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[[File:Scene of the Battle of the Thermopylae.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An illustration of the [[Battle of Thermopylae]] by John Steeple Davis.]]
A [[last stand]] is a military situation on which a normally-small defensive force holds a position against a more powerful opposing military force.

The defending force usually takes heavy casualties. That can take the form of a [[rearguard]] action, holding a defensible location, or simply refusing to give up a position. A last stand is a last-resort tactic that is used if retreat or surrender is impossible or fighting is essential to the success of the cause. The defending force is most likely defeated, but it sometimes survives long enough for reinforcements to arrive that force the [[withdrawal (military)|retreat]] of the attackers; it can even occasionally force the enemy away by itself.

At various times in history, last stands have ended with a defeat in the strict immediate military sense, but they have become [[moral victory|moral victories]] by creating a heroic myth, which can be a great political asset to the cause for which the last stand had been fought.

== {{Anchor|List of land-based last stands}}Land-based last stands ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Year
!Defenders
!Attackers
!Description
!Outcome
|-
|[[Battle of Thermopylae]]
|480&nbsp;BC
|[[Greek city-states]]
|[[Achaemenid Empire]]
|A force of 7,000 allied Greek soldiers blocked the pass of [[Thermopylae]] from the invading Persian army numbering between 70,000 and 300,000 soldiers. The Greek defenders held their position for at least three days before being overrun. The battle has since become a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Greek and Persian Wars 500–323&nbsp;B.C.|last = Cassin-Scott|first = Jack|publisher = Osprey|year = 1977|isbn = 978-0-85045-271-6|page = 11}}</ref>
|Persian victory
|-
|[[Battle of the Persian Gate]]
|330&nbsp;BC
|[[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]]
|[[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Kingdom of Macedon]] ([[League of Corinth]])
|A Persian force under [[Ariobarzanes (satrap of Persis)|Ariobarzanes]] held [[Alexander the Great]] and his hand-picked, 17,000-strong force back for a month behind the narrow pass reaching [[Persepolis]] before being attacked in a [[pincer movement]]. The Persians, who were unarmed at this time, fought to death.
|Macedonian victory
|-
|[[Battle of Gaixia]] (last stand at the Wu River)
|202&nbsp;BC
|[[Western Chu|Xiang Yu's Forces]] (Western Chu)
|[[Han Dynasty|Liu Bang's Forces]] (Han)
|After his defeat at the Battle of Gaixia, [[Xiang Yu]] was chased by [[Liu Bang]]'s elite cavalry to the Wu River, where he made his last stand with the last 28 of his loyal soldiers. They killed hundreds of Han soldiers, but after being seriously wounded, Xiang committed suicide by cutting his throat.
|Han victory
|-
|[[Siege of Numantia]]
|133&nbsp;BC
|[[Celtiberians]]
|[[Roman Republic]]
|The Roman consul [[Scipio Aemilianus]] with an army of 20,000 Roman legionaries plus 40,000 allies and mercenary troops, surrounded the city of [[Numantia]] during the Roman conquest of the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. Scipio's army constructed a wall around the city, created an artificial lake between that wall and the city walls, and erected several 10 feet towers from which archers could shoot into Numantia. The Romans asked for the full surrender of the Celtiberians. The inhabitants of Numantia refused to surrender and decided to die free rather than becoming slaves. Little by little the Numantians succumbed either from starvation, Roman arrows, or mass suicide. Overall the siege lasted between 8 and 16 months (depending on the sources) and ended with the burning and complete destruction of the city.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/siege-numantia-scipio-shows-young-marius-run-legion.html/2|title=The Siege of Numantia: Scipio Shows Young Marius How to Run a Legion – Page 2 of 2|last=Mclaughlin|first=William|date=2016-05-04|work=WAR HISTORY ONLINE|access-date=2017-07-09|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Campbell|first=Duncan B.|author-link=Duncan B. Campbell|title=The siege of Numantia: how Scipio Aemilianus conquered the bravest of all cities|url=https://www.academia.edu/987374|magazine=Ancient Warfare|pages=28–31|language=en}}</ref>
|Roman victory and culmination of the [[Numantine War]] and the [[Celtiberian Wars]].
|-
|[[Battle of Lauro]]
|45 BC
|[[Gnaeus Pompeius (son of Pompey the Great)|Pompeians]]
|[[Julius Caesar|Caesarians]]
|After being defeated during the [[Battle of Munda]], [[Gnaeus Pompeius (son of Pompey the Great)|Gnaeus Pompeius the Younger]] unsuccessfully attempted to escape the Caesarian forces that pursued him and his remaining followers. Eventually, the Pompeians were cornered and surrounded near Lauro. After one last breakout attempt that allowed some of his forces to escape, Gnaeus Pompeius (who was heavily wounded) and the remaining Pompeian defenders mostly fought to the death against the Caesarians.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Spanish_War|title=The Spanish War|last=Caesar|first=Julius}}</ref>
|Caesarian victory, death of [[Gnaeus Pompeius (son of Pompey the Great)|Gnaeus Pompeius the Younger]]
|-
|[[Siege of Masada]]
|74 AD
|Jewish [[Sicarii]] Rebels
|[[Roman Empire]]
|One of the final events in the [[First Jewish–Roman War]], occurring at the hilltop fortress of Masada in current-day [[Israel]], near the [[Dead Sea]]. The lengthy siege by [[Roman Empire]] troops culminated in the Roman legion surrounding Masada and constructing a siege ramp against the western face of the plateau, moving thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth over several months. Upon reaching the fortress, the Romans discovered that all 960 rebels had committed suicide. The siege of Masada is often revered in modern Israel as "a symbol of Jewish heroism".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zionism-israel.com/dic/Massada.htm|title=Massada|website=www.zionism-israel.com|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
|Roman victory
|-
|[[Battle of Karbala]]<br />
|680&nbsp;AD
|[[Husayn ibn Ali|Husayn]] of [[Banu Hashim]] and his [[Shia]]
|[[Umayyad Caliphate]]
|The Battle of Karbala took place on [[Muharram]] 10, in the year 61 [[Hijri year|AH]] of the [[Islamic calendar]] (October 10, 680 AD) in [[Karbala]], in present-day [[Iraq]]. The battle took place between a small group of supporters and relatives of [[Muhammad]]'s grandson, [[Husayn ibn Ali]] numbering 72 and a larger military detachment from the forces of [[Yazid I]], the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad]] [[caliph]], numbering 30,000.
|Umayyad victory
|-
|[[Siege of Mecca (692)]]
|692&nbsp;AD
|[[Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr]]'s caliphate
|[[Umayyad Caliphate]]
|In 692 the armies of the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] besieged [[Mecca]] to put an end to the rival caliphate of [[Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr]]. After six months of brutal fighting, with over 10,000 men including two of his sons having defected to the Umayyads, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and his remaining loyal followers made a last stand at the [[Kaaba]], where they fought to the death.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&q=sack+of+mecca&pg=PA647|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O|last=Jaques|first=Tony|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1993|isbn=9780313335389|page=647}}</ref>
|Umayyad victory
|-
|[[Battle of Roncevaux Pass]]
|778&nbsp;AD
|[[Franks]]
|[[Basques]]
|A large force of Basques ambushed [[Charlemagne]]'s army. To escape, Charlemagne assigned a rearguard to delay the Basques until the Franks could retreat. The rearguard action was successful, but all of the soldiers who took part in it were killed.<ref>{{cite web|title = Charlemagne: Battle of Roncevaux Pass|url = http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/roncevaux.htm|website = About.com Education|accessdate = 2016-02-06|archive-date = 2015-12-24|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151224163706/http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/roncevaux.htm|url-status = dead}}</ref> The battle is the subject of the ''[[Song of Roland]]''.
|Basque victory
|-
|[[Battle of Stamford Bridge]]
|1066
|[[File:Blason Norvège.svg|20px]] [[Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)]]
|{{flag|Kingdom of England|1066}}
|The battle was part of the [[Norse activity in the British Isles|Viking invasion of England]]. The battle took place near the town of [[Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire|Stamford Bridge]]. A force of 9,000 [[Vikings]] were opposed by ~15,000 English soldiers who achieved a decisive victory after extremely heavy fighting.<ref>{{cite web|title = The Battle of Stamford Bridge|url = http://geoffboxell.tripod.com/stamford.htm|website = geoffboxell.tripod.com|accessdate = 2016-02-06}}</ref>
|[[Decisive victory|Decisive]] English victory
|-
|[[Siege of Antioch]]
|1097
|{{ubl|
*[[Seljuk Empire]]
*[[Antioch|Emirate of Antioch]]
*[[List of rulers of Damascus#Seljuq emirs|Emirate of Damascus]]
*[[Homs|Emirate of Homs]]
*[[List of rulers of Aleppo#Seljuq Dynasty|Sultanate of Aleppo]]
*[[Mosul|Emirate of Mosul]]
*Various other [[emirate]]s}}
|{{flagdeco|Knights Templar}} [[Crusaders]]
{{flag|Byzantine Empire}}
|The siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098, on the crusaders' way to Jerusalem through Syria. Eventually, after heavy fighting, the crusaders took the city.
|Crusader victory
|-
|[[Battle of Durbe]]
|1260
|[[Samogitia]]ns
|{{ubl|
*[[Livonian Order]]
*[[Teutonic Knights]] 
*[[Swedish people|Swedes]]
*[[Danish people|Danes]]
*[[Old Prussians]]}}
|The Battle of Durbe was a medieval [[battle]] fought near [[Durbe]], in present-day [[Latvia]] during the [[Livonian Crusade]]. On 13 July 1260, the [[Samogitians]] soundly defeated the joint forces of the [[Teutonic Knights]] from [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] and [[Livonian Order]] from [[Livonia]].
|Samogitian victory
|-

|Siege of [[Pilėnai]]
|1336
|{{flag|Grand Duchy of Lithuania}}
|[[Teutonic Order]]
|Attacked by a large Teutonic force, the fortress, commanded by Duke [[Margiris]], tried in vain to organize a defense against the larger and stronger invader. Losing hope, the defenders decided to burn their property and commit [[mass suicide]] to deprive the Order from prisoners and loot by setting the wooden castle aflame. 
|Teutonic victory

|-

|[[Fall of Tenochtitlan]]
|1521
|{{flag|Aztec Empire|size=26px}}
|{{flagicon|ESP|1506}} [[New Spain]]
|The Fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the [[Aztec Empire]], was a decisive event in the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire]]. It occurred in 1521 following extensive manipulation of local factions and exploitation of pre-existing divisions by Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Hernán Cortés]], who was aided by the support of his indigenous allies and his [[interpreter]] and companion [[La Malinche]].
|Decisive Spanish victory
|-
|[[Stand of the Swiss Guard]]
|1527
|{{flag|Holy See}}<br/>{{flag|Papal States}}
|{{flag|Habsburg Monarchy}}<br/>{{flag|Holy Roman Empire}}<br/>{{flag|Habsburg Spain}}
|A battle that took place during the [[War of the League of Cognac]]. 189 [[Swiss Guards]] under the command of Captain [[Kaspar Röist]] were ordered by [[Pope Clement VII]] to defend [[Rome]] from the Habsburg [[Holy Roman Empire|Imperial]] and [[Spain|Spanish]] troops threatening to loot the city. The Guard held long enough for [[Clement VII]] to escape across the [[Passetto di Borgo]] to [[Castel Sant'Angelo]] with some survivors and refugees.
|Habsburg victory; escape of [[Pope Clement VII]]
|-
|[[Siege of Diu (1538)|Siege of Diu]] 
|1538
|{{flag|Portuguese Empire}}
|{{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Gujarat_Sultanate.svg}} [[Gujarat Sultanate]]<br/>{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}
|Portuguese forces, under the command of António de Silveira, withstood a 2-month siege in Diu. Suffering heavy casualties (with only 40 survivors in the aftermath), the Portuguese repelled several Gujarati and Ottoman assaults on the fort. This enabled Diu to remain under Portuguese control until Operation Vijay during the [[annexation of Goa]].
|Portuguese victory
|-
|[[Siege of Katsurayama]]
|1557
|forces of [[Uesugi Kenshin]]
|forces of [[Takeda Shingen]]
|In March 1557, Katsurayama castle was attacked and besieged by the [[Takeda clan]]. The castle garrison, consisting of the Ochiai clan and elements of the Murakami clan, was loyal to [[Uesugi Kenshin]] and defended the fortress furiously, but was eventually overwhelmed by the Takeda army. All defending warriors fought to the death, while their families committed mass suicide and the castle was burned to the ground.
|Takeda victory
|-
|Capture of [[Fort Saint Elmo]]
|1565
|{{flagicon|SMOM}} [[History of Malta under the Order of Saint John|Hospitaller Malta]]
[[Maltese people|Maltese Militias]] 
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}} 
|As part of the [[Great Siege of Malta]], the Ottomans besieged and assaulted [[Fort Saint Elmo]] which was isolated from the other Hospitaller strongholds of [[Birgu]] and [[Senglea]]. The fort held out from 27 May until 23 June 1565, when its defenders made a last stand and most of them were killed. The Ottomans suffered many casualties in the various assaults on the fort, including the commander [[Dragut]] who was mortally wounded and died on the day the fort fell. The time it took for the fortress to fall was much longer than the Ottomans had anticipated and it bought crucial time for the Hospitallers who were eventually able to defeat the Ottomans after the arrival of a Spanish-led relief force in September.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sire|first=H. J. A.|title=The Knights of Malta|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven and London|year=1993|pages=[https://archive.org/details/knightsofmalta00hjas/page/68 68–70]|chapter=5|isbn=0-300-05502-1|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/knightsofmalta00hjas/page/68}}</ref>
|[[Pyrrhic victory|Pyrrhic]] Ottoman victory
Eventual Hospitaller Victory
|-
|[[Siege of Szigetvár]]
|1566
|{{flag|Habsburg Monarchy}}
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}} 
|The siege of Szigetvár was fought from 5 August to 8 September 1566 and, though it resulted in an Ottoman victory, there were heavy losses on both sides. Both commanders died during the battle — [[Nikola Šubić Zrinski|Zrinski]] in the final charge and [[Suleiman the Magnificent|Suleiman]] in his tent from natural causes. More than 20,000 Turks had fallen during the attacks and almost all of Zrinski's 2,300 man garrison was killed, with most of the final 600 men killed on the last day. Although the battle was an Ottoman victory, it stopped the Ottoman push to Vienna that year. Vienna was not threatened again until the Battle of Vienna in 1683.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/548456|title=Exceedingly rare 1566 newsbook... Over 440 years old...|website=www.rarenewspapers.com|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
|[[Pyrrhic victory|Pyrrhic]] Ottoman victory
|-
|[[Siege of Gvozdansko]]
|1577
|{{flag|Habsburg Monarchy}}
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}
|The siege of Gvozdansko was an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] siege of the fort of [[Gvozdansko Castle|Gvozdansko]] in the [[Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)|Kingdom of Croatia]] in 1577–1578. The garrison lacked ammunition and suffered from hunger, thirst, and cold, while many died or were wounded in combat. All calls for surrender were rejected. Three major assaults on Gvozdansko were repelled leaving only 25–30 men still alive that held their positions on the last days of the siege. When Ottomans breached the gates of the fort, they found only corpses of soldiers that died of wounds, hunger, thirst, or were frozen to death
|Ottoman victory
|-
|[[Battle of Tenmokuzan]]
|1578
|[[Takeda clan|Takeda Clan]] 
|Forces of [[Oda Nobunaga]] and [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]
|After the capitulation of most of [[Shinano Province]] following the [[Siege of Takatō (1582)|fall of Takato Castle]] on March 3, [[Takeda Katsuyori]]'s forces dissolved after being denied entry to Kogakko Castle. Oda general Takika Saiwon discovered the remnants of the Takeda force at Tano, resulting in the remnants of the Takeda force executing their wives and children and fighting a last stand in order to be granted an honorable death. The Takeda force was wiped out after inflicting substantial casualties on the attacking force. 
|Oda-Tokugawa victory
|-
|[[Battle of Nieuwpoort]]
|1600
|{{flag|United Provinces|23px}}<br />{{flag|England}}<br />{{flag|Kingdom of Scotland}}
|{{flag|Spain|1506|23px}}
|In the last stages of the Battle of Nieuwpoort, the Spanish regiment commanded by Alonso Maiolichino was refused surrender by the Dutch who held them accountable for previous massacres of prisoners of war. The unit consequently made its last stand and was wiped out.{{sfnp|de Groot|2019|pp=78, 80}}
|United Provinces victory
|-
|Battle of [[Ugo, Akita#Areas|Nishimonai]]
|1601
|[[Onodera clan]]
|[[Mogami clan]]
|Even though the [[Onodera clan]] that had ruled southern [[Akita Prefecture|Akita]], [[Japan]], was completely defeated and exiled in 1600, one clan member, [[Onodera Shigemichi]], continued to resist at his stronghold in [[Ugo, Akita#Areas|Nishimonai]] and even refused to surrender when a large [[Mogami clan]] army arrived to eliminate this last remnant of Onodera resistance. Shigemichi and his loyal followers attempted to defend their castle against the Mogami, but were overwhelmed, whereupon he set fire to the fortress. According to some accounts, Shigemichi died in the flames, whereas others report that he managed to escape. Either way, Onodera Shigemichi is honored in Nishimonai until the present day.
|Mogami clan victory
|-
|[[Rokugō rebellion]]
|1603
|[[Onodera clan]] loyalists
|[[Satake clan]]
|Around 1,000 [[rōnin]], still loyal to their defeated and exiled former lord [[Onodera Yoshimichi]], decided to rebel to protest against his poor treatment by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Though their uprising had no chance of success, the rōnin attacked [[Rokugō, Akita]], where they were quickly defeated by the [[Satake clan]]. The rebellion has since been considered an exceptional display of loyalty by [[samurai]] to their master.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yogokun.my.coocan.jp/akita/misatomatiak.htm|title=Hondo Castle (Misato-machi Chivala Hondo Castle)|language=ja|access-date=9 July 2017}}</ref>
|Satake clan victory
|-
|[[Battle of Cecora (1620)|Battle of Cecora]]
|September 17, 1620
|{{flag|Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth}}<br />{{flag|Moldavia}}
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}<br />Allies:
*[[Crimean Khanate]]
*[[Wallachia]] 
*[[Lipka Tatars]] 
*[[Principality of Transylvania (1571–1711)|Principality of Transylvania]] 
|A battle between the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] 9,000 troops (aided by rebel [[Moldavia]]n 600–1,000 troops) and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] forces 20,000–60,000 (backed by [[Nogais]]), fought from 17 September to 7 October 1620 in Moldavia, near the [[Prut River]]. In the last stand during heavy assault on 6 October, most of the magnates and nobles broke and fled north, leaving infantry and camp, thus sealing the fate of the whole expedition: most of the Polish-Lithuanian troops were killed or captured. In the ensuing battle commander [[Stanisław Żółkiewski]] died and Koniecpolski and many others ([[Samuel Korecki]], Mikolaj Struś, [[Mikołaj Potocki]], Jan Żółkiewski, Łukasz Żołkiewski), [[Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki]] and [[Bohdan Khmelnytsky]] were taken captive. Before his death, Stanisław Żółkiewski received the blessing of his confessor, Father Szymon Wybierski (Wybierek, Wyberek) of the Society of Jesus, who stood by his side (7 October). Stanisław Żółkiewski's head was mounted on a pike and sent to the sultan; Duke Korecki, having often meddled in Moldavian territories, was executed in the [[Istanbul|Constantinople]] prison.
|Decisive Ottoman victory
|-
|[[Battle of Prague (1648)]]
|25 July – 1 November 1648
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Bohemia.svg}} [[Bohemia]]
|{{flagdeco|Sweden|1562}} [[Swedish Empire]]
|The Battle of Prague, which occurred between 25 July and 1 November 1648 was the last action of the [[Thirty Years' War]]. While the negotiations for the [[Peace of Westphalia]] were proceeding, the Swedes took the opportunity to mount one last campaign into [[Bohemia]]. The main result, and probably the main aim, was to loot the fabulous art collection assembled in [[Prague Castle]] by [[Rudolph II]], [[Holy Roman Emperor]] (1552–1612), the pick of which was taken down the [[Elbe]] in barges and shipped to Sweden.
|Czech victory
|-
|[[Battle of Pavan Khind]]
|July 13, 1660
|[[Maratha Empire]]
|[[Bijapur Sultanate]]
|The Battle of Pavan Khind was a rear guard action by Marathas led by [[Baji Prabhu Deshpande]] to aid escape of Maratha King [[Shivaji Maharaj]] to [[Vishalgad]]. Baji Prabhu held an Adilshahi force of 10,000+ with a small Maratha army of 300 in a pass now known as [[Pavan Khind]]. The Maratha army perished in the Adilshahi assault, but only after achieving their objective of the safe arrival of Shivaji Maharaj to Vishalgad.
|[[Strategic victory|Strategic]] Maratha victory
|-
|[[Battle of Hodów]]
|June 11, 1694
|{{flag|Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth}}
|[[File:Gerae-tamga.svg|15px]] [[Crimean Khanate]]
|The 400-strong Polish cavalry charged the 700-strong Tatar vanguard and made them withdraw. Shortly afterwards Polish forces retreated to Hodów village due to overwhelming enemy numbers, and proceeded to fortify themselves using heavy wooden fences left there from earlier Tatar invasions. For the next 6 hours Polish troops resisted relentless Tatar attacks. Even after the Polish ran out of bullets, they continued to fire at the enemy, using Tatar arrowheads as improvised ammunition for their guns. Unable to defeat the Poles, the Tatars sent Polish-speaking [[Lipka Tatars]] to convince the Polish troops to surrender. When the Polish commander replied "Come and get us if you can", the Tatars withdrew to [[Kamianets-Podilskyi|Kamieniec Podolski]] and gave up on the entire raid, having gained nearly nothing despite large troop losses and vast numerical advantage. 
|Decisive Polish victory
|-
|[[Battle of Chamkaur]]
|December 22, 1704
|[[File:Sikh flag.jpg|30px]] [[Khalsa]] ([[Sikhs]])
|[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|30px]] [[Mughal Empire]]<br> [[File:Bilaspur_flag.svg|30px]] Alliance of Hindu Hill Chiefs
|On the 22nd of December 1704, a Sikh force of 40 people were attacked with a much larger army. The Mughals assisted by 22 different hill kingdoms attacked the Sikhs in a [[haveli]] situated in [[Chamkaur]] with the mission to capture [[Guru Gobind Singh]]. Despite being outnumbered, the Sikhs fought against the Mughals for an entire day and allowed the guru to escape in the night alongside 2 other Sikhs. 37 Sikhs were martyred while an innumerable amount of the enemy force was slain.
|Tactical Mughal Victory, Strategic Sikh Victory
|-
|[[Three Hundred Aragvians]]
|1795
|[[File:Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti.svg|25px]] [[Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti]]<br />{{flagicon image|Imeretiflag.jpg}} [[Kingdom of Imereti]]
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Agha Mohammad Khan.svg}} [[Qajar Iran]]
|The 300 Aragvians were part of the contingent raised from the highland districts on the [[Aragvi|Aragvi river]] which saw action under [[Prince Vakhtang-Almaskhan of Georgia|Prince Royal Vakhtang of Georgia]], on the approaches of the [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] capital of [[Tbilisi]], on 11 September 1795. The heavy fighting, unfolding in the fields of [[Krtsanisi]] and continuing in the streets of Tbilisi, saw the defeat of the aging and hopelessly outnumbered Georgian king [[Heraclius II of Georgia|Heraclius II]] at the hands of the Persian army led by [[Agha Muhammad Khan]], and the sack of the capital. According to the Georgian accounts, the Aragvians had pledged themselves to fight to the death and stayed true to their oath. Most of them were killed, fighting the last stand at Tbilisi and giving Heraclius a means of retreat.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rayfield|first=Donald|author-link=Donald Rayfield|title=Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia|year=2012|publisher=Reaktion Books|location=London|isbn=978-1780230306|page=256}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Silogava|first1=Valeri|last2=Shengelia|first2=Kakha|title=History of Georgia: From the Ancient Times Through the "Rose Revolution"|year=2007|publisher=Caucasus University Publishing House|location=Tbilisi|isbn=978-9994086160|page=167}}</ref>
|Qajar victory
|-
|[[Battle of Clonard]]
|1798
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|{{flag|Kingdom of Ireland}}
|The '''Battle of Clonard''' occurred on the 11th of July 1798 near Leinster Bridge in the town of [[Clonard, County Meath|Clonard]], during the [[Irish Rebellion of 1798|Irish Rising]] of that year. A combined force of between 2,000-4,000 United Irishmen<ref>{{cite book | last=Jones | first=John | title=An Impartial Narrative Of The Most Important Engagements Which Took Place Between His Majesty's Forces And The Rebels, During The Irish Rebellion, 1798. | publisher=Jone Jones, 91 Bride Street, Dublin | year=1799 | page=12 }}</ref> engaged a force of 27 British loyalist militia troops led by Lieutenant Thomas Tyrrell over 6 hours in an attempt to cross the [[River Boyne]]. The defenders held the fortified house until they were reinforced by a Sergeant and 11 men of the Northumberland Fencibles and 15 men of the Kinnegad Cavalry under the command and including Lt Edward Haughton when the rebels were routed and retreated to [[Carbury, County Kildare|Carbury]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Jones | first=John | title=An Impartial Narrative Of The Most Important Engagements Which Took Place Between His Majesty's Forces And The Rebels, During The Irish Rebellion, 1798. | publisher=Jone Jones, 91 Bride Street, Dublin | year=1799 | page=30 }}</ref> The attack on [[Clonard, County Meath|Clonard]] was a disastrous failure and a severe blow to the surviving rebels. It was a decisive British victory.
|British Victory 
|-
|[[Battle of Mount Tabor (1799)|Battle of Mount Tabor]]
|1799
|{{flagicon|France}} [[First French Republic|France]]
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}
|On 16 April 1799, a French force of 1,500 men under [[Jean-Baptiste Kléber|General Kleber]] found itself attacked by 30,000 Ottoman horsemen near [[Mount Tabor]] in Palestine. After forming [[infantry square]]s, the French held for hours against the massive Ottoman force. Eventually, a relief force of 2,500 men under [[Napoleon|Napoleon Bonaparte]] came to their aid. Upon arrival, Napoleon sent 300 men to burn the Ottoman camp, which misled them into thinking they were encircled and caused them to retreat in panic.
|French victory
|-
|[[Battle of Mobekk]]
|May 18, 1808
|{{flagicon image|Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg|border=no|22px}} [[Sweden]]
|{{flag|Denmark–Norway}}
|The Battle of Mobekk was fought between [[Sweden|Swedish]] and [[Norway|Norwegian]] troops on May 18, 1808, in the [[Dano-Swedish War of 1808–09]]. The Swedish vanguard outpost at Mobekk near [[Kongsvinger]] of about 300 men protecting the main army under [[Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt]] was attacked by 800 Norwegian troops under [[Bernhard Ditlef von Staffeldt]]. The Swedes won after several hours of fighting and 34 men dead and wounded, the Norwegians lost 269 men.
|Swedish victory
|-
|[[Battle of Tarvis (1809)]]
|May 18, 1809
|{{flag|Austrian Empire}}
|{{flag|First French Empire}}
|The Storming of the Predil Blockhouse from 15 to 18 May saw the Franco-Italian army of [[Eugène de Beauharnais]] attacking [[Austrian Empire]] forces under [[Albert Gyulai]]. Eugène crushed Gyulai's division in a pitched battle near [[Tarvisio]], then an Austrian town known as Tarvis. At nearby [[Malborghetto Valbruna (Malbotghet Wolfstal)]] and [[Predil Pass]], small garrisons of [[Grenz infantry]] heroically defended two forts before being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. On 18 May, Predil fell to assault and the defenders were killed to the last man. 
|Strategic French victory
|-
|[[Battle of Čegar]]
|May 31, 1809
|[[Revolutionary Serbia]]
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}
|During the Battle of Čegar, Serbian Revolutionary Commander [[Stevan Sinđelić]] along with 3,000 of his troops became separated from the bulk of the Serbian forces. After becoming surrounded by Ottoman forces, hand-to-hand combat ensured. After defences were breached, Sinđelić fired his flintlock pistol into a pile of gunpowder kegs. The ensuing explosion killed both the defenders and attackers.
|Ottoman victory
|-
|[[Battle of Saidu]]
|March 1827
|[[File:Sikh Empire flag.jpg|30px]] [[Sikh Empire]]
|[[Yusufzai]] tribesmen and [[Peshawar]] Sardars
|The battle was a part of [[Afghan-Sikh Wars]] in which 8,000 Sikhs were attacked by a gigantic Afghan force of 150,000. Despite this, over 6,000 Afghans were killed and the Sikhs won the battle.
|Sikh Victory
|-
|[[Dade Battle]]
|1835
|[[Seminole, Florida]]
|{{flag|United States|1835}}
|The battle was the opening conflict of the Second Seminole War, which lasted from 1835 to 1842. Major Francis Dade, with 110 US troops was ambushed by 180 Seminole warriors in Central Florida, with only 3-5 US troops surviving the attack. The battle was fought on Dec. 28,1835.
|Seminole victory
|-
|[[Battle of the Alamo]]
|1836
|{{flag|Republic of Texas}}
|{{flag|Mexico|1823}}
|The battle was part of the [[Texas Revolution]]. Following a 13-day siege of the Alamo, Mexican soldiers stormed the building, killing all of the defenders.<ref>{{cite web|title = ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE|url = https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qea02|website = www.tshaonline.org|accessdate = 2016-02-06|first = HARDIN, STEPHEN|last = L.}}</ref>
|Mexican victory
|-
|[[Battle of Gandamak]]
|1842
|{{flag|British Empire}}
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Afghanistan pre-1901.svg}} [[Emirate of Afghanistan]]
|The 1842 Kabul Retreat took place during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Following an uprising in Kabul, Major General Sir William Elphinstone negotiated an agreement with Wazir Akbar Khan, one of the sons of the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai, by which his army was to withdraw to the British garrison at Jalalabad, more than 90 miles (140&nbsp;km) away. As the army and its numerous dependents and camp-followers began its march, it came under attack from Afghan tribesmen. Many of the column died of exposure, frostbite or starvation or were killed during the fighting. The final stand was made just outside a village called Gandamak on 13 January.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishbattles.com/first-afghan-war/battle-of-kabul-and-the-retreat-to-gandamak/|title=Battle of Kabul and the retreat to Gandamak|website=www.britishbattles.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
|Afghan victory
|-
|[[Battle of Chapultepec]]/[[Niños Héroes]]
|1847
|{{flag|Mexico}}
|{{flag|United States|1847}} 
|[[Mexico City]]'s [[Chapultepec Castle]] served as the [[Mexican Army]]'s military academy. In the 13 September 1847 [[Battle of Chapultepec]], during the [[Mexican–American War]], it was defended by Mexican troops under the command of [[Nicolás Bravo]], including cadets from the academy. The greatly outnumbered defenders battled General [[Winfield Scott]]'s troops for about two hours before General Bravo ordered retreat, but six cadets refused to fall back and fought to the death. Legend has it that the last of the six, Juan Escutia, leapt from Chapultepec Castle wrapped in the [[Flag of Mexico|Mexican flag]] to prevent the flag from being taken by the enemy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mansfield|first=Edward Deering| author-link = Edward Deering Mansfield|title=The Mexican War|url=https://archive.org/details/mexicanwarhistor02mans|year=1849|publisher=A.S. Barnes & Co|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mexicanwarhistor02mans/page/298 298]|edition=10}}</ref> These [[Niños Héroes]] ({{IPA|es|ˈniɲos ˈeɾoes|lang}}, ''Boy Heroes''), also known as the ''Heroic Cadets'' or ''Boy Soldiers'', are a key part of Mexico's patriotic folklore, commemorated by a national holiday on September 13. However, several modern Mexican historians claim that parts of the story are not factual.<ref name=historian>''inter alia'', Villalpando, José Manuel; ''Niños Héroes'', México DF: Planeta, 2004; Hernández Silva, HC: [http://www.jornada.unam.mx/1998/09/13/mas-cuauhtemoc42.html "¿Quién aventó a Juan Escutia¿"], ''[[La Jornada]]'', December 13, 1998; Rosas, Alejandro "Una historia mal contada: Los Niños Héroes", ''Relatos e Historias en México'', year II No. 13, September 2009.</ref>
|American victory
|-
|[[Battle of Leybar Bridge]]
|1855
|{{flagicon|France}} [[Second French Empire|France]]
|[[Emirate of Trarza]]
|On 21 April 1855, the 14-man strong [[garrison]] of a small fortified tower guarding the bridge that served as the only access to the French colonial capital [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]] was attacked by the entire Trarza army while French governor [[Louis Faidherbe]] was away on an expedition in Trarza lands with the entirety of French forces in the colony. The resistance of the garrison, under [[sergeant]] Henri Brunier, effectively saved the city. French casualties were of three wounded, while the Trarzas retreated with heavy losses. Brunier was awarded the [[Legion of Honour]] while his men were awarded the [[Médaille Militaire]].
|French victory
|-
|[[Battle of Camarón]]
|1863
|{{flagicon|France}} [[Second French Empire|France]]
|{{flagicon image|Bandera Histórica de la República Mexicana (1824-1918).svg}} Mexico
|In the Battle of Camarón, 65 [[French Foreign Legion|Foreign Legionnaires]] stood against 3,000 Mexican soldiers for over 10 hours. The Legionnaires only surrendered after an attempted [[bayonet]] charge, and a promise that they would receive medical attention and be allowed to keep their weapons and equipment.<ref>{{cite web|title = Die Fremdenlegion – Camerone|url = http://www.lalegion.de/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=5|website = www.lalegion.de|accessdate = 2016-02-06|first = Hans-Joachim Pilhauer – www.lalegion.de -|last = www.legioplus.com|language = de|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130706183234/http://www.lalegion.de/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=5|archive-date = 2013-07-06|url-status = dead}}</ref>
|Tactical Mexican victory
Strategic French victory
|-
|[[Battle of Qbaada]]
|1864
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Circassia.svg}} [[Parliament of Independence (Circassia)|Circassia]]
|{{Flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Russian Empire]]
|In 1864, the final battle of the century-long [[Russo-Circassian War]] took place in [[Krasnaya_Polyana,_Sochi,_Krasnodar_Krai|Qbaada]] between 20,000 men and women, including local villagers and militia as well as tribal cavalry, and a superior Russian force of 250,000 well-equipped soldiers. Refusing to surrender, the Circassians attempted to break the encirclement. The Russians, advancing from four sides, decimated the Circassians with their superior artillery and infantry. After the remaining fighters were killed, the Russians celebrated their victory with a parade and publicly executed 100 Circassian warriors.
|Russian victory
|-
| [[Fetterman Fight]]
|1866
|{{flagicon|United States|1866}} United States
|[[Lakota people]]<br />[[Dakota people|Dakota]]<br />[[Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation|Northern Cheyenne]]<br />[[Arapaho]]
|Fetterman Fight was a part of the Bozeman Trail War of 1866–1868.  Captain William Fetterman and his command were surrounded by a much larger force of Native Americans and were wiped out within half an hour. 
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] victory
|-
|[[Battle of Cerro Corá]]
|1870
|{{flag|Paraguay|1842}}
|{{flag|Empire of Brazil}}
|The last engagement of the [[Paraguayan War]], the Battle of Cerro Corá saw the complete destruction of all remaining forces of Paraguayan President [[Francisco Solano López]]. Although completely outnumbered, many of the Paraguayans refused to surrender and instead were killed in attempts to escape, made stubborn last stands or simply allowed themselves to be shot. Among those killed were President Lopez, Vice President Domingo Francisco Sánchez, Secretary of State Luis Caminos, and the son of the President, Juan Francisco López. According to one account, the President's last words were that he was "dying with [his] homeland". In this regard, historian Gabriele Esposito has commented that considering the enormous Paraguayan casualties during the war, López had "certainly ensured that most of [Paraguay's] people had died before him".<ref>{{Cite book|title = Armies of the War of the Triple Alliance 1864–70|last = Esposito|first = Gabriele|publisher = [[Osprey Publishing]]|year = 2015|isbn = 978-1472807250|location =[[Oxford]] |page = 20}}</ref>
|Brazilian victory, end of the [[Paraguayan War]]
|-
|[[Battle of the Little Bighorn]] ([[Custer's Last Stand]])
|1876
|{{flag|United States|1867}}
|[[Lakota people|Lakota]]<br />[[Dakota people|Dakota]]<br />[[Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation|Northern Cheyenne]]<br />[[Arapaho]]
|Custer's Last Stand was part of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. [[George Armstrong Custer|George Custer]]{{KIA}} found himself on an open hilltop with a significantly larger force of Native Americans attacking them. Even though, according to Lakota accounts, the attack on Last Stand Hill produced the most casualties, the Lakota destroyed Custer's force within an hour.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Lakota Noon, the Indian narrative of Custer's defeat|last = Gregory|first = Michno|publisher = Mountain Press Publishing Company|year = 1997|isbn = 0-87842-349-4}}</ref>
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] victory
|-
|[[Battle of Shipka Pass#Second battle|Battle of Shipka Pass]]
|1877
|[[File:Flag of Stiliana Paraskevova.svg|border|21px]] [[Opalchentsi]]<br />{{flag|Russian Empire|1858}}
|{{flag|Ottoman Empire}}
|During the second battle, 38,000 Ottomans decided to capture three positions guarded by 7,500 mainly Bulgarian defenders. The Ottomans spent six days trying to capture the positions, but eventually retreated after Russian reinforcements arrived.<ref>{{cite web|title = Reminiscence from Days of Liberation* – Novinite.com – Sofia News Agency|url = http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=125840|website = www.novinite.com|accessdate = 2016-02-06}}</ref>
|Bulgarian/Russian victory
|-
|[[Battle of Shiroyama]]
|1877
|[[Samurai]] of [[Satsuma Domain|Satsuma]]
|[[Imperial Japanese Army]]
|500 samurai were surrounded by 30,000 Japanese soldiers. The samurai held their position, engaging in close-quarter fighting, as the Japanese soldiers were not trained for it. They continued to hold until their leader, [[Saigō Takamori]]{{KIA}}, was killed. They then decided to charge downhill and were subsequently killed.<ref>{{cite web|title = Satsuma Rebellion: Satsuma Clan Samurai Against the Imperial Japanese Army|url = http://www.historynet.com/satsuma-rebellion-satsuma-clan-samurai-against-the-imperial-japanese-army.htm|website = History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online|date = 12 June 2006|accessdate = 2016-02-20|language = en-US}}</ref>
|Imperial Japanese victory
|-
|[[Battle of Rorke's Drift]]
|1879
|{{flag|British Empire}}
|[[Zulu Kingdom]]
|One hundred forty-one members of the [[British Army]] defended a [[Mission (station)|mission station]] against a force of 3,000 to 4,000 Zulus. The battle happened soon after the British defeat at the [[Battle of Isandlwana]]. The British at Rorke's Drift had time to prepare defensive positions in anticipation of a Zulu attack. After several fierce assaults over 12 hours, the Zulu's attack was repulsed. Eleven [[Victoria Cross]]es were awarded to the defenders, among other decorations.<ref>{{Cite book|title = History of the Corps of Royal Engineers|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=FqdBAAAAIAAJ|publisher = Longmans, Green|date = 1889-01-01|language = en|first = Sir Charles Moore|last = Watson}}</ref>
|British victory
|-
|[[Battle of Arica]]
|1880
|{{flagicon|Peru}} [[Peru]]
|{{flagicon|Chile}} [[Chile]]
|A force of 6000 Chilean soldiers accompanied by five warships assaulted a garrison of 1600 Peruvian soldiers at [[Arica Cape|Arica]]. The Chilean army launched a giant assault to Arica where the 1600 men of the defense fought more than 8000 Chileans, from sea and land, who finally captured the Morro de Arica killing most of the defenders.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lx8iIxafDVYC&q=battle+of+la+concepcion&pg=PA419|title=A History of Chile 1808–1994|last1=Collier|first1=Simon|last2=Sater|first2=William|date=26 July 1996|isbn=9780521568272|pages=135–136|publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref>
|Chilean victory
|-
|The Last Eleven at the [[Battle of Maiwand]]
|27 July 1880
|{{flag|British Empire}}
|{{flag|Emirate of Afghanistan}}
|The Last Eleven were the remnants of a 2,000-strong British force, the rest having retreated or been overrun by Afghan forces commanded by [[Ayub Khan (Emir of Afghanistan)|Ayub Khan]]. Taking refuge in a small enclosure at a garden, they made a determined last stand was made, firing until only eleven of their number (two officers and nine other ranks) were left. They then charged out into the masses of the enemy, led by [[Lieutenant Thomas Henn]], and were killed. No British lived to tell the story, but it was reported to them later that year by a former officer of Ayub Khan's army, who said that the Afghans had been truly impressed by the bravery of those men.
|Afghan victory
|-
|[[Battle of La Concepción]]
|1882
|{{flagicon|Chile}} [[Chile]]
|{{flagicon|Peru}} [[Peru]]
|A force of 77 Chilean soldiers were besieged in [[Concepción, Junín|Concepción]], Peru.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Historia militar de Chile|last1=Pinochet Ugarte|first1=Augusto|publisher=Biblioteca Militar|year=1997|last2=Villaroel Carmona|first2=Rafael|last3=Lepe Orellana|first3=Jaime|last4=Fuente-Alba Poblete|first4=J. Miguel|author-link4=Juan Miguel Fuente-Alba|last5=Fuenzalida Helms|first5=Eduardo|orig-year=1984|volume=II|edition=3rd|language=es|author-link=Augusto Pinochet|pages=165–166}}</ref>
|Peruvian victory
|-
|[[Shangani Patrol|The Shangani Patrol]]
|1893
|[[File:Flag of BSAC.svg|22px|border|link=]] [[British South Africa Company]]
|[[Northern Ndebele people|Matabele Kingdom]]
|During the [[First Matabele War]], 34 men of the Shangani Patrol were ambushed by ~3,000 Matabele warriors. The Matabele leader offered to spare the Shangani Patrol if they surrendered, but they refused and kept fighting. Under the orders of [[Major (rank)|Major]] [[Allan Wilson (army officer)|Allan Wilson]]{{KIA}}, the remaining British took cover behind their dead horses and inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. After they ran out of ammunition, the remaining survivors were finished off by an [[Assegai|assagei]] spear charge. The British took total casualties, but killed ~500 of their attackers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/How_Wilson_And_His_Men_Perished|title=How Wilson And His Men Perished|last=Toit|first=Stefanns Jacobus Du}}</ref>

Usually, the Matabele mutilate the bodies of the enemy, but made an exception for Wilson's men. One of the Matabele leaders explained after the battle, "The white men died so bravely we would not treat them as we do the cowardly Mashonas and others."<ref name=":1" />
|Matabele victory
|-
|[[Siege of Lapa]]
|1894
|{{Flagicon|Brazil}} [[First Brazilian Republic|Brazil]]
|[[Maragato (Brazil)|Maragatos]]
|During the Federalist Revolution, around 800 defenders composed mostly of civilian volunteers held a rebel force 3 or 4 times larger, for 26 days. The city surrendered after the death of their commander, [[Gomes Carneiro]], however, the rebel force had been delayed for enough time that the government managed to muster a counter-attack, which led to the defeat of the rebel forces.
|[[Pyrrhic victory|Pyrrhic]] Maragato victory
|-
|[[Battle of Saragarhi]]
|1897
|{{flag|British Empire}} [[British Indian Army|36th Sikh Regiment]]
|[[Pashtuns]]
|On 12 September 1897, 21 [[Sikh]]s of the [[36th Sikhs]] defended an army post from the 10,000 Pashtuns trying to capture it. The defenders all chose to fight, buying enough time for a British Indian relief party to recapture the fort. September 12 is remembered as Saragarhi Day among Sikh military personnel.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army|last = Sharma|first = Gutam|publisher = Allied Publishers|year = 1990|isbn = 81-7023-140-X|location = India}}</ref>
|
*Tactical Pashtun victory
*Strategic British Indian victory
|-
|Siege of [[Kabkabiya District|Kabkabiya]]
|1909
|[[Mahdist State]]
|{{flagicon|Darfur}} [[Sultanate of Darfur]]
|After a siege of 17 to 18 months, forces of the Sultanate of Darfur finally stormed the fortified camp of Mahdist leader [[Sanin Husain]] at Kabkabiya. The latter's thousands-strong army had been reduced to about 400 loyalists through starvation, desertions, and fighting. These loyalists made a last stand, and were killed fighting alongside their commander.{{sfnp|Atiya|1924|p=69}}
|Victory of the Sultanate of Darfur
|-
|[[Dragutin Gavrilović|Gavrilović]]'s defense of [[Belgrade]]
|1914
|{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Serbia}}
|{{flag|Austria-Hungary}}
|Gavrilović lead the Serbian defensive action that delayed the Austro-Hungarians in fully taking Belgrade during the [[World War I|first World War]]. The attacking force vastly outnumbered the Serbians, and were only gaining reinforcements. They also had a vast superiority in artillery. Gavrilović was forced to engage the Austro-Hungarians in close-quarter combat. Eventually, the defenders mounted a final charge in an attempt to destroy the enemy's bridgehead. A memorial planted by the enemy commander still stands today, reading "Here Lies Serbian Heroes."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bastabalkana.com/2013/03/pukovnik-dragutin-gavrilovic-komandant-herojske-odbrane-beograda/|title=Pukovnik Dragutin Gavrilović – Komandant herojske odbrane Beograda|date=2013-03-05|newspaper=Bašta Balkana Magazin|language=sr-RS|access-date=2016-11-26}}</ref>
|Failure to destroy Austro-Hungarian bridgehead
|-
|[[Second Battle of Ypres#Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge (22–23 April 1915)|Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge]]
|1915
|{{flag|Canada|1868}}
|{{flag|German Empire}}
|The Battle of Gravenstafel was one of the six engagements that made up the [[Second Battle of Ypres]]. The battle had members of the [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]] hold their position, as well as the position of the French [[Troupes coloniales|Moroccan and Algerian]] divisions, who had retreated after the gas attack. The Canadians fought for three days, despite being surrounded on [[Salients, re-entrants and pockets|three sides]], gassed again, outnumbered, and outgunned.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-ypres/| title = Second Battle of Ypres| last = Foot| first = Richard| website = The Canadian Encyclopedia| accessdate = 2016-03-02}}</ref>
|German attack repulsed
|-
|[[Attack of the Dead Men]]
|1915
|{{flag|Russian Empire|1858}}
|{{flag|German Empire}}
|The Defense of Osowiec, popularly named "The Attack of the Dead Men" was a battle of [[World War I]] that took place at [[Osowiec Fortress]], in northeast [[Poland]], on August 6, 1915. The incident got its name from the bloodied, zombie-like appearance of the Russian combatants after they were bombarded with a [[mixture]] of [[Chemical weapon|poison gases]], [[chlorine]] and [[bromine]], by the Germans.
The Germans launched a full frontal offensive on Osowiec Fortress at the beginning of July; the attack included 14 battalions of infantry, one battalion of [[sapper]]s, 24–30 heavy [[siege guns]], and 30 batteries of [[artillery]] equipped with poison gases led by [[Generalfeldmarschall|Field Marshal]] [[Paul von Hindenburg]]. Russian defenses were manned by 500 soldiers of the 226th Infantry Regiment Zemlyansky, and 400 militia.

The Germans waited until 4 a.m. on 6 August for favorable wind conditions, when the attack opened with regular artillery bombardment combined with chlorine gas. "The gas caused the grass to turn black and leaves to turn yellow, and the dead birds, frogs and other animals and insects were lying everywhere. Terrain looked like Hell." The Russians either had no [[gas mask]]s, or had poorly made ones, and most soldiers used their undershirts as masks, with many soaking them in water or urine. Sub-Lieutenant Vladimir Kotlinsky, the highest ranking Russian soldier to survive the initial attack, rallied the other surviving soldiers, and they elected to charge the advancing German lines.

Over twelve battalions of the 11th Landwehr Division, making up more than 7000 men, advanced after the bombardment expecting little resistance. They were met at the first defense line by a counter-charge made up of the surviving soldiers of the 13th Company of the 226th Infantry Regiment. The Germans became panicked by the appearance of the Russians, who were coughing up blood and bits of their own lungs, as the [[hydrochloric acid]] formed by the mix of the [[chlorine]] gas and the moisture in their lungs had begun to dissolve their flesh. The Germans retreated, running so fast they got caught up in their own c-wire traps. The five remaining Russian guns subsequently opened fire on the fleeing Germans. Kotlinsky died later that evening.

The Russians did not hold the area for much longer. The Germans threatened to encircle the fortress with the capture of [[Kaunas Fortress|Kovno]] and [[Siege of Novogeorgievsk|Novogeorgiesk]]. The Russians demolished much of the fortress and withdrew on August 18.
|[[Pyrrhic victory|Pyrrhic]] Russian victory
|-
|[[Battle of Maysalun]]
|1920
|[[File:Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg|22px]] [[Arab Kingdom of Syria|Syria]]
|{{flag|France}}
|The ragtag forces of [[Yusuf al-Azma]] attempted to hold off the advance of the superior French Army at Maysalun Pass. al-Azma was killed during the battle. The battle gained a legacy in the Arab imagination as a desperate struggle against colonial incursion.
|Decisive French victory, Damascus [[Capture of Damascus (1920)|is captured]] later that day
|-
|[[Battle of Zadwórze]]
|1920
|{{flag|Poland}}
|[[File:Flag RSFSR 1918.svg|22px]] [[Russian SFSR]]
|The Battle of Zadwórze was a battle of the [[Polish-Soviet War]]. It was fought on August 17, 1920, near the train station of {{ill|Zadwórze, Ukraine|lt=Zadwórze|uk|Задвір'я}}, a small village located 33 kilometres from the city centre of Lwów (now [[Lviv]]). The battle, lasting roughly 24 hours, resulted in the complete destruction of the Polish forces{{clarification needed|date=March 2024}} but at the same time halted the Soviet advance, preventing the forces of [[Semyon Budyonny]] from seizing Lwów and so contributing to the successful [[Battle of Warsaw (1920)|defence of Warsaw]]. The battle has been called the [[Polish Thermopylae]].
|Soviet victory
|-
|[[Defence of the Polish Post Office in Danzig]]
|1939
|{{flag|Poland}}
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|The Defence of the [[Polish Post Office in Danzig|Polish Post Office]] in Danzig ([[Gdańsk]]) was one of the first acts of [[World War II]] in [[Europe]], as part of the [[invasion of Poland (1939)|Invasion of Poland]]. On September 1, 1939, Polish personnel defended the building for some 15 hours against assaults by the ''[[SS Heimwehr Danzig]]'' ([[Schutzstaffel|SS]] Danzig Home Defense), local [[Sturmabteilung|SA]] formations and special units of [[Free City of Danzig Police|Danzig police]]. All but four of the defenders, who were able to escape from the building during the [[Surrender (military)|surrender]], were [[capital punishment|sentenced to death]] by a German [[court martial]] as [[illegal combatant]]s on October 5, 1939, and executed.
|German victory
|-
|[[Battle of Wizna]]
|1939
|{{flag|Poland}}
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|The Battle of Wizna was fought during the early stages of the [[Invasion of Poland]]. The 700 Polish defenders held a [[Fortification|fortified]] position for three days against a [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|Nazi force]] that outnumbered them ~ 60–1. Captain [[Władysław Raginis]]{{KIA}} eventually ordered the last two bunkers to surrender after they ran out of ammunition, then committed suicide.<ref>{{cite web|title = 1939: Sept. 7, 1939 – Battle of Wizna|url = http://war1939.blogspot.com/2009/06/sept-7-1939-battle-of-wizna.html|website = war1939.blogspot.com|accessdate = 2016-02-06}}</ref>
|German victory
|-
|Last stand of the Italian-Croatian Legion
|1942
|{{flagicon|Italy|1861}}{{flagicon|Independent State of Croatia}} [[Italian-Croatian Legion]]
|{{Flag|Soviet Union|1936}}
|In course of the [[Operation Little Saturn]], the [[Italian-Croatian Legion]] (a unit of about 1,000 Croatian volunteers fighting for the [[Royal Italian Army during World War II|Royal Italian Army]]) was surrounded by the [[Red Army]] at the Hills 168 and 210 near Meshkov. For two days, the Croatians fought fiercely against the Russians, but on 21 December their ammunition ran out – nevertheless, the legionaries did not surrender and when the final Soviet assault overrun their position, all were killed in battle.{{sfnp|Brnardic|2016|pp=8–9}}
|Soviet victory, Italian-Croatian Legion completely destroyed
|-
|Last stand of the [[44th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|44th Infantry Division]]'s ''Panzerjäger-Abteilung 46''
|1942
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|{{Flag|Soviet Union|1936}}
|As part of [[Operation Koltso]], the Soviet [[21st Army (Soviet Union)|21st]] and [[North Western Operational Command|65th Armies]] attacked the Marinovka salient of the [[Battle of Stalingrad|German Stalingrad pocket]] with hundreds of tanks, hoping to easily overrun the three weakened German divisions in their way. Despite this, the Germans fiercely and desperately resisted. In one of the most notable cases, the German [[44th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|44th Infantry Division]]'s ''Panzerjäger-Abteilung 46'' ("tank-hunter unit 46"), counting 128 soldiers, repulsed four waves of attacking heavy and medium tanks (including [[Kliment Voroshilov tank|KV-1]]s and [[T-34]]s) with just three [[7.62 cm Pak 36(r)]] anti-tank guns. The unit inflicted heavy losses on the Soviets, destroying dozens of tanks, while suffering 64 killed and 58 wounded. By the end, just six men and one anti-tank gun were still combat-ready, but eventually their ammunition ran out and their position was overrun by the Soviet Army. ''Panzerjäger-Abteilung 46'' was completely destroyed.{{sfnp|Forczyk|2012|pp=68, 69}}{{sfnp|Stühring |2014|p=161}}
|Soviet victory, ''Panzerjäger-Abteilung 46'' completely destroyed
|-
|[[Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse#Second Mount Austen|Second Battle of Mount Austen]]
|1943
|{{Flag|Japan}}
|{{Flag|United States}}
|After the capture of the Sea Horse by the Americans, the Japanese in the Gifu were now isolated from the rest of the [[Seventeenth Army (Japan)|17th Army]]. In a last message over his field phone before the line was cut, Takeyoshi Inagaki refused an order from [[Akinosuke Oka]] to abandon his position, instead vowing that his command would "fight to the last".  Following this declaration, twelve [[155 mm gun M1|155 mm]] and thirty-seven [[M101 howitzer|105 mm]] guns opened fire on the Gifu. In next one and a half hours, the American artillery fired 1,700 shells into an area about 1,000 yd square. On 18 January, the Americans attacked into the west side of the Gifu, making some headway and destroying several Japanese [[Pillbox (military)|pillboxes]] over the next two days until heavy rains stopped the attack on 20 January. On 22 January, American forces transferred a Stuart light tank<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Forgotten Fights: The Battle for Guadalcanal's Mount Austen, 1942 |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/guadalcanal-battle-mount-austen-1942 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=The National WWII Museum {{!}} New Orleans |date=9 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> into the area, allowing them to decisively break the Japanese positions on Mount Austen and take up positions in the center of the Gifu. On that night, around 02:30, realizing the battle was lost, Inagaki led his staff and most of the remaining survivors of his command,  around 100 men, in a [[Banzai charge|final charge]] on the Americans.<ref name=":2" /> In the charge, Inagaki and the rest of his troops were nearly killed to the last man.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HyperWar: US Army in WWII: Guadalcanal: The First Offensive [Chapter 12] |pages=303–304 |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Guadalcanal/USA-P-Guadalcanal-12.html |access-date=2022-04-17 |via=www.ibiblio.org}}</ref> At sunrise on 23 January, the Americans secured the rest of the Gifu.
|American victory, end of fighting in the Gifu
|-
|[[Last Battle of the Pohorje Battalion]]
|1943
|{{nowrap|[[File:Flag of the Slovene Partisans.svg|22x20px|border]] [[Slovene Partisans]]}}
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|The Pohorje Battalion was an armed unit of the Slovene Partisans, a resistance army of the Slovenian people, organized on the territory occupied by the Third Reich during the Second World War. As other units of Slovene Partisans, it performed its actions in a guerrilla-like way, avoiding larger conflicts against a much stronger opponent. Their last battle was fought in a winter camp, where they were planning to spend the winter. On 8 January, 69 fighters (among them women and children) were surrounded by some 2000 men of the German armed forces. In a two and half hour long fight, all but one of the defenders, who was too severely wounded to kill himself, were killed (their commandant gave the order that none should be captured alive). The captured partisan was shot subsequently, yet the last stand of the battalion became a symbol of a heroic stance against occupation and a legendary action of the Slovenian people in a fight for their freedom.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://wartraveller.com/pohorje-battalion/|title=Pohorje Battalion {{!}} War Traveller|date=2017-01-23|work=War Traveller|access-date=2017-07-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
|German victory
|-
|[[Warsaw Ghetto Uprising]]
|1943
|[[Jewish resistance in German-occupied Europe|Jewish Resistance]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of ZOB (Jewish Fighting Organization).svg}} [[Jewish Combat Organization|ŻOB]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of ZZW (Jewish Military Union).svg}} [[Jewish Military Union|ŻZW]]
[[Polish resistance movement in World War II|Polish Resistance]]
* {{flagicon image|Flaga PPP.svg}} [[Home Army]]
* {{flagicon image|Socialist red flag.svg}} [[Gwardia Ludowa|People's Guard]]
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was an act of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto, opposing Nazi Germany's final effort to transport the remaining Ghetto population to [[Treblinka extermination camp]]. They fought for 27 days until the Ghetto was burnt down by the [[Waffen-SS]].<ref>{{cite web|title = World War II: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising – History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online|url = http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-warsaw-ghetto-uprising.htm|website = History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online|date = 12 June 2006|accessdate = 2016-02-06|language = en-US}}</ref>
|German victory

|-

|[[Siege of Bastogne]]
|1944
|{{flag|United States|1912}}
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|Members of the [[101st Airborne Division|101st Airborne]] were ordered to defend the vital crossroad at the Belgian town of [[Bastogne]] from capture by the [[XLVII Panzer Corps]]. Outnumbered, under-equipped, and surrounded, the Americans held out for seven days, before being relieved by elements of [[George S. Patton|General Patton]]'s Third Army.<ref>{{cite web|title = Bastogne|url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Bastogne/bast-fm.htm|website = www.history.army.mil|accessdate = 2016-02-06|archive-date = 2008-12-04|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081204013505/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Bastogne/bast-fm.htm|url-status = dead}}</ref>
|American victory
|-
|[[Battle of Iwo Jima]]
|February 19 – March 26, 1945
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Empire of Japan]]
|{{flag|United States|1912}}
|The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps and Navy landed on and eventually captured the island of [[Iwo Jima]] from the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] (IJA) during [[World War II]].
|American victory
|-
|[[Battle of Berlin]]
|1945
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|{{Flag|Soviet Union|1936}}<br/>{{flagicon|Poland}} [[Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland|Poland]]
|The Battle of Berlin was [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s attempt at delaying the Soviets long enough so that the nearby 12th army could arrive and defeat the Soviets. The battle lasted 16 days before the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was declared.<ref>{{cite web|title = Battle for Berlin: April May 1945|url = http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_berlin.html|website = www.historyofwar.org|accessdate = 2016-02-06}}</ref>
|Decisive Soviet victory
|-
|[[Battle of Castle Itter]]
|1945
|{{flag|United States|1912}} <br />{{flagdeco|French Third Republic}} [[French Resistance|French prisoners]]<br />{{flagdeco|Nazi Germany}} [[German Army (1935–1945)|German soldiers]]<br />{{flagdeco|Austria}} [[Austrian resistance]]
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|The Battle of Castle Itter was a battle in which Allied prisoners of war joined forces with American soldiers and German defectors to hold off an invasion by Waffen SS soldiers before the arrival of a nearby American infantry division.
|Allied victory
|-
|[[Battle of Kapyong]]
|1951
|{{flag|United Nations}}
* {{flag|Canada}}
|{{flag|China}}
|The Chinese attacked through the Kapyong Valley, the traditional invasion route to Seoul, and a potential route to surround US forces in Korea. Two Chinese divisions of 20,000 soldiers assaulted the UN defense, consisting of two battalions of 700 soldiers each, the Australian 3 RAR on Hill 504 supported by 15 U.S. Sherman tanks, the Canadian 2 PPCLI on Hill 677. After a fierce fire-fight, the Australians and U.S. tanks retreated from the battlefield and were no longer engaged in the battle. The Chinese encircled the Canadians, preventing any support or ammunition from entering. Lt. Col. Stone ordered his battalion, "No retreat, no surrender." In an overnight battle, the Chinese launched mass assaults on Hill 677, the Canadians eventually exhausted their ammunition, and on three occasions called in long distance artillery barrages directly onto their own positions, now overrun by Chinese soldiers, to break up the attacks. The Chinese withdrew with enormous casualties of about 5,000 killed and many more wounded, declining further assaults against the Canadians, who were now depleted of ammunition. The Canadians sustained 12 killed and 35 wounded. There were no Canadian or Chinese soldiers reported as surrendering or being taken captive, only fighting to the end. 
|Canadian UN victory
|-
|Battle of [[Rezang La]]
|1962
|{{flag|India}}
|{{flag|China}}
|120 soldiers of Charlie Company, [[Kumaon Regiment|13th Kumaon Regiment]], [[Indian Army]], led by Maj. [[Shaitan Singh]], [[Param Vir Chakra|PVC]] made a last stand at the Rezang La pass near Chushul, Ladakh against the invading Chinese Peoples Liberation Army forces in the [[Sino-Indian War|1962 Indo-Sino Conflict]]. 114 of the 120 soldiers were killed. Maj Shaitan Singh was awarded India's highest gallantry award, the [[Param Vir Chakra]]. 
|Chinese victory 
|-
|[[Battle of Longewala]]
|1971
|{{flag|India}}
|{{flag|Pakistan}}
|The Battle of Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], fought between assaulting Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Longewala, in the [[Thar Desert]] of [[Rajasthan]] state in India. About 120 Indian soldiers from the 23rd battalion of the [[Punjab Regiment (India)|Punjab Regiment]] held on and fought against the invading force of 2000 Pakistani soldiers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010113/windows/main4.htm|title=The Tribune – Windows – Response|website=www.tribuneindia.com|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
|Decisive Indian victory
|-

|[[Badaber uprising]]
|1985
|{{flagicon|Soviet Union}} [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Prisoner of war|POWs]]<br />{{flagicon|Afghanistan|1980}} [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghan]] POWs
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Mujahideen]] ([[Jamiat-e-Islami]])<br />{{flag|Pakistan}}
|The Badaber uprising was an armed rebellion of 52 Soviet and Afghan prisoners who were held at the fortress of Badaber on 26–27 April 1985. Though the prisoners managed to seize the complex from their guards and looted the local armory for weapons, they were quickly besieged by Mujahideen reinforcements and the [[Pakistan Army]]. For two days, the prisoners managed to hold off the attackers, but their situation remained desperate as they could not escape and negotiations with the Mujahideen failed. The battle eventually ended when the fortress exploded, either because the armory had been detonated by the prisoners or because an artillery shell had struck it. Almost all prisoners were killed in the explosion.
|Pyrrhic Pakistani and Mujahideen victory: almost all POWs killed, Badaber fortress is completely destroyed
|-
|[[Battle of Tiger Hill]]
|1999
|{{flag|Pakistan}}
|{{flag|India}}
|40 Pakistani soldiers of the 5th [[Northern Light Infantry Regiment]] fought an estimated of 200-800 Indian soldiers of different units in defending the captured peak of Tiger Hill (Point 5060) during the [[Kargil War]]. 35 out of 40 Pakistani soldiers were killed during the last stand notably [[Karnal Sher Khan|Captain Karnal Sher Khan]] and Captain Ammar Hussain of the Pakistani Army both of whom were given the highest military awards by the Pakistani Government.
|Indian victory, the leading commander of the Pakistani defending forces was killed
|-
|Siege of the Aleppo Central Prison during the [[Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016)|Battle of Aleppo]]
|2013–2014
|{{flag|Syria}}
|{{flagicon|Syria|1932}} [[Free Syrian Army]]<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of Ahrar ash-Sham.svg}} [[Ahrar ash-Sham]]<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of the Al-Nusra Front.svg}} [[Al-Nusra Front]]
|During the opening phases [[Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016)]], the [[Syrian Army]] and allied militias: the [[National Defence Forces]] and [[Liwa al-Quds]], were overwhelmed and sent into disarray across the whole area. In March 2013 around 300 soldiers who were guarding the prison were cut off in the Aleppo Central Prison, just north of the city of [[Aleppo]]. Rebel groups including [[Ahrar al-Sham]], the [[Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement]], and the Syrian Branch of [[Al Qaeda]], the [[Al Nusra Front]], made multiple attempts to break through including with the use of manned [[car bomb]]s. During the siege many prisoners took up arms and voluntarily joined the front on the outskirts of the prison. After holding out in the prison for a year, a special task force of the Syrian Army, the [[Tiger Forces]] which were led by General [[Suheil al-Hassan]], were instructed to recapture the northern outskirts of Aleppo in what was codenamed [[Operation Canopus Star]]. By the time reinforcements arrived, the majority of forces holding the area were dead or wounded, with many prisoners dying of hunger. Many prisoners who took up arms in support of the army had their sentences shortened or were completely pardoned.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/SY/AleppoCentralPrison.pdf |title='Surrounded by Death': Former Inmates of Aleppo Central Prison The Syrian Arab Republic |date=12 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syria-army-breaks-rebel-siege-of-aleppo-central-prison-ngo-66804|title = Syria army breaks rebel siege of Aleppo central prison |website=NGO - World News|date = 22 May 2014 }}</ref>
|Syrian victory, reinforcements arrived
|-
|[[Battle of Sirte (2016)|Battle of Sirte]]
|2016
|{{flag|Islamic State}} ([[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya|Libyan forces]])
|{{Flagicon|Libya}} Libyan [[Government of National Accord]]<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Italy}}
|In May 2016, forces of the Libyan [[Government of National Accord]] (GNA) with support of an international coalition attacked the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya|Islamic State]]-held city of [[Sirte]]. By this point, the Islamic State had already lost most of its territory in Libya, and it resolved to bitterly defend the town. Though part of Sirte's garrison broke out and escaped, the 2,500 Islamic State fighters left behind mostly fought to the death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/making-last-stand-libyan-city-pentagon-623438379|title=IS making 'last stand' in Libya's Sirte: Pentagon|publisher=Middle East Eye|date=1 December 2016|accessdate=1 December 2016}}</ref> The Government of National Accord declared the city cleared of Islamic State forces in December 2016.
|Major GNA victory
|-
|}

== {{Anchor|List of naval last stands}}Naval last stands ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Year
!Defenders
!Attackers
!Description
!Outcome
|-
|[[Battle of Flores (1591)|Battle of Flores]]
|1591
| {{navy|England}}
| {{navy|Spain|1506}}
|During the [[Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)|Anglo-Spanish War of 1585]], an [[Spanish Empire|imperial Spanish]] fleet of 53 ships came upon an unprepared English fleet of 22 ships in port at [[Flores Island (Azores)|Flores]] in the [[Azores]]. Most of the English vessels were not prepared to do battle or flee, many being under repair and with crewmen ashore. As they English struggled to make sail and escape, [[Richard Grenville]] sailed his single ship, the 54-gun galleon ''[[English ship Revenge (1577)|Revenge]]'', directly into the Spanish fleet. The grossly outnumbered ''Revenge'' fought fiercely and effectively through the night and into the next morning, by which time she was a floating wreck with most crewmen dead, and so surrendered. This action tied up the Spanish and allowed the rest of the English fleet to escape.
|Spanish tactical victory
|-
|[[Battle of Myeongnyang]]
|1597
| {{navy|Joseon|size=23px}}
| [[File:Goshichi no kiri.svg|23px]] Fleet of [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]]
|The battle had [[Admiral]] [[Yi Sun-sin|Yi Sun-Sin]] take the remaining 13 ships of the Joseon Navy and hold the [[Myeongnyang Straits|Myeongnyang Strait]] against the 133 warships and over 200 supply ships of the attacking Japanese force. Due to Admiral Yi's remarkable skill as a naval commander, he destroyed 33 enemy ships and forced a Japanese retreat. Admiral Yi only lost ten sailors as none of his ships were sunk.<ref>{{cite web|title = Yi Sun-shin Home|url = http://www.koreanhero.net/en/TheMajorNavalBattles.htm|website = www.koreanhero.net|accessdate = 2016-02-06|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928230153/http://www.koreanhero.net/en/TheMajorNavalBattles.htm|archive-date = 2011-09-28|url-status = dead}}</ref>
|Joseon victory
|-

|[[Battle of Chemulpo Bay]]
|1904
|{{flag|Russian Empire|naval}}
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Empire of Japan]]
|The protected cruiser ''[[Russian cruiser Varyag (1899)|Varyag]]'' and the gunboat ''[[Russian gunboat Korietz|Korietz]]'' scuttled after the battle
|Japanese victory
|-
|[[HMS Rawalpindi#Sinking|The Iceland Gap Action]]
||1939
| {{flagicon|UK|naval}} [[Royal Navy]]
* {{HMS|Rawalpindi}}
| {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|naval}} ''[[Kriegsmarine]]''
* {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}}
* {{ship|German battleship|Gneisenau||2}}
|The engagement was between the [[armed merchant cruiser]] HMS ''Rawalpindi'' armed with eight {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns and two powerful German [[battlecruiser]]s ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'', armed with 18 {{convert|11|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns and 24 6-inch guns. ''Rawalpindi'' sighted the German ships and the captain elected to go down fighting rather than to flee. ''Rawalpindi'' was sunk in 40 minutes, with the loss of 238 men.
|German victory
|-
|HMS ''Glowworm'' action
|1940
| {{flagicon|UK|naval}} Royal Navy
* {{HMS|Glowworm|H92|6}}
| {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|naval}} ''Kriegsmarine''
* {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper||2}}
* Two German destroyers
|The engagement was between the 1,370-ton [[destroyer]] HMS ''Glowworm'' and the 16,170-ton cruiser ''Admiral Hipper''. ''Glowworm'' had attacked two German destroyers, which requested help from the cruiser. After the British destroyer fired all her [[torpedo]]es, and having her guns destroyed, she collided with ''Admiral Hipper'', and sank. The Germans recovered 40 British sailors. ''Glowworm''{{'}}s commanding officer, [[Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[Gerard Broadmead Roope|Gerard Roope]] was posthumously awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] on the recommendation of the German captain.<ref>{{cite web|title = HMS Glowworm (1934) {{!}} Royal Navy History|url = http://www.royal-navy.org/hms-glowworm-1934|website = www.royal-navy.org|accessdate = 2016-02-06}}</ref>
|German victory
|-
|Battle of [[Convoy HX 84]]
|1940
| {{flagicon|UK|naval}} Royal Navy
* {{HMS|Jervis Bay}}
* {{SS|Beaverford}}
* {{MV|San Demetrio}}
* Several merchant ships
| {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|naval}} ''Kriegsmarine''
* [[German cruiser Admiral Scheer|German cruiser ''Admiral Scheer'']]
|On 5 November 1940, the German "pocket battleship" ''Admiral Scheer'' located and attacked convoy HX 84; the sole escort HMS ''Jervis Bay'' (an [[Armed merchantman|armed merchant cruiser]]) instructed the convoy to scatter and charged the much larger and more advanced ship. She managed to delay the ''Admiral Scheer'' for 22 minutes at the cost of many of the crew being killed or injured, including Captain [[Edward Fegen]], who was later awarded a [[Victoria Cross]] for his actions.

By the time HMS ''Jervis Bay'' had been sunk the merchant ships had all but scattered; however, the ''Admiral Scheer'' did manage to locate a small number of merchant ships, including the {{SS|Beaverford}}, which, despite the very unequal matchup (The SS ''Beaverford'' having one 4-inch gun and one 3-inch gun, whilst the ''Admiral Scheer'' had six 11-inch guns alone), managed to further delay the attacking vessel for 4 hours in a cat-and-mouse game, using its speed and the smoke produced to allow the convoy to escape. However, the SS ''Beaverford'' was sunk with all hands. 
|German tactical victory, British strategic victory
|-
|[[Last battle of the battleship Bismarck|The sinking of ''Bismarck'']]
|1941
|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany|naval}} ''Kriegsmarine''
* {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}}
|{{flagicon|UK|naval}} Royal Navy
* {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|6}}
* {{HMS|King George V|41|6}}
* {{HMS|Rodney|29|6}}
* 3 cruisers
* 6 destroyers
|After the German victory at the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]], the Royal Navy deployed a large force tasked with the destruction of the German [[battleship]] ''Bismarck'' to counter the destruction of the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Hood}}. Three days after the engagement, ''Bismarck'' was found and engaged in its final action. Over the course of the night, the British forces crippled ''Bismarck's'' steering gear and repeatedly harassed the Germans with attacks by British destroyers. On the morning of May 27, HMS ''King George V'', HMS ''Rodney'', and the cruisers all took part in the sinking of ''Bismarck''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/LondonGazette/38098.pdf |title=The London Gazette |date=16 October 1947 |accessdate=2016-02-20 |via=www.ibiblio.org}}</ref>

[[John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey|Admiral Tovey]], who commanded the engagement, said that "The ''Bismarck'' had put up a most gallant fight against impossible odds worthy of the old days of the [[Imperial German Navy]], and she went down with her colours flying."<ref name=":0" />
|British victory
|-
|Sinking of HMS ''Peterel''
|1941
| {{flagicon|UK|naval}} Royal Navy
* {{HMS|Peterel|1927|6}}
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Empire of Japan]]
* {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumo||2}}
* {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Toba||2}}
* [[Coastal artillery|Shore batteries]]
|Due to the war in Europe most naval assets in the east had been recalled to serve in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]], one of these remaining assets was HMS ''Peterel'' which served to dissuade the Japanese from moving against the foreign quarter of [[Shanghai]]. However, following the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]] the Japanese moved against the Anglo-American assets in the area, seizing {{USS|Wake}}, later demanding the surrender of HMS ''Peterel'' with an overwhelming force of the cruiser ''Izumo'', the gunboat ''Toba'', and several shore batteries. Despite this overwhelming force there was a need to stall for time in order to burn the code books and [[Scuttling|scuttle]] the vessel. In order to do this all possible resistance was rendered with the operational small arms (two [[Lewis gun]]s being the most formidable) as the {{convert|3|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns had been disabled, until the vessel capsized and sank due to the weight of incoming fire with the loss of a large number of crew.  
|Japanese victory
|-
|[[Battle off Samar]]
|1944
|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[United States]]
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} Empire of Japan
|The Battle off Samar had Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3") fight against the Japanese Center Force. The Japanese [[flagship]] was the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}}, which alone outweighed all of Taffy 3 together. The Americans had a few destroyers, [[escort carrier]]s, [[destroyer escort]]s, and 400 aircraft. The Japanese fleet had several battleships and [[heavy cruiser]]s. Despite the mismatch, the Americans put up so much resistance, Admiral [[Takeo Kurita|Kurita]] thought he was facing the entire [[United States Third Fleet|Third Fleet]] and retreated.<ref>{{cite web|title = Glorious Death: The Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 23rd – 25th, 1944 by Tim Lanzendörfer|url = http://www.microworks.net/pacific/battles/leyte_gulf.htm|website = www.microworks.net|accessdate = 2016-02-06}}</ref>
|American victory
|}

== {{Anchor|List of last stands in aviation}}Last stands in aviation ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Place of Action
!Year
!Defenders
!Attackers
!Description
!Outcome
|-
|[[German occupation of Belgium during World War I|German-occupied Belgium]]
|1917
|{{air force|German Empire}}
*1 [[Fokker Dr.I]], piloted by [[Werner Voss]]
*1 [[Albatros D.III]]
|{{air force|UKGBI}}
*8 [[Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5|S.E.5s]]
|High scoring German ace [[Werner Voss]] single-handedly faced off against British pilots [[James McCudden]], [[Keith Muspratt]], [[Harold A. Hamersley]], [[Arthur Rhys Davids]], [[Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts]], [[Geoffrey Hilton Bowman]], [[Reginald Hoidge]], and [[Richard Maybery]]. He was briefly assisted by an Albatros pilot before his comrade was defeated. Voss had a chance to climb above his opponents, due to the Fokker's higher ceiling clearance, and escape. But for unknown reasons, Voss dived back into the dogfight and attacked. Voss fired rounds into every one of his opponents but eventually was shot down by Rhys Davids. Afterwards, the British pilots held Voss with great respect and Rhys Davids wished he had brought him down alive.
|British victory, Voss is shot down and killed
|-
|Over [[Nanjing]], China
|1937
|{{flagicon|Republic of China}} [[Republic of China Air Force]]
* 2 [[Curtiss BF2C Goshawk#Variants|Hawk III]]s
|{{flagicon image|Naval Ensign of Japan.svg}} [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]
* 11 [[Mitsubishi A5M]]s
* Several bombers
|On 3 December 1937, a large Japanese bomber formation, escorted by 11 [[Mitsubishi A5M]]s, attacked the airfield of the [[Republic of China Air Force]]'s 21st Pursuit Squadron/4th Pursuit Group at Nanjing. At the time, the whole 21st Pursuit Squadron had only two operational [[Curtiss BF2C Goshawk#Variants|Hawk III]]s left, flown by Captain Tung Ming-teh and Lieutenant [[Yue Yiqin]]. Despite their massive numerical disadvantage, Tung and Yue took off and engaged the Japanese attackers by themselves. In course of the following dogfight, the Japanese were victorious, with Yue shot down and Tung driven off. Yue was posthumously promoted for his courageous actions and buried at the Memorial Cemetery to the Anti-Japanese Aviator Martyrs, while Tung rose in rank to command the 4th Pursuit Group by 1939.{{sfnp|Cheung|2015|p=20}}
|Japanese success, [[Yue Yiqin]] is killed
|-
|Over [[Oschersleben]], Germany
|1944
|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[United States Air Force|United States]]
* 1 [[North American P-51 Mustang|P-51]]
|{{flagicon image| Regulation_WW_II_Upperwing_Balkenkreuz.png}} [[Luftwaffe]]
* 30 [[Messerschmitt Bf 110|ME. 110.]]
|The United States sent out a heavy bomber group that was escorted by a formation of P-51 aircraft led by [[Colonel (United States)|Col]]. [[James H. Howard]]. During the mission, they met with a Luftwaffe force that attacked the bomber group. The Americans, in the process of defending their bombers, became separated from the bomber formation. Howard lost contact with his group and decided to return to the bomber formation, only to see that it was being attacked by the Germans. Instead of waiting for the rest of his group, he chose to defend against the 30 German planes alone. He fought by himself for 30 minutes, nearly out of fuel and out of ammunition; he continued to dive at the Germans until they withdrew. Howard would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-g-l.html#HOWARD|title=Medal of Honor Recipients – World War II (Recipients G-L)|last=History|first=U.S. Army Center of Military|website=www.history.army.mil|accessdate=2016-03-05|archive-date=2009-08-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805093227/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-g-l.html#HOWARD|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|Successful defense of American bombers
|-
|Over [[Kashmir Valley]]
|1971
|{{flag|India}}
* 1 [[Folland Gnat]]
|{{flag|Pakistan}}
* 6 [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86F Sabre Jet]] 
|In a dogfight against odds of 1:6 [[Flight lieutenant|Flt. Lt.]] [[Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon]] of India made a last stand against Pakistani [[North American F-86 Sabre|Sabre Jet]] pilots 1. [[Wing Commander|Wng Cdr]] [[Sharbat Ali Changezi]],  2. [[Flight lieutenant|Flt Lt]] H.K Dotani, 3. [[Flight lieutenant|Flt Lt]] Amjad Endrabi, 4. [[Flight lieutenant|Flt Lt]] Maroof Mir, 5. [[Flight lieutenant|Flt Lt]] Salim Baig Mirza, 6. [[Flight lieutenant|Flt Lt]]  A. Rahim Yousefzai on 14 December 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tale of a Brave IAF Pilot|date=April 2010 |url=https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/tale-of-a-brave-iaf-pilot.52626/|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>
| Pakistani bombers distracted.    [[Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon]] posthumously awarded the [[Param Vir Chakra]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-06-05|title=Batchmates remember of IAF's lone Param Vir Chakra awardee recall his valour|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/batch-mates-of-iaf-lone-param-vir-chakra-awardee-nirmal-jit-singh-sekhon-recall-his-valour-on-50th-anniversary-of-passing-out-4688184/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>
|}

== {{Anchor|List of last stands with few defenders}}Last stands with few defenders ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Place of Action
!Year
!Defender(s)
!Attackers
!Description
!Outcome
|-
|[[Rome]], [[Italy]]
|69&nbsp;AD
|[[Sempronius Densus]]{{KIA}}
|Followers of [[Otho]]
|On January 15, 69, the [[Roman emperor]] [[Galba]] and his heir [[Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus|Piso]] were attacked on the streets of Rome by [[Praetorian Guard|Praetorians]] who had defected to the usurper [[Otho]]. Instead of defending them, Galba and Piso's bodyguards promptly fled or joined the rebels. Only one [[centurion]], [[Sempronius Densus]], refused to abandon the emperor, even though he felt no particular affinity to Galba. Sempronius first attempted to remonstrate with the assassins, and then fought them to the death. While he managed to buy time for Piso to escape, he and Galba were killed. Soon after, however, Piso was found by Otho's followers and also killed. Due to his extraordinary sense of duty and bravery, Sempronius Densus's last stand was recorded by Roman historians as being the only heroic act done in Rome that day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/63*.html|title=Cassius Dio — Epitome of Book 63|website=penelope.uchicago.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/galba.html|title=The Internet Classics Archive {{!}} Galba by Plutarch|website=classics.mit.edu|access-date=2017-07-09}}</ref>
|[[Galba]] and [[Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus|Piso]] are killed, [[Otho]] becomes [[Roman emperor]].
|-
|[[Siege of Petra (550–551)|Siege of Petra, Lazica]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
|551&nbsp;AD
|[[Sasanian Empire]]
|[[Byzantine Empire]]
|The Byzantines recaptured the strategic fortress of Petra, Lazica after a year-long siege, following another unsuccessful siege. The remaining Sasanian forces in the acropolis refused [[Bessas (magister militum)|Bessas]]'s offer of a safe withdrawal, who subsequently ordered it to be torched.
| Byzantine victory
|-
|[[Battle of Karbala]], [[Iraq]]
|680&nbsp;AD
|[[Husayn ibn Ali]] and followers (the [[Shia]]s)
|[[Umayyad Caliphate]]
|[[Muhammad]]'s grandson [[Husayn ibn Ali]] was asked by the people of Kufa to lead an uprising against the new Umayyad ruler Yazid I, who was appointed by his father in breach of a previous agreement with Husayn's brother, according to which the Muslim world themselves should be choosing their future ruler. As Husayn and his small caravan was heading toward Kufa, the city's people shifted their loyalty out of fear. Husayn continued nevertheless, and his caravan was intercepted by the Umayyad army. He and his 72 followers fought to death, refusing to pledge allegiance to Yazid I. The dead are considered as martyrs by Muslims, and the event has a central place in forming the identity of the [[Shia Muslims]].
| Umayyad victory
|-
|[[Siege of Shahdiz]], [[Iran]]
|1107
|[[Nizari Ismaili state|Nizari Ismailis]] (the Assassins)
|[[Seljuk Empire]]
|A small remaining group of the besieged Nizari Ismaili defenders (around 80 men) at Shahdiz fortress refuse a safe withdrawal as per an initial agreement with the Seljuk army, which had laid a siege for a year. The ensuing battle is fought from tower to tower with most of the defenders being killed.
| Seljuk victory
|-
|[[Siege of Maymun-Diz]], [[Iran]]
|1256
|[[Nizari Ismaili state|Nizari Ismailis]] (the Assassins)
|[[Mongol Empire]]
|The Nizari leader Khurshah capitulated to the invading Mongols under Hulegu. A small group of the Nizari garrison remained in a high building in the fortress and were defeated and killed after three days.
| Mongol victory
|-
|[[Battle of Maiwand]], [[Afghanistan]]
|1880
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} British Empire
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Afghanistan pre-1901.svg}} [[Emirate of Afghanistan]]
|A force of 2500 British and Indian troops held positions outside of the village of [[Maiwand]] against an Afghan force numbering 12000 to 25000. Due to the positioning of the British force, insufficient ammunition reached the newly captured smoothbore guns, forcing the guns to retire to restock ammunition, the slackening of fire allowing the Afghans to force the wavering [[130th Baluchis]] into retreat breaking the line and triggering a forced withdrawal. After which a small contingent of 11 men of the [[66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot|66th Regiment]] stood as a rearguard until they ran out of ammunition, and charged the large number of Afghan infantry surrounding them; resulting in the deaths of the remaining men.
|Afghan victory
|-
|[[Siege of Baler]], [[Philippines]]
|1898–1899
|{{Flag|Spanish Empire}}
|{{flagicon|First Philippine Republic}} [[First Philippine Republic|Philippine Republic]]
|The Siege of Baler was a battle of the [[Philippine Revolution]] and concurrently the [[Spanish–American War]] and the [[Philippine–American War]]. Filipino revolutionaries laid siege to a fortified church manned by 50 colonial Spanish troops in the town of Baler, Philippines for 11 months, or 337 days.<br/>The war had [[Treaty of Paris (1898)|ended]] in December 1898 with Spain's surrender and [[cession]] of the Philippines to the [[United States]]. However, cut off from communications with their own government and military, the Spanish forces in Baler continued their defense against the Filipino forces until 1899.
|Filipino victory
|-
|[[Battle of Tirad Pass]], [[Philippines]]
|1899
|{{flagicon|First Philippine Republic}} [[First Philippine Republic|Philippine Republic]]
|{{flagicon|United States|1896}} [[United States]]
|The Battle of Tirad Pass saw a rearguard of 60 Filipino soldiers fight a delaying action against a 300 strong American advance. The defenders suffered near total casualties, but fought long enough for President [[Emilio Aguinaldo]] and his troops to escape. The battle is now sometimes called the "Philippine Thermopylae."<ref>{{cite web|title = Philippine-American War, 1899–1902 {{!}} by Arnaldo Dumindin|url = http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/ilocosandcagayan1899.htm|website = philippineamericanwar.webs.com|accessdate = 2016-02-06|archive-date = 2018-09-05|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180905214855/https://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/ilocosandcagayan1899.htm|url-status = dead}}</ref>
|Tactical United States victory<br/>Strategic Filipino victory
|-
|[[Monchy-le-Preux]], [[Pas-de-Calais]], [[France]]
|1917
|{{flagicon|British Empire}} British Empire 
|{{flagicon|German Empire}} [[German Empire]]
|After a German counterattack at the village of [[Monchy-le-Preux]], a desperate yet determined defence was mounted by a group of nine soldiers of the [[British Empire]]. This group consisted of one man from the [[Essex Regiment]], and eight others from the [[Royal Newfoundland Regiment|Newfoundland Regiment]], including Lieutenant Colonel [[James Forbes-Robertson]], the leader of the defenders. Their goal being to prevent a force of some 300 Germans from advancing through the area and thus capturing Monchy, they held a position opposite the village's German-occupied assembly trench. The resistance offered by the group delayed the German force's relay of intelligence, concealing the truth of the defenders' inferior numbers. The nine men were eventually reinforced by a tenth soldier who had previously been knocked unconscious, and later by a group from the [[Hampshire Regiment]]. After hours of ceaseless fighting, the Germans were forced to retreat, having sustained over 40 casualties.{{sfnp|Gogos|2015|pp=192–198}}
| British defensive success
* German takeover of Monchy-le-Preux prevented despite heavy British casualties
* Defenders relieved
|-
|[[Battle of Saumur (1940)|Battle of Saumur]], [[France]]
|1940
|{{flagicon|France}}[[Jehan Alain]]
|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|''Jehan Alain'' was a composer, organist, and motorcycle dispatch rider. On the 20th of June 1940, he was assigned to [[Reconnaissance|reconnoitre]] the German advance on the eastern side of [[Battle of Saumur (1940)|Saumur]], and encountered a group of German soldiers at Le Petit-Puy. ''Alain'' was riding his motorcycle around a curve when he heard the approaching tread of the Germans, he dismounted and killed 16 Germans with his [[carbine]] before being killed by the approaching force.<ref name=Globe>Guerrieri, Matthew. [https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/10/05/score-rare-refuge-from-brutality-war/jvDiidYrrLWDzBqPs31DCL/story.html A rare refuge from brutality of war] ''[[Boston Globe]]'' (October 5, 2013)</ref> It is unknown why he chose to engage the group rather than ride away.
|Jehan Alain killed in action
* Posthumously awarded the [[Croix de Guerre]] for his bravery.
|-
|The lone Soviet tank during the [[Battle of Raseiniai]]
|1941
|{{flag|Soviet Union|1936}}
|{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|During the battle for the village of [[Raseiniai]], which took place 23–27 June 1941, a lone [[Kliment Voroshilov tank|KV]] tank held off the advance of the [[6th Panzer Division]] for a single day, before being overrun and knocked out on the morning of June 25.
|German victory
|-
|[[Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich#Investigation and manhunt|Operation Anthropoid]], [[Prague]], [[Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia]]
|1942
|{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Jan Kubiš]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Jozef Gabčík]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Josef Valčík]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Adolf Opálka]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} Josef Bublik{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} Jaroslav Švarc{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} Jan Hruby{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Nazi Germany
|Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the successful assassination attempt by Czechoslovak partisans on Reichsprotector [[Reinhard Heydrich]] who died from shrapnel injuries after a bomb was thrown at his car on 27 May 1942. The partisans took refuge in the [[Saints Cyril and Methodius Church]] in Prague. On 18 June they were ambushed by troops of the [[Waffen SS]] after being betrayed by fellow partisan [[Karel Čurda]]. For hours they were able to hold off repeated attacks before, with them running out of ammunition, they either died from their injuries or killed themselves to avoid capture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170831-a-prague-church-that-defied-nazi-rule|title=A Prague church that defied Nazi rule|website=bbc.com|access-date=1 July 2022}}</ref>
|All Czechoslovak partisans killed
*Dissolution of the [[Munich Agreement]]
|-
|Sutoki-Byakovo, [[Novgorod Oblast]], [[Russia]]
|1942
|{{flagicon|USSR}} [[Natalya Kovshova]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|USSR}} [[Mariya Polivanova]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Nazi Germany
|After Soviet soldiers repulsing the German offensive were gunned down or too injured to fight, only Kovshova and Polivanova, snipers, remained in battle, gunning down as many Nazis as possible. After running out of ammunition and having only four grenades left they waited to be surrounded by German soldiers, and when fully surrounded they pulled the pins on their grenades, killing themselves and surrounding enemy soldiers in order to avoid capture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=589|title=Ковшова Наталья Венедиктовна|website=www.warheroes.ru|access-date=2018-02-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=590|title=Поливанова Мария Семёновна|website=www.warheroes.ru|access-date=2018-02-06}}</ref>
|Kovshova and Polivanova killed in action
* Posthumously [[Hero of the Soviet Union|Heroes of the Soviet Union]]
|-
|[[Shkodër]], [[Albania]]
|1942
|{{flagicon|Albania}} [[Branko Kadia, Jordan Misja and Perlat Rexhepi|Branko Kadia]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Albania}} [[Branko Kadia, Jordan Misja and Perlat Rexhepi|Jordan Misja]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Albania}} [[Branko Kadia, Jordan Misja and Perlat Rexhepi|Perlat Rexhepi]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon image|Flag Kingdom Of Albania.svg}} [[Fascist Albania|Italian protectorate of Albania]]
|Kadia, Misja and Rexhepi (all members of the [[National Liberation Movement (Albania)|Albanian Partisans]]) were in Misja's home after being surrounded by 600 soldiers and police of the Albanian fascist forces. After refusing to surrender and a subsequent aerial bombardment on the home, the trio stormed out of the home and begun firing on the surrounding troops. After inflicting some losses, the trio were killed.  
|Fascist Albanian victory
*Trio awarded [[Hero of the People]]
|-
|[[Saipan]], [[Mariana Islands]]
|1944
|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Thomas Baker (Medal of Honor)|Thomas A. Baker]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} Empire of Japan
|On 7 July 1944, Thomas Baker's position came under attack by a significantly larger Japanese force. He was wounded in the initial assault, but refused to be evacuated and fought at close-range until his ammunition was expended. Baker insisted he be left behind when his comrades were forced to retreat. He was propped up against a tree with a [[pistol]] and eight bullets. When the position was retaken, he was found dead with the bodies of eight Japanese soldiers around him.
|Baker is killed in action
*Posthumous Medal of Honor
|-
|Saipan, Mariana Islands
|1944
|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Ben L. Salomon]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} Empire of Japan
|Captain Salomon was the Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division when they were attacked by a massive Japanese force numbering somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 soldiers. The Japanese bypassed the perimeter and started to attack Salomon's aid station. After killing seven of the attackers, he ordered the wounded back to the regimental aid station. He exited his aid station and manned a machine gun position to hold off the Japanese and cover the retreat of the wounded men for as long as possible. The American force retaking his position found him with 98 dead soldiers in front of him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.army.mil/moh/wwII-m-s.html#SALOMON|title=Medal of Honor Recipients – World War II (Recipients M-S)|last=History|first=U.S. Army Center of Military|website=www.history.army.mil|accessdate=2016-03-11|archive-date=2012-12-12|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212203521/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-m-s.html#SALOMON|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|Salomon is killed in action
* Posthumous Medal of Honor
|-
|Near the [[Po Valley]], [[Italy]]
|1945
|{{flagicon|Brazil}} Arlindo Lúcio da Silva{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Brazil}} Geraldo Baeta da Cruz{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Brazil}} Geraldo Rodrigues de Souza{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Nazi Germany
|The three Brazilians were on patrol near the Po Valley when they were attacked by German forces, who requested their surrender. They took cover and returned fire, eventually running out of ammunition. They then mounted a bayonet charge against the German attackers, but were killed in the process.<ref>{{cite web|title = CINEMARKETING FILMES: Novo Filme da Cinemarketing|url = http://cinemarketingfilmes.blogspot.com/2009/09/novo-filme-da-cinemarketing.html|website = cinemarketingfilmes.blogspot.com|accessdate = 2016-02-06|language = pt}}</ref>
|The Brazilian soldiers are killed
* They are [[Mountain Infantry Battalion (Brazil)#Participation in World War II|honored]] by the Germans
|-
|Near [[Holtzwihr]], [[France]]
|1945
|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Audie Murphy|Audie L. Murphy]]
|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Nazi Germany
|Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery, killing large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. He then climbed on a burning tank destroyer and employed its machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but he killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back.<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://research.archives.gov/id/299779|title = Complete Description of Service Rendered|date = 1944-08-15|accessdate = 2016-02-06|website = National Archives|publisher = The National Archives Catalog|last = Hollen|first = Norman|series = File Unit: Official Military Personnel File of Audie Murphy, 1942 - 1945}}</ref>
|German withdrawal
*Awarded the Medal of Honor
|-
|[[Taungdaw]], [[Myanmar]]
|1945
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Lachhiman Gurung]]
|{{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} Empire of Japan
|[[Brigade of Gurkhas|Gurkha]] [[Rifleman]] Gurung was manning the forward post of his platoon when they were attacked by 200 Japanese soldiers. He had already returned two thrown [[Hand grenade|grenades]] when a third detonated in his [[trench]]. Despite being alone and his now severe injuries, he defended his position for four hours until he was relieved.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37195/supplement/3861|title = The London Gazette|date = 1945-07-27|accessdate = 2016-02-06|website = The Gazette Official Public Record|publisher = The London Gazette}}</ref>
|Japanese withdrawal
* Awarded the Victoria Cross
|-
|[[Kashmir]]
|1947
|{{flag|Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)}}
|{{flag|Azad Kashmir}} 
|On the night of 21 October 1947, 6000 'Qabalis' or Muzahideen lashkar with an intention to loot and capture [[Kashmir Valley]] attacked [[Muzaffarabad]]. The [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces|J&K State Forces]] deputed at those points betrayed their defensive positions and from [[Kohala Bridge]] to [[Boniyar]] Bridge from 23 to 27 October 1947 only [[Rajinder Singh (brigadier)]] and 170 of his men made their last stand and resisted  with the planned defensive strategy, they continued to fight until all perished, their sacrifice was enough for diplomatic decisions to be taken for the Indian Army to arrive in war theater to save [[Kashmir Valley]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cardozo|first=Major General Ian|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D9ymBAAAQBAJ&q=maha+vir+chakra+rajender+singh&pg=PT31|title=Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle|date=2003-12-31|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5194-029-6|location=|pages=|language=en|chapter=1947-48 War in Jammu and Kashmir, Battle for the Valley}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Chakravorty|first=B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9oZUDwAAQBAJ|title=Stories of Heroism|publisher=Historical Section, Ministry of Defence, Government of India|year=1987|isbn=978-81-230-2594-0|location=|pages=18–19}}</ref>
|[[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)]] rule ended
[[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)]] & [[Azad Kashmir]] came into existence.
*[[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (posthumous)[[Rajinder Singh (brigadier)]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=26 October 2015|title=Saviour of Kashmir remembered|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/saviour-of-kashmir-remembered-150902|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=26 October 2017|title=Jammu remember 'Saviour of Kashmir', Brig Rajinder Singh|work=United News of India (UNI)|url=http://www.uniindia.com/jammu-remembers-saviour-of-kashmir--brig-rajinder-singh/states/news/1028691.html|access-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Joshi|first=Col NN|date=16–31 December 2015|title=Rich Tributes Paid to Saviour of Kashmir|url=http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2015/dec16-15/Sainik%20E-book%20English%20HTML%2016-31%20December/mobile/index.html#p=30|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-23|website=[[Sainik Samachar]]}}</ref> 
|-
|[[Machairas Monastery]] Near [[Lazanias]], [[Cyprus]]
|1957
|{{flagicon|Greece}} {{flagicon|Cyprus}} [[Grigoris Afxentiou]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
|On March 3, 1957, after an informant had betrayed his location, the British forces surrounded Afxentiou outside his secret hideout near the [[Machairas Monastery]] near [[Lazanias|Lazanias, Nicosia]].<ref name="auto">Grivas Memoirs (1964), p. 111</ref> At the time, inside the hideout were Afxentiou and four fellow guerrilla fighters. Realising he was outnumbered, Afxentiou ordered his comrades to surrender but stayed behind to fight to the death.<ref name="auto"/> The British asked Afxentiou to surrender his arms but he replied "[[molon labe]]" ("come and take them"), quoting [[Leonidas I|King Leonidas]] of [[Sparta]]. Unable to drive him out and after sustaining casualties, the British forces resorted to pouring petrol into his hideout and lighting it, burning him alive. In fear of a popular uprising, the British buried his scorched body at the [[Imprisoned Graves]], in the yard of the [[Central Jail of Lefkosia]],<ref>Grivas Memoirs (1964), p. 71</ref> where he lies today. The British also never reported on this crime, opting to tell the public newspapers in Britain that Afxentiou was already dead when they scorched his body, in fear of it being seen as a Crime Against Humanity.
|Death of Grigoris Afxentiou
|-
|[[Battle of Bum La Pass]]
|1962
|{{flagicon|India}} [[Joginder Singh (soldier)|Joginder Singh]]{{DOW}}
|{{flagicon|China}} China
|On October 23, 1962, 20 Indian soldiers commanded by Joginder Singh were attacked by a force 600 Chinese soldiers. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Singh contacted his superiors stating that he would hold until relived. While they would inflict heavy casualties on the Chinese, they would soon be out of ammunition. In a last ditch effort, Singh ordered his remaining soldiers to fix bayonets and charge the Chinese forces. The Indian forces would eventually be overrun and nearly all would be killed or captured. Singh would be captured, but would eventually succumb to wounds sustained during the battle. Singh would be awarded that Param Vir Chakra posthumously for leading the bayonet charge and single-handedly killing 50 Chinese soldiers, including several by bayonet. 
|Indian forces wiped out. Joginder Singh would die of his wounds. 
|-
|[[1973 Chilean coup d'état|Stand of the Group of Personal Friends]], [[Chile]]
|1973
|{{flagicon|Chile}} [[Chile]]
|{{flagicon|Chile}} [[Military of Chile|Chilean Armed Forces]]
|During the 1973 Chilean coup, members of the [[Group of Personal Friends]] engaged conspirators in gunfights in the defense of president [[Salvador Allende]]. Eventually, Allende committed suicide, and many of the guards were killed in the fighting while others were captured and later executed during the Pinochet regime along with other political dissidents.
|Armed Forces victory; [[Death of Salvador Allende|suicide of Salvador Allende]]
|-
|[[Kabamba]], [[Uganda]]
|1986
|[[Uganda National Liberation Front]] soldier
|[[National Resistance Army]]
|During the attack by rebels on Kabamba single soldier locked himself up inside the armory fending the rebel for five hours
|NRA victory, soldier was killed with an anti-tank mine.<ref>Cooper, Tom; Fontanellaz, Adrien (2015). Wars and Insurgencies of Uganda 1971–1994. Solihull: Helion & Company Limited. ISBN 978-1-910294-55-0 p. 45</ref>
|-
|[[Battle for Hill 3234]], [[Afghanistan]]
|1988
|{{flagicon|Soviet Union}} [[Soviet Union]]
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[Mujahideen]] {{Flag|Pakistan}}
|The [[345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment]] was tasked with securing the road from [[Gardez]] to [[Khost]], by maintaining a presence on Hill 3234. The 39 paratroopers landed on the hilltop on 7 January 1988, tasked with creating and holding a hilltop strong point from which to observe and control a section of the road beneath. An attack by 250 Mujahideen began at 1530 hrs. The first attack was followed by eleven more attacks supported by 200-400 more [[Pakistan Army|Pakistani troops]] until just before dawn on 8 January when the mujahideen retreated after suffering severe casualties, leaving Hill 3234 in the hands of the Soviet paratroopers. 
|Soviet victory
|-
|[[Siege of Bjelovar Barracks]], [[Croatia]]
|1991
|{{flagicon|Yugoslavia}} [[Milan Tepić]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Yugoslavia}} [[Stojadin Mirković]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Croatia}} [[Croatia]]
|During the Siege of Bjelovar Barracks, [[Yugoslav People's Army|JNA]] forces at an ammunition storage depot just outside the city of [[Bjelovar]] became surrounded by Croatian forces. On 29 September 1991 and unwilling to leave the weapons to the enemy, Major Milan Tepić committed suicide blew up the warehouse and killing 17 Croatian soldiers. At a certain point before the detonation, JNA soldiers were ordered to withdraw from the main building to a safe distance. This order, issued by Tepić, was disobeyed by a conscript, Stojadin Mirković, who opened suppressive fire at the enemy from an armored personnel carrier, until he was hit by an anti-tank missile. In Croatia Milan Tepić is perceived as a [[war criminal]] who almost destroyed the town of [[Bjelovar]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/01/10/banned-bosnian-serb-celebration-recalls-memories-of-start-of-war/|title=Banned Bosnian Serb Celebration Recalls Memories of Start of War|date=10 January 2022|website=balkaninsight.com|language=en|access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hr.n1info.com/english/news/croatias-county-head-accuses-bosnias-rs-entity-of-glorifying-war-criminal/|title=Croatia's county head accuses Bosnia's RS entity of glorifying war criminal|date=9 January 2022|website=hr.n1info.com|language=en|access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-vucic-croatia-uneasy-but-useful-visit/29034851.html|title=Serbia's Vucic Begins 'Uneasy But Useful' Visit To Croatia|date=12 February 2018|website=rferl.org/|language=en|access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>
|Croatian victory 
*Tepić awarded [[Order of the People's Hero]]
*Mirković awarded Medal of merit in the field of defense and security, first level
|-
|[[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|First Battle of Mogadishu]], [[Somalia]]
|1993
|{{flagicon|United States}} [[Gary Gordon]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|United States}} [[Randy Shughart]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Somalia}} [[Somali National Alliance]]
Armed civilians 
|On 3 October 1993, Delta snipers [[Master Sergeant|MSG]] [[Gary Gordon]] and [[Sergeant First Class|SFC]] [[Randy Shughart]] protected the crash site of helicopter 'Super 6–4' and injured pilot [[Mike Durant|Michael Durant]], whom they feared would be executed by a crowd of deadly rioters. Their first two requests to be inserted were denied, but they were finally granted permission after their third request. They inflicted heavy casualties on the approaching Somali mob. When MSG Gordon was eventually killed, SFC Shughart picked up Gordon's [[CAR-15]] and gave it to Michael Durant. SFC Shughart went back around the helicopter's nose and held off the mob for about 10 more minutes before he was killed. The Somalis then overran the crash site and killed all but Durant. He was nearly beaten to death, but was saved when members of Aidid's militia came to take him prisoner.
|Deaths of MSG Gordon and SFC Shughart
*Awarded the Medal of Honor
Survival and eventual rescue of Michael Durant
|-
|[[Najaf]], [[Iraq]]
|2004
|{{flagicon|El Salvador}} Cpl. Samuel Toloza
|[[Mahdi Army]]
|In May 2004, Cpl. Samuel Toloza was a member of the Salvadoran contingent of the coalition that invaded Iraq during the [[Iraq War]]. While moving between two bases his small contingent of less than twenty soldiers was attacked by a significantly larger force from the Mahdi Army. Heavily outnumbered, Toloza's element was soon reduced to four soldiers as the rest had been killed or wounded. With no ammunition left, Toloza attacked the members of the Mahdi Army with a 3-inch [[switchblade]] knife before being rescued.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/may/3/20040503-115511-7092r/|title = Salvadoran soldiers praised for Iraq role|date=May 3, 2004|work=Washington Times|access-date=August 28, 2021}}</ref>  
|Survival and eventual rescue of the Salvadoran element by a column of American soldiers. 
|-
|Mexico, Tamaulipas, Near Ciudad Victoria, "Rancho San Jose"
|2010
|[[Alejo Garza Tamez]], Mexican Navy
|Los Zetas cartel
|Members of the Los Zetas cartel demanded Alejo hand over his ranch property on the 13th of November 2010, giving him 24 hours to comply. Alejo, aged 77, refused to hand the property over. The following morning the cartel vehicles entered the ranch and were placed near the entrance to Alejo's house. The assassins fired a warning shot into the air, and proclaimed that they would forcefully seize the ranch. Garza Tamez responded with gunfire, and thus the armed gang responded by opening fire on the house, using [[rifle]]s and [[grenade]]s. Despite the numerical superiority of the cartel members, they were unable to take the ranch and fled before the arrival of [[Mexican Marines]]. Don Alejo took cover in the farm house, killing four of the attackers, while wounding two others. Don Alejo died of blood loss, the ranch is currently property of his brother.
|Los Zetas Defeated, Alejo died in the conflict
|-
|Near Babaji, [[Helmand Province]], [[Afghanistan]]
|2010
|{{flagicon|Nepal}}{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Dipprasad Pun]]
|{{flagicon image|Flag of Taliban (original).svg}} [[Taliban]]
|Dipprasad Pun of the [[Royal Gurkha Rifles]] was guarding his unit's compound when he was attacked by 30 [[Insurgency|insurgents]]. He was surrounded and was certain of his death, so he resolved to kill as many of the attackers as he could. He expended all 400 rounds of his ammunition, launched 17 grenades, detonated a [[M18 Claymore mine|Claymore mine]], and beat the final attacker to death with his tripod.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Bravery medal for Gurkha who fought Taliban – BBC News|work = BBC News|date = June 2011|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-13619825|accessdate = 2016-02-06|language = en-GB}}</ref>
|Taliban defeated
* Awarded the [[Conspicuous Gallantry Cross]]
|-
|Near [[Palmyra]], [[Syria]]
|2016
|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Alexander Prokhorenko]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}} [[Islamic State]]
|On 17 March 2016, during the [[Palmyra offensive (March 2016)|Palmyra offensive]], Senior lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko of the [[Russian Special Operations Forces]] was discovered by Islamic State militants while identifying targets for Russian airstrikes. He was quickly surrounded, and requested evacuation, which was 12 minutes away. He found himself unable to reach the evacuation point, and low on ammunition. Knowing capture or death was inevitable, he requested an airstrike on his position to kill as many militants as he could that were surrounding him.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dearden|first=Lizzie|date=30 April 2016|title=Body of Russian officer who 'ordered air strike on himself' returned home|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-special-forces-officer-ordered-air-strike-on-himself-to-kill-isis-militants-surrounded-body-a7008106.html|access-date=2020-06-04|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>
|Death of Sen. Lt. Prokhorenko
* Posthumously awarded the [[Hero of the Russian Federation]] 
|-
|Near [[Uqayribat]], Syria
|2017
|{{flagicon|Russia}} Denis Portnyagin
|{{flagicon|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}} [[Islamic State]]
|On 16 August 2017, during the [[2017 Central Syria campaign|Central Syria campaign]], a 4-5 man Russian [[Special Operations Forces (Russia)|SOF]] unit joined a group of Syrian government fighters, when they were unexpectedly attacked by IS militants. While some Syrian forces retreated and all the other members of his unit were injured, including the commander and the second officer, the youngest unit member, lance-corporal Denis Portnyagin, took a machine gun and fended off nearly 40 attacking terrorists, killing 14 of them. After bullets hit his helmet and his weapon, he continued to fight with grenades. According to Russian sources, Portnyagin even prepared to blow himself up with his remaining grenades and also draw fire onto his group had their position been overrun.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vzsar.ru/news/2018/03/12/saratovec-denis-portnyagin-ynichtojil-14-boevikov-v-sirii.html|title=Саратовец Денис Портнягин уничтожил 14 боевиков в Сирии|publisher=Взгляд-инфо|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref>
|Survival and eventual rescue of Portnyagin's group
* Awarded the [[Hero of the Russian Federation]] posthumously
|-
|Near [[Saraqib]], Syria
|2018
|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Roman Filipov]]{{KIA}}
|{{flagicon|Syrian opposition}} [[Syrian opposition]]
|On 3 February 2018, during the [[Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–February 2018)|3rd Northwestern Syria campaign]], Major Roman Filipov was shot down by a surface to air rocket during the [[Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War|Russian intervention]] in his [[Sukhoi Su-25#Su-25SM|Su-25SM]]. after landing Filipov held his ground as the militant fighters approached, exchanging fire with them with his [[Stechkin automatic pistol|Stechkin]] sidearm. He still had radio contact to the Russian airbase and reported that he killed two militant fighters.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/05/russia-rains-retaliatory-strikes-rebel-held-idlib-jet-downed/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_androidshare_AqKbY15hzqvx title= Russian pilot shouts 'this is for our guys' as he blows himself up to evade capture in Syria]|author= Josie Ensor, and Matthew Bodner|date=2018-02-05 |publisher= [[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |accessdate= 2019-06-03</ref>  After being wounded, he blew himself up with a grenade as enemy fighters closed in on his position in order to avoid capture. His last words, as filmed by the militant fighters shortly before the grenade exploded, were "This is for our guys".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/05/europe/russian-military-names-pilot-shot-down-in-syria-intl/index.html |title= Russian military reveals identity of pilot shot down in Syria |author= N. Hodge|date=2018-02-05 |publisher= CNN |accessdate=2018-02-07}}</ref>
|Death of Maj. Filipov
* Posthumously awarded the [[Hero of the Russian Federation]] 
|-
|}

== See also ==

* [[Battle off Samar]]
* [[Polish Thermopylae]]
* [[They shall not pass]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite journal|last = Atiya|first = Samuel Bey| title = Senin and Ali Dinar| journal = [[Sudan Notes and Records]]| volume = 7 |issue=2| date = December 1924 |pages=63–69| url = https://www.sudanarchive.net/?a=d&d=SNRV19240000-01.1.227&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN%7ctxTI%7ctxAU-----------}}
*{{cite book
|last= Cheung
|first= Raymond
|title=Aces of the Republic of China Air Force
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=j96dCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA18
|date=2015
|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]
|location=[[Oxford]], [[New York City]]
|isbn=978-1-4728-0561-4
}}
*{{cite book
|last= Brnardic
|first= Vladimir
|title=World War II Croatian Legionaries. Croatian Troops under Axis Command 1941-45
|date=2016
|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]
|location=[[Oxford]], [[New York City]]
|isbn=978-1-4728-1767-9
}}
*{{cite book
|last= Forczyk
|first= Robert
|title=Panzerjager vs KV-1 Eastern Front 1941–1943 
|date=2012
|publisher= [[Osprey Publishing]]
|location= [[Oxford]]
|isbn= 978-1-84908-578-6
}}
*{{cite book
|last=Gogos
|first=Frank
|title=The Royal Newfoundland Regiment in the Great War
|date=2015
|publisher=Flanker Press 
|isbn=978-1-77117-336-0
}}
* {{cite book| last = de Groot| first = Bouko| title = Nieuwpoort 1600: The First Modern Battle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=as6hDwAAQBAJ | location= Oxford|publisher = Osprey Publishing| date = 2019| isbn =  978-1472830814}}
*{{cite book
|last=Stühring
|first= Henning
|title=Von Stalingrad bis Kursk: Als der Osten brannte, Teil II
|date=2014
|publisher= epubli
|isbn= 978-3844276091
}}
*''The Memoirs of General Grivas'' by George Grivas, edited by Charles Foley. Longmans. London. 1964.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last stands}}
[[Category:Last stands|*]]
[[Category:Lists of battles|Last stands]]