Peace Dividend?

Blog Post
Larry-Lambert

Rest In Pieces

 

Peace was Their Profession

A rare view of the retracting 20mm cannon turrets on the B-36 Peacemaker. There were six retracting turrets in 3 groups, two each in a nose mount and a tail position. The ability (or lack of) the B-36 to defend itself against fighters was the topic of hot and unresolved debate. It was learned that during practice gunnery tests, the concussion of the firing tended to break stuff (navigation equipment, hydraulic controls). It’s not a good thing for such a complex aircraft as the Peacemaker. Eventually, most of the guns were removed in favor of higher and higher cruising altitudes, where it was hoped the early soviet jet fighters could not reach the mighty beast laden with nuclear bombs.

 

Zwarte Piet

Zwarte Piet also known in English by the translated name Black Pete, is the companion of Saint Nicholas in the folklore of the Low Countries. Traditionally Black Pete carries a club and beats naughty children for Saint Nicholas. We need to begin the tradition in the United States. It would add a missing dimension to our holiday festivities.

Having Black Pete kick ass in the mean streets of America’s inner cities would impart some gratification in a racially balanced way.

It’s common to see representations of Black Pete in Christmas parades and holiday events in Europe, and those are the roots of the holiday. No celebration can truly be complete without a white person in blackface ushering in this most sacred of days.

By punishing naughty children, Black Pete ushers in a peaceful holiday season, which in essence, is what this blog post is about. Check your racism at the door. If you don’t like Black Pete, you’re a RACIST.

 

Bullet Points:

** The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

** How many of you have done this?

** Keep the romance going in your life.

** I received an e-mail from a blogger asking what list he was on. I thought that simply posting an appropriate meme would answer that question, which goes double for LSP.

 

U-185’s Conning Tower with FuMO radar

A lot of depictions of U-boats in films are inaccurate, and this is one reason.

Funkmess-Ortung (Radio-direction finder, active ranging) evolved over time but didn’t always involve a rotating dish antenna. FuMO changed, as did many weapons and sensor systems, but Hollywood saw it differently.

 

Cartoons of the Day

 

Identify the Aircraft

1

2

Hint: Not a Dauntless

3

 

Identify the Armor

4

Saw service in Viet Nam

5

6

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56 thoughts on “Peace Dividend?”

  1. Identify the Aircraft:
    1. Arado Ar 232
    2. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
    3. Heinkel He 177 Greif

    Identify the Armor:
    4. M42 Duster
    5. Pansarbandvagn 302
    6. Sentinel

  3. I don’t often see wind farms but I drove by one in Pennsylvania a few days ago.
    One was spinning, a few were pointed the wrong way and all but the one were still.
    Not much of an ROI.

    1. That’s pretty much what I see when I pass them. I say, “my tax dollars at work.” The government doesn’t concern itself with ROI.

      1. The Wind Farm Money Laundering Scheme foisted on taxpayers as yet another Save The Planet At All Costs! charade that trashes the environment in the process (okay when “they” do it).

        Follow the money…starts local then expands out from there, like rogue school boards because parents are simply trying to stay afloat, constantly playing catch-up ball.

          1. See that often. Always have to have a coal-fired generator on standby when the wind or sun aren’t cooperating. Useless tech for industrial power generation, augment at best. But at what cost to taxpayers and the environment?

          3. Actually, in Ontario, Canada, the Lieberal government at the time offered a sweet deal to wind subsidy harvest farms of still paying them if there was no demand but the wind was blowing. Another feature was to throttle downs the nukes if the wind was blowing and there was demand. CANDU nukes have the ability to throttle down if required unlike BW nukes.

  4. Giving my age away in an early C-130 that was the bathroom on a cargo flight. Harness, shuffle to the door edge and lots of ribbing from the crew if you were too nervous to actually do anything.

    1. Back in cave men times… Did your C-130 ever hit any of those pterodactyls? That was always a concern.

          1. Heads or tails – more or less the same to me. When in doubt, whip it out.

            It’s more of a challenge for ladies, so they now use the Go Girl. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=you+go+girl+pee+funnel&hvadid=652822214536&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9030301&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9706338163441314821&hvtargid=kwd-1659677907550&hydadcr=7666_13469247&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_hfri4kmb3_e

            It’s the perfect gift for that female service member who wants to stand at the gate next to the guys and water the lawn.

    3. I was lucky in my C-130 days. I was on a Special Mission (EC-130E) with a full capsule in the cargo bay, and enclosed chemical toilet. First one dropping solid waste had to pull the canister for emptying.
      Done This? Absolutely, but in a C-5 Galaxy! I never jumped from a perfectly-good airplane (then again, how many C-5’s were “Perfectly Good”). But I did assist others jumping. Daytime, nighttime, HALO/HAHO, water, etc. Lots of big cargo got dropped too. Maybe even boats…

  5. I remember when I used to shoot at M-42s all the time, they used to be targets at some anti-tank ranges.

  6. LL, I would if I had a chance. (Well, when I was younger anyway, was more fearless then, risk management was less than I employ now, fall off enough things and you start to rethink you abilities going forward.)

    Per our back-channel comm’s, MrsPaulM sorta did that back in ’79 when in Okinawa for USO. As a “not built for heat” Dane she said it was beastly hot in the CH-53 Super Sea Stallion (thanks for the ID as I had no clue), then said “we had to put on the flight suit”…”they opened the back for “ventilation” while flying around so was happy to be strapped in”.

    Like I said, married up. But here’s the rub, most people have no clue what military enlisted deal with when in the field. I suspect most would recoil.

    2. At first glance I had this imagine of MrsPaulM with a union flight suit that was opened up for ventilation… What Well Seasoned Fool postulated, modesty and dignity is out the window in the field, especially combat.

      1. WARNING – Tomorrow’s blog post, titled, “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, might ask you to identify the blonde bombshell standing with the USO tour next to the helicopter.

      2. LL has the picture, up to him iffn’ he wishes to post it…family friendly as she was a good girl, but yeah, got off the transport at Midway and the soldier opened her suitcase and her “intimate gear” blew all over the tarmac. Heh.

        She just handed me the rest to scan in (that terrific 110 camera quality)…a couple of the troupe performing at Redhook (“received” souvenir tossed GI underwear on that one apparently), and a couple from Midway and Hawaii. Way before my tenure but cool nonetheless.

        Funny thing is she acts like it was no big deal (well, except for the hot rain in Okinawa, hated that)…to which I remind her it was a huge deal for the troops.

    3. I had a young lady on one of my teams. We were driving in the van when she announced she had to pee. I pulled over and she got out of the truck and took care of business. We were gentlemen.

    4. “not built for heat”

      I was on a commercial flight this evening and had an uncharitable thought. Context: one of the FAs was an African man from some francophone country (definitely NOT an American negro). This FA was loud, outwardly confident, and sort of ordered the other FAs around. (I don’t know if he was the lead.)

      Anyway, he’s manning the beverage cart with a white woman FA to whom he was constantly (like twice each row) saying “get me an orange juice” or whatever. Asks what I want. “Diet Coke, with ice, please.” “Do you want the can or just the glass?” “Glass only is fine.” So he orders the other FA around for two more drinks, and a bunch of snacks, then pours me 2/3 a cup of regular Coke. Then he waved the cup at my row and says, “who want de Coke?” I’m not impressed. As we’re landing he makes the PA announcement of “… it is 49 degrees here in Boston — too cold — and your baggages will be at carousel 6.”

      When I heard the “too cold” part I couldn’t help myself and said out loud, “if 49 Fahrenheit is too cold for you then you have no business living here. Jackass.”

      So there’s your Daily Hatred. Mea culpa. (Not really.)

  7. Really appreciate the “Romance” Pro-Tip for supporting fodder I can use with MrsPaulM. Costco would be considered a comprehensive” date, whereas Home Depot is a partial. Good to know.

  8. My husband took me on the most expensive date last weekend we’ve had in years: we confirmed which flooring we’re getting to replace the flooded kitchen, paid the deposit for the contractor to acquire it, and then had coffee and breakfast out.

    We gotta cut back and do cheaper dates, like a good hiking adventure with lots of philosophical discussion and talk about our dreams and goals… you know, a trip to Home Depot.

  10. About the B-36:
    That airplane is huge. That’s not big, but huge. Most of the B-36 displays don’t allow you to walk through or use the tunnel but if the opportunity occurs, take it. Even the inside is huge. The flight engineers could move through the wing to take care of engine problems. It was an amazing plane that filled a particular hole in international diplomacy.

    About 2010, I was visiting the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson and happened to be in the cold war display area standing under the B-36’s right wing. Two pilots rushed into that area with their museum maps and started looking around quickly and consulting their maps. One of them turned to me and asked if I knew where the B-36 was. I answered right here and pointed up at the wing.

      1. In diplomacy, a peacemaker helps to get two parties to agree to a peace. In the military, a Peacemaker doesn’t give any choice, but to accept the peace.

    3. I saw one of those monsters in flight once as a youngster. “Aluminum overcast” doesn’t begin to describe it, and loud, too.

      Never rode the ramp but sat in the door or stood on the skid of a Huey in flight bunches of times.

      1. Friend of mine was a side door gunner.
        Came to sitting in a clearing once, still clutching the grips of the 50 wondering where the helicopter had gone.

      2. When the balloon goes up (if it hasn’t already) it may be obscured.

        “Shoot low- they might be crawling.”

        1. M3 MAAWS – FFV441 round. They work. We just need to have BATFE open them up to public purchase or knock off a National Guard Armory.

          1. MAAWS seems effective if a bit cumbersome.
            I was thinking more along the lines of a Carl Gusaf M45 and a pile of stick mags.

        2. Or in the words of Lewis Grizzard “Shoot low, boys – they’re ridin’ Shetland ponies!” :)

          1. =TW= I carried a Swedish K professionally for a while and they’re sweet shooters but lack the air burst option.

          2. Air burst, hey? M79 might do in a pinch.

            I’ve fired an M28A1 and an MP5. Handled an M3 briefly.
            I have never seen an M45 in person, but it looks like a goer. MP5 would do if a Swedish K was unavailable.

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