Today in Military History July 23

July 23 1319  A Knights Hospitaller fleet scores a crushing victory over an Aydinid fleet off Chios.

July 23 1677  Scanian War: Denmark–Norway captures the harbor town of Marstrand from Sweden.

July 23 1793  Kingdom of Prussia re-conquers Mainz from France.

July 23 1862  American Civil War: Henry Halleck takes command of the Union Army.

July 23 1916 For his actions this day the then second lieutenant  Arthur Blackburn received the Victoria Cross

For most conspicuous bravery. He was directed with fifty men to drive the enemy from a strong point. By dogged determination he eventually captured their trench after personally leading four separate parties of bombers against it, many of whom became casualties. In the face of fierce opposition he captured 250 yards of trench. Then, after crawling forward with a Serjeant to reconnoitre, he returned, attacked and seized another 120 yards of trench, establishing communication with the battalion on his left.

— The London Gazette, 8 September 1916

July 23 1916  For his actions this day Private John Leak received the Victoria Cross

For most conspicuous bravery. He was one of a party which finally captured an enemy strong point. At one assault, when the enemy's bombs were outranging ours, Private Leak jumped out of the trench, ran forward under heavy machine-gun fire, and threw three bombs into the enemy's bombing post. He then jumped into the post and bayoneted three unwounded enemy bombers. Later, when the enemy in overwhelming numbers was driving his party back, he was always the last to withdraw at each stage, and kept on throwing bombs. His courage and energy had such an effect on the enemy that, on the arrival of reinforcements, the whole trench was recaptured.

— The London Gazette, September 1916

July 23 1942  World War II: The German offensives Operation Edelweiss and Operation Braunschweig begin.

July 23 1943  World War II: The British destroyers HMS Eclipse and HMS Laforey sink the Italian submarine Ascianghi in the Mediterranean after she torpedoes the cruiser HMS Newfoundland.

July 23 1962 The Geneva Conference on Laos forbids the United States to invade eastern Laos

More from Wikipedia

July 23 1974  The Greek military junta collapses, and former Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis is invited to lead the new government, beginning Greece's metapolitefsi era.