Stumbled across this excellent cartoon film, made with Disney, about the Boyes anti-tank rifle, used by Allied forces early in Second World War.
Showing posts with label #ww2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #ww2. Show all posts
Monday, 3 December 2018
Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Rover Scouting
Rover Scouting began in August 1918 when it was mentioned in The Scouting Gazette by Baden Powell, and was properly established by November 1919. Originally catering for older boys, the scheme became defunct in the UK with the Scout Organisation, but carried on with others, such as BP Scouts, and British Boy Scouts. There are also plenty of independent Rover Crews which have no upper age limit, and are not affiliated to the World Scout Organisation or BP Scouts etc.
Traditional Rover Scout badges &shoulder boards
Earlier this year, Richard, a good friend of mine asked me if I would be interested in joining a Rover Crew. 'Rovers?', I said, 'Are they part of BP Scouts?'. 'No', he replied. They were a completely independent unit, that did not belong to any Scout organisation. Also, anyone over the age of 18 can join. There is no upper age limit. Traditional Scouting activities are undertaken, camping, walking, parades on Remembrance Sunday & St George's Day, service in the local community etc. You can even do activity badges, handyman, rambler,
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| John Bunting Chapel, North Yorks Moors |
So anyway, I agreed, and with David from Durham we met at the end of August, and had a nice walk in inclement weather to the John Bunting Chapel in the North York Moors. (Click on the link)John Bunting Chapel North Riding Rover Crew (Captain Allmand's Own) was born. Captain Allmand was a Rover Scout and Scout Master at Ampleforth, N.Yks before he left to join the army in WW2. Tragically he was killed in the Far East, an action in which he earned the VC, the only Rover from North Yorkshire known to have won the VC in that war. More info here: http://www.6thgurkhas.org/website/regiment-victoria-crosses/captain-michael-allmand
It's early days, we are still few in number but we can only grow. We took part in the Pickering WW2 weekend parade with other independent units, Thane Rovers and British Boy Scouts. Richard had an article published in Best of British magazine which has produced some interest. Hopefully next year my health will have improved somewhat to get some more walking in.
Anyone from North Yorkshire interested in joining North Riding Rovers please contact: jonathansevers@hotmail.com, or richardbowman1@live.co.uk. Richard has a blog with loads of Scouting stuff here: http://1stvofpscoutarchive.blogspot.com/
Anyone from North Yorkshire interested in joining North Riding Rovers please contact: jonathansevers@hotmail.com, or richardbowman1@live.co.uk. Richard has a blog with loads of Scouting stuff here: http://1stvofpscoutarchive.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
Britain In WW2 -D-Day James Holland States British Not Given Enough Credit on D-Day
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| Author, James Holland, found at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10855305/James-Holland-British-troops-not-given-enough-credit-for-role-in-D-Day-landings.html |
British troops have not been given enough credit for their role in the D-Day landings, the historian James Holland has argued, as he claims American films portray them as "mincing around with bad teeth, stopping for tea".
Holland, the television historian, said the world has been doing a "massive disservice" to British veterans, who were overshadowed by the more glamorous US troops.
Saying myths about the Second World War had become "very, very entrenched", he added home-grown soldiers were often seen as "mincing around and constantly stopping for cups of tea".
In reality, he said, British forces were far more technologically advanced than usually imagined, providing the manpower and innovation to win the war.
Speaking at Hay Festival, Holland argued it was time to rehabilitate the role of the British in the world narrative of D-Day.
"I feel particularly strongly about Normandy and the D-Day campaign because there are a lot of myths that are very, very entrenched," he told an audience.
"It's a largely American show still, and Omaha still defines it.
"There is this impression I think – because of Band of Brothers, because of Saving Private Ryan and so on, because Americans had considerably more cameramen and photographers on D-Day – that we still believe that D-Day is a predominantly an American show.
"Yes, the British had a part but somehow they had a junior part of the United States at that time."
"The Americans were tall, six foot two, with amazing teeth. There was a sort of shabbiness about them that's still quite cool; they looked good.
"Americans always, always show this in conjunction with their tall, square-jawed, good-teeth people: Brits mincing through the water like a Carry On film.
"This annoys me."
Holland, who has written books and presented a recent BBC documentary about the Second World War, added it was time for the role of the British to be redefined.
Not only were the bulk of the invasion force, they suffered heavier casualties, embraced new technology quicker and developed critical inventions including the Mulberry harbour, he said.
"There is still this incredible impression, 70 years on, that somehow the only reason the Germans lost was because they took on the scale of the United States," he said. "That they simply couldn't keep up with the economic might of the Americans.
"That it wasn't anything to do with the British necessarily, and actually tactically there was no one to touch them.
"What I realised is that we've been doing this massive disservice to our boys and to Britain; our effort was way more impressive than we think of it today.
"What's impressive is having the nerve to do think 'I could do that'.
"The idea we stood around in the mud singing God Save the King is just not right, it's a myth and we need to move away from it."
"They were not rubbish, mincing around and constantly stopping for cups of tea. They should have huge respect."
Friday, 24 March 2017
Panzerfaust Bazooka & The PIAT
Hand held anti tank weapons were widely used in the Second World War, cheaper to produce than an anti-tank gun they could be moved around a battlefield without the need for mechanised transport. It was a matter of hide, wait until your target was in range and fire. Then hope you've knocked out your tank and it can't fire back. This scene from Band of Brothers from about 4.56 shows how they 101st knocked out a Panzer with a nice shot to the soft underbelly.
The PIAT (Projectile Infantry Anti Tank)had an advantage over the bazooka in that it left no smoke trail. It was basically a tube with a steel spring inside and it was used widely by the British army until 1951. Not the best of weapons according to the video below.
The German panzerfaust was based on the U.S bazooka. I can't seem to find a reliable source online, but according to good old wikipedia, Nazi Germany made over 6 million of them, and they were used by all Axis powers.
The PIAT (Projectile Infantry Anti Tank)had an advantage over the bazooka in that it left no smoke trail. It was basically a tube with a steel spring inside and it was used widely by the British army until 1951. Not the best of weapons according to the video below.
The German panzerfaust was based on the U.S bazooka. I can't seem to find a reliable source online, but according to good old wikipedia, Nazi Germany made over 6 million of them, and they were used by all Axis powers.
Monday, 13 March 2017
Churchill Tank #WW2
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| Churchill Mk I tank found at: http://someinterestingfacts.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Churchill-ARV-MK-I-300x218.jpg |
The Churchill tank was rushed into production in 1940 when Britain only had 100 tanks to defend its shores, predicatebly there were many teething problems. Armed with first a 2 pounder then 6 pounder guns, they were superseded by 75mm guns from salvaged Sherman tanks, others proving ineffective.
There were many marks of Churchills produced, even one with a 95mm gun, but what stands out are the special adaptations of the Churchill tank which were used on D-Day.They were fitted with flame throwers towing a fuel tank behind, the AVTR carried a bundle of wood to drop into trenches enabling tanks to cross over, they laid bridges and were fitted with a large mortar used to destroy bunkers. Please have a look at my previous posts here: http://oldecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/d-day-6th-june-1944-hobarts-funnies.html &; http://oldecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/d-day-6th-june-1944-more-of-hobarts.html
It had a good turning circle and low silhouette, by the time the MK IV was produced it had a max speed of 17mph and a range of 90 miles. According to www.tanks there were 1600 built. http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/A22_Churchill_Tank.php
Friday, 10 February 2017
#Fury A Film Directed By David Ayer Starring Brad Pitt - One Of The Worst #WW2 Films EVER
I ordered the Fury DVD from Amazon & couldn't wait to see it. Wow what a disappointment. The Sherman tank is portrayed as being some sort of supertank. Invincible to panzerfausts, 200-300 heavily armed & motivated SS troops and capable of firing on the move and successfully hitting the target. Jeez, I wish the United States film industry could come up with a bit more realism.
The scene where the U troops attack anti tank and field guns is so laughable. The tanks have infantry using them as forts and are progressing in straight lines at around 2mph in a head on attack towards anti-tank guns. In real life the Americans would all die, the Sherman's armour was like paper, powered by a petrol engine. In North Africa they were nicknamed Tommy cookers by the Germans for their habit of catching fire when hit anywhere.
Even when ambushed by a Tiger the Shermans still fire on the move, not the best tactics.
Anyway tell me what you thought of it? It's the worst tank film since Battle of The Bulge with it's all star cast. For some primary sources of information, watch the next video, a veteran who was in #WW2 tells of over 500% casualty rate in his regiment alone.
16.2.17
On other socila media platforms, I have received more than a fair share of criticism, I do not object to this, none of us are perfect. Unfortunately the Sherman tank was not perfect either. It was a good medium tank but - to quote Lt S.Hills:
The Sherman had its faults, and the most serious of these was a tendency to catch fire too easily, which explains why it came to be christened the 'Ronson Lighter'. At thirty two tons to the Tiger's fifty six, it was also deficient in weight of armour, and the M4's 75-millimetre gun easily penetrated the Sherman. Both the Tiger and the two types of Panther were daunting and fearsome opponents. The Panther's armour was intimidating The Panther Mark V carried a 75mm gun and two 7.92mm machine guns, and the Jagdpanther an 88mm gun and one 7.92 mm machine gun. The frontal armour of the German tanks was also much thicker, 80mm in the Panther and a massive 155mm in the Tiger., compared to the Sherman's 50mm.In Normandy the German tanks prospered because of the nature of the ground: they could be dug in as immovable defensive obstacles and so their lack of maneuverability counted for less. Once the pursuit began, however, the Sherman's greater speed and endurance came into its own and our tanks overwhelmed the German defences in a mobile battle.
p.p 96-97, Lt S.Hills, By Tank Into Normandy, London, (2003)
Frank must have missed the turn to the left and gone straight down the road to Berjou. On that road his tank took a direct hit from a Panzerfaust and the whole crew was killed.
p.p 135-136, Lt S.Hills, By Tank Into Normandy, London, (2003)
Illinois University also published this: https://archives.library.illinois.edu/blog/poor-defense-sherman-tanks-ww2/
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
French Char B1 Heavy Tank
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| French Char B-1 heavy tank with crew, date unknown, found at:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxegom6tr3NcvgsRklKb9jwdOrDL0dSk4O0CuNLpHKJE19hDPQLJUQMUiRIznGGDqoPOghr3VIPcxfCdSATBM9Ka7We5bmGRGOiSqQ8Z7DfluXTaNAELY2NRHtcZHmAp_xLdiQLDGMHTFr/s1600/Char-B1-47.jpg |
In 1940 the French actually outnumbered the Germans with it's tanks (over 3,000 compared to Germans over 2,000), but the Germans were more adept at using them than other armies. The Blitzkrieg tactics were very successful, Germany occupying most of Europe by June 1940.
The French Char B1 served with armored divisions of the French infantry, during the Battle Of France most Char B1's were put out of action by aerial bombing or anti-tank guns. Against the German panzers the Char B1 was superior, having a 75mm cannon and thick armour. At Sonne, a Captain Pierre Billotte attacked and destroyed 13 Panzer MK III & MK IV's. His Char B1 was hit 140 times, but not knocked out. This is an incredible story, how I haven't heard about it before now must only be because war historians dismiss the French army in the early part of the war due to their swift capitulation? After the fall of France, Pierre Billotte was imprisoned by the Germans, then escaped to join the French Resistance. For more information on this event please go here:http://tank-photographs.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/char-b1-renault-french-ww2-tank-stonne-1940.html
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| Pierre Billotte |
Char B1 bis specifications | |
| Dimensions (l-w-h) | 6.37 x 2.46 x 2.79 m (20.8 x 8.07 x 9.15 ft) |
| Total weight, battle ready | 28 tons (56,000 lbs) |
| Crew | 4 (driver, main gunner, sec. gunner, commander) |
| Propulsion | Renault 6-cyl inline, 16.5 l, 272 bhp |
| Speed (road/off road) | 28/21 km/h (17/13 mph) |
| Range (road/off road)-fuel | 200 km (120 mi)-400 l |
| Armament | Main: 75 mm (2.95 in) ABS SA35 Howitzer (hull) Secondary: 47 mm (1.85 in) SA 35 AT gun (turret) Secondary: Reibel 7.5 mm (0.295 in) howitzer |
| Maximum armour | 60 mm (2.36 in) |
| Total production | 781 |
Wednesday, 30 March 2016
WORLD WAR 2 NAZI WORKED FOR MOSSAD AS AN AGENT AND ASSASSIN
Otto Skorzeny, infamous in the Second World War for rescuing Benito Mussolini in 1942 from a mountain top hotel, and training German soldiers to cause chaos behind Allied lines in December 1944 in the Ardennes, was today confirmed as being a Mossad agent and assassin.
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| Otto Skorzeny in uniform, #ww2. |
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Skorzeny was recruited by Mossad after he escaped to Spain dressed in U.S army uniform. He was recruited by German rocket scientist Otto Krug as a boyguard after Adolph Eichmann had ben kidnapped and taken to Israel for trial. It is alleged that Skorzeny drove Krug to woods outside Munich, shot him and destroyed the body with acid. You can read more about it here:http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.711115
Thursday, 17 March 2016
Armoured Vehicles In World War 2 #WW2
OK, after much deliberation I have decided to blog about armoured vehicles used in the Second World War, Axis & Allied. I am starting with the Mk I Infantry tank, better known as the Matilda.
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| MK I Infantry Tank found at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xPuCXQZYx4ZnCTU-G3eWY6bIRxW9YpYIxkj1Fp1GaS18DtOHYX0QBML6JM5XVVpHoCTkK7HmfkyHI-9lTQRsYGpb1CJCho5B9EpDrsw7Qi9UC-WtmtsegClPOjAG0JFfM5EZQcIWcMs/s1600/infantry-mk-i-matilda-mk-i-01.png
Infantry tanks in the mid 1930's were not required to attain any decent speed, as their name suggests they were primarily used as infantry support weapons. One advantage of this was that they had heavier armour than faster tanks. They were used in the Battle of France, MK 2 Matilda's proving better, any surviving MK I tanks were destroyed before the BEF evacuated in May-June 1940. One major problem of the MK I was the vulnerability of the tracks which were too exposed.
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Monday, 30 November 2015
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach, most people you speak to instantly recognise the name of Omaha Beach from World War 2 films like The Longest Day or Saving Private Ryan. Younger people may remember it from war games like Medal of Honour. What one tends to remember are the brutal scenes which greeted the young American soldiers as they approached the beaches and disembarked. In many cases, as soon as the doors opened on the landing craft the bullets from the German MG42's were killing the Americans. The German opponents were excellent, well trained and fighting for their lives.
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| D-Day Beaches, image found at:http://cponline.thecanadianpress.com/graphics/2014/static/CP-Normandy-Landings.png |
What caused the massive loss of live at Omaha?
The geography of the beach was the most difficult of any. Sheer cliffs, a sea wall 1-4 meters in height, shingle which was impassable to vehicles, bunkers, trenches and blockhouses were all zeroed in on the beach which at high tide was but a few meters wide. Also there were only four closely guarded exits off the beach which led inland.
The other beaches on D-Day made substantial use of British inventions designed to advance inland quicker minimising loss of human life, 'Hobart's Funnies' ( see previous blog posts http://oldecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Hobart%27s%20Funnies ) The U.S troops on Omaha Beach did not have the benefit of these, they did try to launch DD tanks but 27 were lost before they made it to the beach.
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| Robert Capa on Omaha beach taking cover behind German beach defences found at: https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.skylighters.org/photos/hedgehog.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.skylighters.org/photos/robertcapa.html&h=300&w=449&tbnid=5dEvmT-Kj0Z7hM:&docid=hXT_dPAuT8zE4M&ei=GrxcVp6tKIT5UoCarZAO&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwieovepiLnJAhWEvBQKHQBNC-IQMwglKAIwAg |
At 0630hrs the first men to land on the beach were engineers who had to clear the way for the assault troops. The casualty rate among them was high - among U.S Naval Engineers the rate was 41%, (Bowman, p.64). They had to destroy beach obstacles before men could land, the beach was thick with them, tetrahedrons and stakes topped with mines to destroy landing craft and troops. The assault troops who landed next were from the American 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One) and the 29th Infantry Division. The USAAF was supposed to bomb the beach and its defences before the landings, but had missed the target completely and dropped bombs further inland instead. The first landing craft came under fire 200-300 yards from shore. When they stopped at the beach and the ramps lowered, bullets were killing men before they could get out. It was a scene not unlike that of the First World War, one of mass slaughter.
German opposition consisted of 352nd Division and the 716th, eight battalions instead of four (H astings, p.115). They were no second rate troops. They were well trained and armed. MG42's, Neberlwerfer mortars, artillery guns and rifles all firing on the Americans as they landed.
The Americans that did survive the landing and made it onto the beach found some shelter among the beach obstacles or the shingle wall. In dribs and drabs, leaving dead and wounded comrades behind they waited, finding what little cover they could. By 0800 Officers were organising these groups and they started to advance. The most famous quote came from Brigadier Cota,
"There are only two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are already dead and those that are gonna die. Now get off your butts, you're the fightin' 29th."
Meanwhile the Germans were running out of ammunition and urgently needed reinforcements. They were overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers. Sheer determination and bravery by the U.S troops won the day at Omaha. They lost so many men due to the resilience of the German defenders and the difficult terrain. Bombs were dropped in the wrong place by the USAAF. DD tanks failed to make it to shore, but against all odds, the U.S army landed at Omaha Beach and slowly advanced inland.
Sources Used
D-Day, The Untold Story, found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/archaeology/marine_dday_underwater_01.shtml
Bowman, M, Remembering D-Day, Personal Histories Of Everyday Heroes (2004).
Hastings, M, Overlord, (1984).
Sunday, 29 November 2015
The Three Stooges The Yoke's On Me 1944
Found this brilliant (though highly racist) Three Stooges episode The Yoke's On Me from 1944. The three hapless brothers are sent to find employment on a farm where they come across an ostrich and Nissei Americans from an internment camp. Sit back and enjoy the usual chaos, but a word of warning, don't attempt any of these stunts at home
Thursday, 26 November 2015
Friday, 20 November 2015
WW2 Survival Training Film AAF - Land and Live in the Desert (full)
Youtube is full of these old training films from the Second World War, enjoy this one about desert survival.
#WW2 War Against Japan - A Brutal War
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| A jap soldier executing an Allied prisoner, whereabouts unknown:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-482589/Beheaded-whim-worked-death-Japans-repugnant-treatment-Allied-PoWs.html |
The war the Allies fought against Japan in Asia and the Pacific was long and bloody. One of the worst aspects of this was the Japanese treatment of prisoners. In their eyes, to be taken prisoner was a disgrace, dying in battle was more honourable. This mindset is why they mistreated and executed prisoners. After Singapore fell on 15th February 1942 more than 100,000 Allied soldiers were taken prisoner, the Japanese could not believe they had beaten an army this size with only 30,00 troops. There were no plans for prisoners of war, and Japan had not signed the Geneva Convention.
The infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines resulted in over 7,000 soldiers killed. The building of a Burma railway killed over 13,000. The list is endless, nurses, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians, other European civilians were murdered whenever the Japanese felt the urge (over 30,000 died in Jap POW camps https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/prisoners-of-war-of-the-japanese-1939-1945)
The most disgraceful act post war is a refusal of successive Japanese governments to apologise for these atrocities. How can we forgive them for this if they can't acknowledge their sins?
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| 'Fit' Japanese pow's at Hellfire Pass, Burma railway, http://hellfire-pass.commemoration.gov.au/camps-of-f-force/shimo-songkurai.php |
WW2: Fighting Men - Crack That Tank (1943)
Excellent U.S training film for the infantryman on how to defeat tanks, remember, 'Stay in your foxhole'.
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Pickering 1940's Weekend Sunday 18th October 2015
Some photos from 1940's Weekend at Pickering. The French village at Levisham was excellent, even if it was occupied by SS.
Thursday, 15 October 2015
Hawker Hurricane #BattleOfBritain75
Excellent documentary about the development and production of the Hawker Hurricane, the aircraft that shot down over 80% of enemy aircraft in the Battle of Britain 1940.
Friday, 7 August 2015
Battle of Britain 1940: The True Start Date of the Battle of Britain? ...a...
Battle of Britain 1940: The True Start Date of the Battle of Britain? ...a...: The 8 August 1940 saw the first large scale sustained clashes between the RAF and the Luftwaffe and as such was initially considered to be ...
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Battle of Britain 1940: Stop the Traffic! We Want to Take Off!
Battle of Britain 1940: Stop the Traffic! We Want to Take Off!: During the early part of the Battle of Britain, entries in the Campaign Diaries frequent mention is made of RAF Catterick in 13 Group being...
Geoffery Wellum, One Of The Youngest #RAF Pilots In The Battle Of Britain #WW2
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| Geoffery Willam, RAF Pilot #WW2 |
Geoffery Wellum was 18 years old when he fought in the Battle of Britain. You can watch a really good BBC film on Vimeo here;https://vimeo.com/45585260 it's called First Light . It is based on Wellum's book of the same name, Wellum is one of the lucky few to survive the Battle of Britain, he went on to lead a flight of Spits in Malta in 1942, and is still alive today. As a taster here is the trailer from Youtube.
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