Know Your Weapons: The Cap and Ball Revolvers Prior to the Peacemaker

Prior to the Peacemaker

The Revolvers that ‘Really’ Won the West

 

Before the Colt Peacemaker? Before the Colt Peacemaker there was a whole boatload of other Colt single action revolvers. And in truth they had a lot more influence in the Old West than did the Peacemaker because the wildest and woolliest times had passed by the time Colt got around to developing the Single Action Army.

 

 

 

Know Your Confederate History: Confederate Sniper Jack Hinson and his Rifle

The Story of Civil War Sniper Jack Hinson and His Rifle

 

I can also recommend the book Jack Hinson’s One Man War, A Civil War Sniper by Lt. Col. Tom McKenney, USMC (Ret.)

 

 

Know Your WW2 History: The Invasion of Poland

The History and War Blog did an Outstanding Four Part Series on the Invasion of Poland beginning in 1939.

Part 1: The Attack on Poland 1-17 September

Part 2: Soviet Invasion and the Fall of Poland

Part 3: The Exodus

Part 4: The Aftermath

 

Also as a cool supplement, Jeff over at The Inch High Guy Blog  has a really great post:

Invasion of Poland, 1939 Color Photographs, Hugo Jaeger Collection, Part I.

 

For further reading and study I recommend the book:

Case White, the Invasion of Poland 1939

Know Your WW1 Weapon’s History: The Flammenwerfer

Flammenwefer — World War I German Flamethrowers

 

It appears the first flamethrower of modern design was patented in Germany by Richard Fiedler in 1901. During the same year, the German army funded his continued work on flamethrower designs. Fiedler, a private citizen, designed several flamethrowers models and presented a working product to the German army in 1905. Based on the feedback he received, two versions of the flammenwerfer were delivered to the army in 1908.

Around the same time, a multi-talented man by the name of Bernhard Reddemann began his own experiments in designing flamethrowers. Reddeman was an officer in a German Pioneer battalion until 1903. At that time, he transitioned to a reserve officer and stayed in a Pioneer unit. Pioneers were specialist troops frequently responsible for the demolition of fortifications, engineering strong points and using specialized weapons.

 

 

WW2 Books Worth a Damn: Das Boot (The Boat)

 

“The thrilling wartime novel that inspired Wolfgang Petersen’s Academy Award-nominated, blockbuster film! Written by an actual survivor of Germany’s U-boat fleet, Das Boot is one of the most exciting stories of naval warfare ever published, a tale filled with almost unbearable tension and suspense. In autumn 1941, a German U-boat commander and his crew set out on yet another hazardous patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic. Over the coming weeks they brave the ocean’s stormy waters and seek out British supply ships to destroy. But their targets travel in well-guarded convoys. When contact finally occurs, the hunter quickly becomes the hunted, and a cat-and-mouse game begins as the U-boat hides deep beneath the surface of the sea. Soon, claustrophobia becomes an enemy almost as frightening as the depth charges exploding around them.”

As far as World War Two Novels go, Das Boot is one of the most thrilling in my opinion. The author, Lothar Gunther Buckheim was a member of the Kriegsmarine during WW2 and survivor of the U-Boat force.

I say “survivor” because of the 40,000 men that served on the U-boat’s, 30,000 did not return home. You read that right. The German U-boat force in WW2 had a 75% casualty rate, the highest of ANY unit during the war, including front line Soviet troops on the Eastern Front and at Stalingrad.

I would also highly recommend the 1981 Movie directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Jurgen Prochnow in the lead role as the skipper.