Battle of Brest

Numerous actions have been termed the Battle of Brest, Brest being the name of two important fortress towns on opposite sides of Europe.

Brest, France

Situated in Brittany, Brest is a large naval base and landwards fortification which has been a vital French military post since the Middle Ages. Several battles have been fought in the vicinity of the town, most of them naval actions.

*The Battle of Brest (1342) - a naval battle off the port during the Hundred Years War in 1342.
*The Battle of St. Mathieu - a naval battle off the port during the War of the League of Cambrai in 1512, often called the "battle of Brest".
*The Attack on Brest - a failed attack in 1697 by the English to destroy the harbor of Brest during the War of the Grand Alliance.
*Various naval actions of the eighteenth century, including those sometimes termed the battle of Ushant are occasionally termed the "battle of Brest".
*The Battle for Brest - A land battle between American and German forces over possession of the strategic port in 1944.

Brest, Belarus

A large border fortress town which is currently in Belarus but a various times has been in Russian, Polish, Soviet and German hands and has been captured by all them on several occasions. The town was also the subject of two further Second World War battles and was also the scene of fighting in the Russo-Polish War, the Napoleonic Wars and on other occasions throughout history.

*The Battle of Brześć Litewski also called the "battle of Brest-Litovsk" was an action between the Poles and the Germans in September 1939.
*The Battle of Brest (1941) or Siege of Brest (1941) took place on 22 June - 30 June 1941
*In July 1944 the town was taken by the Soviets during the Lublin-Brest Offensive.