Page 59 - All About History 55 - 2017 UK

Battle of the Alamo

10 Big explosion averted Texian Army
A group of Mexican soldiers charge
up a ramp to the raised artillery platform at the TROOPS 189
back of the church, where they shoot or stab the
artillerymen manning three cannons. They shoot CANNONS 21
a man who is trying to ignite the fort’s gunpowder
magazine with a torch.

09 09 Hand-to-hand combat
Tennessean Davy Crockett orders his
men to fall back to the church for a final stand.
The defenders inside the building rely on pistols
and knives, but they are heavily outnumbered by
bayonet-wielding Mexicans who are killing soldiers
and civilians alike.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL
WILLIAM B TRAVIS
08 LEADER
A well-educated lawyer who
sought to obtain larger numbers of
reinforcements to no avail.
Strengths Diligent, methodical
and fearless when faced with
overwhelming odds.
06 Weaknesses Moody, vain and
inexperienced in field command.
08
05
Secondary
defensive
positions
The majority of the
Americans retreat
to buildings inside
the fort, where they
take up fortified
positions. Colonel Jim
Bowie, a gravely ill
prominent volunteer, CROCKETT’S
is slain in his sick bed
in a room along the TENNESSEE MOUNTED
south wall. Although
Bowie technically VOLUNTEERS
outranks Travis, the KEY UNIT
latter commands Their experience on the frontier
Texian regulars rather
fighting Indians made them
than volunteers and resilient soliders.
therefore is the senior
Strengths They fought with
commander.
extraordinary ferocity.
Weaknesses As citizen-soldiers,
they were sometimes prone to
disobeying commands.

07 Escape attempt
With Mexicans swarming into the
compound from multiple directions, approximately LONG RIFLE
75 defenders flee over the east wall of the fort KEY WEAPON
06 Silence the big gun in a desperate bid to escape certain death. A Sharpshooters relied on its superb
Colonel Juan Morales leads 100
regiment of mounted lancers stationed to the east
men who climb the walls at the southwest systematically run down the enemy, killing them accuracy to pick off enemy
artillerymen during the siege.
corner of the compound and capture the fort’s with their lances and sabres. Mounted lancers
Strengths A highly effective long-
only 18-pounder cannon before the Texians from other parts of the perimeter arrive to help range rifle.
can spike it. The bulk of his troops fan out hunt down the escapees and ensure that they are
through the southern half of the compound. all caught. Weaknesses Slower to reload than
a smoothbore musket. © Alamy, Getty Images, Nicholas Forder
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