Picture of the day

[Dark Alley Dan]

"Power tool, Circumciser, No. 3 Mk XXIII, Male"

 

[DOOK]

I cheated. Interesting device, you will never guess. Hard to imagine deployment though. Would have been scary!

 

[fat tony]

I cheated. Interesting device, you will never guess. Hard to imagine deployment though. Would have been scary!

I was thinking the same myself!

 

[Desert_Fox]

Spill the beans!!!!

 

[fat tony]

Sir James Martin, designer of the device:

http://www.bbrclub.org/Balloon Cable Cutting Device for Aircraft.htm

 

[Belzebuth666]

So if the enemy used a heavier gauge wire that cutter was useless?

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Ah! Makes sense now. Thanks for that.

 

[fat tony]

So if the enemy used a heavier gauge wire that cutter was useless?

Sounds like you have homework!

Statistics on UK barrage balloons in WWII:

http://www.bbrclub.org/Barrage Balloon Cable Collisions with Aircraft in WWII.htm

 

[fat tony]

Corporal Samuel Toloza, El Salvador.

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47656

Looks like it might be an Aitor. A knife of deeds for a man of deeds. I wonder how he feels about this pic now?

 

[scott585]

So if the enemy used a heavier gauge wire that cutter was useless?

also looks like it couldn't be reset so the second string of balloons would get you

 

[fat tony]

Four of the devices were fitted to the leading edges of Lancaster wings. Supposedly 250,000 of these devices were made.

 

[MarkCNP]

 

[AP]

I'll be damned!! I NEVER knew what those little "Frankenstein electrodes" were for on those helmets!

 

[MarkCNP]

http://3.bp.########.com/-dt3F_V5ogko/U2GCmrcsoGI/AAAAAAAAI-o/m-6pLBsSS9Q/s1600/Stahlhelm,+the+stages+of+the+helmet-making+process+of+Stahlhelms+for+the+Imperial+German+Army,+1916.jpg

 

[fat tony]

^Cool example of deep drawing technology. I heard the British did not have technology like this. I think it is more likely that the British considered their men to be that much more expendable. They carried on this attitude into WWII as the more advanced British helmets did not appear until quite late.

 

[Kman303]

^Cool example of deep drawing technology. I heard the British did not have technology like this. I think it is more likely that the British considered their men to be that much more expendable. They carried on this attitude into WWII as the more advanced British helmets did not appear until quite late.

The British chose the "Tommy" style helmet mostly because of the high number of overhead-head injuries sustained when trench fighting started. I believe the design was carried on into WW2 because British and French generals expected another stalemate. The helmet saw a very minor redesign early into the war, and by late 43/ early 44 it was obvious a better design was needed. The Mk.3 "turtle" helmet came about in time for D-day and provided approximately 30% more protection. That shell served, with different liners as time proceeded, until the 80's. Not to forget that companies were stamping deep shells for paratroopers, tankers, and motorcyclists by 1942, if not earlier.

Im not certain that the British did not have the technology to produce deep draw helmets early on, but the Mk.1 tommy helmet was significantly cheaper, and took only 1 stamping to produce, so it was a heck of a lot more economic. The earliest ww1 helmets even had a raw/unfinished rim, and were very crude, having very obvious ripples from stamping. "Sun hats" as they were, the US M1 and the German "Stahlhelm" helmets were significantly better designs, but the brodie did its job!

 

[big bear]

Please 'splain

So is that extra metal for added protection? Did it actually work? When was it used? Thanks!

 

[J996]

Stirnpanzer. It was a piece of armour that fit on the helmet to protect the soldier when his head showed above the trenches in WW1

 

[MarkCNP]

Interesting mix of equipment:

 

[diopter]

Finland , M/21 in 6.5x55, developed from M1918 browning.