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The Fairchild AC-119K Stinger was a twin-engine piston-powered gunship developed during the Vietnam War. Converted from 26 C-119G transports, it featured two additional GE J85 turbojet engines in underwing pods for better performance, four 7.62mm miniguns, and two 20mm M61 Vulcan cannons. Equipped with Doppler navigation radar, forward-looking infrared,... and search radars, the Stinger operated primarily at night hunting trucks along the Ho Chi Minh Trail where it destroyed thousands of ground targets. After Vietnam the Fairchild AC-119K Stinger was phased out of USAF service by 1972 with the surviving aircraft transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. They continued operations until the Fall of Saigon in 1975 when most were captured or destroyed with only limited examples known to have survived into preservation efforts.show more

Aviation Archive - Tim Farmer

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83,869 views • 11 days ago •via X (Twitter)

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The birth of the AC-130 gunship began with bare-metal prototype modifications in a 1967 hangar. Project Gunship II initiated the conversion of JC-130A (serial number 54-1626) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Engineers cut openings into the left side of the fuselage to accommodate side-firing 7.62mm miniguns and 20mm Vulcan cannons, permanently altering close air support tactics. The wheel well housing was also modified to integrate an early forward-looking infrared (FLIR) tracking sensor. To protect the aircraft from heavy ground fire during low-altitude banking maneuvers, engineers packed the interior of the wing fuel tanks with reticulated polyurethane foam. This porous explosion-suppressant material occupied the empty space above the fuel, quenching sparks and preventing volatile vapors from detonating if a round pierced the wing. By late 1967, this highly modified airframe deployed to South Vietnam for combat evaluations, laying the operational and survivability foundation for all future gunship variants.

The birth of the AC-130 gunship began with bare-metal prototype modifications in a 1967 hangar. Project Gunship II initiated the conversion of JC-130A (serial number 54-1626) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Engineers cut openings into the left side of the fuselage to accommodate side-firing 7.62mm miniguns and 20mm Vulcan cannons, permanently altering close air support tactics. The wheel well housing was also modified to integrate an early forward-looking infrared (FLIR) tracking sensor. To protect the aircraft from heavy ground fire during low-altitude banking maneuvers, engineers packed the interior of the wing fuel tanks with reticulated polyurethane foam. This porous explosion-suppressant material occupied the empty space above the fuel, quenching sparks and preventing volatile vapors from detonating if a round pierced the wing. By late 1967, this highly modified airframe deployed to South Vietnam for combat evaluations, laying the operational and survivability foundation for all future gunship variants.

Aviation Archive - Tim Farmer

89,894 views • 14 days ago

The AC-47 Spooky gunship, converted from the WWII-era C-47 Skytrain, first entered combat in Vietnam on December 15, 1964, orbiting targets at night with three side-firing 7.62mm miniguns that could unleash up to 18,000 rounds per minute total while dropping flares for illumination. It defended Special Forces outposts and hamlets by circling in a pylon turn to rain continuous fire, saving bases like Tranh Yend on its first big night mission in December 1964 with 4,500 rounds and never losing a single protected village. Cruising at 175 mph with loiter times of hours, the 41 aircraft that served there flew thousands of close air support sorties before later gunships took over. 🫡

The AC-47 Spooky gunship, converted from the WWII-era C-47 Skytrain, first entered combat in Vietnam on December 15, 1964, orbiting targets at night with three side-firing 7.62mm miniguns that could unleash up to 18,000 rounds per minute total while dropping flares for illumination. It defended Special Forces outposts and hamlets by circling in a pylon turn to rain continuous fire, saving bases like Tranh Yend on its first big night mission in December 1964 with 4,500 rounds and never losing a single protected village. Cruising at 175 mph with loiter times of hours, the 41 aircraft that served there flew thousands of close air support sorties before later gunships took over. 🫡

Aviation Archive - Tim Farmer

100,946 views • 3 months ago

#WATCH | Delhi | Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai says, "So the drones came in in large numbers even after the two DGMOs had spoken... This led us to swing the Indian Air Force into action, and in the precision strikes that they carried out on the night of the 9th and 10th of May, we hit 11 of their air bases... Eight air bases, three hangars and four radars were damaged. Pakistani air assets were destroyed on the ground... One C-130 class of aircraft and one AEW, four to five fighter jets, and there were assets that were also destroyed in the air... We now know that the world's longest ever ground-to-air kill was at 300 kilometres plus and five high-tech fighters. I think the impunity with which these attacks were carried out is what is significant."

#WATCH | Delhi | Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai says, "So the drones came in in large numbers even after the two DGMOs had spoken... This led us to swing the Indian Air Force into action, and in the precision strikes that they carried out on the night of the 9th and 10th of May, we hit 11 of their air bases... Eight air bases, three hangars and four radars were damaged. Pakistani air assets were destroyed on the ground... One C-130 class of aircraft and one AEW, four to five fighter jets, and there were assets that were also destroyed in the air... We now know that the world's longest ever ground-to-air kill was at 300 kilometres plus and five high-tech fighters. I think the impunity with which these attacks were carried out is what is significant."

ANI

314,827 views • 9 months ago

1/ THE VIETNAM WAR WAS A JЕWISH PLOT, PART 3: "JFK" THE MOVIE. Memorial Day Rage Edition. People are starting to become aware that the movie "JFK" was a sophisticated piece of propaganda that deflected blame for the assassination of JFK away from israel and onto the CIA, the DOD & the Military Industrial Complex (MIC). Pretty much anyone who wasn't israel or jеws. It was produced by the israeli spy & nuclear weapons smuggler Arnon Milchan, Directed by Oliver Stone (jеw), written by Zachary Sklar (jеw), and promoted by RFK's press secretary Frank Mankiewicz (jеwish member of the ADL, responsible for directing RFK into the pantry where Sirhan Sirhan was waiting in June 1968). The movie famously covers up israel's quest for nuclear weapons & JFK's desire to stop it, his efforts to register the jеwish lobby as a foreign agent under FARA, and his promotion of UN Resolution 194 calling for Palestinian Right Of Return. Finally, while it mentions that JFK wanted to exit Vietnam, it omits that he also didn't want to pursue any extensive arms buildup for israel, denying it all offensive weapons and missiles. LBJ reversed all of those policies almost immediately after the assassination--including JFK's planned exit from Vietnam. But the movie also covers up something else through another "limited hangout": that one of the strategic purposes of the Vietnam War wasn't just to make money for the American war machine, but to also build up the war machine to be able to supply israel with the intelligence, armaments & other military capabilities sufficient to overcome its enemies. Without the intelligence, armaments & weapons America supplied to israel throughout the course of the Vietnam War (1964-1973), it's possible israel wouldn't have prevailed in the 1967 6-Day War and absolutely certain it wouldn't have survived the 1973 Yom Kippur War. And without the defense buildup of the American war industry stemming from the Vietnam War, America wouldn't have the capacity to supply israel with those necessary armaments to win. In this way, israel was the top beneficiary of the Vietnam War--just like the War On Terror! Vietnam didn't benefit. America didn't benefit. But israel did. Funny how that keeps happening. This is the other secret agenda that the "JFK" movie obscured. You ever wonder why the Vietnam War wasn't fought to be won and why it just kept pointlessly grinding on? It's because the real point was to keep the War Machine at maximum capacity for israel while the US treaded water in the war effort. Watch this "conspiracy" scene from "JFK" now and see how clever & devious their propaganda is. Note how many truths it blends in with made-up bullsh*t to go along with the glaring omissions. My favorite part is where Donald Sutherland references the crucifixion! Was this a sly tip of the hand that the jеws were behind the assassination? Or maybe it was a nod to well-known jеwish propaganda that the Romans killed Christ--similar to how they allege the CIA killed JFK? Either way, it's eyebrow-raising. The final credits scene drives it all home: it suggests Vietnam was fought for the enrichment of the Military Industrial Complex--which is partially true, but it leaves out the part where that buildup was of crucial benefit and existential necessity to israel. Notably absent from the Vietnam angle in the movie is any mention of Arthur Goldberg, the jеwish UN ambassador who defended US intervention in Vietnam on the world stage; Walt Rostow, the jеwish National Security Advisor & architect of the war; and Eugene Rostow, the jеwish Undersecretary of State who championed the Vietnam war & defended its legal basis. Nor does it mention how Eugene conceived the Warren Commission or was responsible for getting the Mossad-compromised Allen Dulles onto it. Finally, it says nothing about how virtually the entire State Department was completely taken over by zionists. The fact is, a major motive behind the Vietnam War was to help supply israel. And that fact has remain hidden until now, partially due to propaganda like this. Try not to be enraged this Memorial Day as you realize our boys died in Vietnam for jеws & israel.

1/ THE VIETNAM WAR WAS A JЕWISH PLOT, PART 3: "JFK" THE MOVIE. Memorial Day Rage Edition. People are starting to become aware that the movie "JFK" was a sophisticated piece of propaganda that deflected blame for the assassination of JFK away from israel and onto the CIA, the DOD & the Military Industrial Complex (MIC). Pretty much anyone who wasn't israel or jеws. It was produced by the israeli spy & nuclear weapons smuggler Arnon Milchan, Directed by Oliver Stone (jеw), written by Zachary Sklar (jеw), and promoted by RFK's press secretary Frank Mankiewicz (jеwish member of the ADL, responsible for directing RFK into the pantry where Sirhan Sirhan was waiting in June 1968). The movie famously covers up israel's quest for nuclear weapons & JFK's desire to stop it, his efforts to register the jеwish lobby as a foreign agent under FARA, and his promotion of UN Resolution 194 calling for Palestinian Right Of Return. Finally, while it mentions that JFK wanted to exit Vietnam, it omits that he also didn't want to pursue any extensive arms buildup for israel, denying it all offensive weapons and missiles. LBJ reversed all of those policies almost immediately after the assassination--including JFK's planned exit from Vietnam. But the movie also covers up something else through another "limited hangout": that one of the strategic purposes of the Vietnam War wasn't just to make money for the American war machine, but to also build up the war machine to be able to supply israel with the intelligence, armaments & other military capabilities sufficient to overcome its enemies. Without the intelligence, armaments & weapons America supplied to israel throughout the course of the Vietnam War (1964-1973), it's possible israel wouldn't have prevailed in the 1967 6-Day War and absolutely certain it wouldn't have survived the 1973 Yom Kippur War. And without the defense buildup of the American war industry stemming from the Vietnam War, America wouldn't have the capacity to supply israel with those necessary armaments to win. In this way, israel was the top beneficiary of the Vietnam War--just like the War On Terror! Vietnam didn't benefit. America didn't benefit. But israel did. Funny how that keeps happening. This is the other secret agenda that the "JFK" movie obscured. You ever wonder why the Vietnam War wasn't fought to be won and why it just kept pointlessly grinding on? It's because the real point was to keep the War Machine at maximum capacity for israel while the US treaded water in the war effort. Watch this "conspiracy" scene from "JFK" now and see how clever & devious their propaganda is. Note how many truths it blends in with made-up bullsh*t to go along with the glaring omissions. My favorite part is where Donald Sutherland references the crucifixion! Was this a sly tip of the hand that the jеws were behind the assassination? Or maybe it was a nod to well-known jеwish propaganda that the Romans killed Christ--similar to how they allege the CIA killed JFK? Either way, it's eyebrow-raising. The final credits scene drives it all home: it suggests Vietnam was fought for the enrichment of the Military Industrial Complex--which is partially true, but it leaves out the part where that buildup was of crucial benefit and existential necessity to israel. Notably absent from the Vietnam angle in the movie is any mention of Arthur Goldberg, the jеwish UN ambassador who defended US intervention in Vietnam on the world stage; Walt Rostow, the jеwish National Security Advisor & architect of the war; and Eugene Rostow, the jеwish Undersecretary of State who championed the Vietnam war & defended its legal basis. Nor does it mention how Eugene conceived the Warren Commission or was responsible for getting the Mossad-compromised Allen Dulles onto it. Finally, it says nothing about how virtually the entire State Department was completely taken over by zionists. The fact is, a major motive behind the Vietnam War was to help supply israel. And that fact has remain hidden until now, partially due to propaganda like this. Try not to be enraged this Memorial Day as you realize our boys died in Vietnam for jеws & israel.

Sam Parker 🇺🇸🧯

124,901 views • 1 year ago

🚨⚡️ BREAKING.. Something serious is happening in America: The first footage from Andrews Air Force Base after the sudden return of Air Force One. The scene in no way suggests it was a "minor issue" as is being claimed! - The official narrative: "Power system malfunction". But the speed of the turnaround and return, along with the intensity of the security measures upon landing, point to a state of maximum alert. Trump was immediately transferred to a backup aircraft (C-32) to depart for Davos, as if they were racing against time. Reporters on the ground at the heart of the event describe the atmosphere as "charged with tension"; no one believes that the presidential aircraft, equipped with billions of dollars’ worth of technology, would suddenly fail in this way.

🚨⚡️ BREAKING.. Something serious is happening in America: The first footage from Andrews Air Force Base after the sudden return of Air Force One. The scene in no way suggests it was a "minor issue" as is being claimed! - The official narrative: "Power system malfunction". But the speed of the turnaround and return, along with the intensity of the security measures upon landing, point to a state of maximum alert. Trump was immediately transferred to a backup aircraft (C-32) to depart for Davos, as if they were racing against time. Reporters on the ground at the heart of the event describe the atmosphere as "charged with tension"; no one believes that the presidential aircraft, equipped with billions of dollars’ worth of technology, would suddenly fail in this way.

RussiaNews 🇷🇺

5,996,849 views • 6 months ago

The IDF destroyed the headquarters of the Shajeya terrorist organization Hamas; The combat teams of the commando formation and the 7th brigade raided terrorist infrastructures and eliminated terrorists in the heart of the city of Khan Yunis During the operation, the fighters eliminated terrorists and destroyed a tunnel shaft containing a terrorist who tried to throw a bomb at our forces. The complex was destroyed by air force aircraft, tanks and engineering forces. Also, the fighters of the 414th collection battalion made the first use of a "Maoz" drone, in which they exposed and attacked a terrorist cell in the area. In the last day, the combat teams of the commando formation and the 7th brigade raided terrorist infrastructures in the heart of the city of Khan Yunis, eliminated many terrorists and located tunnel shafts of the terrorist organization Hamas. During the raids, the forces destroyed a weapons warehouse using a "steel stinger". In addition, the fighters located a tunnel shaft with motorcycles inside it that were used by the Hamas terrorists in the murderous attack on October 7. In addition, an Air Force fighter jet attacked a building that was used as a hiding place for terrorists and an aircraft eliminated three terrorists who tried to attack our forces.

The IDF destroyed the headquarters of the Shajeya terrorist organization Hamas; The combat teams of the commando formation and the 7th brigade raided terrorist infrastructures and eliminated terrorists in the heart of the city of Khan Yunis During the operation, the fighters eliminated terrorists and destroyed a tunnel shaft containing a terrorist who tried to throw a bomb at our forces. The complex was destroyed by air force aircraft, tanks and engineering forces. Also, the fighters of the 414th collection battalion made the first use of a "Maoz" drone, in which they exposed and attacked a terrorist cell in the area. In the last day, the combat teams of the commando formation and the 7th brigade raided terrorist infrastructures in the heart of the city of Khan Yunis, eliminated many terrorists and located tunnel shafts of the terrorist organization Hamas. During the raids, the forces destroyed a weapons warehouse using a "steel stinger". In addition, the fighters located a tunnel shaft with motorcycles inside it that were used by the Hamas terrorists in the murderous attack on October 7. In addition, an Air Force fighter jet attacked a building that was used as a hiding place for terrorists and an aircraft eliminated three terrorists who tried to attack our forces.

Mossad Commentary

455,369 views • 2 years ago

Location: 32.221360, 51.901322 This old agricultural strip appears to have served as a forward recovery point during last night’s operation to extract the second crewman from the downed F-15E deep inside Iran. By that stage, the first crew member had already been recovered in daylight. The second extraction was the more complex phase: it involved dozens of aircraft and specialized rescue teams, while the wounded airman was pulled out from mountainous terrain after nearly two days behind Iranian lines. Reuters also reported that the mission was supported by Israeli intelligence and a CIA deception effort to mislead Iranian forces during the search. During the exfiltration, two MC-130J special operations aircraft were destroyed on the ground after becoming compromised or unusable, underscoring how risky the recovery was. A very plausible improvised recovery site for one of the most audacious CSAR missions of the war. #OperationEpicFury

Location: 32.221360, 51.901322 This old agricultural strip appears to have served as a forward recovery point during last night’s operation to extract the second crewman from the downed F-15E deep inside Iran. By that stage, the first crew member had already been recovered in daylight. The second extraction was the more complex phase: it involved dozens of aircraft and specialized rescue teams, while the wounded airman was pulled out from mountainous terrain after nearly two days behind Iranian lines. Reuters also reported that the mission was supported by Israeli intelligence and a CIA deception effort to mislead Iranian forces during the search. During the exfiltration, two MC-130J special operations aircraft were destroyed on the ground after becoming compromised or unusable, underscoring how risky the recovery was. A very plausible improvised recovery site for one of the most audacious CSAR missions of the war. #OperationEpicFury

MizarVision Watcher

28,694 views • 3 months ago

BREAKING: President Trump reveals the details of his trade deal with Vietnam that includes them paying the U.S. a 20% tariff on all goods “sent into our Territory,” a 40% tariff on any “Transshipping,” and they will allow the U.S. “TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade.” Trump wrote on Truth Social: “It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. It will be a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries. The Terms are that Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% Tariff on any and all goods sent into our Territory, and a 40% Tariff on any Transshipping. In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade.” “In other words, they will ‘OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,’ meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff. It is my opinion that the SUV or, as it is sometimes referred to, Large Engine Vehicle, which does so well in the United States, will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam. Dealing with General Secretary To Lam, which I did personally, was an absolute pleasure. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

BREAKING: President Trump reveals the details of his trade deal with Vietnam that includes them paying the U.S. a 20% tariff on all goods “sent into our Territory,” a 40% tariff on any “Transshipping,” and they will allow the U.S. “TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade.” Trump wrote on Truth Social: “It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. It will be a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries. The Terms are that Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% Tariff on any and all goods sent into our Territory, and a 40% Tariff on any Transshipping. In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade.” “In other words, they will ‘OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,’ meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff. It is my opinion that the SUV or, as it is sometimes referred to, Large Engine Vehicle, which does so well in the United States, will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam. Dealing with General Secretary To Lam, which I did personally, was an absolute pleasure. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

RedWave Press

461,510 views • 1 year ago

Macchi C.205 pilots of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana with their fighters still in Luftwaffe markings in early 1944 full clip: The Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana was the air force of the Italian Social Republic, the World War II German puppet state in Italy after the 1943 armistice divided the nation. It received numbers of Italian aircraft, later augmented with their own local production, and further aircraft from Germany. This force was opposed to the Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, the Italian pro-Allied air force, though they never actually met in combat. The Macchi C.205 Veltro was an Italian World War II fighter aircraft built by the Aeronautica Macchi. Along with the Reggiane Re.2005 and Fiat G.55, this plane was one of the three "Serie 5" Italian fighters built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The C.205 was a development of the earlier C.202 Folgore. With a top speed of around 640 km/h and equipped with a pair of 20mm cannon as well as 12.7mm Breda machine guns, the C.205 was highly respected by Allied and Axis pilots alike. Widely regarded as one of the best Italian fighters of World War II, it proved to be extremely effective, destroying a significant number of Allied bombers. The Macchi C. 205 also proved capable of meeting advanced Allied fighters on relatively equal terms. While able to match the best Allied opponents in speed and maneuverability, the type's impact was limited as it was introduced late in the conflict. Due to the limitations of the Italian war economy, only a small production run was delivered before the end of the war. Like the Spitfire, the Veltro was challenging in its construction and slow to build. Italy's highest-scoring ace, Adriano Visconti, achieved 11 of his 26 credited victories in the few weeks he was able to fly the Veltro, with Sergente Maggiore pilota Luigi Gorrini shooting down 14 enemy aircraft plus six damaged with the C.205. A total of 29 C.205s reached northern airfields to be used by the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. Macchi produced the remaining 72 aircraft of the third series for the ANR before production was shut down by Allied bombing in May 1944. Statistics on aircraft production post-Armistice are unclear and incomplete. In general, C.205s fought well in ANR service: they were attached to units that had homogeneous equipment, or at least of comparable quality, and were guided by German radar stations. Though few in number, they achieved success in inflicting losses on Allied bombers and fighters. A few Veltros were delivered to 3° Gruppo, based in Vicenza, while further Veltros were scattered throughout other small units. The 1° Gruppo C.T. of the ANR based at the Campoformido airfield was equipped with C.205 and its first operation on 3 January 1944 was a success. led by Italian ace Capitano Adriano Visconti, a formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and their escort of Lockheed P-38 Lightnings bombing factories in Villar Perosa was intercepted, and four of the escorts were shot down. The aircraft were still in Luftwaffe markings as seen in this footage. On 28 January, the C.205s, now with Italian markings, succeeded in shooting down a B-24 Liberator, their first four-engined American bomber. This air victory was credited to Sergente Marconcini, Visconti's wingman. By 25 February, 1° Gruppo C.T. had reported 26 victories for nine losses. An extremely bitter aerial combat took place on 11 March, where the Italians claimed 12 victories while losing three of their own pilots. These included 1st Lt Boscutti, who was reportedly killed by gunfire from a US P-38 Lightning after he had bailed out from his stricken fighter and was hanging from his parachute. On 18 March, 30 C.205s from 1° Gruppo C.T. and 60 Bf 109s from JG.77 tangled with about 450 Allied bombers and their escorts, shooting down at least four enemy aircraft. Corp. Zaccaria was killed in action, again apparently shot at by a P-38 after bailing out. Allied bombing in April 1944 destroyed most of the Macchi and Fiat facilities, bringing fighter production to an end. With production interrupted, the Italians were forced to re-equip their three groups almost fully with Bf 109s, largely because the Germans were quick to offer some of their best models, including Bf 109G-6s and Bf 109K-4s. The Allies were less generous with the Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, and Veltros, including some upgraded C.202s, were slowly replaced with worn-out P-39s and Spitfires, but not before Summer 1944. #macchi #c205 #veltro #anr #ww2 #wwi #sgm

Macchi C.205 pilots of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana with their fighters still in Luftwaffe markings in early 1944 full clip: The Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana was the air force of the Italian Social Republic, the World War II German puppet state in Italy after the 1943 armistice divided the nation. It received numbers of Italian aircraft, later augmented with their own local production, and further aircraft from Germany. This force was opposed to the Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, the Italian pro-Allied air force, though they never actually met in combat. The Macchi C.205 Veltro was an Italian World War II fighter aircraft built by the Aeronautica Macchi. Along with the Reggiane Re.2005 and Fiat G.55, this plane was one of the three "Serie 5" Italian fighters built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The C.205 was a development of the earlier C.202 Folgore. With a top speed of around 640 km/h and equipped with a pair of 20mm cannon as well as 12.7mm Breda machine guns, the C.205 was highly respected by Allied and Axis pilots alike. Widely regarded as one of the best Italian fighters of World War II, it proved to be extremely effective, destroying a significant number of Allied bombers. The Macchi C. 205 also proved capable of meeting advanced Allied fighters on relatively equal terms. While able to match the best Allied opponents in speed and maneuverability, the type's impact was limited as it was introduced late in the conflict. Due to the limitations of the Italian war economy, only a small production run was delivered before the end of the war. Like the Spitfire, the Veltro was challenging in its construction and slow to build. Italy's highest-scoring ace, Adriano Visconti, achieved 11 of his 26 credited victories in the few weeks he was able to fly the Veltro, with Sergente Maggiore pilota Luigi Gorrini shooting down 14 enemy aircraft plus six damaged with the C.205. A total of 29 C.205s reached northern airfields to be used by the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. Macchi produced the remaining 72 aircraft of the third series for the ANR before production was shut down by Allied bombing in May 1944. Statistics on aircraft production post-Armistice are unclear and incomplete. In general, C.205s fought well in ANR service: they were attached to units that had homogeneous equipment, or at least of comparable quality, and were guided by German radar stations. Though few in number, they achieved success in inflicting losses on Allied bombers and fighters. A few Veltros were delivered to 3° Gruppo, based in Vicenza, while further Veltros were scattered throughout other small units. The 1° Gruppo C.T. of the ANR based at the Campoformido airfield was equipped with C.205 and its first operation on 3 January 1944 was a success. led by Italian ace Capitano Adriano Visconti, a formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and their escort of Lockheed P-38 Lightnings bombing factories in Villar Perosa was intercepted, and four of the escorts were shot down. The aircraft were still in Luftwaffe markings as seen in this footage. On 28 January, the C.205s, now with Italian markings, succeeded in shooting down a B-24 Liberator, their first four-engined American bomber. This air victory was credited to Sergente Marconcini, Visconti's wingman. By 25 February, 1° Gruppo C.T. had reported 26 victories for nine losses. An extremely bitter aerial combat took place on 11 March, where the Italians claimed 12 victories while losing three of their own pilots. These included 1st Lt Boscutti, who was reportedly killed by gunfire from a US P-38 Lightning after he had bailed out from his stricken fighter and was hanging from his parachute. On 18 March, 30 C.205s from 1° Gruppo C.T. and 60 Bf 109s from JG.77 tangled with about 450 Allied bombers and their escorts, shooting down at least four enemy aircraft. Corp. Zaccaria was killed in action, again apparently shot at by a P-38 after bailing out. Allied bombing in April 1944 destroyed most of the Macchi and Fiat facilities, bringing fighter production to an end. With production interrupted, the Italians were forced to re-equip their three groups almost fully with Bf 109s, largely because the Germans were quick to offer some of their best models, including Bf 109G-6s and Bf 109K-4s. The Allies were less generous with the Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, and Veltros, including some upgraded C.202s, were slowly replaced with worn-out P-39s and Spitfires, but not before Summer 1944. #macchi #c205 #veltro #anr #ww2 #wwi #sgm

hw97karbine

28,364 views • 1 year ago

Hunting Ghosts on the Ho Chi Minh Trail: The Secretive Lockheed EC-121R “Batcat” This beast isn’t just any old Constellation. Stripped of its massive radar domes and bristling with a forest of classified antennas, the EC-121R Batcat was a piston-powered shadow warrior built for one deadly serious mission: Operation Igloo White, America’s ultra-secret “electronic fence” during the Vietnam War. In 1970, this exact aircraft touches down at Sattahip, Thailand. Below, U.S. forces had blanketed the jungle trails of Laos with thousands of acoustic and seismic sensors, tiny “lawn darts” that listened for truck engines, footsteps, and vibrations. Orbiting high above for up to 18 hours at a time, the Batcat became the airborne ears: scooping up those faint signals, processing them on board, and beaming the data in real time to ground stations. Result? Instant targeting for fighters and B-52s. Data turned into airstrikes… almost instantly. The other shots show her in her element, camouflaged, triple tailed, and slicing through the Southeast Asian sky like a Cold War ghost. No glory, no headlines… just 17–19 crew members (pilots, electronic wizards, and Combat Information Monitors) flying marathon orbits in the shadows. Part of the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing out of Korat RTAFB, these converted Navy Warning Stars were the unsung heroes of the electronic battlefield, pioneers of the sensor to shooter revolution that still shapes modern warfare. A relic of the Super Constellation era… but flying the most high-tech clandestine mission of its time. What’s your favorite obscure Vietnam War aircraft? Drop it below! #lockheedconstellation #Batcat #covertcargochronicles #HoChiMinhTrail #vietnamwar

Hunting Ghosts on the Ho Chi Minh Trail: The Secretive Lockheed EC-121R “Batcat” This beast isn’t just any old Constellation. Stripped of its massive radar domes and bristling with a forest of classified antennas, the EC-121R Batcat was a piston-powered shadow warrior built for one deadly serious mission: Operation Igloo White, America’s ultra-secret “electronic fence” during the Vietnam War. In 1970, this exact aircraft touches down at Sattahip, Thailand. Below, U.S. forces had blanketed the jungle trails of Laos with thousands of acoustic and seismic sensors, tiny “lawn darts” that listened for truck engines, footsteps, and vibrations. Orbiting high above for up to 18 hours at a time, the Batcat became the airborne ears: scooping up those faint signals, processing them on board, and beaming the data in real time to ground stations. Result? Instant targeting for fighters and B-52s. Data turned into airstrikes… almost instantly. The other shots show her in her element, camouflaged, triple tailed, and slicing through the Southeast Asian sky like a Cold War ghost. No glory, no headlines… just 17–19 crew members (pilots, electronic wizards, and Combat Information Monitors) flying marathon orbits in the shadows. Part of the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing out of Korat RTAFB, these converted Navy Warning Stars were the unsung heroes of the electronic battlefield, pioneers of the sensor to shooter revolution that still shapes modern warfare. A relic of the Super Constellation era… but flying the most high-tech clandestine mission of its time. What’s your favorite obscure Vietnam War aircraft? Drop it below! #lockheedconstellation #Batcat #covertcargochronicles #HoChiMinhTrail #vietnamwar

Aircraft history junky

16,427 views • 1 month ago

IDF spokesperson: The fighting in the Gaza Strip continues; In the neighborhood of Shejaiya, the fighters of the battle team of the Kafir Brigade eliminated a terrorist squad and found Kalashnikov rifles and grenades in a school; The paratroopers located underground shafts in one of which an elevator was installed During the night, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, Air Force fighter jets attacked and destroyed terrorist and terrorist targets, ground forces continued fighting in the various areas. Fighters from the battle team of the Kafir Brigade encountered a squad of terrorists in the area of a school in the Shejaiya neighborhood, the fighters engaged in an exchange of fire and eliminated the terrorists. The forces continued to search the area of the school and found a number of Kalashnikov-type weapons, grenades and ammunition inside the classrooms. An armored force from the paratroopers' brigade combat team located and destroyed a shaft in the area of the Shejaiya neighborhood that was part of an extensive underground route, the forces located another shaft containing many weapons and an elevator. Forces from the Golani Brigade's combat team identified a number of terrorists armed with anti-tank missiles that were moving in their direction in the area of the neighborhood. The fighters of the 5th Brigade's combat team operated in the area of Beit Hanon and attacked activists who shot at them from a mosque and a UNRWA school. Last night, the naval forces attacked a building in the Gaza Strip where a number of terrorists were identified by the ground forces maneuvering in the Strip. In addition, during the night several targets associated with the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were attacked, including buildings and vessels used for terrorist purposes.

IDF spokesperson: The fighting in the Gaza Strip continues; In the neighborhood of Shejaiya, the fighters of the battle team of the Kafir Brigade eliminated a terrorist squad and found Kalashnikov rifles and grenades in a school; The paratroopers located underground shafts in one of which an elevator was installed During the night, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, Air Force fighter jets attacked and destroyed terrorist and terrorist targets, ground forces continued fighting in the various areas. Fighters from the battle team of the Kafir Brigade encountered a squad of terrorists in the area of a school in the Shejaiya neighborhood, the fighters engaged in an exchange of fire and eliminated the terrorists. The forces continued to search the area of the school and found a number of Kalashnikov-type weapons, grenades and ammunition inside the classrooms. An armored force from the paratroopers' brigade combat team located and destroyed a shaft in the area of the Shejaiya neighborhood that was part of an extensive underground route, the forces located another shaft containing many weapons and an elevator. Forces from the Golani Brigade's combat team identified a number of terrorists armed with anti-tank missiles that were moving in their direction in the area of the neighborhood. The fighters of the 5th Brigade's combat team operated in the area of Beit Hanon and attacked activists who shot at them from a mosque and a UNRWA school. Last night, the naval forces attacked a building in the Gaza Strip where a number of terrorists were identified by the ground forces maneuvering in the Strip. In addition, during the night several targets associated with the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were attacked, including buildings and vessels used for terrorist purposes.

Mossad Commentary

226,528 views • 2 years ago

Being a Navy SEAL in Vietnam required courage. Running covert ops cross border into Laos and Cambodia required something else…a death wish. CRY HAVOC: A TOM REECE THRILLER 1968. A time of division. A time of civil unrest. A time of war. Just before the Tet Offensive changes the dynamic in Vietnam, before President Johnson announces he will not run for reelection, before the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, as riots and protests rage across the nation, a spy ship, the USS Pueblo, is captured by communist forces off the coast of North Korea. The crew thought they had destroyed everything of intelligence value. They were wrong. As a KGB “illegal” elicits information from a high-ranking CIA official, and teams of special operators infiltrating into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam disappear without a trace, an ambitious Soviet advisor launches an ingenious plan with consequences that reach far beyond the battlefields of Southeast Asia, one that will forever alter the world balance of power. Tom Reece, a SEAL operator attached to the highly classified and shadowy MACV-SOG, is about to be thrust into a bloody battle to discover the truth before it costs him and his Teammates their lives. From the Kremlin to the White House, from the streets of Saigon to the rugged A Shau Valley, along the paths of Ho Chi Minh Trail and into the secret war in Laos, Navy SEAL Tom Reece has an official mission assigned by Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group, but it’s his unofficial mission that might get him killed. CRY HAVOC – COMING SPRING 2025 – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

Being a Navy SEAL in Vietnam required courage. Running covert ops cross border into Laos and Cambodia required something else…a death wish. CRY HAVOC: A TOM REECE THRILLER 1968. A time of division. A time of civil unrest. A time of war. Just before the Tet Offensive changes the dynamic in Vietnam, before President Johnson announces he will not run for reelection, before the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, as riots and protests rage across the nation, a spy ship, the USS Pueblo, is captured by communist forces off the coast of North Korea. The crew thought they had destroyed everything of intelligence value. They were wrong. As a KGB “illegal” elicits information from a high-ranking CIA official, and teams of special operators infiltrating into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam disappear without a trace, an ambitious Soviet advisor launches an ingenious plan with consequences that reach far beyond the battlefields of Southeast Asia, one that will forever alter the world balance of power. Tom Reece, a SEAL operator attached to the highly classified and shadowy MACV-SOG, is about to be thrust into a bloody battle to discover the truth before it costs him and his Teammates their lives. From the Kremlin to the White House, from the streets of Saigon to the rugged A Shau Valley, along the paths of Ho Chi Minh Trail and into the secret war in Laos, Navy SEAL Tom Reece has an official mission assigned by Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group, but it’s his unofficial mission that might get him killed. CRY HAVOC – COMING SPRING 2025 – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

Jack Carr

218,719 views • 1 year ago

32 years ago today - The (in)famous Fairchild B-52 crash June 24 1994: a USAF B-52 crashes in Fairchild AFB (Washington, US). All 4 crew members die. Practicing aerobatics, the bomber stalled at low height. Inquiry noted the pilot´s behavior/personality and his superior’s lack of reaction to earlier incidents, becoming a case study for CRM. The accident occurred as the B-52's pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur "Bud" Holland, maneuvered the bomber beyond its operational limits and lost control. The aircraft stalled, fell to the ground, and exploded, killing Holland and the other three crew aboard. The crash was captured on video and was shown repeatedly on news broadcasts throughout the world. This fatal accident was preceded by several other incidents, including one where the Holland missed a ridge by some 30 ft during a fly-by. A later enquiry focused on military leadership, due to several incidents that preceded the crash, along with CRM – Crew Resource Management. The subsequent investigation concluded that the crash was attributable primarily to three factors: Holland's personality and behavior; USAF leaders' delayed or inadequate reactions to earlier incidents involving Holland, and the sequence of events during the aircraft's final flight. The crash is now used in military and civilian aviation environments as a case study in teaching crew resource management. It is also often used by the U.S. Armed Forces during aviation safety training as an example of the importance of compliance with safety regulations and correcting the behavior of anyone who violates safety procedures. The occurrence is also known as the “Czar 52 crash”, which was the bomber´s callsign. Its registration was 61-0026 and was part of the USAF´s 92nd Bomb Wing ”Czar 52” was the B-52´s callsign. Its registration was 61-0026 and was part of the USAF´s 92nd Bomb Wing

32 years ago today - The (in)famous Fairchild B-52 crash June 24 1994: a USAF B-52 crashes in Fairchild AFB (Washington, US). All 4 crew members die. Practicing aerobatics, the bomber stalled at low height. Inquiry noted the pilot´s behavior/personality and his superior’s lack of reaction to earlier incidents, becoming a case study for CRM. The accident occurred as the B-52's pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur "Bud" Holland, maneuvered the bomber beyond its operational limits and lost control. The aircraft stalled, fell to the ground, and exploded, killing Holland and the other three crew aboard. The crash was captured on video and was shown repeatedly on news broadcasts throughout the world. This fatal accident was preceded by several other incidents, including one where the Holland missed a ridge by some 30 ft during a fly-by. A later enquiry focused on military leadership, due to several incidents that preceded the crash, along with CRM – Crew Resource Management. The subsequent investigation concluded that the crash was attributable primarily to three factors: Holland's personality and behavior; USAF leaders' delayed or inadequate reactions to earlier incidents involving Holland, and the sequence of events during the aircraft's final flight. The crash is now used in military and civilian aviation environments as a case study in teaching crew resource management. It is also often used by the U.S. Armed Forces during aviation safety training as an example of the importance of compliance with safety regulations and correcting the behavior of anyone who violates safety procedures. The occurrence is also known as the “Czar 52 crash”, which was the bomber´s callsign. Its registration was 61-0026 and was part of the USAF´s 92nd Bomb Wing ”Czar 52” was the B-52´s callsign. Its registration was 61-0026 and was part of the USAF´s 92nd Bomb Wing

Francisco Cunha

258,505 views • 1 month ago

The video shows the trials of the VT-1-1, a turretless tank with 2 x 105 mm guns, firing on the move at the Putlos training ground in 1976. The casemate (turretless) tank, designed for combat while moving, was introduced in Germany in the mid-1970s as a twin-gun casemate tank (the Soviet term for a "turretless tank"). For practical firing tests in the "target pass" mode, two prototypes were built in the mid-1970s. The first prototype, VT 1-1, was armed with two 105 mm guns, while the second, VT 1-2, was equipped with two 120 mm smoothbore guns. Additionally, the VT 1-2 featured a functioning autoloader behind one of the guns, with a firing rate of 10 rounds per minute. The vehicles were developed as part of the KPz 3 or Leopard 3 project. In both prototypes, the main guns were semi-fixed (with aiming and stabilization only in elevation). The chassis solutions were derived from the KPz 70 (MBT 70) program, with the running gear shortened by one road wheel (five road wheels per side). The vehicles weighed 36.8 and 43.5 tons, respectively, with a chassis rotation speed of 60 degrees per second. To achieve high maneuverability on rough terrain, 12-cylinder diesel engines from the MB 873 series with enhanced power were used, equipped with four turbochargers: 2000 hp for VT 1-1 and 2200 hp for VT 1-2. This provided an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 54 and 50 hp/ton, respectively, with acceleration to 55 km/h in 11 seconds, though only in a temporary "turbo" mode, as the standard power was 1600 hp. The accuracy of firing with two guns was unmatched by single-gun tanks, as confirmed by the tests. However, due to the novel combat approach, this revolutionary tank concept was rejected by the customer after trials in favor of the conventionally designed Leopard 2. In essence, although the project was developed as the Leopard 3, a tank for the future, it was, in reality, a parallel project and a potential competitor to the Leopard 2. Achieving the firepower, protection, and mobility of the Leopard 3 within reasonable weight limits was impossible with a conventional layout. At the same time, a significant tactical drawback of the casemate concept (including twin-gun casemate vehicles) is the linkage between the direction of fire and the direction of movement, which in many cases could complicate unit and formation control (according to German experts in the 1970s). Moreover, the VT 1-1 and VT 1-2 can hardly be considered balanced vehicles—they could have been simpler. The vehicles' mobility was exaggerated, with the main engine, transmission, auxiliary engine, batteries, and other systems occupying two-thirds of the vehicle's length. Pros and Cons of VT 1-1 and VT 1-2: Considering the key challenges, the twin-gun casemate concept can be evaluated as follows: Pros: Compact design due to a small internal volume. Two guns provide high firepower and hit probability. Cons: The weight advantage of the casemate design is largely offset by the integration of a second gun. Fire control alone results in high complexity, leading to increased maintenance costs and overall expenses. In 1975/76, five Gefechtsfeldversuchträger (GVT, combat test platforms) were developed and built for further mobility and concept trials. These were smaller than the VT 1-1 and VT 1-2, weighing 30 tons. The GVT 01-05 were equipped only with mock-up guns and laser firing simulators (TALLISSI) and telemetry systems, built using chassis components from the Leopard 1. The GVTs were used at the IABG facility in Lichtenau and the tank training school in Munster to test the twin-gun turretless tank concept in realistic exercise conditions, which is why five vehicles were built. However, the Leopard 2 was already in production, and tank crews showed little enthusiasm for this unconventional vehicle requiring a new approach.

The video shows the trials of the VT-1-1, a turretless tank with 2 x 105 mm guns, firing on the move at the Putlos training ground in 1976. The casemate (turretless) tank, designed for combat while moving, was introduced in Germany in the mid-1970s as a twin-gun casemate tank (the Soviet term for a "turretless tank"). For practical firing tests in the "target pass" mode, two prototypes were built in the mid-1970s. The first prototype, VT 1-1, was armed with two 105 mm guns, while the second, VT 1-2, was equipped with two 120 mm smoothbore guns. Additionally, the VT 1-2 featured a functioning autoloader behind one of the guns, with a firing rate of 10 rounds per minute. The vehicles were developed as part of the KPz 3 or Leopard 3 project. In both prototypes, the main guns were semi-fixed (with aiming and stabilization only in elevation). The chassis solutions were derived from the KPz 70 (MBT 70) program, with the running gear shortened by one road wheel (five road wheels per side). The vehicles weighed 36.8 and 43.5 tons, respectively, with a chassis rotation speed of 60 degrees per second. To achieve high maneuverability on rough terrain, 12-cylinder diesel engines from the MB 873 series with enhanced power were used, equipped with four turbochargers: 2000 hp for VT 1-1 and 2200 hp for VT 1-2. This provided an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 54 and 50 hp/ton, respectively, with acceleration to 55 km/h in 11 seconds, though only in a temporary "turbo" mode, as the standard power was 1600 hp. The accuracy of firing with two guns was unmatched by single-gun tanks, as confirmed by the tests. However, due to the novel combat approach, this revolutionary tank concept was rejected by the customer after trials in favor of the conventionally designed Leopard 2. In essence, although the project was developed as the Leopard 3, a tank for the future, it was, in reality, a parallel project and a potential competitor to the Leopard 2. Achieving the firepower, protection, and mobility of the Leopard 3 within reasonable weight limits was impossible with a conventional layout. At the same time, a significant tactical drawback of the casemate concept (including twin-gun casemate vehicles) is the linkage between the direction of fire and the direction of movement, which in many cases could complicate unit and formation control (according to German experts in the 1970s). Moreover, the VT 1-1 and VT 1-2 can hardly be considered balanced vehicles—they could have been simpler. The vehicles' mobility was exaggerated, with the main engine, transmission, auxiliary engine, batteries, and other systems occupying two-thirds of the vehicle's length. Pros and Cons of VT 1-1 and VT 1-2: Considering the key challenges, the twin-gun casemate concept can be evaluated as follows: Pros: Compact design due to a small internal volume. Two guns provide high firepower and hit probability. Cons: The weight advantage of the casemate design is largely offset by the integration of a second gun. Fire control alone results in high complexity, leading to increased maintenance costs and overall expenses. In 1975/76, five Gefechtsfeldversuchträger (GVT, combat test platforms) were developed and built for further mobility and concept trials. These were smaller than the VT 1-1 and VT 1-2, weighing 30 tons. The GVT 01-05 were equipped only with mock-up guns and laser firing simulators (TALLISSI) and telemetry systems, built using chassis components from the Leopard 1. The GVTs were used at the IABG facility in Lichtenau and the tank training school in Munster to test the twin-gun turretless tank concept in realistic exercise conditions, which is why five vehicles were built. However, the Leopard 2 was already in production, and tank crews showed little enthusiasm for this unconventional vehicle requiring a new approach.

Andrei_bt

81,636 views • 1 year ago

The Vietnam War was infamous for the guerrilla warfare the American forces were largely unprepared for. The Viet Cong were on home turf and used this to their advantage when it came to creating and laying booby traps. Not only were these cost effective, but bamboo used to construct many of traps didn’t register on mine detectors used by United States. The goal of the traps was to maim, not kill, as this required American soldiers to deal with their wounded comrades, slowing them down. This was made worse by the use of secondary traps, which targeted those attempting to help the injured. It’s alleged that 11% of deaths and 17% of US troops wounded between 1969-70 were the result of traps and mines. In 1965 alone, this number was at 70%. These booby traps also had a devastating psychological effect on soldiers, greatly reducing morale. They were already fighting in difficult jungle terrain, and they also had to be on guard for well-disguised Viet Cong booby traps. The bow trap was a simple, yet effective booby trap employed by Viet Cong during early days of Vietnam War. A bow, pulled taut and prepped to launch, was attached to a tripwire. When an American soldier set it off, the bow released right where they were standing, resulting in a direct hit to middle of the body. Additionally, some guerrillas set up this type of trap within a small pit. In these instances, bow was angled upward, so projectile would strike enemy in lower extremities. Punji sticks, also known as punji stakes, were a common booby trap deployed by the Viet Cong. The sharpened bamboo, wooden and sometimes metal stakes were often coated in feces or urine, with the goal of causing an infection in their victim. They could also be coated with poisonous substances from animals and plants. Punji sticks were placed pointing upright at the bottom of a hole, before being covered with material that would camouflage them. When a US soldier broke through the flimsy cover over the hole, they would step on the spikes at the bottom and suffer injuries to their feet and legs. This particular booby trap could be made worse in two different ways. The first was installing them at a downward angle, along the sides of the hole. When these extra stakes were added, it became difficult for the victim to get themselves out without causing further injury to themselves. This often resulted in the slowing down of their unit while efforts were made to free them. A second way was by digging another hole next to the one equipped with the punji sticks, with the aim being to trap a second combatant with little additional effort. When a soldier came to rescue his injured comrade, he’d fall into adjacent hole and become trapped. Along with physically injuring American troops, punji sticks were also effective at hurting overall morale of those serving within Vietnam’s dense jungles. Bamboo whips were another brutal booby trap employed by the Viet Cong. A bamboo pole was attached to a tripwire and pulled back with a lot of tension. The pole had foot-long spikes attached to it, so when the tripwire was triggered, whoever tripped it would be impaled by the spikes as the pole whipped forward. According to We Are The Mighty, the pole and its spikes could travel up to 100 MPH. As with punji sticks, the spikes could be covered in poisonous material to further impact the victim’s ability to heal. 🎥 : During Vietnam War, Vietnamese traps were installed in specific locations such as trails, river banks and even rice fields. The possibility of a trap being triggered at any time had a profound impact on psychology of US soldiers. #archaeohistories

The Vietnam War was infamous for the guerrilla warfare the American forces were largely unprepared for. The Viet Cong were on home turf and used this to their advantage when it came to creating and laying booby traps. Not only were these cost effective, but bamboo used to construct many of traps didn’t register on mine detectors used by United States. The goal of the traps was to maim, not kill, as this required American soldiers to deal with their wounded comrades, slowing them down. This was made worse by the use of secondary traps, which targeted those attempting to help the injured. It’s alleged that 11% of deaths and 17% of US troops wounded between 1969-70 were the result of traps and mines. In 1965 alone, this number was at 70%. These booby traps also had a devastating psychological effect on soldiers, greatly reducing morale. They were already fighting in difficult jungle terrain, and they also had to be on guard for well-disguised Viet Cong booby traps. The bow trap was a simple, yet effective booby trap employed by Viet Cong during early days of Vietnam War. A bow, pulled taut and prepped to launch, was attached to a tripwire. When an American soldier set it off, the bow released right where they were standing, resulting in a direct hit to middle of the body. Additionally, some guerrillas set up this type of trap within a small pit. In these instances, bow was angled upward, so projectile would strike enemy in lower extremities. Punji sticks, also known as punji stakes, were a common booby trap deployed by the Viet Cong. The sharpened bamboo, wooden and sometimes metal stakes were often coated in feces or urine, with the goal of causing an infection in their victim. They could also be coated with poisonous substances from animals and plants. Punji sticks were placed pointing upright at the bottom of a hole, before being covered with material that would camouflage them. When a US soldier broke through the flimsy cover over the hole, they would step on the spikes at the bottom and suffer injuries to their feet and legs. This particular booby trap could be made worse in two different ways. The first was installing them at a downward angle, along the sides of the hole. When these extra stakes were added, it became difficult for the victim to get themselves out without causing further injury to themselves. This often resulted in the slowing down of their unit while efforts were made to free them. A second way was by digging another hole next to the one equipped with the punji sticks, with the aim being to trap a second combatant with little additional effort. When a soldier came to rescue his injured comrade, he’d fall into adjacent hole and become trapped. Along with physically injuring American troops, punji sticks were also effective at hurting overall morale of those serving within Vietnam’s dense jungles. Bamboo whips were another brutal booby trap employed by the Viet Cong. A bamboo pole was attached to a tripwire and pulled back with a lot of tension. The pole had foot-long spikes attached to it, so when the tripwire was triggered, whoever tripped it would be impaled by the spikes as the pole whipped forward. According to We Are The Mighty, the pole and its spikes could travel up to 100 MPH. As with punji sticks, the spikes could be covered in poisonous material to further impact the victim’s ability to heal. 🎥 : During Vietnam War, Vietnamese traps were installed in specific locations such as trails, river banks and even rice fields. The possibility of a trap being triggered at any time had a profound impact on psychology of US soldiers. #archaeohistories

Archaeo - Histories

55,513 views • 1 year ago

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Several heavy C-17A Globemaster III strategic airlifters and KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft have conducted transatlantic flights from the United States to various air bases across Europe. A noteworthy detail is that one of the C-17A aircraft departed from Fort Campbell, located in the state of Kentucky, where the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) — the “Night Stalkers” — is based. This unit was established directly after the failed U.S. rescue operation in Iran in 1980, specializes in Delta Force missions, and most likely participated in the operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least two C-17A aircraft have already landed in Germany at Ramstein Air Base, with several others arriving in the United Kingdom. The last time logistics flights of such scale were observed was during last year’s strikes on Iran. This time, in addition to the scope of the movement, particular attention is drawn to the fact that flights originated from the base of the Special Operations Aviation Regiment — raising the question: is the time of Ali Khamenei approaching? See the latest updates with us: Visioner

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Several heavy C-17A Globemaster III strategic airlifters and KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft have conducted transatlantic flights from the United States to various air bases across Europe. A noteworthy detail is that one of the C-17A aircraft departed from Fort Campbell, located in the state of Kentucky, where the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) — the “Night Stalkers” — is based. This unit was established directly after the failed U.S. rescue operation in Iran in 1980, specializes in Delta Force missions, and most likely participated in the operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least two C-17A aircraft have already landed in Germany at Ramstein Air Base, with several others arriving in the United Kingdom. The last time logistics flights of such scale were observed was during last year’s strikes on Iran. This time, in addition to the scope of the movement, particular attention is drawn to the fact that flights originated from the base of the Special Operations Aviation Regiment — raising the question: is the time of Ali Khamenei approaching? See the latest updates with us: Visioner

Visioner

1,164,973 views • 6 months ago

With the imminent prospect of American boots on the ground being sent to Iran, many people—including President Trump himself—are invoking comparisons to Vietnam. But I'm here to tell you it's not just an analogy, it's a nearly direct 1-to-1 repeat. Vietnam was, just as Iran is, a thoroughly jewish enterprise. MAJOR ESSAY. Bookmark, like, comment, and share, please. For the algorithm boost. This is long, but I promise you'll not be disappointed. Now, why have I made this claim about Iran & Vietnam? You probably think the Vietnam War was a Cold War struggle against communism, right? Wrong. That was the cover story, just as "Iran is a bunch of terrorists who are days away from a nuke" is a cover story. Vietnam was actually a meticulously engineered jewish enterprise designed primarily to advance israeli strategic interests and jewish global imperialism. Just like this war in Iran, the Ukraine War, and the War on Terror. Vietnam can be thought of as a "neocon" driven war before we had the term "neocon." Walt Rostow, a Russian jew serving as National Security Advisor to JFK & LBJ, acted as the war’s chief promoter & architect, pushing for escalation—while his brother Eugene, the Undersecretary of State & a ruthlessly hardcore zionist, became its foremost legal defender. Walt was so powerful, he came to be known as "America's Rasputin." Later, his duties would pass on to the jew Henry Kissinger. Finally, it was Ambassador Arthur Goldberg's job to defended US intervention publicly at the United Nations. Just like the War on Terror, the Ukraine War, and now the Iran war, it was jews who were the major point people for Vietnam. The Vietnam war’s true purposes included distracting the United States & Soviet Union from Middle East developments (the Soviet Union was aligned with the Arab nations), and diverting the main kinetic theater of the Cold War far far away to Southeast Asia—allowing israel unchecked room to operate in the Middle East, and massively expanding the American military-industrial complex's (MIC) capacity to supply israel with the arms, intelligence, and logistics needed to gain the upper hand over its enemies—first in the 1967 Six-Day War, and especially later in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. And then on an ongoing basis. Without this deliberate buildup to the US MIC, israel might not have prevailed in 1967 and probably would not have survived the 1973 war. "Operation Nicklegrass," launched by Nixon under nuclear blackmail by Golda Meir, was the largest military aid operation in the history of mankind. And it was ONLY POSSIBLE due to the massive MIC buildup driven by Vietnam. Many people have observed & been frustrated that the Vietnam War was intentionally “not fought to be won,” and was purposely kept grinding on pointlessly. Except it wasn't pointless. They needed to keep US war production at maximum output for israel's benefit, which would need the munitions & armaments to subdue its neighbors. Indeed, this has been the major purpose of the massive US defense industry to this day: to supply the wants & needs of israel and the greater global jewish empire as it hijacks and parasitizes American foreign policy and our war machine to conquer the world. Central to the scheme was the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, whose NSAM-263 (issued in October 1963) had initiated the full US withdrawal from Vietnam by 1965—and whose policies supported Palestinian Right of Return & the defanging of the jewish lobby, while denying atomic & other offensive weapons to israel. Within hours of JFK’s death, Eugene Rostow proposed the Warren Commission to conceal jewish involvement and the true motivations behind the assassination. Leveraging zionist networks, he was able to place a Mossad-compromised Allen Dulles on the commission and to also get Chief Justice Earl Warren appointed to preside. Recall that Warren had partnered with the jewish mob to steal Japanese-American property during WW2, first as Attorney General of California, then as Governor. He was rewarded by being placed on the High Court, where he then also presided over the entire jewish-led "Civil Rights" demolition of America. Immediately after JFK's funeral, Lyndon Johnson reversed course on the Vietnam drawdown with NSAM-273, massively escalating the war, arming israel, and abandoning Palestinian Right of Return & FARA registration of the jewish lobby. This reversal, combined with Eugene Rostow’s subsequent appointment as Undersecretary of State (and his public denial of Palestinian existence), locked in the policy shift. Later, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 were synchronized eliminations of 2 more leaders whose anti-Vietnam war stance (and pro-Palestine stance in the case of MLK) threatened this massive jewish enterprise. (In the case of RFK, he was also a threat to expose the plot behind his brother's assassination) A sophisticated layer of controlled opposition protected this jewish war project. Prominent jewish intellectuals—Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Mark Rudd, Herbert Marcuse, and others—led the anti-Vietnam War movement, inventing rhetoric about “colonialism, imperialism, and White supremacy” that is now recycled & repurposed as part of the current jewish-led & -funded controlled antizionist movement. (recall how Chomsky was besties with Jeffrey Epstein). It was Rudd who led the Columbia University sit-in protest in 1968. This was not organic resistance but manufactured cover: in America, jews staged fake protests to shield their war, initiated by that 1968 Columbia protest. Simultaneously in France, identical jewish-led student riots ("Mai 68" under Daniel C✡️hn-Bendit) ousted President Charles de Gaulle, who had linked a US Vietnam withdrawal to a "Four Powers"-brokered Middle East peace that included a Palestinian state. This “curious contradiction” (jews protesting the war in the US, but then protesting de Gaulle's efforts in France to end the war) proves orchestration—real Gentile-led opposition to the war was swallowed up and neutralized while jewish power advanced on every front in its stead. Hollywood propaganda further concealed the israel angle regarding Vietnam. jewish Oliver Stone’s 1991 film "JFK," produced by jewish israeli spy Arnon Milchan, written by jewish Zachary Sklar, and promoted by the jewish ADL agent (and former RFK press secretary) Frank Mankiewicz (who is responsible for sending RFK to the Ambassador Hotel pantry to be shot), deflected blame onto the CIA and the military-industrial complex, while omitting any mention of JFK’s opposition to a nuclear-armed israel or his FARA efforts against the jewish lobby, or the direct Vietnam-to-israel MIC supply chain. The film’s narrative—that the war enriched only American defense contractors—hid the fact that its primary beneficiary was israel, whose survival depended on the very war machine the Vietnam War built up & sustained. Ultimately, the 1967–1968 timeline—the Six-Day War, the MLK and RFK assassinations, the Columbia and French student revolts, the failed assassination plot against Yasser Arafat, and nationwide riots in 100 cities after the MLK assassination leading to the passage of the Fair Housing Act—demonstrates total coordination achieving several strategic objectives: entrenching israeli territorial gains, suppressing Palestinian nationalism, overthrowing White Christian America and its influence domestically, and cementing jewish control over US foreign and domestic policy. American boys died in Vietnam not for freedom or anti-communism, but for jews and israel. And they keep repeating this playbook. Whereas the Vietnam War was a proxy war between the US & Russia meant to build up the American war machine for israel's benefit and to keep the Cold War far away from israel; the US vs. Russia proxy war in Ukraine was meant to deplete Russia's war machine and hamper its ability to project force into the Middle East to protect Syria and Iran, also obviously for israel's benefit. And of course there was the War on Terror, also abundantly compared to Vietnam, and also fought entirely for jewish interests. (astute historians might note the parallels between the Golden Triangle drug trade during Vietnam and the opioid crisis & drug trade out of the poppy fields of Afghanistan during the War on Terror) One final note: just as the Vietnam War was enabled & facilitated by assassination of its key opponents, so too was the way paved for the Iran War by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Remember all this when they invoke Vietnam in this Iran War discussion. Now you know the rest of the story. It's all for israel, and it always has been. Exhibits: -Eugene Rostow calls for the Warren Commission (November 1963) -Excerpt from the film "JFK" (1991) that obscured the israel angle in Vietnam and the assassination of JFK -President Charles De Gaulle calls for peace in the Middle East & US withdrawal from Vietnam (November 1967) -Robert F. Kennedy (Bobby Sr.) gets sent to his death in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel by ADL agent Frank Mankiewicz (June 1968). Mankiewicz will later help propagandize the "JFK" movie. Please like and leave a comment. Thank you. Follow: Sam Parker 🇺🇸🧯

With the imminent prospect of American boots on the ground being sent to Iran, many people—including President Trump himself—are invoking comparisons to Vietnam. But I'm here to tell you it's not just an analogy, it's a nearly direct 1-to-1 repeat. Vietnam was, just as Iran is, a thoroughly jewish enterprise. MAJOR ESSAY. Bookmark, like, comment, and share, please. For the algorithm boost. This is long, but I promise you'll not be disappointed. Now, why have I made this claim about Iran & Vietnam? You probably think the Vietnam War was a Cold War struggle against communism, right? Wrong. That was the cover story, just as "Iran is a bunch of terrorists who are days away from a nuke" is a cover story. Vietnam was actually a meticulously engineered jewish enterprise designed primarily to advance israeli strategic interests and jewish global imperialism. Just like this war in Iran, the Ukraine War, and the War on Terror. Vietnam can be thought of as a "neocon" driven war before we had the term "neocon." Walt Rostow, a Russian jew serving as National Security Advisor to JFK & LBJ, acted as the war’s chief promoter & architect, pushing for escalation—while his brother Eugene, the Undersecretary of State & a ruthlessly hardcore zionist, became its foremost legal defender. Walt was so powerful, he came to be known as "America's Rasputin." Later, his duties would pass on to the jew Henry Kissinger. Finally, it was Ambassador Arthur Goldberg's job to defended US intervention publicly at the United Nations. Just like the War on Terror, the Ukraine War, and now the Iran war, it was jews who were the major point people for Vietnam. The Vietnam war’s true purposes included distracting the United States & Soviet Union from Middle East developments (the Soviet Union was aligned with the Arab nations), and diverting the main kinetic theater of the Cold War far far away to Southeast Asia—allowing israel unchecked room to operate in the Middle East, and massively expanding the American military-industrial complex's (MIC) capacity to supply israel with the arms, intelligence, and logistics needed to gain the upper hand over its enemies—first in the 1967 Six-Day War, and especially later in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. And then on an ongoing basis. Without this deliberate buildup to the US MIC, israel might not have prevailed in 1967 and probably would not have survived the 1973 war. "Operation Nicklegrass," launched by Nixon under nuclear blackmail by Golda Meir, was the largest military aid operation in the history of mankind. And it was ONLY POSSIBLE due to the massive MIC buildup driven by Vietnam. Many people have observed & been frustrated that the Vietnam War was intentionally “not fought to be won,” and was purposely kept grinding on pointlessly. Except it wasn't pointless. They needed to keep US war production at maximum output for israel's benefit, which would need the munitions & armaments to subdue its neighbors. Indeed, this has been the major purpose of the massive US defense industry to this day: to supply the wants & needs of israel and the greater global jewish empire as it hijacks and parasitizes American foreign policy and our war machine to conquer the world. Central to the scheme was the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, whose NSAM-263 (issued in October 1963) had initiated the full US withdrawal from Vietnam by 1965—and whose policies supported Palestinian Right of Return & the defanging of the jewish lobby, while denying atomic & other offensive weapons to israel. Within hours of JFK’s death, Eugene Rostow proposed the Warren Commission to conceal jewish involvement and the true motivations behind the assassination. Leveraging zionist networks, he was able to place a Mossad-compromised Allen Dulles on the commission and to also get Chief Justice Earl Warren appointed to preside. Recall that Warren had partnered with the jewish mob to steal Japanese-American property during WW2, first as Attorney General of California, then as Governor. He was rewarded by being placed on the High Court, where he then also presided over the entire jewish-led "Civil Rights" demolition of America. Immediately after JFK's funeral, Lyndon Johnson reversed course on the Vietnam drawdown with NSAM-273, massively escalating the war, arming israel, and abandoning Palestinian Right of Return & FARA registration of the jewish lobby. This reversal, combined with Eugene Rostow’s subsequent appointment as Undersecretary of State (and his public denial of Palestinian existence), locked in the policy shift. Later, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 were synchronized eliminations of 2 more leaders whose anti-Vietnam war stance (and pro-Palestine stance in the case of MLK) threatened this massive jewish enterprise. (In the case of RFK, he was also a threat to expose the plot behind his brother's assassination) A sophisticated layer of controlled opposition protected this jewish war project. Prominent jewish intellectuals—Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Mark Rudd, Herbert Marcuse, and others—led the anti-Vietnam War movement, inventing rhetoric about “colonialism, imperialism, and White supremacy” that is now recycled & repurposed as part of the current jewish-led & -funded controlled antizionist movement. (recall how Chomsky was besties with Jeffrey Epstein). It was Rudd who led the Columbia University sit-in protest in 1968. This was not organic resistance but manufactured cover: in America, jews staged fake protests to shield their war, initiated by that 1968 Columbia protest. Simultaneously in France, identical jewish-led student riots ("Mai 68" under Daniel C✡️hn-Bendit) ousted President Charles de Gaulle, who had linked a US Vietnam withdrawal to a "Four Powers"-brokered Middle East peace that included a Palestinian state. This “curious contradiction” (jews protesting the war in the US, but then protesting de Gaulle's efforts in France to end the war) proves orchestration—real Gentile-led opposition to the war was swallowed up and neutralized while jewish power advanced on every front in its stead. Hollywood propaganda further concealed the israel angle regarding Vietnam. jewish Oliver Stone’s 1991 film "JFK," produced by jewish israeli spy Arnon Milchan, written by jewish Zachary Sklar, and promoted by the jewish ADL agent (and former RFK press secretary) Frank Mankiewicz (who is responsible for sending RFK to the Ambassador Hotel pantry to be shot), deflected blame onto the CIA and the military-industrial complex, while omitting any mention of JFK’s opposition to a nuclear-armed israel or his FARA efforts against the jewish lobby, or the direct Vietnam-to-israel MIC supply chain. The film’s narrative—that the war enriched only American defense contractors—hid the fact that its primary beneficiary was israel, whose survival depended on the very war machine the Vietnam War built up & sustained. Ultimately, the 1967–1968 timeline—the Six-Day War, the MLK and RFK assassinations, the Columbia and French student revolts, the failed assassination plot against Yasser Arafat, and nationwide riots in 100 cities after the MLK assassination leading to the passage of the Fair Housing Act—demonstrates total coordination achieving several strategic objectives: entrenching israeli territorial gains, suppressing Palestinian nationalism, overthrowing White Christian America and its influence domestically, and cementing jewish control over US foreign and domestic policy. American boys died in Vietnam not for freedom or anti-communism, but for jews and israel. And they keep repeating this playbook. Whereas the Vietnam War was a proxy war between the US & Russia meant to build up the American war machine for israel's benefit and to keep the Cold War far away from israel; the US vs. Russia proxy war in Ukraine was meant to deplete Russia's war machine and hamper its ability to project force into the Middle East to protect Syria and Iran, also obviously for israel's benefit. And of course there was the War on Terror, also abundantly compared to Vietnam, and also fought entirely for jewish interests. (astute historians might note the parallels between the Golden Triangle drug trade during Vietnam and the opioid crisis & drug trade out of the poppy fields of Afghanistan during the War on Terror) One final note: just as the Vietnam War was enabled & facilitated by assassination of its key opponents, so too was the way paved for the Iran War by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Remember all this when they invoke Vietnam in this Iran War discussion. Now you know the rest of the story. It's all for israel, and it always has been. Exhibits: -Eugene Rostow calls for the Warren Commission (November 1963) -Excerpt from the film "JFK" (1991) that obscured the israel angle in Vietnam and the assassination of JFK -President Charles De Gaulle calls for peace in the Middle East & US withdrawal from Vietnam (November 1967) -Robert F. Kennedy (Bobby Sr.) gets sent to his death in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel by ADL agent Frank Mankiewicz (June 1968). Mankiewicz will later help propagandize the "JFK" movie. Please like and leave a comment. Thank you. Follow: Sam Parker 🇺🇸🧯

Sam Parker 🇺🇸🧯

185,865 views • 4 months ago

The Israeli strikes at the Iranian port city of Bandar Anzal and in the Caspian Sea last night destroyed several vessels of the Iranian Navy, as well as naval infrastructure, the military says, publishing footage of the attacks. According to the IDF, the strikes destroyed an Iranian Navy corvette, four missile boats, several auxiliary ships and guard boats, along with a command center and a shipyard. Some of the vessels were located at the port, while others were out at sea. The military says that the missile boats were targeted to cause a blow to the Iranian military, despite the fact that they do not pose a direct threat to Israel from the Caspian Sea. Still, the IDF adds that the missile boats have anti-aircraft capabilities and could pose a threat to Israeli aircraft operating over Iran, as well as anti-submarine capabilities. Preparations for the strike only began days ago, and it was not among the military's initial bank of targets in Iran. Researchers at the Naval Intelligence Division located the ships and worked with the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Air Force to plan the strike. It marks the first time that the IDF had struck in this area of Iran, both in this war and the previous rounds of conflict, according to the military.

The Israeli strikes at the Iranian port city of Bandar Anzal and in the Caspian Sea last night destroyed several vessels of the Iranian Navy, as well as naval infrastructure, the military says, publishing footage of the attacks. According to the IDF, the strikes destroyed an Iranian Navy corvette, four missile boats, several auxiliary ships and guard boats, along with a command center and a shipyard. Some of the vessels were located at the port, while others were out at sea. The military says that the missile boats were targeted to cause a blow to the Iranian military, despite the fact that they do not pose a direct threat to Israel from the Caspian Sea. Still, the IDF adds that the missile boats have anti-aircraft capabilities and could pose a threat to Israeli aircraft operating over Iran, as well as anti-submarine capabilities. Preparations for the strike only began days ago, and it was not among the military's initial bank of targets in Iran. Researchers at the Naval Intelligence Division located the ships and worked with the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Air Force to plan the strike. It marks the first time that the IDF had struck in this area of Iran, both in this war and the previous rounds of conflict, according to the military.

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian

65,763 views • 4 months ago

On May 2, 1944, a B-24H Liberator bomber flew home from a mission over Italy with a massive piece of another airplane wrapped entirely around its nose. During a 15th Air Force bombing raid over Parma, the B-24 named "Big Fat Mama" (Serial 41-29453) collided mid-air with a fellow bomber, "Southern Gal" (Serial 42-52454). The impact was so violent that it sheared off "Southern Gal's" entire vertical tail stabilizer. The severed fin wedged itself tightly onto the nose section of "Big Fat Mama," completely blocking the bombardier's view and severely disrupting the plane's aerodynamics. The collision instantly split the fates of the two crews: The Crew of "Big Fat Mama": Believing the bomber was doomed during an initial steep dive, four crew members bailed out over enemy territory. Two were captured and spent the war as POWs, while two evaded capture with the help of Italian partisans. The remaining crew stayed at the controls, fighting the heavily damaged aircraft across the Mediterranean. Relying on sheer piloting skill, they executed a successful emergency landing at a U.S. fighter strip in Borgo-Poretta, Corsica. Everyone remaining on board survived. The Crew of "Southern Gal": Ripped of its tail surfaces and flight controls, the aircraft went into an uncontrollable spin and plunged to the ground near Villafranca Lunigiana. Trapped inside the rapidly falling fuselage, eight crew members were killed in action. Only two managed to escape the spinning aircraft; both parachuted safely into occupied territory but were quickly captured and spent the rest of the war as POWs. "Big Fat Mama" was subsequently repaired, returned to service, and flew for several more months before a runway accident at Pantanella Air Base in February 1945 permanently retired the legendary airframe.🫡

On May 2, 1944, a B-24H Liberator bomber flew home from a mission over Italy with a massive piece of another airplane wrapped entirely around its nose. During a 15th Air Force bombing raid over Parma, the B-24 named "Big Fat Mama" (Serial 41-29453) collided mid-air with a fellow bomber, "Southern Gal" (Serial 42-52454). The impact was so violent that it sheared off "Southern Gal's" entire vertical tail stabilizer. The severed fin wedged itself tightly onto the nose section of "Big Fat Mama," completely blocking the bombardier's view and severely disrupting the plane's aerodynamics. The collision instantly split the fates of the two crews: The Crew of "Big Fat Mama": Believing the bomber was doomed during an initial steep dive, four crew members bailed out over enemy territory. Two were captured and spent the war as POWs, while two evaded capture with the help of Italian partisans. The remaining crew stayed at the controls, fighting the heavily damaged aircraft across the Mediterranean. Relying on sheer piloting skill, they executed a successful emergency landing at a U.S. fighter strip in Borgo-Poretta, Corsica. Everyone remaining on board survived. The Crew of "Southern Gal": Ripped of its tail surfaces and flight controls, the aircraft went into an uncontrollable spin and plunged to the ground near Villafranca Lunigiana. Trapped inside the rapidly falling fuselage, eight crew members were killed in action. Only two managed to escape the spinning aircraft; both parachuted safely into occupied territory but were quickly captured and spent the rest of the war as POWs. "Big Fat Mama" was subsequently repaired, returned to service, and flew for several more months before a runway accident at Pantanella Air Base in February 1945 permanently retired the legendary airframe.🫡

Aviation Archive - Tim Farmer

202,100 views • 13 days ago

$Two air forces started the Pacific war. One trained its pilots, then kept them fighting until they died. The other trained its pilots, then often pulled many of its experienced combat pilots out to teach everyone else. This is one of the reasons America won the Pacific air war, let's dive in.. Japan's Elite Aviators At the start of the war, Japan had some of the finest fighter pilots in the world. The aviators who attacked Pearl Harbor were elite. Many had hundreds of hours in the cockpit and real combat experience from the fighting in China. Flying the nimble A6M Zero, they cut through Allied opposition in the early months of the war and earned a fearsome reputation. But Japan made a fateful choice about these men. It kept them in combat, more or less indefinitely. Japanese pilots flew mission after mission with no real system to rotate them home. They fought until they were shot down, crippled, or killed. It seemed ruthless and efficient. In reality, it was a slow-motion disaster. The Difference in Philosophy Because every time Japan lost one of those veterans, everything he knew died with him. America did the opposite. It regularly rotated many of its experienced combat pilots back home once they had done their share of fighting. There, they became instructors, pouring everything they had learned in real air combat directly into the next generation of pilots. So the two systems pulled in opposite directions. Japan's pool of skill drained away with every ace it buried. America's pool of skill grew, as each returning veteran multiplied his knowledge across hundreds of students. One nation was teaching. The other was simply dying. The Training Gap The gap became a chasm, and it was made worse by sheer scale. By 1944, the United States was training around 8,000 new aviators every month, each of them getting well over a year of instruction and hundreds of hours in the air before they ever saw combat. Japan could not come close. As its veterans vanished, its training program collapsed, and it was crippled by something else, too. Fuel. Japan was running so short of it that many trainees could barely fly enough hours to learn their trade. By the later part of the war, Japanese pilots were being rushed into battle with barely 100 hours of flying time, and sometimes far less. They were teenagers with almost no training, being sent up against American veterans who had been taught by the best combat pilots in the fleet. The outcome was no longer a contest. It was a slaughter. The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot Nowhere was that clearer than in the skies over the Mariana Islands in June 1944. When the Japanese launched hundreds of aircraft against the American fleet, they flew into a wall of Hellcat fighters, guided by radar and expert fighter direction that positioned the Americans at the perfect height and moment to strike. The green Japanese pilots in their now outdated Zeros never had a chance. In and around that battle, Japan lost nearly 480 aircraft, while the Americans lost only a few dozen. It was so one-sided that the American aviators nicknamed it the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. Japan's naval air power, once the terror of the Pacific, was broken in a matter of days. Better Aircraft, Better Technology It was not only the pilots. It was the machines too. America kept producing better and better aircraft, like the tough, heavily armed F6F Hellcat, designed after studying a captured Zero and built to beat it. It could take punishment, out-dive and out-gun its opponent, and it was forgiving enough that even a less experienced pilot could survive his first fights and become a veteran. Over the war, Hellcat pilots claimed more than 5,000 enemy aircraft for a tiny fraction of that in losses. Japan, meanwhile, kept sending men up in the aging Zero, a plane that had been revolutionary in 1941 but was now underpowered, fragile, and outclassed. It was fast and agile, but a single burst of American fire could tear it apart, because it had traded armor and protection for maneuverability. Better pilots, in better planes, backed by better technology. The advantages stacked on top of one another. The Spiral Ends By the end, Japan had reached the final, desperate stage of the spiral. With almost no trained pilots left, and no way to make more in time, it turned to the kamikaze. A pilot did not need 500 hours of training to crash his aircraft into a ship. He only needed to take off, aim, and die. It was the last resort of an air force that had run out of the one thing it could never mass produce. Experienced men. America won the Pacific air war for many reasons. Its factories out-built the enemy. Its radar and intelligence gave it eyes the Japanese lacked. Its aircraft grew deadlier every year. But underneath all of it was something simpler. America treated its best pilots as a resource to be protected and passed on. Japan treated them as fuel to be burned. One of those choices built an air force that kept getting stronger. The other burned brightly, and then burned out. This was why America won the Pacific air war. I post a story like this every single day. Most people never see them. Follow so you don't miss the next one.$

Two air forces started the Pacific war. One trained its pilots, then kept them fighting until they died. The other trained its pilots, then often pulled many of its experienced combat pilots out to teach everyone else. This is one of the reasons America won the Pacific air war, let's dive in.. Japan's Elite Aviators At the start of the war, Japan had some of the finest fighter pilots in the world. The aviators who attacked Pearl Harbor were elite. Many had hundreds of hours in the cockpit and real combat experience from the fighting in China. Flying the nimble A6M Zero, they cut through Allied opposition in the early months of the war and earned a fearsome reputation. But Japan made a fateful choice about these men. It kept them in combat, more or less indefinitely. Japanese pilots flew mission after mission with no real system to rotate them home. They fought until they were shot down, crippled, or killed. It seemed ruthless and efficient. In reality, it was a slow-motion disaster. The Difference in Philosophy Because every time Japan lost one of those veterans, everything he knew died with him. America did the opposite. It regularly rotated many of its experienced combat pilots back home once they had done their share of fighting. There, they became instructors, pouring everything they had learned in real air combat directly into the next generation of pilots. So the two systems pulled in opposite directions. Japan's pool of skill drained away with every ace it buried. America's pool of skill grew, as each returning veteran multiplied his knowledge across hundreds of students. One nation was teaching. The other was simply dying. The Training Gap The gap became a chasm, and it was made worse by sheer scale. By 1944, the United States was training around 8,000 new aviators every month, each of them getting well over a year of instruction and hundreds of hours in the air before they ever saw combat. Japan could not come close. As its veterans vanished, its training program collapsed, and it was crippled by something else, too. Fuel. Japan was running so short of it that many trainees could barely fly enough hours to learn their trade. By the later part of the war, Japanese pilots were being rushed into battle with barely 100 hours of flying time, and sometimes far less. They were teenagers with almost no training, being sent up against American veterans who had been taught by the best combat pilots in the fleet. The outcome was no longer a contest. It was a slaughter. The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot Nowhere was that clearer than in the skies over the Mariana Islands in June 1944. When the Japanese launched hundreds of aircraft against the American fleet, they flew into a wall of Hellcat fighters, guided by radar and expert fighter direction that positioned the Americans at the perfect height and moment to strike. The green Japanese pilots in their now outdated Zeros never had a chance. In and around that battle, Japan lost nearly 480 aircraft, while the Americans lost only a few dozen. It was so one-sided that the American aviators nicknamed it the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. Japan's naval air power, once the terror of the Pacific, was broken in a matter of days. Better Aircraft, Better Technology It was not only the pilots. It was the machines too. America kept producing better and better aircraft, like the tough, heavily armed F6F Hellcat, designed after studying a captured Zero and built to beat it. It could take punishment, out-dive and out-gun its opponent, and it was forgiving enough that even a less experienced pilot could survive his first fights and become a veteran. Over the war, Hellcat pilots claimed more than 5,000 enemy aircraft for a tiny fraction of that in losses. Japan, meanwhile, kept sending men up in the aging Zero, a plane that had been revolutionary in 1941 but was now underpowered, fragile, and outclassed. It was fast and agile, but a single burst of American fire could tear it apart, because it had traded armor and protection for maneuverability. Better pilots, in better planes, backed by better technology. The advantages stacked on top of one another. The Spiral Ends By the end, Japan had reached the final, desperate stage of the spiral. With almost no trained pilots left, and no way to make more in time, it turned to the kamikaze. A pilot did not need 500 hours of training to crash his aircraft into a ship. He only needed to take off, aim, and die. It was the last resort of an air force that had run out of the one thing it could never mass produce. Experienced men. America won the Pacific air war for many reasons. Its factories out-built the enemy. Its radar and intelligence gave it eyes the Japanese lacked. Its aircraft grew deadlier every year. But underneath all of it was something simpler. America treated its best pilots as a resource to be protected and passed on. Japan treated them as fuel to be burned. One of those choices built an air force that kept getting stronger. The other burned brightly, and then burned out. This was why America won the Pacific air war. I post a story like this every single day. Most people never see them. Follow so you don't miss the next one.

Untold War Stories

155,445 views • 17 days ago