May 19, 1935 - T.E. Lawrence a.k.a. "Lawrence of Arabia"  (right)dies after a motorcycle accident.  Educated as an archaeologist, Lawrence spent the years prior to World War I traveling the Middle East conducting research and digs.  Gaining a breadth of knowledge of the region and its languages, he entered the British Army in October 1914.  In October 1916, Lawrence was sent to Arabia to aid Arab forces who were revolting against the Ottoman Empire.  Becoming an effective commander and liaison, he provided expert guidance during the Siege of Medina and attacks on the Hedjaz Railway.  As the revolt gained momentum, Lawrence assisted Auda ibu Tayi in capturing the key port city of Aqaba in 1917.  Coordinating with Gen. Sir Edmund Allenby, Lawrence and the Arabs drove north in 1918 and ultimately captured Damascus.  Following the war, Lawrence, whose exploits had earned him great fame, continued to work for the government and wrote extensively about his experiences.  Seeking to escape the limelight, he ultimately enlisted in the Royal Air Force under a fake name.  Lawrence died on May 19, 1935, after swerving his motorcycle to avoid two children and suffering extensive injuries in the resulting crash.  His wartime experiences are best remembered through the classic film Lawrence of Arabia starring Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif. 

Photograph Source: Public Domain

May 16, 1943 - The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (right) comes to an end.  Battling to prevent further deportations to the Treblinka concentration camp, Jewish resistance fighters began combating German forces in the ghetto on January 18, ultimately driving them from the area. In the intervening months, Jewish forces built a series of bunkers and fighting positions throughout the ghetto in preparation for the anticipated German assault.

On April 19, at Heinrich Himmler's order, German troops attacked the ghetto with the goal of ending the resistance. After blunting the initial assault, the Jews, fighting with mostly hand guns and improvised bombs, were slowly forced back. The Germans pushed through the ghetto, systematically destroying buildings and killing any Jews they encountered. By May 16, the uprising had been crushed and the ghetto was firmily in German hands. In the fighting, approximately 7,000 Jews were killed, with the remaining 50,000+ being sent to the death camps.

Photograph Source: Public Domain

May 14, 1954 - Colonel General Heinz Guderian (right) dies.  Entering the German Army in 1907, Guderian later saw service in World War I.  Largely serving in signals and staff positions, he quickly showed great promise.  Remaining in the army after the German defeat, he soon was assigned to the Reichswehr's de facto general staff.  Over the next twenty years, he relentlessly studied mobile warfare and became an advocate for what would become blitzkrieg-style warfare.  Many of these ideas were included in his seminal work,  Achtung - Panzer!, which was published in 1937.  Commanding XIX Corps in 1939, he took part in the invasion of Poland which started World War II on September 1.  Putting his ideas into practice, his command slashed through Poland before doing the same in France the following year.  Pushing and ignoring orders, his corps conducted a brilliant advance which shattered the French lines and ultimately split the Allied armies.  Shifted east in 1941 for Operation Barbarossa, Guderian's forces rapidly advanced against the Russians though he lost the confidence of Hitler for disputing orders.  Relieved in December 1941 for conducting an unauthorized retreat and quarreling with his superior, he retired to his estate.  Recalled in 1943, following the defeat at Stalingrad, he oversaw the development of German armored forces until being appointed Chief of the General Staff in July 1944.  He remained in this post until fights with Hitler led to his dismissal in March 1945.  After surrendering to American forces that May, he aided in the development of the postwar German Army until his death in 1954. 

Photograph Source: Public Domain

May 12, 1780 - Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln (right) defeated at the Siege of Charleston.  Securing New York City, Lt. Gen. Henry Clinton sailed south in December 1779 with the intention of capturing Charleston, SC.  Delayed due to storms, he did not begin landing troops south of the city until February 11.  Outnumbered, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln (right) fell back into the city's defenses.  Systematically cutting off Charleston, Clinton began digging siege lines on April 2.  For the next month, the two sides exchanged artillery fire as the British lines neared.  Unwilling to acquiesce to Lincoln's request to evacuate the city, Clinton ultimately forced him to surrender on May 12.  The defeat saw over 5,000 Americans become prisoners and effectively eliminated the Continental Army presence in the South.  The number of men surrendered by Lincoln ranks as the US Army's third largest surrender behind the Fall of Bataan (1942) and Battle of Harpers Ferry (1862). 

Photograph Source: Public Domain