History Of War – Issue 156 2026 – History Of War (1)

Shards of glass and bits of plaster peppered their faces. Strobe lights mounted on weapons careened around the room and bounced crazily off the ceiling as everyone hugged the walls and searched for targets. Carefully rehearsed ˧˔˖˧˜˖˦Є˘˪ˢ˨˧˧˛˘˪˜ˡ˗ˢ˪˪˜˧˛˧˛˔˧Ѓ˥˦˧˩ˢ˟˟˘ˬʟ˔ˡ˗˜ˡ˧˛˘ pandemonium that ensued the entire squad realised it was pinned down and trapped. ‘We’re all gonna die!’ one of the US soldiers shouted.” In his book House to House: An Epic Memoir of War, Bellavia also describes the desperate situation the American soldiers now found themselves in: “The bulk of our two squads are trapped inside the living room.

The insurgents are dug into positions in a central stairwell, just inside one door off the foyer and with a clear shot through another door to the living room… They can shoot through that doorway and kill anyone making a run for the foyer, since our guys are behind the far wall of the living room.” ʼ˧˪˔˦˛ˢ˥˥˜Ѓ˖˔˟˟ˬ˖˟˘˔˥˧ˢʵ˘˟˟˔˩˜˔˧˛˔˧˧˛˘ʴˠ˘˥˜˖˔ˡ˦˛˔˗ walked into a well-prepared ambush. He knew he had to act quickly or his platoon faced destruction.

“Give me a 240 gunner and a SAW!” he shouted. A fellow soldier passed his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), and then Bellavia intentionally ˘˫ˣˢ˦˘˗˛˜ˠ˦˘˟˙˧ˢ˧˛˘˘ˡ˘ˠˬϠ˦Ѓ˥˘ʟ˘ˡ˧˘˥˜ˡ˚˧˛˘˗ˢˢ˥˪˔ˬ ˙˥ˢˠ˪˛˘˥˘˛˘˗˜˥˘˖˧˟ˬ˘ˡ˚˔˚˘˗˧˛˘˙ˢ˥˧˜Ѓ˘˗˘ˡ˘ˠˬ position. Firing the SAW, he was able to lay down a ˦˨ˣˣ˥˘˦˦˜ˡ˚Ѓ˥˘ˢˡ˧˛˘˜ˡ˦˨˥˚˘ˡ˧˦ʟ˙ˢ˥˖˜ˡ˚˧˛˘ˠ˧ˢ˞˘˘ˣ their heads down and giving the pinned-down US troops a vital opportunity to withdraw from the building. Bellavia ˞˘ˣ˧˨ˣ˛˜˦Ѓ˥˘˨ˡ˧˜˟˛˜˦ˆʴˊ˥˔ˡˢ˨˧ˢ˙˔ˠˠ˨ˡ˜˧˜ˢˡʟ˔˧ which point he also withdrew.

His actions had allowed for a successful extraction from a near catastrophic situation. ˁ˘˩˘˥˧˛˘˟˘˦˦ʟ˧˛˘Ѓ˚˛˧˪˔˦˙˔˥˙˥ˢˠˢ˩˘˥ʡϢʺ˘˧˔ʵ˥˔˗˟˘ˬ up here, now!” Bellavia shouted into his radio. When the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle arrived, an attempt was made to neutralise the building using its 0.9in (25mm) gun, but it proved ineffective. Bellavia recalled: “I had wanted the Brad to smash through the wall, drive into the palm grove and then tear up the side of the building with 25mm shells. Then we could call in a tank and blast the house to dust…

But it isn’t going to go down like that… [the] gunner has a hard time even getting his cannon trained on the house. The outer wall is so tall that it obstructs the ˧˥˔˖˞Ϡ˦Ѓ˘˟˗ˢ˙Ѓ˥˘ʡϣ Above: Staff Sergeant David Bellavia is awarded the Medal of Honor, 25 June 2019 Below: An M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Iraq, 2006.

Lawrence is Emeritus Professor of War Studies at KCL, and has recently published On Strategists and Strategy, a new collection of his essays. On page 20 he discusses the recent strategic turmoil regarding Greenland. RICK BRITTON ˅˜˖˞˜˦˔˕˔˧˧˟˘Ѓ˘˟˗˚˨˜˗˘ʟ cartographer and historian based in Charlottesville, Virginia. In this issue’s Great Battles he recounts the Battle of Cowpens, the scene of the worst British defeat of the Revolutionary War (p.46). MIGUEL MIRANDA The culmination of the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1842 was the disastrous retreat from Kabul, which saw thousands of soldiers and civilians captured and killed.

Over on page 40 Miguel recounts the origins and turning points of this calamitous campaign. Welcome Tim Williamson Editor-in-Chief F O L L O W T H E H I S T O R Y O F W A R T E A M / H I S T O R Y O F W A R M A G @ H I S T O R Y O F W A R M A G he Western Desert was a truly unique theatre of the Second World War, with the unrelenting, unforgiving terrain of North Africa presenting some of ˧˛˘ˠˢ˦˧˖˛˔˟˟˘ˡ˚˜ˡ˚˖ˢˡ˗˜˧˜ˢˡ˦ˢ˙˧˛˘˖ˢˡЄ˜˖˧ʡʵˢ˧˛ʴ˟˟˜˘˗˔ˡ˗ʴ˫˜˦˙ˢ˥˖˘˦ were at the mercy of the desert, with logistics lines and human endurance ˦˧˥˘˧˖˛˘˗˧ˢ˧˛˘˜˥˟˜ˠ˜˧˦ʡʼ˧˪˔˦˜ˡ˧˛˘˗˘˦˘˥˧˧˛˔˧˧˛˘Ѓ˥˦˧ˠ˔˝ˢ˥ʴ˟˟˜˘˗˩˜˖˧ˢ˥ˬ ˢ˙˧˛˘˖ˢˡЄ˜˖˧˪˔˦˔˖˛˜˘˩˘˗ʟ˪˛˘ˡ˂ˣ˘˥˔˧˜ˢˡʶˢˠˣ˔˦˦˦˨˖˖˘˦˦˙˨˟˟ˬ˗˥ˢ˩˘˧˛˘ʼ˧˔˟˜˔ˡ 10th Army out of Egypt.

Erwin Rommel’s counterattack in 1941 caught the Allies on the back foot, driven out of Libya and into Egypt. However, one critical garrison ˛˘˟˗Ѓ˥ˠ˔˚˔˜ˡ˦˧˧˛˘ʴ˫˜˦˔˗˩˔ˡ˖˘ʭ˧˛˘ˣˢ˥˧˧ˢ˪ˡˢ˙ˇˢ˕˥˨˞ʡ˅ˢˠˠ˘˟Ϡ˦ swift advance in Libya had left his lines stretched, and the encircled ˚˔˥˥˜˦ˢˡ˔˧ˇˢ˕˥˨˞ˣ˥˘˦˘ˡ˧˘˗˔˧˛ˢ˥ˡ˜ˡ˧˛˘ʴ˫˜˦˥˘˔˥ʟ˧˛˥˘˔˧˘ˡ˜ˡ˚˧˛˘ ʷ˘˦˘˥˧ʹˢ˫Ϡ˦˟˜ˡ˘˦ˢ˙˖ˢˠˠ˨ˡ˜˖˔˧˜ˢˡ˔ˡ˗˦˨ˣˣ˟ˬʡˇ˛˜˦˜˦˦˨˘ʟˁ˔˧˘ʷ˥˔˞˘ spoke with Dr Robert Lyman about how the defence of Tobruk was mounted, including how it received critical seaborne supply, and how its defenders bought the Allies essential time. Take advantage of our fantastic subscription offers and get History of War for half price!

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