History Trivia Thread Reducks

[HisMajestyBOB]

Some more trivia: epicycles didn't fully explain the movements of the planets, either, so they added epicycles within epicycles. That also didn't work, and by the time Copernicus came around, the Ptolemaic model had gotten quite complex with a large number of epicycles.

[Viking]

Some more trivia: epicycles didn't fully explain the movements of the planets, either, so they added epicycles within epicycles. That also didn't work, and by the time Copernicus came around, the Ptolemaic model had gotten quite complex with a large number of epicycles.

More trivia. Copernicus used them himself when the real elliptical orbits of the planets observed from earth didn't fit the predictions of his circular heliocentric orbits. He called the epicyclets.

[Alatriste]

Some more trivia: epicycles didn't fully explain the movements of the planets, either, so they added epicycles within epicycles. That also didn't work, and by the time Copernicus came around, the Ptolemaic model had gotten quite complex with a large number of epicycles.

More trivia. Copernicus used them himself when the real elliptical orbits of the planets observed from earth didn't fit the predictions of his circular heliocentric orbits. He called the epicyclets.

Johannes Kepler FTW!

[Syt]

Syt can have it.

Open floor!

[Kleves]

Winfield Scott?

A bit late but: yep, you got it. Wellington avidly followed Scott's progress on a map mounted in his study. When Scott broke away from his supply lines after Vera Cruz, Wellington predicted that the Mexicans would make short work of Scott and his army. When Scott not only survived, but won a series of crushing victories and captured Mexico city, Wellington was moved to declare him the world's greatest living soldier.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Probably a softball, but here it goes:

Which country contributed the 2nd highest peak number of troops to the Vietnam war, and the 3rd highest to the 2nd Iraq war? Note that I'm looking for foreign countries, so South Vietnam and Iraq aren't counted for this.

[Syt]

Australia?

[Drakken]

Australia?

Being part of the ANZAC, that seems to make sense.

[Viking]

Probably a softball, but here it goes:

Which country contributed the 2nd highest peak number of troops to the Vietnam war, and the 3rd highest to the 2nd Iraq war? Note that I'm looking for foreign countries, so South Vietnam and Iraq aren't counted for this.

South Korea (if Australia proves to be wrong, which was my first guess).

[HisMajestyBOB]

Australia?

Nope.
That's what I had thought, too.

South Korea (if Australia proves to be wrong, which was my first guess).

That's it. 50,000 ROK Marines were sent to Vietnam to assist the Americans. From what I've read, they were quite effective, and according to my uncle who served in Vietnam with the USMC, you did not mess around with the ROK MC.

They also sent 3,200 troops to northern Iraq for peacekeeping and reconstruction. UK had ~40,000 at peak in Iraq, and Australia, 2,000.

[Viking]

During the 1860s the Royal Prussian Army was equipped with breech loading rifles. Now, despite having quick loading personal weapons with decent range the drill was to fire from the hip. Why?

[Alexandru H.]

During the 1860s the Royal Prussian Army was equipped with breech loading rifles. Now, despite having quick loading personal weapons with decent range the drill was to fire from the hip. Why?

Does it have something to do with the cavalry? I suppose horsemen would shoot like that while on horseback...

[Agelastus]

During the 1860s the Royal Prussian Army was equipped with breech loading rifles. Now, despite having quick loading personal weapons with decent range the drill was to fire from the hip. Why?

The seal on the breach was inadequate, meaning you risked losing an eye every time the rifle was fired. I believe this was a design flaw with the Dreyse needle gun.

[Viking]

During the 1860s the Royal Prussian Army was equipped with breech loading rifles. Now, despite having quick loading personal weapons with decent range the drill was to fire from the hip. Why?

The seal on the breach was inadequate, meaning you risked losing an eye every time the rifle was fired. I believe this was a design flaw with the Dreyse needle gun.

Because it used paper cartridges (iirc) the breech block seal was damaged after a few shots. So this is right. Over to you.

[Agelastus]

What was Rome's secret "anti-elephant weapon" that saw its only known use at the battle of Beneventum against Pyrrhus of Epirus?