John Kettler

The factual basis of "Tankers" is listed below. http://wio.ru/tank/ww2aces.htm This guy knew his trade. Tank kills also includes SPGs. Unsure what to make of the last part about killing 16 somethings in one day. lt. Konovalov Semyon Vasilievich KV-1 ; unknown trophy german panzer 15th tank brigade 22 + 1 tank captured, + 2 arm.cars; inc. 16 on 13th July 1943 Regards. John Kettler

Correction. Brother George, who's quite knowledgeable about coastal warfare in WW II, has pointedly informed me the heavily armed behemoth is a Siebel Ferry, NOT an F-lighter. Mods! Warlord link is solely to a WW II pic of an F Lighter. Heres a link to a F-Lighter model review which is so info rich on the history and capabilities of the F-Lighter that it has links to military history works. http://www.steelnavy.com/WEMFlakLighter.htm?fbclid=IwAR3f6ilawA1atJ4kxmSLi0fhTzTtUUetMryjIXo1r9-dptyUKDdOfh4vCx4 Regards, John Kettler

"Apocalypse Now" the director's cut is the film as it was intended to be. The version originally released was forced on Francis Ford Coppola by studio execs concerned about maximizing theater seats per day. It was drastically shortened, with the effect of leaving much unexplained, out of context or both. The director's cut is like changing realities in terms of story integrity, vibe, character development, nuance and more. Regards, John Kettler

If you've ever read about small craft warfare in the MTO, you've almost certainly encountered mention/s of a nasty weapon called the F-lighter, which drew so little water it couldn't be torpedoed, forcing a shift to guns for PTs and MTBs. The only image I've ever seen was garbage, but take a look at this one. Further, it appears there was one involved at Nijmegen during MARKET GARDEN. Regards, John Kettler

Sgt.Squarehead, Clean forgot last time to comment on your martial comics. They look cool. Wasn't allowed comic books as a child, but I did get to see the US one where a Stuart tank TC was visited by the ghost of J.E.B. Stuart who talked to him, gave him wise advise advice and sometimes warned of Nazi attack. Believe that was the same one which had a Korean War vignette in which GIs were captured by the Chinese and wound up on a propaganda shoot in which they were the cinematic fodder for a bunch of huge barechested Chinese soldiers with their heads shaved save for a long queue. When it became apparent their weapons were useless, the CO uttered the immortal command: "Pass the word. Use rocks on these goons." As a result, the film shoot was ruined, and I think the GIs bolted for the border. Also, got to look at a Sergeant Rock one time. Yours look like fun and the men so quintessentially British. By that, I'm referring not to their uniforms but their faces. Regards, John Kettler

Potentially fatal in an earthquake, but man, what an incredible experience otherwise! If this is real, the rolling ladder must be a sight to behold. Regards, John Kettler

Here is a fascinating article covering a topic so little discussed, especially for such a wide range of weapons. Many interesting and unusual pic, but not expandable! https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/wwii-where-weapons-wind-up.html Regards, John Kettler

Presumably this was also true for later jumps. Here is a complete breakout of how much of what was carried and by whom. Want to know how many grenades and what type the M 1903 Springfield grenadier had? It's there. How much ammo did a 60 mm mortar have and what was the type split? There, too. Did you know that the .30 cal LMGs fired nothing but AP? Tracer percentage covered. All told, theres a ton of highly detailed info in this doc based on info supplied by the S-3 of the 101st's 503rd PIR. Support weapon ammo loads are much higher than I would've expected. Not in this list are Hawkins mines, gammon grenades and C2 blocks. http://looserounds.com/2013/06/05/ww2-paratrooper-basic-load-for-the-normandy-invasion-d-day/ This list shows each paratrooper received one gammon grenade, together with 102 pounds of C2 to fill it. Nothing on the Hawkins mine. ISTR it was one per man. Could be used both as a track buster AT mine or as a kind of demo charge. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/gear-gadgets-weaponry-d-day-paratrooper.html Regards, John Kettler

Am providing these items because LVTs are supposed to be in Vehicle Pack 2 for CMBN and because this is great grog material, too. Some of the CoC guys were doing Tarawa, as a result of which I was led first to a FB WW II amtrac group, which has the TO&E pages for every component of the Amphibian Battalion, as well as a spectacular model of the invasion of Betio. https://www.facebook.com/WwiiAmphibianTankAndTractorHistoicalAssociation/?hc_location=group And here is THE compendium on LVT battalions. FM 17-34 AMPHIBIOUS TANK AND TRACTOR BATTALIONS, which was RESTRICTED wnen published in 1950 and reflects lessons learned in the PTO. This is the cookbook on LVT warfare, so much so it shows how to assault with them, wave composition, which element goes where and more, Unit breakdowns go as far as crews of individual LVTs. https://archive.org/details/FM17-341950/mode/2up Posting here because this is applicable to CMBN and CMBB. Regards, John Kettler

Under Photos, each thumbnail is a separate image category and has pages on pages of pics. Has movies, timeline, resources, even songs! http://www.warsawuprising.com Regards, John Kettler

Many of you have seen @BudBacker's wonderful comic AARs and thought he and you might appreciate seeing something similar done by one of my CoC colleagues, who has been sent the link to Bud's AARs. Just click the pic to go to the flip presentation on FB. Regards, John Kettler

Bozowans, Believe it was at Anzio (check The Ordnance Corps: From Beachead to Battlefront under 4.2 chemical mortar on Hyperwar), but a US 4.2 inch mortar dropped one right though the open commander's hatch on a Mark IV, killing it outright but somehow, I believe, not blowing up the tank. Memory's a bit hazy, but the dropping it through the open hatch part is rock solid. Also, over on CMBS, Haiduk produced pics of a T-64BV that sustained a direct 120 mm mortar hit on the turret roof near a hatch. Detonation blew the gunner's hatch clean off and stripped almost everything off the turret roof, I believe, together with its welded on mounting collar. The below pic says this was 122 mm, which almost certainly makes it FA, not mortar, but am pretty sure what I originally read said 120 mm mortar. Either way, and admittedly with better explosives by some margin over straight TNT fill for US WW II, this is the kind of damage it inflicted. In the Reddit thread where I found that pic, one of the comments is that the commenter says an 81 mm mortar did that, to which I reply bunk! As it happens, I know of an incident from WW II in which a tank (the weakly armored British Mark VI light tank) took a direct roof hit during the Battle of Crete from a German 8 cm mortar bomb. It blew the hatch open and wounded the TC on the hand. Regards, John Kettler ,

wadepm, In every translation I've read, the round is called "arrowhead" and isn't APDS but APCR/HVAP/Hartkern. There was no HEAT, either, just HE frag. The No. 4 round in top pic is arrowhead, so you can see exactly why it was called that. To my best awareness, the Soviets never got APDS fielded during the GPW. Believe they may've gotten a few rounds when the British sent two 17 pounder ATGs over for evaluation under Lend-Lease. https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/192373-overview-russian-anti-tank-ammunition/ Regards, John Kettler

It has a KV-1, the first major production model of the T-34/76, the T-34/76 M43 and the T-34/85. All but the last are nasty looking critters long in the field, whereas the T-34/85s look almost brand new, are in a kind of pale olive paint scheme, rather than the typical dark green, and sport crisp clear turret markings to boot. The M43 and the T-34/85 are both too early for the 1942 period of the film, but from a treadhead gloriousness perspective, despite being anachronistic, I doubt you'll care. There are some military technical problems many of you will spot, but again, not movie breakers, and there's so much to see am pretty sure has never been so fully depicted in a war movie. The panzers are well-executed conversions, which is why their fire control arrangements look just like those of the Russians. Suspect special tank interior sets were used, too, but it may be that the typical small stature generally of the Russians makes them look so roomy. Through the Cold War, at least, Soviet tankers weren't allowed to be taller than 5'5", but there's a guy in the film they probably had to grease to fit him in, a task made easier by being TC in a T-34/85. Regards, John Kettler

Believe I may've found the origins of calling Sherman tanks Ronsons. In The Brassey's Book of Military Blunders, it says the troops started calling the Sherman that during the Battle Kasserine, Pass to which I opine this likely was the result of encounters with the dreaded Mark IV Special, since it was eminently capable of smashing through the front armor of the otherwise well protected vs Panzer fire Sherman. Regards, John Kettler

This is simply wonderful news! The black steward who got his mortally wounded skipper out of harm's way manned the antiaircraft machine gun (for which he wasn't trained) and fought until he was out of ammo at Pearl Harbor is now going to have the next Ford-class carrier named for him. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/01/19/navy-once-called-him-unknown-negro-sailor-now-its-naming-carrier-after-him.html?fbclid=IwAR3UgaobCV86f6JqQTbvofOmO-9UXsPkKFG3Q9KB4um5dTZ7mPSJ3UyZ0_w Absolutely love this! Now, if we could rename all the carriers named for people who weren't great naval heroes, that would be grand, too. Regards, John Kettler

Erwin, You're twisted--which is why I like you! Regards, John Kettler

Meanwhile, if this is a real wheelchair ramp... Regards, John Kettler

Treadhead gloriousness galore in "Tankers"! Prepare to be astounded. There are some military technical issues, but compared to what you get to see, I doubt you'll care. Regards, John Kettler

The book is called Catch a Tiger and is hotly disputed by the Tank Museum, not least because the man who supposedly captured it in a hail of bullets, Major Lidderdale, says he wasn't there then. Here is the besta available information on the circumstances and cause of the loss of Tiger 131. Six parts of a page or so and lots of pics! Had no idea it was hit four times. https://blog.tiger-tank.com/tanks/tiger-131-new-story/ Regards, John Kettler

Here's a charming martial anecdote, but not the kind you'd typically expect. https://demimorgana.blogspot.com/2020/01/blast-from-past-1942.html?fbclid=IwAR0SxDloXGosYHFaNyEs4FMwxF68DKEd8zlXZRUjLp3w8IcmhPwjnluQuB8 Regards, John Kettler

A CoC colleague posted this great Military History piece. The presenter is way better with his delivery than just about anyone I've seen, too. Have this nagging memory of crossing paths last year with some book where Churchill tasked a British officer to secretly obtain and bring back a Tiger tank, but can't for the life of me recall the title. Anyone know this book? Regards, John Kettler

Fresh on the heels of having read over a dozen technothrillers, whodunits and spy novels (the last in two great 300 + page gulps), have begun again with nonfiction. Being unready to resume Island of Fire by Jason Marks, I instead plunged into the excellent but not easy to read (awkward type, insufficient contrast and text in the gutter, the part nearest the binding) The Brassey's Book of Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan. It's categorized by types of blunder, covers a vast span of history, some outright unknown to me, and has quite a few, also low contrast, illustrations. Love the book, but man, could it benefit from more attention to user friendliness! No complaints about the price, though, since I got it in Clearance at Half Price Books for a mere $3! 4.7 of 5 on Amazon and richly deserves the plaudits. Unlike the body text and the illos, the telling quotes are handled expertly: well chosen, big and bold. Charles Fair's superb From the Jaws of Victory would make a wonderful companion read after that, for it's more narrow in focus and goes into much greater depth. Erwin, Saw that one in the store and nearly bought the book you named. Looked like something right up my alley, a view confirmed by what you just said. Regards, John Kettler

Here is a great talk by Nicholas Moran (WoT's The Chieftain) on the myths of American armor of WW II. Regards, John Kettler

Attilaforfun, What an incredible find--and only posted two days ago! Just finished devouring the most comprehensive damage analysis I've ever seen regarding a warship sinking. In going through the bibliography, though, I didn't see a major reference I expected to see: Korotkin's seminal BATTLE DAMAGE TO SURFACE SHIPS DUING WORLD WAR II. https://archive.org/details/KorotkinBattleDamage/mode/2up Did see a great many items I'd love to read at some point in the future. Also, I felt the ability to compare and contrast the damage to the Kirishima's sister ship, the Hiei, was most useful. Regards, John Kettler