schliesser92

The first part of any major exercise was the fallback to the Rhine. That was the point where nuclear weapons were to be used. Basically the answer was ALL OF THEM! The Russkis anticipated to be on the French Atlantic coast in under 100 hours! Under exercise conditions, the fallback to the Rhine was expected to take 72 hours (less if the brits played the Russians and the yanks were defending!) . The main obstacles for the Soviets were the Elbe and the famous "Fulda Gap". You have to remember that the Russian/Soviet army had three categories of divisions (aprt from the armour, mechanised infantry designations). They were "A" (newest equipment, up to strength), "B" (somewhat older equipment, minimum 60-70% of total strength), and "C" (ancient equipment,. basically cadre with fill-in from the reserves). What we faced were a mass of cat "A" divsions.

Mk2/3 , unless I'm mistaken.

here's some stuff that was used at the Queens Birthday parade in Hong Kong, in April 1967. Digitalised slides.

Not strictly military, but just to prove that this "shadow" CIA airline did exist, two slides from Hong Kong in 1967 showing a DC-3 and DHC-4 Caribou

Me too!

I found the one of the Andover on approach

Here's a shot of the firing of the last Honest John at Larkhill in 1971. It was fired remotely by a Chelsea Pensioner.

a couple of digitalised slides from Artillery Day, Larkhill, 1971 with an M107 and M109.

Digitalised the following slides: 1- Westland Wessex HC2 with a 105mm Pack Howitzer from 29 (CdoLt) Regt RA at Larkhill in 1971 2- HS Andover C1 with a gun sub from 7RHA, also at Larkhill in 1971 3- Sikorsky HSS-1 as a gate guard at Koksijde in Belgium

18 regt disbanded under the Defence Review of 1968/69 - the one that created the Royal Irish Rangers and got rid of T&AVR3. What became of those two guns and the ship's bell from HMS Vanguard is still shrouded in mystery!

I've just got myself a slide scanner, as slide projectors are no longer made, and mine packed up a while ago. I started on my father's slides and came across this one. It shows a Quarter Guard for a visiting official to 18 Lt Regt RA in Sek Kong, New Territories of Hong Kong in 1967. In the background is one of two 3.7" pack howitzers held by the regiment as gate guards.

The Wehrmacht wasn't all that mechanised. A lot of the transport, medical and field artillery units were horse-drawn. Naturally they incorporated a lot of captured and confiscated vehicles into their system. Certainly a lot of foreign equipment appeared as "Schwarzes Bestand" - ie they had them, but not "on the books" My maternal great-uncle (who was with the Wehrmacht in France in 1940) used to bug me by thanking us British for supplying so much equipment for free at Dunkirk! He sung the praises of the Morris CS8, which apparantly replaced his Kubelwagen after some nasty anti-tank gunner destroyed it!

I think that these restrictions only apply to equipment supplied under MDAP, and as in our case "Lend Lease". Unless contracturally specified, the equipment can be disposed of as the governmet sees fit. I know that the German M110s , which were upgraded with longer barrels (M110A2) were given up as part of the multi-lateral nuclear disarmament agreements (they are, after all, nuclear capable) and were given to foreign armies or scrapped. This was completed by 1993.

I don't think that the LtAD units (Bofors ,Thunderbird and Rapier) were Division assets. Certainly in the 1960s, when 22 LtAD moved from Pembroke Dock to BAOR, they were grouped together (12, 16 and 22 plus the two Thunderbird units) into 7th Artillery Brigade. This , of course, could have been changed, as the only Artillery Brigade I can find is the 1st (HQ Hildesheim), which had the Heavy and Missile stuff. I would assume that they became divisional assets when they changed from Rapier to Stormer/ HVM. Incidentally, the cyclic rate of fire for the L70 Bofors was 240 rpm, although only 160-180 rpm was practicable, and then the barrel started to get a little warm! The only aircraft shot down by a British Bofors in "peacetime" was an Indonesian Hercules over Borneo (40 Bty "The Old Rooks" from 22 LtAD Regt, I believe).

Similarly converted as the one's in London, and I think there's also a similar one in the USA doing river-based sightseeing tours. Seems to be a trend and a new lease of life for these vehicles.

BVs towing is normal. I've seen pics of them towing field guns (sometimes on skis!). There is a two-axle trailer used by several (mainly Scandinavian) armies which is also amphibious, mainly towed behind the BV206 series. As for the Falklands shot, I suspect that it was just crossing a water obstruction.

Try looking at the website militaerbuecher.de, they might have what you want. Hope your German#s up to scratch!

Wot he said!

I'm planning a holiday on the Belgian coast late this year - and there is a fortification preserved and open to the public. Might pay it a visit, and use up a lot of film.

That is an unusual Ferret on the right - I can't quite place the turret. Any history on it?

The Mecca for military railway fans seems to be central and eastern Europe - they've preserved quite a lot of armoured train rolling stock.In my own area of interest - medical - I was disappointed that there is no photography allowed at the Army Medical Services Museum (Mytchett). They've got the medical coach from the British Berlin Train. The one from the French Berlin Train is also preserved (I don't know where), and there are a few US Army ones lurking around the US. Apart from that - it just seems to be the luck of the draw if one stumbles across something remotely interesting.

Not sure if it belongs here - I came across the following at the Railway Museum in Odense, denmark in 1995. My trip co-incided with the 50th anniversary of the end of WW2.

I came across these bunkers whilst on holiday in South-tirol (Italy) and the Vendee (France). The first two are bunkers built by the Austrians to defend the Reschenpass (the most important pass to Italy after the Brenner), the first by Glurns (Glorenza) the second outside Mals: The next are German-built on the island of Noirmoutier,and cover the Loire estuary, which gave access to the ports of nantes and St Nazaire. The first is roofed with local tiles - I assume a form of camoflague. The next two shots show what looks like an ammo-sorage bunker for a coast-gun site. Roger

Didn't you find it strange that they already had a replica already made up?

looks like yo got it right, and Laterne, elektrisch is also right (electric lantern). The Bundesamt for Wehrtechnik equates to our MoD Procurement agency.