the most humiliating defeat in modern warfare history !!

[whitehall]

The ballots are in: The most humiliating defeat in modern history was the American surrender in the Phillppines three months into WW2. The strangest spin on the most humiliating defeat was the tickertape parade for the commanding general who was rescued from disaster.

 

[8236]

Most humiliating? The British surrender of Singapore to the Japs.

I'm a Brit, and I gotta agree with you. Sad but true: Britain's shame, and Australians to this day are bitter about it. While the Americans were holding out on Bataan and Corrigidor, British Empire forces folded after a half hearted defense lasting but a few weeks - sadly they rapidly regretted their quick surrender after experiencing Jap hospitality. The name of General Gordon Bennett (he deserted his men) is used as a curse in the UK to this day (even though he was Australian). Personally, I find General Percival the most pathetic figure in the tragedy - I guess he must have had his reasons for acting as he did (I suspect the prevailing attitude was something along the lines of 'we can relax now, the Yanks are in the war').

Btw, 73 Easting battle bears no comparison as the forces were completely unequal.

 

[whitehall]

The most humiliating defeat in modern warfare history? Modern Warfare history? I don't think things went so well for Saddam, and Baghdad Bob. If anyone knows about Modern Warfare, then they know the most one-sided victory in the History of Modern Warfare was the Battle of 73 Easting.

That was due in large part to the superior weaponry the U.S. had over the Iraqis


The Battle of San Jacinto (though not 'modern') was much more impressive to me.

The US fought the Iraqis with conventional weapons and it is insulting that ignorant Americans have been taught by the commie pinko cowards who fled to Canada and were pardoned by the Peanut Man that the US victory was somehow "unfair".

 

[rightwinger]

The surrender of Singapore is among the great humiliations in military history. Brits had the men, the equipment and the rank and file will. What they didn't have was leadership.

MacArthur bailing out of the Philippines isn't even in the same world of cowardly leadership, although it is well within the world of doubtful leadership.

Nothing that has happened in the Levant in the last 800 years is even relevant to the discussion of significant military humiliations.

MacArthur lost the Philippines through arrogance, unpreparedness and an unwillingness to listen to others

 

[numan]

'
The most humiliating military defeat in modern history?

Surely it must be the defeat of the USA in Vietnam -- where its vast military might (three times the firepower of the entire Second World War) did not enable it to impose its will on a tiny, impoverished nation.

I will never forget all those panic-stricken Americans and their dependents fleeing in all those helicopters -- and the vast fleet of helicopters being dumped into the sea off of the over-loaded ships.
.

 

[8236]

How about the First day on the Somme for the British Army in World War 1?
"It is remembered as the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army when 57,470 men became casualties, of whom 19,240 were killed or died of wounds."
First day on the Somme - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It was a defeat for the British Army in the sense that all the casualties they incurred resulted in no military advantage at the end of that day.

From memory the German casualties were (though fewer) approaching that figure, and I remember reading about the Russians losing 150,000 dead in one day somewhere near Smolensk in Sept '41.

 

[Beria]

Battle of Dien Bien Phu !

 

[editec]

Napoleon's advance and retreat into russa?

At nearly half a million strong, the Grande Armée marched through Western Russia

When the remnants of Napoleon's army crossed the Berezina River in November, only 27,000 fit soldiers remained; the Grand Armée had lost some 380,000 men dead and 100,000 captured.[9]


Death or captured rate of his entire invading army? 94.6%

I cannot think of ANY major invasion with such losses.

If I've overlook one, please let me know.

The early 1800's are hardly modern military.

1800's is considered MODERN HISTORY, amigo.

If you want to change the date to post-1900 or something then yes, I would suggest some other military disaster....probably Hitler's invasion of Russia.

The German invasion of the Soviet Union suffered and caused a high rate of fatalities: 95% of all German Army casualties that occurred from 1941 to 1944,

 

[WUN]

The most humiliating defeat in modern warfare history? Modern Warfare history? I don't think things went so well for Saddam, and Baghdad Bob. If anyone knows about Modern Warfare, then they know the most one-sided victory in the History of Modern Warfare was the Battle of 73 Easting.

That was due in large part to the superior weaponry the U.S. had over the Iraqis


The Battle of San Jacinto (though not 'modern') was much more impressive to me.

The US fought the Iraqis with conventional weapons and it is insulting that ignorant Americans have been taught by the commie pinko cowards who fled to Canada and were pardoned by the Peanut Man that the US victory was somehow "unfair".

I don't think it was 'unfair', I was just saying that the U.S. had a huge technlogical advantage over the Iraqis. The U.S. military was superior in training and many other ways, but I think the technological advantage is what really enabled that tank battle to be that lopsided.

 

[yidnar]

as far as battles go in the 1800"s Bull Run was pretty humiliating.

 

[whitehall]

If you limit the broad subject of "modern" warfare to be no earlier than the 20th century and limit the subject to the US and it's allies the hands down verdict is the Brit surrender at Singapore and the US surrender at Battan and Corrigador early in WW2.

 

[Oldguy]

If you limit the broad subject of "modern" warfare to be no earlier than the 20th century and limit the subject to the US and it's allies the hands down verdict is the Brit surrender at Singapore and the US surrender at Battan and Corrigador early in WW2.

I personally wouldn't rank the defense of Bataan and Corregidor the same as Singapore. Hopelessly outnumbered and cut off from supplies, reinforcement or withdrawal, they fought a delaying action under impossible conditions for more than 3 months. They only surrendered after they'd fought to the last extreme and almost literally to their last bullet.

That's not even close to the same thing as the surrender of an entire field army at Singapore.

 

[varelse]

Half of the Islamic world? it was like 6 countries dick head.

the most powerful Islamic countries of the middle east !! does their defeat offend you leftist sensibilities
??

It was Egypt, Syria and Jordan with some support troops given by Iraq. Those are all third rate militaries, so I'm not sure where that "all-powerful" crap came from.

And Israel had long had the financial backing and military guidance of to Western power.




The lies about the 1967 war are still more powerful than the truth - Alan Hart

 

[varelse]

Bay of Pigs


America looked like Castro's impotent little bitch


The CIA should leave invasions to the Army and the Marines

 

[whitehall]

If you limit the broad subject of "modern" warfare to be no earlier than the 20th century and limit the subject to the US and it's allies the hands down verdict is the Brit surrender at Singapore and the US surrender at Battan and Corrigador early in WW2.

I personally wouldn't rank the defense of Bataan and Corregidor the same as Singapore. Hopelessly outnumbered and cut off from supplies, reinforcement or withdrawal, they fought a delaying action under impossible conditions for more than 3 months. They only surrendered after they'd fought to the last extreme and almost literally to their last bullet.

That's not even close to the same thing as the surrender of an entire field army at Singapore.

The Brits surrendered at Singapore because they were surrounded and there was no hope of being resupplied. Americans surrendered at Battan and Corrigador because they were surrounded and had no hope of resupply. Both capitulations were humiliating but the US had the best propaganda and Americans really didn't understand what happened at the time.

 

[Friends]

The most humiliating defeat in modern warfare history? Modern Warfare history? I don't think things went so well for Saddam, and Baghdad Bob. If anyone knows about Modern Warfare, then they know the most one-sided victory in the History of Modern Warfare was the Battle of 73 Easting.

when half of the Islamic world attacks one tiny country and is defeated in 6 days thats pretty damn humiliating for the coalition of Islamic countries envolved.

Yay for Israel!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMWcAIHFawc]Hatikva- Israeli National Anthem - YouTube[/ame]

 

[9thIDdoc]

The British at New Orleans was a biggie.

 

[numan]

The British at New Orleans was a biggie.

Perhaps, but it was politically irrelevant since the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war two weeks earlier. The news had just not crossed the Atlantic in time to prevent the useless effusion of blood.

The "victory" did provide a little propaganda salve to the bruised egos of the transatlantic bumpkins after a sillly, costly war which resulted in the burning of Washington DC in the only war (before Vietnam, of course) which the USA lost.
.

 

[9thIDdoc]

The British at New Orleans was a biggie.

Perhaps, but it was politically irrelevant since the Treaty of Ghent had ended the war two weeks earlier. The news had just not crossed the Atlantic in time to prevent the useless effusion of blood.

The "victory" did provide a little propaganda salve to the bruised egos of the transatlantic bumpkins after a sillly, costly war which resulted in the burning of Washington DC in the only war (before Vietnam, of course) which the USA lost.
.

We didn't lose either of those wars.
And a very inferior number of bumpkins kicking the absolute crap out of what was thought to be the finest army in the world could not help but have major political value. If nothing else it firmly established that the British would NOT reclaim her lost colonies.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iRIcxsz0]Battle of New Orleans, In 1814 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[whitehall]

Maybe the word "humiliating" throws some people off. Low information left wingers might prefer the phrase "military/political" to reinforce their hatred of Israel. There is little doubt that the British surrender at Singapore during WW2 and the American surrender at Corrigador/Bataan was the most humiliating defeat in the 20th century.