The Line Formation

Poltava (Sabaton)

The Martini-Henry

 

Then and Now

Sometimes when I think about how the world was when I was a young man and how it is now, I can’t parse the two.  It’s almost as if they are two different planets. That’s a common refrain that you hear from old people, but it couldn’t be more true.

Parse in this context: to examine in a minute way or analyze critically.

 

 

Sig MCX Canebreak Rattler

 

Bullet Points:

** Chinese Military Tech Support – h/t Claudio

** Phili Enquirer – American elites conflate The Swamp with the Republic. Part of it comes from their disdain for the American people. It’s a good article, worth the time to read it.

Many officials in the Obama administration — including in the FBI — believed that if Donald Trump were allowed to become president, the republic as we know it would fall. The FBI’s own actions in the 2016 election did, in its way, lasting harm to the institutions of the republic.

 

Identify the Aircraft

 

Identify the–uh–military vehicle

 

Identify the Tank(s)

1

2

 

Zimmerit

During the later years of WWII, German tanks were delivered to the field with a strange rough texture on top of their armor. This material is called Zimmerit and was meant to defend against mines. Despite its lengthy and labor-intensive application process, it proved to be almost entirely pointless. It is now regarded as another example of Germany’s odd priorities during the war.

 

No ID Required

M2A2 Light Tank and T3E4 Carrier abandoned in Antarctica. They were taken along in Byrd’s Third Antarctic Expedition between 1939-1941. It was jointly sponsored by the US Navy, the US State Department, the Department of the Interior, and the US Treasury. The vehicles were abandoned as they were deemed too heavy for the terrain.

 

A cannon suppressor (sometimes called a silencer) on an M109G.

 

The Vampire only hunts at night…

37 COMMENTS

  1. Identify the Aircraft:
    North American B-45 Tornado

    Identify the–uh–military vehicle:
    Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep

    Identify the Tank(s):
    1. FV4201 Chieftain
    2. FCM 36

  2. The Assegai was an effective weapon that allowed Shaka to defeat most of his tribal enemies. Close combat being something everyone wanted to avoid.

  3. Some years back I was taking part in a shoot. One of the participants, a Canadian, had a long lever Martini-Henry and asked if I wanted to try it. My response was something to the effect of “please twist my arm” and so he permitted me to fire two rounds. I found it to be stout but not unpleasant.

  4. IDA: North American B-45 Tornado
    Identify the–uh–military vehicle: Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep
    Aircraft model
    IDT(S): 1. FV4201 (Chieftain)
    2. FMC 36 (Char Leger d’accompagnement)

  5. China’s military – can political kleptocrats stand the idea of a highly motivated military lead by officers who are opposed to corruption and graft?
    Speaking of kleptocrats, what are our geniuses up to at Sea Island?

    • “If you are not corrupt, you can’t be trusted.” It’s a concept that is also alive and well inside of the DC Beltway.

  6. The SIG Maxim Defense PDX looks similar to the Kel-Tec CQB. The PDX definitely packs more of a bang for your buck. However the CQB folds in half making it great for those days where you might find yourself in the Hindu Cush Mountains and have to do some light climbing. 😉 …Or your girlfriend wants to stow it away in her Coach purse w/three (30) round mags for a garden party. lol
    https://www.keltecweapons.com/firearm/rifles/sub2000-cqb/

  7. “Many officials in the Obama administration — including in the FBI — believed that if Donald Trump were allowed to become president, the republic as we know it would fall…”

    They also said he’d get us into wars and destroy the economy.

    Yet it’s The Dem’s and their cadre of Anarchists fully ensconced in the rotted Wreck America Camp, doing exactly what they projected onto PDJT. The shrews are repeating their lies now. Thing is, too many who don’t get it…never have, never will (Vonnegut’s comment) believe them. No thought otherwise despite the pain and suffering.

    The Enquirer was always a decent paper. Philly now…geez….going into the city is a life-threatening risk. Longstanding businesses shuttered and big time restaurateurs looking elsewhere to move shop, when four years back it was thriving with a new younger crowd.

    Have to have a chat with the new weekender owner today, don’t seem to ‘get it’ and are asking for my help despite being adults. The Christian in me says ‘help them’, the brain says “leave them be”. I’ll help…but it’s getting tougher to discern. Never a dull moment.

  8. Sabaton in the morning. As good as a cup of coffee to get you going for the day. Since I listened while drinking coffee I am set.

    M109 suppressor. I wonder it that gets (got) as hot as my cans during use. If so, you could heat the entire camp, in winter.

    • HAH! I remember the derision placed on “Rivet Counters” when I was building model aircraft for shows/displays.

      Never did much armor, but the personality types are the same….

  9. I wonder if the airgeep went backwards when the weapon was fired? Or perhaps did a loop?
    Lots of interesting stuff as always, LL.
    You all be safe and God bless.

  10. I couldn’t find “parce” so I looked up “parse” in Wiktionary. I found this and am more confused than ever:
    Generally speaking, parse is an ergative verb i.e. ambitransitive with the subject of the intransitive form corresponding to the direct object of the transitive form. If a person or program can parse X into Y, then we say that X parses as Y. Note that the last sense is not quite the same as the penultimate; a string only parses if it can be parsed successfully.
    I’d appreciate any clarification you could provide.
    BTW: I agree with you re “old people”.
    BTW: my Dad @ 22 in ’29 came over here from Piešťany speaking all of the northern European languages; he picked up all the southern European ones over the next 25 or so years – all spoken (and read) fluently – with a strong, not heavy Hungarian accent; I wish his gift were inheritable.

    • Parse: to examine in a minute way : analyze critically. (Parce was a typo)

      My meaning was that things have changes so broadly that I have difficulty conflating (merging of two or more sets of information, texts, ideas or opinions into one) then and now. It simply doesn’t work. We have apples and oranges.

      • I just couldn’t resist posting the highly elucidating Wiktionary quote: sorry!
        Totally off topic: some day soon I’d like to read your comments about the squeeze our government is putting on a lot of people and particularly the (more or less disabled) elderly on a fixed income who’ve invested their hard-earned lucre in a variety of vehicles, the greatest majority of which are currently crashing: the inflation creating a situation of the need to sell (at a loss these days) an increased number of assets just to pay the rent and keep food on the table and the double whammy of paying increased taxes on the increased withdrawals; I’m not crying, but many over 65 are and one hates to put the arm on the children.
        Keep working for as long as: the $100 you put aside today might purchase as much as a dollar’s worth of goods tomorrow.

        • I responded in e-mail.

          The attitudes of the elites are reflected in Jonathan Gruber, the architect of Obamacare who is on youtube. Useless eaters need to be euthanized for the greater good according to him. Zach Emanuel (brother of Rahm) espoused death panels to decide whether you had value in living or whether you were marked for extermination. The Canadians have put this state-managed suicide into play.

  11. The Airgeep weapon pictured is a 105 recoilless rifle. Apparently they ‘tried’ a Ma Deuce and went backward… LOL. Re the M109 suppressor, I’m betting 10 rounds and a rebuild. And it only knocks the sound down 20dB.

  12. Alright Pyle, we need an entry for the all-services Maker Faire. What can you make with a railroad tank car, 500 pounds of welding rod, and this pile of ripped-out chainlink fence?

    Well gooooollylyyyyye!

  13. Regarding the carrier, according to the Armor Encyclopedia, if it is a carrier based on the T3 light ‘tank’, then it’s a T6 and they only existed in an experimental state, basically being a T3 with the armor top cut off and the body turned into basically a ‘Bren’ gun carrier vehicle using the standard US light armored suspension.

    Weird that they sent them down there without grousers on the treads. The standard narrow track was known before the Antarctic expedition to have too high ground pressure for operations on snow and ice.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here