Minden News #22: Remember Minden

[Deathstar]

Issue #22: With a Musket on his Shoulder and Roses in his Hair

History Lesson! Whether you have been with us for a long time of you only recently joined up, you may or may not have heard little bits of history about the actual British regiment we chose to be our namesake. One name you will hear being mentioned a lot is Minden, though this is not a name but rather a city. A humble city at that, with just over 80.000 inhabitants and situated west of Hanover, Germany. In 1759 however, its outskirts became a battlefield for one of the most decisive clashes of the Seven Years' War. This war saw the alliance of Great Britain, including Portugal, Prussia and Hanover fight against the then Kingdom of France under Louis XV, with Austria, Russia, Spain and Sweden on their side. Like many other wars involving European great powers, the Seven Years' War was caused by rising tensions over territorial claims and the following cascade of alliances. Much of this would later be mirrored in the Napoleonic Wars. Come, and stay for a while we tell you the Story of Minden. The Battle of Minden took place during the height of this conflict, following a repeated back-and-forth struggle for Hanover. The engagement ended in a victory for Great Britain and their German allies, which was a surprising result for all sides. Outnumbered in manpower and faced with the formidable threat of the French cavalry on the open field, Team Anglo-Germany had to be cautious. Indeed, the French made good use of their cavalry, launching it into continuous charges while protecting it in the crossfire of their own artillery. The battle was not going well for the Brits and they signaled for retreat, though this order was famously mistaken for a fire and advance straight into the French horsemen. The British brigade, including the 51st marched onward, not fazed by musket or cannon fire, pausing only to deliver volleys of their own. The fact that morale did not break despite the fierce barrage took the French by surprise and caused them to rout from the battlefield. The iron will and guts displayed by the regiments who were part of the fearless advance immortalised them within history. After the battle, they took the title of Minden to commemorate their valour. Minden Day is celebrated by the successors of these historical regiments to this day, every year on August 1st - The day of the Battle of Minden. Soldiers wear roses in their hats to pay homage to the soldiers who picked roses in the Dutch and German lowlands that reminded them of home and wore them on their shakos, or so the story goes. Well, after that trip to memory lane, let us take a look at this week's going-ons. As per usual, we have events on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 20:00 CEST, with possibly further regional events such as the Friday Linebattle. Make sure you are part of our Steam Community group, where you will receive timely notifications on any and all events happening! Thank you very much indeed for reading another issue of the Minden News™, this time with fewer news and more educational content! If you would like to hear the Minden tale retold authentically, just ask Stalker for story time!

[Mark]

I ‘member.

[Refleax]

Storytime! I member'.

[Walki]

I actually didn't know the fact about the wrong signal being given.

[OriginalHobo]

If I recall, 3 RIFLES and 5 RIFLES (Mechanised and Armoured, respectively) are the two modern-day battalions in the British Army that succeed the 51st Regiment of Foot, and so carry their titles and awards.

If anyone cares to know

[Tinez]

If I recall, 3 RIFLES and 5 RIFLES (Mechanised and Armoured, respectively) are the two modern-day battalions in the British Army that succeed the 51st Regiment of Foot, and so carry their titles and awards.

If anyone cares to know

Cool man, thanks for sharing that info 

[Tommycakes]

I membrane

[Jamster]

If I recall, 3 RIFLES and 5 RIFLES (Mechanised and Armoured, respectively) are the two modern-day battalions in the British Army that succeed the 51st Regiment of Foot, and so carry their titles and awards.

If anyone cares to know

On the wiki there's a table to show mergers of regiments up to what currently is 'The Rifles'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rifles

[OriginalHobo]

If I recall, 3 RIFLES and 5 RIFLES (Mechanised and Armoured, respectively) are the two modern-day battalions in the British Army that succeed the 51st Regiment of Foot, and so carry their titles and awards.

If anyone cares to know

On the wiki there's a table to show mergers of regiments up to what currently is 'The Rifles'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rifles

I haven't seen that before. It's really nice, very succinct.