History Archives - Page 2 of 5

Facts About the BRB Canal: Lahore’s First Line of Defence

February 23, 2019 By admin 6 Comments

BRB canal is a long canal running through Lahore, Pakistan. The canal runs along the eastern boundary of Lahore near the border with India. Historically, the canal has significant importance, especially during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

Facts About the BRB Canal:

BRB is short for Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian.
The canal is about 72km long in length with a depth that varies between 14-18 feet.
The water in BRB flows with relatively much greater speed than the rest of the canals in the city. Because of this, it’s banned to swim at some places in the canal. There have been incidents of people drowning in the canal because of the fast flowing water.
It was built in 1948 voluntarily by the citizens of Lahore on the request of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan.
The canal was built as a natural line of defence in case of an attack from india.
It is located only 2km away from Pakistan’s border with India.
Several bridges were also built over the BRB to allow movement across it.
The canal is also known as the Ichogil Canal.
During the Indo-Pak war of 1965, Pakistan Army destroyed almost all bridges across the canal. The Army stood guard on the remaining bridges to defend against attacks from the Indian Army.
Major Aziz Bhatti, A Pakistani war hero, died fighting near the canal. He was awarded Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military honor of Pakistan.
The BRB was part of a major battlefield during the war in which Pakistani forces were successfully able to defend Lahore from an Indian invasion.
Several stories of the war have been associated with the BRB.

Although, the canal has not much strategic importance in present times, it’s still remembered for the significant role it played during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

Facts And Info on German Flying Ace Max Immelmann

February 23, 2019 By admin 1 Comment

Known as the Eagle of Lille, Max Immelmann was a Leutnant(Lieutenant) in the German Airforce. He was one of the first German flying aces. Immelman is credited with shooting down at least 15 enemy war planes during World War I.

Leutnant Max Immelmann was born on 21 September 1890 to an industrialist father. His father died when Max was only 7 years old. Max joined the army in 1905 but left in 1912 to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. However, after the start of World War I he joined the military again as an aviator.

Facts about Leutnant Immelman:

He scored his first aerial victory on 1st August 1915 after shooting down a british aircraft. The British plane piloted by Lieutenant William Reid of the RAF, crash landed into German territory. Immelmann noticed this and landed near Reid. He then got out of his plane and went and shook hands with Reid. He then gave Reid first aid and took him prisoner.
In June 1915 Immelmann was shot down by a French pilot. He was able to crash land the plane safely. The Germans awarded him with the ‘Iron Cross’ military medal for saving his plane.
He flew the Fokker Eindecker aircraft, which was the first fighter plane Germany ever built.
Max was also awarded the Pour le Mérite, the highest German Military award after he scored his 8th aerial victory. The medal was nicknamed the ‘Blue Max’ by his German comrades as a way of honoring Max Immelmann.
Fellow pilot and German flying ace, Leutnant Oswald Boelcke was Immelmann’s friend and also his main rival in scoring aerial victories for Germany.
He was known as the Eagle of Lille because he was the sole pilot responsible for defending the city of Lille during the war.
Immelmann was an introvert by nature.
He also had a pet dog, a grey German Mastiff named Tyras.
The present German Airforce has nicknamed one of their active squadrons (AG-51 Squadron) as the ‘Immelmann Squadron’.

Death:

Leutnant Immelmann died on 18th June 1916 when his plane crashed after being shot down over the village of Sallaumines by a British fighter. However, there have been disputes over these claims by the Germans. Many Believe he crashed because of an aircraft failure. Some experts say, that given the technical problems faced by the Fokker warplanes at the time, it is quite possible that Immelmann crashed because of aircraft malfunction.

Max Immelmann in the cockpit of his Fokker. (~1915)

Timeline of Immelmann’s Aerial Victories:

1 August 1915
9 September 1915
21 September 1915
10 October 1915
26 October 1915
7 November 1915
15 December 1915
12 January 1916
2 March 1916
13 March 1916
13 March 1916
29 March 1916
30 March 1916
23 April 1916
16 May 1916
18 June 1916 (Unconfirmed Aerial Victory)

Tsar Bomba Facts: Most Powerful Bomb Ever Detonated

February 21, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

After the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became the two major super powers. Both countries remained in a constant arms race until the end of the Cold War. During this period, both nations rapidly modernized and developed new weapons, especially atomic bombs.

The ‘Tsar Bomba’ is just one of these examples. Originally known as the RDS-220 project, Tsar Bomba was a hydrogen bomb that was tested by the Soviets on 30th October 1961. The bomb is the most powerful explosive ever detonated. It was originally designed to have a yield equal to 100 megatons of TNT, but to reduce the amount of nuclear fallout, the design was slightly modified to decrease the overall energy yield of the bomb by half. Another reason to do this was to increase the survival chances of the pilots that were going to drop the bomb in the testing area.

Model of the “Tsar Bomba” in the Sarov atomic bomb museum. (Russia)
Author: Croquant / (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Some interesting and shocking facts about the Tsar Bomb:

The prototype of the bomb that was detonated, had an energy yield of 50 megatons.
The bomb was developed from 1954-1961.
Tsar Bomba had a length of 8m and a diameter of about 2.1m.
The bomb weighed about 27000kg.
It had about 10 times more energy than all of the non-nuclear explosives used in World War II.
It was 1570 times more powerful than the combined power of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs.
Also, the bomb is estimated to have about 10% of the combined energy yield of all the nuclear tests done to date.
The bomb was dropped from a modified Soviet Tu-95 bomber aircraft.
The aircraft was redesigned so that it could carry the massive bomb.
The pilots were given a 50% chance of survival.
There was a chance of them crashing or getting burnt by the heat and shockwave produced by the blast.
The bomb was dropped by the Tu-95 and it detonated mid-air over the Sukhoy Nos island, a Russian nuclear testing site. On the return flight, about 35km away from the test area, the Tu-95 dropped from the blast shockwaves. The pilot, however, was able to gain control of the aircraft. Both aircrafts, the Tu-95 and the Tu-16 which was tasked with taking pictures, were able to return safely.
The bomb explosion produced a fireball that was about 8km wide and 10.5km in height.
The mushroom cloud produced by the bomb was about 67km high.
The mushroom cloud had a peak width of 95km and a base width of 40km.
The heat of the explosion was so severe that it could’ve caused third degree burns to anyone within 100km.
Nearby uninhabited villages were completely destroyed by the bomb.
The bomb produced shockwaves equivalent to a 5-5.25 magnitude earthquake.
Windows of buildings located upto 900km away broke as a result of the shockwaves.
Reportedly, no one died from the explosion as it was conducted in a very remote area with no population at all.

The Tsar Bomb was developed as a weapon that could cause unimaginable and devastating damage. Looking at its power, it should be a reminder to us about how deadly nuclear weapons can be. Countries that possess nuclear bombs should realize about the destruction nuclear weapons can cause. Especially India and Pakistan, who have already fought 3 wars with each other and are frequently escalating things between themselves. All countries possessing nuclear weapons should opt for disarmament

Abu Nasr Al-Farabi: Facts and Information

February 20, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

One of the earliest Islamic philosophers who brought the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle to the attention of the Muslim world was Abu Nasr Al-Farabi. An outstanding linguist and scientist, Al-Farabi not only translated the works of Aristotle and Plato from the original Greek, he also contributed his own thoughts and beliefs to these works. Nicknamed Mallim-e-Sani, which means “Second Master” or “Second Teacher” many future Islamic philosophers including Avicenna were influenced by his teachings.

His Early Life:

Al-Farabi began his education at Farab and continued it at Bukhara before moving to Baghdad to complete his higher studies. During this period in his life he mastered several languages.He also became knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects including technology. His major subjects were philosophy,logic and sociology for which he became known later in life as an encyclopedist.

His Contributions and Achievements:

Al-Farabi was the first philosopher to separate philosophy from technology. Both Muslim and Christian philosophers dating back to the Middle Ages were influenced by his views. He was a strong believer that the world was created by a Supreme Being who was able to exercise balanced intelligence and he firmly believed all human beings possess this immortal rational facility, they just have to be taught how to develop it. His ultimate goal was to achieve this. He was far more dedicated to political theory than any other Islamic philosopher.

In the later stages of his life Al-Farabi set down the qualities he believed a ruler should possess. He felt the ruler should have the right attitude to rule and maintain the high standards expected of a ruler.
Central to his political philosophy was the concept that people who co-operate to find contentment gain ultimate happiness.

Al-Farabi wrote a number of books on early Muslim sociology and one of his most notable books is ‘Kitab al-Musiqa’ (The Book of Music). It is a theoretical study on Persian music although in the Western world it appeared as a book on Arab music. He also invented several musical instruments and contributed his knowledge to musical notes.A talented musician himself he could make his audience laugh or cry when playing his instrument. He also a wrote a pamphlet named the ‘Meanings of the Intellect’. The subject of this pamphlet was music therapy. Al-Farabi stressed about the therapeutic effects music has on the soul.

Al-Farabi in Later Life

All through his life he traveled a lot, picking up different experiences on the way and he is still remembered in a number of countries for the valuable contributions he made to science and philosophy. He was a bachelor and faced many hardships in his life but that never stopped his dedication to work and he is known to have been one of the most popular scientists in history. Many mourned his death at the age of 80 in Damascus in 339AH/950 AD.

10 Facts Abu Nasr Al-Farabi Will be Remembered For.

One of the earliest Islamic intellectuals to teach the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle to the Muslim world.
A great example to philosophers and intellectuals and admired by both Muslim and Christian philosophers
An outstanding linguist and an encyclopedist in his work.
The first philosopher to separate philosophy from technology.
More dedicated to political theory than any other Islamic philosopher.
A firm believer that the concept of happiness is achieved by people who co-operate to gain contentment.
Always stressed the importance of knowledge in his work.
An expert in music,he also invented several musical instruments.
A talented musician himself he could make people laugh or cry when he played his instrument.
An avid traveler he was mourned around the world when he died in Damascus aged 80.

Facts About Lydia Litvyak: Female Figher Ace

February 18, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak is one of, if not the most famous female fighter pilots in history. During World War II she was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force. Over a period of around two years in active missions she became the first female pilot to shoot down an enemy plane.She’s the first female pilot to earn the title ‘fighter ace’. Lydia also holds the record for the greatest number of kills by any female fighter pilot.

Here are some interesting facts about Lydia Litvyak and her military career:

Lydia Litvyak completed over 66 combat missions, recording at least 12 solo kills and 4 shared kills.
On 13th September 1942 three days after arriving in the 437th regiment, Lydia Litvyak made her first two kills. This day made her the very first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy plane.
During the summer of 1942 she flew her first official combat flights. She was part of the men’s regiment 437 IAP in Stalingrad.
In Soviet press releases she was referred to as the ‘White Lily of Stalingrad’, later referred to as ‘White Rose of Stalingrad’ in English publicized reports.
Born on August 18th, 1921 into a Jewish family Lydia Litvyak became interested in aviation at the young age of 14.
At only 15 years old she performed her first solo flight. She later graduated and became a flight instructor at Kalinin Air-club and went on to train 45 pilots before the war started.
After the Soviet Union came under attack from Germany in June of 1941, Lydia Litvyak attempted to join an aviation branch of the military but was turned away due to lack of flight hours. She soon re-applied through a different base and exaggerated her flight experience to ensure she was accepted.
She also fought for the all-female 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment which was founded by the famous Marina Raskova.
On February 23rd 1943, Lydia Litvyak was awarded the Order of the Red Star, a military medal issued in recognition of bravery. She was promoted to junior lieutenant and selected as part of an elite air tactic team called ‘okhotniki’.
Lydia Litvyak was attacked and shot down by German planes during the Battle of Kursk on August 1st, 1943. She was returning to base near Orel when two Bf109 German fighter planes ambushed her. A fellow pilot nearby at the time saw them all disappear into the clouds, but she never returned.
A search party later looked for the remains of Lydia Litvyak. Assisted by volunteers and the media, for over thee years the area believed to be where she crashed was throughly searched. In 1979, after recovering numerous remains from the area the search party found the remains of a female pilot buried in a near by village.

Although Lydia Litvyak died at just 21 years old, her accomplishments have cemented her legacy as one of the most well known female fighter pilots in history.

Her story has been fictionalised in novels, using her character and experiences as a base for romantic war time stories. Also, a stage play portraying Lydia Litvyak’s character and political thoughts was first performed in 1985 at the Edinburgh festival, and a newer production as recently as early 2013 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Facts About Attock Fort

February 17, 2019 By admin 4 Comments

Attock Fort was raised in 1581 over a period of 2 years and 2 months under the supervision of Khawaja Shams-ud-din on the directive of the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar. The main purpose of Attock was to guard the passage through the Indus River and defend the Mughal lands from Afghan invasions.

The fort was a military garrison on the western frontiers of the Mughal Empire. It remained under Mughal control up until the end of the 18th century. In 1812 the fort was captured by the Sikhs. It eventually came into British control in 1846. Under British rule the fort defenses were upgraded and it became much stronger. It remained under their control until the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

The fort has 4 gates, namely the Delhi Gate, Mori Gate, Lahori Gate and Kabuli Gate. Delhi Gate is in the center of the fort and links the upper and lower parts of the fort. Mori Gate is the entry point to the upper fort in the east. Lahori Gate is an entry point to the lower part of the fort in the south. The Kabuli Gate is the fort’s gate in the south-east part.

Some Facts About the Fort:

The fort is an example of Mughal Architecture and was built from 1581-1583.
It played a crucial role during the Afghan-Sikh wars, especially during the Battle of Attock.
Attock Fort is about 80km away from the city of Islamabad.
The parameter wall of the fort stretches over 1600m.
The fort is accessible by the Grand Trunk Road and through a bridge from Peshawar.
In 1947 after Pakistan’s creation, the fort became the headquarters of the 7th Division of the Pakistan Army.
In 1956, the fort was handed over to the 3rd Commando battalion of the Special Service Group(SSG) called ‘Powindhas’. SSG are the special operations force of the Pakistan Army.
The fort was handed over to the 1 Commando ‘Yaldram’ battalion of SSG in 1996.
The Yaldram battalion remained at the fort until 1st April 2012 when it was handed over to the 6 Commando or the ‘Al-Samsaam’ battalion of SSG.
The Fort remains under the control of the Special Service Group(SSG) of the Pakistan Army.
Apart from this, the fort is also quite famous for being the place where Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was imprisoned after the military coup by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.
As the fort is a military base, it’s closed to visitors in general. Any unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the base.