Military victories against the odds

Throughout history, in various wars and conflicts, there have been a number of historic victories won by a smaller force, against a larger foe. Conditions and situations for these sorts of military victories against the odds have been numerous. Some victories have been pivotal to the conflict they were part of, or provided inspiration for the other forces. In many cases, because of the heroic and remarkable nature of the victories, the events have become famous in that culture. In many cases, they have lifted morale of the forces, and been remembered many years, if not hundreds of years later, by that culture or historians.

Situational conditions for military victories against the odds
There are often similar factors involved that contributed to victories by a force that is in the minority, in terms of numbers. Sometimes military victories against the odds are achieved because the larger force is caught unexpectedly, where the smaller force has surprised the larger force giving it an advantage. In some cases, complacency is a factor - the larger force is unprepared for a serious battle because of their distinct size advantage, underestimatig. This was the case at Battle of Okehazama where the larger force was so confident, they had started drinking in the encampment, when the smaller force attacked. In some cases, either by luck or good management, the smaller force killed the leader and the larger force broke upon the bread down of the chain of command. This was the case at the Battle of Galveston and the Battle of Okehazama where both leaders were killed and the remaining forces, while still larger, left the combat.

In some cases, the soldiers in the minority, while fighting a larger force, were simply better trained or had better morale. This was the case at the Battle of Lacolle Mills (1814) where the British regulars, well trained and with good morale, charged less well trained US troops, and forced them to flee, even though outnumbered 12 to 1. In some cases, subterfuge was used. In WW2, a group of just 5 Germans under the command of Fritz Klingenberg, fought Garrison troops and captured the city of Belgrade with thousands of troops in it, by pretending to be an entire army.

Famous military victories against the odds
There have been numerous famous victories against the odds, in various conflicts throughout history. In some cases, the odds were particularly unfavourable.

Battle of Lacolle Mills (1814)
The battle of Lacolle Mills (aka the second battle of Lacole Mills), occurring on 30 March 1814 during the War of 1812, saw just 80 British 13th Regiment of Foot (later reinforced), in combat with a much larger force of 4000 US troops (who were also armed with artillery). Being bombarded by artillery from the US forces, the leader of the British forces, Richard Handcock initially only had 80 British regulars entrenched in the Lacolle Mill against the overwhelming force. Desperate, and running low on ammunition, Handcock's 80 men fixed bayonets and charged the US artillery, but was pushed back because of the overwhelming numbers. However, a French Canadian force of 400 in the area, hearing the gunfire, came to Handcock's aid. With the new men, Handcock again fixed bayonets and charged the artillery position, this time overwhelming them. The US troops, 4000 strong, fled the battlefield against the British/Canadian forces who only numbered some 500 in total. Major General James Wilkinson, the US commander, was subsequently relieved of command.

Battle of Brownstown
In the war of 1812, 24 native Americans attacked 200 US troops. The US Troops, seeing the small number of attacking troops, broke and ran. The Indians achieved the military victory against the odds, even though they were outnumbered 8 to 1.

Battle of Gate Pa
Battle of Gate Pā on 29 April 1864, battle saw a larger, better armed group of British regulars attacking Maori warriors in New Zealand. The British commander, with 1700 men, attacked a group of 400 Maori. The Maori, through subterfuge and successful ambush techniques, beat the British, resulting in 31 British being killed and 80 wounded, and then left the area.

Rorke's Drift
This, possibly one of the most famous unlikely victories, saw just over 150 British and colonial troops successfully defend a farmhouse against an intense assault by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors in 1879. The massive but piecemeal Zulu attacks on Rorke's Drift came very close to defeating the much smaller garrison. After repeated attacks, the Zulus saluted the bravery of the British and left the field. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the combatants, it was the largest amount of Victoria cross medals awarded by the British Government at any one battle.

Agincourt
The Medieval Battle of Agincourt saw 3000 English Bowman be victorious over an overwhelming superior French army of 30,000, using a combination of tactics and the Missile superiority of the longbow. Henry V led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. When the archers ran out of arrows, they dropped their bows and using hatchets, swords and the mallets they had used to drive their stakes in, attacked the now disordered, fatigued and wounded French men-at-arms massed in front of them. The French could not cope with the thousands of lightly armoured longbowmen assailants combined with the English men-at-arms. The impact of the arrows, combined with the slog in heavy armour through the mud, the heat and lack of oxygen in plate armour with the visor down, and the crush of their numbers meant the French men-at-arms could "scarcely lift their weapons" when they finally engaged the English line. The exhausted French men-at-arms are described as being knocked to the ground by the English and then unable to get back up. Henry V's victory at Agincourt, against a numerically superior French army, crippled France and started a new period in the war during which Henry V married the French princess Catherine, and their son, Henry, was made heir to the throne of France as well as of England. The battle saw the death of between 6000 and 9000 French troops.

Capture of Belgrade by Fritz Klingenberg
During World War II Fritz Klingenberg, leading a reconnitoring patrol into Belgrade, sneaked into the city through enemy lines with just 6 men. The Yugoslav Army had thousands of men stationed in the capital, having retreated to the city from the countryside in order to make a defence against the invading German army. After a number of firefights with Yugoslav troops, Klingenberg made his way to the centre of the city. Using captured trucks, and parading captured Yugoslav troops, he presented himself to the Mayor, pretending to be a larger force. The Mayor surrendered to his forces, at which point Klingenberg gathered a number of German flags from the embassy and ran them up various flagpoles in the city. The Yugoslav troops gave up, believing that there had been a general surrender. Shortly, another smaller force of 15 Germans came into the city, and started also pretending to be a larger group, by driving captured vehicles repeatedly around the city so as to appear to be greater in number. Some time later, the actual German Army arrived at the outskirts of the city, expecting to have to fight their way into the city (which had a substantial troop presence), they for a while refused to believe the city had been captured by Klingenberg. Belgrade was then fully occupied by the German Army later the same month and Belgrade became the seat of the puppet Nedić regime, headed by General Milan Nedić. Klingenberg was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for the capture of the city.