Tuesday, November 29, 2011

World War I Phtography (Part 5)


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Knight - The Warrior And World of Chivalry


There can be no warrior quite so iconic and immediately recognizable as the medieval knight. More than any other he remains a part ol contemporary culture. Not only does he ride his charger, resplendent in his shining armour and colourful heraldry, through novels and movies, but his armour still decorates museums, castles and stately homes, and his image in brass or stone adorns our churches. Every summer crowds gather to watch the sight of costumed interpreters bringing him back to lile in jousting matches and re-enactments. But this image of the knight - the mounted warrior armoured head to toe, bcdccked with brightly painted heraldry and mounted on a great charger - is only a snapshot of what the real knight was. The lull picture is much more complex. His outward appearance changed over the 500 years of his dominance, as armourers responded to the developments in weapons technology and took advantage ol the changes in metallurgy and smithing techniques.

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United States Naval Aviation 1919-1941


By June 1942, within six months of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy had checked the Japanese military advance in the Pacific to the extent that the United States could return to its original war plan of defeating Germany first. That the Navy was able to accomplish this with six fleet aircraft carriers—two of which were based in the Atlantic at the time—and little more than 1,000 combat aircraft was not a miracle or simply a matter of luck but the culmination of more than 20 years of determined preparation. This book explains and illustrates, in terms of individual aircraft, airship, and ship development, the process of trial and error that ultimately enabled naval aviation to succeed in those critical, early months of the war. The book is introduced by a historical summary listing the major influences that shaped the course of naval aviation during the period.

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Knives And Swords - A Visual History


From prehistoric times to 1000 ce, the creation and use of tools with sharp edges was one of the pivotal developments in technology. When exactly early humans started sharpening rocks into cutting tools is unclean but rudimentary hand axes—rocks with one end sharpened and the other shaped to fit into a hand— were first used up to two and a half million years ago in Africa and the Middle East. Such tools were not only useful for everyday jobs, such as scraping meat off bones, but also served as potential weapons against human adversaries. These blades were made by pressure flaking—a process of hitting a rock with a piece of horn or antler until its edge became jagged—and were surprisingly sharp. Using this simple method, prehistoric man made many practical tools such as stone blades, particularly those made from flint, with smooth or serrated edges. However, a further step was required to transform the stone blade into a true fighting weapon.

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Nordland


The 11th Volunteer SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Nordland" was one of the most valiant units of the German army during WWII. A number of fascist groups were active in Denmark prior to the outbreak of war. The largest of those, the Danish National-Socialist Worker's Party (Danmarks National Socialistiske Arbejder Parti) was formed in 1930 and was headed by Dr Fritz Clausen. There was also a strong pro-German movement in Norway. It was directed by Major Vidkun Quisling, who, as of May 1933, headed a political group that united Norway's Fascists called the Nasjonal Sämling NS (literally: National Unity). The Germans did not only support the Fascist movements in other states, but also attempted to draft their supporters into the ranks of the Waffen-SS. Despite the occupation of Denmark in April 1940, the tiny Danish Army was not disarmed. However, it did not participate in combat, maintaining its "neutrality". That is why the sending of Danes to the East had to take place in a manner other than e.g. Hungarian units, whose government had declared war on the USSR.

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The North Atlantic Front


The term 'North Atlantic Front' seems never to have been used officially but the British strategy in both World Wars, in 1914-18 and 1939-45, of trying to confine German naval activity did create a 'front' in practice. In the trackless ocean, the front materialised only as the protagonists' ships and aircraft, and as the land masses where one flag or another could be raised. In the First World War the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow and the Northern Patrol operating from Swarbacks Minn gave the front tangible form. In 1918 it became briefly and more precisely defined by the laying of a great minefield from Orkney to Norway. The German occupation of Norway in 1940 blasted aside Britain's intention to repeat this strategy in the Second World War and, outflanked, the front retreated westwards and was re-established along the Shetland-Faroes-Iceland chain.

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Ride Around Missouri - Shelby's Great Raid 1863


Joseph Orville Shelby was born to a rich planter family in Lexington, Kentucky, on December 12, 1830. One of his childhood friends was John Hunt Morgan, who would grow up to be another famous Confederate cavalry raider. Shelby enjoyed the privileges of wealth and education, but unlike many young men of his social station, he never joined the army or even the local militia. In fact, he had no military experience whatsoever until he heard his first shot fired in anger. In 1849 he moved to the Missouri River town of Lexington to work at his stepfather's hemp factory. Before being banned for its recreational uses, hemp was an important cash crop in both Kentucky and Missouri - the fiber could be turned into rope, cloth, medicine, paper, and many other products. It was also closely linked to the cotton industry, which required huge amounts of cordage to tie up cotton bales. Both industries involved hard manual labor and relied on large numbers of slaves.

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Sukhoi Su-27


The Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker is one of the premiere fighter-interceptor aircraft of the world, but until recently, little was known about it. The Su-27 has been around in various forms, since 1977—but it is a Russian air-plane, and that meant it was a secret airplane, until about 1987. Before the 1989 Paris air show, the dreaded Flanker was not much more than a few fuzzy photographs and a hint or two from mysterious Moscow—coupled with dire warnings from the NATO force officers who had to plan to fight it. Well, things have changed. The Russians aren't exactly handing out the blueprints for their most advanced weapons systems, but they're a great deal more candid than they used to be—for many reasons. The principal reason is that they no longer consider war with the "capitalist imperialist" West a significant threat, and they finally believe that revealing basic details about major weapon systems will not compromise their security. Another reason for the lighter security is that their airplanes are very good in uniquely Russian ways and are getting recognition for their excellent qualities. That's new, and for the Russians it is very healthy.

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World Army Uniforms Since 1939


The end of World War I saw the emergence of many independent states as the vanquished monarchies found themselves in the throes of major social and political upheaval. The greatest territorial changes had taken place in Eastern Europe, where Russia, defeated and in the midst of civil war, was being stripped of its empire. The republics to emerge from former Russian territory were Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. The republics of Czechoslovakia and Hungary were established in countries formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburg empire. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia unified Serbs, Montenegrins, Bosnians, Slovenes and Macedonians under a Serbian monarch. Rumania and Bulgaria retained their dynasties.

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

World War I Photography (Part 4)


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To Be A US Air Force Pilot


The profiles of typical students in the joint specialized undergraduate pilot training program are especially valuable for anyone contemplating becoming a pilot in the USAF, for they reveal just how stringent the selection criteria are. These students demonstrate that the pursuit of wings is serious business, unlike any representations from Hollywood films. From the day of application to the day that wings are pinned on, the prospective pilot is exercised to their full capabilities, and Holden gives insight into just how demanding the task of learning to fly really is. Fortunately, Holden also portrays how rewarding the pursuit is and lets you see why young men and women are so eager to sacrifice so much of their time and effort for the goal. Besides academics and the thrill of the flight-line, there are other challenging tasks, including enduring the black-out-inducing effects of a ride on a human centrifuge, learning the physiology of flight firsthand by training in an altitude chamber, and becoming familiar with the effects of spatial disorientation.

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Modell Portraits 39


Das Original. Es ist immer das Gleiche: Man hat eine Idee oder sieht ein Foto in einem Magazin ... ein betagter Torpedo-Bomber als Spray-Flieger in der Land- und Forstwirtschaft ... und denkt sich, das Ding bau' ich mir, kann ja so schwer nicht sein. Den Basis-Bausatz Torpedo-Bomber gibt es und das bisschen Umbau an der Cockpithaube und der Einbau eines Tanks im Bombenraum sind schnell gemacht, dachte ich. Das Denken überlass' mal den Pferden, die haben einen größeren Kopf, sagte meine Mutter immer. Meine Mutter hatte nicht immer Recht. Diesmal schon. Die Recherche in meinem Archiv und im Internet kostete sehr viel Zeit, brachte mich aber weiter. Es gibt sogar eine umfangreiche Historie im Internet von "meiner" N81865, aber keine weiteren Fotos. Hier eine stark vereinfachte Zusammenfassung der Historie. 17. März 1945 erster Einsatz bei der Navy und Teilnahme an der Schlacht um Okinawa. Nach dem Krieg bei verschiedenen Einheiten in Santa Barbara, auf Hawaii, San Diego, Norfolk und Spokane. 1954 in Litchfield Park eingelagert. Am 31. Mai 1956 erfolgte nach insgesamt 1.333 Flugstunden die Ausmusterung. Dann 1957 der Verkauf an Plains Aero Service, 1963 an Air Tankers of New Castle, 1972 an Fire Tanker of Casper und 1974 Export nach Kanada und Einsatz als Sprayflieger. 1989 Löschung der Registrierung in Kanada und Verkauf 2005 an Fargo Air Museum und 2008 an TBM Avenger Inc.

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Model Airplane International 2008-09


The Gannet by Fairey Aviation was built in response to a 1945 Admiralty requirement GR.17/45. Fairey selected an engine based on the Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba. the Double Mamba. which consisted two Mambas mounted side-by-side and coupled through a common gearbox to drive the contra-rotating propellers. This unusual engine layout resulted in the Gannet being so ugly (in my opinion!)The model (a pre-production test shot) arrived without a box and photo-copied instructions. All parts are fairly cleanly moulded in either a light grey plastic, with a little flash on some of the smaller parts, or clear. Surface detail is nicely done and panels are represented as recessed lines. The set of clear parts had unfortunately all suffered at the hands of the Post Office and were therefore replacing with vacformed parts that I produced myself. Decals in the kit are to Revell's high standard being in register and opaque; the blue of the roundels, however, appears light but these can easily be replaced. The colour options are XA32I, No.815 Sqn, HMS Ark Royal 1956 and UAI08 of 2/MGFI956. German Navy and both wear the Extra Dark Sea Grey over sky scheme. Revell tell the modeller to mix the grey from two colours in their own paint range with no mention of the correct colour name! Instructions are typical Revell with a parts layout followed by simple logical sequences.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 09, 2011


The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has returned all elements deployed for Operation 'Ellamy' to the UK after the end on 31 October of the NATO mission over Libya. Significant contributions to an unexpected air operation were made by a diverse range of aircraft, including E-3D Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, Sentinel R.l Airborne Stand-Off Radar aircraft and VC10 and Tristar tanker aircraft. However, most notable was the effort made by the Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft and Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4s operating extensively from the deployed location at Gioia del Colle in Italy. The Tornado GR.4s of No IX(B) Squadron opened the air-power offensive on 19 March with a 3,000-mile-round-trip Storm Shadow cruise missile strike mounted from RAF Marham in Norfolk. Supported by VC10 and TriStar tankers, the GR.4s launched eight Storm Shadows against com-mand-and-control nodes. These were the RAF's longest-range strike missions since the 'Black Buck' operations during the Falklands conflict in 1982 and the first RAF bombing raids launched from the UK since the Second World War.

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Early Roman Warrior 753-321 BC


We are unlikely to ever know for certain whether Romulus really lived, but regarding the existence of the city that bears his name there is no uncertainty. Distant enough from the sea to protect its first inhabitants from the danger of piracy, the site of Rome lay 20km upstream on the left or eastern bank of the Tiber at its lowest crossing place. This convenient ford, tucked just below an island in the river, was overlooked by a group of hills that harboured an adequate number of freshwater springs, while the surrounding countryside was suitable for tilling, grazing and hunting. The hills themselves were well wooded, fairly precipitous and defensible. In that way, the site allowed escape for early settlers from flooding and some protection against predators. This is the Rome that concerns us here, the non-grandiose Rome of the turbulent centuries when Italy consisted of a patchwork of settlements and peoples, among them the Celts in the north, the Etruscans in the centre, the Sabines next door, the Samnites along the spinal massif and the Greeks on the southern coasts.

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Defense Technology International Magazine December 2011


Libya under Moammar Gadhafi had more man-portable air-defense systems (Manpads) than any other country, excluding those that produce the missiles. The collapse of the regime has Western officials scrambling to figure out what to do with potentially tens of thousands of surface-to-air missiles, including Manpads, which in many cases are unguarded and unsecured, and could pose a threat to civil aviation if they fall into the wrong hands. The biggest concern is the Russian SA-7B Grail. Human Rights Watch says its employees have viewed unsecured arms caches, including one with at least 20 SA-7s and over two dozen SA-24s, advanced Russian Manpads missiles. In Libya there is good data on the types and origins of the Manpads, says Matthew Schroeder, director of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. "We've got photos with markings on the missiles and crates," which have emerged from Libya in recent weeks. "It's easy to tell what model they are." The U.S. State Department has allocated $30 million to help secure Libya's arsenal and dedicated 15 personnel to track down the missing weapons.

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Aranysas 2010-06


Repül az F-35-ös BF-4 jelű gép STOVL példánya, ez az első, amelyet már felszereltek a teljes fedélzeti elektronikával, beleértve az APG-81 -es AESA radart, EODAS elektrooptikai rendszert és az elektronikai hadviselési eszközöket. Közben bekapcsolódott a berepülésbe az AF-2-es gép is, ez már a hetedik F-35-ös, amely a többivel együtt felgyorsítja az eddig jelentős késéssel haladó programot. Az év első harmadában a tervezett repülések közül mindössze kettő maradt el, és úgy tűnik, hogy lassan teljes ütemben folyhat a berepülés. A fedélzeti elektronika légi tesztelése a várakozások szerint gyorsan haladhat, mivel azzal már százezer órányi működési tapasztalat gyűlt össze a földi tesztelés és az átépített 737-es gép fedélzetén.

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Aviation Week & Space Technology November 07, 2011


Investors detest the thought of losing money. So one has to wonder what the future holds for struggling Hawker Beechcraft. Investment bank Goldman Sachs and Canadian buyout firm Onex Corp. paid a top-of-the-market price of $3.3 billion in 2007 to acquire the builder of business jets and general aviation and military turboprops from Raytheon. But a collapse in demand for business jets the following year created a flood of red ink that has yet to be stanched, despite progress in cutting costs and improving efficiency. Since 2009, Wichita-based Hawker has posted cumulative operating losses of nearly $1 billion, including $42 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30. And Hawker's core market—business jets—is not expected to rebound soon. "We are preparing for a 2012 that looks a lot like 2011 that looks a lot like 2010," Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture said in a Nov. 1 earnings call (though Hawker is not public, it discloses earnings because its debt is publicly traded).

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Wallpapers Aviation Set 9


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World War I Photogarphy (Part 3)


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Aranysas 2010-05


Az USAF új tankergép-beszerzési programjának szappanoperája újabb epizóddal bővült. Az új pályázati kiírásnak a Boeing ajánlata felel meg jobban, ez ellen tiltakozott az EADS, aztán teljesen esélytelenül irreális ajánlattal jelentkeztek az oroszok is, noha az ilyen jellegű (boomos) tankerrel semmiféle tapasztalatuk nincs. A hordozó platform a finoman szólva nem éppen bevált IL-96-os lett volna. Néhány nappal később kiderült, hogy az orosz ajánlat nem komoly, az EADS viszont adminisztratív eszközökkel igyekszik késleltetni a végleges döntést. A Boeing változatlanul a 767-est ajánlja, amely azonban különbözik az eredeti tervektől. A szárnyvégfülekkel (winglet) ellátott gép merev csöves tankolóberendezé-se a KC-10-eseknél alkalmazott típus továbbfejlesztése, amely sokkal nagyobb áteresztőképességű, percenként több mint 4000 liter átadására képes. A KC-767-es teljesen új fedélzeti műszereket kap, a 787-es Dreamliner képernyőit és a hozzájuk tartozó háttérrendszereket építik be.

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F6F Hellcat at War


It must have been a sickening sight for Japanese flyers—a pair of blocky blue fighters diving in from above. There was nowhere to go. The attackers were too heavy and moving too fast to avoid. It was impossible to run, nearly hopeless to even turn. In a few brief moments, the midnight blue aircraft eagerly plummeted thousands of meters, hurtling into firing range. Their blunt-nosed cowls gave the impression of soulless, grinning monsters, wickedly amused by this dire situation. A ripple of fire leapt from the leader's wings. A heartbeat later, heavy lead slugs sizzled through the air, tearing aluminum skin, shattering cockpit glass, and smashing through fuel tanks. Enemy forces on the ground or at sea didn't fare much better. The Grummans appeared at dawn and never left. Every blue U.S. Navy plane was called a "Grumman" by Japanese soldiers and sailors—Wildcats, Avengers, even Corsairs and Helldivers. But the planes that were seemingly everywhere, all the time, were Hellcats.

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La-5/7 vs Fw190 - Eastern Front 1942-45


Soviet aeronautical engineers and pilots from the Red Army Air Force ( Voenno-Vozdushniye Sily Krasnoy Armii, abbreviated to WS-KA) were able to familiarise themselves with German military aircraft long before the invasion of the USSR in June 1941. Some had been captured in Spain during the Civil War and sent back to the Soviet Union, while others were bought from the Germans following the signing of the infamous non-aggression pact between the two countries in August 1939. Having studied the Luftwaffe's principal fighter, the Messerschmitt Bf 109E, and compared its flight data with the then new MiG-3, Yak-1 and LaGG-3, both the leadership of the WS-KA and senior aircraft designers came to the conclusion in early 1941 that Soviet fighters had at last attained parity with their western European equivalents. However, in the immediate aftermath of the launching of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941, it quickly became apparent that the E-model's replacement, the Bf 109F, was clearly superior to all Russian fighters then in frontline service. For example, the 'Friedrich' was faster than all three new Soviet fighters up to an altitude of 16,500ft — fighting rarely occurred at higher altitudes on the Eastern Front.

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Militaria No.55


Modification du modèle B6 de 1928 (par renforcement du pontet reliant les deux oculaires), elles sont adoptées en mai 1933 et seront utilisées jusqu'à la fin de la guerre bien que reclassées en "limitedstandard"en octobre 1943. Les cerclages des verres sont réalisés en tôle de laiton emboutie nickelée. Ils peuvent s'ouvrir en déboîtant un petit tube lui-môme bloqué par l'attache de la sangle afin de permettre le changement des verres. Chacun des cerclages retient également un insert métallique sur lequel est cousue une jupe en caoutchouc moulé de couleur grise. L'aération est assurée par un petit tube brasé en haut de chacun des cerclages et par trois séries de doubles trous dans leur partie inférieure. Le pontet assurant la liaison entre les deux cerclages est composé de pattes, pivotant l'une par rapport à l'autre, reliées par une vis qui, selon sa position, permet le réglage des lunettes sur le visage.

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South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu


At the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the U.S. Army combat units nearest the scene were the four infantry divisions performing occupation duties in Japan. When the Army of the Republic of Korea, supported only by U.S. air and naval forces, was unable to halt the North Korean aggressors, these divisions, seriously understrength and only partially trained and equipped for fighting, provided the troops that were committed initially to action in response to the call of the United Nations Security Council. Colonel Appleman's narrative portrays vividly the grimness of "limited war" against a fanatical enemy, and the tragic consequences of un preparedness. His writing recaptures the dismay that most Americans experienced in the realization that a small, little-known country could achieve military success against a coalition that included this, the world's most powerful nation.

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Steel Masters No.107


Avec la défection de l'armée italienne début septembre 1943, un certain nombre de matériels italiens sont intégrés dès octobre au sein du groupe de reconnaissance, le SS-Aufklarung Abteilung 7, et du Panzer-Abteilung delà Division Prinz Eugen qui combat avec peu de moyens blindés dans la région aepuis fin 1942. Ces blindés, des L6/40 et Semovente da 47/32, bien qu'obsolètes, sont très vite engagés dans les combats contre les partisans de Tito qui ne cessent de harceler les unités allemandes. La très récente maquette Italeri du Semovente 47/32 est d'excellente facture et reproduit fidèlement le petit blindé italien. Le niveau de détail est très satisfaisant, notamment au niveau du poste de conduite et du poste de combat. Pour accroître la finesse générale, une petite planche de photodécoupe accompagne les pièces en plastique injecté. Le montage très aisé de ce kit le destine à tous les maquettistes. Les améliorations se limitent au remplacement des loquets de fermeture des trappes d'accès au moteur par des éléments en fil métallique, et au pot d'échappement, refait en feuille d'alu et styrène. Les chenilles proposées en maillons plastiques sont finalement échangées pour de nouvelles, en métal, issues de l'incontournable gamme Friulmodel.

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WWII History 2007-07


IT WILL NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO AMERICAN READERS THAT WHEN THE Japanese emperor delivered his surrender message on August 15, 1945, Allied forces led by the United States had thoroughly defeated Japan s naval and air power in the Pacific. They may be less familiar with the fact that the bulk of Japan's land forces were still largely intact. In three years of intense combat beginning in late 1942, Allied forces had retaken control of many islands in the Pacific, notably the Philippines and Okinawa, and had routed the Japanese defenders. At that point, however, they had not defeated key units of the Japanese Army. When the cease-fire took effect, a depleted force of some 300,000 Japanese soldiers in Manchuria had fallen victim to the sudden attack of the Soviet Union on August 8, 1945, and many were on the run. All of the other Japanese divisions that were scattered throughout East Asia remained fully intact. These included Japanese forces in the Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Thailand, Burma and French Indochina. Although weakened by relentless American submarine and air attacks against Japanese shipping, these forces had hardly even been tested in combat.

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Friday, November 18, 2011

World War I Photography (Part 2)


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Boudicca's Rebellion AD 60-61 - The Britons Rise Up Against Rome


Strabo wrote the finest work we possess on the political geography of the Roman Empire. In a passage (4.5.3) concerning distant Britannia, as that land of mystery was known to the classical world, but was called Albion by its inhabitants, he explains why it was useless to conquer lands with poor resources; that is to say, keeping them would soon outstrip any economic benefits. Britannia certainly did not enjoy an exceedingly mild climate that allows the vine, the olive, the laurel, the pomegranate, and in short all the fruits of a Mediterranean sky to come to perfection. However, the Claudian adventure of AD 43, followed by the expansionist campaigns that followed, meant the Romans occupied a large chunk of the island and thereby added a province beyond the natural bounds of the empire. This Augustus himself had fully recognized and, despite being Caesar's heir, he had rejected the option of invasion (Strabo 2.5.8). 'What wall', Josephus asks, 'could be a better obstacle than the open sea that is the bulwark of Britannia' (Bellum ludaicum 6.331).

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F-15 Eagle at War


WITH ITS EDGY YET GRACEFUL LINES, THE world's greatest air superiority fighter of all time took to the skies in July 1972. It changed the history of aerial combat and the meaning of air supremacy forever. Shattering speed records and climbing to altitudes never before thought attainable for a fighter its size, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle has been the U.S. Air Forces (USAF) premier strike fighter for more than thirty-five years. The F-15 combines superb aerodynamics with improved acceleration along with advanced avionics and aerial weaponry, making it a formidable adversary. However, getting to this point was not an overnight accomplishment. The U.S. reached the pinnacle of air superiority during World War II with the incredible P-51 Mustang. Shortly following the war, radar and avionics technology had improved to the point where American forces felt there would no longer be a need for aircraft capable of air-to-air combat.

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Korea 1951-1953


The fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War gives both the Army and the nation an opportunity to honor those veterans who served in that hitter conflict. This volume, a companion to a similar work treating the first six months of the war, was prepared shortly after the war ended. Despite the passage of time, it still provides a valuable summary of more than two long years of combat through its text, photographs, and maps. Keeping this material in print for the commemorative period provides a new generation of soldiers with the opportunity to better understand that struggle and the sacrifices made by so many for a cause that was central to the international security policies of the United States. I am thus pleased to release this new printing of a classic photographic collection. Since the source of every photograph is noted at the back of this book, it is the Center of Military History's hope that various commands and offices throughout the Army will find this work useful also as a catalog of available photographs as they develop their own projects commemorating the anniversary of the war. Finally, I am mindful of the fact that as we honor those who served in the Korean conflict, we are also recognizing by extension those soldiers who continue to serve in Korea today, doing their own part in preserving freedom in a significant part of the world.

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Le Fana De L'Aviation 2011-05


Depuis la fin du mois de mars, un historique PA 22 "Tri-Pacer" est basé en Normandie ; il appartient à Iza Bazin et son époux. Construit en 1960, avec le numéro de série 22-7620, il est un des dix derniers quadriplaces construits en tube et toile par Piper avant le PA28 à aile basse et tout métal (la chaîne fut réactivée en 1963 pour la production d'une commande spéciale de l'ALAT de 12 appareils). Le G-ARGY est né PA22 "Tri-Pacer", donc à train tricycle, et a d'abord œuvré à l'aéro-club de Liverpool avant de devenir avion privé. En 1986, son propriétaire l'a converti avec un train classique (à roulette de queue). Alors immatriculé G-JEST, l'avion a remporté en 1989 le prestigieux Trophée Schneider, sa pilote et propriétaire d'alors, Safaya Hemming, était la première femme à avoir gagné cette course. Un passionné, gentleman farmer amoureux des "Pacer" de Piper, l'a ensuite entièrement restauré puis lui a donné la livrée crème et bordeaux qu'il porte toujours. Mais au retour d'un rallye en Irlande, où il avait reçu le prix de la plus belle restauration, son pilote fut victime d'une insuffisance cardiaque; il réussit néanmoins à se poser sans dommage dans un champ. Il décida de vendre G-ARGY, que racheta celui qui l'avait possédé 25 ans auparavant. Iza Bazin en est devenue l'heureuse propriétaire il y a quelques semaines.

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Militaria No.51


Dans la première partie de cette étude, nous avons tenté, à côté de l'aspect uniformologique qui en était le but principal, de retracer l'organisation et les combats des BTS en France et aux Dardanelles, en nous basant sur les travaux actuellement disponibles des spécialistes de la question, en particulier l'ouvrage de Marc Michel "L'appel à l'Afrique"(Publications de la Sorbonne, 1982). Or, nous avons reçu après la parution de cet article une correspondance fort documentée de la part des auteurs du futur ouvrage "Héros méconnus, mémorial des combattants d'Afrique Noire et de Madagascar, 1914-18 1939-45", le colonel Maurice Rives et le professeur Robert Dietrich. Sans entrer ici dans des détails fort complexes, ces auteurs vont révéler un grand nombre d'éléments jusqu'alors ignorés, sur la constitution, l'organisation et l'engagement des unités de tirailleurs sénégalais. Mentionnons en particulier l'engagement sur le front de France en 1915 d'un certain nombre de BTS. Nous attendons impatiemment la parution de cet ouvrage d'une portée historique considérable et nous recommandons par avance sa lecture à tous les passionnés du sujet.

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Ships, Aircraft And Weapons of the United States Navy


The TRIDENT system was established to develop and deploy an improved missil-carrying nuclear submarine with a new long-range missile, to offset increasing strides in Soviet naval anti-submarine warfare capability. The TRIDENT strategic weapons system consists of the TRIDENT missile and its shipboard launcher and fire control, navigation, and missile instrumentation test and readiness subsystems. The TRIDENT (C-4) missile is a three stage, solid propellant stellar inertial guided, submarine-launched, fleet ballistic missile. It has a range greater than the POSEIDON missile, thus providing a several-fold increase in the operational area of the United States submarine fleet. The TRIDENT is now deployed in the OHIO class TRIDENT submarines, as well as in 12 POSEIDON submarines which have been back-fitted with the missile.

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Special Operations Patrol Vehicles


Special Operations Forces (SOF) have a long history of the use of specialist or customized vehicles adapted to match the unique requirements of their unconventional missions. In the Western Desert during World War II, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) used often gaudily camouflaged, and heavily armed, Chevrolet 30cwt trucks alongside machine-gun equipped Willys Jeeps on special reconnaissance (SR) missions. The unit's colleagues in the fledgling Special Air Service (SAS) also pioneered the use of the "Gun Jeep." The SAS mounted daring airfield raids, destroying German aircraft on the ground, and became a major hindrance to Rommel's forces, whilst also proving that raids using specialist armed vehicles were a valid SOF tactic. The LRDG and SAS also developed the concept of what were later termed "mother-ships" - medium to heavy transport trucks driven far behind enemy lines to act as mobile resupply points, allowing the SOF to undertake longer patrols without recourse to traditional resupply channels.

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Super Carriers - US Naval Air Power Today


In 1945 the Soviet Navy was little more than a timid coastal defence force. During WW2 it had achieved precisely nothing on the high seas. The United States Navy emerged from global conflict as the world's largest naval power, with battle honours stretching back to the pivotal carrier-versus-carrier showdown off Midway Island in 1942. At the end of the war the US Navy was an unstoppable colossus, spearheaded by literally hundreds of carriers manned by battle-hardened crews and equipped with a galaxy of state-of-the-art naval airplanes. Forty years later the Soviet Navy is a roving world power with awesome offensive capabilities and, in terms of sheer numbers, is superior to every other navy in the world. But despite the numerical post-war decline of the US Navy and the introduction by the Soviets of 37,000-ton Kiev class air defence carriers (plus one larger nuclear-powered carrier in-build), America looks certain to maintain a clear lead in the building of large carriers, the design of specialized naval aircraft, and the operational procedures and doctrines associated with the use of organic naval air power. By the 1990s the US Navy will be capable of deploying 15 carrier battle groups, including six 93,405-ton Nimitz class nuclear-powered flat-tops.

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Monday, November 14, 2011

World War II Photography (Part 3)


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After the Battle 90 - The Battle for Leros


Situated in south-eastern Australia, Port Phillip Bay is one of the world's great harbours. A massive body of water, it encompasses an area of 1900 square kilometres of water within 225 kilometres of shoreline. The entrance into the bay is through a narrow stretch of treacherous water known as the 'Rip' , bounded by Points Lonsdale and Nepean: the Heads. This natural harbour provided the ideal location for the settlement which grew to become Melbourne. Towards the end of the 19th century, many colonists in the increasingly prosperous town became fearful of invasion as the European situation became more and more volatile. Both Russia and France were seen as potential enemies and the threat was perceived of a belligerent naval force sailing into Port Phillip Bay.

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Viper Force - 56th Fighter Wing to Fly and Fight the F-16


What does it take to make a Viper Driver? More importantly, what does it take to turn a pilot into a successful single-seat, single-engine fighter pilot? Major Brandon "Cracker" McBrayer, an IP at Luke, lists the qualifications: determination, aggressiveness, resilience, thick skin, physical strength/stamina, ability to multi-task, and learning to walk the fine line between confidence and arrogance. Flying a single-seat fighter demands this finely tuned balance of mental and physical characteristics in order to survive the stresses of training or combat missions. A single-seat fighter pilot can never become complacent, as complacency has killed too many good fighter pilots. "Brillo" Brill's six thousand hours of Viper experience reinforce this. "Part of why I continue to find this job so challenging is that you can't rest on your laurels for a minute. My most challenging flight is always the next flight. You've got to keep your head in the game."

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BBC History 2011-12


AT THREE O'CLOCK in the morning on a freezing winter's night Ron Last stepped out into the snow. The 22-year-old RAF bomb aimer had spent a year in German captivity, after his plane had been shot down in the skies over Berlin. Last had languished for ten of these months in the Silesian PoW camp Stalag Luft III but now, on 28 January 1945, he was on the move. And he was not the only one. As the Red Army's inexorable advance threatened the eastern provinces of the Third Reich, it seemed that liberation was imminent for the hundreds of thousands of Allied servicemen held prisoner there. The Nazis had other plans. Beginning in late December 1944, they began to evacuate their eastern camps and transport huge numbers of captives to the west. To what end they did this remains unclear. In their own defence some Germans claimed that the PoWs were being evacuated for their safety, shifting them far from the battle lines. Another theory is that the Nazis feared the prisoners would fight alongside the Soviets once they were freed. Or perhaps Hitler wanted to preserve the PoWs as bargaining chips in future negotiations with the Allies.

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F-105 Wild Weasel vs SA-2 Guideline SAM - Vietnam 1965-73


Pyotr Grushin, who headed the OKB-2 design bureau that conceived the V-750/ SA-2 in 1953, would have been surprised that "his" missile was used in Vietnam primarily against tactical fighters. Its original purpose was to intercept high-flying American bombers equipped with nuclear weapons, as Premier Joseph Stalin had considered them to be the biggest threat to the USSR. Only at the conclusion of the Vietnam War was it pitted against the B-52 Stratofortress, the opponent that had motivated Grushins team 20 years earlier. Similarly Alexander Kartveli, a Russian emigrant from Stalin's hometown, Tbilisi, and primary'' designer of the F-105 Thunderchief nuclear strike fighter in 1952, could hardly have guessed that his creation would evolve into the USAF s first dedicated aircraft for the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), particularly the SA-2, over North Vietnam.

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Le Fana De L'Aviation 2011-04


La Vie parisienne de Jacques Offenbach se termine sous des flots de champagne dans un délire musical dont les paroles sont, avec toute la concision habituelle de ses deux librettistes favoris : "Tout tou-ourne, tout tou-ourne." Cet air endiablé m'est revenu en mémoire lorsque j'ai constaté quel sommaire mes rédacteurs m'avaient réservé ce mois-ci. Voyez dans la citation de ces paroles de fêtards une allusion discrète à l'ivresse de l'aviation, et, bien évidemment^ un léger excès de voilures tournantes, très inhabituel dans mes pages. Vous pouvez y voir aussi un rapprochement avec le fruit de ce qui pourrait être considéré des délires d'ingénieurs que ma rédaction a fait venir de Russie et dégoté en France. Mais enfin, je ne suis pas certain qu'il s'agisse véritablement de délires. C'est vous qui verrez.

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Militaria No.64


Ainsi, l'augmentation des effectifs amène une extension proportionnelle du corps des officiers et une plus grande standardisation des tenues se fait jour. Certains effets d'uniforme tel le chapeau connaissent un abandon progressif, tandis que d'autres comme le bonnet de police ou le ceinturon-baudrier sont adoptés. De même, l'accroissement de la production d'équipements oblige le Quartermaster à passer des contrats avec de nouveaux fabricants civils, tout en supprimant certains accessoires comme le ceinturon de garnison M1910 et en simplifiant la confection d'autres, tels le porte-chargeurs ou le ceinturon M1912. L'instruction du corps expéditionnaire et sa préparation à la guerre de tranchées poussent le commandement à introduire des matériels nouveaux, déjà utilisés par les autres armées alliées: le casque d'acier, le masque à gaz, les bandes molletières, qui modifient profondément la silhouette de la troupe, comme celle de l'officier. Mais la mode militaire ne perd pas ses droits et l'officier américain affectera les mêmes fantaisies que ses homologues alliés, vétérans de trois années de conflit.

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War in Pacific Skies


The long and bitter war in the Pacific during World War II has often been recorded by historians, but never in so unique and thought-provoking a manner as provided by War in Pacific Shies. This book, with its magnificent paintings by the estimable Jack Fellows, offers an entirely new way to view the Pacific war, and will become, I'm certain, a model for books that follow. Curiously, it is the very fact that the Pacific war has been reported so often, particularly in television documentaries, that makes this new book so important. Over the years, the public has become accustomed to seeing the Pacific war delivered in documentary tidbits, which often use the same footage over and over. This is a shame, given the millions of feet of unexploited footage that lies in the various depositories, but the expedient—and inexpensive—way to make documentary films is to select readily available material.

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

World War II Phtogarphy (Part 2)


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Aerospace America Magazine November 2011


As Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center on July 21, STS-135, and the U.S. space shuttle program, came to an end. For months before that flight, and ever since, conversations and often heated debate about the end of the nation's human space transportation system, and what it means for our future in space, have held the attention of those commited to seeing the nation remain in space beyond the lifetime of the international space station. Word of the final go for developing the heavv-lift SLS, or space launch system, brought its own set of questions, as many argued that it was a 'rocket without a destination.' Continuation of work on the Orion multipurpose crew vehicle did little to assuage those angry over either the cancellation of the Constellation program or a 'premature' standdown of the shuttle.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 02, 2011


The 21 October announcement by President Barack Obama that the United States will withdraw all of its troops from Iraq by the end of the year has been interpreted by some analysts, opposition politicians and military strategists as a capitulation to what will ultimately be the interests of Iran. The US withdrawal deadline was originally established in 2008 by Obama's predecessor, George W Bush, but US officials have since failed to negotiate the retention of at least some US trainers in Iraq to continue building Iraqi military capability. Tariq Alhomayed, of the Saudi-funded but UK-based Asharq al-Awsat daily, said: "Why is the United States of America handing over Iraq [to Iran] after this priceless outlay in money and blood? The Iraqi government is sectarian and has thrown itself into the arms of Iran."

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Le Fana De L'Aviation 2010-09


Depuis le début du mois de juillet, le Planes of Fame Museum de Chino, en Californie, expose le Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1/7 Werk Nummer 3523. Le chasseur, exposé dans son jus, appartient à la famille Friedkin qui a annoncé vouloir le restaurer en état de vol ; les travaux devraient débuter en 2011 ou 2012, et seront réalisés par Fighter Rebuilders à Chino. Un moteur DB601 a d'ores et déjà été acquis auprès du collectionneur texan Connie Edwards. Le chasseur a été construit en septembre 1939 par Arado GmbH, à Warnemunde, comme variante E1, mais a été modernisé en E-7 en 1942. Il volait au sein de la 5./JG 5 lorsqu'il fut abattu dans le Nord de la Russie par un "Hurricane", le 4 avril 1942, lors d'une mission d'escorte. Il était alors piloté par le très titré Wulf-Dietrich Widowitz qui le posa train rentré sur un lac gelé. Son épave a été achetée et récupérée au fond du lac en août 2003 par le Britannique Jim Pearce. Seulement deux autres 109E authentiques sont en état de vol dans le monde.

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Sikorsky S-16


The atmosphere conditions were turbulent above the region of Galicia on the afternoon of 27 April 1916. Most aircraft were swinging violently in the air. However, that did not prevent the pilots of an Austrian reconnaissance plane from conducting observations of the positions of the Russian Seventh Army in the region of the Galician village of Burkanov. Brusilov's army was preparing for its famous summer assault. Troops were being pulled into the territory, supplies were being delivered, and new fortifications were being erected. The Austrian aircraft above the Russian positions was not good news for the Russians. The Austrian crew seemed to have nothing to fear. They knew that the Russian air service had almost no fighter planes, and initially they did not pay any attention to the small Russian plane that appeared. Having approached the Austrian aircraft, the Russian pilot immediately attacked it. The gun fire of the small biplane's synchronized machine gun began to hit the Austrian airplane. Multiple attacks were made. The enemy was trying to protect himself from the machine-gun fire, but soon began to retreat into his own territory.

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Supermarine Seafire


The issue ot air power at sea has always been a controversial one. Land-based air forces have always considered themselves more than capable of defending the fleet, yet sea-based air power has often proved better placed to do so. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that the emergence of the Fleet Air Arm as a viable fighting force was not a straight-forward process. The merger of the Royal Naval Air Service with the Royal Flying Corps, which produced the Royal Air Force in 1918, meant that the newly-created air arm possessed aircraft designed to support naval operations together with the necessary expertise. While the Admiralty was allowed to build aircraft carriers, the control of the aircraft that operated from them remained with the Air Ministry. The navy did the best it could, but a basic lack of understanding of naval air needs meant that the aircraft provided were less than ideal. Eventually, however, the Admiralty gained control over its air assets and set about bringing them up to an improved standard.

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