Sorcha Faal?

This is coolbert:

Here is a web site that is representative of the sort of thing you must beware of when surfing the internet!

"WhatDoesItMean"

Purports to be:

"World's Largest English Language News Service with Over 500 Articles Updated Daily"

"The News You Need Today…For The World You’ll Live In Tomorrow."

Authored by a Russian female academician named Sorcha Faal!! Living in St. Petersburg.

"The News You Need Today…For The World You’ll Live In Tomorrow." is a web site that has the same repeating theme throughout:

* The Bush/Cheney cabal is leading the world to a nuclear armageddon!

* Bush/Cheney have established an authoritarian/dictatorial style government that will continue in place, elections of 2008 becoming null and void!

* YOU NEED now to prepare yourself for armed resistance against the "dark forces" of the U.S. government. ABOVE ALL, BUY THE "PARTISANS HANDBOOK" FROM THE SORCHA FAAL WEBSITE!!

Sorcha Faal suggest she has secret sources from within the highest levels of Russian intelligence. Sources that TELL THE REAL STORY OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD!!

"Russian Military Intelligence Analysts are reporting"

"according to Russian Military Intelligence Analysts"

"FSB [re-structured KGB] reports"

"according to an FSB policy paper"

See how one item is covered by Sorcha. The crash of an American "spy" satellite in Peru and how it was reported as a meteorite impact.

Problem with all this??!! Sorcha Faal is actually an American male out-of-work computer programmer residing somewhere in the New England states!!?? NOT a Russian female academician residing in St. Petersburg!!

Well, Sorcha IS going to make a public appearance in the U.S., October 6, coming right up?? We shall see!

AND REMEMBER, SEND MONEY VIA PAY-PAL!!

coolbert.

Autry & Coogan.

This is coolbert:

Here are two persons from the Hollywood movie/entertainment scene that bravely served in World War Two [WW2]:

Gene Autry.

Jackie Coogan.

Autry [2007 is the centennial of his birth] at the time of his enlistment in the U.S. Army Air Corps was perhaps for a variety of reasons, the hottest commodity in Hollywood. Singer/movie star, at the peak of his success. This is a man who did NOT SHIRK HIS DUTIES!! Thirty-four years old at the time of his enlistment and was willing and able to go!



Volunteered for pilot duty. Served in an admirable fashion until the end of the war.

[Autry was the first singer to popularize for the general public what was called "Native American" melodies. Cowboy singing at the time. Became Country & Western music!! And entire genre' of music was created by this man!!??]

Jackie Coogan was the first successful [?] child movie star?! Had roles expressly written for him by the Hollywood moguls.



Also a man did not shirk his duties during WW2.

Volunteered for military service BEFORE Pearl Harbor. Jackie had a premonition of things to come?!

"Coogan enlisted in the US Army in March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he requested a transfer to US Army Air Forces as a glider pilot because of his civilian flying experience. After graduating from glider school, he was made a Flight Officer and he volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group. In December 1943, the unit was sent to India. He flew British troops, the Chindits, under General Orde Wingate on 5 March 1944, landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines in the Burma campaign."

"Nazi Propaganda portrayed him [Coogan] as a Jew named Jacob Cohen."

Jackie Coogan was interred upon his death in Catholic Cemetery, Los Angeles. Presumably he was NOT Jewish!!

Both Autry and Coogan:

* Had piloting experience prior to the start of WW2.

* Each saw service in the China-Burma-India [CBI] theatre.

Autry flew military transport aircraft during his term of service. It may be that he flew "The Hump"! Piloting transport aircraft from India to China and back again over the Himalaya mountains. Some of the most dangerous flying in the world, even in a time of peace, much less war.

Coogan served with the 1st Air Commando Group. The forerunner of the present day Air Commandos. This was difficult, dangerous combat duty. COOGAN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MEN TO FLY A HELICOPTER INTO COMBAT??!! This maybe so. A primitive first-generation Sikorsky [R-4 Hoverfly] was used in Burma to ferry wounded from the battlefield to rear area hospitals!

"Today the 'egg-beater' [R-4 Hoverfly] went into action and the damn thing acted like it had good sense."

Autry and Coogan. Like I have said, men that were not slackers.

coolbert.

MRAP.

This is coolbert:

From the News Hour, last night on PBS, speaking about the mine resistant vehicle everyone in Iraq now wants.

[my comments in BOLD!]

"Procurement Process Slows Deployment of Improved Vehicles"

The mine-resistant vehicle has previously been the subject of several blog entries.

The Buffalo. Originally developed in South African, designed, developed, and manufactured in ever more resistant variations. The Buffalo is the SAME as the South African "Buffel"?

"the MRAP, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection vehicle, whose v-shaped hull disperses the impact of an IED or a landmine from below, the leading cause of American deaths in Iraq."

That V-shaped hull that is so famous. What is not mentioned is that for EVEN GREATER protection, the South African version had a water tank between the hull and the crew compartment, allowing for increased mitigation of mine blast. I am not sure if the Buffalo has the water tank present or not. A nice feature to have in a desert climate as well! And the weight of all that water prevents the Buffalo, with the high ground clearance it has, from becoming too top heavy?

"at least 1,200 Americans have been killed by IEDs, and even the military agrees that MRAPs could have saved most of them."

As of this date, NO American troop has been killed by a mine blast while riding in a Buffalo!!??

"LT. GEN. JAMES MATTIS: We had a very low industrial base that could produce these. We're talking about 12, maybe 18 a month. We were also having reliability problems, because we did not have a long development program for this. As fast as they could build them, we were sending them out."

General Mattis has commanded Marines in Iraq several times now. Commanded at Ramadi and Fallujah?!

"this is 40-year-old South African technology."



Rudimentary technology to begin with, developing to ever increasing degree of sophistication over time.

"One last note about the MRAPs. The Pentagon originally announced a goal of 3,500 to be delivered by year's end, then amended that to 3,500 to be produced, claiming a mix-up. In any case, there's no assurance that more than 1,500 MRAPs will make it to Iraq by January 1st."

Right, double-speak, official-speak, etc. The type of stuff the general public both does not understand and detests.

"We had a very low industrial base that could produce these" - - General Mattis.

The U.S. has a very low industrial base??!! The U.S. has a very low industrial base??!!

You get it!!

coolbert.

DJ Dave.

This is coolbert:

"Vietnam War Pirate DJ Dave Rabbit Has Finally Come Forward"

Here is one about Vietnam I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE!! And believe me, I have heard a lot of them!

GI pirate radio. Vietnam style.

GI's, Air Force in this instance, running an unauthorized pirate radio operation, entertainment of a risque' and controversial nature being the objective!!

"The story of Dave Rabbit has circulated for years with few facts and much speculation. Rabbit was serving in the Air Force during U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He started a short-lived, Pirate Radio station that became legendary. Not much could be verified - until now."

Listen hear to actual tapes of the broadcasts, "Radio First Termer 69"

Like I said, this was a new one on me.

I wonder if the communist radio monitors listened in with interest? I am sure they were dumbfounded and puzzled as to what was going on here. Black/grey/white propaganda? A clever Yankee trick of some sort? This cannot be for real? Is it?

coolbert.

Coree!

This is coolbert:

"Coree" - - Battle cry of the French Korean battalion.

Here is what happened to the French Korean battalion when it deployed to Vietnam [1954]. That same battalion that fought with great success in Korea [won three U.S. Presidential Unit citations], was defeated with great loss at the hands of the Viet Minh.

Occurring at a place called Mang Yang Pass.

"The Battle of Mang Yang Pass . . . remains as one of the bloodiest defeat of the French Union together with the battle of Dien Bien Phu."

The French Korean battalion. Successful in Korea, NOT SO in Vietnam!! Why is that??

It seems that there were two French Korean battalions participating in the debacle of Mang Yang Pass. These were the 1st and 2nd Korea Battalion.

[both units, having fought as distinct French units in Korea, deployed to Vietnam in 1954. This of course at the time of the truce in Korea!!??]

"The two French Korean battalions, plus the 43rd Battalion de Marche . . . and The 2nd Group of the 10th Colonial Artillery, reduced to fighting as infantry , comprised Groupe Mobile 100."

A continual series of combat actions [primarily ambush] reduced the 1st French Korean battalion [and the rest of Groupe Mobile 100] to a remnant of it's former self:

"the 1st Korea Battalion . . . numbered [ing] about 830 men . . . The survivors [at the end of three weeks of protracted combat], who entered Ban Me Thout the following day, now numbered only 107 men, 53 of whom were wounded. The 1st Korea Battalion had ceased to exist."

Catastrophic losses at the hands of the Viet Minh!!

"In five days of fighting the Korea Regiment had suffered more casualties than in two years of fighting in Korea."


French troops - - good in Korea - - NOT SO in Vietnam!! Why??!!

coolbert.

Qassam.

This is coolbert:

The Qassam rocket artillery round has become the weapon of choice by Hamas in their continuing terrorist war against Israel.

Qassam. Crudely made [home-built actually] rockets that for a period of five years now [?] have been launched against targets in Israel that are close to the Gaza Strip. Gaza of course being the home base for Hamas.

Taking a cue from the Iranian and the Hezbollah, Hamas has made a conscious decision to employ rocket artillery against the Israeli. Build their own rockets and employ at their discretion, without having to worry about outside supply.

The Qassam are very crude indeed. A large piece of pipe with fins and nose cone, no guidance system, small shrapnel-filled warhead, and primitive home-brewed propellant. A propellant formula possibly obtained from the Internet?

"Qassams are sometimes referred to as 'homemade' or 'primitive', but critics dispute this, maintaining that they require "both expertise and dedicated locations to 'manufacture',"

[crude and primitive by the standards with which all other rocket artillery in the world would be judged.]

Qassam, as primitive and inaccurate as they currently are, are becoming more sophisticated and deadly with time. The original Qassam-1 and Qassam-2 carried a warhead with only a pound of explosive. The latest version of Qassam, Qasam-3, carries a twenty pound warhead. Much more deadly than the earlier incarnations.

"6ft lengths of iron drainpipes or lampposts with four stabilizing fins soldered into place. Launched from crude sloping racks and propelled by a mixture of sugar, oil, alcohol and fertilizer, they had a range of less than five miles and carried just 1lb of explosives to scatter the shrapnel load."

"Qassam-3, packs over 20lb of explosive and can reach more than 15 miles inside Israel."

During that five year period, about two thousand [2,000] Qassam have fallen on Israel. Hamas must have a considerable number of workshops dedicated just to the fabrication of Qassam in all the variations. And, despite Israeli efforts, the barrage, on a daily basis [?], at the discretion of Hamas seems to show no signs of let!

The nearby [to Gaza] Israeli town of Sderot seems to be a popular target for Qassam rockets. Only three years ago, about 25,000 persons lived in Sderot. Since then, half the population [?] has voluntarily fled the city for greener pastures.

"around half the population has left since the attacks intensified earlier this year"

[is the glass half-full, or half-empty!!??]

QASSAM DOES NOT NEED TO BE ACCURATE, SOPHISTICATED, OR EVEN DEADLY. QASSAM IS A TERROR WEAPON! INSTILL FEAR AND APPREHENSION, REGARDLESS OF CASUALTIES!! THE CONTINUING QASSAM THREAT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE MANY PERSONS JUST UP AND LEAVE, NOT WILLING TO PUT UP A CONTINUED AND POSSIBLY LONG-TERM "INCONVENIENCE" AND "NUISANCE".

"The Israeli Ministry of Defense views the Qassams as 'more a psychological than physical threat.'"

[THE THREAT, EVEN IF MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL THAN PHYSICAL, IS NONETHELESS A THREAT!!]

"It's true the Qassams don't kill many people, but they have largely destroyed the normal fabric of life in the town [Sderot]. Everyone exists in a state of permanent alert, which is physically and psychologically very destructive."

"The purpose of terror is to terrorize" - - V.I. Lenin.

[I can bet you that the number of casualties, killed and wounded in Sderot during the last three years is dwarfed by whatever carnage has existed on Israeli roads in the same time period!!]

"Since the introduction in 2001 Qassam rockets have caused 12 deaths"

Israel does employ some effective measures intended to protect the citizens of Sderot. To include:

* Laser and radar detection of Qassam launches.

"an advanced radar that detects rockets as they are being launched."

"a laser beam detects the sudden increase in heat after a rocket has been fired"

* Above-ground bomb-proof shelters.

"freestanding steel-and-concrete shelters, known as 'life shields', dotted around public places."

* Television surveillance of Gaza from a tethered blimp.

"surveillance cameras mounted in a blimp"

* Warning sirens and outdoor intercom to provide audible warning. [TAKE COVER!!]

"Loudspeakers warn civilians to take cover approximately twenty seconds before impact"

The continuing strain on the residents of Sderot for YEARS NOW must be almost unbearable. Consider the status of the mayor:

"Moyal [the mayor of Sderot] has been assaulted in the street more than once and is trailed by a bodyguard."

The Qassam is a typical 4th generation warfare weapon. DOES NOT need to kill you to do the intended job. Terrorize and intimidate. Make your life unbearable and and never-ending nightmare. Create apprehensiveness and trauma even when NOT killing!!

coolbert.

A la baionnette! VI. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

"'He must have seen his blood flow, have his teeth
crackle under the blow of his adversary, have dashed to earth with such force as to feel the weight of his foe, and disarmed twenty times. He must twenty times retrieved his failures, more set than ever upon the combat. Then will he be able to confront actual war with the hope of being victorious' - - 14th century - - Rodger of Haveden"

Here is the saga of a man who DID get himself stirred up.

Anthony J. Drexel Biddle.

"Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, USMC CQB Pioneer"

An American aristocrat and proponent of the manly arts. Boxing, fencing, bayonet fencing, and martial arts period.

Biddle was from a very old, wealthy, aristocratic American family. Long time resident of the Main Line area of Philadelphia. When you see the names of Drexel, Biddle, Duke, etc., you are talking about old time money and lineage NOT often seen in American culture or society. Persons variously referred to as "blue-bloods".

As I have said in a previous blog entry, the children of wealth and privilege in American society generally are often useless persons. NOT having drive, initiative, desire to succeed. Why would they need to? They already have the measure by which success is usually measured within American culture, money!

Biddle was NOT by any means a useless person. Quite the contrary. Served his country in an admirable fashion in both World War One [WW1] and World War Two [WW2] Became a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps first [WW1] at the rather advanced age of forty one [41], being recalled to duty during WW2 at the even MORE advanced age of sixty six [66]!!!

[in this regard, Biddle greatly resembles such persons as Selous, Steichen, Fairbairn, Munro [Saki], and Corbett. Men of vigor, honor, and valor. Men of older age, sometimes advanced age, who desire to contribute to the war effort, and do so in a manner few others can EVER hope to emulate.]

Biddle was responsible for training U.S. Marines in hand-to-hand fighting techniques and bayonet fencing. I would have to think primarily the USMC had in mind the trench raid type of combat very common during WW1 when Biddle was assigned the task of teaching combatatives to the Marines.

"Colonel Biddle taught them the use of the machete, saber, dagger, bayonet, and hand grenade. He taught them also the techniques of jiu-jitsu and the French punch-and-kick man-killing attack known as savat [sic] [savate']."

"Biddle . . . then convinced Headquarters Marine Corps to make boxing part of Marine Corps recruit training . . . Although said to closely resemble rifle-bayonet fighting methods, the boxing was useful mostly for increasing recruits’ physical self-confidence."

Here is a news article about some Scotsmen in Iraq who have that physical self-confidence. DID use the bayonet and engage in close quarters combat with Iraqi Shia militia. The Scots emerging triumphant!! Bloody good show!!

Biddle had a strong interest in bayonet fencing even AFTER WW1 ended.

"In 1919 he exhibited rifle-bayonet fencing before the Willard-Dempsey prizefight"

[combat bayonet fencing was a military competitive sport even up unto the period of the 1940's and 1950's?? Slowly died out as a "sport"? NOT practiced anymore with the exception of jukendo??!!]

Anthony was a helluva man. Even fought a match as an amateur boxer against the World Champion of the period, Jack Johnson!!

"‘Now, you boy, there; don’t get yourself stirred up.’" - - Jack Johnson.

I just don't think they make them like Anthony J. Drexel Biddle anymore!!

coolbert.

A la baionnette! V.

This is coolbert:

"If you are fearful, never learn any art of fighting"
- Master Liechtenauer, c.1389

Here are an assortment of web sites that describe and illustrate bayonet fencing from the period of the American Civil War and World War One. American Civil War reenactors taking things very seriously. I have a suspicion that soldiers of that period spent a lot of time in bayonet practice, even if the "cold steel" was seldom used.

19th Century American Bayonet Fencing



7 Key Techniques of Bayonet Fencing



Bayonet fencing is described as - - "the mysterious '4th Form' of Fencing!"

The Training Bayonet 1858-1912 - - Bayonet History American


The illustration above shows two American Federal troops [Zouaves] training with the bayonet. Some sort of hard rubber ball was placed on the tip of the bayonet so as not to stick the other troop. Makes sense. Butt strokes were not considered "legal"?

Please note the various uses of fencing terms to describe bayonet fencing moves as practiced during the American Civil War. High Quarte - - High Tierce, Quarte - - Tierce, Prime - - Seconde, In-Quartada. Terms that would have been used in the Italian school of fencing?

And here is a web site describing how Canadian troops of the World War One era were taught combatatives. Beginning with boxing and proceeding to bayonet fencing. The footwork, arm, and body movements with both being similar?

"Boxing for Beginners, with Chapter showing its 'Relationship to Bayonet Fighting"

"It has long been recognized in the army that good boxers make good bayonet fighters."

"The object of the boxing was twofold . . . Many qualities had to be developed and developed quickly. Physical courage is perhaps the most common of virtues, but the courage needed in the soldier, and especially in the bayonet fighter, is a courage born of confidence and ability to fight and to defend himself. I do not believe there is any other form of exercise which develops this as quickly as the practice of boxing. Secondly, and fortunately, bayonet fighting is so near akin to boxing that the practice of boxing develops skill in bayonet fighting in less time, with less expense, and with fewer casualties."

"Major Nobbs [Canadian] has had a great deal of experience as an athlete, boxed in the semifinals at his university, was a good cross-country runner and a champion swordsman. When the war broke out [in 1914] he was professor of architecture at McGill University and went to England to join the Imperial Army. His work was of such high order that he was sent out to the Canadian Forces to take charge of bayonet fighting and physical training. He is a worker and a fighter."



[The Major was a pretty remarkable person. NOT a college professor who was a dilettante or an effete'. The foot movements of fencing and boxing are similar to one another? The foot movements of bayonet fencing also similar as well to boxing and fencing?]

"ef·fete adj.

Marked by self-indulgence, triviality, or decadence: an effete group of self-professed intellectuals. Overrefined; effeminate."

"dil·et·tante adjective

–noun 1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler."


coolbert.

A la baionnette! IV.

This is coolbert:

Here is another martial art, Russian All-Round Fighting, that to this day, has bayonet fighting [sport and combat forms] taught as an integral part of the eight disciplines that comprise RAF.

"Bayonet Fighting"

"In RAF we actively practice Sport and Combat versions of the Bayonet Fighting. The model of a rifle [NOT a real working rifle.] with an attached bayonet is used."

"In the Sport version only thrusts are allowed. In the Combat version thrusts are combined with the blows with the rifle butt, kicks and punches."

"Bayonet fencing had been widely practiced as the Russian variant of sport fencing till the middle of the 20th century. Bayonet fencing was a required part of military training for the Russian army soldier."

"We build our Bayonet fighting technique on the Soviet Army study materials that were issued in the early 1940s, and on the 19th century Russian Army manuals."

Am I correct, that bayonet and stick fighting, taught as separate disciplines, are closely related? Stick fighting, with a baton or a cane, resembles in many respects the same techniques that would be used with the bayonet?

Here also is another description of a Russian marital art form. ROSS. Distinct from RAF? Included in one of the eight schools of direction you will find:

"4. Bayonet Fencing with Carbines"




Bayonet fencing can be done with either an AK or an SKS? In the photo it appears the two men wearing Russian style camo uniforms are wielding AK with bayonet attached.

coolbert.

A la baionnette! III.

This is coolbert:

Jukendo!!

Again, more amazing stuff.

Here is a web site about jukendo . Bayonet fencing for both health [Swedish professor Ling would be proud!] and sport purposes.

As currently practiced in Japan. A popular [?] form of martial art.

"it is an exceedingly rare sport in Japanese primary schools, but not unheard of. In the minds of many Japanese it is still not considered a proper sport."

"Jukendo is a relatively new [post-WW2] martial Way developed out of the bayonet fighting tactics of the Toyama Gakko, the special military training school of the Imperial Japanese Army."

"a healthy activity for physical, mental and spiritual health apart from actual fighting methods."

"A mokuju, or wooden rifle and simulated bayonet, is used in different kata (forms)."

"Besides kata, there is a competitive side to jukendo which utilizes protective armor similar to that found in kendo."

[in the small video accompanying the web site, the man on the left appears to not be wearing body armor, the man on the right is wearing the kendo [Japanese swordsmanship] style body armor and dress!!]

Here too is the wiki entry on jukendo.

"The thrust is the only form of attack in jukendo. Targets are the throat, the left upper chest (heart), the left side, and the back of the left hand."

As in fencing, thrusts only. NO butt strokes, kicking, punching, etc., as you would find in the Russian form of bayonet fencing or commonly taught military bayonet combatatives!!

coolbert.

A la baionnette!! II.

This is coolbert:

Here is the most amazing stuff.

Nineteenth Swedish sports physiologist [that term would not have been in use at the time] who devised a "exercise" system as a form of medicine.

Called the "Swedish Movement Cure".

Exercise based upon "mixture of the bayonet, fencing, and gymnastic movements".

"strategically designed medical and orthopedic gymnastics"

OF WHICH BAYONET FENCING WAS AN INTEGRAL PART!!

"it was volunteer work on Danish ships that exposed Ling to his first observation of one-to-one bayonet duels or fencing. The curious Ling was intrigued by the physical prowess of the combatants. Inspired, Ling soon became a competitor himself and shortly dominated all comers."

"he [Ling] turned his focus towards what he labeled military gymnastics. (Military gymnastics, according to Ling was a combination of bayonet fencing and marching movements.)"

Bayonet fencing as a form of sports medicine. NOT sports medicine as defined in the modern world. A form designed to increase the health and physical abilities of those NOT sick, AND, as a means for those sickly to regain their health!!

coolbert.

A la baionnette!! I.

This is coolbert:

Regarding the use of the bayonet in both historical and modern terms, here are various excerpts from the web site:

[my comments in BOLD!]

"An Introduction to Training in Rifle-Bayonet Fighting in the US Military"

"During the 1590s the Republican Dutch started developing military musket drills. Mostly a form of industrial safety – accidental discharges pose a serious threat to closely- packed ranks of armed men"

Right. NOT necessarily to teach how to fire the muskets quicker or more accurately. WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TROOPS, IN RANKS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, DID NOT KILL ONE ANOTHER!!

[in the PBS series about Vietnam, an American soldier stated that half of his squad became casualties EVEN BEFORE THEY HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY!! Weapon accidents was the main culprit!!]

"During the eighteenth century bayonet training continued to be mostly a form of industrial safety. Most soldiers drank a gallon of beer or wine a day, and fought and moved in closely packed squares. Unsurprisingly, accidents were common and considerable effort was expended to keep soldiers from cutting, sticking, or shooting one another."

Several comments here. AGAIN, THE TRAINING WITH THE BAYONET WAS NOT NECESSARILY TO TEACH PROFICIENCY WITH THE WEAPON AS MORE TO TRAIN TROOPS IN CLOSELY PACKED FORMATIONS NOT TO KILL OR INJURE ONE ANOTHER. That enormous consumption of wine or beer on the part of the troops was usually part of the enlistment contract the soldier would sign. Prevent water-borne diseases from killing the troop and also at the same time providing calories for a person who generally at an early age HAD NO TEETH LEFT IN THEIR MOUTH!!

"Eighteenth-century musketry training was equally rudimentary . . . [more than anything else] it had to do with safety. First, the flash from a flintlock's pan was so fearsome that soldiers were taught to close their eyes and turn their heads away to prevent eye injuries. Second, not all accidental shootings on the battlefield are accidental, and for the safety of officers and NCOs, supply sergeants only issued ball and powder after ranks had been formed and the enemy sighted . . . most European armies considered it good shooting if a battalion could consistently put half its shots into a target six feet high and a hundred feet long from a range of fifty yards."

"Originally, the British and the Japanese were the main proponents of rifle-bayonet fencing."

"While the Japanese turned to their own martial art traditions for fighting methods, the British turned to a Florentine system designed by Ferdinando Masiello."

Right, each culture adopts methods and techniques that are appropriate and familiar. NOT slavishly copying what someone else is doing!!

"in 1904, a Japanese Army rifle-bayonet fencing team that kicked, shouted, and screamed trounced a Royal Marine team in Shanghai."

This had to be an traumatic experience for the British. The Japanese were using a form of bayonet fencing recognized today as jukendo!!??

"During World War II the Detroit journalist and Army historian S.L.A. Marshall found only a couple of documented uses of Americans using their rifle-bayonet combination in combat – and all of those involved soldiers killing unarmed prisoners."

Right, the American infantryman in training for combat in WW2 was probably told he had to be ready to use that bayonet in an instant!! BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED EXCEPT IN THE MOST EXTREMELY RARE OF INSTANCES!!

"During the Vietnam and post-Vietnam eras, the US military generally kept bayonets in supply rooms . . . the reason was fear that troops would use the knives against one another during interracial brawls."

Please recall what I have said previously about troops having in their possession unauthorized weapons. Departing oversea from the Oakland Army Terminal [OART] in 1966, Army troops were cautioned not to carry unauthorized weaponry with them. An amazing number of troops DID turn in firearms and a LOT of edged weapons of all varieties. YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR OWN TROOPS IN ENCAMPMENT CUTTING THEMSELVES UP IN BRAWLS AND "DISPUTES"!!

"It is also my belief [that of the author] that in most combat situations US soldiers would be better off carrying an extra canteen of water or an extra 30-round magazine for their M-16."

There it is in a nutshell. Get rid of the bayonet and carry extra ammo or water. This is not, however, what folks want to hear.

coolbert.

Bombers!

This is coolbert:

Here is the dope on the various Russian long-range bomber aircraft [with refueling tanker participation], that only yesterday, completed a training exercise the purpose of which was to simulate a nuclear attack with cruise missiles on the continental United States.

"Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3, and Il-78"

* Tu-160 "Blackjack"



"16 [Tu-160] currently in service with the Russian Air Force. Its pilots call the Tu-160 the “White Swan”, due to the surprising maneuverability and antiflash white finish of the aircraft."

"Anti-flash white is a brilliant white colour commonly seen on United States and British nuclear bombers in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the Tupolev Tu-160. The purpose of the colour was to reflect some of the thermal radiation from a nuclear explosion, protecting the aircraft and its occupants."

* Tupolev_Tu-22M



"Current strength is 162 aircraft, plus 93 in reserve."

* Tu-95 "Bear"



The venerable but still potent Russian "Bear". Like the B-52, first designed decades ago now. But still serviceable and if using cruise missiles as the primary weaponry, does NOT have to penetrate U.S. airspace to deliver atomic weapons to U.S. cities. Can stand-off and fire a barrage with impunity??

* Raduga_Kh-55 [AS-15 Kent cruise missile]

This would be the weapon of choice for a manned bomber atomic attack on the U.S. Bomber aircraft can "stand-off" at a distance from their intended targets, each aircraft firing a barrage of such cruise missiles, overwhelming the defenses, to what extent defenses EVEN EXIST!

The Raduga Kh-55 Granat (Russian: Х-55 Гранат (Granat) NATO reporting name AS-15 'Kent') is a Soviet/ Russian subsonic long-range cruise missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. . . . Designed to be launched either from bomber aircraft or from submarines, it was built to carry a conventional or nuclear warhead of up to a 200 kiloton yield over a range of up to 3,000 km (1,860 miles).

* Ilyushin_Il-78.



"The Ilyushin Il-78 (NATO reporting name Midas) is a four-engined aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76"

coolbert.

Exercise!

This is coolbert:

"From Russia With Love" - - Again.

Remember that recent blog entry about the Tu-95 flight? Missions from Russian territory toward Guam?

Here is more about Russian military aviation activity of an alarming nature.

From the web site http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/

"as you are reading this, Russian strategic bombers are conducting a series of long-range training flights, complete with aerial refueling, simulating a full-fledged nuclear cruise missile strike on the Continental United States."

"Russian strategic bombers Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3, and Il-78 aerial tankers are engaged in this exercise"

"In September 2006 Russian strategic aviation conducted simulated nuclear strikes within the contiguous territory of the Russian Federation. That exercise reportedly involved 60 long-range bombers of the same variants seen airborne in the exercise currently in progress. The difference is that in the exercise of 3 and 4 September, as well as the current 18-21 September exercise, the targets of the nuclear cruise missiles are not within Russian territory but are in fact once again real-world locations within the continental United States."

"an updated analysis of the current Russian strategic long-range aviation nuclear exercise is scheduled to conclude on Friday, 21 September"

"The recent landing of a U.S. B-52H with live nuclear warheads at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana is a prime indicator that the United States is pro-actively countering the Russian exercises with our own strategic aviation deterrent, known in days gone by as 'oil burner' runs."

Those live warheads on the cruise missiles! A terrible mistake and a gross violation of protocol? For which persons have been dismissed from their duties and others having had their certification taken away, is all part of a "demonstration" directed at the Russians? Under the pretext of a "mistake" having been committed, a MESSAGE is being sent??!!

Consider, if you are a conspiracy advocate, where the "nuclear mistake" was first reported??

"In a story first reported by Military Times newspapers, at ArmyTimes.com"

coolbert.

Shavit.

This is coolbert:

How many people realize that Israel has a pretty formidable space capability?

For some time now [decades?], have been launching their OWN satellites into orbit. Have their own rocket for doing so, the Shavit! Sometimes, also, use Russian or Indian launch vehicles to put satellites in orbit.

Satellites that include the:

* EROS. Primarily a COMMERCIAL photographic satellite.

* AMOS. Communication satellite.

* Ofek [Ofeq]. Advanced military photo-recon satellite.

EROS and Ofek are “spy” satellites with photo-recon cameras and TV real-time broadcast ability on-board.

Several generations of these satellites have been built and put into orbit. Each generation of course having greater and greater capability! AT LEAST EQUAL to what is available to world powers such as the U.S. and Russia??!!

Primarily based upon formidable indigenous Israeli technology?! NOT merely copies of foreign equipment! Israel is a small nation that HAS A BIG STICK by any measure.

"Both the satellites and the launchers were designed and manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)."

As is usual with the Israeli, DOES THINGS THEIR OWN WAY! Have observed how foreign nations exploit space for military purposes, in the process finding improved and unique ways of “doing things”. Such as:

* Put satellites into sun-synchronous orbit.

"Ofeq's east-to-west orbit at 36 degrees inclination is phased to give optimal daylight coverage of the Middle East."

"The satellite orbits earth in a sun synchronous orbit, so that its imaged target is always in daylight.

* Launch counter to the rotation of the earth.

"Ofeq satellites are launched westward (retrograde orbit) over the Mediterranean to avoid flying and dropping spent rocket stages over populated areas in Israel and neighboring Arab countries."

[as you might well imagine, the Israeli is MOST interested in what occurs in the Middle East. BUT, not necessarily confined to!]

And this also. If you have a missile that can put a satellite into orbit, you have a launch system that can basically, if so desired, deliver a nuclear weapon to any point on the planet.

"Ofeq 5, was launched 28 May 2002 . . . Some observers believe that the 300 kg weight of the satellite, combined with the additional propulsive requirements [counter to the rotation of the earth] of the retrograde orbit, constitute a de facto demonstration of the Shavit's ICBM potential."

coolbert.

News?

This is coolbert:

More news unfit to report?

Here too is more news that you will NOT find covered by the conventional news media. Britney Spears hit another photographer hounding her for another belly-button shot!! That we will read about. Sure!

But this? We will not read about or see this sort of thing covered during the nightly news broadcast!

"Report: Iranians Among Dead in Chemical Weapons Blast at Syrian Base"

A combined team of Syrian/Iranian engineer were fitting a Scud C missile with a mustard gas warhead? The damn thing went boom and showered the lot of them with the noxious agent, killing many!?

This is right from an authoritive source. Announced by the Syrian news agency. Must be reliable then?

"The July 26 explosion struck a military complex outside the city of Aleppo, killing at least 15 soldiers and wounding 50 others, according to Syria's state news agency, SANA."

"the explosion took place during a test to fit a 'Scud C' missile with a mustard-gas warhead. It quoted the sources as saying the explosion occurred when fuel caught fire in the missile production laboratory."

"'The blast dispersed chemical agents (including VX and Sarin nerve agents and mustard blister agent) across the storage facility and outside,'"

"in addition to the 15 Syrian troops, 'dozens' of Iranian weapons engineers were killed."

When you play with fire, your fingers can get burned!!

coolbert.

Crispy Critters!

This is coolbert:

Those of you that seen the movie "Platoon" will remember the climactic battle at the end of the movie. The American company commander, seeing his unit being "overrun" by a superior enemy force, orders the U.S. Air Force to "bomb my position". THIS SCENE IN THE MOVIE IS BASED UPON A REAL-LIFE INCIDENT THAT DID OCCUR DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.

A company of American troops WAS in danger of annihilation by the enemy. Saved only by an air strike UPON THEIR OWN POSITION!!

An air strike ordered by the unit commander, Captain William S. Carpenter Jr.

William S. Carpenter Jr. A name already familiar to fans of American football. The "Lonesome End" of West Point football fame. Played on "the undefeated 1958 team that featured Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins and Bill Carpenter, 'The Lonesome End.'"

[please bear in mind that in the late 1950's the cadet football team from West Point was STILL competitive at the highest Division I NCAA level. Played nationally ranked teams and was a very winning team. American football fans that followed the college game would be instantly conversant and knowledgeable regarding the cadet team and the "Lonesome End".]

Cadets such as Pete Dawkins, and William Carpenter were representative of the All-American boy. A student-athlete of the highest level of accomplishment, moral, upright, studious, manly, etc.

"C company of the 2/502, commanded by Captain William Carpenter . . . He decided to engage Charlie . . . C company was immediately swarmed and almost overrun . . . had Charlie right on top of them. They were taking quite a few casualties. At the height of the battle, Carpenter made the decision to call in an air strike on their position. The nearest planes to them were carrying napalm. The air strike made the NVA disengage and bought Charlie Company some time. They were able to gather the wounded and setup a better defense perimeter"

"As C Company advanced on 12 June, its commander, CPT William S. Carpenter Jr., sensed those indicators and concentrated his company, but it was surrounded and in danger of being overrun by an estimated NVA battalion . . . CPT Carpenter reportedly called for an air strike "right on top of us.'"

Here is, however, how William Carpenter really intended the air strike to transpire:

"CPT Carpenter later stated privately that he realized the survival of his company was at stake, but that he did not actually call the air strike directly in on his position. Instead, he told the forward air controller to use the smoke marking his company’s position as the aiming point for the air strike. He knew that using conventional air strike techniques and safe distances would not defeat the enemy. He also reasoned that the napalm would "splash" forward of his position, causing more enemy than friendly casualties. The air strike did just that. . . ."

"The survivors of Toumorong would forever be known as "Carpenter's Crispy Critters." . . . there were alot of mixed feelings about Carpenter's decision. Some of them thought he over-reacted [there were troopers killed by the napalm], while others believed that he saved their lives. Like in most battles, it depended on where you were standing and where you were looking. Everybody's experience and perception can be widely different."

"This battle made the tv news and newspapers back in the States."

YES, it did! In the early days of American involvement in Vietnam, the press and the media in general were really gung-ho and did present the U.S. military involvement in a POSITIVE manner. The "bomb our position" engagement with Captain Carpenter as the commander of the U.S. unit was portrayed as a BRAVE decision well warranted! American courage in action, courtesy of the All-American boy!!

[here is the other Vietnam battle that stood out at the time. A Shau Valley Special Forces [SF] camp attacked, "overrun" by the North Vietnamese Army [NVA]. Reported as a pyrrhic victory for the enemy!! The gallant SF fighting bravely [which they certainly did] against the NVA "hordes".]

"pyrrhic: adjective

3. of or relating to or resembling Pyrrhus or his exploits (especially his sustaining staggering losses in order to defeat the Romans); 'a Pyrrhic victory'"

Captain Carpenter was recommended for the Medal of Honor [MoH], but eventually received a lesser but still pretty significant decoration.

"Our battalion commander . . . put Carpenter in for the MOH, but was downgraded to a DSC [Distinguished Service Cross]."

"The 2nd Battalion was in the 1st Brigade with 1-327th and 2-327th Inf. Deployed to Vietnam in 1965, it was most notably commanded by LTC Hank "The Gunfighter" Emerson. "Major Hackworth's [David] counterpart, at the 502nd, was none other than Col. Hank Emerson, aka the Gunfighter . . . he [Emerson] had a young captain under him known as the "Lonesome End" from West Point's football team . . . Captain William S. Carpenter, Jr. commanding C/2/502."

The name of William S. Carpenter was also mentioned in passing during the "Winter Soldier" testimony before Congress:

Moderator. "Our next veteran is Lee Meyrowitz."

Meyrowitz. "My name is Lee Meyrowitz and I served with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, C Company, 502nd Infantry, in Vietnam, from 1965 to 1966."

[this was C Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. The regimental designation describes the unit lineage. The battalion was part of the 1st Brigade, brigades being the manner with which divisions were organized at the time.]

"There is also a very elite esprit de corps in the 101st Airborne Division, which almost forces you to somehow prove something".

[to include closing with the enemy, engaging that same enemy in close-quarters-combat with an edged weapon!!]

"When I came to the unit — and let me say one thing on this unit. This unit was the unit that was commanded by Captain Carpenter, if you remember at Dac To."

[Dak To is the site of the "crispy critters" incident mentioned previously in this blog entry.]

Floor. Five-oh-deuce [502]?

Meyrowitz. Five-oh-deuce [502].

"OK. I was in C Company. C Company had an excellent reputation as a fine, fine, respectable killer unit. We were told that we were one of the best units, best battalions in Vietnam"

"And there was a company commander before that time, in 1965 before December — there had been some mutilations of bodies"

[this of course is the "hatchet incident" I have been blogging about. C Company WAS the "hatchet company". Carried tomahawks into battle until the practice was ended by General Westmoreland himself!! When they speak of mutilations, they are talking about closing with the enemy and killing them with an edged weapon.]

Read the initial blog entry about the "hatchet incident" and follow-up entries regarding same:

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2004/10/this-is-coolbert-here-is-how.html

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-is-coolbert-comment-from-reader-to.html

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-is-coolbert-hatchet-man-n.html

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-is-coolbert-again-from-comments-of.html

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-is-coolbert-use-of-hatchets.html

Well, what is this all about? What was the intention here in mentioning the name of William S. Carpenter? Defame by the most specious of association the All-American boy, the "Lonesome End", the man portrayed as a war hero? AND WITH HIM, HANK EMERSON TOO!!??

[let us make this absolutely clear! Carpenter WAS NOT commanding C Company at the time of the "hatchet incident". But his name was mentioned during the testimony.]

Willam S. Carpenter did conclude a very successful military career after Vietnam. Retiring with the rank of Major General [?]. Commanding the newly activated 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Drum.

"And by the time the 80's rolled around with the 10th Mtn Div taking over Fort Drum, they did so with Maj. Gen. William S. Carpenter."

coolbert.

GPS.

This is coolbert:

If the Israeli Sayeret Shaldag indeed has provided terminal guidance for weapons delivery against those underground bunkers in Syria, it may not only be terminal guidance for laser guided bombs alone.

JDAM is in the hands of the Israeli? Or a similar such Israeli home-grown system?

JDAM! Conventional aerial-dropped munitions with a strap-on GPS guidance system.

GPS that can be greatly enhanced for military purposes. Enhanced by the activities of a military unit such as Sayeret Shaldag.

My understanding of GPS is that there are different levels of sophistication for determining accuracy of position on the ground. Civilian-grade GPS receivers provide accuracy to within TENS OF METERS! Conventional military-grade GPS receivers provide accuracy to within METERS!!

And there is even GPS coordinate accuracy beyond that?! Accuracy obtained that can be measured down to CENTIMETERS!!?? Accuracy THAT CAN BE OBTAINED IN PART FROM A RADIO TRANSMITTER LOCATED ON THE GROUND AT A SURVEYED POSITION!!

A JDAM munition is guided to the target to within centimeters, utilizing signals received simultaneously from satellites in orbit AND THE SURVEYED, CAREFULLY POSITIONED TRANSMITTER ON THE GROUND!!

Placing that radio transmitter in position and determining the exact surveyed coordinates AND DOING SO IN A CLANDESTINE MANNER would be the work of a unit such as Sayeret Shaldag.

Did this occur in the Syrian raid? I cannot say. Laser terminal guidance was adequate? Could enhanced GPS been used? Perhaps!

coolbert.

Da' plume!!

This is coolbert:

If there were nuclear materials present in those Syrian underground bunkers allegedly struck by the Israeli Air Force, I would have to assume that there has also been a release of radioactive materials that will be detectable!

Picked up by the winds of the upper atmosphere and eventually traveling around the world.

"Downwinders" in places such as IRAQ [U.S. forces in particular], IRAN, PAKISTAN, INDIA, ETC. WILL KNOW ABOUT THIS SOON, IF NOT ALREADY.

Also to be picked up at various sites around the world that are part of CTBT - - IMS network.

Those stations especially designated to watch for the presence of radio-nuclide particles. [minute radioactive particles carried into the upper atmosphere.]

And of course, various militaries and intelligence agencies WORLDWIDE will be conducting "missions" to determine what exactly has happened in Syria, to the extent that it CAN BE determined!!

coolbert.

Muzzled!

This is coolbert:

Again, hot off the presses. From the Chicago Tribune today:

"Around The World"

"Israel"

"Official muzzled on Syria attack"

"Jerusalem - - Israel's chief of military intelligence was ordered Sunday not to discuss an alleged air raid on Syria before a powerful parliamentary panel . . . Tzachi Hanegbi, chairman of parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, told reporters he instructed military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin to avoid any mention of Syria at a committee meeting Sunday."

"Foreign news reports have suggested that Israel struck a Syrian site designed to make non-conventional weapons, possibly a nuclear installation."

The story unfolds, slowly but surely. Silence is GOLDEN in some regard here? The attack did occur? Nuclear materials were involved? Maybe it is best if the general public DOES NOT know?

coolbert.

Shaldag.

This is coolbert: Sayeret Shaldag.

Here is the dope on the Israeli commando unit Sayeret Shaldag.

[info as best can be obtained. Of course, there is NOT MUCH that can be obtained. This unit, by the very nature of operations it engages in, would be operating at a very high level of classification and NOT EVER make public successes or failures!!]

Responsible for the terminal guidance of laser guided bombs dropped by Israeli F-15's on the purported Syrian cache of nuclear material!!??

"Sayeret Shaldag is the Israeli Air Force Commando unit. The unit performs special missions by using advanced combat technologies."

[right, terminal guidance for laser delivered bombs and such!!]

"Sayeret Shaldag (a.k.a. Unit 5101)- Shaldag belong to the Israeli Air Force (IAF). In 1995, Unit 5101 acquired CT/HRT [counter-terrorism/hostage rescue team]capabilities and became the first and the only 'all commands' ('all Israel') Engagement Unit. Because Unit 5101 is an 'all Israel'-capable Unit, it is the only Engagement Unit who has a small helicopter fleet attached exclusively to the Unit."

An "all-Israel" unit. Can operate ANYWHERE as needed. Under the SPECIFIC command of Israeli national command authority?

coolbert.

Air Commando?

This is coolbert:

Wow - - this is heavy stuff - - really!!!

Hot off the presses, just today!!

"Israelis ‘blew apart Syrian nuclear cache’
Secret raid on Korean shipment"

"a Shaldag [Israeli] air force commando team was waiting to direct their laser beams at the target for the approaching jets. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking up position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in flames."

A team of Israeli Air Force commandos to provide terminal guidance for laser guided precision munitions dropped from Israeli F-15's.

"their mission was the focus of intense speculation this weekend amid claims that Israel believed it had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea."

"The Israeli government was not saying. 'The security sources and IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers are demonstrating unusual courage,' said Ehud Olmert, the prime minister. 'We naturally cannot always show the public our cards.'"

Read the whole article. Scary stuff!!

[anyone anywhere read this in the general media at all!!! I did not!!]

This world IS a dangerous place!!

coolbert.

Tomahawk III. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

Again, from the comment [regarding the "hatchet" incident] of an anonymous reader to the blog:

"First, it was not a General, it was a full bird Colonel . . . Also, the career of the "General" (really a Colonel at the time) was not over by a long shot. He spent another tour in Vietnam (66-67), later commanded a unit in Korea (2nd ID I think), and also commanded the 82nd Abn Div and RETIRED at the rank of Lt. General. His tactics are still taught and used to this day."

From this description I am able to infer with a high degree of certainty that this is Hank Emerson.

Career officer, West Point grad [class of 1947] known as the "Gunfighter".

A highly respected [renowned!] combat commander. Mentioned in the same breath as David Hackworth, Harry Summers, Anthony Herbert.

The career of Hank Emerson DID NOT end with Vietnam. Emerson did command:

* "the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea in the mid-1970's"

* "He later served as commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg"

Was also a Special Forces officer. Saw combat in both Korea and Vietnam. Noted for innovative combat techniques and tactics.

"gained recognition in the Korean war for his tactical ability on the battlefield. He conceived the methods employed so effectively against the Viet Cong called 'the checkerboard' and 'Jitterbug.'"

Also noted for his eccentric personality:

* "carrying a cowboy-style six-shooter in place of a regulation Colt .45 semi-automatic pistol." [the "Gunfighter"]

[this would have classified as an "unauthorized" weapon. Recall what I said about deploying overseas through Oakland Army Terminal [OART]. All firearms and edged weapons were confiscated. Having such in your possession was a courts martial offense.]

* "he insisted his troops train only at night"

* "made them [the troops under his command] repeatedly watch the television film Brian's Song to promote racial harmony."

["Brian's Song" of course is the movie dealing with the friendship between Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears. One white man and one black man in the same backfield, both as rookies. Had an unusual close relationship, Piccolo suffering from terminal cancer and dying in his prime!! GALE SAYERS TO THIS DAY VISITS U.S. TROOPS ALL OVER THE WORLD, GIVING MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES PROMOTING HARMONY AND HOW TEAMWORK CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS!!]

NOW, FOR THE HARD PART. Here is an excerpt from the Ranger Against War blog: "[Hank Emerson] came out as gay following his much decorated service in the U.S. military. Would we be any the better for having lost a fine soldier as Hank Emerson because of his sexual orientation?"

More correctly too it can be stated that Colonel Aaron Banks was the "father" of the Special Forces. What role Emerson played I cannot say. As to the allegation of "being gay", I cannot confirm or deny!!

"No person can command a nuclear equipped unit if even the appearance of wrong-doing exists, even if totally unfounded!!"

[I would have to assume that when the XVIII Airborne Corps would deploy into combat, it would carry nuclear artillery rounds as part of the common load?? XVIII Airborne, at that exact moment, becomes a nuclear equipped unit??!!]

Am I being too harsh here!!?? I am at a loss!!

coolbert.

DOAB!

This is coolbert:

“From Russia - - With Love??!!”

From the Chicago Tribune the other day:

"Russia"

“Kremlin touts ‘dad of all bombs'"

“The Russian military has successfully tested what it describes as the world’s most powerful non-nuclear, air delivered bomb. Channel One television said Tuesday that the new weapon, nicknamed the ‘dad of all bombs,’ is four times more powerful than the U.S. ‘mother of all bombs.’ Unlike a nuclear weapon, the bomb doesn’t hurt the environment, an official said.”

Dad of all bombs [DOAB?] is obviously a take-off on the U.S.”mother of all bombs” [MOAB]. Largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. MOAB was recently tested the U.S. Air Force. Dropped out the back of a C-130 transport aircraft, over the ocean. MOAB was TOO BIG to be tested on land. The Russian version evidently was tested on land, the Russians having a lot of vacant space within which to test !

NOT hurting the environment? Well, no residual radiation, that is true. This is a fuel-air-explosive [FAE] type weapon? The immediate area around the blast will be scorched, burnt, and rendered sterile!

What is the need for this type of weapon? A mere exhibition of the type of one-upmanship that the old Soviet Union and the U.S. military used to engage in? I cannot say!

"one-up·man·ship n. Informal "The art of outdoing or showing up a rival or competitor, as in exploits, privileges, or honors."

This too is good reading. Tsar Bomba [King of all Bombs] "Dropped by the Soviet way back in 1961. A hydrogen bomb down-sized to 57 megatons from the intended 100 megatons. The largest man-made detonation ever by far!




I recall this event well. The common folks all thought that this was a prelude to all-out nuclear war at some point in the near future [back in 1961]. Bigger and bigger bombs that would eventually be used, the end of mankind being the result!

"The bomb, weighing 27 tonnes, was so large (8 meters long by 2 m in diameter) that the Tu-95V had to have its bomb bay doors and fuselage fuel tanks removed."

Right, transported to the drop zone by a "Bear" Tu-95 that had to be specially modified just to carry the "King". The weapon could be carried and dropped from an aircraft, but only an aircraft that could NOT travel to the target many thousands of miles away without being modified in a way that would severely disrupt airplane aerodynamics and range.

[NOT a deliverable weapon in the commonly used sense of the word. The first U.S. hydrogen bomb detonation [1953] was again of a DEVICE that was not deliverable. ONLY a test of a concept that BECAME at some point a deliverable weapon.]



coolbert.

Tomahawk II.

This is coolbert:

The use of “hatchets” [tomahawks] in combat DID become an item of controversy during the Vietnam War era. Congressional hearings [1970] investigating atrocities allegedly committed by U.S. troops in Vietnam included SWORN testimony suggesting that a company of the 101st Airborne Division carried hatchets specifically to MUTILATE the dead bodies of the enemy. Perhaps this person testifying also read the same article in the Stars and Stripes newspaper as I did?

"And there was a company commander before that time, in 1965 before December — there had been some mutilations of bodies and I think it was south of Ben Hoa or Ben Cat when they were pulling some assistance with the 173rd, they mutilated bodies."

"And the company commander had given an order that everybody was to carry hatchets to mutilate the bodies. The company then became known as Hatchet Company."

"This was found out by General Westmoreland, and General Westmoreland stopped it but not — after it had occurred, the action was completed."

"Floor. Could you please go over that again? You carried hatchets—"

"Meyrowitz. I did not myself, not myself. In 1965 before I got in the unit, as related to me by men in the unit, C Company was known as Hatchet Company. They did carry hatchets. The company commander sanctioned it, and it was only stopped by General Westmoreland himself."

These testimonies were part of the Vietnam Era “Winter Soldier” campaign. Disaffected, disgruntled, and sometimes hate-filled Vietnam veterans [turns out some of them WERE NOT Vietnam veterans] who sought to publicize American atrocities allegedly committed during the Vietnam War.

[“Winter Soldier” refers originally to those men in the American Revolutionary Army serving at Valley Forge under General Washington. Men who were willing to sacrifice all in a selfless manner, heedless of the consequence, going even bootless and barefoot in the winter, bloody stains marking the snow where they marched!!]

With regard to the Congressional testimony:

"It also omits commentary at the hearing by Noam Chomsky, Jeremy Rifkin"

Those two names in particular stand out.

Noam Chomsky. "twin evils of the universe, the United States of America and Israel . . . Perfect for a man who doesn't like FACTS getting in his way. This way he can make up his own rules as he goes along . . . He is extremely clever in getting people to believe pure intellectual manure, of which he is the king of the hill."

Jeremy Rifkin. With Jeremy Rifkin, the situation is more complicated. Jeremy actually graduated from the same high school as I did. He was a senior when I was a freshman. He was valedictorian of his class and went on to graduate with honors from the Wharton School of Business [MBA??]. Obviously a person of considerable intellect. Has a reputation in some circles as a gadfly and scaremonger? WAS a prime organizer of the Winter Soldier testimony!

"The groundwork for what would become the Winter Soldier Investigation was laid by Jeremy Rifkin, Tod Ensign, Michael Uhl and Bob Johnson of the Citizens Commission of Inquiry (CCI)."

Chomsky and Rifkin are persons of international repute. Undeniably so, whether you agree with them or not! Elites such as Chavez of Venezuela and Prodi of the EU DO listen to them!!

coolbert.

List.

This is coolbert:

From the reading list of Bert:

"Hold Back the Night". By Pat Frank.

"'These are not stragglers, Sir. This is Dog Company.' That was Sergeant Eklands report. A Company of 126 men started the retreat from the Changlin reservoir, 14 made it back . . . but they'd fulfilled their mission . . . the dwindling handful of US Marines would not admit defeat."

U.S. Marines fighting a rear-guard action - - Korea - - 1950. This book, however, is dedicated to A COMPANY OF U.S. ARMY SOLDIERS FROM THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION WHO DID FIGHT A REAR-GUARD ACTION - - KOREA - - 1950. Evidently this book is based upon the combat action of Army soldiers - - NOT Marines!!

"The Making Of A Soldier". By Anthony B. Herbert.

"The military and combat experiences of Anthony B. Herbert during the Korean War. He was the most decorated soldier of the Korean War, rising from a Private during the Korean War to becoming a Battalion Commander during the Vietnam War."

Anthony Herbert WAS the most decorated soldier of the Korean War. A natural soldier who had a subsequent distinguished military career. Unfortunately became disenchanted with the American war effort in Vietnam, retiring embittered and disillusioned.

"Operation White Star". By Richard O. Sutton, M.D.

"Good special operations yarn about a new West Point grad who enters Special Forces, learns the ropes from some tough minded NCO's, and soon finds himself in the real thing, fighting the Pathet Lao insurgents in Laos during the early 1960s."

NOT really a YARN. A YARN as a tale. A fable not really factual. Reads to me as the real thing. American Special Forces troop prepares for duty and combat against communist forces - - Laos - - early 1960's. White Star was the U.S. military involvement in the effort to prevent Laos from becoming communist. Before Vietnam was - - Laos!! Early in his Presidency, John Kennedy did think that if a general war was to start between the U.S. and the various communist powers, it WOULD begin in Laos! Special Forces [Green Berets] and special operations would be the means to forestall such a war!

"The Face of Battle". By John Keegan.

"The Face of Battle " is a 1976 non-fiction book on military history by the English military historian John Keegan. It deals with the structure of warfare in three time periods - medieval Europe, the Napoleonic Era and World War I - by analyzing three battles - Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme. All three of these battles involved British soldiers."

I read and re-read this book over and over. Never fails to provide new information for blog entries. A basic text for students of military history.

John Keegan has recently become Sir John Keegan. Like I have said, fancy that, a military historian being knighted for his work. Bully for him!

coolbert.

Tomahawk I.

This is coolbert:

Hatchet man - - n. Slang. 2. One assigned to carry out a ruthless task in a vicious or unscrupulous order [manner??].

Hatchet job - - n. Slang. - - A crude or ruthless effort usually ending in destruction.

Tomahawk - - n. - - weapon consisting of a fighting ax; used by North American Indians.

Hatchets [tomahawks], have been a part of the American military experience ever since the earliest days of the English colonial experiment.

A hatchet would have been an integral part of the kit carried by a “ranger” from American Colonial times. The original “ranger” was a woodsman hired as a professional full-time “soldier” whose task was to “RANGE” the length and breadth of the colonial New England countryside, attempting to “cut-sign”. Watching for visible signs of hostile American Indian war parties, mostly moving south from French Canada, conducting raids against English settlements [a raid such as occurred at Deerfield, MA.].

Hatchets would have also been carried by the troops of the Rogers’ Rangers unit. An entire unit of woodsmen who had “ranger” experience. Fought in the French and Indian War as irregulars, carrying out guerrilla raids into enemy territory and scouting for the regular troops of the British Army.

[Robert Rogers was a Tory and sympathetic to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War. Could have attained high rank if he had joined the revolutionary forces, but he did not do so!!]

Tomahawks and the use of same are mentioned in the “Leatherstocking” novels of James Fennimore Cooper. The American Indian warrior Magua is described as fighting with a knife in one hand, a tomahawk in the other. In the recent movie, “Sleepy Hollow”, the “headless horseman” is shown engaging in close quarters combat with a sword in one hand, a tomahawk in the other.

The modern tomahawk is a valid and very lethal weapon of war. Can be used as a conventional tool or in combat to cleave the head of an enemy open right down the center. The modern version of the American tomahawk also has a spike on one end that CAN PENETRATE A METAL HELMET!!

[in this regard, the modern American tomahawk is similar to the war hammer carried by Polish lancers of the 1600’s. Spike at one end of the hammer had the capability to penetrate armor as worn by cavalry of the era. This was a war weapon particular to the Polish lancer!!]

About 4,000 tomahawks WERE issued to American troops in Vietnam? This COULD HAVE BEEN A STANDARD ISSUE ITEM IN SOME UNITS, UPON THE DISCRETION OF THE UNIT COMMANDER!!

"GI TOMAHAWK; now here was a weapon that Rogers' Rangers would have been at home with. OD wooden handle, and black or OD blade, with hatchet blade on the front, and a helmet piercing spike on the rear. Web carrier fitted around the head and attached to the web belt."

Is currently being carried and used by American troops in Afghanistan? There is a NSN [National Stock Number] for this item in the military inventory!

"Born on the American frontier, refined in Vietnam, and perfected during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, the NEW LaGana Tactical Tomahawk sets the highest standard of performance among compact, lightweight axes."

"this Tomahawk will be issued to combat soldiers in the US Military under the National Stock Number 4210-01-518-7244."

During the Vietnam War, certain elite units WERE designated as “Hatchet Companies”. The term is somewhat misleading except to the initiated. Were 100 man EXPLOITATION units of Nung mercenaries commanded by U.S. Special Forces troops used in a reaction role, attacking targets that had been located by SOG [Studies and Observation Group] reconnaissance parties [also comprised of Nung troops.]. NOT troops carrying hatchets into battle! The term “hatchet company” is figurative, not literal!

The carrying of an “unusual” weapon such as a tomahawk quite often signifies an ELITE unit. According to Suvorov, Soviet Spetsnaz troops for instance, COULD CARRY A WHIP UPON THEIR PERSON IF THEY WERE PROFICIENT WITH SAME!! An entire company of American airborne troops carrying tomahawks would also be classified as an elite unit. A unit noted for closing with the enemy and killing with edged weapons in close quarters combat!!

"The leather-plaited whip several metres long is a weapon only rarely met with in spetsnaz. But if a solder (usually a Kalmik, a Mongolian, or a gypsy) shows that he can hadle the weapon with real skill he is allowed to carry a whip with him as a weapon."

[Kalmucks [various spellings exist] are A BUDDHIST ASIAN PEOPLE LIVING IN THE VICINITY OF THE CASPIAN SEA!! The ONLY Oriental, Buddhist people to have made a home in Europe!!]

War tomahawk. Maybe one of those will end up buried in the skull of Osama someday. Good place for one!

coolbert.