truly badass

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1963-U.S.A. M50 106mmSPMultipleRifle"Ontos"






Armament: 6 - 106mm RCL R files M4QA1C
Armor: 13mm
Engine: Chrysler,V-8 petrol, 180 hp
Speed: 30 mph
Range: 150 miles
Crew : 3
Weight: 8.5 tons



The Ontos Anti-Tank VehicleBy any measure, the Ontos was one of the most interesting things to come down the road of United States military armored development. The idea for this vehicle was born in the aftermath of World War II when the U.S. Army perceived the need for a new reconnaissance vehicle. Then it evolved into a tank destroyer for use with the Army on the nuclear battlefields of Europe. Next it was deployed in Marine Corps anti-tank battalions. The Ontos most significant contribution was in the Vietnam war, but in a role much different than the role for which it was designed. This is the story of the Ontos, officially the "Rifle, Multiple, 106mm, Self-Propelled M50 of the antitank company, infantry regiment, Marine Division."


The adaptation of the internal combustion engine to warfare brought about the removal of the horse from the battlefield. The reconnaissance mission formerly performed by cavalry remained. By the end of World War II, the motorcycle, jeep, armored car, and light tank all tried to fill the gap, all without complete success. A classified 1953 U.S. Army report noted:


There is an urgent and immediate need in our army for a vehicle similar in performance to the jeep, but at the same time affording some armor protection and greater cross-country mobility, for use by reconnaissance personnel, commanders, messengers, and liaison officers who are frequently exposed to small arms fire.


At that time jeeps and half-tracks were authorized in the command, scout, and support elements of the Army reconnaissance platoon. The Ontos was considered as a replacement. After considerable study the Army concluded that although the vehicle had outstanding cross-country mobility and armor protection, it had deficiencies in the areas of storage space, lack of speed, lack of range, and excess weight. Ironically, given the vulnerability of the M50 to enemy mines in Vietnam, the Army concluded these test vehicles "offered protection against atomic bombing."The Army decided to stick with its M38A1 half-ton trucks and M21 mortar carriers for reconnaissance platoon use.


During World War II, the Army embraced the tank destroyer concept, which called for the placement of large-caliber anti-tank guns on lightly armored carriages. These could quickly be moved to any area under enemy tank threat. This concept was never embraced by the Marine Corps to any extent. The tank remained the favored anti-tank weapon for the Marines in the immediate postwar period. In addition to duties as naval infantry, postwar planners envisioned a role for the Corps in any European conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Late 1940s war planning put the Marines into direct conflict with front-line units of the Red Army. In the Pacific War the Marines dealt with sporadic attacks by small Japanese tanks. In the future war Marine tankers would have to face a highly mechanized Soviet force equipped with large numbers of medium and heavy tanks.


Using tanks to destroy enemy tanks proved less than satisfactory in the Korean War: too often the weight of American medium tanks rendered them too roadbound. Both Army and Marine planners, cognizant of the formidable threat posed by Communist armor, returned to the World War II tank destroyer concept. In 1949 the USMC Armor Policy Board specifically noted "There is a requirement for a destroyer type tank to destroy hostile heavily armored vehicles . . . ."


As early as 1944 Army production and logistics considerations began to determine Marine Corps tank decisions. Although some of the USMC armor requirement was developed and produced by the Navy's Bureau of Ships (e.g., amphibious tractors or amtracs), the Corps came to fully depend on the Army for its tank procurement.In 1951, Marine Corps planners and engineers from the Allis-Chalmers Corporation began development of this new anti-tank vehicle. It would be built at the company's La Porte, Indiana, factory.
In 1953, Michigan Congressman Gerald R. Ford held congressional hearings for Army appropriations. When discussion turned to anti-tank capabilities, the testimony of Army generals was taken off the record and not included in the printed transcript.The public became aware of Ontos development only by mistake. According to a report in the New York Times dated June 26, 1953, the congressional testimony was classified secret. The newspaper noted "An entirely new weapons-carrying vehicle, nicknamed 'The Thing' but carrying the official designation Ontos, to be used variously, including as a mount for a new 'very high-powered' recoilless rifle and for a quadruple .50 calibre antiaircraft weapon against low flying planes.' Army officials expressed amazement and appeared appalled when copies of the 1,667-page printed testimony released by the subcommittee reached the Pentagon.




The original M-50 Ontos emphasized firepower over crew comfort. The hull was derived from the T55/T56 series of tracked armored personnel carriers. It was powered by a six cylinder in-line gasoline engine, the General Motors SL 12340, which developed 145 horsepower at 3,400 rpm (this was later upgraded to a Chrysler V-8). This power source was coupled to a XT-90-2 transmission, which drove the front sprockets, which turned the tracks. Maximum road speed was 30 mph on improved roads. The Ontos had terrain navigation ability superior to tanks. Range was 190 miles on primary roads, 120 miles on secondary roads, and 50 miles cross country with a 47 gallon internal fuel tank. With fording kit installed the vehicle could cross streams as deep as 60 inches. This three-man vehicle weighed nine tons. It was not portable by any available helicopter although it could be air transported by R4Q aircraft. Two Ontos could be landed over the beach in a LCM-6 (Landing Craft, Mechanized).


The main weapon consisted of six 106mm M40A1C recoilless rifles mounted on a central turret that overhung the hull on both sides. Built with simplicity in mind, this rifle was the same weapon used by infantry on a fixed mount. These guns could be fired individually, in pairs, or all at once. Fifty caliber spotting rifles were mounted on four of the recoilless rifles. Two of the recoilless rifles were equipped with a spotting rifle and sight and could be removed from the vehicle for use on ground mounts (these spotting rifles could not be fired from inside). The Ontos also had a .30 caliber machine gun. These weapons were externally and coaxially mounted and were fired electrically. Rate of fire was four aimed rounds per minute with all guns loaded. Average reload time was one minute.

The trajectories of the spotting rounds and the 106mm rounds were very similar to a distance of 1,100 yards. Beyond 1,100 yards the trajectories differed, causing the effectiveness of this spotting system to decrease as range increased. The spotting rifle could not be used beyond 1,500 yards, necessitating the use of burst-on-target and bracketing techniques of fire adjustment at these greater ranges. High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) ammunition for the 106mm rifle would penetrate the armor of any known tank (16" of armor at 0 degrees obliquity). The Ontos' armor was one-half inch plate except for the floor, which was only 3/16" thick. The upper sloped armor would withstand all small arms fire, but was vulnerable to .50 caliber armor piercing rounds. Artillery airbursts could cause severe damage to the Ontos' guns and external fire control equipment.


Frank Pace, Jr., Secretary of the Army during the Truman administration, initially supported the M50 for Army use. Pace noted, "if Ontos is there, tanks had better get the hell off the battlefield." Not everyone agreed with Pace. Others felt it was too lightly armored, underpowered, and incapable of sustained combat. The Marine Corps accepted the Ontos after the Army rejected it. The Marines did not have the specialized supply and maintainence capabilities of the Army, and Ontos was a simple vehicle. It had fewer parts than other armored vehicles. There was no heavy turret. The engine was a common truck engine found on various military and civilian vehicles. The fire control system was simple: according to Lieutenant Colonel E. L. Bale, Jr., a Marine instructor at the Army Armor School, the average Marine could master the system "as easily as he has the pinball machine in the local drug store."The Corps ordered 13 million dollars worth, about 300 vehicles. Production was to run for about one year beginning in mid-1956.

The Ontos was quickly integrated into armored units of the Fleet Marine Force. Its first non-training deployment abroad came in July 1958. The Lebanon Crisis saw Marine Battalion Landing Teams (BLT) of the Navy's Sixth Fleet come ashore to stabilize the weak Lebanese national government. This 2d Provisional Marine Force included 15 M48 tanks, ten Ontos, and 31 LVTP5 amtracks (Landing Vehicle, Tracked). These vehicles provided general Force security and protection for armored patrols until a larger Army tank force could be sent from Germany. The Marines began reembarkation in mid-August.

Marines got their chance to destroy tanks with Ontos in 1965 in the Caribbean. In April the Dominican Republic was sliding into civil war as reformers did battle with right-wing military forces. The 6th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Caribbean quick-reaction force, was ordered to ashore in order to evacuate civilians and reinforce security at the American embassy. A full company each of tanks, amtracs (LVTs), and Ontos were part of the landing team. The U.S. force took the side of the Dominican military. The rebel army posessed less than formidible armor capabilities. Before leaving in June, M50 HEAT rounds scored hits on an old Swedish Landsverk L-60 light tank and a French AMX-13 light tank. But it was halfway around the world in Vietnam where the Ontos mettle would be truly tested.

Ontos were organized in the Marine Division into Anti-Tank Battalions. Each battalion was composed of one headquarters and service company plus three anti-tank companies. Each of these latter companies contained three platoons of five Ontos for a total of 45 Ontos vehicles per battalion. Planned distribution in the Marine Division was for 15 Ontos (three platoons) for each of the division's three infantry regiments. Ontos companies, along with tanks and amtracs, landed with the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Danang, Vietnam, in the first half of 1965. Within one year, both the 1st and 3rd Anti-Tank Battalions were ashore in Vietnam. Unlike the enemy in the Korean War, the Vietnamese Communist military forces possessed significant anti-armor capabilities in the form of recoilless rifles and rocket propelled grenades. The Ontos' thin floor armor (3/16") made it especially vulnerable to mines. Consequently, and as opposed to its designed role, Ontos spent a great portion of their time in static defense positions.

Initially Ontos units were deployed in defense of the Danang airfield. In August, 1965, the Marines began Operation Starlite, the first big battle of the war. At 0730 on August 17, tanks and Ontos rolled off amphibious landing craft (LCUs and LCMs) and made their way ashore south of Chu Lai in support of the assault companies. Later in the day a Marine armored column was halted when a M-48 tank was hit with recoilless rifle fire. The Viet Cong (VC) poured mortar and small arms fire into the Marine positions, quickly killing five and wounding 17. The Ontos manuvered to provide frontal fire and flank protection until enemy fire let up. The following month, in Operation Golden Fleece, a combined infantry-armor assault force including Ontos attacked a VC main force unit trying to collect a rice tax in a Vietnamese village near Danang. The enemy was forced to break contact and flee the area.

After establishing themselves at Danang and Chu Lai, the Marines built their third base at Phu Bai, in Thua Thien Province 35 miles northwest of Danang. Initially, defense at Phu Bai was provided by the 2d Battalion, 1st Marines (Reinforced) which had a platoon of M50s attached. It was not only the Marines who were expanding their forces in the northern part of South Vietnam: both the VC and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) also increased their forces, and both sides sustained heavy casualties. In late June, on Operation Jay, a large, heavily armed VC force ambushed a South Vietnamese Marine Corps convoy moving north on Route 1, the main north-south highway in Vietnam. At 0830 hours on June 29, the attacking force struck the convoy with mortar and recoilless rifle fire, quickly hitting ten trucks. U.S. Marines quickly sent reinforcements, including Ontos, to assist the SVN Marines. The VC force lost interest and tried to break contact. While crossing open ground, the M50 platoon opened fire and "obliterated a VC squad on a ridgeline with a single 106mm salvo." A M50 platoon commander even captured an enemy soldier. Over 185 enemy soldiers were killed in this action.

Marines and their armor were deployed in I Corps, the northernmost of four military districts in Vietnam. An exception to this was Special Landing Force (SLF) of the Navy's Seventh Fleet, the strategic reserve for the Pacific Far East. The SLF was available for amphibious landings in South Vietnam. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, decided to use the SLF to clear Viet Cong forces from the Rung Sat Special Zone south of Saigon. VC gunners were firing on ships using the river channel that supplied the Vietnamese capital. The result was Operation Jackstay, March 26 - April 6, 1966. The operation had limited success but not due to lack of ingenuity of the Marines, who experimented with riverine warfare techniques including mounting an Ontos on a LCM to provide fire support. Only 63 enemy were killed; however, the shipping channel was at least temporarily clear.

The following incident illustrates the vulnerability of the M50 to enemy mines. It was spring, 1966. An armored column supporting Company "K", 3/9 was returning to base camp near Danang. Three tanks and an Ontos went over a stream at a place called the Viem Dong Crossing without mishap. As the second M50 crossed, Platoon Commander Allen Hoof heard a "pop," turned rearward, and saw the upper half of the vehicle blown off the lower half, and lying upside down next to it. All three crewmen were wounded. Acting Ontos Commander PFC Greg Weaver was quickly removed from the vehicle but died almost immediately. The mine explosion, perhaps either command detonated or activated by a counter, caused the detonation of a 106mm round stored directly under the commander. This secondary explosion blew the turret off the vehicle and killed Weaver.[15]

Since enemy tanks were not a problem for Marines in Vietnam, Ontos use reverted to its secondary mission: providing direct fire support for infantry. By late 1966 problems with Ontos became evident. The supply of tracks was depleted, which caused breakdowns on operations. This caused a reluctance to utilize the M50. An even more important reason was several incidents of accidental firings of recoilless rifles which cost some Marine lives. This was an extremely serious problem for Ontos on convoy duty. These accidents were caused by overly tight adjustment of the firing cable allowing the firing pin to release prematurely. This adjustment was a crew responsibility and required a thorough understanding of the firing cable, sear, and trigger. These mishaps caused restrictions to be placed on Ontos' use.

By 1967 the Marines were fighting two wars in Vietnam. The 1st Marine Division engaged in counterguerrilla operations in the southern part of I Corps while the 3d Marine Division conducted mostly conventional war against NVA along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the north. As the Marines moved northeard to counter the NVA threat, Ontos and tanks provided important support. In May 1967, the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines (2/9) and 2d Battalion, 26th Marines (2/26) began Operation Hickory north of Con Thien. Fighting against enemy forces in well prepared bunkers and trenches was heavy. M50s, using the proper ammunition, proved to be devastating antipersonnel weapons. After the conclusion of Hickory, 2/9, accompanied by tanks and Ontos, was sent on a spoiling attack into the DMZ. On this operation the tracked vehicles proved more of a liability than a tactical asset as the terrain restricted them to the road. Instead of providing infantry support, the M50s and tanks required infantry protection against NVA rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack. Using these vehicles as ambulances to evacuate the wounded further reduced their offensive capabilities.

1967 saw the introduction of CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the Marines in Vietnam. The first models had a six-ton external lift capability. This meant an Ontos could be transported by helicopter if it was broken down into components with the hull transported externally. It could then be reassembled and operated at destination, given it a transportability beyond its design considerations. M50s could also go where tanks feared to tread (or should have): in a 1966 operation, tanks got stuck in flooded rice paddies. Ontos, with less ground pressure, were able to drag timbers up to the tanks without bogging down. In Operation Jay, mentioned above, The Ontos of B Company, 3rd Anti-Tanks were able to assist the SVN Marines because they could cross a pontoon bridge -- the only tracked vehicles light enough to drive to the operation. Ontos could go more places than many people thought possible.

In December 1967, the 1st and 3d Anti-Tank Battalions were decommissioned in Vietnam and their vehicles were attached to the tank battalions.1968 saw Ontos assume an important role in some of the heaviest fighting of the entire war, the Battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive. In February, 14 NVA battalions seized control of most of the city. The Americans and South Vietnamese faced the formidable task of retaking this important cultural center of the nation. The result was urban fighting unlike anything seen in the war. The attacking Marines had to take each building and each block one at a time. This close-quarter combat and low-flying clouds, coupled the desire to minimize damage to the city itself, meant there could be little reliance on artillery and close air support.

Four tanks from the 3d Tank Battalion along with a platoon of Ontos from the Anti-Tank Company, 1st Tank Battalion, joined the advance against strong enemy resistance. Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Cheatham, comander of 2/5, had reservations about using tanks. One tank sustained over 120 hits and another went through five or six crews. Infantry commanders liked the Ontos better. Cheatham described the M50 "as big a help as any item of gear we had that was not organic" to the battalion. Regimental commander Colonel Stanley Hughes went even further when he claimed the Ontos was the most effective of all the supporting arms the Marines had at their disposal. Its mobility made up for its lack of armor protection, noting that at ranges of 300 to 500 yards, its recoilless rifles routinely opened "4 square meter holes or completely knock[ed] out an exterior wall." The armor plating of the M50 was sufficient protection against enemy small arms fire and grenades. However, B-40 anti-tank rockets were a different story: an Ontos 1/1 was knocked out and the driver killed on February 7 while supporting the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. The essential role of tanks and M50s in the fighting is illustrated by the fact that Marines had to hold up their advance from time to time for lack of 90mm tank and 106mm Ontos ammunition.

The Perfume River flows through Hue. After clearing the south bank on February 11, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines pushed north to clear NVA forces firmly entrenched in the 4-square-mile Citadel, location of the former Imperial Palace. USMC M-48 tanks and Ontos were placed under the command of the attached tank platoon commander. Tactically, the tank or Ontos commander, working with the infantry commander, would reconnoiter a particular target area, usually a masonry structure blocking the Marine advance. Returning to their vehicle, the tank or Ontos commander return to his vehicle, then move forward at full speed while the infantry laid down a heavy volume of fire. Upon reaching a position where fire could be directed on the target, the vehicle commander halted the vehicle, fired two or three rounds into the structure, then quickly reversed direction and returned to friendly front lines. Casualties among armor crews were high. On February 24, South Vietnamese troops finally dislodged NVA forces from the Citadel. By the time the battle for Hue was over, fifty percent of the city was destroyed.

Before, during, and after the Battle of Hue, the 26th Marine Regiment was fighting the North Vietnamese at Khe Sanh. Here the enemy tank threat was real: 17 days into the battle at Khe Sanh, NVA tanks helped overrun the nearby Special Forces camp at Lang Vei. Ten M50s from the 3d Tank Battalion were incorporated into Khe Sanh's defenses. They were sometimes used for reconnaissance but more often in static perimeter defense roles. Author Robert Pisor notes the Ontos at Khe Sanh had "enough flechette [anti-personnel] ammunition to pin the entire North Vietnamese Army to the face of Co Roc Mountain."

The Marine Corps began to deploy its forces out of Vietnam in 1969. Tank and amtrac units rotated early as fighting had ebbed in the Corps' area of responsibility. By this time the M50 parts supply was depleted and the 106mm rifle was about to be replaced by other weapons. M50 mechanics cannibalized disabled machines to keep others running, but after Hue the Ontos were worn out. Ironically, excess Ontos were given to Army forces (recall that the Army initially rejected the Ontos as being unsuitable for its requirements). These Army Ontos were formed into Company D, 16th Armor, for use with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The Army used its Ontos until they ran out of spare parts, then employed them in fixed bunkers. In the United States, the Marine 2d Anti-Tank Battalion was disbanded along with the 5th Marine Division. The last Ontos garrison was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It continued to operate until 1980 by which time it had one operational vehicle. Two others were used for parts.

Upon return to the United States, the tops of the vehicles were removed. Many of the chassis were sold for use as construction equipment or given to local governments for rescue work. One "platoon" of surplus M50s wound up in the service of the North Carolina Forestry Service for use as fire fighting vehicles. According to Vietnam veteran and former Marine Mike Scudder, Ontos today are scarce. In fact, there are more surviving World War I tanks than Ontos. Scudder should know: he bought the seven from North Carolina and is restoring two of them.

Was the Ontos a successful addition to the Marine Corps arsenal? The answer is quite simply, yes and no. The primary mission of the M50 was a tank destroyer. In the actual tactical environments in which it was deployed, there was little use for this ability.
Its secondary mission was the provision of direct fire support for the infantry. In this role the Ontos was underutilized. The reason, according to Major D. C. Satcher writing in The Marine Corps Gazette, is because, unlike artillery, air, and tanks, Ontos were little emphasized in Marine officer training. Ontos were never used in any tactics problems in The Basic School. Ontos crew did not have their own MOS. An Ontos officer normally served one tour with an M50 unit, then moved on. A weapons system that is under-emphasized will be underutilized.

Rejected in the beginning by the Army as a reconnaissance vehicle, it was used in this role by the Marines in Vietnam. The M50 could go places no other Marine armored vehicle could go. It had limitations. In addition to the problems previously noted (premature firing and vulnerability to mining), the recoilless rifles had to be loaded externally which meant the crew had to leave the protection of the armored hull in order to reload. The 106mm recoilless rifle is no stealth weapon: when fired, the tremendous backblast makes the Ontos' location visible to the enemy. Ontos crew had to ensure no friendly troops were in the large blackblast area when operating in confined areas.

There was no enemy armor for the Ontos to destroy in Vietnam. Still, Marines are famous for their ability to improvise, and enemy infantry were plentiful. The M50 was a formidible anti-personnel weapon. A couple of Ontos on the perimeter could decimate Communist forces attacking Marine fixed positions, a static role quite the opposite of its designed high-mobility anti-armor role. My favorite example of Marines ability to adapt to local tactical conditions is the mean streets of Hue City in February 1968. Not only good at destroying structures, Ontos were able to provide a "smoke screen" for infantry attacks: when phosphorus rounds were unavailable, "beehive" rounds (explosive shells filled with thousands of small darts) fired into masonry structures created a dust cloud that screened infantry movement. Marine infantry loved their Ontos. In Phase Line Green : The Battle for Hue, 1968, author Nicholas Warr describes how the M50 platoon pounded the enemy positions, accompanied to the choruses of "Get some!" sung by infantry holed up in houses, waiting to move forward. Fact is, even with its limitations, the Ontos was used and, to a considerable degree, used up in Vietnam, providing invaluable support for the Marines in I Corps.

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Lyudmila Pavlichenko

The greatest female sniper of all time was Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko, an Ukrainian. She was born on 12 July 1916 in the small village of Belaya Tserkov (the name means "white church" in Ukraine. As a child, young "Lyuda" was a gifted student. She had an independent streak and was very opinionated. When she completed ninth grade, her parents moved to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. She found work at an arsenal where she was employed as a grinder. She also joined a shooting club and developed her talents as a sharpshooter. When the Germans attacked the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a 24-year-old student at Kiev State University, majoring in history. Like many of her classmates, she rushed to join the military to fight against the Germans. The recruitment officer eyed her in amazement. She looked like a model, with well-manicured nails, fashionable clothes, and hairstyle. Pavlichenko told the recruiter that she wanted to carry a rifle and fight. The man just laughed and asked her if she knew anything about rifles. She pulled out her marksmanship certificate and proved it. Then the recruiter tried to persuade her to become a field nurse, but she refused. She joined the Soviet Army as a shooter, attached to the 25th Infantry Division. In August 1941, Private Pavlichenko scored her first two kills near the village of Belyayevka when her unit was ordered to defend a strategic hill. She worked with a spotter. Her weapon was a Model 1891/30 Sniper Rifle fitted with a P.E. 4-power scope. It was a 5-shot bolt action rifle which fired a 148 grain bullet at 2,800 feet per second, with an effective range of over 600 yards. Anyone who has ever fired a Moisin-Nagant can tell you that it kicks like a mule! Pavlichenko fought for over two and a half months near Odessa and recorded 187 kills. When the enemy gained control of Odessa, the Soviet Independent Maritime Army was pulled out and sent to Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. In the fierce fighting, Pavlichenko was wounded by a mortar blast in June 1942. At this time, her score stood at 309. The Soviet High Command ordered the wounded sniper to board a submarine and leave Sevastopol. She was a heroic role model who had to be saved. Less than a month later, she became the first Soviet citizen to be received by President and Mrs. Roosevelt at the White House. Afterwards, she toured various American and Canadian cities to talk about her experiences.

Guards Major Lyudmila Pavlichenko never returned to the fighting. As an instructor, she trained hundreds of snipers by war's end. On 25 October 1943, she became a Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, the Heroine returned to complete her studies at Kiev State University. From 1945 to 1953, she was a research assistant of the Chief HQ of the Soviet Navy.Sheparticipated in numerous international conferences and congresses. She was also active in the Soviet Committee of the Veterans of War. Lyudmila Pavlichenko died on 10 October 1974 at age 58 and is buried at the Novodevichiye Cemetery in Moscow.

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Simo Hayha


During World War II, Germany was not the only country indiscriminately invading other countries? The Soviet Red Army was doing a lot of that as well. On November 30, 1939, the Soviet army "illegally" invaded Finland. What ensued became known as the Winter War. The Red Army met with some serious opposition, which they probably did not expect. It is estimated that the fierce Finnish soldiers killed more than 100,000 soldiers of the Red Army. This number was exponentially higher than the Finnish losses during the Winter War. One of the fierce Finnish soldiers responsible for the amazing defense Finland put up was a small (little more than 5' tall), simple man by the name of Simo Hayha.

Simo Hayha was born in 1905 or 1906 in Rautajarvi, Finland. His was a simple life of farming and hunting with his family. He joined the Finnish Army in 1925 and completed his mandatory year in the service. By the time the year was over, Simo was a corporal. When the Red Army invaded in 1939, Simo Hayha was called up to serve with the 6th Company of JR34. He served on the Kollaa River during what became known as the "miracle of Kollaa." The Finnish Army was grossly outnumbered and yet the area was held for the duration of the "war."


During the winter of 1939-1940, Simo Hayha served primarily as a sniper. He has said that his weapon of choice was a Mosin-Nagant Model 28. However, he has been photographed with a Mosin-Nagant Model 28/30. Either way, his sniper rifle was iron-sighted. This means that he did not use a scope, but essentially a couple of pieces of metal lined up on the top of the rifle. With this, he allegedly killed many Soviet soldiers at a distance of more than 400 yards. He may have even killed hundreds of men at such a distance.

Another weapon that Simo Hayha was talented with was a Suomik 31 SMG (sub-machine gun). He is credited with killing roughly 200 men with this weapon. Nonetheless, Simo was a much more accomplished sniper. His skill and technique are still amazing us 70 years later.

Simo Hayha had hunting (people) in Finland down to a science. He knew it was cold and that the bright sun will glint off glass, so he opted out of using a scope. The cold could have broken or fogged up the glass in his scope and the glint would have given away his position. In fact, this is how he spotted many of his targets. He would also pack his mouth with snow to keep his hot breath from giving him away in the freezing cold Finland winter. Simo Hayha was working in temperatures


that were consistently below zero, after all. Another technique Simo had was to shoot from a sitting position. This is odd for a sniper, but he says it helped because he was so small. No doubt, this was not always his position.

Simo Hayha was so good at his job that he became known as the "White Death" to the Red Army. His white camouflage (suitable for snowy battlefields) and insane kill count led to this arguably intimidating moniker. What kill count can be considered insane, you ask? Well, Simo Hayha is credited with killing at least 705 Soviet soldiers with his sniper rifle (remember, he killed roughly 200 with his SMG). This makes him the most successful sniper in history. Moreover, he was only fighting for close to 100 days. That means he killed an average of seven men per day with his sniper rifle alone.


The killing streak ended for Simo Hayha on March 6, 1940, when a Red Army sniper shot him in the face with an exploding bullet. Teams of snipers had been sent to kill Simo before then and the Red Army had even resorted to using artillery against him. He had not so much as been injured by them. However, the exploding bullet that hit him in March tore off part of his face. He was carried away by his fellow soldiers, but not before killing the man who had shot him, (Simo claims and it isn't unlikely, considering the man). He then drifted into a coma for a week. The day he woke up, March 13, 1940, was the day the Winter War came to an end.

Simo Hayha spent his later years breeding dogs and hunting moose. He died on April 1, 2002. He was 96-years-old.

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B-52 STRATOFORTRESS


Mission
The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

Features
In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface.

All B-52s can be equipped with two electro-optical viewing sensors, a forward-looking infrared and advanced targeting pods to augment targeting, battle assessment, and flight safety, thus further improving its combat ability.

Pilots wear night vision goggles, or NVG, to enhance their vision during night operations. Night vision goggles provide greater safety during night operations by increasing the pilot's ability to visually clear terrain, avoid enemy radar and see other aircraft in a lights-out environment.

Starting in 1989, on-going modifications incorporate the global positioning system, heavy stores adapter beams for carrying 2,000 pound munitions, and a full array of advance weapons currently under development.

The use of aerial refueling gives the B-52 a range limited only by crew endurance. It has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometers).

Background
For more than 40 years B-52 Stratofortresses have been the backbone of the manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions. Updated with modern technology the B-52 will be capable of delivering the full complement of joint developed weapons and will continue into the 21st century as an important element of our nation's defenses. Current engineering analyses show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year 2040.

The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. The first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961. The H model can carry up to 20 air launched cruise missiles. In addition, it can carry the conventional cruise missile that was launched in several contingencies during the 1990s, starting with Operation Desert Storm and culminating with Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The aircraft's flexibility was evident in Operation Desert Storm and again during Operations Allied Force. B-52s struck wide-area troop concentrations, fixed installations and bunkers, and decimated the morale of Iraq's Republican Guard. On Sept. 2 to 3, 1996, two B-52H's struck Baghdad power stations and communications facilities with 13 AGM-86C conventional air launched cruise missiles, or CALCMs, as part of Operation Desert Strike. This mission was the longest distance flown for a combat mission involving a 34-hour, 16,000 statute mile round trip from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

In 2001, the B-52 contributed to the success in Operation Enduring Freedom, providing the ability to loiter high above the battlefield and provide close air support through the use of precision guided munitions.

The B-52 also played a role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. On March 21, 2003, B-52Hs launched approximately 100 CALCMs during a night mission.

Only the H model is still in the Air Force inventory and is assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D. and the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La., which fall under Air Force Global Strike Command. The aircraft is also assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale.

General Characteristics
Primary Function: Heavy bomber
Contractor: Boeing Military Airplane Co.
Power plant: Eight Pratt & Whitney engines TF33-P-3/103 turbofan
Thrust: Each engine up to 17,000 pounds
Wingspan: 185 feet (56.4 meters)
Length: 159 feet, 4 inches (48.5 meters)
Height: 40 feet, 8 inches (12.4 meters)
Weight: Approximately 185,000 pounds (83,250 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 488,000 pounds (219,600 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: 312,197 pounds (141,610 kilograms)
Payload: 70,000 pounds (31,500 kilograms)
Speed: 650 miles per hour (Mach 0.86)
Range: 8,800 miles (7,652 nautical miles)
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,151.5 meters)
Armament: Approximately 70,000 pounds (31,500 kilograms) mixed ordnance -- bombs, mines and missiles. (Modified to carry air-launched cruise missiles)
Crew: Five (aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer
Unit Cost: $53.4 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Initial operating capability: April 1952
Inventory: Active force, 85; ANG, 0; Reserve, 9


Just found some info...

It happened in early 1990 in the Persian Gulf, while U.S. carriers and B-52s were holding joint exercises. Two B-52s called the carrier (USS Ranger) and asked if they could do a fly-by, and the carrier air controller said yes.

When the B-52s reported they were 9 kilometers out, the carrier controller said he didn't see them. The B-52s told the carrier folks to look down. The paint job on the B-52 made it hard to see from above, but as it got closer, the sailors could make it out, and the water the B-52 jets were causing to spray out. It's very, very rare for a USAF aircraft to do a fly-by below the flight deck of a carrier.

But B-52s had been practicing low level flights for years, to come in under Soviet radar. In this case, the B-52 pilots asked the carrier controller if they would like the bombers come around again. The carrier guys said yes, and a lot more sailors had their cameras out this time.

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Jasper Maskelyne

Jasper Maskelyne, grandson of John Nevil Maskelyne, was an invaluable resource to his native Britain during World War II. Maskelyne became an integral part of a special unit focused on the action along the Suez Canal. With his great knowledge of illusion, Maskelyne was able to devise ingenious- and very large scale- illusion systems that virtually made tanks invisible from the air, hid whole buildings full of ammunition and supplies, and even made an entire city vanish and reappear several miles away.
Maskelyne joined the Royal Engineers at the start of the Second World War, thinking that his skills could be used to create camouflage. He convinced skeptical officers by creating the illusion of a German warship on the Thames using only mirrors and a model. The military eventually deployed him to the North African theatre in the Western Desert, although he spent most of his time there entertaining the troops.
In January 1941, General Archibald Wavell created "A Force" for subterfuge and counterintelligence. Maskelyne was assigned to it and gathered a group of 14 assistants, including an architect, art restorer, carpenter, chemist, electrical engineer, electrician, painter, and stage-set builder. The group was nicknamed the "Magic Gang".

The Magic Gang built a number of remarkably effective illusions. They used painted canvas and plywood to make jeeps look like tanks - with fake tank tracks - and make tanks look like trucks. They created illusions of whole armies and huge battleships.
Maskelyne's largest illusion was to conceal Alexandria and the Suez Canal in order to misdirect German bombers. He built a mockup of the night-lights of Alexandria in a bay three miles away with fake buildings, lighthouse, and anti-aircraft batteries. To mask the Suez Canal, he built a revolving cone of mirrors that created a wheel of spinning light nine miles wide, meant to dazzle and disorient enemy pilots so that their bombs would fall off-target.
In 1942, Maskelyn worked on Operation Bertram, before the battle of El Alamein. His task was to make German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel think that the attack was coming from the south, when in fact British General Bernard Montgomery planned to attack from the north. In the north, 1,000 tanks were disguised to look like common trucks. In the south, the Magic Gang created 2,000 fake tanks with convincing pyrotechnics. There was a fake railway line, fake radio conversations, and fake sounds of construction. They also built a fake water pipeline, made it look as if it would never be ready before the attack.
The Magic Gang disbanded after the battle and, although Winston Churchill praised his efforts, Maskelyne did not receive the appreciation he deserved. He retired to Kenya, and lived his life as a favorite resident, giving driving instructions and magic lessons.

Shown here is an example of the camouflage tactics he was able to devise. This is really a dimensional illustration of a tank, boosted with padding underneath. From the air, it was convincingly real to the German pilots.
Maskelyne's wartime accomplishments were the subject of a 1983 book by David Fisher titled The War Magician. In early 2003, there was talk of making a feature film starring Tom Cruise, but the movie has yet to be made.



famous invention by Jasper Maskelyne


BRITISH PARADUMMIES D-DAY JUNE 6, 1944:

The British carried out the most famous of all paradummy missions during the early hours of D-Day June 5/6th, 1944. The paradummy operation was code-named "Titanic" and involved dropping hundreds of paradummies along the French coast to confuse and deceive the Germans as to where the actual Allied Airborne drops would occur.

Six brave SAS men jumped along with the paradummies to make a lot of noise on the ground, play combat recordings, make small attacks on German troops (like couriers) and generally help make the landings appear real to the Germans. The SAS men were Lt. Fowles, TPR. Hurst, TPR. Merryweather, Lt. Poole, TPR. Dawson, and TPR. Saunders. Days after the operation only two of these six men had returned to friendly lines. The other four were likely killed or captured but it is possible some survived so this web site is still trying to research their exact fate. Titanic is surely one of the best kept secrets of WWII involving sheer bravery amongst Allied Special Operations soldiers, out there on their own behind enemy lines.

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B.A.R


Data for M1918A2



Caliber: 7.62x63mm (.30-06 M2)
Weight: 8.8 kg empty
Length: 1214 mm
Length of barrel: 610 mm
Feeding: detachable box magazine, 20 rounds
Rate of fire: 450 or 650 rounds/min, selectable




The Browning Automatic Rifle was designed by the famous American arms designer John Moses Browning late in the First World War, on the request from USExpeditionary corps in Europe. Initially it was just like that - the Automatic Rifle, a selective fire weapon, intended for use by infantry men to fire from the shoulder or from the hip when advancing onto the enemy positions, and to provide mobile firepower to every squad, since the standard machine guns were heavy and much less maneuverable. But the BAR M1918 was way too heavy for a shoulder fired weapon, being more that 2 times heavier than a bolt-action SpringfieldM1903 rifle and exactly 2 times heavier than a latter M1Garand semiautomatic rifle. On the other hand, it was too light to be controllable in full automatic mode, especially when firing such a powerful round from a shouldered unsupported position. Anyway, the M1918, made by theColt Firearms co. were issued to some US troops by the end of the war. After the war, the development of the BAR continued. In 1922, US Cavalry adopted the M1922light machine gun, which featured a folding bipod under the partially ribbed barrel, a removable monopod ("third leg") under the butt, and a M1917machine gun sights. The Colt company also produced a lightened semi-automatic version of the BAR, called a Colt model 75 "Monitor" rifle. This wasintended mostly for police use, but also found its way into the hands of outlaws, too.
During the 1930s, next version of the BAR, designated as M1918A1, was briefly manufactured. This gun featured skid-footed folding bipods, attached to the gasblock. The butt was fitted with hinged steel buttplate.



In 1939, the final American version of the BAR appeared, under the designation of M1918A2. This version, manufactured by Colt, Marlin-Rockwell, and Winchester,served in the Squad Automatic Weapon role with US troops during the 2nd World War and latter Korea War. Many of earlier M1918A1 guns were converted to the M1918A2 configuration, which featured skid-footed adjustable bipod under the flash hider,M1917 sights, smaller forend and metal heat shield between barrel and cylinder/spring, single shots replaced bytwo selectable full auto modes, with fast (~650 rpm) and slow (~450 rpm) ratesof fire. The bipod, however, was somewhat awkward, uncomfortable and heavy, somany M1918A2 were used with bipod removed.




Technical description.
The BAR M1918 is a gas operated, magazine fed, air cooled weapon. It used the gas piston, located under the barrel, and the bolt with tilting locking lug,that was raised to lock into the roof of the receiver. This lug was linked to the operating rod via the swinging link, much like in the earlier Berthiersystem. The BAR always fired from the open bolt to avoid cook-offs. The return spring was located around the gas piston under the barrel, so it was prone tooverheating and lost its temper during the prolonged fire sessions, resulting in jams and stoppages. This issue was somewhat cured in M1918A1 with introductionof the heat shield between the barrel and the spring, located inside the for end.
The receiver was a machined piece of steel, and the un was fed from the detachable 20 rounds box magazines. Barrel was fitted with flash hiders of different types, and, since the M1818A1, the wooden buttstock was also fitted with the hinged buttplate. The latter production models of M1918A2 were alsofitted with carrying handle.
The buttstocks and for ends were mostly made from wood, but on late production M1918A2's sometimes were also made from plastics.


The BAR was the core weapon of the Marine rifle squad. Marine Corps doctrine stressed that fire team leaders should keep direct control of their BAR men. The squad leader was charged with designating BAR positions on the defense, and organizing the other fighting positions around them. Marines respected the firepower of the BAR, and it earned a reputation as a reliable weapon that could not be broken. There was no sound that reassured Marines more than the steady hammer of the BAR firing in a tight spot.

Of course, the BAR had its drawbacks too. First, it was downright heavy–the weapon with its 12 loaded magazines weighed almost 40 pounds. That was a lot to carry for a kid who might only weigh 140 pounds himself.

There was no provision to change the barrel after rapid firing, so the BAR got really hot. After firing a few hundred rounds in a short period, the barrel would glow red, and the heat scorched the wooden fore end beneath the barrel. And it flat out burned through ammo. Marines learned to fire in 3 to 5 round bursts, but that was still only four trigger pulls for a magazine. It took much longer to load a BAR magazine than to fire it.
Among the many heroic Marines of World War II was Pfc Paul Witek, of Chicago, Ill. Pfc Witek was a BAR man in 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division during the campaign for Guam. During the battle for Finegayan on 3 August 1944, his platoon was pinned down by heavy fire. Pfc Witek covered his fellow Marines by firing a full magazine from his BAR while standing erect.



While his platoon withdrew to reconsolidate, Pfc Witek remained to cover one of his wounded buddies waiting for evacuation. Hit by enemy machine gun fire again and pinned down, the platoon took cover and Pfc Witek unhesitatingly moved forward, throwing hand grenades and firing bursts from his BAR. He closed to within 5 to 10 yards of the enemy position, destroying the emplacement and killing eight Japanese soldiers. He was struck and killed by enemy rifle fire. For his heroic and sacrificial actions, Pfc Witek was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.
Even with its drawbacks, the BAR was one of the best squad automatic weapons in World War II. By war's end, there were 27 BARs in every Marine rifle company.


Captured communist photo shows VC crossing a river in 1966.
notice the m1 garand and b.a.r.

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STG 44




Caliber:7.92x33 mm (7.92mm Kurz)
Action: Gas operated, tilting bolt
Overalllength: 940 mm
Barrel length: 419 mm
Weigth: 5.22 kg
Rate of fire: 500 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds

Hitler’s Germany was the leading country in the development of the assault rifle. Even the term "assault rifle", is no more than a translation of the German term Sturmgewehr,devised for propaganda reasons by no less than Hitler himself (or at least so the legend goes).
Germany began to develop intermediate cartridges during the mid-1930s. There were some developments in 7 mm and 7.75 mm calibre, but Heereswaffenamt (HWaA, ordepartment of armaments), decided to retain the existing rifle calibreof 7.92 mm, to save money on new machinery that would otherwise be required to produce bullets and barrels of a non-standard calibre. The new 7.92 mm "short infantry cartridge" (Infanterie patrone Kurz),developed by the Polte Werke in 1938, was officially designated the 7.92 mm PP Kurz. It had metric dimensions of 7.92 x 33, considerably shorter and less powerful than the standard 7.92 x 57 rifle / MG cartridge, and propelled a 8.1 g (125 grain) bullet to roughly 680 meters per second.
In 1939 HWaA issued a contract for the development of a "Maschinenkarabiner", or machine carbine (MKb forshort), chambered for the new Kurz cartridge, to the company C. G.Haenel Waffen und Fahrradfabrik. Initial development took place underthe designation of MKb.42 - Maschinenkarabiner, 1942. The new weapon was intended as a replacement for submachine guns, bolt action riflesand, partly, light machineguns for front troops and was intended to have an effective range of 600 meters or so.
The famous designer Hugo Schmeisser led the Haenel development team, whichproduced the first working prototypes of new weapon by 1942, known as MKb.42(H). After extensive combat tests of the MKb.42(H), HWaA asked Haenel for several significant improvements over theirinitial design. Most notable was the request to replace the submachine-gun like open-bolt firing system with more convenientclosed-bolt system, to improve single-shot accuracy. Schmeisserre designed the weapon accordingly, and by 1943 submitted the improvedversion to the HWaA. But by this time Hitler had ordered that only existing types should be developed and manufactured, and theMaschinenkarabiner was not on this list. To avoid this nuisance, theGermans decided simply to rename the MKb to the MP, or Machinen pistole(submachine gun), which was on the “approved” list. So, the new andimproved weapon received the designation MP-43, and went into limited production and field trials at the front. During the following year,the MP-43 experienced several minor modifications, leading to MP-43/1and MP-43/2 designations, but these differed only in details such asfront sight bases and grenade launcher interfaces.

In April1944 the designation of all MP-43s was changed to MP-44, with no actual changes made to the design. At this time there were plenty ofglowing reports from the German troops fighting with MP-43s and MP-44sat the Eastern front. Seeing these reports, Hitler finally approved themass production and issue of the new “wunderwaffe”, andin December 1944 officially christened it the Sturmgewehr, or Assault Rifle, 1944 (StG.44) This was a pure act of propaganda, but thename stuck not only to that gun, but also to the whole new class of automatic weapons designed to fire intermediate cartridges.
Thetotal number of MP-43s, MP-44s and StG.44s produced was about 450,000,and these guns proved very effective, but not without some flaws. Afterthe end of the war the direct development of the Stg.44 was stopped,but the East German police used some remaining guns. Another major post-war user of Stg.44 was Yugoslavia; their paratroopers used it under the designation "Automat, padobranski, 7.9 mm M44, nemacki" untilthe early 1980s, when the Kalashnikov-type M64 and M70 rifles finally replaced it. Yugoslavia also produced 7.92 x 33 Kurz ammunition untilthe late 1970s.

The StG.44 (like its earlierversions MP.43 and MP.44) is a gas operated, selective fire weapon. Thereceiver and trigger housing with pistol grip are made from steelstampings, with machined steel inserts. The trigger housing with pistolgrip is hinged to the receiver and folds down for disassembly. The gasdrive utilizes a long-stroke piston, and the bolt is tipped down tolock into the receiver. The gun is fired from a closed bolt. The MP-43and subsequent versions all were hammer-fired, while the MKb.42(H) was striker-fired. The safety lever is located at the left side of the pistol grip unit, and a separate cross-bolt type of fire mode selector allows for single-shot and full auto fire. The charging handle is attached to the gas piston rod, and the ejection port has a dust cover.The recoil spring is located inside the wooden butt. At the top of the butt there is container for a cleaning kit, closed by the spring-loaded steel cover. The Stg.44 was provided with open, leaf-type sights, and could be fitted with telescope sights or a specially developed active infrared sighting unit, called “Vampir” (vampire).

The muzzle of the Stg.44 was threaded to accept a cup-like grenade launcher; a special muzzle nut usually covered the threads. The Stg.44 also couldbe fitted with a special curved barrel attachment (“Krummlauf”), which allowed the gun to be fired “around the corner” or from inside a tank,without exposing the shooter to the enemy fire. Several types of these attachments were developed, but only one type, the 30-degree “KrummlaufVorsatz J”, was apparently manufactured in any significant numbers.This device had a special mirror sighting adapter and reduced the bullet velocity down to mere 300 meters per second due to the highfriction in the curved barrel extension. This apparently did not bother the German Army, since these curved barrel adapters were intended for short-range encounters only.


The MP44 was one of the first German weapons in which production was put before finish, no importance being attached to fine appearance or close tolerances except where they were vital. Indeed the original design (by Hugo Schmeisser) had to be considerably modified by the Merz Company of Frankfurt, who were specialists in metal pressing and stamping, to enable production to be done on simple presses. Nevertheless the design was exceptionally robust and reliable; one German report stated, 'Of all infantry weapons, the MP44 was the only one which always worked unobjectionably in Russia's dirt, cold and snow-dust, had no misfires and was resistant to stop­pages.'


In spite of this, a contract was issued in 1944 to develop an even better weapon, tentatively known as the Sturmgewehr 45. Numerous designs were put forward, the most successful being that by Mauserwerke. But the war ended before development was very far advanced; the design was later taken to Spain and fnrther developed into the CETME rifle, and then returned to Germany where, considerably improved, it is now produced as the Heckler & Koch Gewehr 3 and as well as being the standard rifle of the German Bundeswehr is widely used throughout the world.