28 April 1916: General Sir John Maxwell arrived from England with orders to crush the Rising.

At around 8 pm Padraig Pearse decided to evacuate the GPO, which was aflame and under constant bombardment. The garrison on its second attempt managed to reach Henry St but the O’Rahilly was killed leading his men in Moore St.

Pearse, Connolly, Plunkett, Clarke and MacDermott halt in a house at 16 Moore Street, where they plan to make their way through back streets to the Four Courts for last stand.

British troops kill about a dozen innocent civilians on North King St in heavy fighting.

The Battle of Ashbourne. An convoy of RIC men was ambushed by a column under Thomas Ashe. A running battle between members of the RIC and the insurgents took place, lasting five hours. The police casualties were heavy: the Meath County and District Inspectors, two sergeants and four constables were killed, and 16 constables wounded. Ashbourne barracks was captured but Volunteers Thomas Rafferty and John Crennigan lost their lives.

These daily reports of heavy fighting and resistance by a small force against a much larger one in the middle of a densely populated urban area is reminding me of Baghdad

cactus flower wrote:

These daily reports of heavy fighting and resistance by a small force against a much larger one in the middle of a densely populated urban area is reminding me of Baghdad

Fighting in urban areas works in favour of the defenders and modern conventional thinking would favour cutting off a major city rather than trying to take it by assault. Baghdad in 2003 though was virtually an open city for the Americans to enter at will.

It was only afterwards that the Occupation turned sour.

In 1916 the Insurgents only made a partial seizure and the British Military had enough on the ground information within 24 hours to know that they could crush the Rising.

It might well ahve been a different story if there had been a full turnout of Volunteers on Easter Sunday...

One of Irish History's great 'Ifs'!

Brandubh wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

These daily reports of heavy fighting and resistance by a small force against a much larger one in the middle of a densely populated urban area is reminding me of Baghdad

Fighting in urban areas works in favour of the defenders and modern conventional thinking would favour cutting off a major city rather than trying to take it by assault. Baghdad in 2003 though was virtually an open city for the Americans to enter at will.

It was only afterwards that the Occupation turned sour.

In 1916 the Insurgents only made a partial seizure and the British Military had enough on the ground information within 24 hours to know that they could crush the Rising.

It might well ahve been a different story if there had been a full turnout of Volunteers on Easter Sunday...

One of Irish History's great 'Ifs'!

I agree with you about towns being defended: look at Stalingrad.
I was thinking of the fighting that has taken place in Iraq since the occupation was complete. I think that is more comparable.