Odd Military Facts....

[StainlessSteelCynic]

During my search for my post above I came across another piece of information that I think definitely fits into the "odd" part of our military facts.

The USS Density (AM-218) served the USN in the Pacific theatre as an ocean-going minesweeper. She was placed in the reserve fleet in Galveston, Texas in January 1946 and was decommissioned there in March 1947.
Like so many other WW2 ships, being released from naval service didn't end her career.

She was sold to Greek interests as a cargo ship in 1955 and renamed the MV Manoula. In 1964 she was impounded in Miami, Florida for non-payment of harbour fees but later that same year she was bought by other interests and renamed MV Galaxy.
In November 1964 she arrived in British waters were she began broadcasting as Radio London - one of the pirate radio stations operated outside territorial waters to, so it's claimed, circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly.

When the pirate radio stations were closed down by the British government in 1967, MV Galaxy sailed for Germany. She tied up in Hamburg harbour in anticipation of another stint as an offshore radio station.
The deal fell through and MV Galaxy was transferred to Kiel harbour and sunk as an artificial reef in 1979. Concerns about pollution saw her raised from the harbour floor for breaking up/disposal in 1980.

So MV Galaxy, the former MV Manoula, former USS Density, a combat-tried ocean-going minesweeper built for the USN during WW2 (with several successful engagements against the Japanese), ended her days tied up to the Kilian bunker, a former Kriegsmarine U-boat base.

Some history here
http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/odds21.htm Pirate Radio hall of fame page
http://uboat.net/gallery/Kilian-1/ Images of the kilian bunker in Kiel
http://www.uboat.net/flotillas/bases/kiel_bunkers.htm The U-boat bases in Kiel (with a brief section about U-170 providing electricity for the bombed Howaldtswerke yard - interesting in light of The Last Sub modules)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Density_(AM-218) Wiki history of USS Density
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderful_Radio_London Wiki history of Radio London

[avantman42]

In the Falklands War, the British took a WWII field kitchen truck from the Imperial War Museum and sent it along with the Task Force sent to fight off the Argentines, since there was no modern equivalent that could prepare hot meals in the field. This relic field kitchen even managed to land on East Falkland " which Argentina had already evacuated " before the Parachute Regiment, who had been tasked with retaking it.

What's the source for that I have no idea whether or not a WWII field kitchen was taken to the Falklands, but the Argentines certainly didn't evacuate East Falkland - that's where almost all of the land fighting took place.

[dragoon500ly]

During the Sicily landings, German panzers were subjected to a ten minute "shoot" by the light cruiser Savannah.

[dragoon500ly]

During the Tunisia landings, US infantry were supported by USN dive bombers, who were dropping depth charges on French tanks.

[dragoon500ly]

One of the Dirty little secrets of the Vietnam War was that the Viet Minh had, serving in its ranks, former Imperial Japanese troops and even Nazi German personnel.

Between 1,500 and 4,000 Japanese troops, including members of the Kempetai, served as technicians and trainers and served as the core of the first Viet Minh artillery units. some 100 or so Nazi officials and soldiers of the Auslander organization also fought with the Viet Minh.

And in the 1950s, the former Nazi commando otto Skorzeny served as a technical advisor to the South Vietnamese Army.

"Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War"

[dragoon500ly]

Field Expedients

During the Vietnam War, soldiers serving in the central highlands found the weather pretty chilly (40-50 degrees Farenheit). Troops sometimes found themselves in the field or remote outpsots without their normal sleeping gear. The more hardened types would improvise a sleeping bag out of the "Pouch, Human Remains", better known as a body bag. Those who used the body bag reported to it was reasonably cozy.

"Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War"

[dragoon500ly]

If you really want to tick off a squid....just remind them that they lost an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War.

The USS Card was an old escort carrier that was used to haul helicopters and light aircraft to Vietnam. She was sunk in the Saigon River by a VC underwater demolition team. The navy refused to admit that the ship was actually sunk, declaring that it was merely damaged, and spending a considerable amount of money and tens of thousands of man-hours to refloat and "repair" her.

[headquarters]

Tidbits

About the sinking of the Blcher - the main guns of the fort that were used were 280mm German built guns from around the turn of the century / around 1900. The torpedos were of Austrian -Hungarian type and fired from a battery from 1901. Also a lot of AA guns and other shoredefense artillery were used although these caused damage the " 3 major damage results " came from the old guns and the torpedos. Reportedly a forums members grandad had some information about the event:
The reservists manning the shore batteries were teachers, carpenters, farmers ages 20 - 40 and raw recruits of 18-19 years, they were shocked by the ferocious action, and their positions were unsustainable due to enemy fire and the encircling German infantry. In front of their positions was the pride of the Nortseeflotte burning and thousands of German sailors and troops were alterantely burning, bleeding or sinking to their deaths. ( ranges were relatively short - a few hundred meters to a couple of clicks). Overhead were the Luftwaffe and news of German landings everywhere came through the radio. In short it was time to hightail it. In Norway in 1940 this meant using public transport. They hopped on the local train to Oslo, and as they arrived at the station they were promptly rounded up by a company strength Wehrmacht welcoming party who had gotten there before them. Fearing the reprecussions of the Germans the men shakingly gave their names and ranks. They were asked at gunpoint if they had taken part in the action zat had sunk ze Bloecher..JA We knof zat you did ja! Fearing the worst many still admitted that they had taken part. The Germans - in a typical methodical and bercorrect manner took their names and interred them in a school gynasium. Shortly after they were made to sign a statement on their honour that they would never take up arms against the Reich again and let loose. In short they were let go with a stern warning to "never do that again"!

During the early stages of World War II, the Norwegians sank the heavy cruiser Blcher with weaponry which they'd bought decades before, and which was obsolete even then. The Norwegian commander wasn't sure that his fifty-year-old torpedoes would even work. They did.


During Homeland War, some Croatian units used M4 Sherman tanks and US WWII M36 Jackson tank destroyers. They proved effective in infantry support.

I inspected a few weapon caches and ammo dumps in Bosnia. Many had green spam cans of US marked ammo of various calibers. At one facility we found US made mountain howitzers from WWII. Allied gear from the war was prolific. ( We even found Italian WWII machineguns - poor sods having to use those).

[HorseSoldier]

During the Vietnam War, soldiers serving in the central highlands found the weather pretty chilly (40-50 degrees Farenheit). Troops sometimes found themselves in the field or remote outpsots without their normal sleeping gear. The more hardened types would improvise a sleeping bag out of the "Pouch, Human Remains", better known as a body bag. Those who used the body bag reported to it was reasonably cozy.

There was some drama and minor scandal about guys doing the same thing in the lead up to the ground war in '91, after some news stories about it made it into print.

[weswood]

And in the 1950s, the former Nazi commando otto Skorzeny served as a technical advisor to the South Vietnamese Army.

"Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War"

That Skorzeny sure got around. I first heard about him in a Harry Turtledove fiction and thought he was a made up character. Then I saw his name in another book by another author and did some research on him. Amazing man.

[Targan]

That Skorzeny sure got around. I first heard about him in a Harry Turtledove fiction and thought he was a made up character. Then I saw his name in another book by another author and did some research on him. Amazing man.

I've read the same Harry Turtledove novels. Until I read Dragoon's post I didn't realise that Skorzeny was a real person. Time for some Google-Fu.

[dragoon500ly]

Only once in nearly a century has bean soup not appeared on the menu of the Senate dining room in Washington DC. On Setember 14, 1943, as a result of wartime shortages, the supply of white Michigan beans ran out.

The ensuing senatorial uproar was sufficient to insure that there were beans enough the next day and on every subsequent day thereafter.

"Dirty Little Secrets of WWII"

And now you know the source of all the hot air on the Hill!!!!

[dragoon500ly]

In World War II, US soldiers were the highest paid with enlisted personnel earning (in 1994 dollars) an average of 750.00 a month and offers earning 2,200.00 a month. Soldiers in other armies received token amounts, or, at most, 2-300 dollars a month. US soldiers were qucik to note that not only were they better paid, but the also received "trade goods" as part of their normal rations. Cigarettes and candy were particularly valuable.

This in turn led the British soldiers to refer to the GIs as "oversexed, overpaid and over here!' This led the GIs to crack back that the Tommies were "undersexed, underpaid and under Eisenhower!"

"Dirty Little Secrets of WWII"

[dragoon500ly]

By mid-1843, 35% of the soldats in the German Army had been wounded at least once, 11% at least twice, 6% three times, 2% percent four times and 2% more than four times. During the war, the average officer slot had to be refilled 9.2 times.


Sourse is "Dirty Little Secrets of WWII"

[dragoon500ly]

Venereal disease has long been recoginzed as a major cause of non-battle military noneffectiveness.

During World War One, the VD rate for the US Army was 87 cases per 1,000 men per year (far higher than the French Army rate).

During World War Two, the VD rate decreased to 49 cases per 1,000 men per year.

During the Korean War, the VD rate increased to 146 cases per 1,000 men per year.

During the Vietnam War, the VD rate increased to 325 cases per 1,000 men per year.

Hmmmmmm

"Dirty Little Secrets of WWII"