Picture of the day

A squadron of Luftwaffe Ju 52 Junkers stream low over the Russian countryside near Demjansk, south of Leningrad. In February to May of 1942, the Germans were surrounded by the Red Army. Supplying the Germans during and after the “Demjansk Pocket” was the role of the air force. Here, low flying in the slow transports was more a survival tactic than a joyride.
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source: Lower Than a Snake’s Belly in a Wagon Rut Redux
 
Ganderite said:
I was driving in northern Ontario on a straight stretch of road. Suddenly a shadow passed over me. It freaked me out because I knew there was nothing around me. Then a Piper Astec buzzed over from behind at about 30 feet. I guess he was bored, too.
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I drove thru Death Valley yesterday and was scorched by an F18. He was so fast that I couldn't get his tail number to phone in a complaint. ;)
 
French Paras at the Gabrielle strongpoint, Dien Bien Phu, April 7, 1954. By this time they knew, or suspected at least that Giap had found a way to move his heavy artillery through the trackless jungle to overlook the French in the valley on three sides. Colonel Pilbroth, the French Artillery commander, was one of the few who realized that with the Viet Minh artillery so dominant, the best outcome would be a brave death after an honourable fight. An early counter battery exchange proved to him the futility of the French position. One-armed, he pulled the pin of a grenade with his teeth and used his good arm to hold the grenade against his Chest.
The Paras dragged his corpse back inside the perimeter. Just another in that valley of death that year.image.jpeg
 

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"Hell In A Small Place" is the story of the fall of DienBienPhu. Tragically heroic. People who were not para-trained jumped into the fray, knowing it was a lost cause.

What was the name of the nurse who was known as the "Angel of DienBienPhu"?

The Americans inherited the mess after France capitulated and we know how that ended .....
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
Had to look her up, Sharps - thanks for teaching me something today. :) This is Geneviève de Galard:

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneviève_de_Galard

Tough one, that one. Still alive, God bless her.
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Very intesting story - although I got a little distracted reading about the ‘field brothel’ staffed with Viet Namese and Algerian women that the French flew into their camp - in the middle of a battle area! The French are such ‘gentlemen’ are they not?
 
The end story of Dien Bien Phu is quite brutal as I recall
Only a very small number of severly wounded French Union troops were permitted to be medevaced out of Dien Bien Phu after it fell
The remaining French Union forces even if wounded were sent on death marches to POW camps in various locations
Lots died on the marches and others died in the camps of wounds, disease, brutal treatment, dehydration, malnutrition, you name it
French and Vietnamese families expected a somewhat civilized end with their loved ones being repatriated after a brief imprisonment but that wasn't the case at all
On the other hand, Vietminh communist troops who were taken prisoner by French Union forces were well cared for medically and well fed
 
shortandlong said:
Super hornet ? I don’t think the yanks fly our model anymore lol
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Zoomies like to play cowboy when they can. I was once scorched by Syrian MIG 23 while on the road near Palmyra. He was so close I expected to find the paint blistered on the roof of my vehicle. Some time later a Syrian MIG 23 defected to Israel by flying fast and low over the UN buffer zone and I wondered if it was the same guy.

I also had a Hind helicopter squat over my vehicle. Now that was intimidating. :eek:
 
purple said:
Zoomies like to play cowboy when they can. I was once scorched by Syrian MIG 23 while on the road near Palmyra. He was so close I expected to find the paint blistered on the roof of my vehicle. Some time later a Syrian MIG 23 defected to Israel by flying fast and low over the UN buffer zone and I wondered if it was the same guy.

I also had a Hind helicopter squat over my vehicle. Now that was intimidating. :eek:
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I can fully understand how you would feel intimidated by a Hind. Huge helicopters with several inches of laminated Titanium bellies with a 35mm chain gun on the nose whose sights are electronically linked to the pilot's HUD display. They have a "whisper mode" used when they come in fast at high altitude then suddenly drop to treetop level. It's unnerving for people on the ground because it sounds like its flown off, then the chain guns open up. Devastating to morale and anything/anyone that gets caught up in the maelstrom.

My experience with them was the Hind 6 over 45 years ago. It's powerful both visually and mechanically. One of the most imposing helicopters of its time IMHO.
 
shredder said:
Oh, they most certainly DO. The USMC won't even fly the SuperBug - theirs are all C/D models. The USN still has several squadrons of C/D models as well.
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Active USN squadrons VFA-34, VFA-37, VFA-131, and USMC squadrons VMFA-312, VMFA-323 are all flying the F/A-18C. The F/A-18D is ashore.

There are a number of USMC squadrons ashore that still have the F/A-18A+ (as well as the F/A-18C/D).
 
bearhunter said:
I can fully understand how you would feel intimidated by a Hind. Huge helicopters with several inches of laminated Titanium bellies with a 35mm chain gun on the nose whose sights are electronically linked to the pilot's HUD display. They have a "whisper mode" used when they come in fast at high altitude then suddenly drop to treetop level. It's unnerving for people on the ground because it sounds like its flown off, then the chain guns open up. Devastating to morale and anything/anyone that gets caught up in the maelstrom. My experience with them was the Hind 6 over 45 years ago. It's powerful both visually and mechanically. One of the most imposing helicopters of its time IMHO.
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The forward fuselage and engines have hardened steel armour, not titanium. (There was a titanium rotor head). There is no Chain gun. And the heaviest gun carried aboard any Hind model is the 30mm GSh-30K carried aboard the Hind F. There is no 'whisper' mode.
 
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