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tuomaskoivurinne — The Last Stand
Published: 2010-09-13 10:39:02 +0000 UTC; Views: 17375; Favourites: 435; Downloads: 179
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Description
acrylics 2010,Men of the 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment were positioned on Manchester Hill near St. Quentin, when the Germans started their Kaiserschlacht in the Western Front on the March 21st 1918.
Overwhelming German forces attacked and the battalion bitterly held their positions, eventually being annihilated. Lieutenant-Colonel Elstob performed with personal bravery in the desperate situation and at one point, sent a message to Brigade that 'The Manchester Regiment will defend Manchester Hill to the last'. To his men he had said 'Here we fight, and here we die'. Many of his men did, including himself. He won the posthumous Victoria Cross.
Done for July MGWAT in the Great War Forum .
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Comments: 45
I think that many people are forgetting just how terrible the World Wars were-even in the centenary years, we're not seeing much recognition beyond the ceremonies. I think that this picture is a good reminder as to the sacrifices made-on both sides of the conflict-in World War One.
We will Remember them.
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Brave men, I believe there is a memorial for them here in Manchester
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"Sir! The Hun 'ave us surrounded...what do we do?"
"Pick a direction and keep shooting Corporal."
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May I borrow this as an illustration for my book?
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Ah! Well, it's set in an alternate history 1960, during a war between the North American Union and a Communist Controlled, Maoist backed Mexico.
If you'd like, I could send you a link to one of my chapters!
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(Whips out a trench shovel!)
youtu.be/ttw4abodSJE?t=25
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that is so totaly EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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This is a beautiful illustration- I particularly love the color choice (or lack there of) it gives it a feeling that I rarely get off of a painting.
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AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the WW1 stuff!!!!!!!
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Phenominal Picture. Well done.
RIP The Manchesters
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amazing picture....were there any survivors in the end
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Hienot yksityis kohdat ja historiallisesti tarkat aseet.
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Thanks for faving
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I'm assuming this is some sort of "Alternate history" type deal...
still quite good, all the grittiness you'd expect from trench warfare
5/5 dead huns
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Thank you, but what do you mean "alternative history type deal" ?
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Whoa, I uh, must ahve been totally out of it to forget about the battle of Manchester hill...
sorry, I was mistaken, for some reason I was thinking that was a fictional event that you were talking about in the description box.
and I call myself a historian......
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That's ok 
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amazing job!
I like the work that you put in the lights and shadows in the terrain and objects, the effect of explosions and particles... so nice.
What is its original size?
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Thanks. Original size is A3, just as most of my acrylic illustrations.
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When I am eventually a professor and brutalizing students by forcing them to "get in touch with history" by digging trenches in the middle of the football field, I'm going to have these images used to show the battlefield off. It's not at all the romanticised movie example of a narrow, neat trench dug down by eight feet with two foot high firesteps, etc.
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I think you need to add sleep deprivation, couple of 30-km backpack marches, loud and close pyrotechnic displays while they are digging the trench, shooting (at least) above their heads from concelaed position far away, couple of good (unknown) actors "dying" or "getting wounded" (I'd use real-life amputees for this like the British Army does). Oh, and at least one already dead body has to come up while digging.
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Dude, if I can get permission for it I'm going to emplace explosives to blow in craters to simulate the Germans dropping a "minenwerfer" sheaf across the position, fire blanks over their head constantly, and if I had INFINITE AWESOME FUNDING and tenure (so they can't fire me) they'd all have MILES gear (or the Saab equivalent of MILES gear) on and anybody who dies fails the course.
I have no issues "gassing" them either. Just in the middle of a lecture, scream "GAS GAS GAS" and throw a CN gas canister into the middle of the lecture hall while masking up in nine seconds or less and then banging on a hanging shell casing to sound the gas alarm.
Then cue the pyrotechnics. Flashbangs, lights go out, so on. Should be great times.
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I loved the sketch, I love the final result even more. I think it's pointless for me to give some constructive critique, as your several levels above me in skill, sheer skill
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Very atmospheric. The masses of flying debris and the low-contrast, grayness of the entire painting gives it the hazy, chaotic feel that a real battlefield would produce.
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Once again kick ass job and the drawing/details/shading and the story/history with it.
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Wonderful picture, excellent work in all aspects, congratulations!
Very intresting the episode you told,do you know if that regiment was into V british army of general Gough?
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Thank you. And correct. Since the late 19th century, the British Army "regiment" has been simply the administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions. The battalions were distributed into different brigades and divisions.
The 16th Bn Manchesters were (at this date) placed under command of 90th Brigade in 30th Division, which was in the XVIII Army Corps, in the Fifth Army.
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Thank you very much for informations.
Also the painted regiment was into that army which was almost annihilated by german forces during Operation michael and, nevertheless was in terrible numerical inferiority has been able to resist incredibly long in order that all brithish forces nearby Amiens could fall back to protect the allied conjuction with french armies led by general Foch.
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