Picture of the day

It is true that air superiority makes it possible for ground troops to win but without ground troops the best you can achieve is a stalemate. See WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Would you say that Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan were stalemates or losses? And a Hawker Typhoon in the process of being rebuilt to flying condition, check the cylinder banks of the Napier engine. In British Columbia of all p[laces!

tempest frame.jpg
 

Attachments

  • tempest frame.jpg
    tempest frame.jpg
    10.9 KB · Views: 459
purple said:
As far as we know the only strictly air campaign that was successful was in 1999 when the Serbs were "bombed" back to the negotiating table by NATO.

Other than that, air power has always been a valuable adjunct to ground operations by crippling an enemy's production and infrastructure, isolating the battlefield, establishing air superiority, attriting enemy forces and supply lines and giving close air support to troops in contact. Air was fully integrated into army operational doctrine with the Airland Battle concept in 1980. At the end of the day airpower cannot occupy ground.

The A-10 has been an extremely valuable asset and its capabilities need to be maintained. Attack helicopters are good, but are still quite vulnerable in comparison.
Click to expand...


I don't know. Pretty hard to beat the capabilities of a Russian Hind. I've seen one of those hit, with a shoulder fired SAM, in the underside belly and the only thing that happened was the Hind was pushed a bit higher. It went right on with its attack after the pilot/gunner did a quick circle around to make sure everything was operational.

I do however agree the A10 is a seriously capable offensive weapon in the right hands. It does have three very valuable features over any helicopter. It's faster, it has better armor around the pilot and it carries heavier armament as well as bombs. Like you, I believe the US would be making a serious mistake by phasing out the A10. All of their foreign enemies recognize the importance of such an aircraft but haven't quite been able to duplicate the capabilities of the fifty year old A10, especially after the numerous tech upgrades.
 
Donny Fenn1 said:
It is true that air superiority makes it possible for ground troops to win but without ground troops the best you can achieve is a stalemate. See WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Would you say that Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan were stalemates or losses? And a Hawker Typhoon in the process of being rebuilt to flying condition, check the cylinder banks of the Napier engine. In British Columbia of all p[laces!

View attachment 136308
Click to expand...

The example of the Napier Sabre they have at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum is one huge marvel of engineering and manufacturing.

NapierSabreVII31.jpg
 
Last edited:
Holy snot, what an enormous bloody job.

That engine alone would be hundreds of man years to make airworthy. And who's certified to offer an opinion on the airworthiness of such a thing anymore? Probably the guys who know the breed best are the ones rebuilding it...
 
A bit off topic-Ariel Square Four.In a way it was a motorcycle equivalent of Napier Sabre produced 1931-56.I have seen and heard few of those and imho it's the best sounding British bike engine.

I don't think it was ever used by military-far too complicated for field use,still a very beautiful bike.

Ariel-Square-Four.jpg
 
points said:
Yesterdays marksman is todays sniper. Back when I was still young, we had the FnC1. With iron sights we would generally shoot out to 400 yards with reasonable effect. Now that is a sniper shot?
Click to expand...

I was thinking along similar lines. You'll hear AR guys talking about being able to ring a 500M gong "all day" - and I'm sure they can, at a range with known distances, wind flags, and their $2000+ heavy barrel scoped custom AR with match ammo.

But with a short barrel military issue bog standard M4, with bulk military crate ammo? Ummm... No. There's a lot working against even a good shooter for that to work out. With that kind of setup, it's a 200 yard rifle all day, 300 yard on a good day, at least in field conditions. Even with those high dollar custom AR builds shooting match ammo, I've seen the wheels come of the bus at rifle matches at the 300 yard line, with a bit of variable wind. They'll clobber the vintage rifle scores at 100 and 200 yards, then everything starts to flip at the 300 and 400 yard line. 5.56 is just too light, and gets pushed around by even light crosswinds at those distances. The heavier rounds just keep chugging along.

If you watch the video, you can hear the marines yelling out "sniper" (there was a full write up on the incident I read somewhere else at the time, (7 years ago), but unfortunately can't find at the moment. They weren't particularly concerned about the incoming AK fire, and were probably being a bit more casual about it than was wise, but their whole attitude changed dramatically when the full powered rounds started coming in.

To the boots on the ground, that might as well have been a sniper. He was getting in effective fire at around 400 yards off, and they couldn't return the favour with their M4's. Truth is, it was probably some p'ed off old farmer with an Enfield he used as a hunting rifle, and he just knew how to shoot it.
 
^^^ ah dude ,service matches are to out to 500 and most can ring the bell “all day” with “rack” rifles I have and have even done it with the c8 carbine all day with an elcan,
Those are rifles not ment for snipers , but built for dough heads that vote liberal.

I will agree on one thing though , terminal ballistics is a different story .
A shot on a fig 11 or 12 is not a human being fighting for survival.

F ing auto correct
 
Last edited:
I can ring the 100m - 150m - 200m - 300m - 380m gong on our range with my S&W Sport I and Sport II shooting prone with Chinese ammo. The Sport I has a Burris red dot, the II a Bushnell AR scope. Steel target accuracy is all I need, want or expect from them.

Only add ons are Magpul rubber grips, ambi safes, ambi cocking handles and the II has a Magpul non-rattle butt stock. Triggers are stock.
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
Holy snot, what an enormous bloody job.

That engine alone would be hundreds of man years to make airworthy. And who's certified to offer an opinion on the airworthiness of such a thing anymore? Probably the guys who know the breed best are the ones rebuilding it...
Click to expand...

True that, 110% true in both regards.
 
shortandlong said:
^^^ ah dude ,service matches are to out to 500 and most can ring the bell “all day” with “rack” rifles I have and have even done it with the c8 carbine all day with an elcan,
Those are rifle not ment for snipers , but built for dough heads that vote liberal.

I will agree on one thing though , terminal ballistics is a different story .
A shot on a fig 11 or 12 is not a human being fighting for survival.

F ing auto correct
Click to expand...


S&L, I don't want to be condescending nor negative but I've seen men, women and children shot with everything from 9mm to 30mm. Of all the people I saw, I don't remember one of them that fought back, didn't become incapacitated in some manner. Even a graze had some pretty serious effects. Knife and bayonet wounds can be even worse. It definitely puts a damper on any individual's day and changes their attitude almost instantly. Now, that being said, it usually takes a bit for the hit to register if it isn't instantly lethal. I was hit with a ricochet and didn't notice it for a bit. But when I did, it was the only thing on my mind.

I have a scar from a bayonet that starts just below my balls and goes to just above my kneecap. That put me down instantly. It was like getting the worst Charly Horse that can possibly be imagined and no way to make it stop.

Other than not being overly realistic because those targets assume a full frontal/rear silhouette a hit in the vicinity they represent will certainly take a combatant out of the struggle. They might crawl away but they aren't fighting any more. This of course doesn't include a combatant hopped up on Heroin or some other readily available Opioide.
 
bearhunter said:
S&L, I don't want to be condescending nor negative but I've seen men, women and children shot with everything from 9mm to 30mm. Of all the people I saw, I don't remember one of them that fought back, didn't become incapacitated in some manner. Even a graze had some pretty serious effects. Knife and bayonet wounds can be even worse. It definitely puts a damper on any individual's day and changes their attitude almost instantly. Now, that being said, it usually takes a bit for the hit to register if it isn't instantly lethal. I was hit with a ricochet and didn't notice it for a bit. But when I did, it was the only thing on my mind.

I have a scar from a bayonet that starts just below my balls and goes to just above my kneecap. That put me down instantly. It was like getting the worst Charly Horse that can possibly be imagined and no way to make it stop.

Other than not being overly realistic because those targets assume a full frontal/rear silhouette a hit in the vicinity they represent will certainly take a combatant out of the struggle. They might crawl away but they aren't fighting any more. This of course doesn't include a combatant hopped up on Heroin or some other readily available Opioide.
Click to expand...

your not condescending at all , but you seem to have some good stories, I was trying to renig a little to other side of that discussion.....and talking of my experiences ...not really much i can say to your post though you earned the expert opinion and i trust the bayonet wasn't a mishap on the parade square.

Take care of that hi milage body of yours it bet it creeks in the cold
 
Last edited:
tumblr_p0f17uXG7i1s7e5k5o1_1280.jpg


View from Ford Island NAS shortly after the Japanese torpedo plane attack. USS California is at left. In the center are USS Maryland and capsized USS Oklahoma alongside. USS Neosho is at right. Most of the smoke is from USS Arizona . Dec 7, 1941.
 
grelmar said:
The US military kept detailed stats on the causes of wounds in Afghanistan. Of course, the vast majority of casualties were from IED's, but a strange pattern emerged when they analyzed the gunshot casualties.

Although the overwhelming majority of gunfights (something like 95%) were against insurgents with AK's or similar intermediate calibre carbines, nearly half the actual gunshot wounds were from full powered rifles, sustained in engagements with "snipers" - who were generally using iron sight old WWII era battle rifles - mostly Mosin 91/30's and Lee Enfields - for various reasons, Mausers were never really seen in significant numbers.

It followed a very predictable pattern. The "snipers" would set up 300-400 yards off, and start taking pot-shots, pinning down the Americans, while the Americans tried to figure where the shots were coming from. Within 10-15 rounds, the "sniper" would either actually hit something, or fade off into the desert.

At those distances, the ambush sniper is at a distinct advantage for a number of reasons. Past 200 yards, it becomes incredibly difficult to figure out where the incoming fire is coming from, at least precisely. "That large cluster of trees" is not an aiming point for a rifleman. The carrying power and accuracy of a WWII bolt gun will beat the pants off that of an M4 at 300 yards, and the margin is even wider at 400 yards. And the sound... If you've ever sat in the butts at a target range, raising and lowering the cards, the sound a full powered round whipping overhead, a solid, gut churning, "Crrr-ACK!" is much more fear inducing than the "sss-whack!" of a 5.56 round (it's really hard to describe, but the sound of those full powered .30 cal rounds... you can feel it).

Good NYT embed video:

Click to expand...

I am a little confused at this action. There were 2 platoons of marines (according to the narrator) but apparently not one 60mm tube amongst them...and instead of he the young guy with the grenade launcher fires smoke...for an air attack....against one sniper and a few guys beating a hasty retreat. IDK...but it sure is nice to be rich!
 
tiriaq said:
Ever cooked or eaten polar bear? Then again, given what the "atmosphere" could be like on a submarine, the smell might not have been a problem.
Click to expand...
I agree...this bear likely didnt go below. Its not very easy to open a window on a submarine to 'air it out' :).... I was suggesting Cornwallis because there was popular story that they also found a weather station there (like 'Kurt')
 
shortandlong said:
your not condescending at all , but you seem to have some good stories, I was trying to renig a little to other side of that discussion.....and talking of my experiences ...not really much i can say to your post though you earned the expert opinion and i trust the bayonet wasn't a mishap on the parade square.

Take care of that hi milage body of yours it bet it creeks in the cold
Click to expand...

SandL, I already thanked you for your service in another thread. As for my body, it's been shot/stabbed/poisoned/beaten/far to close to explosions/stomped by horses and cattle/ridden by the odd female and other than chemo induced type II diabetes and the arthritis from good living, it's still doing yeoman's service. Hopefully a few Elk and Moose hunts still in it albeit not as rigorous as those of the past.

When I got home, the first thing I did was hide. I wasn't mentally equipped to properly fit into the society I had left slightly over six months previously. My values and ethics had changed in ways no one understands until they've had it all ripped out of them and lived on the razor's edge. Some find it addicting. That adrenaline rush is a super high and extremely intoxicating, until it isn't.

The down keeps you down for a long time. For some, decades or forever. Until it can be at least rationalized it's tough to make sense of life in Canada. Some can't make the transition, some just don't want to, most relearn how to get by. The thing is, we're never the same as we were and never will be again. Politicians/Bureaucrats fear us. We see through their BS and we don't fit between the lines they establish. That makes us free. If we're free they can't control us. That is extremely taxing to a Bureaucrat/Politician.

As far as reigning in???? I found it wasn't worth the effort. Especially when someone decides they're going to try and push me into the herd. Still, unchecked extremism without direction is counter productive to ourselves and everyone around us. Then we isolate ourselves even more.

I can tell by your posts you are trying to make sense of it all. I found there really isn't a lot of sense to any of it but that's likely just me. Opportunistic tactics of our Bureaucrats/Politicians take precedence over the plebes they are pledged to protect. By this I am not including the grunts on the ground. Just their leadership at the top.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom