Question of the Hour

[redleafjumper]

The 5 American Legion Battalions in the CEF were numbered 97, 211, 212, 213, and 237. 

Their motto was "Deeds not Words"

 

[Cloud Cover]

Inflatable life vest for pilots?

Very close.
They manufactured a rubber coated, kapok filled Mae West life jacket for the RCN.

"The jacket was fitted with a special crotch piece to prevent injury from underwater explosions and included special head gear for support. A flashing light attachment was fitted for visual sighting .... when HMCS Clayoquot was torpedoed in December, 1944 the jacket demonstrated its life saving quality. Only seaman without the life jackets were injured by the under water blast. Those wearing them at the same distance from the explosion were protected."

Burrow, Len and Emile Beaudoin, Unluck Lady- The Life and Death of HMCS Athabaskan , [1989: McLelland &Stewart Inc.] 132.
       

 

[armchair]

The 5 American Legion Battalions in the CEF were numbered 97, 211, 212, 213, and 237. 

Their motto was "Deeds not Words"

Your right the book I have only mentions the 97 Overseas Battalion.Complains from the US government about the
use of the word "American" caused it to be dropped from the official description-but the soldiers still used the name

 

[larry Strong]

Some info on German AT guns mentioned previously

Pak 40:

Rheinmetals upgraded version of the 5cm Pak 38. The 7.5cm Pak 40 is similar in
appearance to the 5 cm Pak 38. The monobloc tube is fitted with a double-baffle muzzle-
brake, and the breech mechanism is semi automatic with a horizontal sliding block. the
carriage, with tubular split trail has solid-rubber-tired wheels and torsion bar suspension
and may be towed at about 25 mph. The shield consists of two 4-mm plates about 1"
apart.

Characteristic's
Caliber...........................................................75mm (2.95 inches)
Length of tube....................................................11 feet 4 inches
Weight in action..............................................3,136 lbs
Muzzle velocity (AP40).....................................3,250 fps
Muzzle velocity (APCBC)...................................2,530 fps
Muzzle velocity (HE)........................................1,800 fps
Muzzle velocity (Hollow charge)........................1,476 fps
Traverse.........................................................65 deg
Elevation.......................................................- 5 deg to + 22 deg
Traction..........................................................Motor drawn

Ammunition
Weights of projectiles fired from this gun are;
HE.................................................................12.54 lbs
APCBC...........................................................15 lbs
AP shot..........................................................9.25 lbs
Hollow charge.................................................9.97 lbs
Smoke...........................................................13.7 lbs 

With APCBC ammunition, penetration of homogeneous armour is 102mm (4.02 inches)
at 30 deg from normal at 1000 yds.
This AT gun was issued, with mods to the shield to allow  attaining upper elevations, as
an Artillery weapon mainly to Volkstum units near the end of the war.

2.8 cm s. Pz.B 41

This first Gerlich high velocity tapered-bore antitank gun first appeared in 1941. The
monobloc tueb has a semi-automatic breech with horizontal block breech and is fitted
with a muzzle-brake. An airborne version existed which consists of an identical tube on a
light alloy cradle and a wheeled tubular mount with no shield. This version weights 260 lbs.

Characteristic's
Caliber...........................................................initial 28mm (1.1 inches)
                                                                     emergent 20mm (0.78 inches)
Length of tube.................................................5 feet 7.62 inches
Weight in action..............................................501 lbs
Muzzle velocity................................................4,600 fps
Traverse........................................................90 deg
Elevation........................................................-5 deg to + 45 deg

Ammunition.
HE and AP (tungsten carbide core) rounds are fired .
Weights of projectiles fired from this gun are:

HE................................................................3.1 Oz's
AP................................................................4.6 Oz's
The AP ammo will penetrate 68 mm (2.88 inches) at 700 yds, 30 deg from normal


4.2 cm le. Pak 41

The 4.2 cm le. Pak 41 is the second of the tapered-bore AT gun series. The mono-bloc
tube is long with obvious external as well as internal taper and has no muzzle-brake. The
sliding breech-block is hand operated. The mount is identical to the 3.7 cm Pak but with a
double upper shield. A second shield  3/16 inch thick is riveted to the standard shield with
an intervening space of approximately 1 3/8 inches.

Characteristic's
Caliber...........................................................initial 42 mm (1.65 inches)
                                                                     emergent 28 mm (1.1 inches)
Length of tube................................................7 feet 4.5inches
Weight in action..............................................990 lbs
Muzzle velocity...............................................4,100 fps
Traverse........................................................44 deg
Elevation........................................................-8 deg to + 32 deg
Traction..........................................................Motor drawn

Ammunition.
HE and AP (tungsten carbide core) rounds are fired .
Weights of projectiles fired from this gun are:

HE................................................................0.56 lbs
AP................................................................0.69 lbs
The AP ammo will penetrate 68 mm (2.88 inches) at 700 yds, 30 deg from normal




7.5 cm pak 41

This was the third tapered-bore AT gun to be introduced. It has a muzzle brake, and a
semi automatic vertical sliding breech block. A cylindrical cradle covering the rear half of
the tube is attached to the shield by a shperical universal joint.


Characteristic's
Caliber...........................................................initial 75 mm (2.95 inches)
                                                                     emergent 55 mm (2.17 inches)
Length of tube................................................13 feet 7.375 inches
Weight in action..............................................3,136 lbs
Muzzle velocity................................................3,936 fps (estimated)
Traverse.........................................................60 deg
Elevation........................................................- 108 deg to + 18 deg
Traction..........................................................Motor drawn
..

Ammunition.
HE and AP (tungsten carbide core) rounds are fired .
Weights of projectiles fired from this gun are:

HE................................................................3.1 oz
AP.................................................................5.68 lbs, of which 2.01 lbs is the tungsten
core. The AP round will penetrate 130 mm (5.12 inches) of homogeneous armour at 30 deg
from normal at 1000 yds

Source:

Handbook on German Military Forces. US War Dept Tech Manual, 15 Mar 1945 TM-E 30-451.

 

[redleafjumper]

Thanks Larry, that's great information on those PAKs.

 

[larry Strong]

Your are more than welcome. WW2 is one of the few things I feel I know something about, and there is not much call for military trivia out at the rig :

 

[Cloud Cover]

What is the name of the only non-Canadian, Tribal class destroyer built post WW1 in HM's service that did not participate in the Korean war yet served past the end of that war?

 

[redleafjumper]

HMAS Arunta - I30 Tribal class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy.  She was laid up during the Korean war and sold for scrap around 1957.  See: http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4437.html

What was the only Tribal not named after a tribe?

 

[armchair]

In 1914 the Canadian military amounted to a permanent force of about 3,000 regulars. What was the size of the militia?
What was the over all population of Canada?

 

[Cloud Cover]

HMAS Arunta - I30 Tribal class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy.  She was laid up during the Korean war and sold for scrap around 1957.  See: http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4437.html

You are correct!

What was the only Tribal not named after a tribe?

HMAS Bataan: http://hmcshaida.ca/bataan.html

 

[redleafjumper]

Whisky601, your answer of the HMAS Bataan as the non-tribe tribal is likewise correct!

 

[Michael Dorosh]

In 1914 the Canadian military amounted to a permanent force of about 3,000 regulars. What was the size of the militia?
What was the over all population of Canada?

Population of 8 million, Militia strength was about 60,000 - source: MSN Encarta.

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_461511150_4/Canadian_Forces.html


<img src="http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-1.5.5/images/7/7d/Combatshirta.png">

Now, time for a uniform question.

Who can identify:

a) model of shirt
b) unit depicted
c) rank depicted
d) likely time frame this garment would have been worn in this configuration?

 

[armchair]

Canadian Forces Combat Dress
The Unit is Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
Rank of Corporal
Some just after Unification 1968 early 1970
The Corporal rank of this type was used for a short time as it could be confused with the Master Corporal badge
And it was before the 1990 as there is no subdued Flag on the left shoulder  
www.canadiansoldiers.com

 

[armchair]

During WWII with of the major combatants did not field a anti- tank rifle?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

During WWII with of the major combatants did not field a anti- tank rifle?

I'd say the United States.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Early in the war, when France was a major combatant, they did not appear to have their own anti-tank rifle. Perhaps Italy as well? 

The US does not appear to have its own dedicated anti tank rifle in WW2, but they do appear to have some doctrine contemplating the use of the .50cal in the anti armour role- perhaps with special rounds?

Which countries reclassified man portable flamethrower operators to "engineer" and why?

 

[geo]

Which countries reclassified man portable flamethrower operators to "engineer" and why?
Infantry kept burning their lips trying to use em to light ciggies? (JK)

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Early in the war, when France was a major combatant, they did not appear to have their own anti-tank rifle. Perhaps Italy as well? 

The US does not appear to have its own dedicated anti tank rifle in WW2, but they do appear to have some doctrine contemplating the use of the .50cal in the anti armour role- perhaps with special rounds?

Which countries reclassified man portable flamethrower operators to "engineer" and why?

This is a WAG, but I'll say German, only because I thought flamethrowers were issued to pionier units exclusively.  We seem to have used them as standard weapons in infantry units, both the lifebuoy man portable model and the WASP kits on the Carrier.

The US marines seem to have issued them out directly to rifle platoons as well, as a necessity in fortified places like Iwo Jima.

 

[reccecrewman]

I'd agree with you Micheal - It was the Germans whose flamethrowers were used exclusively by Engineers. 

Scroll down to para 5.

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/portft/index.html

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Okay then, next question.

In which battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry did the following incident occur:

On an occasion when an entire formation was ordered to parade in full kit, individuals of several units refused to muster, including an entire  company of the PPCLI.  The event was actually labelled a "mutiny" in some quarters and the company commander was relieved.  In which battalion did this take place?