by Colin Gee
As I said at the beginning of this series, it is my view that there are no bad peoples, just some bad people.
Thirdly, I wanted to challenge the reader to consider the subject of moral duty, orders, and self-preservation.
Whatever you take away from this, and whether or not you now see me as an SS apologist or simply a poor writer, I would ask that you understand my real hopes and purpose in writing the chapter.
That it should never ever happen again.
Thank you.]
Legion Tank conversions and types.
ALLIGATOR
Stug III chassis with extended fighting compartment. Armed with the 75mm KwK 42 L/70.
AARDVARK
Panzer IV chassis with Achilles turret installed – limited number. Armed with 17pdr.
WOLF
Panther chassis with Panzer IV turret installed. Armed with the 75mm KwK 40 L/48.
ANTILOPE
Standard SDKFZ 251 with additional plate and armoured roof, and a Puma turret installed. Armed with the 50mm KwK 39/1 L/60.
HUNDCHEN
Standard SDKFZ 251 with strengthening for gun mount. Armed with the 128mm Pak 44 L/55, taken from damaged AT weapon mounts or unserviceable Nashorne SP guns.
DRAGON
Standard SDKFZ 251 with roof installed and strengthening. Armed with recycled Maultier mounts and 4-6 Wurfrahmen.
PANTHER II
Upgraded Panther in line with plans conceived during previous war. Armed with either the 75mm KwK 42 L/100 or 88mm KwK 43 L/71, depending on turret and tube availability. Limited numbers produced, consuming redundant stocks of Tiger II parts.
EINHORN
Jagdpanther variant with extended fighting compartment. Armed with the 128mm Pak 44 L/55.
HYENA
Panther hull with M4A376mm turret added.
FELIX
French produced Panther hybrid. Armed with the 17pdr and equipped with French-produced Maybachs. None used operationally [French-engined versions remained as training vehicles] until German produced Maybachs were available. Limited production but was surprisingly successful.
JAGUAR
Latest version of the Panther F with improved drive train and infrared optics as standard. Armed with the 88mm KwK 43 L/71. Initially produced in France, German industry quickly followed suit, and the Jaguar became the preferred tank to fill out the new Panzer Divisions. French produced Jaguars had the official designation Jaguar (fr).
SCHWARZPANTHER
Initially produced without the gas turbine engine, the tank carried an 88mm, MG-42 hull mount, and spaced armour.
SCHWARZJAGDPANTHER
No wartime-produced versions carried the gas turbine engine. Armed with a 128mm gun, MG-42 hull mount, and twin auto gun turret on roof on later versions.
Glossary
AK-47
Soviet automatic rifle. 7.62mm normally fitted with a 30 round magazine
Arado-234
German twin-engine jet bomber
ARL-44
French tank produced post WW2 utilising many parts from old designs and armed with a 17pdr gun.
Auergesellschaft
German company that was connected with numerous military projects, such as the German Atomic programme.
Bearcat, Grumman F8F
US single-engine heavy fighter developed late in WW2
Belzec
Nazi extermination camp in occupied Poland.
Beriev Be-4
Soviet twin-engine flying boat.
BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation.
Bordkanone 75mm
Aircraft mounted development of the 75mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun.
BTR-152
Soviet 6x6 armoured personnel carrier, capable of carrying 18 infantry and 2 crew.
Bundesheer
Army of the Austrian Republic
BV-141
Luftwaffe single-engine reconnaissance aircraft known for its strange asymmetrical design.
C-118 Liftmaster
US four-engine transport aircraft, known as the DC-6 in civilian service.
Chikushō
Japanese - literally, oh shit!
Chivas Regal
A blended Speyside whisky.
Ҫibuk [chibouk]
Turkish long-stemmed pipe.
CNFC
Çanakkale Naval Fortified Command
CoS
Chief of Staff
CZ-27
Czechoslovakian 7.65mm semi-automatic pistol with an 8 round magazine.
D-44 anti-tank gun
Soviet divisional artillery weapon of 85mm used in an AT role.
Diamond T M-19
US heavy tank transporter and trailer combination.
EF-131 trident
Luftwaffe six-engine jet bomber developed post-war by the Soviets.
Electric Eel
US early version of a towed sonar array, consisting of a trailed cable with sound sensors installed at regular intervals.
Enshinbunriki
Japanese… literal translation is centrifuges
Ersatzgruppe
German… literal translation replacement group
FECOM
Far East Command
FFAR
Folding fin aerial rocket, an air-to-ground- explosive rocket.
Fido acoustic torpedoes
Mark 24 mine, an air-deployed anti-submarine homing torpedo that entered service in 1943.
Flitters
Irish colloquialism - in tatters.
FuG 510
German missile guidance system, FuG 510/238 "Düsseldorf/Detmold" used a joystick to command the deployed device through trailing wires [i.e. wire-guided].
Futatabi
Japanese - literally, again, once more.
Gatos
USN class of mass-produced submarines, the GATO class.
Gertrude
Sound powered underwater phone for communications between submarines developed in 1945.
Guam, USS
CB-2, an Alaska class large cruiser, some times considered a battle-cruiser.
Har Meghiddohn
Hebrew… literally Mountain of Megiddo. We more commonly know it as Armageddon.
Hedgehog
Anti-submarine spigot launcher with 24 charges set to fire ahead of a submarine and explode on contact.
Hornet, De Havilland.
British twin-engine fighter developed from the Mosquito and armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannon.
Hs-129-B3, Henschel.
Luftwaffe twin-engine ground attack aircraft armed with a 75mm cannon that could destroy any tank then in service. The aircraft itself was slower and less responsive than previous versions.
I-250, Mikoyan-Gurevich [MiG-13]
Soviet single motor jet fighter aircraft, a project that was eventually cancelled.
IS-IVm46
Soviet heavy tank with a 130mm main gun, new gearbox, upgraded suspension, and twin all-new engines.
IS-VII
Soviet heavy tank of 68 tons, armed with a 130mm gun.
Izba
Traditional Russian country dwelling.
Jimmy
Colloquial name for the Number One on an RN vessel.
Junkers-287
Incomplete Luftwaffe forward swept wing bomber with four jet engines, called Trident in Soviet service.
Kätzchen [Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen Kätzchen]
German infantry transport and prime mover based on Panther and Tiger II components.
Kettenhund
German… literally 'chained dog', the derisory term for Military Policemen in the German Army, who wore a metal gorget.
Kfz 71, Krupp
German army command version of the Kfz 70, 6x6 lorry.
KKE
The Communist Party of Greece.
Kripos
German… Kriminalpolizei… Criminal Police… criminal investigation department of the police.
La-9, Lavochkin.<
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Soviet single-engine propeller-driven fighter produced after the end of WW2.
Lancaster MR-3
Coastal Command conversion of the Lancaster Bomber [Maritime Reconnaissance v3].
Lans
Soviet copy of the Panzerfaust.
Le Boudin
The Foreign Legion's slow marching song. A Boudin is literally a blood sausage or black pudding.
Leitstrahl
German guidance system using a radio beam, used in conjunction with the V-2 and other advanced projects.
Lewisite
Organoarsenic compound used in weapons as a vesicant [blister agent] and lung irritant developed in the US, where it became known as 'the Dew of Death'.
M-17
US development of the M-16 Quad .50cal AAA mount developed from the M5 halftrack and sent to the USSR in numbers as part of lend lease.
M20 bazooka
US 88.9mm rocket launcher.
M-29 Chamberlain
Red Gambit's designation for the production model of the T-29 heavy tank.
M-30 Hancock
Red Gambit's designation for the production model of the T-30 heavy tank.
M-40 GMC
155mm SP Howitzer on an altered M4 chassis.
M-41 HMC 'Gorilla'
155mm SP Howitzer on a lengthened M24 chassis.
M-46 Pershing II
Red Gambit's designation for the M-46 Patton. Clearly as Patton survives in RG, using his name was impossible.
Majdanek
Nazi concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin, Poland.
Mongoto
Japanese - literally, the Things.
MP-40
German 9mm sub-machine gun with 32 round magazine.
Mustang, F-82 Twin
US conjoined Mustangs on a twin hull configuration, each with a single engine. Pilot’s positions retained in both cockpits, but one could be replaced by a radar set and operator, at which time pilot was in the left side.
Odalik
An odalik or odalisque is a Turkish female attendant, often used to refer to women who pander to men's needs, up to and including as a concubine.
Operation Cougar
Projected US invasion of Eastern Russia from Chinese bases.
Operation Kingsbury
Part of Operation Viking, covering the ground assault and extraction undertaken by 1st SSF and its support elements.
Operation Niji
Japanese Operation to transfer atomic secrets, scientists, and machinery from Japan to Soviet control, sailing huge submarines halfway round the world to the Black Sea.
Operation Raduga
Soviet Operation to employ a range of destructive weapons, from Atomic bombs, dirty bombs, biological and nerve agents against Allied targets in Europe and beyond.
Operation Tiger
Projected US invasion of Siberia.
Operation Viking
Overall Allied operation for the negation of the VNIIEG facility at Uspenka.
Oruspu!
Turkish colloquialism - bitch or whore.
Osoaviakhim Project
Soviet project that brought many specialists and associated equipment from military related projects under their umbrella, mainly gleaned from occupied territories.
Owl, Curtiss O-52
US single-engine observation aircraft,
Pak 44, 128mm Pak 44.
German 128mm anti-tank gun of high penetrative performance but low manoeuvrability.
Panzer VII
German heavy tank development not realised in WW2, equipped with either a 105mm or 88mm weapon.
Pizdets/Peezdets
Ukrainian - extremely uncouth word :-)
Porton Down
During WW2 it was the centre of British research on chemical and biological weapons.
Raki
Turkish anise drink.
ROE
Rules of engagement.
S&D
Unspecific mission that sent aircraft into a given area with orders to take out anything and everything they found. Literally, Search and Destroy.
SD
German security service, full name Sicherheitsdienst der Reichsführer-SS.
Seiran, Aichi M6A Seiran
Japanese single-engine seaplane designed to be sub launched, created for the mission to bomb the Panama Canal and Western seaboard of the USA.
SGMB
Soviet SG-43 medium machine-gun fitted with special mountings for use in vehicles.
Sheptat’
Soviet copy of the Gertrude underwater communications system.
Shooting Star, Lockheed
P-80.
US single turbojet fighter that came into operational testing at the end of WW2.
Shrike A-25, Curtiss
USAAF version of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, a single-engine dive-bomber.
SOP
Slang - standard operational procedure
Squid launchers
British anti-submarine mortar with three barrels. Highly effective sub killer.
ST-45
German assault rifle designation that was produced by the French through CEAM, as the CEAMm46.
T34m46/100
Soviet production vehicle of a T34m44 with a modified interior and extended turret rear, incorporating the 100mm gun.
T-70
Soviet light tank armed with a 47mm or MG as main armament, crew of 2.
Tabun
Nerve agent that fatally interferes with the nervous system.
Theresienstadt
Nazi concentration camp established in Terezin, Czechoslovakia.
Thunderjet, Republic F-84.
US single turbo jet engine fighter-bomber.
Tigercat, F7F Grumman
US twin-engine heavy fighter that served mainly with the USN and USMC. It packed a powerful punch with 4 x 20mm Cannon and 4 x .50cal machine guns.
TR-1
The Lyulka TR-1 was the USSR's first home produced jet engine.
Tupolev 4, Tu-4
Soviet reverse engineered copy of the B-29 heavy bomber.
Uranprojekt
Nazi Germany's nuclear weapons project.
V-2
Germany's long-range ballistic missile, also known as the A-4.
Vosper MTB
British motor torpedo boat.
Yak-15
Soviet single turbojet fighter with a reversed engineered German Jumo jet engine.
Zeltbahn
German triangular poncho that could be combined with three others to make a tent for four men.
ZSU-20-4
[RG only] Soviet mobile 20mm Quad AA gun mounted on a truck chassis.
Bibliography
Rosignoli, Guido
The Allied Forces in Italy 1943-45
ISBN 0-7153-92123
Kleinfeld & Tambs, Gerald R & Lewis A
Hitler’s Spanish Legion - The Blue Division in Russia
ISBN 0-9767380-8-2
Delaforce, Patrick
The Black Bull - From Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division
ISBN 0-75370-350-5
Taprell-Dorling, H
Ribbons and Medals
SBN 0-540-07120-X
Pettibone, Charles D
The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II
Volume V - Book B, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
ISBN 978-1-4269-0281-9
Pettibone, Charles D
The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II
Volume V - Book A, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
ISBN 978-1-4269-2551-0
Pettibone, Charles D
The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II
Volume VI - Italy and France, Including the Neutral Countries of San Marino, Vatican City [Holy See], Andorra, and Monaco
ISBN 978-1-4269-4633-2
Pettibone, Charles D
The Organis
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Volume II - The British Commonwealth
ISBN 978-1-4120-8567-5
Chamberlain & Doyle, Peter & Hilary L
Encyclopaedia of German Tanks in World War Two
ISBN 0-85368-202-X
Chamberlain & Ellis, Peter & Chris
British and American Tanks of World War Two
ISBN 0-85368-033-7
Dollinger, Hans
The Decline and fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan
ISBN 0-517-013134
Zaloga & Grandsen, Steven J & James
Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two
ISBN 0-85368-606-8
Hogg, Ian V
The Encyclopaedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II
ISBN 0-85368-281-X