EELAM.

This is coolbert:

The EELAM Tamil Tiger bomb-chucker squadron is at work again.

The forces of the central government in Colombo seem to be powerless to stop these attacks.

"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!!??"

Again, the effect of these attacks is more economic than anything else. This time an oil storage depot was attacked. Sri Lanka is totally dependent on imported oil. Such an attack CAN HAVE devastating economic consequences. And more.

"One commercial airline, Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong, has announced that it is suspending flights to Sri Lanka indefinitely.

It had only recently resumed flights there after halting them in the wake of the rebels' first air attack a month ago."

Tourism is a major source of revenue for Sri Lanka. Cathay Pacific cancelling flights will hurt bad.

Read here what the South Asia Terrorism Portal [SATP] has to say about this attack.

[this particular web site, the SATP, gives you the intelligence dope, up-to-date, on all the various south Asian insurgencies. SATP is very professionally done, from sources that have a lot of experience with counter-insurgency!?]

Asymmetric warfare in action.

"Tora - Tora - Tora"

["Tora - Tora - Tora" is of course the code words signifying total surprise by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Tora = Tiger!]

coolbert.

5th Column.

This is coolbert:

Here is an interesting tidbit of info I picked up while re-reading the book, "Day of Deceit" by Robert Stinnett .

It seems that more than five years before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, American Naval Intelligence was keeping a close eye on Japanese nationals residing in Hawaii.

"part of a clandestine naval intelligence team ordered by President Roosevelt to meet and survey every Japanese vessel docking at Honolulu. As early as August 10, 1936"

Keeping a close eye on suspected subversives with the intention of incarcerating these persons in the event of war with Japan.

Incarceration with the intent to prevent a Fifth column of Japanese nationals from becoming a security nightmare.

President Roosevelt was fully aware of this "program" of identifying and photographing potential subversives, giving his full approval and acknowledgement.

"Every Japanese citizen or non citizen on the Island of Oahu who meets these Japanese ships or who has any connection with their officers and men should be secretly bur definitely identified and his or her name placed on a special list of those who would be the first to be placed in a concentration camp in the event of trouble."

The first to be placed [but not the last??!!] - - any connection - - his or her - - event of trouble [WAR]!!

Way before Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt did have the idea in his head that certain persons would have to be locked up in case of war!!

Roosevelt and Churchill both were cognizant of the danger from Fifth columnists and the danger posed by such subversives. The Spanish Civil War in particular highlighted the fact that "Fifth columns" of an ideological bent were a force that had to dealt with in case of war with the fascist powers.

It has often been suggested that the imprisonment in detention centers of Japanese-Americans and Japanese nationals during World War Two [WW2] was the result of "stampeding". Roosevelt was "pressured " by Governors from west coast states to incarcerate the unfortunates because of "baseless" fear. Rather, Roosevelt was WAY AHEAD of the learning curve on this one!

[about 100,000 persons of Japanese descent were locked up during WW2. 50 % were citizens, the remainder Japanese nationals, NOT citizens!!]

Read here further about the Sixth Column. From a WW2 era sci-fi book by the noted author Robert Heinlein. This was a new one on me. Deals with the so-called "ethnic bomb". A weapon that effects only certain racial or national groupings, leaving the remainder unscathed. It was NOT until the early 1970's, thirty years later, that this concept was first made public from governmental sources, and then only talked about in a theoretical manner [and then in hushed tones too].

coolbert.

Blue Angels.

This is coolbert:

Another Blue Angel has died in an aerial mishap. This does occur from time to time with those aerobatic demonstration teams. The Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds. Doing high-risk maneuvers at very low altitude under conditions pilots normally do not find themselves under.

Condolences are in order for the family of Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis, USN. The person of "Kojak", a brave young American, will be missed.

"The squadron's six F/A-18 Hornets routinely streak low over crowds of thousand at supersonic speeds, coming within feet, sometimes inches, of each other, the team's last fatal crash happened in 1999."

An investigation is underway and it will be about two weeks before some preliminary results are forthcoming.

There is something about these aerobatic demonstrators [pilots] that would seem to place them at even greater risk:

"The Blue Angels are unique from other jet aviators because they do not wear the traditional G-suits that most jet pilots wear to prevent blackout during maneuvers that exert strong gravitational forces. The suits inflate around the lower body to keep blood int he brain, but that could cause a pilot to bump the control stick - - a potentially deadly move when flying inches from other planes."

G-LOC [G-force loss of consciousness]. Flying modern combat aircraft at the very edge of technology and performing maneuvers of a risky nature has placed the human body in situations beyond what it was intended to do.

From time to time, after these accidents involving the flight demonstration teams, it is suggested that these exhibitions with the high risk maneuvers are not worth it. Too dangerous for all, not a suitable reason to place pilots in precarious positions.

That is debatable. The air shows where the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds demonstrate flying skill beyond those of ordinary men are a lot of fun to watch. It is amazing what these skilled pilots can do. I saw an exhibition of the Thunderbirds a number of years ago and was lucky enough to have a jet make a high speed pass over my head so low that I was enveloped by kerosene fumes. Quite an experience! And all that with the pilot flying upside down the whole way!!

This accident was the result of the pilot not wearing the G-suit? Hard to say for certain. The investigation will find the answer? We shall see!

coolbert.

Missing?

This is coolbert:

Here is more on that Iranian Revolutionary Guard General that is "missing". I guess the consensus is now that he has defected to "somewhere" [not necessarily the U.S.]

Also, an ex-FBI agent is now missing too. Has been abducted [?] by the Iranians and is being held as a hostage. Will be traded for the missing Iranian General?

The missing ex-agent is a man named Levinson. A Jewish name? That man, if Jewish, is going to have a hard time if he is in the hands of the Iranians. Has not been an FBI agent for the last ten years. Is out of the loop, so to speak. Merely a hostage being held for a trade. Of what worth?

And this Iranian, supposedly is MORE into the loop that folks think. He was reported to have "retired". But according to some accounts, has his finger STILL into all sorts of stuff that is of concern to western powers and Israel?

There is a large, world-wide, group of Iranian expatriates who desire a return to normality in their homeland. Work to achieve "regime change". Have not been successful so far. They are behind the scenes with the Iranian General and his "defection"? NONE of this is clear.

coolbert.

Sultana.

This is coolbert:

ON THIS DATE IN THE YEAR 1865:

"The steamboat Sultana was a Mississippi River paddlewheeler destroyed in an explosion on 27 April 1865, resulting in the greatest maritime disaster in United States history. An estimated 1,700 of the Sultana's 2,400 passengers were killed when one of the overcrowded ship's four boilers exploded and the Sultana sank not far from Memphis, Tennessee."

"Most of these new passengers were Union soldiers (mostly from Ohio) just released from Confederate prison camps such as Cahawba and Andersonville."

"Newspaper accounts indicate that the people of Memphis took the victims of the disaster to heart despite the fact that they had until recently been enemies."

Union soldiers, recently released from a Confederate POW camps, on their way home, met unexpected death.

[numbers not clear, but in excess of 1,000 former POW's died that day.]

This maritime disaster is the worst in U.S. history. More dead than even the Titanic.

That POW's die after hostilities cease is NOT unheard of. I recall seeing a program on television about Canadian soldiers during World War Two [WW2] that were prisoners of the Japanese. Had been part of the British force defending Hong Kong on 7 December. Suffered terribly during their imprisonment and ended the war on the island of Formosa. B-29 bombers dropped one ton pallets of relief supplies to the survivors via parachute. The newly freed Canadians rushed out to grab the pallets as they descended and were crushed and KILLED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE PLUMMETING OBJECTS.

A bad way to end the war after having survived much misery and torment!!

coolbert.

Tattoo!

This is coolbert:

This one will cause problems, wait and see!

From the latest issue of the Chicago Tribune:

"New Mexico."

"Guard commander slams tattoo search"

"Albuquerque - - The commander of New Mexico's National Guard is demanding an apology from the Army after dozens of his soldiers in a mostly Hispanic unit were ordered to strip to their gym shorts and searched for gang tattoos while on duty in Kuwait.

Army Officials said the searches last May of 58 New Mexico [NM] National Guardsmen in a unit called Task Force Cobra were proper and legal."

That street gang members would join the military is not unheard of. There was an incident a number of years ago at Camp Pendleton where a Marine Lt. Col. was killed by an enlisted man after a verbal "dispute". It was noticed that this enlisted man had a tattoo of a TEAR below one eye. That is a symbol designating a gang member that has killed a rival on the street. Evidently this enlisted man HAD BEEN a gang member prior to joining the Marines and had done some previous mayhem of a very serious nature.

Even though these searches in all likelihood were legal and proper, the very nature of what occurred will leave a sour taste with many.

We have not heard the last of this!!?? Searching for a tattoo also can be considered a form of military prophylactics? Subject to infection and such. Additional legal cover, albeit specious!

coolbert.

Defeat!

This is coolbert:

Here is a concise web article that describes:

"Top 8 Roman Military Defeats"

Mind you, defeats now, not victories.

Rome lasted a long time, and we think of Rome as being the GREAT WORLD POWER of it's day. The road to greatness, however, had a number of significant military defeats along the way that would have disheartened a lesser people. NOT the Romans.

"Which were the worst military defeats in Ancient Rome? Were they the ones that from our perspective changed history or the ones that the Romans held up as cautionary tales -- the ones that made them stronger?"

The Romans were excellent at analyzing "what went wrong" and formulating solutions that would not only prevent a recurrence, but made them stronger and better.

America in the war against the jihadi must be the same way. The U.S. did profit from mistakes made in Vietnam, realizing that changes were imperative, adjusted accordingly, and was victorious in the First Gulf War. Lessons will have to learned from the current war, and adjustments made. Despair will not do any good!!

coolbert.

Comfort?

This is coolbert:

"Hey GI, got gum??"

Here is a headline from today's Chicago Tribune:

"U.S. let Japanese coerce 'comfort women' for GIs"

This is really bound to raise some hackles!!

The entire issue of "comfort women" being used by the Japanese Army in World War Two [WW2] to satisfy the sexual desires of the Japanese soldier has been highly documented for some time now. A very sensitive issue throughout Japan and indeed the entire Orient. Young women, usually Koreans, but also Chinese were IMPRESSED into what was tantamount to slave labor, "servicing" the Japanese soldier.

This is an issue that never seems to go away. The present Japanese Prime Minister Abe just recently made some comments on the subject that were considered to be "controversial".

And now this.

"TOKYO -- Japan's abhorrent practice of enslaving women to provide sex for its troops in World War II has a little-known sequel: After its surrender -- with tacit approval from U.S. occupation authorities -- Japan set up a similar "comfort women" system for American GIs."

A similar system - - was set up - - in Japan - - after the war - - to satisfy the sexual lust of the occupying American soldiers!!??

The first question I have is, does any of this surprise anyone?? I would think not.

Extracts from the Tribune article with my comments [in bold].

"The strategy was, through the special work of experienced women, to create a breakwater to protect regular women and girls."

I guess the impression of the Japanese was that the American troops would behave as the Japanese troops did all throughout the Pacific theatre, raping and molesting with abandon the local women!!

"there were a great deal of apprehensions at first. But they were paid highly and they gradually came to accept their work peacefully."

They were paid highly!! Those women the Japanese raped in Nanking were not paid highly, they were first raped, and then executed. My understanding is that most of the comfort women serving the Japanese Army, in bondage as they were, RECEIVED NO PAY!!

"On Aug. 28, 1945, an advance wave of occupation troops arrived in Atsugi, just south of Tokyo. By nightfall, the troops found the RAA's first brothel."

These guys [Americans] were "randy" and ready to go, were they not!!!???

"Police officials and Tokyo businessmen established a network of brothels"

When they say "Tokyo businessman", read correctly THE YAKUZA!!! Japanese organized crime [mafia].

"I rushed there [to the brothel] was surprised to see 500 or 600 soldiers standing in line on the street"

Well, who was guarding the hen house at the time!!??

"the charge for a short session with a prostitute was 15 yen, or about a dollar, roughly the cost of half a pack of cigarettes."

At the time, in Japan, if you HAD half a pack of cigarettes, you could probably buy or barter for just about anything you wanted.

"By the end of 1945, about 350,000 U.S. troops were occupying Japan."

This figure of occupation troops seems way too high??!!

"Amid complaints from military chaplains and concerns that the brothels would embarrass the occupation forces when disclosed back in the U.S., on March 25, 1946, MacArthur placed all brothels, comfort stations and other places of prostitution off limits."

I bet those chaplains were NOT TOO WELL LIKED after that!!

Was this sexual slavery on the same level as the Japanese exploitation of the "comfort women"??!!

I say NO!! BUT, it will be portrayed as being so!!

This almost sounds as if it is an effort on the part of some to say to the world, "well, we [the Japanese Army] had sexual slaves, yes, we did, but so did the Americans!!"

coolbert.

Archaic?

This is coolbert:

From a comment made to the blog:

"But I am not surprised at the current problems with materials and parts. This kind of stuff just doesn't seem to be considered 'important' until there is a crisis."

"Nobody here thinks that we will actually need any old, 20th century technology like armor plating. I mean, we will have composites and satellites and lasers and stealth fighters and we will kick ass with that. Bullets and boots are passe', right?. Somebody forgot to tell our enemies that."

I would think that if after the first Gulf War, you had told someone that in about ten years or so in the future, the U.S. Army will be bringing out of mothballs weaponry first designed in the 1950's and re-issuing to troops, most everyone would have said that this was a nutty person talking.

I am thinking here of the M-14 rifle, the M-60 machine gun, the M-113 "Gavin" APC.

And of course let us not forget the venerable and "retired" forty-five [.45] autoloading pistol. Designed almost one hundred years ago now!! Also being issued to the troops in Iraq.

Wondrous things can be done with those "old-fashioned" weapons. Very useful in the current Iraqi situation. Those 7.62 NATO rounds chew things up good. And the APC can be re-furbished with slat armor, a souped up engine, spall lining, and gun shields for the machine gunner operating the fifty caliber [MG] out of the top hatch.

[whose idea was it in the first place to remove those gun shields after all??!! Were effective for the ACAV [armored cavalry] in Vietnam. Still useful now!!]

I can fully understand too why the U.S. Army and other federal agencies adopted the Beretta 9mm handgun as the standard sidearm. A NATO compatible round. And at the time of adoption, federal agencies were using no less than twenty five different types of handguns. I am talking about Army, Secret Service, FBI, FPS, Border Patrol, etc. There was a strong reason to standardize. But now, facing a fanatical enemy [an enemy sometimes on "buzz" [BZ]], engaging in city fight and close-quarters combat, the forty-five is way more useful.

Well, after World War Two, the thought was, as the comment says, THE NEXT WAR WILL BE A PUSH BUTTON AFFAIR WITH NUKES, AND THAT WILL BE THAT!! Did not transpire.

Hey, even experts can be wrong.

coolbert.

ONLY?

This is coolbert:

"I knew it was bad, but not that bad!!" - - General Alexander Lebed

Here are excerpts from a CQ Radio interview with Congressman Duncan Hunter. Republican now running for President.

Thanks to the excellent blog Captains' Quarters for the interview.

"Congressman Duncan Hunter, the Congressman has served 27 years in the House, chairing the House Armed Services Committee for four of them. He fought in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger units"

"And let me tell you as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee two years ago when our guys started getting hurt by roadside bombs in Iraq, I sent our teams out from the Armed Services Committee in Washington to find an American steel company that could make high-grade armor steel plate that we could put on the sides of our Humvees. We found only one company left in America still capable of making high-grade armor steel plate, and when the Swiss cut off our main guidance devices for our smart bombs because they didn’t like our Iraq policy, we could only find one company left in this country that still made those guidance devices."

"only one company left in America still capable of making high-grade armor steel plate"

ONLY ONE!!??

"only find one company left in this country that still made those guidance devices"

ONLY ONE!!??

coolbert.

Unmanned VIII.

This is coolbert:

Here is something that was a big surprise to me.

An article in Forbes magazine about the rotary engine. Called the Wankel after the German inventor. An engine that has been around for almost a century. An engine that back in the 1960's was touted as being the wave of the future. An internal combustion engine with a lot of advantages over the conventional four-stroke internal combustion engine as found in almost all gasoline power automobiles.

An engine whose highly touted positive features never became to be realized. Utilized by Mazda for automobiles but NEVER was a popular product. For reasons not entirely clear to me.

The Wankel rotary engine. Is now re-surfacing as being the ideal for a military application. That application being the power plant for unmanned aerial vehicles [UAV] .

Ideal from a number of standpoints:

* Forty parts total in the rotary engine. A conventional internal combustion has on average forty MOVING parts alone!

* Weight to power ratio bests existing engines by 100 %!

* More dependable. ONLY twelve moving parts in the rotary with better gas mileage as well!

It seems that the Wankel rotary engine DOES have inherent advantages with regard to aircraft applications. Advantages, again, to include:

* "very few moving parts, making it more dependable."

* "much better power-to-weight ratio"

* "smaller, thus enabling more efficient engine cowl design.

* "runs with a smoothness more akin to turbine engines . . . reducing airframe vibration and occupant fatigue."

"They are increasingly being found in roles where their compact size and quiet operation is important, notably in drones, or UAVs."

[and is quiet too. I have an airfield just west of where I live. Has a very active flying club and school. They fly the Katana aircraft. Beautifully designed and efficient airplane sporting the Wankel. Katana pass over my house all the time and are almost silent. Amazing.]

The particular rotary engine as shown in the Forbes article is the Radmax. Read about it here.

Got rotary engine stock? If not, go buy! NOW!

coolbert.

Morris.

This is coolbert:

"Preserving my people is more important than universal moral concepts." - - Benny Morris.

Read about the Israeli historian Benny Morris. A person we can best describe as being controversial.

Is the unofficial spokesman for the Israeli group called the New Historians.

"The New Historians are a loosely-defined group of Israeli historians who have published new and controversial views of matters concerning Israel, particularly events concerning its birth in 1948"

Here is an interview of Benny Morris by an Israeli journalist:

http://www.logosjournal.com/morris.htm

Here is an essay by Benny Morris concerning the nuclear threat posed to Israel by Iran:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467762531&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

Read also some articles critical of Morris:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/3409

http://www.meforum.org/article/466

"When the choice is between destroying or being destroyed, it's better to destroy." - - Benny Morris.

coolbert.

Britishers IV. [conclusion]

This is coolbert:

"Brain washing" was the term first used in the context of the interrogations and systematic psychological conditioning applied to captives of the communist forces during the Korean War.

Systematic psychological conditioning applied by communist experts, trained in psychology and interrogation techniques, designed to break the minds, hearts, spirits, will of the allied captives.

"The term xi năo, the Chinese term literally translated as 'to wash the brain' originally referred to methodologies of coercive persuasion used in the 'reconstruction' of the so-called feudal thought-patterns of Chinese citizens raised under pre-revolutionary régimes"

IN THE IDEOLOGICAL CONTEXT, THE COMMUNIST SOUGHT NOT ONLY TO CONTROL THE BODIES OF THE ALLIED CAPTIVES, THEY SOUGHT TO CONTROL THE MINDS AS WELL.

This sort of psychological "warfare", applied as it was to allied POW's [and civilians too], was unprecedented [?] and unanticipated by American and other United Nations military commanders. There was not any experience with this sort of thing.

"The term [brain washing] first came into use in the United States in the 1950s during the Korean War, to describe those same methods as applied by the Chinese communists to attempt deep and permanent behavioral changes in foreign prisoners"

The book "George Blake - - Double Agent", has several chapters describing the experiences of PROTECTED BRITISH CIVILIANS undergoing "brainwashing" at the hands of the communists.

[when I speak of "PROTECTED CIVILIANS", I am speaking of accredited diplomats and middle-aged civilians that were primarily missionaries and social workers. Innocuous persons that would not hurt a fly!!]

Brainwashing as carried out by Soviet And Chinese communist experts. Brainwashing efforts designed to "turn" the captives and convince them that the communist cause in Korea was righteous. Demonstrate to the captives and convince them of the superiority of the communist system and how it WAS and SHOULD BE the "wave of the future".

These brainwashing attempts were done ONLY AFTER subjecting the British captives to terribly harsh treatment. Physical abuse, starvation, forced marches, execution, exposure to the elements. All this done to middle-aged and even elderly people!

"One can scarcely imagine a less propitious moment to try and convince European prisoners that the Communist cause win Korea was just, or that it was likely to succeed. Yet, the Communists began their essays at indoctrination . . ."

[it was also true that the British captives of the communists, the civilians at any rate, were almost without exception highly educated persons of the world with a lot of life experience. NOT persons to be easily fooled or swayed by arguments of questionable nature!!]

Communist attempts at indoctrination and brainwashing of the British captives and for that matter other POW's was noted in a post-war report by an American psychiatrist who was able to observe:

"The brainwashing of the prisoners in Korean caps was essentially an attempt to destroy the individual's previous personality and remold it in terms of Communist ideology. It is a process of death and rebirth, and thought few left the prison camps as convinced Communists, none emerged from the ordeal unscathed."

Prisoners subject to brainwashing could also be categorized as being:

* "Apparent converts."

* "Obviously confused."

* "Apparent resisters."

However, it was noted that EVEN AMONG THE RESISTERS:

"Had gained the conviction that reforms of the social and economic system in the West were necessary."

THESE CONVICTIONS THAT CHANGE WAS NECESSARY LED TO DELAYED REACTIONS IN THE CAPTIVES AFTER RELEASE!!

Blake himself in the aftermath of the Korean War continued his career in the British Secret Intelligence Service [MI6], all the while betraying uncountable secrets to the Soviets!! What sort of delayed reaction occurred there!!??

I would also have to assume that prisoners of the jihadi, or even Islamicist governments, such as the regime of Iran, would also be subjected to some sort of "brainwashing".

I get the distinct impression that the Islamic fundamentalist is almost DESPERATE to convert the whole world to his religion and will make almost any effort even to get one "non-believer" to see the truth. Subject the captive to a continuous barrage of religious proselytization with the intention of conversion. And if not direct conversion, cause confusion in the mind of the prisoner, anxiety and disillusion.

"Your way is corrupt, decadent, evil, a festering cesspool of abomination. Our way is the pure way of truth. Surely you can see this. Become a Muslim and join us."

I can hear it now!!

[I am not sure what exactly happened to those folks held captive by the Hezbollah in Lebanon for years on end. Some were religious persons themselves, Father Jenko for instance. Were efforts made to convert them too!? This I am not aware of!]

I understand there is a novel by H.G. Wells, written about 100 years ago now, that deals with a group of secular, non-religious Britons being held prisoner by the "dervish" [jihadis of 100 years ago were referred to as the "dervish"], and the attempts to convert them to the Islamic cause. Trying to find out more about this. Will let you know what I find.

coolbert.

Cho.

This is coolbert:

Michael Savage is talking last night about the mass murderer Cho.

The consensus opinion is that this man was a deranged wacko, running amok without any real rational motivation. A lunatic suffering from mental illness.

Savage asks the question if this is 100 % entirely true. ARE WE so sure about this? The deranged lone wacko dimension?

The suggestion is made, albeit tangentially, that maybe Cho is more than what he seems? More than just the lunatic. A jihadi is some regard?

Well, the first thing that went through my mind, as it did with the Utah mall killings, is that perhaps this was the lone-wolf jihadi run amok.

[Since 9/11, THAT IS THE FIRST INSTINCTIVE MENTAL RESPONSE I HAVE TO THESE “INCIDENTS”. LONE-WOLF JIHADI. AN ISLAMIC JIHADI RUNNING AMOK AS WOULD A MORO FROM THE LAND OF THE SULU SEA! When you hear the name Cho, and learn that he is South Korean born, well, that totally changes your perspective.]

Savage, on his program, does bring up some interesting items and tidbits concerning Cho and his family.

Tidbits such as:

* “Call me Ishmael” - - the return addressee given on the “manifesto” of Cho, as sent through the mail.

And - - the first words from the novel “Moby Dick”.

Ishmael, in the Bible, is of course the offspring of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian, the handmaiden of Sarai [latter to become Sarah.] . Ishmael is considered to be the “father” of the Arabic peoples. Recognized as being such by the Jews and modern Arabs both. IS THERE SOME SIGNIFICANCE TO CHO REFERRING TO HIMSELF AS ISHMAEL!!??

"The name [Ishmael] has come to symbolize orphans, exiles, and social outcasts . . . a feeling of alienation from human society."

[in the Bible, the Arabs are referred to as the sons of Ishmael, “troublesome and quarrelsome, living amongst their brother.”]

* The father of Cho worked as a construction worker for TEN YEARS in Saudi Arabia. To gather the necessary sum of capital prior to immigrating to the U.S. and opening a dry cleaning business. During that time, did Cho or any other members of his family become Muslims?

[there ARE about 40,000 Muslims living in South Korea. Converted to Islam during the Korean War by soldiers of the Turkish Brigade! This was a surprise to me!]

* Cho apparently went through some sort of ritualistic ablutions prior to going on his “spree”. This can be taken in an Islamic context as a “cleansing” for those embarking on a martyrdom mission?? Of course, Travis Bickle in the movie “Taxi Driver” shaved his head into a “Mohawk” before he set forth on his “mission”. Maybe all sorts of “strange” persons go through ablutions for various reasons?

"ab·lu·tion n. - - A washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite."

[you can make a point that Cho blew away students that were Muslim. So did the hijackers on 9/11 kill Muslims too!]

There maybe is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO THIS SPECULATION!! Cho is all likelihood THE DERANGED WACKO HE HAS BEEN PORTRAYED AS BEING! Nothing more to it.

But, do all angles need to be looked at? Islamic connection and such?

In my opinion, YES!

coolbert.

Manufacturers.

This is coolbert:

Here is a list of U.S. aircraft manufacturers that built combat aircraft during World War Two [WW2].

Grumman. [fighter]

Lockheed. [fighter]

Chance-Vought. [fighter]

Bell. [fighter]

Curtiss-Wright. [fighter]

Republic. [fighter]

North American. [fighter and bomber]

Northrup. [night fighter]

Douglas. [torpedo bomber]

Boeing. [bomber]

Martin. [bomber and seaplane]

Consolidated. [bomber]

At least twelve major manufacturers, undoubtedly with a myriad number of sub-contractors.

Today, the number of U.S. manufacturers building combat aircraft [fixed wing] is ONLY three. The three remaining firms are Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrup/Grumman.

[the latter making only the B-2 and nothing else??!!]

The dearth of airplane manufacturers in the U.S. is recognized as a problem for the military. Innovation is felt to be lacking and is a concern?!

"A healthy industrial base must have prolonged investment to maintain adequate diversity and thereby enable innovation and workforce renewal. Variety encourages competitiveness in an environment of changing technology, just as multiple firms facilitate efficient operations and adaptation. Additionally, industry needs a workforce large enough so that older, experienced workers train their eventual replacements. A recent decline in the number of firms and experienced workers suggests that the health of the American aircraft industry is deteriorating."

"The decline in aircraft production has contributed to industry consolidation because smaller procurement quantities and fewer aircraft programs can sustain only a few firms . . . resulting in lower variety, which may adversely affect technological innovation. Innovation does not occur in isolation."

See this graphic which illustrates how U.S. combat aircraft manufacturers have consolidated, merged, or gone out of business, leaving only three firms left.



[click on the image to see an enlarged version!]

Surprisingly, even the Soviet communists encouraged the free enterprise system when it came to aircraft design. A considerable number of "design bureaus" simultaneously developed combat aircraft, each seeking to come up with an innovative way to achieve the performance specifications. "Bureaus" such as Mikoyan-Guryevich [MiG], Tupelov, Antonov, Sukhoi, Yakolev, etc. Competitiveness leading to startling, innovative designs that fulfilled specs as laid out by the military.

coolbert.

Coastal Artillery.

This is coolbert:

You learn things in the strangest of places. Watching on TV the other night some film footage of coastal artillery guns in operation.

Big bore land-based artillery designed to engage enemy ships.

These were coastal artillery guns of the “disappearing” variety. Primed, loaded, made ready for action below ground, within a steel and concrete fortress. Brought above ground, fire, recoil, and then are taken back below ground almost instantly. Taken below ground and back into the fortress by a combination of the gun's own recoil and a ponderous counter-weight, all connected to an elaborate mechanical apparatus.




"When a lever is pulled, a lead counterweight drops and the aimed barrel rises to the firing position. After the gun is fired, its recoil drops the gun below the parapet."



These "disappearing" guns were almost totally impervious from enemy fire. NOT exposed during that time to counter-battery fire from any approaching enemy ships.

"This feature made the gun invisible to enemy ships and protected the crew during loading."

[even during World War Two [WW2], the U.S. did have coastal artillery ready to use if necessary. There is an island out in the middle of Boston harbor that had sixteen inch [16"] naval guns available if say the Bismarck approached. Never did fire a shot in anger, but could have!!]

Strangely enough, this film footage was part of a "Three Stooges" episode. Incorporated into the screwy and goofball plot where "The Boys" hijack a submarine and are porpoising toward shore. Surrender to the commander of the coastal artillery unit and turn "enemy spies" over to the unit commander.

You know, the Stooges, being - - Stooges!!

[Mind you now, I only came across this by accident, while trawling the channels for "entertainment".]

Coastal artillery. Gone forever now, but thanks to the “Stooges”, not forgotten.

Thank you Moe, Larry, and Curly!!

coolbert

Britishers III.

This is coolbert:
From a comment to the blog:

"I just wish they had put up an un-cringeworthy performance. Was that too much to expect?"

Another incident of what would be appear to be cringing submission would be the capture of the U.S.S Pueblo, 1968.

From back in my day. An "incident", that believe me, WAS REALLY BIG FROM SEVERAL STANDPOINTS!!

Captured by the forces of North Korea, and basically without a shot being fired. The crew of the Pueblo then held for eleven months, having to make propaganda broadcasts for the North Koreans, some sailors cooperating during interrogation with their captors.

I was on duty the day the Pueblo was captured and remember the event well. All of us were surprised that SUCH A THING COULD EVEN HAPPEN!! This was the FIRST TIME SINCE THE WAR OF 1812 THAT AN AMERICAN WARSHIP WAS BOARDED AND CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY. Again, without a SHOT EVEN HAVING BEEN FIRED!!

[shots were fired, and a sailor killed. But by that time, the ship had already more or less given up.]

This incident was perhaps the greatest disgrace to occur to the U.S. military during the Cold War!? Very humiliating to begin with. And for the North Koreans and reportedly the Soviets as well, the capture of the Pueblo, intact, was an intelligence gold mine of the highest order. I would have to think that A LOT OF DAMAGE WAS DONE BY JUST THIS ONE INCIDENT!!

It is true that the crew of the Pueblo was subjected to harsh treatment, beatings by North Korean martial artists [tae kwon do] seeming to be meted out on a daily basis, for absolutely no reason whatsoever [an intimidation technique].

And in all likelihood the crew of the Pueblo neither had SERE training, a capacity for defense, or even the remotest expectation of being attacked in the first place, much less defending themselves. WHAT OCCURRED TO THEM WAS TOTALLY OUT OF THE BLUE, UNEXPECTED, AND CALAMITOUS.

WHATEVER FIGHT EXISTED IN THOSE SAILORS TO BEGIN WITH JUST SEEMED TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THEM FROM THE VERY START!! THESE GUYS WERE JUST NOT PREPARED IN THE SLIGHTEST WAY FOR WHAT HAPPENED!!

Also, please understand this carefully. I do not for a moment underestimate the danger those sailors were in. The North Korean is probably among the most, if not the most, cruelest, sadistic, meanest bunch around. DO NOT expect even the slightest bit of mercy from any of them. This I well understand.

[with one exception. There was one Marine on board the Pueblo. This man reportedly did fight back and was able to resist with honor the attacks upon his person and stood up to the mistreatment!! Bully to him!!]

The Pueblo is now a museum piece docked in Wan'po harbor. A tourist attraction?! [I would have to think there are few tourists in North Korean.] The U.S. Navy, I would think, has never forgotten the Pueblo and the humiliation it suffered. One of these days, when North Korea goes under [if and when], I bet there are plans in the works to recover that ship. Honor must be redeemed!!

coolbert.

Private?

This is coolbert:

“Give us this day, our daily PKM!!” - - Bert.

Interesting article in the Chicago Tribune today. Concerns the private contractors hired out to provide “security” in Iraq.

“Hired guns are wild cards in Iraq war.”

The private contractors provide “security” for the employees of American companies working in Iraq. Companies such as Halliburton.

Private contractors such as Triple Canopy. A firm run by U.S. retired Special Forces officers. Hire Americans [ex-Marines, Special Operations types, etc.] to act as “guards”, providing “security”.

That term "Triple Canopy" in the Vietnam context refers to "the layered canopy jungle where some of the key founding members received their training; it also refers to the distinction among U.S. Army personnel of having earned all of the Ranger, Airborne, and Special Forces tabs."

Young men, ex-military, lured by outrageous salaries [$500 per day]. Work in civilian clothes, wearing body armor and carrying the M-4 rifle.

[that $500 per day is about what a nude female dancer at a Gentlemen’s Club would get also!]

[Triple Canopy also employs ex-military from the Fiji Islands. These “workers” get paid only $70 per day, even thought they run the same risks and perform the same duties as the American “guards”. Fijians have an excellent military reputation. From a warrior society and known for their military prowess!]

It seems that some of the “guards” are accused of trigger-happiness. Shooting their weapons mainly for the fun of doing so. Acting in a heavy-handed manner, reckless and wanton??!!

IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THESE “GUARDS” OPERATE IN A LEGALLY GREY AREA!! THERE IS NO LAW THAT APPLIES TO THEM!!??

“Private contractors were granted immunity from the Iraqi legal process in 2004 by Paul Bremer, then head of the Coalition Provisional Authority . . . More recently, the military and Congress have moved to establish guidelines for prosecuting contractors under U.S. law or the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but the issue remains unresolved.”

On the front page of the Tribune is a picture of one such Triple Canopy “guard”. Aiming A PKM MACHINE GUN AT SOME TARGET! THAT SAME PKM THAT HAS BECOME SO UBIQUITOUS!! THIS PARTICULAR PKM MOUNTS A BOX MAGAZINE PROBABLY CONTAINING A LOT OF ROUNDS. THESE “GUARDS” ARE LOADED FOR BEAR!!

There are about 20,000 “Hired Guns” working as private guards in Iraq!! Some sort of control is needed over them??


coolbert.

P-39.

This is coolbert:

Here is an interesting article that describes how the Soviet pilots were able to put the P-39 AirCobra to good use.

A plane, the P-39, NOT liked by American pilots. Was sent as lend-lease to the Soviets by the thousands.

An aircraft that was deficient ABOVE 15,000 feet. Did NOT have a turbo-supercharger for the engine.

An aircraft of unusual design. Had the engine TO THE REAR OF THE PILOT!! Fired a cannon [37 mm] and machine guns [disabled in some instances at the insistence of the Soviets.].

Was utilized by the Soviet in roles that were commensurate with the aircraft's positive features. Below 15,000 feet, the P-39 WAS a good combat aircraft. In ABLE hands an effective dog-fighter. AGAIN, below 15,000 feet.

Roles filled by the P-39 included:

* "cover or protect ground forces."

* "escort Il-2 Shturmoviks or Pe-2 dive bombers."

* "reconnaissance, both air and ground."

* "'free hunt', wherein pairs of experienced Soviet fighter pilots were permitted to conduct deep penetrations of German airspace over land or sea to search for air or ground targets."

* "ground attack".

[this is another example of where an aircraft, or any other weapon system for that matter, has both positive and negative features [you have to assume there is NO IDEAL weapons system!!??]. Maximize your postive aspects and AVOID circumstances where the enemy can take advantage of your negatives. Simple!]

Read also about Pokryshkin. A Soviet ace that flew the P-39 and was more than successful.

"Guards Colonel Aleksandr Pokryshkin, who finished the war as the number two Soviet ace with 59 individual and 6 shared kills, reportedly flew the P-39 for 48 of his kills."

"When the Second World War ended Pokryshkin found himself shunned due to his war-time preference for non-Soviet aircraft [the P-39]."

"He fought in very complicated conditions: constant retreat, poor to no control and communication, overwhelming odds against superior opponent. He would later say 'one who hasn't fought in 1941–1942 has not truly tasted war'."

According to Suvorov, Pokryshkin is a legend in Soviet circles. The number two Soviet ace in World War Two. A natural!!?? NO matter what plane he flew in combat, he would do well.

"I saw Pokryshkin in battle when he had more than fifty German aircraft to his credit. Stalin personally issued an order that he was to be backed up by two squadrons. When he went hunting for enemy planes he would have his # 2 on his tail and two squadrons behind, one a little higher and the other a little lower." - - Major-general of the Air Force Kuchamov.

coolbert

Superfortress.

This is coolbert:

Here from "The Best of Yank - - The Army Weekly".

The construction of the B-29 bases at Chengdu, China.

Pick and shovel labor reminiscent of the building of the pyramids or the Great Wall of China. But being done in 1944. And on a rush basis.

As reported at the time by Sgt. Lou Stoumen.

"A SUPERFORTRESS BASE - - WESTERN CHINA."

"Half a million Chinese laborers, working from dawn till dusk and getting about 10 cents and a bowl of rice a day, built the vast system for forward airfields in China that made possible the first B-20 raid on the industrial heart of Japan.

Lt. Col. Waldo L. Kenerson of the U.S. Army Engineers, a native of Marblehead, Mass., supervised the construction of the air-base system,, together with officials of the Chinese Ministry of Communications. The bases form a great Chinese fan covering many square miles of former riceland. Several of the fields. are oversized and extra hard, so they can take the B-29s'. others are fighter fields, housing new high-altitude pursuit planes. Still others are outer ring emergency fields.

Army engineers have compared the job with the building of the Burma Road and the Great Wall of China. But they said the project was so vast and so quickly accomplished that it has no parallel in history.

On Apr. 24, 1944, just 90 days after the first dike was broken to drain the water from the rice paddies, the first B-29 landed on one of the airfields.

Individual GI's . . . had as many as 23,000 men working under them at one time.

While the plans [for the bases] were still on the drawing boards, the preliminary draining and clearing of the land was already in progress, and the Governor of "Air Base Province" . . . was already conscripting Chinese farmers for the heavy labor ahead. About 360,000 laborers were drafted.

The other 140,000 were employed as workers by private Chinese construction firms which had contracted to do various specific jobs, such as rice carriers, pay clerks, Red Cross workers and administrators servicing the armies of laborers.

Only in patient, hard-working China, with its manpower reservoir of 400 millions, could this job have done in such . . . time. 'I doubt very much,' said Lt. Col. Kenerson, 'if we could require a job of similar magnitude in the States to be completed within the time allowed, even with the skilled labor and mechanical equipment available.'
. . . .

The rice paddies were drained. The soft century old mud, sometimes six to nine feet deep, was carried away in the picturesque shoulder-borne tandem baskets so common throughout Asia. Tons of stones, worn round by the water, were carried from river beds to the strips in the same useful baskets. Large boulders were patiently crushed with small sledges, the fragments crushed again into gravel, the gravel carried in the baskets to the strips. Acres of dirt were dug up with iron Chinese tools, a cross between a pick and a shovel [a mattock]. The dirt was carried to the strips in the baskets by never-ending queues of workers - - men, women and children doing the job entirely by hand.

And then 10 ton rollers, some carved by hand from sandstone and others made of iron, were pulled by ropes by many hundreds of workers the wearying length and breadth of the strips. No bulldozers or other mechanical equipment had been flown across the hump to do the job, although there were a very few trucks with little gas on hand.

When the strips had been rolled, black tung oil - - a tarlike substance that comes from a Chinese tree - - was spread out to bind the dirt and gravel and help keep down the dust."

[tung oil is a particularly unique preservative that the Chinese are known to have used in the building of the Great Wall!!]

All done by hand - - pick and shovel - - no machinery - - men, women and children!! The most sophisticated aircraft in the world at the time operating out of airbases built by labor of the most menial variety!!??

The various Emperors of China have over the millennium used similar vast armies of conscripted laborers for the building of the Great Wall, the canals, etc. Enormous projects the canals of which ARE STILL IN USE AND THRIVING!!

These are the type of projects that at one time used to be near and dear to the hearts of Americans. Construction projects that were always touted as the biggest, the most expensive, the tallest, and all done in record time!!

You do not see that anymore.

Chengdu is a major city in China. I wonder if remnants of the air bases can be see with Google Earth. It would be interesting to find out.

coolbert.

Matterhorn.

This is coolbert:

Read here about the B-29 bomber, "Matterhorn", and the initial results.

"What was the most expensive military project of World War Two? ... It wasn't the atom bomb (the Manhattan Project). It was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Cost? $3 billion, the most expensive weapon of World War II."

[I had heard some time ago that the B-29 project and "Manhattan" had each cost $2 billion!!]

"Bombing Japan"

"After the Casablanca Conference in early 1943, President Roosevelt committed the United States to a heavy bombing campaign against Japan, at the earliest possible date. The B-29 was the only bomber with the range and payload needed . . . Roosevelt As plans for Operation Matterhorn took shape, they envisaged basing the B-29's in eastern India, flying them over 'the Hump,' staging/refueling at Chengtu in central China, and then bombing Japanese cities."

Further, concerning the FIRST attempt at strategic bombing of the Japanese homeland:

"The diminishing number of bombers at each stage of the mission illustrates the problems inherent in Operation Matterhorn:"

* 92 bombers left India.
* 79 reached the staging bases in China.
* 75 took off from the bases.
* 68 left China, the others aborted after take-off.
* 47 reached the target at Yawata.
* 15 bombed visually; 32 bombed by radar due to the weather.
* One bomb hit the target!

"Despite the failure of the raid in material damage, the press hailed it as a great victory"

One bomb hit!! A great victory??!! I think NOT!!

coolbert.

Lunar.

This is coolbert:

In this prior blog entry, I had mentioned some unusual celestial phenomenon that preceded or coincided with military events that were of a momentous nature. Unusual celestial phenomenon duly noted and taken into account by “wise men” of the time as a precursor or an omen of “things to come”.

[the term “wise men” as mentioned in the Bible more correctly translates as astrologer!!]

Phenomenon to include:

Total solar eclipse followed six days later by a total lunar eclipse - - 1400 B.C. - - Delhi [Kuravas vs Pandavas].

Total solar eclipse - - 1778 A.D. - - Falls of the Ohio [American vs. British].

Total solar eclipse - - 1914 A.D. - - Tannenberg. [German vs. Russian].

Annular solar eclipse - - 1876 - - Isandhlwana. [Zulu vs. British].

[at Isandhlwana, the eclipse actually took place while the battle was in progress. For a brief period, the battlefield became dark What the participants must have thought at that actual moment one can only guess at!!]

Haley’s Comet - - 66 A.D. [Jerusalem] - - 1066 A.D. [Hastings].

And this one too. Totally escaped me at the time. But is worthy of comment:

Total lunar eclipse - - 331 B.C. - - Gaugamela - - [Macedonians vs. Persian].

A total lunar eclipse that occurred just prior to the battle itself. A lunar eclipse observed by Babylonian “wise men” and interpreted according to astrological teachings. Interpretation that proved TO BE CORRECT!!

It would seem that Alexander the Great WAS DIVINELY ORDAINED TO BECOME RULER OF THE KNOWN WORLD!!?? Obvious to the initiated!!??

"Lunar eclipse. The lunar eclipse took place on 20 September 331 BC one hour and 10 minutes after sunset, while Saturn was present and Jupiter had set shortly before the eclipse was complete. A lunar eclipse while Jupiter was invisible was considered a bad omen for the reigning king. The presence of Saturn was also a bad sign.This will have added to the panic in the camp of Darius III."

"No Chaldaean could have been surprised by this outcome of the battle . . . Here is the explanation:"

"If on either the 13th or 14th Ulûlu the moon is dark; the watch passes and it is dark; his features are dark like lapis lazuli; he is obscured until his midpoint; the west quadrant - as it covered, the west wind blew; the sky is dark; his light is covered."

"[the significance is:] The son of the king will become purified for the throne but will not take the throne. An intruder will come with the princes of the west; for eight years he will exercise kingship; he will conquer the enemy army; there will be abundance and riches on his path; he will continually pursue his enemies; and his luck will not run out."

Could it also be that Alexander KNEW that this lunar eclipse was going to occur and took this into account as part of his campaign planning??

"The lunar eclipse is also known from Greek and Latin sources, which mention that Alexander sacrificed to the sun, moon, and earth (incidentally proving that the Macedonian king knew what caused an eclipse) . . . there is a lot more to be said about this omen."

Shock and awe? Psychological warfare? Read about a hand-cranked mechanical COMPUTER from the era of the ancient Greeks that DID allow for eclipse prediction. Amazing!!!

coolbert.

EFP.

This is coolbert:

Here is everything you always wanted to know about the latest jihadi/insurgent/guerrilla/terrorist weapon being used in Iraq.

The explosively form projectile [penetrator].

[is about the same size as a can of paint??!!]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_formed_penetrator

http://www.afrlhorizons.com/Briefs/Dec04/MN0407.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/bullets2-shaped-charge.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=1267763

"these particular shaped charges — which were pioneered by the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group — are constructed from a six-to-nine-inch steel pipe filled with explosives. One end of the pipe is sealed, and a curved copper or steel plate is fitted to the other end, forming a weapon that amounts to a giant bullet."

. . .

"The force from the explosives can send the projectile more than a mile per second, penetrating armor up to four inches thick at a range of more than 100 yards."

Often described as a copper slug of liquid metal about the size of your fist.

But not to be confused with the conventional and well-know shaped charge. Similar to, but not the same.

"Difference from conventional shaped charges"

"A conventional shaped charge has a generally conical metal liner that projects a hypervelocity jet of metal able to penetrate to great depths of into even armor steel"

An EFP . . . has a liner in the shape of a shallow dish. On detonating the explosive, the liner is transformed into a projected compact body of metal"



Clear to everyone? NOT exactly to me. A jet is more or less gaseous? Slug is compact liquid metal, not gaseous?

coolbert.

Britishers II.

This is coolbert:

“Rowe, just because the war will end one day, don’t think that means we have to send you home!!” - - VC interrogator speaking to Nick Rowe, American Special Forces man held captive in Vietnam for five years.

“One morning, I heard the nose of wood sawing and nails being hammered near my cell. I couldn’t work out what it was. Then a woman came into my cell to measure up from head to toe with a tape. She shouted the measurements to a man outside. I was convinced they were making my coffin.”

- - Faye Turney, the only woman in the detained British crew, explaining why she agreed to her captors’ demands to appear on Iranian TV to admit that the crew trespassed in Tehran’s waters.

[there is precedent for the Iranian behaving in such a manner. Colonel Leland Holland, senior U.S. military man present when the embassy in Tehran was taken over by Iranian “students” in 1979, reports that he and the other military personnel taken hostage were subjected to mock executions on a regular basis. The Iranian, according to the Colonel, seemed to derive some sort of pleasure from this, giggling and chuckling as they went through the motions!! These mock executions were carried out in such a manner that the hostages really had the thoughts enter their minds that THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE LAST MOMENTS FOR THEM ON EARTH!!]

As a military man [or woman for that matter!] you ARE EXPECTED to endure hardship if called for, as part of your duties. You may have to put up with extremes of heat, cold, hunger, thirst. Even as a prisoner-of-war, this is expected of you. To the best of your ability, you are EXPECTED to comport yourself with honor and dignity, maintaining discipline, NOT cooperating with the enemy. Again, to the best of your ability. YOU ARE NOT expected to resist extreme forms of maltreatment. If confronted with and subjected to the rack, the red hot iron, thumbscrews, other extreme forms of mistreatment or pain, compliance with the demands of the enemy is NOT considered to be cowardice, treason, etc. HUMAN ENDURANCE HAS A LIMIT, AND IS RECOGNIZED AS BEING SO!!

[John McCain admits that as a prisoner, he did give the enemy in Vietnam more than name, rank, and serial number. That was of course, after long and prolonged physical torture, on top of previous injuries for which he was denied medical treatment. McCain has nothing to ever be ashamed of!!]

I think that with the British prisoners/hostages, the threat and fear was more psychological rather than physical?! Fear that was nonetheless real and palpable. Fear, however, that should have been controlled??!!

coolbert.

Britishers I.

This is coolbert:
From a comment to the blog:

"May I ask you what you think of this?: http://tinyurl.com/2tgbga"

"Audie Murphy w/o pain receptors is not the model by which I judge the ex-hostage Brits. I just wish they had put up an un-cringeworthy performance. Was that too much to expect?"

[We are talking about the British Marines/sailors just recently released from captivity in Iran.]

Before I made this blog entry, I had to compose my thoughts carefully.

And also re-read some chapters from the book, "George Blake - - Double Agent".

"George Blake" deals in part with the travails of a group of British being held prisoner/hostage by first the North Koreans and then the communist Chinese and Soviets during the Korean War. A group that was subjected to "brain washing".

Let me also say from the get-go that I WOULD NEVER BE PRESUMPTUOUS TO SAY I KNOW HOW I WOULD REACT IF I FOUND MYSELF IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCE AS THE BRITISH CAPTIVES/HOSTAGES!! I can say I know HOW I would like to act if I found myself in a similar situation, but do - - I know - - for sure - - exactly - - what I would do!!?? NO!!

I must say that I was concerned with the behavior of the British Marines/sailors as seen on TV . Was both a surprise and a puzzle to me.

The British Royal Marines are noted for their very difficult and arduous training regimen. JUST TO BECOME A BRITISH MARINE IS A TASK UNTO ITSELF. THESE ARE NOT THE SORT OF PERSONS YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FOLD APPARENTLY EASILY AND COMPLY WITH THEIR CAPTORS/ABDUCTORS. NOT THE SORT OF PERSONS WHO WOULD EVEN GIVE UP WITHOUT A FIGHT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DURING THE INITIAL ENGAGEMENTS OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS WAR THE BRITISH MARINES ON DUTY [A SMALL NUMBER] DID PUT UP A FIGHT AND GAVE A GOOD ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES!!

Have the British Marines and sailors become MILQUETOASTS!!

"milque·toast - - n. One who has a meek, timid, unassertive nature."

I don't think the British or the Americans for that matter WANT to start a war with Iran. Rules of Engagement are drawn up in such a manner to preclude "incidents" that would lead to full-scale hostilities!!?? But, THE SPECTACLE AS SEEN ON TELEVISION WAS ABSURD!! Does ANYONE disagree with that??!!

In addition, the Iranians seem to be very skilled at this sort of thing. KNOW HOW to use the CNN Effect to the max. Obtaining the best results possible by exploiting the prisoners/hostages and having the whole world see. For BOTH internal consumption and external, in the Islamic and Western world as well.

[and we can expect that the viewing public in the Iranian/Islamic/Western worlds will all see this "incident" in a different light.]

SERE [Survival Evasion Resistance Escape] training I would have to think is part and parcel of the Royal Marine training. Especially how to comport yourself as a prisoner and return home with dignity and honor. Here it seems that the prisoner/hostages fell flat on their faces?! From what persons critical of the Britishers observed, these folks JUST SEEMED TO BE JUST A BIT TOO WILLING TO COMPLY WITH THEIR CAPTORS!!

Critics of course would include Jack Jacobs. With regard to Jack Jacobs, well, this man is in a class by himself. Won the Medal of Honor in Vietnam, retiring as a Colonel. A man who minces no words. Is so highly regarded within the U.S. military, that in case of a general mobilization, will be brought back to active duty AS A GENERAL OFFICER!! That is unheard of.

[see what someone says about the comments of Jack Jacobs.]

With regard to SERE training, we find the similar equation present as we do with all other combat training. THE ABSENCE OF FEAR!! WHEN ENGAGED IN SERE TRAINING,YOU ARE NOT IN THE HANDS OF A BRUTAL, FANATICAL ENEMY WHO WOULD NOT THINK TWICE ABOUT CUTTING OFF A PIECE OF YOUR BODY AND WILL DO SO WITH RELISH!!!

[during the war between Iraq and Iran, Iranian Revolutionary Guards were filmed TRAINING for missions by executing at point blank range Iraqi prisoners. Iraqis shot and thrown into pits without any qualms on the part of the Iranian. Bloodthirsty stuff you see in "Holocaust" movies. THESE IRANIANS CAN BE FANATICAL, ROUGH, MEAN CUSTOMERS!!]

"Tests and exercises are not truly realistic portrayals of combat, because they lack the element of fear in a lethal environment, present only in real combat." - - Dupuy.

coolbert.

Gliders/Soaring II. [conclusion]

This is coolbert:

German development of sailplane flying and sport gliding was continuous through the pre-war years [World War Two].

Even more and more sophisticated and aerodynamically progressive designs being developed. German sailplane FLIERS demonstrating that they WERE the best in the world.

Sailplane development reaching a peak of development and sophistication of design with aircraft such as the DFS Reiher. For it's time, an aerodynamic gem without equal anywhere in the world.



"Hans Jacobs designed the Reiher for the international contest 1937 on the Wasserkuppe. It was layed out for highest performance and for easy handling at the contest. Its elegant shape shows the fine aerodynamics. The wing of the Reiher was designed to give the machine the highest performance of any contest machine of that time. With a proven L/D of 33:1, it is no surprise that it won the 1938 and 1939 contests."

And of course, lest we forget, one of the most outstanding practitioners of sport gliding/sailplane flying was Hanna Reitsch.



[please note the confined quarters of the sailplane cockpit. Hanna was what is called a diminutive woman, only 5 foot, one inch tall!!]

"Of those German students and aspiring aviators who established the sport of sailplane soaring was of course, Hanna Reitsch. The famous Hanna of pre-war [World War Two [WW2]] sailplane soaring fame. It can be said that Hanna took to sailplanes and soaring as a duck would take to water and then to the air!! A natural who excelled in a manner that few ever do!"

["as a duck would take to water". YES!]

"In the 1932, medical student Hanna Reitsch began soaring and went on to become one of the first few people to cross the alps in a glider."



[again, looked at how cramped those sailplanes are. You needed to almost shoe-horned into the cockpit!]

"In 1934 she set the world's altitude record for women (2,800 m.), three years later she made the first crossing of the Alps in a glider, and in 1938 the first indoor helicopter flight in the Deutschlandhalle, Berlin."

"From 1931, when she set the women's world record for non - stop gliding (five and a half hours), extended to eleven and a half in 1933, to her world record in non - stop distance flight for gliders (305 kms) in 1936, and her woman's gliding world record for point - to - point flight in 1939, Hanna Reitsch's feats were unrivaled."

"In February 1939 an expedition to Libya under the leadership of Prof. Walter Georgii took place. Hanna Reitsch participated with a Reiher."



This expedition to Libya is most interesting. Two thousand years earlier, the soldiers of the Roman Legions, marching through the Libyan Desert, commented with astonishment at the "dust devils" they saw. Enormous and long-lived thermals scooping the desert sand high into the atmosphere, creating an atmospheric effect that amazed all. Libya was and perhaps IS one of the best places in the world to do sailplane soaring utilizing thermals for lift.

"There is no doubt that she was an excellent sailplane pilot and a very courageous woman, but some of her escapades were down-right foolhardy."

"She flys a sailplane into a thundercloud and climb 100 mph to 10,500 feet and has the aircraft and controls lock up from icing. By the grace of God, she survives. Land with Hanna in a sailplane in the middle of a football game in South America. The landing was easy, but the crowd was not."

And the famous Hanna of post-war [WW2] sailplane heroics too!!

"After the war, German citizens were forbidden from flying. A few years later, gliding was permitted. In 1952, Reitsch, the only woman to compete, won third place in the World Gliding Championships in Spain. She continued to break records including the women's altitude record (6,848 metres) and became German champion in 1955."

"Several of her gliding records stand to this day."

"In the 1970s, she returned to break many gliding records in several categories, including the Women's Out and Return World Record in 1976 (715 km) and, in 1979, the Women's Out & Return World Record (802 km) flown on the Appalachian Ridges in the USA."

[Dig this!!! Hanna, even at age sixty nine [!!!] was still of World Record setting caliber!!]

[NOBODY - - NOBODY, COULD EVER DISPUTE THE FACT THAT HANNA WAS AN OUTSTANDING FLIER!!]

And a personality of international repute, with contacts at the highest levels of government, EVEN BEING INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE!!

In 1961, she was invited by US President John F. Kennedy to the White House."

"In 1959, she was invited to India by the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in order to establish a gliding centre."

"At the request of its president, Kwame Nkrumah, Reitsch lived in Ghana from 1962 to 1966, where she founded and ran the national gliding school."

[at the time, Nehru was head and co-founder of the non-aligned movement. Nations not taking sides in the Cold War. Nkrumah was head of the Pan-African movement, an African "big man" and a person who had pretensions to be a mover and shaker on the world stage!]

[my own perception is again, that someone like Hanna in those post-war years, all over the world as she was, in contact with heads of state, HAD TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THE GEHLEN ORGANIZATION AND WAS PASSING ON ALL MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE THAT SHE HAD GLEANED, MOSTLY PERHAPS, FROM JUST CASUAL CONVERSATIONS!!]

"In 1962 the national school of gliding was set up by Hanna Reitsch who was once Adolph Hitlers top personal pilot and under the command of Air Commordore de Graft-Hayford she was director, operations instructor and trainer as well as personal pilot for Kwame Nkrumah from 1962-1966."

As for the Nazi era, of which she was such an important part, well, Hanna never did forget her original loyalties and the honors she received:

"I am not ashamed to say I believed in National Socialism. I still wear the Iron Cross with diamonds Hitler gave me. But today in all Germany you can’t find a single person who voted Adolf Hitler into power."

"Then she uttered the words that for so long kept her out of the history books: 'Many Germans feel guilty about the war. But they don’t explain the real guilt we share – that we lost.'"

Nostalgic for the good old days? You decide?

coolbert

Gliders/Soaring I.

This is coolbert:

In the aftermath of World War One [WW1], the victorious allied powers sought to military emasculate Germany. Germany was seen by the victors as having been an aggressive military power with formidable potential, a threat to all nations of Europe.

The Versailles Treaty called for drastic reductions in German military might. Conditions that a defeated Germany had to comply with. This was very humiliating and galling to the German, having the strong military tradition that they did.

Conditions to include:

* A reduction in size of the German army to a force NOT to exceed 100,000 men total.

* The sinking of the German Navy in totality. German warships were towed to the British naval base at Scapa Flow and sunk. Every last one of them. Germany was left without a navy.

[the German Navy had been the pride of Kaiser Wilhelm. Considered to be his creation.]

* NO air force. For a period of time subsequent to the war, the German was not even allowed POWERED flight. NO aircraft could fly, period.

However, with regard to NO air force or even POWERED flight, this DID NOT stop the German from engaging in flying, aeronautical engineering, experimentation with flight, etc.

NO. The NO-POWERED-FLIGHT conditions of the Versailles Treaty, rather than hindering the German, stimulated them. Stimulated them to investigate the realm of gliders and creating what is known as sport gliding.

"As the treaty of Versailles forbid any form of powered flight in Germany, many young pilots and aircraft designers turned to gliding as a sport"

"After the First World War gliders were built in Germany for sporting purposes (See link to Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft). The sporting use of gliders rapidly evolved in the 1930s and is now the main application. As their performance improved gliders began to be used to fly cross-country and now regularly fly hundreds or even thousands of kilometers in a day, if the weather is suitable."

We are not talking here about a glider as the term is commonly and ordinarily understood. We are talking about a glider that has been aerodynamically designed to be flown in a manner to maximize flight performance.

"Soaring is usually achieved by flying through a mass of air that is ascending as fast or faster than the sailplane is descending, and thus gaining potential energy."

With a conventional glider, the aircraft is taken aloft by a tow plane to altitude and release, rapidly descending to the ground, under control all the time by the pilot and being flown in a conventional manner.

With a "sport" glider, often called a SAILPLANE, the aerodynamics allow for a pilot, more correctly called a FLIER, to utilize rising air masses to achieve an altitude GREATER than with which the sailplane took of from.

[with a glider, you normally cannot land at an altitude GREATER than which with you took off from. YOU CAN ACHIEVE AN ALTITUDE GAIN WITH A SAILPLANE. That is the difference.]

"The design of these types enables them to climb using rising air instead of merely descending. This has created the sport of gliding, or soaring. The term 'sailplane' is sometimes used for these types, implying a glider with a high soaring performance."

"Glider pilots can stay airborne for hours. This is possible because they seek out rising air masses (lift) from the following sources":

* Thermals.

* Ridge lift.

* Mountain wave.

Mountain wave flying is a variation of ridge-running allowing the glider to climb much higher . . . The world distance record of 3008 km by Klaus Ohlmann was also flown in the mountain wave in South America.

[I want to emphasize this. The man achieved a distance record for un-powered flight of over 3000 kilometers in a sailplane. All in one flight!!! That is what can be done with a sailplane in competent hands!!]

[with wave lift, extreme altitude can also be reached. Altitudes of in excess of 50,000 feet!! Further altitude could be gained, but was precluded as the cabin of the sailplane was not pressurized. The pilot could go higher, but would die in the process!!!]

The German seems to have take to the sport gliding as a duck takes to water. Several generations of fliers, designers, manufacturers, etc., developed new techniques and concepts for a "sport" that was brand-new and NOT EVEN BEING DONE ANYWHERE ELSE!!!

AN ENTIRE REALM OF AERONAUTICAL ENDEAVOR PREVIOUSLY NOT EVEN CONTEMPLATED BECAME REALITY, ALL DUE TO THE RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS OF THE VERSAILLES TREATY.

German sport gliding of course continued and was expanded under the Nazi regime. This was obviously seen as an excellent method of training fliers for the future Luftwaffe and creating again, a generation of aeronautical engineers and manufacturers whose skills soon would be utilized in the design and manufacturer of combat aircraft of the most advanced type.

"While under the Nazis, sailplane flying and training were taken over by the sport groups of the Hitlerjugend, research and glider construction continued in the new Deutsche Forschungsanstalt Für Segelflug (DFS) Up to world war II, RRG and DFS have been the main spearheads of German aeronautical design."

With the German and the development of sport gliding, we can see the adage "where there is a will, there is a way" is true!!

coolbert.