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I'm bored, and have decided to look up some military trivia. Here you go if you're intrested.

-The People's Republic of China still has two battalions of horseback cavalry

-80% of men born in the Soviet Union in 1923 didn't survive the war.

-Some of the first men captured on D-Day were two Korean soldiers. The Koreans had been conscripted into the Japanese Army but after being captured by the Russians at the Battle of Nomonhan in the Russo-Japanese War (part II, the 1940′s one, not the 1904-05 one). They were pressed into service in the Russian Army. Captured by the Germans in a battle near Moscow, the Koreans were then pressed into service in the Wehrmacht. They were then captured by the Americans whilst they were engaged working on the Atlantic Wall. The Americans (mercifully) did not press them into service but rather held them as prisoners of war.

-Roman soldiers were required to have their swords and daggers on their person at all times, even while digging trenches - Nero's general Corbulo actually executed legionaries for removing their sidearms during his Armenian Campaign.

-It is believed that the last traditionally-organized Roman legion to fight as a complete unit was the Legio II Parthica during the Persian Wars of 242-244 AD. Afterwards most legionary units operated in smaller detachments (vexillations) of 500 or 1000 men.

-The USMC is the world's largest Marine force in the world. It is larger than the active duty IDF, and British Army

-John Paul Jones, "father" of the US navy had a plan to assemble a joint French/Spanish the invade and conquer the UK. But, the plan failed to make it passed the planning stage, due to the fact that when he launched a raid on the British port of Whitehaven to burn the 200 ships of the British navy. As a way to make the invasion possible. His Marine contingent went to a pub and got drunk.

-The oldest weapon still in military service is the M1911 pistol. Which has been in constant service in one form or other. Ever since it was adopted by the US Navy/US Marine Corp. in 1913. Its still used today (It was phased out by the US Army in the 80s), and in fact the US Marines put into service. http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/07/18/colt-1911-rail-gun-selected-as-the-m45/ Colt will be delivering them 4,000 new 1911s before the year is out.

**Feel free to add your own bits of trivia**

-The average height of Scottish men in 1918 was a full 6 inches shorter (check the number) than the average height of Scottish men in 1914. The reason being that tall Scotts were used as Grenadiers by the British in WWI. So many died in battle that only in the last 20 years has the average height of Scottish men returned roughly to what it was in 1914.

-Russian engineers found the Panzer VI Tiger to be technologically unremarkable.

-The famous Katana sword, was not widely used in Japan until the 19th century.

-Though the 300 Spartans are the most famous, there were actually between 1500 and 3000 Greeks present at Thermopylae. Several hundred Thebans and an unknown number of Thermopylians, also died with the Spartans while the rest of the Greek army retreated.

-Rome's army was composed almost entirely of heavy infantry. Archers, most skirmishers, and cavalry, were provided by various Italian, Greek, Gaulic, and other allies.

-There were only 2 dozen warships in the Spanish Armada. The rest were merchant ships pressed into service. The British navy at the time had at least ten more warships than the Spanish, and just as many merchant ships. Numerically, the British were superior by 50 ships.

-The French have won more wars than they've lost (I know, its shocking).

There once was a war between Florence and Bologna over an old oak bucket.

The USA never lost a war in which mules were used.

Napoleon fought 2 battles in Egypt: the battle of the Pyramids (which wasn't at the pyramids) and the battle of the Nile (which wasn't at the Nile)

The USA never lost a war in which mules were used.

Mules will fustrate soldier. Soldiers take their fustration out on the enemy. Thats a lot fustration

The State of Ohio and the Territory of Michigan were engaged in the Toledo War from 1835-1836. The war was fought over a 2,000 square mile strip of land called the Toledo Strip. The only engagement of the war resulted in firing guns into the air and cursing. Lots of cursing.

Heaviest Tank
The heaviest tank ever built was the German Maus II, which weighed 192 tonnes. However by the end of the war it had never reached an operational state. - source: Guiness Book of Records.

Suicide Dog Bombers
The Soviet Red Army once trained dogs to destroy enemy tanks. The dogs were trained to associate the underside of tanks with food and were fitted with a 26lb explosive device strapped to their backs. Once the dogs crawled under the tanks, the device was triggered and exploded destroying the tank (and of course the dog). Unfortunately this didn't always work as planned as the dogs were trained using Soviet tanks so were more likely to run under these than the German tanks. As many as 25 German tanks were put out of action this way during the battles for Stalingrad and Kursk.

Army Bear
Amongst the methods of transport used by the 2nd Polish Corps fighting the battle of Monte Cassino was a brown bear called Wojtek who helped to move boxes of ammunition.

Luck of the Phoenix
One of the American light cruisers anchored at Pearl Harbour during the Japanese attack of December 1941 was the Phoenix. The Phoenix survived the attack virtually unscathed, however, more than 40 years later she was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine Conqueror in the South Atlantic. The Phoenix, at the time of her demise, was of course known then as the General Belgrano. [this probably only means anything to British readers - ed]

Churchill's Near Miss
On January 17th 1942 Churchill was nearly shot down by the enemy and then his own airforce. During a return trip from the United States, his flying boat veered off course and came close to German anti-aircraft guns in France, after this error was noticed and corrected, his aircraft then appeared to British radar operators to be an enemy bomber. Six RAF fighters were scrambled to shoot him down, but fortunately for Churchill they failed to find him.

Grounded Paratroops
After suffering heavy losses during the airborne assault and capture of Crete, Hitler never again committed his airborne troops to large-scale operations and they were instead used as ground infantry.

Bomber of Nagasaki
Virtually everybody knows the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima - the Enola Gay - but how about the one that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki 3 days later? This B-29 was known as "Bock's Car", and Nagasaki was not its original target - the intended target city was Kokura, which escaped as the bomber was under orders to attack only a clear target and the city was shrouded in smog at the time. Nagasaki was the first alternative target city.

Nazi Salute
Despite what you might see in the movies, the regular German Army (Wehrmacht) did not usually use the Nazi salute. Only after the July 1944 attempt on Hitler's life were they forced to use the Nazi salute as standard.

D Day
Although many people refer to the Allied D-Day landings in Normandy as "Operation Overlord", the naval assault was actually called "Operation Neptune". The landings were originally known as Overlord, but in September 1943 the codename was changed to Neptune, and Overlord from then on was used to refer to the general Allied strategy in northwestern Europe.
And the D in D-Day stands for Day!

Suicide Ships
You've heard of suicide or kamikaze bombers - but how about suicide battleships!? On 7th April 1945 off the island of Okinawa the Japanese battleship Yamato, which had not been given fuel for its return journey home, arrived with several other ships to attack the American fleet. The Yamato, which was one of the two largest battleships ever built, and her accompanying ships, were sunk by American aircraft before they reached their target.

Himmler
Heinrich Himmler, the evil head of the Nazi SS, was once a chicken farmer.

That Himmler one, is oddly, not that surprising to me. I can look at the man and think "You know he could have been a chicken farmer" which is a very weird thought...

Other Germany Trivia:

-Erhard Milch, the man who built, organized, and commanded the Luftwaffe for much of the era of Nazi Germany, was 1/2 Jewish.

-U-Boats attacked most often, on the water's surface, not below it.

-Karl Donitz was convicted at Nuremburg for issuing orders that U-Boats leave survivors of sunken ships in the water. He issued this order after an incident in the south Atlantic, when a British RAF aircraft out of South Africa, bombed a German U-Bot conducting rescue operations for the crew of a ship it had just sank.

-Karl Donitz was convicted but never punished for the charge of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare, following a comment by Chester Nimitz noting that the US had engaged in such action the moment the US entered the war.

Facial hair:
From the late 19th century until 1916, the officers and men of the British army were expressly forbidden from shaving their upper lip.

Yarr!:
Submarines of the Royal Navy which have sunk an enemy vessel will fly the jolly roger on their return to port. HMS Conqueror, the sub which sank the USS Phoenix - I mean ARA General Belgrano - remains the only vessel to do so since the second world war, as well as the only nuclear-powered submarine to sink an enemy surface combatant.

More submarines:
HMS Venturer, which sank the German U-864 in February 1945, remains the only submarine to have sunk another submarine in submerged combat. Regrettably the U-boat was carrying, along with experimental jet engine parts and scientists, 60 tonnes of mercury, which is now leaking from her wreck off the Norwegian coast.

Nils Bohr's near miss:
When being evacuated to the UK by plane after the German invasion of Denmark, the Nobel laureate, failing to understand his pilot, failed to don his oxygen mask, and passed-out as the plane began to climb. Fortuitously, the pilot inferred the physicist's mistake, and so flew him all the way to Blighty at sea level.

General Erwin Van Rommel was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944/45 and after it failed was ordered to commit suicide

The Jacobite rebellions were not Scotland v. England but supporters of James (And Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745) versus the Government

The Normans invaded Ireland in 1170 after a deposed Irish King brought them along before they ditched him and conquered the majority of Ireland

Heinz Guderian was the Father of Armored Combat

General Erwin Van Rommel was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944/45 and after it failed was ordered to commit suicide

There's never been any conclusive proof Rommel was involved in the 20 July bomb plot. Some of his staff were involved, but they were no longer under his command, and Von Strauffenburg and many of his supporters had served in the Afrika Korp. While Hitler did kill Rommel for this reason, most Historians do not believe he was actively involved. At most Rommel was only aware of the plot and did nothing to stop it.

That said:

Rommel evaded capture by British forces no less than three times! Once, when his plane was shot down and crashed in British controlled North Africa, and twice when his command vehicle accidentally wandered behind enemy lines. On one occasion, he approached a medical center only to discover it was Australian! He then bluffed his way out, saying he had taken control of the medical center and asked if they needed any medical supplies before running off. On the second occasion, he escaped because British troops were unaware the command vehicle he was traveling in, while British in origin, had been captured and commandeered by Rommel.

Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:The Jacobite rebellions were not Scotland v. England but supporters of James (And Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745) versus the Government.

On which note, the fifth verse of the British national anthem, added in 1745, goes thusly:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

Unsurprisingly, it (indeed like verses two, three and four) is seldom sung nowadays, though maybe that's just because it would be difficult to get 'queen' to rhyme properly.

Edit: this is, by the way, a fabulous thread.

Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:General Erwin Van Rommel was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944/45 and after it failed was ordered to commit suicide

The Jacobite rebellions were not Scotland v. England but supporters of James (And Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745) versus the Government

The Normans invaded Ireland in 1170 after a deposed Irish King brought them along before they ditched him and conquered the majority of Ireland

Erwin Rommel had a favorite wiener dog and was an avid photographer.
Kaiser Wilhelm had a favorite wiener dog.
Stalin had no favorite wiener dog.
The Byzantines had a favored crewed automatic crossbow fired by winding it in similar fashion to the first automatic machine gun - the Gatling.
The primary armor for Macedonian infantry at Issus was cloth and glue.
The primary armor for Aztec and Inca warriors was cloth and glue.
During the war to free Mexico from European tyranny, the US cashiered hundreds of soldiers at the border, complete with uniforms and weaponry. The Mexicans even had an "Irish" brigade made up of such that fought against the French.
Mexico is the only country to fight Spanish, French, native central American and native North American troops.

English Assassin wrote:
Edit: this is, by the way, a fabulous thread.

Thank you!

Unusual Customs and Traditions of the Marine Corps

•Marines take the right of the line or head of the column when in formation with elements of the other sea services (i.e., the Navy and the Coast Guard, not to mention NOAA).

•All Marine posts have a bell, usually from a decommissioned ship of the Navy.

•In the US Navy, when "Abandon Ship" is ordered, the last person to leave the vessel before the captain is his Marines orderly.

•On a warship Marines do not man the rail.

•Whatever the regulations say, Marines do not use umbrellas.

•The Marine Hymn is the oldest official anthem of any U.S. military service.

The "Mameluke" Sword, first adopted in 1826, is the weapon with the longest continual service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

What was the only U.S. battleship to be present at both the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, and at the D-Day invasion, on June6, 1944?
A: The U.S.S. Nevada.

After German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen was killed in action in World War I, who became commander of his "Flying circus" fighter squadron?
A: Hermann Goering, who went on to become one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates.

In 1996, which country's army became the last in the world to disband its carrier pigeon service?
A: Switzerland's.

Who was issued ID number 01 when the U.S. military started issuing dog tags in 1918?
A: General John J. Pershing.

Following the British defeat at Dunkirk in June 1940, who made the stirring broadcast vowing that "we shall fight in the fields and in the streets...we shall never surrender"?
A: British actor Norman Shelley. He sounded just like Winston Churchill and read the address so that the prime minister could deal with pressing matters of state.

Where was the Battle of Bunker Hill actually fought in June 1775?
A: On Breed's hill, southeast of Bunker hill.

The shortest war on record was the Anglo-Zanzibar war, which lasted an estimated total time of 38 minutes before the forces of the Zanzibar Sultanate lost.

Total Casualties:
Zanzibar Sultanate - ~500 killed/wounded
British Empire - 1 petty officer was badly wounded.

Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Zanzibar_War

Couldn't have gone worse for the Zanzibaris...

Some Ancient World:

-Hannibal Barca is very well known, but his brother Margo is not, in spite of many of Hannibal's victories, including Cannae, hinging on the well timed and effectively led cavalry charges Margo initiated.

-The Romans were masters of fortifications. A well trained and equipped legion could pitch camp in two hours, and could fortify the positions with trenches, walls, and towers as quickly as twelve hours.

-The Last Great War of Antiquity, fought between the Sasanids and the Byzantines, lasted for over 100 years and ended when Emperor Heraclius, in complete ignorance of his flanks, rear, or supply lines, charged straight into Persia from Constantinople and began attacking key settlements in one of the greatest moments of bravado in history. Then the Arabs showed up waving this book called the Quran and it all became kind of pointless

A a throw together with film trivia:

-Braveheart's scottish buddies at the end of the movie of the same name were only free for about 30 years before they were once again under the rule of the English. Consequentially, the film is credited with revitalizing the Scottish independence movement in modern times.

This guy killed a german soldier with a LONGBOW:

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

And did a whole bunch of other crazy gak.

-The Korea war has never officially ended there was no peace treaty signed. It is current the longest war that is still ongoing.

-During the Hundred Years War, captured English Longbowman would have their first two fingers on their right hand cut off so they couldn't shoot their bows anymore. That's how the "V" for victory hand sign started. It was a taunt by the English to show that their fingers were still intact and they were capable of fighting.

-The "tank" got its name while the Brits were developing it in secret during WWI. So as not to raise any curiosity, the cover story for the project was that the construction was for a metal water tank.

-During WW2, the Navy had barges that went with the fleet who's sole purpose was to make Ice Cream. They also had two side wheel aircraft carriers on the Great Lakes for training, Wolverine and Sable. The Army had portable Coca Cola plants to supply the troops with Coke and the 29th Infantry Division had a travelling whorehouse that followed behind it in France (the Blue and Grey Riding Academy) and the girls were cleared "for duty" by the division physicians.

-The post war French 75mm gun was based on that of the German Panther.

-Syria was the last country to use the Pzkw IV. They were dug in as pillboxes before the Six Day War.

-The T-34/85's combat record exceeds the long barrel PzKw IV. They were used in Angola and other African nations (think civil wars).

-John Garand had a hand in designing the M-14.

-Four Civil War Union officers became presidents. They include Grant, Garfield, Cleveland and Hayes.

-Gray Ghost Conf Lt Col John Mosby became a US Ambassador after the Civil War.

-The first US battleships sunk in WW II were by the Germans. OK, they (BB 23 Mississippi/Lemnos & BB 24 Idaho/Kilkis) had been sold to Greece and were flying the Greek flag when sunk.

-The submarine Tang carried as unauthorized equipment an ice cream machine.

-The M-60's locking system was influenced by the German MG-43 which in turn was copied from the Lewis Gun - a design originally rejected by the US Army. how's that for full circle?

-The destroyer escort, USS England (DE-653), sank an unmatched six subs. She wasn't named in honor of the mother country but for a sailor who was killed aboard the Oklahoma during Pearl Harbor.

-Largest active minefield in the western hemisphere is at Gitmo

-South Korea maintains the largest active minefield in the world

-Japan has invaded soil belonging to the US on two islands of Alaska

-Brazil took part in the Italian campaign with combat troops

-Waffen SS had a british unit within its rank

As the Allied Forces advanced on Paris, de Gaulle thought it would be best for French morale if a Free French unit could lead the advance into Paris. Truman thought this was an excellent idea, but agreed on one condition - the French troops liberating the city must be mostly white troops.

This is because most of the Free French troops were from their garrisons in Africa, and therefore not very white at all. These troops went on to fight for France throughout the war, and were eventually recognised for their service by being denied citizenship of France.



In 1944 with Russian troops advanding in all directions and reaching the outskirts of Warsaw, Polish civilians began an uprising that initially pushed all Nazi troops from the city. As the Nazis re-organised and began to destroy the resistance, Stalin refused radio contact, would not advance into the city, and declined to even provide air support, despite having airfields within 5 minutes of the city. In desperation Churchill ordered British supplies dropped into the city, despite it being in Russian airspace and having no clearance from Stalin to do so. It is believed Stalin felt that it would be easier after the war if any Polish nationals were killed by the Nazis, so he wouldn't have to deal with them later.

Warsaw today is basically a city built from 1945 onwards, as the Germans quickly learned that the best way to clear a building of hiding resistance members was just to detonate it. Most city blocks were levelled in the fighting, trapping an unknown number of people.

Makarov wrote:-The People's Republic of China still has two battalions of horseback cavalry

Both the Russian and German forces used large numbers of horseborne troops in WWII. A horse is about as fast as a truck when roads are poor or non-existant, and if there's enough grass and water then a horse needs no supply train.

I could see Chinese horse mounted troops being pretty viable in the more rugged, less populated parts of China.

-80% of men born in the Soviet Union in 1923 didn't survive the war.

A friend of mine went to teach English in South Korea. Being a nerd, while teaching here he'd invented a game for the kids, where they would each roll a die, and then go home and learn about what their ancestor was doing in that year last century and report it back to the class. So if they rolled an 82 they'd find out what one of their relatives was doing in 1982 and tell everyone in class the next day about about it.

He tried this once with his class in South Korea, and a bunch of kids rolled either 10 to 45, and told stories of family members starving to death or being brutalised or forced into prostitution underJapanese rule. A few rolled 45 to 49 and told even worse stories from the Korean War.

The thing was so depressing he doesn't even play the game with kids back here anymore.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

LordofHats wrote:-Karl Donitz was convicted but never punished for the charge of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare, following a comment by Chester Nimitz noting that the US had engaged in such action the moment the US entered the war.

It's rarely noted in history, but the US submarine campaign against the Japanese was effective in a way the German Atlantic operation could only dream of. Basically the Japanese continued throughout the war to use their naval forces in direct engagement with the main elements of the US fleet, and never really considered the importance of the protection of their merchant fleet in the long term.

The result was that by 1945 Japanese merchant shipping was almost completely destroyed, and still being given only the most scant of protection.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

LordofHats wrote:-Braveheart's scottish buddies at the end of the movie of the same name were only free for about 30 years before they were once again under the rule of the English.

And spent half of that time trying to conquer the Irish.

English Assassin wrote:

Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:The Jacobite rebellions were not Scotland v. England but supporters of James (And Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745) versus the Government.

On which note, the fifth verse of the British national anthem, added in 1745, goes thusly:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

Unsurprisingly, it (indeed like verses two, three and four) is seldom sung nowadays, though maybe that's just because it would be difficult to get 'queen' to rhyme properly.

Edit: this is, by the way, a fabulous thread.

The majority of the Jacobites were Scots, but there was French Irish and English Jacobites, as well as there being Scots on the side of the Red Coats, I always though that verse was more to do with Edward I "The Hammer of the Scots"

There are a few fabrications in the thread but this is fun.

In 1997 Bob Hope was made an Honorary Veteran by act of Congress, the only person to ever have that title.


Bolivia still boasts a navy despite not bordering any seas

Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:The majority of the Jacobites were Scots, but there was French Irish and English Jacobites, as well as there being Scots on the side of the Red Coats, I always though that verse was more to do with Edward I "The Hammer of the Scots"

Of this, I'm well aware, I merely added to your post for the sake of sharing something amusing. Marshal Wade, however, is very definitely an 18th century figure, and commanded British (or Hannoverian, if you want to look at it that way) forces at the opening of the Jacobite uprising. Despite getting a namecheck in the national anthem, Wade failed dismally to prevent the young pretender's forces from advancing south, and was replaced by William, Duke of Cumberland, a no more competent general, but a right bastard.

Makarov wrote:During the Hundred Years War, captured English Longbowman would have their first two fingers on their right hand cut off so they couldn't shoot their bows anymore. That's how the "V" for victory hand sign started. It was a taunt by the English to show that their fingers were still intact and they were capable of fighting.

Though I wish it were true, this one is sadly a myth, attested nowhere before the 19th century. Captured longbowmen, indeed all captured footsoldiers, would in the middle ages in fact have commonly been put summarily to death, having, unlike knights, no ransom value.

sebster wrote:In 1944 with Russian troops advanding in all directions and reaching the outskirts of Warsaw, Polish civilians began an uprising that initially pushed all Nazi troops from the city. As the Nazis re-organised and began to destroy the resistance, Stalin refused radio contact, would not advance into the city, and declined to even provide air support, despite having airfields within 5 minutes of the city. In desperation Churchill ordered British supplies dropped into the city, despite it being in Russian airspace and having no clearance from Stalin to do so. It is believed Stalin felt that it would be easier after the war if any Polish nationals were killed by the Nazis, so he wouldn't have to deal with them later.

Warsaw today is basically a city built from 1945 onwards, as the Germans quickly learned that the best way to clear a building of hiding resistance members was just to detonate it. Most city blocks were levelled in the fighting, trapping an unknown number of people.

-There were in fact two uprisings in the city of Warsaw during WW2. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, which was mostly made of Jews who were in the Warsaw Ghetto. Then the one you are mentioning.

-The nation of Poland was able to hold out for 35 days during its invasion from both the Soviets, and the Germans on opposite fronts.

-The Warsaw Uprising in 1944 took 63 days for the German army made of many experienced Waffenn SS veterans to stop. The Polish home army, and Polish resistance. Said Poles were made up of men, women, and children, many of whom had no combat experience, and had never fired a weapon til the first day of the uprising. They also had mostly through most of the battle with only small arms that they had keep hidden from the Germans.

I look up to these heroes, and they inspire me.To the point where I have about 1,250 points of a Warsaw Uprising Polish Home army for Flames of War.

After Baggett hit the ground, enemy pilots continued to strafe him, but he escaped by hiding behind a tree. Lieutenant Jensen and one of the gunners landed near him. All three were captured by the Burmese and turned over to the Japanese. Sergeant Crostic also survived the bail-out. Baggett and Jensen were flown out of Burma in an enemy bomber and imprisoned near Singapore. In the more than two years he was held prisoner, Owen Baggett’s weight dropped from 180 pounds to ninety. He had ample time to think about his midair dual. He did not at first believe it possible that he could have shot down the enemy while swinging in his chute, but gradually pieces of the puzzle came together. Shortly after he was imprisoned, Baggett, Jensen, and another officer were taken before a Japanese major general who was in charge of all POWs in the area and who subsequently was executed as a war criminal. Baggett appeared to be treated like a celebrity. He was offered the opportunity of and given instructions on how to do the “honorable thing” – commit hara-kiri, a proposal he declined.

A few months later, Col. Harry Melton, commander of the 311th Fighter Group who had been shot down, passed through the POW camp and told Baggett that a Japanese colonel said the pilot Owen Baggett had fired at had been thrown clear of his plane when it crashed and burned. He was found dead of a single bullet in his head. Colonel Melton intended to make an official report of the incident but lost his life when the ship on which he was being taken to Japan was sunk. Two other pieces of evidence support Baggett’s account: First, no friendly fighters were in the area that could have downed the Zero pilot. Second, the incident took place at an altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The pilot could have recovered from an unintentional stall and spin. Retired Colonel Baggett, now living in San Antonio, Tex., believes he shot down the Japanese pilot, but because that judgment is based on largely indirect and circumstantial evidence, he remains reluctant to talk much about it. We think the jury no longer is out. There appears to be no reasonable doubt that Owen Baggett performed a unique act of valor, unlikely to be repeated in the unfolding annals of air warfare.

Thanks to Colonel Baggett and to Charles V. Duncan, Jr., author of B-24 Over Burma.

AIR FORCE Magazine / July 1996

-The effectiveness of Militia forces during the US war of Independence is often called into question. Even early histories of the Revolution also tended to minimize the contributions of the militia, and one acclaimed account of the war, written as late as 1929, even referred to “the utter failure of the militia system." This is partially true, while a militia man was hardly on par with a Regular of the British/American/German, and couldn't go toe to toe with the British. That was not their point nor their strength. Militia excelled support/reserve rolls, and they were great at insurgency.To the point where their contribution was just as important to the the war effort as the Regulars. Heck, their irregular methods of warfare, is one of the reasons why they are considered one of the fathers of modern guerrilla warfare, and are credited in the lineage of the United States Army Rangers.

John J. Pershing is the only American person to have held the rank of General of the Armies while still breathing.

Denmark and Sweden hold the honour of having fought the most wars with eachother.

The UK planned to build a carrier out of sawdust and ice during WWII.

The guy who created the suspension system of the T-34 first proposed it to the British army. They laughed at him.

Tzar Bomba, the most powerful bomb ever dropped, almost shot down the bomber dropping it.

Swedish king Charles XII is said to have banned the riding of mooses by anyone not in the army, as it (supposedly) allowed outlaws to outrun patrols by fleeing into the woods, where the moose would outpace conventional mounts such as horses.

Mongolian general Subutai holds the world record for most pitched battles won.

The first submarine to sink a surface vessel also sank itself.

The guy who created the suspension system of the T-34 first proposed it to the British army. They laughed at him.

Doubt that, seeing as the Christie Suspension was used in the British Cruiser III, which was designed in 1936-37 by Christie was adopted almost wholesale by the British in 1938.

The T-34 was designed 1938-1939. The BT-2 was the first Christie tank, and is essentially a retooling of Christie's first design from 1928.

I believe you've confused it with the US government, which rejected the Christie suspension of the belief that it was only a marginal improvement over the leaf spring suspension system, and refused to buy the designs, and then found out that Christie's suspension when used in light tanks was vastly superior some years later when Christie had already made prominent contracts with the USSR and the UK and didn't want to sell to the US.

Fortunately though the US eventually began using the Vertical volute spring suspension, which functioned much better than the Christie suspension in heavier vehicles, was more mechanically reliable, and needed less upkeep work.

The More You Know!

AlmightyWalrus wrote:John J. Pershing is the only American person to have held the rank of General of the Armies while still breathing.

I believe Grant was as well.

Frazzled wrote:

AlmightyWalrus wrote:John J. Pershing is the only American person to have held the rank of General of the Armies while still breathing.

I believe Grant was as well.

Grant (along with Sherman, Philip Sheridan, Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Arnold, and Bradley) all recieved the rank of "General of the Army" (basically a 5-star general).

However, "General of the Armies" (plural) is an even higher rank. The only people to get that are John J. Pershing and George Washington. Although, Washington had been dead almost 200 years before he received it.

Marshall
Macauther
Eisenhower
Bradley

wore the five stars to

Jihadin wrote:Marshall
Macauther
Eisenhower
Bradley

wore the five stars to

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

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