Sovblocgunfan
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Or maybe grandma objected to Grandma!
Was this a thing?
- Thread starter Col. Harrumph
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Or maybe grandma objected to Grandma!
Tallball
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My grandpa was a forward artillery observer. He landed in France (the southern landing, IIRC), fought at the Bulge, went through Germany, was there for the liberation of a concentration camp, etc. He had an anxious personality, and his dangerous job, plus all of the friends he lost and things he saw, really freaked him out. He was unable to work or get out of the house much for about a year after he got home. He didn't talk about any of it for many years afterwards. For whatever reason, I was one of the first people he finally started to speak about it with (oldest grandson). Eventually he was able to talk about it more easily, and even gave some speeches at my younger cousin's high school. A big day for him was when another old man was in the audience who had been a prisoner in the concentration camp that Grandpa's unit liberated. They both cried when they spoke to each other afterwards.
He REALLY didn't like the German 88's. As soon as they figured out that they were under observed fire, the Germans would start shooting their artillery at all of the likely observation spots. From what he told me, not many of his colleagues made it back home.
Grandpa did have a pistol, an old Colt in 38acp. I figured that being the oldest grandson, and the only family member interested in firearms, I would inherit it one day. Nope. Grandma gave it away in one of those gun turn-in drives.
He REALLY didn't like the German 88's. As soon as they figured out that they were under observed fire, the Germans would start shooting their artillery at all of the likely observation spots. From what he told me, not many of his colleagues made it back home.
Grandpa did have a pistol, an old Colt in 38acp. I figured that being the oldest grandson, and the only family member interested in firearms, I would inherit it one day. Nope. Grandma gave it away in one of those gun turn-in drives.
Zaydok Allen
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Man, sitting duck is all that comes to mind.
Pretty grateful I never had to do anything like that.
GunnyUSMC
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Here’s one I was able too hold and have a close look at. The firing pin was broken so I was unable to fire it.
BSA1
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Korea war story.
My Father-in-Law was a Flight Engineer and flew missions on B-29's during the Korean War. Years ago I was helping them move stuff after they sold their house and ran across a old Army footlocker. In it was a complete wool Air Force uniform with the Ike style jacket in a size small. it looked like it would only fit someone 5' 0" tall and weighed 100 pounds.
As my F-I-L was about 6' tall and was much heavier than 100 pounds I asked him where there uniform came from. He said he was just a small, skinny kid when he enlisted in the Air Force and because he was so small the A.F. trained him to be a Flight Engineer because he could crawl into tight spaces in the plane.
He flew a lot of bombing missions out of Japan over North Korea and made a emergency landing in South Korea after having a engine shot out.
He said at this stage of the war mistreatment of American POW's was well known and the flight crew took a vow not to be taken alive if they were shot down over North Korea. He said he carried a 1911, a 38 caliber revolver and a Grease Gun along with extra stick magazines stuck in the top of his flying boots. I was surprised about why he carried so many guns he said he was scrappy when he was young.
He said the thing that scared him the most was MiG fighters. They would fly just outside of machine range on their way to the target but never attacked them. He said MiGs were so fast they could not track them with their machine guns.
He is 88 years old now and his mind is starting to wander. He is going to visit The Wall memorial in Washington, D.C. in April on a Honor Flight trip. First time he has been on airplane since getting out of the Air Force after the war.. It could be very emotional as he had nightmares for many years about the time when the engine on his plane got shot out and they barely made it back to South Korea.
My Father-in-Law was a Flight Engineer and flew missions on B-29's during the Korean War. Years ago I was helping them move stuff after they sold their house and ran across a old Army footlocker. In it was a complete wool Air Force uniform with the Ike style jacket in a size small. it looked like it would only fit someone 5' 0" tall and weighed 100 pounds.
As my F-I-L was about 6' tall and was much heavier than 100 pounds I asked him where there uniform came from. He said he was just a small, skinny kid when he enlisted in the Air Force and because he was so small the A.F. trained him to be a Flight Engineer because he could crawl into tight spaces in the plane.
He flew a lot of bombing missions out of Japan over North Korea and made a emergency landing in South Korea after having a engine shot out.
He said at this stage of the war mistreatment of American POW's was well known and the flight crew took a vow not to be taken alive if they were shot down over North Korea. He said he carried a 1911, a 38 caliber revolver and a Grease Gun along with extra stick magazines stuck in the top of his flying boots. I was surprised about why he carried so many guns he said he was scrappy when he was young.
He said the thing that scared him the most was MiG fighters. They would fly just outside of machine range on their way to the target but never attacked them. He said MiGs were so fast they could not track them with their machine guns.
He is 88 years old now and his mind is starting to wander. He is going to visit The Wall memorial in Washington, D.C. in April on a Honor Flight trip. First time he has been on airplane since getting out of the Air Force after the war.. It could be very emotional as he had nightmares for many years about the time when the engine on his plane got shot out and they barely made it back to South Korea.
Jim Watson
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According to veterans' memoirs, you would think the "88" was the only German artillery piece.
I thought it was mainly anti aircraft, later anti tank and tank armament.
They had 75s, 105s, and 150s just like we did.
NIGHTLORD40K
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Just like all German tanks became Tigers and all Japanese planes were Zeros through the fog of war.
My Turkish buddy, who has traveled extensively, says that the term "Mauser" is commonly used in many parts of the world to refer to any bolt action rifle, regardless of the actual manufacturer.
Tallball
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Maybe because the 88's were flat-shooting and more likely to be line-of-sight?
It must have been scarier when you were pretty sure the enemy gunners could see you, instead of using indirect fire.
He was in a Piper Cub type of spotter plane sometimes, too, so he extra opportunities to enjoy the 88's.
It must have been scarier when you were pretty sure the enemy gunners could see you, instead of using indirect fire.
He was in a Piper Cub type of spotter plane sometimes, too, so he extra opportunities to enjoy the 88's.
Gordon
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first gun to use proximity fuse I believe
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