April 2025. Ba Khe, near the village of Cát Thịnh, Yên Bái Province, Vietnam. I am exploring the old Route Coloniale 13 west of Yen Bai, retracing the ground fought over during the October 1951 battle for Nghĩa Lộ. This is steep, broken cou…
In reply to Tom Grow. Thanks Tom, The French were extremely bold in their employment of airborne troops. And this one worked! Did you read how I located the dropzone? I had one photo of the paratroopers landing and moved around in Google Ea…
Research Dispatches provide updates on current and future BattlefieldTravels research and publications. The May 2026 Dispatch provides: recent publications (Pike and Shot) Orleans 1429), articles in progress (Austerlitz, Nghia Lo), emerging…
The widespread adoption of firearms by European armies created a new tactical dilemma. The previously invulnerable pike formations were now extremely vulnerable to gunpowder weapons, while the musketeers remained vulnerable to enemy cavalry…
October 2024, Orléans, south side of the Loire River. I am exploring the Hundred Years War battle locations around the city of Orléans. On this site on 7 May 1429, a French Army led by Count John Dunois, ‘The Bastard of Orléans’, and Captai…
Research Dispatches provide updates on current and future BattlefieldTravels research and publications. The April 2026 Research Dispatch provides: recent publications, articles in progress (Pegasus Bridge, Ukraine, Tactical Innovation), eme…
Research Dispatches provide updates on current and future BattlefieldTravels research and publications. The March 2026 Research Dispatch provides: recent publications, articles in progress (Pegasus Bridge, Orléans, and Nghĩa Lộ), emerging i…
June 2017. Chlum Village, just outside modern Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. I visited Chlum during my exploration of the Königgrätz battlefield in 2015 and again in 2017. I explored Sadowa, Rozběřice, Chlum, the Svíb Forest, and the south…
In reply to Thomas Grow. Thanks Tom. Yes, Pegasus Bridge is still the gold standard for a ‘coup de main’ operation. Have you read my article on the 1970 Son Tay Raid? A US operation that was incredibly well prepared and executed, but let do…
November 2024. Verdun, northeastern France. This is my second time exploring the battlefields of Verdun. The first impression is the massive scale of the fortification complex. Large and small forts with interlocking and mutually supporting…
November 2024. Verdun, northeastern France. This is my second time exploring the battlefields of Verdun. The first impression is the massive scale of the fortification complex. Large and small forts with interlocking and mutually supporting…
October 2024. Waterloo, Belgium. I have been here before, but this visit was far more comprehensive. Standing on the Mont-Saint-Jean ridge, the key feature is the reverse slope. From the French side, you don’t see much of Wellington’s posit…