Schmeisser: Still Alive and Kickin' at 74

Libyan rebellions carrying a WW2 German MP38 - the Schmeisser. Not givin' the fellas much of a chance if these are the weapons they are totin'. From The Firearm Blog.

She may look clean

Patton's pistols

I have to confess, as much as I've studied Patton and read about him, I've just always assumed he carried a Colt 1873 "Peace Maker" - but doin' some quick research I've discovered I was wrong. He carried one Colt and one S & W Model 27 (actually, it was before S & W numbered pistols - N frame) with a 3.5" barrel. Pictures courtesy of Patton Museum at Fort Knox...

Ol' Blood and Guts

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Slaughter House Five

Just finished listening to Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut on the BBC when I saw this on Atlas Obscura - They have found the location of Schlachthof Fünf in Dresden and you can take tours of it as well.

"In Kurt Vonnegut's book Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, the main character Billy Pilgrim is captured by the Germans and taken to Dresden. In Dresden, Billy is held in an unused slaughterhouse, "Slaughterhouse number 5." From this location Billy as well as his captors survive the bombing of Dresden, which killed some 25,000 people in the ensuing firestorm. "

WW2 Jeep Armament

Cool diagram of WW2 jeep and armament diagram...

Adolf Galland

I understand posting stuff about WW2 Germans may be considered un-pc. I don't really give a damn. I've been fascinated with this guys since I was a kid.

From the Wikipedia entry...
"Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts. On four occasions he survived being shot down, and he was credited with 104 aerial victories, all of them against the Western Allies." Read the complete entry here...

The "Mickey Maus" above was his personal symbol - and the "S" in the shield was his fighter squadron - Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter." Read more about Albert Leo Schlageter (the unit's namesake).

Stielhandgranate Typ 24

Bulky, clumsy and somewhat ineffective, however, these are some of the most recognizable weapons in modern history - Stielhandgranate Typ 24...

Military VW

WW2 Type 95

I make no pretense about being an expert on WW2 Japanese vehicles. I think these are made by Toyota - I think. See the model at the bottom for clearer details.

Nevermind, just found a post here at 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology. It wasn't made by Toyota or Toyoda...

Japanese WW2 prototype aircraft

Dunno where these came from either, just liked 'em...

Bomber patch

Found this image on my desk top and decided to post it...

WWII aircraft ads...

RIP Major Winters

I dunno how I missed this. The passing of an honest to goodness American hero...

From the Washington Post:
Richard "Dick" Winters, 92, a decorated Army officer whose courageous leadership through some of the fiercest combat of World War II was featured in the best-selling book and HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," died Jan. 2. He had Parkinson's disease. The rest of the obit here.

Carentan O Carentan...

A poem about my favorite episode of Band of Brothers and my favorite board on COD2...

Carentan O Carentan

Trees in the old days used to stand

And shape a shady lane

Where lovers wandered hand in hand

Who came from Carentan.



This was the shining green canal

Where we came two by two

Walking at combat-interval.

Such trees we never knew.



The day was early June, the ground

Was soft and bright with dew.

Far away the guns did sound,

But here the sky was blue.



The sky was blue, but there a smoke

Hung still above the sea

Where the ships together spoke

To towns we could not see.



Could you have seen us through a glass

You would have said a walk

Of farmers out to turn the grass,

Each with his own hay-fork.



The watchers in their leopard suits

Waited till it was time,

And aimed between the belt and boot

And let the barrel climb.



I must lie down at once, there is

A hammer at my knee.

And call it death or cowardice,

Don't count again on me.



Everything's all right, Mother,

Everyone gets the same

At one time or another.

It's all in the game.



I never strolled, nor ever shall,

Down such a leafy lane.

I never drank in a canal,

Nor ever shall again.



There is a whistling in the leaves

And it is not the wind,

The twigs are falling from the knives

That cut men to the ground.



Tell me, Master-Sergeant,

The way to turn and shoot.

But the Sergeant's silent

That taught me how to do it.



O Captain, show us quickly

Our place upon the map.

But the Captain's sickly

And taking a long nap.



Lieutenant, what's my duty,

My place in the platoon?

He too's a sleeping beauty,

Charmed by that strange tune.



Carentan O Carentan

Before we met with you

We never yet had lost a man

Or known what death could do.



Louis Simpson



Check out some actual picts from Carentan here.