Mills Bombs

[stubbicatt]

BigG, I am LMAO at that one. I hope there are a fair number of people who catch your meaning. Remember this one, "Why did Lucas Electrical not build TV's? They could not figure how to make one leak oil"

Nah man, it was a lack of positive ground and a zener diode or a sprague clutch! LOL.

 

[throdgrain]

Ah politics. The history books leave out more history than they tell.
In WW2 America was out placing embargos and patroling the seas in the Pacific making things difficult for Japan long before they attacked Pearl Harbor. In fact if any nation did to us what we were doing to them we would consider it an act of war.
They knew we were getting ready to go on the offensive, they had minimal resources and raw materials and were trying to expand into the mainland so they could actualy be a world contender (which obviously an Island the size of Japan could never be without expanding). They could see that while they were ahead, America had a much more vast number of resources, and would quickly catch up and exceed thier military capability in the coming years. So it was now or never.
They launched a strategic attack on a nation that had made it quite appearant it was an enemy of thier empire, and would go on the offensive once militarily ready. In thier shoes anyone that did not make the choice to attack then would have been a foolish military tactician. They managed to destroy a good chunk of our naval power with very few losses in a single blow. Had they waited until we were good and ready first we would have crushed them far more easily.

Our country was simply trying to remain openly passive until it could build a massive force without having bombs falling in the meantime. Keep in mind every nation that was actualy on the front lines was being bombed and had production severely hampered. If our factories were under constant attack we would not have faired as well either. We were simply fortunate that at that point in time we were an isolated untouched factory of a nation seperated by the rest of the world by large oceans.
So the front lines were kept elsewhere, the American public was made to think it was keeping out of the war and the world's problems while the leaders planned otherwise. Pearl Harbor was a rallying point, but had it not happened something else would have been used shortly thereafter.
America was involved in WW2 actively long before it officialy jumped in as documented for school children. It was both a friend and an enemy of those involved prior to then and the major players knew it and planned accordingly.

Everyone sacrificed a lot. America poured in lots of troops who lost thier lives, and was the unmolested factory for all the Allies involved in the war, producing goods that kept everyone else afloat. However America also didn't have soldiers on its streets, battles destroying cities, bombings of factories, bridges, power plants and supply lines etc. Much of Europe did, although the UK managed to keep thier fight in the skies and off thier soil.
America was also able to wait until the 8th round of a 12 round fight, when the other sides were bloodied and had beaten eachother into a stupor before pouring in to help save the day, in both world wars. So combined with no fighting on home soil, and attacking economies already struggling in the midst of war, they are successes to be proud of, but certainly not almighty enough to be rude to others who had not just thier soldiers on the front lines, but thier homes and families as well.
America has never had a modern war brought to it. We have never had bombs rain down on us, cities burning, and women and children killed by the millions along with our men. Not since the civil war have we had widespread horrors of war here.
The closest we have had is a mere couple buildings destroyed on 9/11, and that brought our economy to its knees for weeks. So lets not get too smug.

Call Brits a bunch of pansies for things they do now, like letting themselves be disarmed, not for combined valiant efforts we both took part in in our past.

/

A mighty post , largely ignored in a light hearted thread. Well said Zoogster.



Hope that picture helps describe the scene.

However one thing Ive noticed in this thread is a lack of the arrogance our media like to portray the Americans as having. A lot of respect, and hardly any silly comments about 1776.

My faith in you guys is much restored!

 

[Slugless]

Throd,

You're quoting Zoogster? Nice post, Zoog. Yeah, watch a history channel show and it sounds like we were picnicking under a blue sky when the totally unprovoked Japanese pounced on us. To them, cutting off their oil and steel was an act of war. Immediately before Pearl Harbor, Admiral Halsey was cruising a couple days out from Hawaii with the Enterprise and gave orders to his ships to attack "foreign" ships in the waters near Hawaii.

"Admiral, do you realize that [your order] means war?" his XO asked. "Yes", said Halsey, "...if anything gets in my way we'll shoot first and argue afterwards."

We knew we were going to tangle with Japan but didn't expect the "Spanish Inquisition", I mean the specific air attack on Pearl.

I don't believe the Brits are a bunch of pansies. They just don't have their backs against the wall. They are mean fighters when they do. Just look at their attack on the French navy at Oran. Or the sinking of the Belgrano.

A bar conversation after a minor insult to a Barmy Army man: (Our East Londoner friend explaining the facts of life to a Yank colleague):

"Randy, do you know why the English conquered the globe? When one Englishman is attacked the rest of us pile in."

There were about 20 drunken Englishmen in the bar! I was wondering if my friend was going to take sides against us in a bar brawl...

=======
How about the DeHavilland "Mosquito", a figher-bomber?
.

 

[throdgrain]

Damn straight Slugless

 

[LaEscopeta]

I read the "The Saga of the M16 in Vietnam".
Dick Culver name the M16 as "mouse gun".

Did the solider/marines issued the original ones also call the “Mattel 16s”? Because of the plastic stock & hand guard?

In his novels, Alistair MacLean called sawed-off shotguns "whippets."

One of the History Channel shows (Called ”Gangster Guns” I think) said Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Cyde) had a sawed off double barreled shotgun with a strap at the but end of the shorten stock. He would put his arm through the hole the strap formed with the stock, so the gun would hang from his shoulder under his arm. Put on a trench coat and you can walk down the street with a concealed long gun. Walk up to a bank teller, reach under the coat and swing the barrel up level to the teller’s face, and it is pay day. The show claimed Barrow called this his “whipit” gun, because he could whip it out in a second. Apparently this idea was better in theory than practice, and he only used it on a couple of bank hold-ups.

 

[ktc]

Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun, dubbed the "Woodpecker"

The name is like the gun.

 

[woodybrighton]

two ways to freak out the amrican military
one ask them for a spare fag i.e a cigarette

or more worrying on a nato exercise trying to dig in with those stupid folding shovels.
US officers umpire humvee with proper shovels and things strapped to it
" excuse me sir can we borrow a couple of spades to help us dig in"
One huge explosion of anger later I only meant the spades attached to your wagon

 

[AndyC]

I had to look up the reference as I had no idea before your post that "spade" is a derogatory term, Woody

It's rough being a Brit here in the US

 

[Slugless]

Woody, that's funny. Made me LOL.

The most freaked out Englishman I've seen was a public school boy at my work. Our secretary opened the door, interrupting a meeting, and snapped out:

"Nigel, get your fanny downstairs!"

I've never seen a guy turn red so fast.

Andy, since you're in Dallas you've probably in our dialect heard the term "boy" for a grown man. It is decidedly not a term to use for a grown black man. I've had to coach an dude from India on that one.

 

[toratoratora1941]

WW II Hong Kong

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=309681&page=2

Where was that photo taken? ???
I confirmed the photo posted by Mk VII is from post WWII HONG KONG. 1943??
Hong Kong's East Rail Line, Fanling Station (Chinese: 粉嶺站)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanling
Fanling, also known as Fan Ling and Fan Leng, is an area in the North District, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanling_(KCR)
Fanling Station (Chinese: 粉嶺站, Jyutping: fan2 ling5, colloq. fan2 leng5, Pinyin: Fěnlǐng) is a station on Hong Kong's East Rail Line. It is next to Fanling Town Centre, and is only a short walk away from Fung Ying Seen Koon, a well-known Taoist temple. The Fanling Highway was built from 1983 to 1987 directly adjacent to the station. Fanling station is located within the Fanling area in North District, New Territories, Hong Kong.


http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6058588
Fanling railway station in the 1960s

http://www.jamd.com/image/g/3377062
Photo circa 1960: A diesel-powered train passing through Fanling Station in the New Territories, Hong Kong, on its way to the border with China. (Photo by Richard Harrington/Three Lions/Getty Images)

 

[foghornl]

Having had some friends with both British cars & motorcycles, I can see why it is said:

"The Brits brink warm beer because they have Lucas Beer Chillers."

Now, the Brits DID have some very fine weapons...The series of SMLE rifles/carbines. Maxim/Vickers machine guns, Bren LMG..

 

[Mk VII]

"The Brits brink warm beer because they have Lucas Beer Chillers."

That's because it's proper beer, not that freezing cold weasel's piss you lot drink.

 

[Acera]

Q: Why did Lucas Electronics never make televisions?
A: Because they could never figure out how to make it leak oil.

 

[Birddog1911]

Quote: or more worrying on a nato exercise trying to dig in with those stupid folding shovels.
US officers umpire humvee with proper shovels and things strapped to it
" excuse me sir can we borrow a couple of spades to help us dig in"
One huge explosion of anger later I only meant the spades attached to your wagon

I almost died laughing at that one!

I would take issue with the L85; A number of the British troops I worked with despised their L85 rifle.

Slightly off topic: I would take issue with what Zoogster said about us joining in in the 8th round of a 12 round fight. Seems to me we were in the fight in Europe rather early, not to mention my Grandfather who was a China Marine and went into Nanking after the massacre, in 1938. The 3rd round perhaps, but not the 8th.

Back on topic: Do the British troops not call the US designated M240 machine gun the "Minimi"? I always found that interesting.

I may be of Irish descent; but thank God for the English; I married one!

 

[SDC]

"Back on topic: Do the British troops not call the US designated M240 machine gun the "Minimi"? I always found that interesting."

Close; they call the M249 the "Minimi", because that's what FN called it, and that's who developed it and sold it. They call their version of the M240 the "Jimpy" (a way of saying GPMG), while FN calls it the MAG-58 (Mitrailleuse Arme a Guerre 1958).

 

[akodo]

America was also able to wait until the 8th round of a 12 round fight, when the other sides were bloodied and had beaten eachother into a stupor before pouring in to help save the day, in both world wars

That is not accuate. The USA showed up in round 10 of a 12 round fight in WW1

The USA showed up in round 4 or 5 of a 12 round fight, there were just a lot of pre-match punches thrown. Also, without BOTH the US and Russia entering, it would have been a 48 round fight.

 

[antediluvianist]

The best army : British troops using American equipment led by German generals .

 

[bonza]

Another OLD thread given new life. Good reading though!

Just a couple more observations.
1. Another funny British name for their weapon was 'Long Tom', given to the first Lee Enfields (pre-SMLE).
2. Even Winston Churchill was only half English, his mother was American.

PS. I noticed a couple of comments about US & UK beer. Reminded me of a joke:
Q. "Why is American beer like making love in a canoe?"
A. "Because it's f*#@*%g close to water!

 

[Mk VII]

1. Another funny British name for their weapon was 'Long Tom', given to the first Lee Enfields (pre-SMLE)

Not a British name. You don't hear it here.

 

[bonza]

Not a British name. You don't hear it here.

Interesting, I grew up in Australia & it was relatively common term there, at least among collectors. I had assumed it would have originated in Britain.

 

[ktc]

To:toratoratora1941
Sorry the time must not be 1943.
Those are Japs and at that time HK is under Jap occupation.
Check the http://www.airmuseum.ca/rcn/
HMCS PRINCE ROBERT was in HK 1945 and with photos of Japs then.

 

[Gungnir]

Totally off topic but an interesting experience I had

PS. I noticed a couple of comments about US & UK beer. Reminded me of a joke:
Q. "Why is American beer like making love in a canoe?"
A. "Because it's f*#@*%g close to water!

Reminds me of my first experience of drinking in the US, after spending much of my drinking career in the UK. I'm 8 pints into a good night of beer, when all the Americans I'm with are looking at me, since I'm generally getting another round every 15 minutes. I stop for a moment and do a quick count (since I'm concerned I might have had significantly more than I remembered). Nope it's 8 pints, then it dawns on me, I'm pretty sober, I've got a bit of a beer buzz, but I'm not drunk at all. So after asking what's up and getting no responses, I keep going after getting weird looks at the quantities I'm drinking and leave.

Following day I'm asked whether I'm an alcoholic to which I respond no... Why? Well apparently sinking a 4 pints an hour is a bit unusual, and not getting falling down drunk is a bit unusual too.

Well I did the math shortly after and found two interesting facts

Fact 1 US pints are 16oz , British pints are 20oz So there's 20% less beer

Fact 2 The Beer I was drinking was only 3% ABV, I was used to beer that was 5.5% to 6% ABV double the alcohol.

So a 10 pint night in the UK (which was an occasional experience) would have been the equivalent of 24 American.

So the beer may be warmer in the UK, but it's a great deal stronger.

 

[Brian Dale]

That's because it's proper beer, not that freezing cold weasel's piss you lot drink.

That's kind of mean, and there's no need for exaggeration. ....{ETA: J/K!}

We get it from horses, because weasels are too hard to catch.