Tag: military artwork

Battles of December 13 plus museums and artwork information

Battles of December 13 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.

1. The Battle of Nanking (Fall of Nanking)

  • Date: November 11 – December 13, 1937
  • War: Second Sino-Japanese War
  • General Location: Nanjing (Nanking), Jiangsu Province, China
  • Geographic Coordinates: 32°02′38″N 118°46′43″E
  • Cause: The Imperial Japanese Army advanced upon Nanking (Nanjing), the capital of the Republic of China, intending to force a Chinese surrender after the bloody Battle of Shanghai.
  • Result: Japanese victory. The city fell on December 13, leading immediately to the Nanking Massacre (Rape of Nanking), where hundreds of thousands of civilians and disarmed soldiers were murdered by Japanese troops.
  • Recommended Book: The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang
Paintings & Artwork
  • Painting: Deliverance
    • Artist: Christian Poirot
    • Year: 2015 (A massive oil painting donated to the Memorial Hall to mark the 70th anniversary).
  • Painting: Flower Market (Nanjing 1936) #2
    • Artist: John Young
    • Year: 2010 (Part of the “Safety Zone” series reflecting on the tragedy).
Museums with Artifacts
  • Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders (Nanjing, China)
    • Collections: Built on a site where thousands were buried, this museum houses bones of victims, historical documents, photographs, and artifacts detailing the battle and subsequent massacre.
  • Nanjing Museum (Nanjing, China)
    • Collections: While a general history museum, it holds significant artifacts from the Republican era and the 1937 defense of the city.

2. The Battle of the River Plate

  • Date: December 13, 1939
  • War: World War II
  • General Location: South Atlantic Ocean, off the estuary of the River Plate (near Uruguay and Argentina)
  • Geographic Coordinates: 34°34′00″S 48°17′00″W
  • Cause: Allied hunting groups were searching the South Atlantic for the German “pocket battleship” Admiral Graf Spee, which had been raiding merchant shipping.
  • Result: A tactical stalemate but a strategic British victory. The Graf Spee was damaged and forced to dock in Montevideo, Uruguay. Believing he faced a superior force, the German captain scuttled his ship days later.
  • Recommended Book: The Battle of the River Plate by Dudley Pope
Paintings & Artwork
  • Painting: HMS Achilles in the Battle of the River Plate
    • Artist: Frank Norton
    • Year: 1940
  • Painting: The Battle of the River Plate
    • Artist: Norman Wilkinson
    • Year: c. 1940
Museums with Artifacts
  • National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy (Auckland, New Zealand)
    • Collections: Houses the primary 6-inch gun director and other artifacts from HMNZS Achilles, one of the cruisers that fought the Graf Spee.
  • Falkland Islands Museum (Stanley, Falkland Islands)
    • Collections: Holds items related to HMS Exeter, which retreated to the Falklands after being heavily damaged in the battle.
  • Museo Naval de Montevideo (Montevideo, Uruguay)
    • Collections: Displays the massive anchor and rangefinder salvaged from the wreck of the Admiral Graf Spee.

3. The Battle of St. Pierre (Battle of the Nive)

  • Date: December 13, 1813
  • War: Peninsular War (Napoleonic Wars)
  • General Location: Saint-Pierre-d’Irube, near Bayonne, France
  • Geographic Coordinates: 43°29′00″N 1°28′00″W
  • Cause: Following Wellington’s crossing of the Nive River, the French Marshal Soult launched a counter-offensive to crush the isolated British wing commanded by General Rowland Hill.
  • Result: Anglo-Portuguese victory. General Hill’s troops, though outnumbered, held off Soult’s attacks until reinforcements arrived, ending the French threat in the immediate area.
  • Recommended Book: The Peninsular War: A New History by Charles Esdaile
Paintings & Artwork
  • Painting/Print: The Battle of St. Pierre (Watercolour/Print)
    • Artist: William Heath
    • Year: c. 1815–1820 (Heath produced a famous series of martial achievements of the British Army).
  • Painting: The Battle of the Nive
    • Artist: Thomas Jones Barker
    • Year: c. 1870s
Museums with Artifacts
  • Wellington Museum (Apsley House) (London, United Kingdom)
    • Collections: Contains the Duke of Wellington’s personal effects, batons, and art collection, including pieces related to his Peninsular campaigns.
  • Musée de l’Armée (Les Invalides) (Paris, France)
    • Collections: Holds extensive Napoleonic era uniforms, weapons, and personal items belonging to Marshal Soult and other French commanders of the campaign.

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Tags: military museum, military artwork, battles, Civil War, American History, Virginia History, WWII, Naval History, Napoleonic Wars, Military Art

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Battles of December 12 plus museums and artwork information

Battles of December 12 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.
Battle of Nineveh (The Sasanian Empire at War: Persia, Rome, and the Rise of Islam, 224–651)

Date: December 12, 627 AD

War: Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 (The final climactic battle of the Roman–Persian Wars).

Cause: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius launched a bold, high-risk winter invasion directly into the Persian heartland of Mesopotamia to force a conclusion to the decades-long conflict, bypassing major Persian armies to threaten the capital.

Result: Decisive Byzantine Victory. The Persian army was shattered, leading to the overthrow of King Khosrow II by his son, who sued for peace. The Byzantines regained all lost territories and the True Cross, restoring the empire’s boundaries.

Location: The plains near the ancient city of Nineveh, modern-day Mosul, Iraq.

Coordinates: 36°21′34″N 43°09′10″E

Paintings:

Battle of Heraclius and Chosroes by Piero della Francesca (c. 1452). This famous fresco is part of the History of the True Cross cycle.

Museums & Collections:

Basilica of San Francesco (Arezzo, Italy): Houses the original Piero della Francesca frescoes.

The British Museum (London, UK): Holds extensive collections of Assyrian reliefs and artifacts from the site of Nineveh (though predating the 627 battle, they define the location’s history).

The Louvre (Paris, France): Contains Sasanian and Byzantine artifacts relevant to the period.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA): Features Sasanian era silver plates and weaponry.

Action of 12 December 1782 (The Struggle for Sea Power: A Naval History of the American Revolution)

Date: December 12, 1782

War: American Revolutionary War.

Cause: The British Royal Navy ship HMS Mediator, commanded by Captain James Luttrell, intercepted a French and American convoy off the coast of Spain that was transporting military supplies to the American colonies.

Result: British Victory. Despite being outnumbered, HMS Mediator successfully cut off and captured the American privateer Alexander and the French transport Ménagère.

Location: In the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ferrol, Spain.

Coordinates: 43.471°N 8.252°W

Paintings:

HMS ‘Mediator’ engaging French and American vessels, 11-12 December 1782 by Thomas Luny (1783).

HMS Mediator in action, 12 December 1782 by Thomas Wishart (1798).

Museums & Collections:

National Maritime Museum (Greenwich, London, UK): Holds the original Thomas Luny painting and other naval records from the engagement.

Action of 12 December 1917 (Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea)

Date: December 12, 1917

War: World War I (The North Sea Campaign).

Cause: A flotilla of German destroyers launched a raid against a British convoy in the North Sea to disrupt the vital flow of coal and supplies between the UK and Scandinavia.

Result: German Victory. The German destroyers sank the British destroyer HMS Partridge, damaged HMS Pellew, and destroyed the entire convoy of six merchant ships.

Location: The North Sea, approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Bergen, Norway.

Coordinates: 56°00′00″N 03°00′00″E

Paintings:

Note: No famous fine art painting specifically depicting this exact engagement is widely recognized. Visual records primarily consist of period naval photography and technical sketches of the vessels involved (HMS Partridge, SMS G101).

Museums & Collections:

Chatham Naval Memorial (Kent, UK): Commemorates the crew members of HMS Partridge lost during the action who have no known grave.

Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Hampshire, UK): Honors additional naval casualties from the engagement.

Imperial War Museum (London, UK): Holds vast archives of WWI naval history, including logs and reports of the North Sea convoys.

Battle of Tolvajärvi (The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 1939-1940)

Date: December 12, 1939

War: The Winter War (World War II).

Cause: Following the Soviet invasion of Finland, Finnish forces under Colonel Paavo Talvela launched a counter-offensive in Ladoga Karelia to halt the Soviet 139th Rifle Division’s advance.

Result: Finnish Victory. This was the first major offensive victory for Finland in the war. It provided a critical morale boost, proving the Red Army could be defeated despite their superior numbers.

Location: Near Lake Tolvajärvi, formerly Finland, now in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.

Coordinates: 62°17′17″N 31°29′24″E

Paintings & Art:

While specific canvas masterpieces are rare, the battle is immortalized in the SA-kuva (Finnish Wartime Photograph Archive), which contains iconic images of the frozen battlefield.

Winter War Monument (Sculpture) by Pekka Kauhanen (2017, Helsinki). Though not a painting of this specific battle, it is the primary artistic tribute to the conflict.

Museums & Collections:

Winter War Museum (Kuhmo, Finland): Dedicated entirely to the history of the Winter War, featuring artifacts, maps, and dioramas of the battles in Karelia.

Military Museum of Finland (Helsinki, Finland): Houses weaponry, uniforms, and extensive historical accounts of the battle.

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Tags: military museum, military artwork, battles, Byzantine history, American Revolution, WWI, WWII

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Battles of December 4 plus museums and artwork information

Battles of December 4 including descriptions of the battles, geographic locations, associated artwork, and museums where a person can find associated artifacts and artwork.

The Battle of Lund (Charles XI’s War: The Scanian War Between Sweden and Denmark, 1675-1679 (Century of the Soldier 1618-1721))

Date: December 4, 1676
War: The Scania War (1675–1679)
Cause: The Swedish King Charles XI launched a desperate winter counter-offensive to break the Danish siege of Malmö and reclaim the province of Scania, which had been invaded by Denmark.
Result: A decisive Swedish victory, though it was one of the bloodiest battles in Scandinavian history with extremely high casualties on both sides.
Location: The main monument (Slaget vid Lund) stands on the site of the fiercest fighting, just north of the city of Lund.
Coordinates: 55°26′22.6″N 13°06′50.8″E (Decimal: 55.439611, 13.114111)
Paintings:
Slaget vid Lund (The Battle of Lund) by Johann Philip Lemke (1696).
King Charles XI at the Battle of Lund by David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl (c. 1690s).
The Battle of Lund (Contemporary Engravings) by Romeyn de Hooghe (c. 1677).
Museums with Associated Artifacts & Art:
Swedish History Museum (Historiska museet) (Stockholm, Sweden): Holds artifacts from the Scania War and related military history.
Malmö Art Museum / Malmöhus Castle (Malmö, Sweden): Located near the conflict zone, this museum features exhibits on the Scania War and regional history.
The Royal Armory (Livrustkammaren) (Stockholm, Sweden): Contains weapons, armor, and uniforms from the era of Charles XI.
Kulturen (Lund, Sweden): An open-air museum that frequently highlights local history related to the battle.
The Battle of the Shangani Patrol (The Shangani Patrol) (Matabele: The War of 1893 and the 1896 Rebellions)
Date: December 4, 1893
War: The First Matabele War
Cause: A small British South Africa Company patrol, led by Major Allan Wilson, crossed the Shangani River in pursuit of the Ndebele King Lobengula. They were cut off from their main column by the rising river and surrounded by over 3,000 Ndebele warriors.
Result: Total annihilation of the patrol. The 34 soldiers fought to the last man, an event that became a significant legend in British colonial history known as “Wilson’s Last Stand.”

Location: The Pupu Battlefield Memorial (where the patrol made its last stand), located near the Shangani River in the Lupane district, roughly 40km east of the main Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road.

Coordinates: 18°46′05″S 28°07′33″E (Decimal: -18.768056, 28.125833)

Note: Major Wilson and his men were later reburied at World’s View in the Matobo Hills, but the coordinates above mark the actual battlefield.

Paintings:
There Were No Survivors (also known as The Last Stand of Major Allan Wilson) by Allan Stewart (1896).
The Shangani Patrol by Richard Caton Woodville (c. 1900).
Museums with Associated Artifacts & Art:
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe): Features exhibits on the Ndebele kingdom and the colonial wars, including relics from the patrol.
National Army Museum (London, United Kingdom): Holds archives, medals, and artwork related to the British South Africa Company and the Matabele Wars.
Zimbabwe Military Museum (Gweru, Zimbabwe): dedicated to the military history of the nation, including the colonial conflicts.

The Battle of Longewala (Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: Volume 1 – Indian Military Intervention in East Pakistan (Asia@War))

Date: December 4–7, 1971 (Battle began the night of Dec 4)
War: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Cause: A surprise Pakistani armored invasion force (over 40 tanks and 2,000 troops) attempted to capture the Indian border post of Longewala to cut off Jaisalmer.
Result: A decisive Indian victory. A small company of Indian soldiers (approx. 120 men) held the post throughout the night of December 4th until the Indian Air Force arrived at dawn to destroy the Pakistani tank column.

Location: The Longewala War Memorial, which sits directly on the site of the 1971 engagement in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan.

Coordinates: 27°31′12″N 70°09′36″E (Decimal: 27.520000, 70.160000)

Paintings & Visuals:
The Battle of Longewala (Dioramas and Murals) by Unknown Military Artists / Indian Army Corps of Engineers (Contemporary/Modern).
Hunter over Longewala (Aviation Art depictions) often featured in Air Force galleries, depicting the Hawker Hunter jets destroying tanks.
Museums with Associated Artifacts & Art:
Longewala War Memorial (Longewala, Rajasthan, India): Located at the actual battle site, this open-air museum features the captured Pakistani T-59 tanks, the original Indian recoilless rifles used in the defense, and murals depicting the events of the night of December 4.
Jaisalmer War Museum (Jaisalmer, India): Features a dedicated “Longewala Hall” with detailed paintings, maps, and artifacts from the battle.
Indian Air Force Museum (Palam, New Delhi, India): Houses the Hawker Hunter aircraft type used to stop the armored advance.

The Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia (Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea)

Date: December 4, 1864
War: American Civil War (Sherman’s March to the Sea)
Cause: Union Cavalry commander Judson Kilpatrick moved to burn bridges and clear the route for General Sherman’s main army, clashing with Confederate cavalry led by Joseph Wheeler.
Result: Union victory. The Confederate forces were pushed back, allowing Sherman’s army to continue its march toward Savannah and the sea.

Location: The battle took place around the town of Waynesboro, Georgia. A historical marker denoting the cavalry action is located near the intersection of South Liberty Street and GA Hwy 24.

Coordinates: 33°05′23″N 82°00′57″W (Decimal: 33.089722, -82.015833)

Paintings:
Sherman’s March to the Sea (Engravings/Sketches) by Alexander Hay Ritchie (1868). (While specific oil paintings of the Waynesboro skirmish are rare, this famous engraving covers the campaign).
Contemporary War Sketches published in Harper’s Weekly (December 1864).
Museums with Associated Artifacts & Art:
Atlanta History Center (Atlanta, USA): Contains one of the largest collections of Civil War artifacts, including the “Cyclorama” painting (though depicting the Battle of Atlanta, it covers the context of the campaign).
Burke County Museum (Waynesboro, Georgia, USA): A local museum holding specific artifacts and information regarding the cavalry action in Waynesboro.
The National Civil War Museum (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA): Houses a vast collection of artifacts, uniforms, and sketches from Sherman’s campaigns.

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Tags: military museum, military artwork, Sweden history, Denmark history, India history, Pakistan history, French history, Prussian history, Australian history, US Civil War, South Africa History, battles

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