Picture of the day

[Candocad]

She also got a lot of REAL AID from the US to fight that war. The Brits didn't have enough available intel or resources to do it alone.

Actually a lot came from Chile than the US, who were nervous at the beginning to get involved.

Candocad.

 

[bush1]

In 98 the Brits towed an offshore oil rig from the North Sea to The Falklands and we got the contract to ferry oil workers every 2 weeks and I got to do 13 trips and overnights in Stanley. As there was only 1 hotel in Stanley, quite often we stayed at b&b’s in town. At one of the houses they showed us their basement where the Mayor of Stanley hid out for the duration of the war. The locals are starved for new ears to talk to so we heard a lot of stories from the war. The Governor invited us for lunch and filled us in on the war details and the museum curator was also a wealth of knowledge as well as a world leader in whale research.

The museum building was previously the Argentine consul before the war. The Argies applied to open a Counsil and were given permission but really the plan was to build a military headquarters to be used for their upcoming invasion. They used Hercs to bring in the construction materials and the construction workers were able to do a lot of scouting.

Very interesting place.

 

[fingers284]

This thread has been part of my "morning coffee" ritual since 2012 at it's inception and I want to just say "rest in peace" jwhc....my condolences to forum members that actually knew the man.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

I didn't know him, and hadn't heard he'd "gone west". My condolences to those who will miss him most.

A good reminder that none of us has an unlimited shelf life. Be kind, love freely and openly, do good in the world. Leave good memories.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

When the General says "Put the biggest gun on the smallest tank chassis", you don't bother trying to tell him he's dumb.

And here she is with her shirt off.

Same idea, cleaner execution, bigger chassis:

 

[Ganderite]

Would those be properly called "self propelled artillery" as opposed to "tanks"?

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Would those be properly called "self propelled artillery" as opposed to "tanks"?

They would indeed, but the chassis started off as tanks - the Mk. I panzer for the toaster-looking object, and the Mk. III for the "racing" version.

 

[stewbud]

They would indeed, but the chassis started off as tanks - the Mk. I panzer for the toaster-looking object, and the Mk. III for the "racing" version.

The Canadian WW2 example was a 25 pounder on a Sherman chassis - the ###ton.

It allowed a gun that was too large for a tank turret to be moved around the battlefield.

Not a dumb idea at all.

 

[fat tony]

I think the Americans called them motor gun carriages.Then there is the more straight at 'em "self propelled gun". I like motor gun carriage, it has a fussy military stuffiness about it as though a committee met for regular meetings over the course of six months to coin the term.

 

[grelmar]

The British mounted 25 pounders in a casement on top of Valentine hulls to come up with the "Bishop" self propelled gun. Somewhere around 125 were made, and they were quite popular:

View attachment 273503

View attachment 273504

As mentioned, it allowed for a nice bit of mobile artillery, that could keep up with armoured or infantry units on the move, and ready to fire at any time.

The armoured hull and casement gave the crew some protection, mostly against small arms fire and shrapnel, which was especially important for artillery on a fluid front.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The Canadian WW2 example was a 25 pounder on a Sherman chassis - the ###ton.

It allowed a gun that was too large for a tank turret to be moved around the battlefield.

Not a dumb idea at all.

Don't get me wrong, mate. I would agree that the basic concept is not only sound, but has been proven smart repeatedly since the first time it was thought up.

What I question is the wisdom of putting that much weighty superstructure and gun on a chassis designed to haul around a lot less weight. The original Mk. 1 weighed in at 5.4 tonnes. The SPG with the slab sides was a much heftier 8.5 tonnes, and was probably the tallest, slowest, and most ungainly thing on the front. I don't believe any survived the war, and woe betide those tasked with manning them.

It was an early attempt, and the Germans developed better versions of the same idea, as did pretty much everyone.

 

[sail32]

SPG's are wonderful !

What was that horrible order ?

Oh yes !

" Without drag ropes, prepare to advance ! "

 

[donor]

Grandfather of all SPGs-Gun Carrier Mk I

 

[XRCD011]

No doubt any German seeing the para riding that comical little Welbike at the end of the clip would be laughing so hard he would never be able to shoot the rider. Recently I did some "re"-restoration work (correcting others work) on a BSA folding bicycle and found them kind of cool and collectible but certainly not made for six foot tall folks.

Hmmm............. seems you have to watch this on Youtube.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The Welbike was designed to confuse enemy soldiers. Who would expect the Shriners to drop from the sky?

 

[CaptainPhillips]

The Welbike was designed to confuse enemy soldiers. Who would expect the Shriners to drop from the sky?

And without curly toed shoes too.

 

[RifleDude]

An interesting video with a high speed camera recording the flight of a Sherman tank shell and a Russian 130mm artillery shell.

 

[HuskyDude]

Well I didn't think that was going to be as good as it was!!!
Very entertaining... but also educational too!!! 9/10
First time seeing a 76mm wobble like that!!
Very Cool Thx

LMFAO still wiping coffee out of my nose....

 

[Falcorn]

How does it work... Paladin vs Msta
I'm curious, what if you can not have top hatch open, where all this smoke is going to go?

 

[Ganderite]

The seated fellow reaches over to touch the bullet nose. Why?