Military Power

Ok, what do you think are the top 10 most mismatched battles in military history and why? They can be where the underdog won or lost, it doesn't matter.

I think Custard's last stand was not only a definitive mismatch but one of the Army's greatest tactical failures.

On 15 May, 1876, General Custer com­manded his regiment in a campaign against the confederated Sioux tribes. The Indians were dis­covered encamped on the Little Big Horn River, in a region almost unknown. Eleven tribes, number­ing nearly 9,000, had their villages on and in the vicinity of the Little Big Horn. The government expedition consisted of 1,100 men. The strength of the enemy not being known, General Custer was ordered to take his regiment and pursue a trail. He arrived at what was supposed to be the only Indian village on 25 June, and an attack was made by a portion of the regiment numbering fewer than 200 cavalry, while General Custer, with 277 troopers, charged on the village from another direction. Overwhelming numbers met them, and General Custer, with his entire command, was slain.

From George A. Custer website

Somewhere on the list has to be the fight off Samar during the battle of Leyte Gulf when Taffy III composed of 6 escort carriers, 3 destroyers, and 4 destroyer escorts took on the IJN center force of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 11 destroyers.

Rorke's Drift (22 January-23 January 1879)-Lieutenant John Chard with 139 men of the 24th Regiment of Foot held out against some 4,000 Zulu warriors under Prince Dabulamanzi.

Battle of Long Tần (August 18–19, 1966)_-Major Harry Smith with 108 men of D Coy 6/RAR held off reperated attacks by some 2,500 Viet Cong under Nguyen Thanh Hong.

Battle of the Alamo (February 23-March 6, 1836)-Lieutenant Colonel William Travis with between 180 and 250 men held out for thirteen days against c.7,200 Mexicans under General Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón.

Battle of Camarón (30 April 1863)-Three Officers and 62 French Legionaires of 3rd company of the Foreign Regiment under Captain Jean Danjou fought to the last man against some 2,000 Mexicans under the command of a Colonel Milan.

Siege of Khartoum (March 12, 1884 to January 26, 1885)- General Charles George Gordon with some 7,000 Egyptian troops fought top the last man against some 50,000 Sudanese warriors under Muhammad Ahmad

Siege of Lucknow (May 30 – November 27, 1857) -Sir Henry Lawrence (later Colonel Inglis) with 855 British regulars, 712 Indians and 153 civilian volunteers held the residency against upwards of 8,000 Mutinous Sepoys and tribesmen.

Hill 235 (Gloster's Hill) (22 April - 25 April 1951)- Lieutenant-Colonel James P. Carne and 850 men of the 1st Battalion The Gloucester Regiment fought overwhelming numbers of the Chimese 63rd Army during the Battle of Imjin River.

Battle of Thermopylae (480 bc)-King Leonidas with 300 Spartans and c.2,000 other Greeks fought the Persian Army of Xerxes (Reputedly 150,000 strong),

Battle of Plessey (23 June 1757)- Robert Clive with just 3,200 men (two thirds of whom were Indians) defeated the Army of Siraj-ud-Dawlah, the ruler of Bengal with 50,000 men (including some French Gunners),. This battle would ensure British supremacy over the state of Bengal.