Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 41 i History of War

“THE STEN WAS THE PERFECT WEAPON FOR THE DESPERATE SITUATION BRITAIN FOUND ITSELF IN” 1915 VILLAR-PEROSA Initially designed by Abiel Revelli as an ultra-light machine gun for the Italian air force. Its light weight and firepower saw it issued as an infantry weapon to elite Bersaglieri and Arditi units. 1918 MP18 The MP18 has the distinction of being the first mass-produced and mass-issued submachine gun. Its design set the template for the many submachine guns that followed. It was used by German storm troopers during the last months of the Great War. 1938 THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN Although developed as a ‘trench broom’ to clear German positions, the Thompson came too late to see action during WWI. It gained its iconic status in the hands of American gangsters and the Allies…

Mikado was the codename for a notoriously cancelled British military mission that aimed to destroy Argentinean jet fighters that carried the fearsome Exocet anti-ship missiles. These weapons were a significant threat to the British Task Force but the plan required B Squadron SAS to land on the runway of Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, in two C-130 Hercules aircraft. The airbase was on the Argentinean mainland, so attacking it was widely considered to be a suicide mission with little hope for the SAS to escape alive. One of B Squadron who was expected not to return was Corporal Robin Horsfall. Having joined the British Army at the age of just 15, at just 17 he joined the Parachute Regiment and served three tours of duty in Northern Ireland during the…

01 COTE 140 This is Vimy Ridge – notice its long, thin structure that helped make it a dominating observation post. 02 THE ‘LABYRINTH’ This dense trench network would prove to be very difficult for XX CA to break, slowing down the southern arm of the attack. 03 TRENCHES BETWEEN NEUVILLE AND SOUCHEZ The thin band of trenches here were much weaker than the networks protecting Souchez, Carency and Neuville-Saint-Vaast. This made it easier for the French to punch through on 9 May. 04 LA FOLIE A concentration of German artillery was based in this farm. It could fire across most of the front and hit units advancing on Vimy or Souchez in enfilade. 05 NOTRE DAME DE LORETTE Notre Dame de Lorette was a thin spur that struck out…

“THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF HEAVY CANNON, FIRING EXPLOSIVE SHELLS, SHOWERED DECKS WITH DEADLY SHRAPNEL AND SMASHED WOOD, SETTING ONCE DOMINANT VESSELS ABLAZE” The early morning of 8 March, 1862, passed quietly. Sailors’ laundry hung from the masts and rigging of the Union warships tasked with blockade duty in Hampton Roads that Saturday. The American Civil War was in its second year, and a vital component of the Union grand strategy, later known as the Anaconda Plan, was to blockade Confederate ports, strangling the lifeline of war materiel and other goods that might otherwise sustain the rebellion. Carrying out their assignment at Hampton Roads, where the James, Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers empty into Chesapeake Bay and eventually the Atlantic Ocean, five Union warships lay at anchor, patiently waiting. A few minutes…

The man hailed by his cadres as ‘President Gonzalo’ – Abimael Guzmán Reynoso in real life – was responsible for a brutal insurgency that killed tens of thousands. It all began in the San Cristóbal de Huamanga University, where the leftist philosophy teacher dreamed of imposing a Maoist society over Peru during the 1960s and 1970s. That dream, as it turned out, became a vivid nightmare.…

The bitter lessons of armoured combat against German forces were not lost on the British and Commonwealth veterans, who recognised that the 75mm main gun of the M4 Sherman tank was inadequate against the superb high-velocity cannon of enemy Panthers and Tigers, and two enterprising British officers set out to remedy the situation in early 1943. Major George Brighty and Lieutenant Colonel George Witheridge of the Royal Tank Regiment saw the solution in combining the Sherman and a more-powerful main weapon, the Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun. Progress was frustratingly slow, and the two were ordered to cease the effort; however, a new champion came forward – Vickers engineer WGK Kilbourn, whose genius solved the problems inherent in marrying the Sherman turret with the 17-pounder. Firefly production began in January 1944,…

1 BRITISH COMMANDO RAIDS 1940-1945 EUROPE During their daring raids on Nazi-occupied Europe, British commandos favoured the American Thompson submachine gun for its firepower at close range. 2 THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD 1942-1943 STALINGRAD, RUSSIA One in four Soviet troops were armed with a submachine gun during the battle. The Soviet tactic of overwhelming firepower was devastating. The submachine gun was ideal for the street battles of Stalingrad. 3 D-DAY 6 JUNE 1944 NORMANDY, FRANCE During the D-Day landings, three of World War II's most iconic submachine guns were deployed; the Thompson M1, the Sten gun and the MP40. 4 SUEZ CRISIS 6 NOVEMBER 1956 PORT SAID, EGYPT 650 men of 45 Commando launched history’s first helicopter air assault on Port Said. Many of the commandos were armed with the…

“THE STEN’S MAGAZINE WAS LOADED INTO THE WEAPON FROM THE SIDE. THIS HAD THE BENEFIT OF ENABLING SOLDIERS TO GET LOW, CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND STILL BE ABLE TO USE THE WEAPON” SPECIFICATIONS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK SERVICE DATES: 1941-1956 CALIBRE: 9X19MM LENGTH: 76.2CM WEIGHT: 3KG MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 32-ROUNDS RATE OF FIRE: 550 ROUNDS PER MINUTE T-SPAR STOCK During its service life, the British and Commonwealth Sten manufacturers experimented with a variety of stocks. Wooden, folding, collapsible and skeleton stocks were all tried, but the most common was the MkII’s simple T-spar stock. PISTOL GRIP The MkII had very basic ergonomics and was uncomfortable to shoot, with just a simple grip welded onto the stock. The MkI had a wooden grip while the MkV introduced a much more ergonomic…

The National Army Museum is the leading authority on the history of the British Army. Founded in 1960 by Royal Charter, it collects, preserves and exhibits objects and records relating to the land forces of the British Crown. The museum archives more than 1.3 million objects, including 70,000 prints and drawings, 55,000 printed books, 3,670 maps and charts and 80,000 uniforms. For the past three years, NAM has gone through a radical transformation in a £23.75 million redevelopment project, which includes £11.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The main site at Chelsea has been reconfigured to create a welcoming, accessible and flexible environment. By 2026, annual visitor figures are predicted to reach 400,000. Reopened on 30 March 2017, the new museum building houses more than 2,500 objects in five…

“CONSTRUCTED WITH 20CM OF LAYERED ARMOUR, MONITOR’S ROTATING TURRET WAS THE FORERUNNER OF THE MODERN NAVAL TURRET, INFLUENCING WARSHIP DESIGN FOR THE NEXT CENTURY” ROTATING TURRET In combat, Monitor’s rotating turret enabled gunners to train on a moving target without requiring the reorientation of the entire ship, increasing the accuracy and rate of fire of its guns. PORTHOLES A series of glass portholes was incorporated into the deck of Monitor to allow sunlight into the crew compartment. Iron plates covered the portholes when the ironclad went into combat. LARGE CALIBRE GUNS John Ericsson originally intended to arm Monitor with two 15-inch Dahlgren smoothbore guns. However, since these were scarce, 11-inch Dahlgrens were mounted instead. Typically, 24 sailors serviced a single gun. CREW AREA AND MECHANICS Aside from the turret and…

“GUZMÁN AND HIS LOYALISTS SOUGHT TO CAPTURE THE PERUVIAN COUNTRYSIDE AND LEAD A PEASANT REVOLT. THIS PROCESS, OF COURSE, INVOLVED KILLING MANY PEOPLE” More than 150 years after independence from Spain, the Andean nation of Peru had not yet decided on its manifest destiny. Decade after decade, through war and crisis, it wavered between democratic rule and brutal caudillo dictatorship. Lodged in a corner of South America, the ancient country survived on exporting minerals and metals to the developed world. In the 1970s, however, it was enduring another dictatorship amid economic turmoil. When the regime of General Francisco Morales Bermúdez was about to cede power in democratic elections, nefarious deeds were afoot elsewhere. It was May 1980, and in the town of Chuschi, ballot boxes were set alight. This flagrant…

The Honourable Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph de Montmorency was a 31-year-old lieutenant from Canada when he found himself participating in one of the most famous British cavalry charges in history. As an officer of the 21st Lancers (Princess of India’s), he would face several thousand Mahdists warriors after his regiment crashed head-on into what later turned out to be a carefully prepared trap for the horsemen. What followed was a short but desperate fight for survival, and one that would lead to a number Victoria Crosses being awarded, including one to de Montmorency himself. De Montmorency was commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment as a second lieutenant in late 1887, but later transferred to the 21st Lancers. During his time with the Lancers, in 1889, he was promoted to lieutenant and…

AIRBORNE ASSAULT Taken: c.1987 Soldiers of the Sandinista Popular Army (Ejercito Popular Sandinista, or EPS), prepare to board a Soviet-built Mi-17, for operations against rebel militia forces called the Contras. Raging between 1979-89, the Contra War saw right-wing rebels, primarily backed by the USA, in constant clashes with government forces of the left-wing Sandinista National Liberation Front. DEFENDING WESTMINSTER Taken: c. 1939-45 Soldiers man an anti-aircraft gun positioned on Westminster Bridge, where St Stephen’s Tower is visible in the background. The Palace of Westminster itself was bombed on 14 separate occasions between 1940-41, causing immense damage. The Commons Chamber was completely destroyed by incendiary bombs during night raids in May 1941. TREADING WATER Taken: 27 August 2016 The remains of a Sherman M4 sit stuck in the shallow waters off…

“IN AN EFFORT TO STREAMLINE THE GUN, BSA DEVELOPED AN INGENIOUS SYSTEM WHERE THE FOREGRIP COULD BE PUMPED FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS TO COCK THE WEAPON” Weapons have evolved along with the nature of warfare, and submachine guns are no different. Initially developed to help break the stalemate of the Western Front with sheer firepower, they have gradually developed into the personal defence weapons of today. Still able to deliver devastating close-range firepower but in a more refined, more compact, lighter and reliable form. BSA EXPERIMENTAL MACHINE CARBINE Following the end of World War II, the British Army began the search for a replacement for the Sten Gun, which had been the British military’s workhorse submachine gun since 1941. A number of companies including Sterling, Madsen and the Birmingham Small Arms…

“THE MP5 AND UZI QUICKLY BECAME STANDARD ISSUE FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM UNITS AND SPECIAL FORCES AROUND THE WORLD, FAMOUSLY SEEN IN THE HANDS OF THE SAS DURING THE IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE” As the Great War raged on, generals sought a weapon that would give troops an advantage during increasingly vicious trench battles. Shorter and handier than a rifle, with greater firepower than a pistol, the submachine gun proved to be the perfect option for the close-quarter trench fights that came to characterise the war. The German MP18 became the first widely issued submachine gun. Issued to elite storm troopers, it proved highly effective during Germany’s last great offensive in 1918. While the basic design of submachine guns had changed little, by the outbreak of WWII several nations had embraced them. Germany…

“FOR HIS PERSONAL HEROISM AND UNFLAGGING LEADERSHIP, ERNEST BARBOT WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF GENERAL AND DECLARED THE SAVIOUR OF ARRAS” ARTOIS MAY-JUNE 1915 Drive along the road up from Neuville-Saint-Vaast into Souchez, a small town in between the imposing heights of Notre Dame de Lorette and Vimy Ridge, and as you enter you’ll see on your left, next to a war memorial commemorating those who died in the Indochina Wars, a prominent statue of a man in World War I greatcoat and beret, leaning proudly forward underneath a winged victory. The statue is in commemoration of General Ernest Barbot, commander of the 77th Division of Infantry, an elite alpine unit that stormed Vimy Ridge on 9 May 1915. They marched forward arm in arm with the Moroccan Division,…

In 1958, Detachment A was tasked to test the security of a British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) unit by attempting to infiltrate the headquarters of a brigade undergoing a field evaluation. Team Two was given the mission; they would parachute in and contact a ‘guerrilla force’ on the ground. The team flew from Berlin and jumped at night onto a drop zone 20 kilometres from the British camp in West Germany. Two SAS troopers, role-playing as guerrillas, met them and led the team through the night to a barn where they would make preparations. The next night, they moved closer. Walking five minutes, stopping another five to listen for the enemy, they slowly approached the camp. From observation points, the team watched the camp to pinpoint key locations. The…

1821 General Jose de San Martin and his army capture Lima in July and independence is declared before the month’s end. The Peruvian campaign drags on until 1824 with Simon Bolívar assuming a brief presidency. 1826 A political crisis in Colombia forces President Bolívar to vacate his post and depart the country. A civil war between feuding caudillos erupts in his wake and Peru is wracked by several conflicts for several decades. 1879 Peru, Bolivia and Chile are embroiled in a war for land and resources. The War of the Pacific lasts several years and ends in 1883 with a clear-cut Chilean victory. 1941 A lingering border dispute with neighbouring Ecuador erupts in war. The fighting lasts for several months, from July 1941 until January 1942. Both countries fight again…

“THE RESULTING SHERMAN VARIANT WAS NICKNAMED THE FIREFLY DUE TO ITS SUBSTANTIAL MUZZLE FLASH WHEN THE 17-POUNDER DISCHARGED” The Sherman tank was nimble and reliable in the field, and most of all it was available in great numbers from late 1942 through to the end of World War II. Approximately 50,000 of the American-built tanks were manufactured from 1941-45, and the Sherman became the primary armoured fighting vehicle of Allied armies around the world. When the Sherman debuted with the British Eighth Army at the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa, October 1942, its 75mm gun was capable of dealing with the German PzKpfw. III and PzKpfw. IV tanks deployed with Panzer Armee Afrika. However, as German factories began turning out more powerful tanks, particularly the PzKpfw. V Panther…

“THE GUNNERS WOULD ‘FIRE’ THE CAMERA AT GROUND TARGETS, BUT INSTEAD OF BULLETS THE AMMUNITION WAS SNAPPED PHOTOGRAPHS” Combining firearms with photography has a surprisingly long history with early some camera designs taking inspiration from handguns. A ‘Thompson revolver camera’ was invented in 1862 and the Gatling gun inspired early movie camera hand cranks. However, it would not be until WWII that a combined ‘gun camera’ emerged. WWII gun cameras were usually aerial cameras that were connected to the gun of an aircraft and used to measure firing and tactical effectiveness. This particular model is a Rokuoh-Sha Type 89 that was manufactured by the Konishoruko Camera Company and was captured by an officer of the Royal Air Force at the end of the war. The camera was used to specifically…