Vet 0369

On U.S. mortar rounds, at least the 60mm, there is a bore-riding pin that’s spring loaded to eject (about 30 meters IIRC) after the round leaves the tube to arm the fuse. I’m sure they can be removed with a little work. I know from experience of dropping an illum down the tube and having it start to tick in the tube, that they don’t always work as a safety. I’ve also had the pins bounce off my helmet as they exited the tube that the fuse can arm before the design distance.

One can probably compare it to the 1942 strike on Tokyo. While it might have done some appreciable damage, the main purpose might have been to force the Russians to redeploy air defense units to protect those vital assets. Either way, it’s a win for Ukraine.

I love this second picture.

Western energy companies will be tripping over each other to be “first in” as soon as the sanctions are removed.

The ones that ran to check on the others are the true leaders.

I found the best move of the proposal from Ukraine to be in the in the suggested make up of the countries that would agree to defend Ukraine from “Foreign aggression” would include “China!” Talk about putting China between a rock and a hard place!

With the last four civilians still alive in the city!

Has anyone been factoring in the feelings and attitudes of the indigenous Formosians? Perhaps the anger and resentment from Chang Kai Shek “appropriating their island has diminished since they were invaded and displaced by the Nationalists, but they definitely weren’t happy about it at the time. I have also read that the Formosans are still being treated as second class citizens. I might be hand probably are) wrong about that, but it is something to consider.

All males in the U.S. are required to register for Selective Service Within a specific time of their 18th birthday. A man or woman can enlist in the armed forces at 17-years old if they have signed permission of their parents or legal guardian. Audie Murphy, one of America’s most decorated soldiers of WWII enlisted in the U.S. Army at 15 or 16 by forging the permission. Eighteen and nineteen-year olds tend to feel they’re invulnerable, one of the reasons for being able to enlist at that age.

Look at the trees in the picture on the right. Do the trees in Chrimea already have leaves?

Ah, spin-off from “The Pirates of Penzance!”

So Putin’s vaunted “maneuvers” before the invasion might have been nothing more than an attempt to shake out the bad equipment from the bad stuff.

Perhaps his involvement is “as the bad example.”

Gee, and I always thought the primary prerequisite for a heart attack was actually having a heart!

Nope, WE (the US) can’t do that. That would be classified as an assassination of a foreign leader. President Ford issued an Executive Order to prohibit that (primarily aimed at the out of control CIA at that time) and every U.S. President has signed it since. I haven’t read it, but it has to be published in the Federal Register, and anyone can access to text through NARA.gov or Federalregister.gov. Of course, the sitting President can always remind the E.O., but I don’t anticipate that happening.

Agree! I don’t know if U.S. Army Landing forces used their armor the same way as the USMC did, but suspect that they did. USMC armor was used basically as support for the Grunts. If a Marine unit came up against a strong point that would be difficult for them to take, cave, bunker, etc., they would call in the tanks (light 37mm M5s) or M4s to reduce the strong points with HE or flame. There were very few tank to tank battles, primarily because the Japanese tanks were not very good. Unfortunately, later armor use and tactics were developed on European use because the Army could get more funds that way. Then, they believed their own propaganda. I’m pretty sure the USMC’s use of tanks during WWII formed a major part of its decision to divest of it’s armor and heavy artillery. They just don’t fit the USMC mission to “Seize and secure advanced naval bases.” In my humble opinion, the USMC has been used incorrectly since the Korean Conflict, primarily because they have been under an Army Overall Commander in every conflict since WWII.

Well, when the Commandant of the Marine Corps and his staff decided to decommission Marine Armor and long-range artillery, they commissioned a new infantry battalion. My take on that is they feel a Marine Infantry Battalion is equivalent to their previous armor and big guns. Can’t say I disagree

Old and dangerous thinking. In 1950/1951, the U.S. positioned only light and medium tanks in South Korea because the “Omnipotent” brass insisted that it wasn’t tank friendly terrain. When North Korea attacked, the attack was spearheaded by T-34s, which were considered medium to heavy armor. They weren’t stopped until the U.S. “heavy” artillery behind the Pusan perimeter. We wouldn’t give any heavy artillery to Syngman Rhee because we were afraid he’d start a war with them.

I’ll bet the drone operator spotted the tracks in the lower left, and just followed them. So much for concealment from ground fire. One really has to start thinking in three dimensions.

Ahaaaa, the “old clown car” deception where they come out of a building, walk a bit, make a left through the building and enter back into the the back door of the building they’re exiting from. Geo. Washington did that when he deceived the Redcoats in Boston by marching the same militia around and having them change their waistcoats when they were out of sight so the Redcoats thought they were different militias (June, 1775).

Perhaps he was.

Yes, they’re “being used for something.” I don’t know what they’re being used for though. My analysis from having used the M203 under-barrel and M79 (blooper) grenade launchers in the Marines is that this was a pretend display. First, what were the firing at? They didn’t use any sights, and fired using the knee or thigh instead of the shoulder, so they weren’t aiming at anything. And yes, I know they can be accurately used without the sights, but only by a very experienced Grenadier who has practiced it a lot, not by the average infantryman either Marine or soldier. Even the discharge didn’t sound right. It sounded more like a rifle discharge than the “bloop” of a grenade launcher. Maybe I’ve been away from them for too long, but it smells of BS to me. NOTE: I’m using an iPad, so that could be the issue with the sounds, and I didn’t see a rifle cartridge ejected, so I could be wrong.

Why is he being referred to as “infamous?” That’s usually reserved for bad guys. The attack on Pearl Harbor was “infamous.” We usually refer to good guys as “famous.”

Definitely not Russians or Ukrainians. Possibly Chechens fighting for Ukraine. I have to say that RPG gunner has brass ones. Too bad his ammo humper didn’t, and he had to keep running back to reload. I have to say, the ammo humper was probably the smarter of the two. I’d hazard a guess based on his staying somewhat under cover that this was an actual firefight.

I would assume it is one of three men; Bill H., The_Capt, or Steve. I’m leaning to either Bill H., or Steve since I get the impression that The_Capt is a serving Officer where the beard would violate uniform regulations. Nothing more than an impression though, so it could be any one of the three.