The ancient practice of single combat is as old as war itself. It is defined as a duel between two single warriors, which typically takes place in the context of a battle between two armies. These duels sometimes served as a way to prevent extensive loss of life, with the winner’s side being granted victory. However, single combat could also occur in the midst of battle between two agreeing warriors. These fights were almost always to the death.

The reasons for engaging in these dangerous duels are varied. Some looked to win power or glory, while others looked to spare the lives of their fellow soldiers. Some simply fought out of necessity. Here, we will look at some of these dramatic duels.

10 John Smith

John Smith is well-known for establishing Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America. However, what many don’t know is that Smith had quite an extraordinary life before he set sail for the New World. For several years before his famous voyage, he worked as a mercenary, fighting in a number of conflicts all over Europe.

While fighting against the Turks in Transylvania during the siege of Alba Iulia, Smith engaged in three duels. They came about when a Turkish officer called for a Christian officer to fight him in single combat. Smith responded to the challenge, and the two met in the no man’s land, where Smith quickly defeated the Turkish officer. Two more duels came afterward, one in which pistols were used and another in which battle-axes were used. Smith won all three and beheaded each of his opponents.

For his success in single combat, Smith was knighted by the Transylvanian prince, and the emblem of the “three Turkish heads” was bestowed upon him.

9 Ben Jonson And Gabriel Spenser

John Smith wasn’t the only famous Brit to have taken part in single combat. In 1598, Ben Jonson, a playwright, actor, and friend of Shakespeare, dueled fellow actor Gabriel Spenser. The duel took place on September 22 in the fields of Shoreditch. The particular reason for the duel remains unknown.

The duel was fought with swords, and Jonson killed Spenser with a stab to the right side. Duels of this nature were common at the time. Jonson was arrested for manslaughter and faced hanging, but he escaped by pleading “for benefit of clergy,” which placed people who could read outside the jurisdiction of the secular courts.

8 Robert The Bruce And Henry De Bohun

In 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn, the Scottish army, led by Robert the Bruce, king of the Scots, faced off against a formidable English force in a fight for Scottish independence. On the first day of battle, an English knight named Henry de Bohun (nephew of the earl of Hereford) saw the Scottish king exposed and decided to charge. The single combat which ensued was witnessed by both armies.

Bohun had a larger horse and a lance, and he believed he had the advantage. However, at the last second, Robert maneuvered his horse out of the way of Bohun’s charge and struck him with his axe so hard that he split Bohun’s helmet and head down the middle. This thrilled the Scots and demoralized the English, who retreated the next day. The blow was apparently so hard that it broke Robert’s axe, and all he could be heard saying in the aftermath was, “I have broken my good axe.”

7 Marcus Marcellus And Viridomarus

Marcus Marcellus was a Roman consul and general, well-known for his aggressive military tactics on the battlefield. He fought in the Punic Wars against the Carthaginians and was also instrumental in capturing the fortified city of Syracuse. However, he is most known for defeating the Gallic king Viridomarus at the Battle of Clastidium in 222 BC.

According to the Roman historian Plutarch, the two recognized each other on the battlefield due to their distinctive and ornate armor. The two were both on horseback and charged at one another. Marcellus struck Viridomarus with his spear, knocking the king from his horse. He quickly finished the job with a few more blows.

Subsequently, the two armies engaged each other, and the Gauls were defeated in a pitched battle. After defeating Viridomarus in combat, Marcellus took the man’s armor as spolia opima. This was recognized as the most honorable war trophy a general could obtain. Only two other Romans were ever able to attain spolia opima.

6 Marcus Licinius Crassus And King Deldo

Marcus Licinius Crassus was the grandson of Crassus, who was a member of the first triumvirate with Julius Caesar and Pompey. Although not as known, he was an accomplished military and political leader in his time. Under the rule of Octavian Augustus, the younger Crassus was key in expanding the new empire’s borders. One of his greatest achievements came when he was sent to Thrace to halt an invasion of Bastarnae tribesmen around 29 BC.

During this campaign, Crassus tricked the Bastarnae army into an ambush, in which he killed their king, Deldo, in single combat. The Bastarnae army was subsequently routed. For this heroic deed, Crassus should have been able to claim spolia opima, but Augustus, fearing that granting him this honor would put Crassus in a position to challenge his own political power, refused to allow it.

5 Kumagai Naozane And Taira No Atsumori

One of the most famous stories in Japanese culture is that of Kumagai Naozane and Taira no Atsumori. Taira no Astumori was a warrior of the Taira clan, which went to war with the Minamoto clan, which the samurai Kumagai Naozane belonged to, in 1180. The war, known as the Gempei War, lasted five years and saw the fall of the Taira clan and the rise of the Minamoto clan to power.

In the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in 1184, the two warriors faced each other in single combat. According to the story, Taira was swimming toward a friendly boat, which was going to carry him to safety after the Taira forces had been routed by the Minamoto, when Kumagai called for him to come back and fight. Taira accepted this challenge. The two grappled on the beach, with Kumagai eventually defeating Taira, knocking his helmet off in the process.

When Kumagai did this, he realized that Taira was merely a boy of about 17. Kumagai had a son of the same age and did not want to kill the boy, so he asked Taira to give his name so that he could spare him. Taira (a noble) knew this was a breach of the Japanese code of honor and refused, instead saying, “Just take my head and be quick about it.” Kumagai did so but felt horrible about it.

Later in life, Kumagai renounced the samurai way of life and became a Buddhist monk. Many contend that his killing of Taira was the reason.

4 Prince Mstislav And Prince Rededya

Mstislav was a Russian prince and son of Vladimir the Great. He lived in the 11th century. During his time, he invaded and conquered many other territories and helped to spread Christianity to Russia. He is best known for his duel with Rededya, prince of the Circassian tribe. The two princes were locked in a state of war, when in an attempt to limit bloodshed, Rededya proposed that the matter be settled in single combat. Mstislav agreed, and it was decided that the two would wrestle, with the losing party accepting defeat in the war.

The fight began and lasted several hours until Mstislav seemed to be on the verge of defeat. According to legend, Mstislav prayed to the Virgin Mary for assistance and pledged to build a church in her honor if he won. Moments later, Mstislav pulled out a dagger and stabbed Rededya, killing him. This was a breach in the honor code of the duel, but Rededya’s tribe submitted to Mstislav and his men anyway. Staying true to his pledge, Mstislav built a church and dedicated it to Mary.

3 Miyamoto Musashi And Sasaki Kojiro

Miyamoto Musashi is arguably the best swordsmen who ever lived. He won over 60 duels in Japan and often preferred to use two swords at once. His greatest test came when he dueled another skilled master, Sasaki Kojiro, in 1612. Known as “the Demon of the Western Provinces,” Sasaki was a formidable adversary who specialized in using the no-dachi, a large, two-handed sword.

The two decided they would fight on the remote Ganryu Island. Miyamoto arrived several hours late in an attempt to physiologically disturb his foe. He brought with him a wooden sword, which he had carved out of an oar on the way over. Sasaki was so enraged that he almost immediately attacked Miyamoto. However, Sasaki proved to be no match for Miyamoto, who quickly dispatched Sasaki with a strike to the ribs, which punctured his lung and killed him. Miyamoto quickly returned to his boat and left the island in order to escape Sasaki’s angry followers.

This duel essentially cemented Miyamoto Musashi’s status as the greatest swordsman in Japan. He later became a relatively successful painter and writer.

2 Iron Herman And Guy Of Steenvoorde

On March 2, 1127, Charles, the Count of Flanders, was murdered. It was discovered that there were a number of conspirators in on the plot. One knight, Guy of Steenvoorde, was accused of being involved but maintained his innocence. Not convinced, another knight known as Iron Herman challenged Guy to a duel. Galbert of Bruges gave an account of the duel.

The two began on horseback, but Herman was knocked off his horse. Herman then killed Guy’s horse, and the two were left on their feet, swords drawn. According to Bruges, “A continuous and bitter encounter followed with exchanges of sword blows, until, worn out by the weight and burden of their arms, they threw away their shields and hastened to win the fight with their strength in wrestling.”

Now fighting with their bare hands, Guy finally gained the advantage and pinned Herman down. However in a last-second fit of strength, Herman threw Guy off. Guy subsequently admitted defeat. In the eyes of those watching the duel, Guy’s defeat was evidence of his guilt in the plot, and he was quickly hanged.

1 King Naresuan And Prince Mingyi Swa

In 1592 (or 1593), we witness one of the most epic duels of all time, between the Siamese king Naresuan and Burmese prince Mingyi Swa. Not only was it a duel between two members of royalty in the midst of a battle, but the two were also on the backs of war elephants. The duel occurred at Nong Sarai, a battle fought during the Burmese-Siamese Wars.

According to accounts given, Naresuan rode forth and challenged Mingyi to a duel, coaxing him into accepting it by shaming him. Once the prince accepted, the two, both on the backs of their war elephants and with their crews (necessary to control the animals), engaged one another. They exchanged strikes, and Mingyi narrowly missed Naresuan, who eventually landed a blow with his sword, cutting into Mingyi’s shoulder and killing him. It should be noted that there are number of different accounts of this battle.

The duel became known as the “elephant duel” and is considered an important aspect of Thai history. Today, King Naresuan is considered one of the greatest Thai heroes, and Royal Thai Armed Forces Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the duel.

Brad is currently a student at Fordham University. He can be reached at [email protected].

Throughout human history, the invention and manufacture of deadlier and more efficient weapons has helped turn the tide of war. Sometimes, the vehicles that took these weapons to the battlefields also secured important places in history due to their impact on how wars are fought.

Where would the atom bomb be if it had not been delivered, and how would naval warfare look without submarines? These vehicles completely changed the face of war by altering how it was planned and fought.

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10 Enola Gay

On August 6, 1945, 12 men boarded a Boeing B-29 Superfortress that was named Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr. He and his crew had a highly classified and dangerous mission: Deliver the payload dubbed “Little Boy” to their primary target, the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

On that fateful day, the aircraft didn’t disappoint. At 8:15 AM Hiroshima time, the bomb was dropped. It took the ordnance less than a minute to fall from the aircraft’s altitude of 9,470 meters (31,060 ft) to its designated detonation altitude of 600 meters (1,968 ft).^[1]

The bomb destroyed nearly 70 percent of the city’s buildings and killed around 30 percent of its population. The Enola Gay’s crew felt the shock wave after traveling 18.5 kilometers (11.5 mi) away.

When the Enola Gay returned to its base in Tinian, the crew was welcomed with great fanfare. The colonel stepped off the plane and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross immediately. The significance of deploying a new devastating weapon shaped the strategic and tactical planning for militaries and governments around the world.

Eventually, nuclear payloads were designed to fit atop their own launch vehicles. Still, history will never forget or forgive a plane that has become as infamous as it is famous. Decades after the war, the Enola Gay was restored and put on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

9 Turtle

In the early 17th century, Dutch inventor Cornelius van Drebel came up with a submersible craft, but another 150 years passed before a submarine was used in war. That chance came when American inventor David Bushnell decided that the best way to deliver underwater mines was to use a submarine. So he built one.

Bushnell constructed a 2.4-meter-long (8 ft) wooden craft that he christened the Turtle due to its overall shape. Mostly powered by hand, the Turtle was designed to accommodate a single operator and used lead ballast to maintain balance.^[2]

When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, mariner Ezra Lee took the craft donated to the war effort by Bushnell and used it in combat. Lee piloted the Turtle out to the HMS Eagle, a 64-gun vessel in New York Harbor. On September 7, 1776, he attempted to place a timed bomb onto the ship by drilling into the hull.

Although he remained undetected, he failed to pierce the iron sheathing on the hull. The bomb exploded near both vessels, but the Eagle remained afloat. Despite failing in its mission, the Turtle was a successful proof of concept. Continued advancements in submarine development remained a top priority for navies across the globe.

8 Little Willie

The news that the United States Marine Corps was retiring its fleet of tanks in 2020 helped drive the notion that the tank’s importance in modern warfare was at an end. Although that may be true in 2020, the tank changed how land warfare was conducted for more than a century.

It all began with a 14-ton behemoth, “Little Willie,” that was created by the British Army in 1915. Little Willie was slow, got stuck in the mud, and was something of a death trap. However, it was the first armored vehicle ever constructed, and it wasn’t long before upgrades made it combat-ready.

The second prototype, “Big Willie,” entered service in World War I during the First Battle of the Somme. This Mark I tank wasn’t as successful as the British would have liked, so the Mark IV took over as the main battle tank for the British Army. With that, the face of warfare changed forever.

The tank was created to combat the messy trench warfare killing millions across France, and it worked. Mark IVs were successful in capturing thousands of soldiers and enemy guns.

By World War II, the tank was the primary combat vehicle deployed by both the Allied and Axis powers. These vehicles continued to dominate land warfare throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries.^[3]

7 USS Monitor

Naval warfare has been around for as long as people have taken to the water intending to kill one another. Although ship designs and capabilities have evolved over time, the wooden sailing ship was the dominant naval vessel for thousands of years.

In 1859, a new type of vessel emerged to end the age of wooden sailing ships. Ironclads were developed by the French and the British, but it wasn’t until the US Civil War that the first ironclads engaged in battle. The USS Monitor was commissioned in February 1862, and its innovations offered a new means of fighting on the water.^[4]

Older sailing ships could be disabled by destroying their masts and sails, but the Monitor was steam-powered with no masts. In fact, the bulk of its mass sat below the water, making the vessel difficult to hit. Atop its deck stood a turret capable of rotating nearly 360° to fire its two 11” smoothbore shell guns.

In its first combat action, it engaged the CSS Virginia, the Confederate’s first ironclad. But that battle ended in a draw. When ironclad ships proved themselves effective in combat, the age of sailing ships began to decline. Navies around the world upgraded their existing vessels and constructed new ones to survive the world’s much deadlier waters.

6 Bleriot XI

Though ubiquitous today, airplanes weren’t used in warfare until 1911 during the Italo-Turkish War. In that conflict, the Italians flew the Bleriot XI monoplane on a mission to bomb the Turkish camp at Ain Zara, Libya.

As a result, the Bleriot XI became the first airplane used in combat. This primitive aircraft lacked many modern elements that pilots now take for granted, including a canopy and a means of releasing bombs onto a target.^[5]

To deliver a bomb, the pilot had to throw the ordnance and hope it hit the target. Although this may seem silly compared to today’s weaponry, many pilots became quite good at delivering bombs weighing as much as 25 kilograms (55 lb).

The first man to do so was Second Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti on November 1, 1911. The word “bomber” had yet to be coined, so the press referred to him as “the flying artilleryman.” Once the concept of using an aircraft in combat was proven possible, the age of aerial combat began. It has continued for over 100 years.

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5 V-2 Rocket

During World War II, the V-2 rocket was developed by the German Army as a “vengeance weapon” to inflict damage on Allied cities and targets in response to Allied bombings of German cities. Wernher von Braun, the designer of the V-2, was a leading figure in the German rocket development program. The V-2 was first used in combat in September 1944.

The rocket vehicle was able to carry a warhead of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). When fully loaded, the V-2 weighed in at a hefty 12,500 kilograms (27,600 lb). It could travel as far as 320 kilometers (200 mi), but it was incredibly expensive and not as reliable or accurate as more conventional artillery.^[6]

Although the weapon saw some success, the V-2 holds a place in history as the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. It also reshaped the nature of war. Following the V-2’s development, a great deal of time and money was spent by governments across the globe to perfect rocketry for use in the developing space race and future combat operations.

From the V-2, nations developed rockets capable of being fired from submarines, underground bunkers, and the tops of vehicles of all types. Intercontinental ballistic missiles ensured that a first-strike nuclear operation anywhere in the world remained a possibility. And it all began with the V-2.

4 Messerschmitt Me 262

Aircraft design until World War II focused on increasing speed using propeller engines. For decades, these vehicles were more than capable of taking to the skies to kill the enemy, but it wasn’t to last.

Eventually, jet-powered aircraft became the norm. But one early example deserves special mention. The Messerschmitt Me 262, the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, transformed the battlefield in the sky.

Much faster and armed more heavily than other World War II fighters, the Me 262 was ahead of its time. Although the aircraft was far from perfect, it shocked and demoralized enemy combatants who encountered it. In addition to the Me 262’s speed, its compact MK cannons could destroy an Allied bomber while staying out of range of enemy fire. Its R4M rockets were no slouch, either—when they fired correctly.

Fortunately, these aircraft didn’t enter into widespread service, so they didn’t have a chance to change the scope of World War II. But they certainly helped to alter the face of aerial battle for every war that followed.^[7]

As the war ended, the Allied powers captured a large number of Me 262s as only about 21 percent of the 1,433 produced had gone into operational service. When the Allies got their hands on the airplane, they quickly got to work deconstructing it to copy and improve the design.

Following the war, the models based on the Me 262s included the North American F-86 Sabre, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, and the MiG-15. After World War II, most nations stopped flying prop planes in combat and shifted to jet power instead. This changed warfare in the air and helped to bring the age of battleships to an end.

3 HMS Dreadnought

At one time, the shape of international naval dominance came from the country that controlled the most battleships. These iron monsters carried some of the most devastating cannons to be outfitted on a naval vessel, and they all got their start after the 1906 commissioning of the HMS Dreadnought for the Royal Navy.

The introduction of the Dreadnought revolutionized naval power such that the word “dreadnought” became associated with the first generation of battleships. These vessels were powerful, heavily armored, and unmatched for most of the 20th century.^[8]

The Dreadnought was covered with guns. It had ten 12″ guns, twenty-seven 12-pounder 3” guns, and five 18” torpedo tubes. Various parts of the ship’s hull had armor measuring 7.6–30.5 centimeters (3–12 in) thick. The deck’s armor measured up to 7.6 centimeters (3 in) thick.

Unfortunately, the Dreadnought did not participate in any World War I naval battles because it was being refitted at the time. Still, the vessels inspired by Dreadnought went on to dominate and then support naval operations until 1991.

2 Hosho

Of all the naval vessels used in warfare, the aircraft carrier had the most significant impact on combat operations during much of the 20th century. Attempts to have fixed-wing aircraft take off from and land on ships began in 1910. But it wasn’t until 1922 that a navy produced an aircraft carrier designed specifically for that purpose.

That vessel was the Hosho, which was commissioned in 1922 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship went on to participate in combat operations during World War II.^[9]

The Hosho could carry 15 aircraft and support a crew of 512 people, which is considerably less than a modern carrier. But in 1922, it was incredibly advanced. The Hosho remained in service until 1946 after supporting operations in the battles of Pearl Harbor and Midway.

After the war, all improved carrier designs built upon the success of the Hosho. Modern navies are structured around carrier strike groups, which enable a fleet to provide forward support and combat operations anywhere in the world.

1 MQ-1 Predator

The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator entered the battlespaces of US combat in July 1995. Although it wasn’t the first drone used in warfare, it was the first aerial reconnaissance aircraft to be widely deployed in support of US military operations around the globe.

The MQ-1 could be controlled from anywhere in the world for up to 26 hours at a time, which took pilots away from dangerous airspace while significantly extending their operating time. This drastically reduced the manufacturing and operational costs for each system, which enabled the US to put 360 of them into service over a 25-year period.^[10]

While the Predator has been an excellent reconnaissance aircraft, the real innovation came when the United States Air Force opted to add Hellfire missiles to its payload. The newly dubbed MQ-1A could fire missiles at targets outside visual and auditory range, which made it an effective killing machine.

Since the addition of weapons in 2001, the Predator has completely reshaped the battlespace, making it possible to safely engage targets anywhere in the world. But it hasn’t been without controversy. The MQ-1 left service in 2018 as newer, deadlier aircraft took its place.

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About The Author: Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, and writer. He is a Retired Soldier and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects.