Featured battle : Lines of Stollhofen

Part of The War of the Spanish Succession

Date : 22 May 1707 - 23 May 1707

The Austrians under the Margrave of Bayreuth, were holding a strong defensive line. But Marshall Villars launched a diversionary frontal attack at dawn while a strong column outflanked the defences. The Imperial forces were totally routed, strong points such as Rastadt, which was occupied on the 24th, were not contested. By the 8th June the French were in Stuttgart.

Running the Gauntlet

Bernard Edwards
I really enjoyed this book, as gripping as a good novel, until it hit home how inappropriate is the word ‘enjoyed’. The men in this book are not fictional characters from some author’s imagination. This is the story of some of the brave men who did a very dangerous job many of whom died in the course of their work. Some were blown to pieces in an instant others died after many days adrift in an open boat or on a Carley float. The job those fellow merchant seamen who survived did, showing courage and skilled seamanship, was crucial to the nation’s survival.
This well researched book covers only a few of the losses to the merchant navy fleet but it is well representative of the service we should never forget.
Once started it is a difficult book to put down and we highly recommend it.

Pen & Sword Maritime, 2022