Question of the Hour

[Michael Dorosh]

He did pardon Tad's Zouave doll after Tad had ordered his execution for sleeping on duty.

From "The Civil War: An Illustrated History" by Geoffrey C. Ward (ISBN 0679742778) p. 94

Once (Tad) and their father had found that their doll had been found asleep on guard duty.

The doll Jack is pardoned.

  By order of the President.
        A. Lincoln.

Well done. ;D

 

[Michael Dorosh]

new Question - did somebody teach the RCR beaver to stand up?

Answer is no.

Name the actual unit these badges belong to.

http://cgi.ebay.com/UNUSUAL-CANADIAN-MILITARY-PRO-PATRIA-COLLAR-INSIGNIA_W0QQitemZ320004424750QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4075QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

;D

 

[George Wallace]

"Canadian" may be misleading.  They could have been American, as many American Units have Latin and French Mottoes also, and the colours may have been purely coincidental.  My first impression, however, was that they were an RCR 'novelty' item for some function like a Bonspiel, or other sporting event. 

Interesting set of 'Collar Dogs'.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Those look more like bears to me.  Beavers have more of a raccoony hand in front, these guys have big flat bear feet.  This concludes our lecture "poorly represented mammals in popular culture".

 

[Kat Stevens]

1st Bn, 31st Infantry, Mechanized "Bearcats"  US Army

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

Slight correction or addition  the 31st Inf USA are the Polar Bears but the insignia is right

http://www.imjinscout.com/31stInfHistory.html

Haven't found anything about Bearcats, is it specific to the 1st Bn ?

 

[George Wallace]

So we have it, with picture and history, and some eBay customer will be confused to say the least.  ;D

 

[Kat Stevens]

Slight correction or addition  the 31st Inf USA are the Polar Bears but the insignia is right

http://www.imjinscout.com/31stInfHistory.html

Haven't found anything about Bearcats, is it specific to the 1st Bn ?

My source was Acoy, 1st Bn, 31 Mech Inf Regt,  dunno if this is peculiar to A coy, or the whole of 1st Bn, but they call(ed?) themselves the Bearcats.

 

[redleafjumper]

So, any takers on what is a Gerat 588 or GW 638/27? (same thing)

 

[geo]

GW 638/18 was German WW2 Tracked SP gun
the 638/27 would be a variant............

 

[redleafjumper]

Okay Geo, that's a pretty good guess.  Specifically, the Gerat 588 (a.k.a. GW 638/27) was a self-propelled heavy (150mm) infantry gun mounted on a Hetzer tank destroyer chassis.  6 were converted from existing Hetzers and 24 were made new.

What was the time of the 'Fokker Scourge'? What was the 'Fokker Scourge'?

 

[Trooper Hale]

The fokker scourge was in 1915 when the E1 came out, using an interupter gear to fire forward and shot down a lot of Allied aircraft. It was the DH2 that challenged it wasnt it?
What Australian light horse units were at the charge of Beersheba? And how many men died in that charge?

 

[larry Strong]

Okay Geo, that's a pretty good guess.  Specifically, the Gerat 588 (a.k.a. GW 638/27) was a self-propelled heavy (150mm) infantry gun mounted on a Hetzer tank destroyer chassis.  6 were converted from existing Hetzers and 24 were made new.

I was under the impression that they were designated as 15cm Schweres Infanteriegeschuetz 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer

 

[redleafjumper]

Jawohl, Larry das is rechts auf Deutsch!  15cm = 150mm    ;D

 

[redleafjumper]

On the Fokker Scourge, Trooper Hale is largely correct.  The winter of 1915/1916 was the time of the Fokker Scourge because the Fokker monoplane was armed with a machine gun synchronized to fire between the blades of the propeller.  The scourge lasted about 6 months.  The Vickers gun bus, the FE 2b and the Dehavilland DH 2  regained air superiority from the Fokkers.  Improved formation flying  helped.  Synchronized guns on the Bristol Scout arrived in April 1916.


Lt. Gen Harry Chauvel commanded the Desert Mounted Corps under orders to capture Beersheba. The 4th, 11th and 12th Australian Light Horse participated in the charge at Beersheba.    (The 11th was in the reserve with the 5th British Yeomanry which also followed the charge by the 4th and 12th.)  In the actual charge, there were very few human casualties, but some horses were hit.  The opposing Turks failed to adjust for range and the charge successfully pressed home.  There was heavier fighting in the town which did cause more casualties.  Beersheba was captured in about an hour.  All in all a tremendous success for the ANZACs. 

The attack is portrayed in an excellent movie called "The Lighthorsemen."

Another question,  who was James McCudden?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

[Trooper Hale]

McCudden was an ace in the RFC and was in the RFC from before the war i think (he started in the RFC in 1913?). He became a pilot in 1916ish and managed to survive into 1918 (quite a feat when the average life expectancy of a pilot or observer was about in 1916 was about a week). He won a VC in 1918 with close to 60 kills to his credit and died that same year. He was hero in every sense of the word. Feel free to add anthing i've missed (which is a lot!).
Well done to Redleafjumper, your right on to my knowledge with all the facts, especially the movie The lighthorsemen, I'd love to watch that about now. Although I've got to say it was a tremendous success to the Australians, the NZ'z weren't involved so it cant be an ANZAC victory.
34 men died in the charge, it was so low mainly because of the shock that occurred to the Turks, they didn't change their sight settings (as shown in the movie) and ended up firing over the Light horse as they came down the 2 miles of open ground.
As the movie says,
"Only 34 died Sir, its a miracle"
"Not if your one of them"

 

[redleafjumper]

Good answer Trooper Hale.  Captain James McCudden, VC, DSO - 54 confirmed kills.  He rose from the ranks and became an inspiration to others.  He was killed in an accident in 1918.

The New Zealander paticipation near Beersheba consisted of other elements of Chavel's ANZAC Mounted Corps.  He had two divisions, each consisting of three brigades. The ANZAC Mounted Division (ANZACs) comprised the 1st and 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigades and the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade.  The Australian Mounted Division included the 3rd and 4th Australian Light Horse Brigades and the 5th (British) Yeomanry Brigade. The Light Batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery were in support.  Tel es Saba was to the right of Beersheba and where the New Zealanders were deployed. 

Troops of Australia and New Zealand are both called ANZAC at that timer as they were part of the same corps.  Australia - New Zealand Army Corps.

Who were the first two German aviators to be awarded the 'Pour le Merite'?

 

[vonGarvin]

Who were the first two German aviators to be awarded the 'Pour le Merite'?

Just a wild guess here:
Max Immelmann and Hermann Göring?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Just a wild guess here:
Max Immelmann and Hermann Göring?

I'd guess Udet before Goering, but it would only be a guess.

 

[Jantor]

Just a wild guess here:
Max Immelmann and Hermann Göring?

You have the first one right but I think the second one was Oswald Boelcke.