Picture of the day

[*lawrence]

 

[bush1]

^^^^^

Hey man, look what I found…

 

[fat tony]

Because the Vickers K guns were easier to obtain and had about twice the rate of fire.

Umm, thinking more along the lines of the SAS being able to requisition a greater variety of weapons and war materiel based on needs, not a 'mine is bigger' contest.

Of course they used the Vickers.

Is there any official info on the pic or was it an unofficial pic I wonder?

That looks like a greyhound armoured car with no turret and a .50 cal on a pintle mount.

Oh, it is an M20 armored utility car.

 

[*lawrence]

Umm, thinking more along the lines of the SAS being able to requisition a greater variety of weapons and war materiel based on needs, not a 'mine is bigger' contest.

Of course they used the Vickers.

Is there any official info on the pic or was it an unofficial pic I wonder?

That looks like a greyhound armoured car with no turret and a .50 cal on a pintle mount.

Oh, it is an M20 armored utility car.

"A soldier from New Zealand takes aim with twin Bren guns in Libya, 1942"

and

"A New Zealand soldier part of Expeditionary Force "2NZEF" firing dual Bren's joined by an AA mount during Operation Crusader in North Africa "

 

[*lawrence]

CAPTION

#OTD in 1945, Uelzen, Germany. A sniper from Seaforth Highlanders at work.

 

[Dosing]

CAPTION

#OTD in 1945, Uelzen, Germany. A sniper from Seaforth Highlanders at work.

Looks less at work than plinking? Wierd pose, no one else looking serious, and someones sporter rifle?

 

[fat tony]

I wonder if his descendants still have the rifle?

"A soldier from New Zealand takes aim with twin Bren guns in Libya, 1942"

and

"A New Zealand soldier part of Expeditionary Force "2NZEF" firing dual Bren's joined by an AA mount during Operation Crusader in North Africa "

Thank you.

 

[bearhunter]

Because the Vickers K guns were easier to obtain and had about twice the rate of fire.

And they're easier to keep running in the field. Not that there's an issue with the Bren.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Looks less at work than plinking? Wierd pose, no one else looking serious, and someones sporter rifle?

The scope mounts look pretty Teutonic. One wonders if it's a little something they "found".

Para helmet, or dispatch rider kit?

 

[bearhunter]

The scope mounts look pretty Teutonic. One wonders if it's a little something they "found".

Para helmet, or dispatch rider kit?

I read a book about a German sniper on the Russian front that described the rifle he was given for his trade.

It wasn't one of the coveted Kar 98s or Kar 43 types.

It was a Mannlicher sporter, fitted with an Ajack 3x scope on the high mounts, which didn't allow a cheek weld. The rifle also had detachable magazines, which I assume were charger enbloc clips. The book had been translated from its original German to English and it was obvious some things were lost in the translation.

It wasn't chambered for the 8x57 round, but a 6.5. Exactly which I don't remember.

It was pointed out in the book that a lot of sporting 98 type rifles, built after WWI, were pressed into service as sniper rifles.

I don't recall seeing a civilian rifle, manufactured or rebuilt as a sporter from the pre war years, with any military stamps, which I would assume should be present.

The Germans and other Axis members were adamant about stamping everything with ownership symbols.

During the recent Yugoslav civil war, many such sporters were used for sniping, if you can believe the reports.

I also remember a famous British Commando going into battle with his personal Mannlicher Schoenauer carbine.

The rifle in the pic is obviously a 98 type.

Whether it's a spoils of war plunder or a captured sniper rifle??? Interesting pic though, must be someone important for everyone to be gathered around admiring his stance for a photo op.

 

[Tikka223]

Tradesies with the rear echelon.

 

[XRCD011]

The scope mounts look pretty Teutonic. One wonders if it's a little something they "found".

Para helmet, or dispatch rider kit?

A good pic for "the study of headdress" in the field. I lean towards the plinker wearing a DR helmet the two fellows kneeling to the right have Helmet, Steel, Airborne Troops Mk.1 on with one wearing his Denison smock. Then the others soldiers wearing Mk.IIs and one guy with a Mk.III, Seaforth wearing regimental headdress, and the guy manning the radio in the carrier is taking bets over the net.

Roger V. Lucy wrote a great book Tin Lids Canadian Combat Helmet. BTW, Lucy did something very interesting and of note in Iran back in time.

 

[Higgs602]

According to one source the Long Range Desert Group and SAS in N.Africa rejected the Bren as an anti-aircraft weapon to be fitted on their Jeeps and Trucks.

"Based on the Czechoslovakian ZB30, The Bren Gun was arguably one of the best light machine guns of World War II. This rugged and reliable weapon was so loved by the British Army that it was later re-chambered from the original .303 rimmed to fire 7.62mm NATO ammunition. The weapon saw service in all theaters of operations however was never officially used by the LRDG.

The LRDG was looking for a machine gun that would provide adequate anti aircraft protection however the Bren was designed primarily for use as squad support for ground operations. The Bren failed to meet the needs of the LRDG in three areas:

More prone to jamming due to sand in the chamber
Slower rate of fire compared to other anit-aircraft machine guns
Shorter effective range than other machine guns."

https://lrdg.hegewisch.net/unlikely_weapons.html

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

It would appear they were reasonably open minded about mounting whatever came to hand:

 

[Rob]

 

[bearhunter]

Wow, 14 freighters and a submarine.

Impressive

So are those two rear pointed 20mm canon?

 

[RRCo.]

Looks less at work than plinking? Wierd pose, no one else looking serious, and someones sporter rifle?

Just a bunch of guys goofing around with a civy hunting rifle they found. Clearly no return fire or risk of it.

 

[fat tony]

Home front heroine

Little Petula Clark
Young actress Petula Clark gets a last-minute check from her father, Lance Corporal Leslie Clark, before going on stage at the BBC's Empire birthday party, December 1942. The radio show celebrates the 10th anniversary of the BBC's Empire Service. (Photo by Fred Ramage/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Clark grew up in Abercanaid, near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales,[5] in a house with no electricity or running water and a toilet in the garden. Her grandfather was a coal miner.[6] Her first ever live audience was at the Colliers' Arms in Abercanaid.[7] She also recalls living just outside London during the Blitz and watching the dogfights in the air and running to air-raid shelters with her sister. Later, when she was eight, she joined other children to record messages with the BBC to be broadcast to members of their families in the forces. The recording event was in the Criterion Theatre, an underground theatre that was safe. When the air-raid siren went off other children were upset and a call went out for someone to step forward and sing to calm them. Petula volunteered, and they liked her voice so much, in the control room they recorded her. Her song was "Mighty Like a Rose".

Some of her thoughts re: Dec. 25, 2020 Nashville bombing

“I would like to wrap my arms around Nashville,” Clark wrote. “Give you all a hug.”

Mostly a repost, but what the hay.

 

[fat tony]

Wow, 14 freighters and a submarine.

Impressive

So are those two rear pointed 20mm canon?

https://www.airvectors.net/avfw200.html

maybe mg 131 hmg's?

Very obscure weapon system info below:

https://fhsw.fandom.com/wiki/MG_131

the FW200 was known to be too delicate to be able to carry heavy weapon systems. Supposedly they were not in frontline combat after 1942. The Mg 131 zwilling mount is a later development from what I read. The pic may be a doctored propaganda pic?

^HE177

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Flamethrowers, believe it or not.

As early as the end of 1939, Lieutenant Stahl, technical officer at KG 51, proposed repelling attacking fighters with flamethrowers installed in the rear of bombers and long-range reconnaissance aircraft. The attacking fighter was supposed to push into the emitted soot-oil cloud, so that his cabin windows suddenly became blind. In February 1940, corresponding tests with He 111 and Ju 88 took place at the Tarnewitz test site. The device was then used on a trial basis with KG 51 at the beginning of the Russian campaign, but does not seem to have caught on with the troops. The “Gero 11” A, Bund C flamethrowers were used as offensive weapons on the Fw 190 for low-level attacks.