Off Topic WW1

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Zeppelin buster.....
When British First World War pilots were asked to destroy German Zeppelins, they did not turn to guns - but a giant exploding dart.
British biplane pilots would fly above the giant airships - filled with highly flammable hydrogen - lean over the side of the cockpit and drop the darts on top of them.
The projectile was designed to puncture the canvas skin of the balloon, drop inside and then explode, igniting the hydrogen.
Zeppelins successfully targeted would explode in a ball flames - similar to the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 - meaning the pilots had to make a quick escape if they were to avoid going down with the airship.
The Aerial Anti Zeppelin Ranken Exploding Dart was invented by Commander Francis Ranken of the Royal Navy in 1915 and was dropped from a height of up to 700ft, but between 300ft and 400ft was the optimum altitude to attack the low-flying German airships.
They were either dropped individually or in clusters
 
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Veterans of four different wars from the same town of Geary, Oklahoma, photo taken in the 1940s.
From top left to bottom left, clockwise:
Pearl Perry “Jack” Johnson – 1923-1997, born in Davis, Oklahoma. World War Two veteran. Registered for the draft in June 1942.
Hilyeard H “Red” Young – 1895-1965. Born in Texas, World War One veteran, owned a barber shop in 1940.
Andrew Jackson Everist, Sr. 1849-1945, born in Iowa, served in the Illinois 57th Regiment for the Union in 1864-1865 at the age of 15-16. The medal he’s wearing is the Gettysburg 75th Reunion Veteran’s Medal, but it was given to both Union and Confederate vets.
Oscar P Ruth – 1872-1961. Born in Illinois, Spanish-American War veteran. Self-employed electrician in 1940.
 
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Oldsandy said:
I wonder if the item on the list of executed for casting away arms is the one I read about. It is the only one for that offence. The account I read was as follows: a private soldier was blown up by a nearby shell explosion. He was knocked out but otherwise uninjured. Regaining consciousness he found himself alone, everyone else having retreated. Stunned, he looked about for his rifle but could not find it. Eventually he made it back to the British lines where he was stopped by a sergeant, who demanded to know where his rifle was and why was he absent from his unit. The private explained what had happened to the best of his recollection, which was still confused. The sergeant didn’t believe him and had him arrested. He was court-martial, found guilty of casting aside his weapon and of desertion, and executed. Incidentally, C.S.Forrester wrote an interesting book about General Haige (of the whiskey family) called The General.
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mate that if effing disgusting , thank you for sharing that with us, and i agree with your earlier post about the top brass, you only find out about atrocities committed by our top brass if you hunt it down otherwise i feel it is hidden in plain sight, so you will brush past it
 
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Mr 55p said:
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Zeppelin buster.....
When British First World War pilots were asked to destroy German Zeppelins, they did not turn to guns - but a giant exploding dart.
British biplane pilots would fly above the giant airships - filled with highly flammable hydrogen - lean over the side of the cockpit and drop the darts on top of them.
The projectile was designed to puncture the canvas skin of the balloon, drop inside and then explode, igniting the hydrogen.
Zeppelins successfully targeted would explode in a ball flames - similar to the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 - meaning the pilots had to make a quick escape if they were to avoid going down with the airship.
The Aerial Anti Zeppelin Ranken Exploding Dart was invented by Commander Francis Ranken of the Royal Navy in 1915 and was dropped from a height of up to 700ft, but between 300ft and 400ft was the optimum altitude to attack the low-flying German airships.
They were either dropped individually or in clusters
Click to expand...
Not sure if that is a Ranken Dart or just a simple flechette as there seems to be no grapnel mechanism to trigger the incendiary-explosive core

https://www.bmmhs.org/destroying-zeppelins-article-no-1/
 
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thank you for your time invested bringing us this information quite enjoyed it, whilst visiting relatives in France i toured Bitches fortress very informative, maybe you would be interested

http://www.fortified-places.com/bitche.html
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...s://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOhkXRq6

there are loads of maginot line forts nearby as well

https://www.google.com/maps/place/F...82db70d8c43bfa8a!8m2!3d49.0591069!4d7.4300029

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In a foreign field he lay
Lonely soldier, unknown grave
On his dying words he prays
Tell the world of Paschendale

Relive all that he's been through
Last communion of his soul
Rust your bullets with his tears
Let me tell you 'bout his years

Laying low in a blood filled trench
Kill time 'til my very own death
On my face I can feel the falling rain
Never see my friends again

In the smoke, in the mud and lead
Smell the fear and the feeling of dread
Soon be time to go over the wall
Rapid fire and end of us all

Whistles, shouts and more gun fire
Lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire
Battlefield nothing but a bloody tomb
Be reunited with my dead friends soon

Many soldiers eighteen years
Drown in mud, no more tears
Surely a war no-one can win
Killing time about to begin

Home, far away
From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

The bodies of ours and our foes
The sea of death it overflows
In no man's land, God only knows
Into jaws of death we go

Crucified as if on a cross
Allied troops they mourn their loss
German war propaganda machine
Such before has never been seen

Swear I heard the angels cry
Pray to god no more may die
So that people know the truth
Tell the tale of Paschendale

Cruelty has a human heart
Every man does play his part
Terror of the men we kill
The human heart is hungry still

I stand my ground for the very last time
Gun is ready as I stand in line
Nervous wait for the whistle to blow
Rush of blood and over we go

Blood is falling like the rain
Its crimson cloak unveils again
The sound of guns can't hide their shame
And so we die on Paschendale

Dodging shrapnel and barbed wire
Running straight at cannon fire
Running blind as I hold my breath
Say a prayer symphony of death

As we charge the enemy lines
A burst of fire and we go down
I choke a cry but no-one hears
Feel the blood go down my throat

Home, far away
From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

See my spirit on the wind
Across the lines, beyond the hill
Friend and foe will meet again
Those who died at Paschendale
 
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One of the stories that gets me the most from WW1 is that of captain DL Martin of the Devons. He’d been a maths teacher before the war and he used scale models and trigonometry to prove conclusively that an agreed line of attack on the first day of the Somme would end with him and his men being cut down by a particular German machine gun post. He showed his superior officers but was told “sorry, you must attack”. They all knew what they were walking in to but they still went over the top and were wiped out. They were buried together in a mass grave above which a sign was erected: “The Devonshires held this trench, they hold it still.”
 
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One of the few positives to have come out of WW1 came from one of the most horrific of weapons - mustard gas.

Its ability to damage DNA wasnt known at the time, but this action led to its use, in tiny doses, as the first chemotherapy drug - still used today for a few, specific, cancers.

It was also involved in the first ever cure of someone who's cancer had spread to other parts of the body.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/history-of-cancer/cancer-treatment-chemo.html
 
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Mr 55p said:
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Zeppelin buster.....
When British First World War pilots were asked to destroy German Zeppelins, they did not turn to guns - but a giant exploding dart.
British biplane pilots would fly above the giant airships - filled with highly flammable hydrogen - lean over the side of the cockpit and drop the darts on top of them.
The projectile was designed to puncture the canvas skin of the balloon, drop inside and then explode, igniting the hydrogen.
Zeppelins successfully targeted would explode in a ball flames - similar to the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 - meaning the pilots had to make a quick escape if they were to avoid going down with the airship.
The Aerial Anti Zeppelin Ranken Exploding Dart was invented by Commander Francis Ranken of the Royal Navy in 1915 and was dropped from a height of up to 700ft, but between 300ft and 400ft was the optimum altitude to attack the low-flying German airships.
They were either dropped individually or in clusters
Click to expand...


By 1916 special incendiary bullets were used by the RFC, but only against Baloons.

Pilots were forbiden to use these against other aircraft, or ground targets and on misions against Baloons where they carried these, they were required to carry with them, writen orders confirming their targets.

(The first Pilot to shoot down a Zepelin over UK territory was awarded The VC.
He was stood down soon afterwards but got himself back on the active list.
He survived the War, but not by long.
He died on leave, from Spanish Flue, om 31st December 1918).
 
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Ozzymac said:
Has there ever been a piece of music which stirs the emotions/reflectiveness of people more than the Last Post
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Been a few times to the menin gate when it’s being played mate, unbelievable atmosphere. Seems to generate more of the emotions then hearing it on tele. Totally agree with you
 
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