Wednesday 9 January 2013
Yugoslave Women Partisans
Yugoslave Women Partisans. Just the kind of women my mother warned me never
to date. Those that shoot instead of argue.
Luftwaffe airstrip in North Africa
Luftwaffe airstrip in North Africa.Ju52 transports and
Me110 fighters
VT-8 on the USS Hornet
The next pictures have an interesting history.It seems
that a photographer was filming VT-8 on the USS
Hornet.After the battle Adm. Fletcher heard that John
Ford had filmed the battle from Midway Island in color
so he gave the film to Mr. Ford with instructions that
it was to be edited into a tribute to Torpedo Eight
and a copy given to each family of the men lost of
VT-8.Thus only about 30 copies of the film was made
and the guy that had posted these stills made from the
film was lucky enough to locate and obtain one of the
copies.The first one shows Ensign Gay,the sole
survivor of VT-8,and his gunner(although Gay did have
a different gunner in 6/4/42).I find interesting in
the picture the corrigated aluminum covering of the
wings of the TBD.Although very strong the drag had to
have a srtong effect on the performance of the TBD
stately Stringbag
A stately Stringbag(aka Swordfish) demonstrates the
proper and dignified method of alighting on an
aircraft carrier.
USS Borgue (CVE-9)
USS Borgue (CVE-9)reading dawn launch,South
Atlantic,1944
======================================================
Bogue was originally classified AVG-9, but was changed
to ACV-9, 20 August 1942; CVE-9, 15 July 1943; and
CVHP-9, 12 June 1955. She was launched 15 January 1942
by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co., Tacoma, Wash.,
under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by
Mrs. W. Miller, Jr., wife of Lieutenant Commander
Miller; transferred to the Navy 1 May 1942; and
commissioned 26 September 1942, Captain G. E. Short in
command.
After an extensive shakedown and repair period Bogue
joined the Atlantic Fleet in February 1943 as the
nucleus of the pioneer American anti-submarine
hunter-killer group. During March and April 1943 she
made three North Atlantic crossings but sank no
submarines. She departed on her fourth crossing 22
April and got her first submarine 22 May when her
aircraft sank U-569 in 50°40' N., 35°21' W. During her
fifth North Atlantic cruise her planes sank two German
submarines: U-217 in 30°18' N., 42°50' W., 5 June and
U-118 in 30°49' N. 33°49' W., 12 June. On 23 July
1943, during her seventh patrol, her planes sank U-527
in 35°25' N., 27°56' W. George E. Badger (DD-126), of
her screen, sank U-613 during this patrol.
Bogue's eighth patrol was her most productive with
three German submarines sunk: U-86 by planes, 29
November 1943 in 39°33' N., 19°01' W., U-172 by
planes, George E. Badger,DuPont (DD-152), Clemson
(DD-186), and Osmond Ingram (DD-255), 13 December in
26°19' N., 29°58' W.; and U-850 by planes, 20 December
in 32°54' N., 37°01' W.
Bogue had a break from her anti-submarine operations
during January and February 1944 when she carried a
cargo of Army fighters to Glasgow, Scotland. The
carrier then returned to her anti-submarine role and
on 13 March her aircraft teamed with British planes,
Haverfield (DE-393), Hobson (DD-464), and HMCS Prince
Rupert to sink U-575 in 46°18' N., 27°34' W.
On 5 May 1944 Bogue and her escorts departed Hampton
Roads, Va., for a cruise that netted two more
submarines and lasted until 2 July. Francis M.
Robinson (DE-220), of the screen, sank the Japanese
RO-501 (ex-German U-1224) on 13 May and Bogue's planes
sank the Japanese I-52 in 15°16' N. 39°55' W., on 24
June. During the next cruise, 24 July-24 September
1944, Bogue's planes sank another German submarine,
U-1229, 20 August in 42°20' N., 51°39' W.
Following her return in September 1944 Bogue operated
on training missions out of Bermuda and Quonset Point,
R. I., until February 1945 when she made a trip to
Liverpool, England, with Army planes. In April 1945
she put to sea again as an anti-submarine vessel,
forming part of Captain G. J. Dufek's Second Barrier
Force. On 24 April success came as Flaherty (DE-135),
Neunzer (DE-150), Chatelain (DE-149), Varian (DE-798),
Hubbard (DE-211), Janssen (DE-396), Pillsbury (DE-133)
and Keith (DE-241) sank U-546. This was the last of 13
submarines sunk by Bogue or her escorts.
With the war in the Atlantic over, Bogue moved to the
Pacific, arriving at San Diego 3 July 1945. She then
steamed westward to Guam, arriving 24 July. She made a
trip to Adak, Alaska (19 August 6 September 1945), and
then joined the "Magic Carpet" fleet returning
servicemen from the Pacific islands. She was placed
out of commission in reserve 30 November 1946 at
Tacoma, Wash.
Bogue received a Presidential Unit Citation and three
battle stars for her World War II service.
North Carolina
North Carolina fires a salvo in the first naval
bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands in history
Guadalcanal
Marines tahing "Five" on Guadalcanal.Clothing and
equipment is interesting,they must be out of artillery
range to be that bunched up.
equipment is interesting,they must be out of artillery
range to be that bunched up.
Italian Tank Attack
I'm not sure on this one,the caption says "Italian
Tank Attack".If that is correct it must be a rare picture.
Tank Attack".If that is correct it must be a rare picture.
USS Quincy
A Japanese photo of the USS Quincy being illuminated
by searchlights during the Battle of Savo Island
USS Minneapolis
The Cruiser USS Minneapolis after the Battle of
Tassafaronga.Those "Long Lance" torpedoes packed quite
a punch.
Italian Alpini soldier
An Italian Alpini soldier on the Russian front
pointing to a close call he had
pointing to a close call he had
Tuesday 8 January 2013
VJ-Day +67 years!
Think of how wonderful life is because of the sacrifice of the men and
women who served in WW2. attached are pics of the official surrender of
Japan aboard the USS Missouri BB63 in 1945, 67 years ago today. which also
was the end of WW2.
Sunday 6 January 2013
Excavators head to Burma to find WWII
An airplane-obsessed farmer, a freelance archaeologist and a team of excavators are
heading to the Burmese city of Yangon on Saturday to find a nearly forgotten stash of
British fighter planes thought to be carefully buried beneath the former capital's airfield.
The venture, backed with a million-dollar guarantee from a Belarusian videogame
company, could uncover dozens of Spitfire aircraft locked underground by American
engineers at the end of World War II.
"We could easily double the number of Spitfires that are still known to exist," said 63-yearold
David Cundall, the farmer and private pilot who has spent nearly two decades pursuing
the theory that a batch of the famous fighter planes was buried, in pristine condition, in
wooden crates in a riverbed at the end of an airport runway.
"In the Spitfire world it will be similar to finding Tutankhamen's tomb," he told reporters
Friday, ahead of his flight.
Not everyone is as convinced. Even at the conference, freelance archaeologist Andy
Brockman acknowledged that it was "entirely possible" that all the team would find was a
mass of corroded metal and rusty aircraft parts - if it found anything at all.
But Cundall said eyewitness testimony - from British and American veterans as well as
elderly local residents of Burma - coupled with survey data, aerial pictures, and ground
radar soundings left him in no doubt that the planes were down there. And others not
involved in the trip have expressed cautious optimism.
"There is a high percentage chance that something is buried there," said Charles Heyman,
who edits the reference book, The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom. Heyman said it
wasn't unusual for British forces to leave behind high-grade equipment in former war zones
- even in recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Spitfire remains the UK's most famous combat aircraft, its reputation cemented by the
heading to the Burmese city of Yangon on Saturday to find a nearly forgotten stash of
British fighter planes thought to be carefully buried beneath the former capital's airfield.
The venture, backed with a million-dollar guarantee from a Belarusian videogame
company, could uncover dozens of Spitfire aircraft locked underground by American
engineers at the end of World War II.
"We could easily double the number of Spitfires that are still known to exist," said 63-yearold
David Cundall, the farmer and private pilot who has spent nearly two decades pursuing
the theory that a batch of the famous fighter planes was buried, in pristine condition, in
wooden crates in a riverbed at the end of an airport runway.
"In the Spitfire world it will be similar to finding Tutankhamen's tomb," he told reporters
Friday, ahead of his flight.
Not everyone is as convinced. Even at the conference, freelance archaeologist Andy
Brockman acknowledged that it was "entirely possible" that all the team would find was a
mass of corroded metal and rusty aircraft parts - if it found anything at all.
But Cundall said eyewitness testimony - from British and American veterans as well as
elderly local residents of Burma - coupled with survey data, aerial pictures, and ground
radar soundings left him in no doubt that the planes were down there. And others not
involved in the trip have expressed cautious optimism.
"There is a high percentage chance that something is buried there," said Charles Heyman,
who edits the reference book, The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom. Heyman said it
wasn't unusual for British forces to leave behind high-grade equipment in former war zones
- even in recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Spitfire remains the UK's most famous combat aircraft, its reputation cemented by the
Battle of Britain, when the fast-moving, sleek-looking single-seater aircraft helped beat
back waves of German bombers. Britain built a total of some 20,000 Spitfires, although the
dawn of the jet age at the end of World War II meant that the propeller-driven planes
quickly became obsolete.
Many were written off as the British war effort wound down, but why a batch of Spitfires
would have been boxed and buried, as opposed to scrapped and dumped, remains the
biggest question hanging over the project.
Cundall, who has long scoured crash sites to recover buried aircraft, said he first heard of
the Burmese theory from a fellow plane hunter Jim Pearce, who was at a party in
Jacksonville, Florida, when two American veterans approached him with an unusual story.
The men said they had worked as engineers Burma when they were tasked with carving
out a large pit burial pit for the aircraft.
"It was the craziest thing you Brits asked us to do," Cundall quoted the men as saying.
Cundall said he believed the story immediately. Advertisements seeking more information
were placed in magazines with names like FlyPast and Warbirds, and soon other
witnesses came forward.
One, a British veteran named Stanley Coomb, described driving along the air field's
perimeter while engineers lowered huge wooden boxes - described as the size of doubledecker
buses - into a pit. Radar soundings appeared to show large, plane-sized objects
lurking roughly 25 feet (8 meters) below the surface, Cundall said.
But finding the site was just half the battle. Cundall said it took 17 years of lobbying to get
permission to dig in Burma, a task complicated by European sanctions against the
country's authoritarian government, and, more recently, its tentative steps toward
democracy. Cundall beat out other groups in an effort to win exclusive rights to the dig,
finally signing an agreement in early October.
Along the way he found an unlikely ally, a Belarusian company called Wargaming.net best
known for its multiplayer titles including "World of Warplanes" and "World of Tanks". The
company's American director of special projects, Tracy Spaight, said he got his company
involved after hearing about the Spitfires in the news, promising US$500,000 toward the
dig and up to another US$500,000 if the Spitfires were found.
Company spokesman Frazer Nash batted away repeated questions about what the video
game maker in the country known as Europe's last dictatorship hoped to get out of the
deal, saying the company had an "open bucket" to dispense cash if the dig was a success.
"Money's not an issue," he told journalists. "Have you seen the profits for gaming?"
The reporters seemed mollified.
"Can I have a job?" one asked.
The Spitfires - if any are ever found - would be divided between the Burmese government,
in line for about half the total, a local company, which would get another 20 percent, and
Cundall, who would get roughly a third. The Burmese government might decide to sell its
planes, Cundall said, although he promised that his share would be coming back to the
UK, "where they belong".
"It was a tool of war, but I want to make it a tool of friendship to bring Burma and Britain
closer together." Also, he said, "I would love to fly one!"
After a last round of television interviews at the hotel Friday, Cundall slipped a jacket over
his black Wargaming.net T-shirt and rubbed his hands together against the cold, casting
his mind to his upcoming trip, and the moment of truth.
"Only a matter of time now before we start digging and find out: `What's in the box?'" he
said.
AP
back waves of German bombers. Britain built a total of some 20,000 Spitfires, although the
dawn of the jet age at the end of World War II meant that the propeller-driven planes
quickly became obsolete.
Many were written off as the British war effort wound down, but why a batch of Spitfires
would have been boxed and buried, as opposed to scrapped and dumped, remains the
biggest question hanging over the project.
Cundall, who has long scoured crash sites to recover buried aircraft, said he first heard of
the Burmese theory from a fellow plane hunter Jim Pearce, who was at a party in
Jacksonville, Florida, when two American veterans approached him with an unusual story.
The men said they had worked as engineers Burma when they were tasked with carving
out a large pit burial pit for the aircraft.
"It was the craziest thing you Brits asked us to do," Cundall quoted the men as saying.
Cundall said he believed the story immediately. Advertisements seeking more information
were placed in magazines with names like FlyPast and Warbirds, and soon other
witnesses came forward.
One, a British veteran named Stanley Coomb, described driving along the air field's
perimeter while engineers lowered huge wooden boxes - described as the size of doubledecker
buses - into a pit. Radar soundings appeared to show large, plane-sized objects
lurking roughly 25 feet (8 meters) below the surface, Cundall said.
But finding the site was just half the battle. Cundall said it took 17 years of lobbying to get
permission to dig in Burma, a task complicated by European sanctions against the
country's authoritarian government, and, more recently, its tentative steps toward
democracy. Cundall beat out other groups in an effort to win exclusive rights to the dig,
finally signing an agreement in early October.
Along the way he found an unlikely ally, a Belarusian company called Wargaming.net best
known for its multiplayer titles including "World of Warplanes" and "World of Tanks". The
company's American director of special projects, Tracy Spaight, said he got his company
involved after hearing about the Spitfires in the news, promising US$500,000 toward the
dig and up to another US$500,000 if the Spitfires were found.
Company spokesman Frazer Nash batted away repeated questions about what the video
game maker in the country known as Europe's last dictatorship hoped to get out of the
deal, saying the company had an "open bucket" to dispense cash if the dig was a success.
"Money's not an issue," he told journalists. "Have you seen the profits for gaming?"
The reporters seemed mollified.
"Can I have a job?" one asked.
The Spitfires - if any are ever found - would be divided between the Burmese government,
in line for about half the total, a local company, which would get another 20 percent, and
Cundall, who would get roughly a third. The Burmese government might decide to sell its
planes, Cundall said, although he promised that his share would be coming back to the
UK, "where they belong".
"It was a tool of war, but I want to make it a tool of friendship to bring Burma and Britain
closer together." Also, he said, "I would love to fly one!"
After a last round of television interviews at the hotel Friday, Cundall slipped a jacket over
his black Wargaming.net T-shirt and rubbed his hands together against the cold, casting
his mind to his upcoming trip, and the moment of truth.
"Only a matter of time now before we start digging and find out: `What's in the box?'" he
said.
AP
Saturday 5 January 2013
Spanish Panzer IV
Attached are some images of Spanish Pz IV H. By the
way, in <PZ IV H (ES) 2.jpg> the driver is HM the King
Juan Carlos I, then Prince of Asturias, in 1955. I'll
send more pictures tomorrow.
Soruce: "Revista Española de Historia Militar" (10,
Apr 2001)
way, in <PZ IV H (ES) 2.jpg> the driver is HM the King
Juan Carlos I, then Prince of Asturias, in 1955. I'll
send more pictures tomorrow.
Soruce: "Revista Española de Historia Militar" (10,
Apr 2001)
carro bilbao
Source: "Los medios blindados de ruedas en España. Un
siglo de Historia vol I", Quirón ediciones (2003).
siglo de Historia vol I", Quirón ediciones (2003).
Iraqi Panhard VCR and T-55
November 30, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi Armed Forces received 38
French-designed Panhard M3 armored personnel carriers
at the Taji Military Training Base north of Baghdad,
today, as part of the Iraqi government's ongoing
effort to equip its armed forces.
The armored vehicles – gifts from the United Arab
Emirates – will be allocated to specific IAF units in
the coming weeks as the Iraqi Ministry of Defense
finalizes plans for their employ.
Another six Panhards are due in the next week.
The Iraqi Armed Forces have recently began adding a
significant armored element to its ranks with the
delivery, Nov. 22, of four T-55 Russian-designed heavy
tanks and 18 mult-purpose armored vehicles (MTLBs) to
the Army's 1st Mechanized Brigade also located at
Taji. Another 22 tanks and MTLBs are scheduled to
arrive this week in addition to the six remaining
Panhard M3s.
By U.S. Army Sgt. Jared Zabaldo, Multinational
Security Transition Command – Iraq, Public Affairs
Office
www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi Armed Forces received 38
French-designed Panhard M3 armored personnel carriers
at the Taji Military Training Base north of Baghdad,
today, as part of the Iraqi government's ongoing
effort to equip its armed forces.
The armored vehicles – gifts from the United Arab
Emirates – will be allocated to specific IAF units in
the coming weeks as the Iraqi Ministry of Defense
finalizes plans for their employ.
Another six Panhards are due in the next week.
The Iraqi Armed Forces have recently began adding a
significant armored element to its ranks with the
delivery, Nov. 22, of four T-55 Russian-designed heavy
tanks and 18 mult-purpose armored vehicles (MTLBs) to
the Army's 1st Mechanized Brigade also located at
Taji. Another 22 tanks and MTLBs are scheduled to
arrive this week in addition to the six remaining
Panhard M3s.
By U.S. Army Sgt. Jared Zabaldo, Multinational
Security Transition Command – Iraq, Public Affairs
Office
www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil
Fwd: M113 Iraq 2003/2004 with ACAV shield
The vehicle on the picture with the M1A1 Abrams and
the M113A32 is not a
Cougar, but the RG-31 Nyala (this mistake has been
made before in this
group). The Cougar, the US version of the Tempest, is
a completely
different vehicle (see attach). As far as I know, the
US Army has 9
Nyalas in service, while the Cougar was ordered by the
USMC.
the M113A32 is not a
Cougar, but the RG-31 Nyala (this mistake has been
made before in this
group). The Cougar, the US version of the Tempest, is
a completely
different vehicle (see attach). As far as I know, the
US Army has 9
Nyalas in service, while the Cougar was ordered by the
USMC.
M163 SPAAG in IDF service
These are Moroccan M163 in the former Spanish Sahara
in 1988, if I remember correctly.
in 1988, if I remember correctly.
Iraqi Technicals
I know that a number of BMD were in service with the
former Iraqi army - but pictures seems rare.
I do not know the source of <BMD__IQ, 3 and 4.JPG>,
that BMD-1 was destroyed near An Numaniyah. The last
picture shows an Iraqi army depot with a few BMD-1s
and captured Iranian equipment.
former Iraqi army - but pictures seems rare.
I do not know the source of <BMD__IQ, 3 and 4.JPG>,
that BMD-1 was destroyed near An Numaniyah. The last
picture shows an Iraqi army depot with a few BMD-1s
and captured Iranian equipment.
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