April 18 in Military History — On This Day

The First Grand Assault

After artillery had opened a breach in the Lycus Valley sector of the walls, Mehmed ordered a major night assault on April 18. Ottoman infantry — Bashi-bazouks and Anatolian regulars — streamed through the darkness and attacked the damaged sections. Giustiniani organized a fierce counterattack that pushed the Ottoman forces back from the breaches, and Byzantine cannon fire and Greek fire inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers climbing the rubble. After four hours of intense fighting, Mehmed ordered the withdrawal. The first attempt to storm the city had failed.

The failed first assault demonstrated the defenders' extraordinary discipline and the quality of Giustiniani's leadership. With a garrison of only 7,000 men defending miles of walls against an army of 80,000, the Byzantines could not afford a single point of collapse. Each successful defense bought time — but time for what? No relief fleet was coming.

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⚔️📍 Tokyo and other Japanese cities1942

Doolittle Raid — First U.S. Strike on Japan

Sixteen B-25 bombers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet under Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle dropped bombs on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Though the damage was minimal, the psychological impact was enormous on both sides.

The Doolittle Raid proved Japan was not invulnerable to attack, boosted American morale after Pearl Harbor, and caused Japan to divert resources to home defense — directly contributing to the overextension that led to defeat at Midway.

Outcome

Minimal physical damage; massive psychological impact