November 10 in Military History — On This Day

⚔️📍 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania1775

United States Marine Corps Founded

The Continental Congress authorized the raising of two battalions of Marines at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, establishing the Continental Marines — the predecessor of the United States Marine Corps. Samuel Nicholas became the first Commandant.

The Marine Corps, founded in a tavern, would become one of America's most storied military institutions, fighting in every major conflict from the Revolution to the 21st century.

Outcome

USMC established; 250-year tradition of service begins

Battle of Quifangondo

On the eve of independence, a column of the FNLA, backed by Zairean troops, South African artillery, and Western mercenaries, advanced on Luanda to seize the capital before the MPLA could proclaim the new state. At Quifangondo — 'Nshila wa Lufu,' the Road of Death — Cuban-manned rocket batteries and MPLA forces annihilated the attacking column in a few hours.

The victory at Quifangondo saved Luanda for the MPLA and allowed it to declare independence and form the government on November 11, 1975. It effectively destroyed the FNLA as a serious military force, leaving UNITA as the MPLA's main rival for the rest of the war.

Full battle details →

Battle of Mosul

While American attention focused on Fallujah, insurgents launch a coordinated uprising in Mosul. Iraqi police and security forces — 5,000 men — collapse almost entirely in 24 hours. Police stations are seized, weapons depots looted. Only about 500 of 5,000 Iraqi police officers report for duty. The 25th Infantry Division rushes to Mosul and eventually restores order, but the city falls into a cycle of insurgent control and US counter-operations.

Mosul demonstrated the fundamental fragility of the entire US strategy in Iraq: training Iraqi security forces that lacked legitimacy, loyalty, and the will to fight. The police collapse in Mosul was a preview of what would happen on a far larger scale in 2014, when the Iraqi Army abandoned Mosul to ISIS — handing them billions of dollars of US-supplied equipment.

Full battle details →