German Officers, 1939 and The Red Baron, 1917

My favorite uniforms in history are those of the Third Reich, specifically the Luftwaffe(German Air Force). In World War II, the German uniforms were designed for the parade ground, which is why they appeared flawless, but their impracticality contributed tor Germany's demise in the war. Above is a visual representation of four branches of the Wehrmacht(Armed Forces).

First is one of Germany's most renowned commanders Generalfeldmarschall(Field Marshal) Erwin Rommel. He first distinguished himself as a tank commander during the invasion of France in 1940 and then was sent to North Africa the following year to fight the British. His cunning tactics and brilliant strategies earned him the sobriquet "The Desert Fox," the respect of his adversaries, and a promotion to Generalfeldmarschall. He is anachronistically depicted carrying a Marschallstab(Field Marshal's baton).

Next is an Oberst(Colonel) in the Heer(Army). He wears a field grey Heer officer's uniform. His uniform includes Stiefelhosen(jodhpurs) and riding boots. These items follow the equestrian tradition of the Junker officer corps. On the contrary, the Kriegsmarine Kapitän zur See(Navy Captain) wears straight-legged trousers and low-quarters since the Kriegsmarine had no equestrian tradition. However, the Luftwaffe Oberleutenant (First Lieutenant) wears Stiefelhosen, since when the German Flying Corps was first conceived, many of the pilots were former cavalry officers(see below).

Perhaps the most iconic of the Third Reich uniforms were those of the Allgemeine SS. The Schutzstaffel(Defense squadron) was established as the right arm of the Nazi Party after Hitler consolidated power. The Allgemeine SS were the political branch of the SS, as well as the Third Reich's honor guard, while the Waffen SS served as the Wehrmacht's crack fighting force.

Moving back to the previous world war, Manfred Freiherr von Richtofen, known as the Red Baron, is perhaps Germany's most celebrated aviator. Originally an officer in the 1st Prussian Uhlans, Richtofen was relegated to menial infantry duties, since cavalry was falling out of favor. Ever-eager for adventure and refusing to accept the status quo, Richtofen transferred to the recently-established German flying corps. He quickly distinguished himself as a pilot, and led his own squadron Jasta 11. "Richtofen's Flying Circus" consisting of vivdly painted aircraft, including his own red Fokker Dr.I triplane, which earned him his sobriquet "the Red Baron."

During the war he downed eighty enemy aircraft, becoming the leading ace of the First World War. He met his demise as he pursued his would-be eighty-first victim over the Somme on the 21st of April, 1918. During his pursuit he came under fire from a Royal Air Force Sopwith Camel, piloted by Canadian Captain Roy Brown and an Australian machine gun team. Richtofen was killed by a bullet and his plane subsequently crashed. A study back in 2003 by the PBS series NOVA studied the fatal bullet's trajectory and concluded it was most likely from the ground. Thus it is safe to assume, the Red Baron never lost a single dogfight.

In other news, the Colored Pencil Society of America's San Diego chapter, which I am a part of held an election for new Vice President. Since no one else volunteered for the post, I seized the position in a bloodless coup d'etat. As Napoleon said "I found the crown in the gutter and I picked it up with my sword! And it was the people who put it on my head." Also, Waltz at the Corinthia received an honorable mention for most progress and my first exhibition.

I am truly thankful for these accomplishments and being able to network with local aspiring artists like myself. I hope the rest of you in the United States had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Daywear, 1942 and 1916

As a massive fan of 1940s fashion, I have decided to revisit the topic. This time, I decided to portray the more pragmatic and simplistic wartime fashion in the earlier years of the decade. World War II and the subsequent rationing caused clothing shortages, as a result many people recycled their older outfits. Thus many fashion trends of the early 1940s were in fact leftover items from the previous decade.

The first lady's outfit is an example of the recycled trends during World War II. Her simplistic shirt dress dates from the late 1930s, as do her tilt brim hat and shoes. Her shoes are sturdy lace-up, a style that was popular during the Great Depression and World War II, due to pragmatism. In contrast the next lady was more fortunate and able to obtain the latest trends. Her sheath dress, pillbox ha, and peep-toe pumps are the latest fashion of 1942.

The gentleman is wearing a charcoal three-piece pinstripe suit and matching fedora, typical of the 1930s and 40s. The final lady is a blend of chic and recycled trends. Although her peplum suit and hat are of the latest fashion for 1942, her pumps are from the 1930s.

In the previous World War, consumers were faced with the same problems obtaining clothing. Many people similarly recycled fashion from the earlier part of the decade. The first lady's dress dates from the early 1910s and is an example of this recycling, while the second was more fortunate to obtain a trendy one. Both are wearing a tea dresses or afternoon dresses. The tea dress or afternoon  dress was worn during the afternoon, for tea time, as its name suggests. It was lighter and more comfortable than a day suit, but less formal than an evening gown. However, due to the clothing shortages caused by the war, some practical ladies began wearing tea dresses to formal events as opposed to lavish evening gowns. This was similar to how some women during World War II wore suits instead of gowns to formal events.

The final lady and gentleman are wearing the respective day suits of the 1910s. The lady's suit consists of a jacket, ankle-length skirt, hat, and boots. Over the gentleman's suit, he wears a frock coat and accessorizes his outfit with a homburg hat. The lady is handing him a white feather, part of a government campaign to encourage young men to enlist. The program involved young women handing the symbol of a cock too weak to fight, a white feather to young men in uniform. The movement turned into a huge embarrassment, since many of the recipients were in fact wounded veterans and crucial war effort workers. The British government was considering launching the campaign again in World War II, but after the humiliation of last time, chose not to.

In other news, in time for the landmark Scottish decision to remain part of the United Kingdom, I have completed my depiction of the Battle of Bannockburn which I called Plains of Fire. Scottish historian Walter Bower wrote "Let Scotland’s warcraft be this: footsoldiers, mountain and marshy ground;
and let her woods, her bow and spear serve for barricades. Let menace lurk in all her narrow places among her warrior bands, and let her plains so burn with fire that enemies flee away. Crying out in the night, let her men be on their guard, and her enemies in confusion will flee form hunger’s sword. Surely it will be so, as we’re guided by Robert, our lord." I would like my scene from the Scottish War of Independence 700 years ago be a representation of how far the English and Scots have come.

800 years ago, another great battle of the Middle Ages was fought in France between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The King in Peril at Bouvines is a scene of a crucial moment from that battle. King Phillip II Augustus has been pulled from his horse and surrounded by Flemish pikemen, while two of his knights Pierre Tristan(right) and Galon de Montigny(left) hurry to his aid. Fortunately for the King of France, his armor protected him against the enemy's weapons and the two knights were able to save their downed sovereign.

Mongol Cavalry, 1219 and Greek Trireme, 480 BC

Above are some of the most formidable horsemen the world has ever seen: those of Genghis Khan’s Mongol horde. The term “Mongols” refers to a confederacy of Turkic and Mongolian tribes, first united in 1206 by Temujin, better known by his title the “Great Khan” or “Genghis Khan.” Their prowess as horsemen was evident in their conquest of the largest land empire in the history of the world. These horsemen are dated from 1219, when Genghis Khan invaded the Khwarezmian Empire in Central Asia.

First, is a heavy cavalryman. He and his horse are encased in armor made of iron strips laced together, known as lamellar. He is armed with a mace, although Mongol heavy cavalry were also armed with sabers, lances, and axes. He is also armed with a bow, like almost all Mongol cavalry, because the Mongol cavalry tactics involved withering their enemies down with arrows, before swiftly closing for close-quarters combat. He also carriers a shield, although it is likely that the Mongols only carried a shield for dismounted combat.

Two light cavalrymen are pictured next. The first is armed with a lance and like the heavy cavalryman his quiver is empty, as he depleted his arrows before switching to his secondary melee weapons. His lance has a hook, which was used to unhorse mounted enemies. Light cavalry could also be armed with javelins, as they preferred to avoid hand-to-hand combat. They normally only engaged in close-quarters combat after the heavy cavalry had delivered the coup-de-grace. They would only serve to follow through with the attack and then harry the retreating enemy.

The final rider is armed with the preferred weapon of the Mongol cavalry, especially light: the composite bow and arrow. The Central Asian tribes were renowned for horse archery and the Mongols were no exception. The Mongols used a composite bow, carried down from Ancient times. Although short, the composite bow was extremely powerful with its recurve action. The Mongols also developed a special thumb ring with a nock, this allowed the archer to pull the arrow back beyond his ear, giving the shot more accuracy and even greater power.

In a typical battle, the Mongol horse archers would begin by harassing the enemy, when the enemy pursued, the Mongol archers skillfully turned around in their saddles and shot their arrows back at their pursuers. Since this clever tactic was made famous by Parthians of Antiquity, it has become known as the “Parthian Shot.” If the enemy continued to pursue, they would lead them into an ambush. Such skillful tactics helped the Mongols conquer the greatest land empire in history.

Next, is the iconic vessel of the Classical World: the Trireme. This is a Greek, specifically an Athenian trireme from 480 BC, the year of the decisive naval Battle of Salamis.

The triremes are called what they are, because they carry three banks of rowers. The ship was primarily oar-powered. Although this trireme is pictured with its sails set, the sails were usually only hoisted for long journeys. In battle, they were lowered and relied entirely on oar-power.

A trireme had a crew of about 200: a trierarch or captain, a kybernetes(helmsman), two taxiarchs(lieutenants), a prorates(lookout), a keleustes(boatswain), a naupegos(shipwright), a pentekontarchos(qusrtermaster), an auletes(piper who sounded the rhythm of the oars), 10 hoplites and 4 archers serving as epibatai(marines), ten sailors to hoist the sails, and 170 rowers.

Contrary to popular belief, the Ancient Greeks did not normally employ slaves as oarsmen. Instead, the rowers were poorer citizens who could not afford to serve as fully armed and armored hoplites. In times of need, the epibatai hoplites were also employed as rowers. In rare instances of emergency, slaves were employed as rowers.

Three officers are shown on deck, while the kybernetes is at the stern operating the steering oars. On the front of the trireme is its primary weapon: a bronze ram. The ram could be used in a two main ways: they could ram the enemy ship’s hull or stern, sinking the ship or they could be used to destroy the enemy’s oars, immobilizing the vessel and then perhaps board the vessel. The Athenian triremes in the 4^th Century BC, Athenian triremes were equipped thirty spare oars to be prepared for the common dilemma of broken oars.

I featured triremes like this in my scene titled The Battle of Salamis, my depiction of the namesake watershed battle.

I also featured this scene, along with depictions of the concurrent land battles of Marathon and Thermopylae for an exclusive interview and co-commentary about the Greco-Persian Wars with my brother, an Ancient Greek enthusiast.

The video may be found here.

Tercios, 1587 and Samurai, 1575

Above are Spanish infantry from 1587. The tercios were infantry units in the Spanish Army numbering 3000 men, hence the name, which means “thirds” in Spanish. They consisted of pikemen and musketeers and were normally arranged in a square, with musketeers on outsides and pikemen in the insides, and it was illustrative of the pike and shot era of the 16th and 17th centuries.

First is an alabardero, or company grade officer. He is armed with a halberd, where his name comes from. He wears a three-quarters suit of armor, which covers his entire body except for his calves and wrists, on which he wears fashionable leather boots and gauntlets. He was in command of about a hundred men and up through the eighteenth century officers in European militaries would be armed with halberds.

Next is a piquero, or pikeman. He wears a suit of half-armor, consisting solely of a helmet and cuirass. His helmet is a morion, the iconic Spanish helmet. As his name suggests, he is armed with a pike. The use of pikes in Renaissance armies was pioneered by the Swiss in the 15th Century. The Spanish adopted them at towards the end of that century. Massed pike formations were used both offensively and defensively in tandem with the musketeers.

One of the mosqueteros, or musketeers is pictured next. In addition to his musket, he is carrying a stand and burning rope for his weapon. Since early muskets were extremely heavy, musketeers carried a tall fork to rest their muskets while they loaded them. The burning rope is for the musket which used a matchlock mechanism. The mechanism would push the burning rope into the powder pan, igniting the powder and subsequently discharging the weapon.

Finally is an alférez, or ensign, a junior officer and standard bearer. In many militaries, it was tradition that the youngest officer carry the standard. Thus why in many past militaries, the lowest ranking infantry officer was called an ensign. He also wears a suit of half armor, complete with a morion helmet. He is armed with an espada ropera, the iconic Spanish sword of the era.

Above are four samurai from 1575, the year of the watershed Battle of Nagashino.

First is Oda Nobunaga, the victor of Nagashino. Nobunaga was Diamyo or Lord of the Oda Clan, which ruled the Owari Province. From humble beginnings as the son of a former peasant, he sought to re-unify Japan under his rule. From his daring and highly successful surprise attack against the rival Imagawa clan in 1560, to his victory against the Takeda Clan at Nagashino in 1575, he established himself as an astute military leader.

Oda Nobunaga would however meet his demise on the 21st of June 1582, when one of his generals Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed him and soldiers under his command ambushed Nobunaga at the Honno-ji temple in Kyoto, burning it to the ground. Taken completely by surprised, Nobunaga committed seppuku among the fiery rubble. Ironic that he would meet his end in much the same manner he distinguished himself. 

This suit of armor he is wearing is based on a suit currently on display at the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow.

Next is Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nobunaga’s closest ally and successor. The son of a woodcutter, Hideyoshi joined Nobunaga’s army as an ashigaru, or foot soldier. He was able to work his way up through the ranks and because of this, he is often considered Japan’s Napoleon. He quickly took control of Japan and avenged Nobunaga’s death. He then sought to establish a Japanese Empire in the Pacific. However, his initial invasion of Korea failed in 1592, and then he died in 1598. 

His suit of armor is based on a descriptions, which tell of him wearing a helmet with a large golden crest, like rays of the sun. This suit of armor has unfortunately been lost, but visitors to Osaka castle may try on a reproduction of Hideyoshi’s helmet.

Next is Tokugawa Ieyasu, an ally of both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, and later Shogun of Japan. Although he was at first an enemy of the Oda, after Nobunaga’s first crushing victory at Okehazama, he defected to the Oda. After Hideyoshi’s death, he faced his remaining rivals at one final decisive battle at Sekigahara in 1600. During the battle, three contingents of the opposing force defected to him and he won the battle, thus securing his place as Shogun. 

He is depicted wearing a suit of cowhide armor. Although it is believed that he wore a European-style suit of armor, complete with an iron cuirass and morion helmet at his great victory at Sekigahara in 1600, he also owned a suit of cowhide armor. He likely wore this during his campaigns with these leaders, as after defeating the Hojo Clan in the Kanto provinces,  Hideoyoshi reportedly taunted him by calling him “The Cow of the Kanto.” 

His suit of armor is based on one on display at the Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya.

Finally is a horo, one of Nobunaga’s hatamoto. Hatamoto, which means “under the flag” in Japanese, were hand-picked samurai, chosen to serve as the diamyo’s elite bodyguard. However, samurai itself means “one who serves” and the first samurai served as the Emperor’s bodyguards during the Nara Period from AD 710 to 794. Nobunaga’s hatamoto were horse guards called horo. This comes from the Japanese name for the cloak, draped over a bamboo frame and worn on their backs. There were originally were only twenty, but their ranks quickly swelled to sixty. The horo were divided into two squadrons: red and black.

The suit of armor is based on a statute of a horo in Kanazawa castle town.

Finally, I have finished two pieces: Zouaves in the Wilderness and Bloody Dawn, as belated tributes to the sesquicentennials of the Battles of Wilderness in Spotsylvania, in May of 1864.

Zouaves in the Wilderness depicts the 146^th New York Volunteers, engaging Confederate infantry on the opening day of the Battle of the Wilderness. The Battle of the Wilderness was the first encounter between both the Union’s and Confederacy’s top generals: Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. The battle lasted two days and consisted of brutal and bloody hand-to-hand combat. Eventually Lee was forced to withdraw, after enormous Union casualties. The 146^th New York was one of the most battered Union regiments thrust into the fray. They were one of the Union Army’s regiments outfitted as Zouaves, with uniforms based on French regiments in North Africa.

Although these flashy uniforms may have enticed thousands of young men to join, they did not prepare them for the carnage they faced.

Bloody Dawn depicts the second engagement between the two commanders: the Battle of Spotsylvania, a week-and-a-half-long siege of a small Virginia town. On the 12^th of May at the crack of dawn, the Union II Corps assailed the mule-shoe-shaped Confederate breastworks, at the point known as the “Bloody Angel.” The assault was initially successful and well-timed, as the Confederates had just withdrew all their artillery from that section of wall. However, the Confederates counterattacked later that day and successfully checked the Union advance. Although once again, Lee was forced to withdraw.

I am now working on two belated tributes to the 700th and 800th anniversaries of the medieval battles of Bannockburn in 1314 and Bouvines in 1214. I also have a number of tributes to the Centennial of the Great War planned.

Bayreuth Dragoons, 1745 and Don Cossacks, 1812

Above are one of the Royal Prussian Army’s most reputable units. The Bayreuth Dragoons distinguished themselves at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg in 1745, during the Austro-Prussian War. During the battle, they ran down the Austrian infantry, capturing 67 infantry standards, 2,500 prisoners, and five cannons. King Frederick the Great of Prussia himself was so impressed by their audacious and successful charge, that he composed the Hohenfriedberger Marsch in their honor.

First is a Hauptman, or captain. His uniform is not much different from those of 

the other ranks. The only differences are the white cockade on his tricorn, lace 

ascot at his neck, white breeches, and saddle design. Since officers were difficult 

to distinguish in the 18^th Century, rank insignia were introduced by the Napoleonic 

Era.

Next is a reiter, or private. He is armed with a straight-edged saber and carries a carbine musket on his saddle. When the dragoons were first conceived in the 17^th century, they were intended to be mounted infantry: meaning they would ride into battle and dismount and fight on foot. However, due to the wide open battlefields of Europe, the dragoons preferred to charge the enemy with swords drawn. Since the muskets at the time were inaccurate and slow to reload, this would remain an effective tactic until the advent of machine guns. Nevertheless, dragoons remained armed with a carbine and a pair of pistols.

Finally, is a sergeant with one of the captured Austrian colors. His uniform is almost identical to those of his subordinates. The only difference are his cuffs, which have silver lining to denote NCO rank.

Pictured above is another renowned cavalry unit: the Don Cossacks. The Cossacks were Russian and Ukrainian cavalry irregulars first hired to protect Russian settlers, during the period of Russian expansion from the reign of Ivan the Terrible in the 16^th Century to the reign of Catherine the Great in the 18^th Century. They continued to serve in the Imperial Army and the Soviet Army.

Here they are pictured in 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia. During Napoleon’s fateful retreat from Moscow, the Don Cossacks harried the French rearguard. This was a traumatic experience for Marshall Michel Ney who commanded the French rearguard and following the retreat, he showed signs of what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder.

First is a yesaul, or Captain. Since the Cossacks were irregulars, their ranking system differed significantly from that of the regular Russian Army. A yesaul was in command of a sotnia, or squadron which consisted of approximately 117 horses. He wears a tall fur hat, or busby and silver epaulettes to denote his rank. He is armed with an officer’s shashka, or sabre.

Next is an uriadnik, or sergeant. He wears a forage cap and is armed with an enlisted man’s shashka. Officers and NCOs were trained in sabre combat, although they were constantly bested by other European cavalry officers.

The last Cossack pictured is a Kazak, or private. He wears a different style forage cap and an overcoat. He is armed with a lance, the preferred weapon of the Cossacks. Cossacks were also armed with muskets and pistols, although they preferred to use these as psychological  weapons, than to actually kill the enemy.

Finally, I have now added a new store to buy my artwork at Deviantart. Here, in addition to prints, you may also purchase art gifts including mugs, coasters, mouse pads, postcards, and magnets.

"The Brave" 18th Line Infantry

The soldiers pictured below are from Napoleon’s 18^th Line Infantry, known as
"the Brave."

The Line infantry were the basic foot soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars. As their
name suggests, they formed the iconic lines, fired volleys of musket fire, and
advanced with bayonets fixed in one spirited final charge. A French line infantry
regiment was not much different than a British one, although a French battalion
consisted of four companies of regular infantry, while a British battalion consisted
of eight companies of regulars. French brigades were normally organized by
regiment, while British brigades were normally organized by battalion.

First is the Regimental colonel. Like the British senior infantry officers, he rides
into battle mounted. He wears a shako, like the regular infantry, because by the
latter years of the Napoleonic Wars, officers came to prefer the regulars’ shako
over the officers’ bicorn. Like their British adversaries, the French senior officers
wear a pair of fringed epaulettes to denote their ranks.

Next is a porte-aigle, or junior officer selected to carry the regiment’s colors.

I did make one mistake in drawing: the regiment is dated from 1813, when it took
part in the Battle of the Nations, but the porte-aigle is carrying the colors from
1804 to 1812. In 1813, the colors would have been the tricolor French flag we
know today, with the name of the Emperor and the regiment name embroidered
in gold lace on one side and their battle honor for Wagram on the other.

Next to him is one of the two sergeant majors that flanked him in battle. They
were armed with halberds, one with a red banner and the other, white. Like the
regimental colors, these were also embroidered with the emperor’s and regiment’s
names in gold lace on either side. The chevrons on his lower sleeve indicate his
rank, while the chevrons on his upper sleeve indicate seven years’ service each.
Many English-speakers may find this confusing, as the latter is usually used to
denote NCO rank.

Finally, is one of six Caporal-fourriers, six experienced corporals chosen to serve
in the Quatermaster Corps. Like the sergeant major, he carriers a sabre-briquet or
short sabre. This was too short to be used in battle and soldiers stated that it was
only good for chopping firewood. It nonetheless served as a rank symbol for the
NCOs.

Moving from the staff to rank and file, first is one of their officers: a captain in a
grenadier company. To indicate he is a company officer, he wears one gold
fringed epaulette over his left shoulder and one without fringes over his right.

To indicate he is in the Grenadier company, he wears a red pompom and plume
on his shako, however, by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, most grenadiers found
it more practical to cut their plume short. Next is a corporal from the fusiliers, or
regulars. He wears epaulettes without fringes and a pompom on his shako. Each
company had their own different color pompom. This corporal is from the 4^th
Company, as indicated by his violet pompom.

Next is a soldat, or private in the grenadiers. Like the British, the grenadiers were
the tallest and strongest men in the regiment. He wears a pair of red epaulettes to
indicate he is a grenadier. and as a grenadier, he also has the privilege of
carrying a sabre-briquet, even though he is only a private.

Next is a sergeant in the voltigeurs, or light infantry. Like their British opponents,
the light infantry were trained with greater emphasis on marksmanship and
skirmish tactics, though they could also fight as regular line infantry, too. He wears
a pair of green epaulettes and a yellow pompom to indicate he is a voltigeur. He
also carriers a sabre-briquet, as an NCO and as a voltigeur.

Finally, is the youngest member of the regiment: a tambour, or drummer boy. This
boy is from the 3^rd company of fusiliers, as indicated by his orange pompom.
Unlike the British regiments, the voltigeurs, or light companies of the line infantry
employed drummers, instead of buglers, although bugles were emblazoned on the
shako plates and cartridge pouches of the voltigeurs.

Finally, as many of you were aware, this Easter weekend marked the millennium
anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf, where Irish King Brian Boru after successfully
uniting western Ireland, defeated the invading Vikings and their Leinster puppets.
To commemorate this anniversary, I drew Brian Boru's March and
Odin’s Raven Falls.

Brian Boru's March is named in honor of the Irish Folk song composed to
commemorate him and depicts him marching into Connaught in 997 to unite
the regions under his rule. Brian Boru was a King of Munster, in the South
of Ireland, who united Connaught in the West and waged war against Leinster,
in the East around Dublin, which was under Norse rule.

Odin's Raven Falls depicts the turning point in the battle. As King Brian Boru
leads his men forward, one of his warriors strikes down the Viking Jarl Sigurd
of Orkney. The Earl was carrying into battle the Viking battle standard, with
Odin’s raven emblazoned on it. The Vikings believed that if this banner fell,
the battle would be lost. So it was at Clontarf on Good Friday of 1014.

Although King Brian was assassinated shortly after the battle’s conclusion, he
successfully broke Norse power in Ireland and saved Christian Ireland from
the grasps of Pagan invaders.

Happy Brian Boru Easter!

F-22 Raptor, 2012, Spitfire, 1940, and 11th Cuirassiers, 1805

Above is the United States Air Force’s fifth generation fighter: the F-22 Raptor.

The idea for the Raptor was conceived at the height of the Cold War. The plan 

was for a stealthy fighter jet to infiltrate into Soviet airspace and strike the Soviets 

in a single decisive blow.

The F-22 is a stealth fighter, meaning it is undetectable to radar. This is achieved 

by a special coat of paint and by storing the fuel tanks and weapons inside the 

wings. It is designed as an air-superiority fighter, capable of sweeping any enemy 

fighters aside. Although the F-22 is capable like many modern fighters, of 

executing strafing runs if necessary. In fact, it was originally designed as a 

multirole fighter and prior to service was designated as the F/A-22 Raptor.

Like most other fighters, it has a crew of one. However, the aircraft is so 

advanced with its fly-by-wire technology, it can almost fly itself. The weapons are 

not pictured, as they are stored internally. But, they include six radar-guided 

AIM-120C air-to-air missiles, two heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles,

and one M61A2 20mm cannon.

Despite its impressive qualities, the F-22 has yet to see combat.

But the next aircraft was battle-tested like never before.

The Supermarine Spitfire earned a reputation as the icon of the Battle of Britain.

Although the Hawker Hurricane downed more enemy aircraft, the more beautiful 

and easier-turning spitfire became the symbolic Royal Air Force fighter of World 

War II.

This aircraft is labelled as being from 1940, during the Battle of Britain.

However, I made a number of mistakes and crossed several different versions.

The plane is armed with 20mm cannons, characteristic of the Marks IV and

later. The plane also has clipped wings, which were a later feature. The two 

features I did get right were the early three-blade propeller and the closed 

canopy.

Nonetheless, the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and distinctive fuselage make this the 

icon of the Battle of Britain in 1940. I do have one scene featuring the Spitfire: 

Locked on and an Ace depicting English ace Eric Lock and his ace-making 

victory on the 4^th of September, 1940.

I also featured this with two other scenes of World War II Allied fighter aircraft

for an exclusive interview and co-commentary with World War II ace Steve Pisanos,

who flew the Spitfire with the Royal Air Force’s Eagle Squadrons, comprised of a

dventurous American volunteers.

The full interview may be found here.

Finally, moving from modern cavalry of the sky to traditional horse-mounted 

cavalry, is one of Napoleon’s regiments of armored cavalry, or cuirassiers: 

the 11^th Regiment of Cuirassiers.

The Napoleonic cuirassiers were the last armored troops employed by 

European militaries until the advent of Kevlar in the late 20^th Century. They 

were also the last armored horsemen to charge into battle. Depending on the 

range and caliber of the firearm, a cuirassier’s cuirass was actually strong 

enough to stop a bullet. The armor also served much more effectively in 

sword melees with enemy cavalry.

The 11^th Cuirassiers were one of the regiments in Napoleon’s cavalry corps

 held in reserve at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 under the command of the 

audacious Marshal Joachim Murat. At the end of the battle, Napoleon ordered 

them forward to help the French break the Austro-Russian right. The French 

cuirassiers bested those of the Allies and ran down the retreating Allied soldiers.

First is the chef d’escadron, or squadron leader. A cavalry squadron consisted 

of about 120 to 150 horses. He is distinguished by a fringed epaulette over his 

left shoulder, another epaulette without fringes over his right shoulder and a red 

plume on his helmet.

Next is a maréchal des Logis, or sergeant. His rank is distinguished by his red 

and silver epaulettes and a red-lined silver stripes, sewn on the lower sleeves.

Instead of a plume, cuirassiers with rank of captain and below wore a pompom, 

a different color for the eight companies.

Finally is a soldat, or private. His rank is indicated by a pair of red epaulettes.

Like the other enlisted ranks, he wears tan breeches,while the officers wear white.

All ranks wore white leather gauntlets, but many men preferred  to just keep the 

cuffs white, while the hands retained their natural leather color.

All the officers and men are armed with straight-edged sabers. The heavy blade 

was ideal for hacking, although the French cavalry were trained to thrust, 

ensuring a quick and painless death.