Wolf, james

James Wolf was born on January 2, 1727 in the family of Colonel Edward Wolf and Henrietta Thompson. From the very beginning, the father chose a military career for his son. At the age of 13, James was volunteered for a regiment of the Royal Marine Corps, in which his father served. Due to illness, Wolf did not take part in an unsuccessful expedition for the British against the Spanish Cartagena in 1740 during the War for the Ear of Jenkins .

In 1740, the War of Austrian Succession erupted. However, due to seasickness, James was unable to sail to the continent and was transferred to the 12th Infantry Regiment, a few months later who had departed for Flanders . There he was promoted to lieutenant and became adjutant in the battalion.

In 1743, James Wolf took part in the Battle of Karlstein-on-Main , where he was marked by the Duke of Cumberland, William Augustus . In 1744, Wolf became captain of the 45th Infantry Regiment.

In 1745, Wolf, along with the regiment, was recalled to Britain to participate in the suppression of the Jacobite rebellion. He took part in the Battle of Falkland ( 1746 ) and the Battle of Culloden ( 1746 ). Wolf became known for refusing to execute the order of William Augustus to shoot at the wounded Highlanders, and therefore gained popularity among the Scots, whose units he later commanded.

Soon, Wolf returned to Germany and took part in the battle of Laufeld in 1747 , where he was injured and deserved official praise.

After the conclusion of peace went to Scotland, where he commanded the British garrison. In 1749, Wolf received the rank of major of the 20th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Stirling . In 1750 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel . During the eight peaceful years spent in Scotland , Wolf wrote several military writings and learned French, and also studied mathematics and Latin.

Participation in the Seven Years' War

In 1756, James Wolf received the rank of colonel, and a year later took part in an unsuccessful landing for the British in Rochefort . Wolf was one of the few officers who distinguished themselves in this raid, and was therefore noted by Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder . January 23, 1758 Wolf becomes a brigadier general and takes an active part in the operation against the French troops in Canada , distinguished himself during the siege of the French fort Louisburg .

Shortly thereafter, James Wolf was promoted to major general and sent with a large detachment to storm the last French port in Canada - Quebec . Wolf had 9,000 soldiers and 200 ships with 18,000 sailors on board. The siege of Quebec lasted 3 months. At this time, Wolf, in order to psychologically deter and demoralize the enemy, wrote a document known as the Wolf Manifesto.

Despite the defeat in the battle of Montmorency , Wolf decided to lure the enemy into an open field and landed in the valley of Abraham to the west of Quebec (the landing was preceded by intensive bombardment of the city). The French were forced to take the battle and were defeated by Wolf in a short battle on the plain of Abraham on September 13, 1759 . In this battle, Wolf was mortally wounded and died the same day at the age of thirty-two. According to Sytin's Military Encyclopedia, his last words were as follows: “ Thank God, the enemy is fleeing; I am happy to die. ” ^[1]

• French and Indian War
• Battle of Quebec (1759)

• Biography of James Wolf (eng.) .
• James Wolff (Eng.) .