught up to the American fleet off Split Rock where the Washington was captured and the Congress sank attempting to flee. Arnold led about 200 men from the lost ships on foot to Crown Point where the remaining ships Trumbull, Enterprise, Revenge, New York, and Liberty finally reached safety. Arnold was forced to burn his remaining ships and withdrew further towards Ticonderoga.

Although the British had cleared the lake of American ships, establishing naval control, snow was already falling as Arnold and his men reached Ticonderoga on October 20. The British commander, Gen. Guy Carleton, had no choice but to defer the attacks on Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga and withdrew to a winter camp in Canada by early November, a decision with profound consequences.

The next year, a better-prepared American army would eventually stop the British advance at Saratoga and bring France into the war on the American side