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Originally posted by Michael Emrys:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Andreas:

Not so good if it crashes down on your head though.

Which makes me wonder: Did any WW II tanks or other AFVs have springs or counterweights to make control of the movement of hatches easier and safer?

Michael </font>

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Originally posted by Dandelion:

Yes I can understand you conclusion there Jon. But I'm sorry, this text is filled with errors.

Cheers

Dandelion

*shrug* The French Army has never been my long suit. Since my original point was that the French used both Regt and Bde when referring to similarly sized units, and since that point isn't in dispute, I imagine that I'll live with the disappointment ;)

Also, bear in mind that I was specifically limiting my comments to late-WWII French forces.

Why do you think they used both terms? Oh, wait ...

the only French infantry brigades found in all of WWII ... are those that served with the British.
Which is as reasonable answer as any other I expect smile.gif

Regards

JonS

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Originally posted by SgtDuke6216:

We still use regiments in the USMC, but as stated by my esteemed coleauge from the 42d Infantry Division.

Right, but unless I miss my mark (quite possible I know) the structure of the USMC hasn't changed as much as the US Army.

Its what the Army jams into a brigade that make it not from the standard understanding of Military Structures. In the USMC there are generally 3 Battalions in a Regiment ... In the US Army there are generally 3 Battalions in a Brigade. I think they call it a Brigade is because its a combined arms force and there is no "true traditional" unit identity.
Right, and this is what I've been rather poorly trying to get at. For example, the 7th Marine Regiment is made up of 1/7th Bn, 2/7th Bn, and 3/7th Bn, i.e. all bns were formed as part of that regt.

Similarly, in WWII the US Army 16th Inf Regt (1st Inf Div) consisted of 1/16th, 2/16th, and 3/16th. However, in GW1, the 1st Brigade (1st Inf Div) consisted of 1st/34th Armor, 2d/34th Armor, and 5th/16th Infantry i.e. a mix of bns assigned to the bde. Each of the bns have a 'historical/parent regt' though, as is id'd in their name.

Regards

JonS

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Originally posted by Panther Commander:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Sirocco:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Panther Commander:

I've seen for the Pzkw IV A-D either 'stump' or 'stubbie' something like that.

I think that was a nickname for the main gun, rather than the tank itself. </font>
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Originally posted by Sirocco:

QUOTE]I have a vague recollection that the gun was referred to by that name when mounted on HT's. And wasn't the original StuG armed with the same main gun?

You are correct. The early Stug did have the same gun. At the same time. And as Andreas pointed out the PzkwIIIN was also armed with it. That was around June of 42.

I do know that there was a halftrack version that used the gun but have no idea when they started mounting them. Maybe Andreas has that information? :confused:

Panther Commander

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Originally posted by Andreas:

It is in all CM games, but I am damned if I can remember the number. It goes by the name of 'Stummel', which as said above, translates as 'stumb'.

It is the SdKfz 251/9. But when was the first one made? I haven't a clue. All my information on the German HT's just lumps them all together. No dates for anything specific.

Panther Commander

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Guest Mike

The French have a long history of using both Brigades and Regiments - in Nappy's time some Brigades might be 4 or 5 Battalions all of the same regiment - this occured a lot in 1812, and the Brigades were commanded by a Brigadier.

conversly with the "Amalgame" of about 1793 (I think), where the army of new keen enthusiastic volunteers was levened with elements of eth exiting Regular (ex Royal) army - a "unit" of 2 new and 1 old battalion was a Demi-Brigade. This term was replaced by "Regiment" with the advent of the empire under Napoleon in 1800 or so IIRC.

the New Zealand army currently has 1 infantry Regiment - the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.

the 1st Bn is the regualr infantry - and consists of 2 battalions!! (he he he!!) 1/1 and 2/1 Bn RNZIR are pretty competitive with each other and stationed at different barracks.

Originally 1/1 was the Bn stationed in Singapore as part of het "5 power" defence pact, while 2/1 was the NZ based part of the regular infantry, but that all changed in the early 90's when 1/1 was returned to NZ.

the remainder of the infantry is numbered from 2 upwards, and is the Territorial army - eg 2 (Cant NMWC) Bn RNZIR is the Canterbury-Marlborough-West Coat Bn. I forget all the numbers - I think there's 7 or 8 territorial Bn's.

I hope that's suitably confusing!! :eek:

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Since we're at slang, I've always wonderer why you guys called the Germans "Jerry".

Now, we French have called them many names (as is fit when you've been occupied for 4 years...).

In the beginning of the war, we called them "boche", because that's what the 1914-18 vets were calling them, but the word had an "old timer" ring to it, so we began to call them "Fritz", which in turn degenerated to "Frisés" and then "Fridolins", but the most used name must have been "Schleus".

This word in itself is kind of a mystery : the shleus were, as I understand it, some kind of desert tribe from North Africa, but then again the word itself, in its French phonetics, carries so much scorn and hate, it's now wonder why it sticked...

I know why the Tommies were called like that (FYI, it's because when they applied to service, the British soldiers had to fill and sign an identification chart, name, adress etc..., and the example chart they were all given bore the name "Tommy Atkins") , but Jerry ?

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Originally posted by Kobal2:

Hot damn. You know, I never even thought about "it's just a short for GER-mans" ? I've always thought of it as an "alternative" term, rather than a shortening nickname.

Yes, I'm stoopid. So ?

S'aright, lad. At least you're not an Aussie...

Did you know that those buggers have well over 400 expressions for the act of vomiting?

It's like the bloody Eskimos and snow...

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On "Jerry" for the Germans:

Some non-native English speakers may be unaware that the "G" in "German" is soft like the "J" in "Jerry" (as opposed to the hard "G" in "Gary" or "Gun"). And of course the "-y" sound is frequently added to words in English to make them more familiar or less threatening (as in "Billy" or "doggy").

Now here's what I want to know: why were American soldiers called "doughboys" during WW1, and why during WW2 were they called "dogfaces"?

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If you were on a German U-boat you might be attacked and sunk by brilliantly manned ships with names like "Crysanthemum," "Snowdrop," "Snowflake," "Pink," "Carnation," and so forth. Where's the dignity in having to say, "After eluding depth charges from the Pink, I was sunk by the Candytuft"? Similarly, we not only have a Firefly tank but also a Fairey Firefly fighter plane! Now I ask you...

Exactly right. I can see two reasons why you might want to call your warship Tulip. The first reason may have been pioneered by roman gladiators. There is something disarming about going into combat with someone named Tulip. Obviously they are some limp wristed SOB(s), and you, the attacker of Tulip is going to become overconfident, at least that is the hope ;p

The second reason I can think of us, is obviously to demean and humiliate your opponant. How manly can you feel after you lost a battle to something called the "Pancake Nannies" or "Tulip" or some other thilly name ;p

***Breaking News***

Today the pride of the German Navy, Bismark was sunk by the HMS Pancake Nannies.

You've just taken all will to fight from the Germans right there ;p

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Originally posted by Kobal2:

Hot damn. You know, I never even thought about "it's just a short for GER-mans" ? I've always thought of it as an "alternative" term, rather than a shortening nickname.

Yes, I'm stoopid. So ?

It is often spelled "Gerry" in period accounts, and according to Farley Mowat, "Gerald" was sometimes used.

CW soldiers serving in North Africa but especially in Italy often used "Tedeschi" or "Teds" to refer to the Germans, from the Italian word for such.

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