Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Was indeed, but the basic concept - fire lots, never mind precision - seems to be the link.
Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
Other problem with aluminum magnesium alloys it that if they get hot enough they burn and most fire fighting equipment doesn't work and in fact feeds the fire. We had special stuff called AFFF for fighter aluminum magnesium alloy fires (helicopters tend to be made of aluminum magnesium alloys). Probably better stuff today. Every sailor has a major dislike of fires. They can be really nasty on ships. Most casualties tend to be from the fires not the explosions. The injuries are often horrific. Sends a shiver up my spin remembering all the fire fighting training we went through. Fortunately never had to deal with one for real.
Good eye, Shredder. A quick search of "hedgehog ASW" nets us this:
Same basic principal, just a question of range. Looks like the Hedgehog threw them pretty close to the boat:
Land mattress tossed them up to four and a half miles away...
I think the hedgehog system threw them so close to the ship thanks to the range of the active sonar then used.
It was indeed a spigot mortar. However, if one looks at the warheads and the general landing pattern of the rocket launcher, I think the family tree is clearly visible
I think the hedgehog system threw them so close to the ship thanks to the range of the active sonar then used.
It was indeed a spigot mortar. However, if one looks at the warheads and the general landing pattern of the rocket launcher, I think the family tree is clearly visible
A limitation of Hedgehog itself rather than ASDIC. The active sonar range was 4000 meters at the most, but usually effectively half that. Hedgehog could only reach about 250 meters.
Nice picture showing the second flag raising on Iwo Jima
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima
February 23, 1945
Pic my late father painted of the flag raising.....
I have it hanging in my "man room"....
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NAA.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Still Iwo Jima:
Wood worked quite well against low velocity heat rounds. Disrupts the shaped charge befor hitting the armour.
Still Iwo Jima:
Looks like it has a flat!
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Thought it was a Marmon-Herrington for a sec.
Looks like Cairo got Shanghai'd - or should I say gypped?
From what I read, the Japanese land forces had a very good 47mm anti tank gun which was commonly encountered by US Cavalry in the Pacific campaign. The planks were not so good against those. They were looking to sandbags, concrete, etc. as improvised protection.
One of the innovations related to Hobart's Funnies was an entire Hedgehog mortar in an LCA They were reported to be effective in making heavy barbed wire defensive positions & mines go away. They possibly might have had a low profile to the defenders until the deed was done.
Pics of these special craft are difficult to find. To complicate research, reportedly a lot of LCA's & similar craft were scrapped after WWII ended. There is not one of the latter types of Fairmile Gunboats of the type armed with two Six pounders in existence anywhere in the world. A long time ago, had a short convo with a vet who served on a Fairmile. Said they were unpleasant in a heavy sea.
The Australians supposedly had a seven shot Hedgehog mortar mounted on Matilda tanks. I wonder if they were used in the Dutch East Indies landings?
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fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You are right about that. Must have been harrowing going into combat in searing heat with 99 percent humidity in an M4, knowing the enemy would likely pop up with a satchel charge at any time in order to take you along on a trip to hell.
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