Photos Spark Mystery Over Bismarck's Sinking

A collection of photographs from a young sailor in World War II has sparked mystery about the events leading to the sinking of the formidable German battleship Bismarck. See Sky News: Link
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Warhammer Historical Closes

Just heard today that Warhammer Historical (part of Games Workshop) has closed down, which presumably means that Warhammer Ancient Battles (WAB) as a rule set is no longer supported :(
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Prometheus - Official Trailer

No doubt, this is 'must see' film for all fans of the franchise :)
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Huntingdon Area MVT - Spring Road Run

Our MVT area group conducted its first road-run on Sunday 20th May. We had initially planned to stage the run on the 28 Apr, but due to bad weather we postponed, hoping for better in May. Well, it was better in as much as it wasn’t freezing cold and hammering it down, but it was heavily overcast, and pretty cold it has to be said.
The initial plans had 11 vehicles in the run, but then 2 dropped out due to conflicting commitments, and on the day another 2 suffered mechanical problems and so were unable to make it to the start location near Kings Ripton. The ‘magnificent seven’ for the run comprised of 2 x Jeeps, 1 x CCKW 353, 1 x CCKW 352, 2 x Landrover FFRs, and last but not least, a rare Dodge WC63. In addition to the 7 drivers, 4 friends and family crewed along with 1 one hound (Albert). Two support vehicles carried another 5 people including the official trip photographer.

Setting off at 13:00 a series of back roads over a course of 10 miles brought the convoy to its first halt at ‘The George’ pub in Spaldwick.
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A 40 minute refreshment break allowed those souls in the more exposed vehicles to regain a semblance of blood supply to their extremities.
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The second and last part of the journey over a further 10 miles involved some challenging narrow and twisty lanes (especially for the larger vehicles) for about 8 miles before we broke out into more open terrain for the final run into RAF Little Staughton, arriving around 15:15. Following an undercover barbecue tea, people headed off home around 16:30.
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A good day overall, and we will be definitely doing another, perhaps in September.
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Remembering the M2 submarine disaster 80 years on

The submarine sits silently on the seabed. Inside, the bodies of 58 sailors still rest, 80 years after the vessel sank in the English Channel off Dorset. Now some of their family members hope to sail out to the wreck to mark the anniversary of the tragedy. HMS M2 was the world's first underwater aircraft carrier, but it went down with the loss of all 60 hands - including two airmen - in 1932. See the BBC web site for more on this story. Link
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Picture Of The Week - No 1 - Swedish S Tank

I've decided to introduce a new feature to my blog, a 'Picture Of The Week'. This first one is of a Swedish S Tank I photographed at the UK Defence Acedemy at Shriveham. The S-Tank is one of my all-time favourite vehicles. Back in the 1980s I used to do lots of Modern Micro-Tank (1/300th) gaming. I had several armies I used to use, but favourite was my Swedish army (which I still have incidentally). I just think this is such a brilliant vehicle.
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Looking round the vehicle it is larger, certainly wider than I had expected. The thing that surprised me however was how thin the armour was on the hull glacis plate (approximately 27mm) and this is because, as you can see they are in fact the engine access panels.
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London WW2 deep level shelters to rent

Check out these new places to rent that were originally constructed as Air Raid Shelters !  Link

'Somewhere In England' - Bassingbourn Show - Review

I took time out from revising for a (Purchasing) exam on Saturday morning, and went down to Bassingbourn Airfield to attend a local 1940s show called 'Somewhere in England'. The aim of the show this year is to raise money to restore the WW2 Control Tower.
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Lots of lots of space at the show, with if I'm honest, not a huge amount there. The entrance price of £10 per adult seemed on the expensive side given what was there, £5 would have been more reasonable.  There were perhaps 20 vehicles, a few displays, 1 hot dog stall, about 16 trade stands, plus a band. The layout seemed poor to me, as the band were out on a limb somewhat, furthermore I'm reliably informed that the Tower and Museum were shut due to lack of staff, which seems nothing short of astonishing as you would have thought that these were the days when you really wanted it open !  Given the rubbish weather here in the UK recently (wettest April since records began in 1910), they were very fortunate as both Sat and Sun were clear and sunny.  I've decided to get myself some period gear to wear from time-to-time when I take my own CCKW truck to shows and I managed pick up a jacket for a quite a reasonable price.
Stand out vehicle for me was CCKW 353 with a .50cal mg and extra ammo boxes round the ring, although a black limo looked amazing, and the photo I took doesn't do it justice.  It will pop up in the slideshow below.
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2012-05-12 Bassingbourn Show
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World War II fighter found in Egyptian desert

A World War II RAF American-made P40 Kittyhawk single-engine fighter, which crash-landed in a remote part of the Egyptian desert in 1942, has been discovered almost intact. Link
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Comment:  What an amazing find !

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FAD 5 Out !

The latest version of these free Sci-Fi rules 'Fast And Dirty' is out, with all sorts of extra bits added.  Well worth checking out, the author Ivan Sorensen has done a great job.  Link
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The original air aces

The Royal Flying Corps came into being 100 years ago and played a key role in World War I - but who were its heroic pilots and why was the corps so special? Link to BBC
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Italian Medieval Town

Check out the pictures of this 28mm Italian town on this TMP thread.  Simply awesome !  Link
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Saving the Battleship Texas

This is quite interesting.
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Slow Engine Cranking

The truck engine cranks over really slowly when cold.  I need to get to the bottom of why this is...
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Bovington Tank Museum Podcasts

Guys
I came across a bunch of podcasts on the Bovington Tank Museum web site. Done by tank veterans (one of whom is the well known wargamer Donald Featherstone), some of them are fascinating.  Highly recommended.  Link

Von Abt Gallery

This gallery is worth checking out for some fantastic dioramas.  Link

Pixar - Lifted

This little movie on U-Tube by Pixar is excellent !  Link
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Luftwaffe nightfighter Heinkel 219 salvaged from the sea

A compass shows the direction the plane (Heinkel 219) was when it crashed. The guns are corroded by many years on the ocean floor. Metal rods reveals that the pilot’s ejection seat was never released. But what else is hiding the story behind the German plane on the ocean floor, the museum staff and aircraft enthusiasts see if they can uncover. Link
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PIPPINGFORD PARK BATTLE 2012

I followed a link to this this quick film about various Allied Living History groups taking part in a WW2 private battle in Apr 2012. The M10 looks fantastic.
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British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma

A Lincolnshire farmer has told how he spent 15 years trying to find a lost squadron of Spitfires that was buried in Burma at the end of the Second World War. Link
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'Drive It Day 2012'

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) try to encourage everyone with a historic vehicle to get out and about in it on a particular day in the year. This what their web site says: "Drive It Day is always held on the nearest Sunday to 23 April. This date was chosen in 2005 to commemorate the 64 cars that set off from London on 23 April 1900 on the first day of the Thousand Mile Trial. An incredible undertaking and one which we believe deserves an annual celebration."
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As we seem to have a break in the rainy weather here Cambridgeshire, after checking the fluid levels, we decided to take the truck out for a spin. After a very reluctant start where a couple of squirts of 'Easy Start' (an Ether based aerosol) were required to get the engine to fire up, we had quite a pleasant ride out. We were looking out for other historic vehicles on our 18 mile round trip, but sadly didn't see any !
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Last weekend I picked up a set of replacement leather straps for the wooden bows that go over the cargo bed.  The straps are used to fasten then canvas up. Anyway, these straps are New Old Stock (NOS) ex French army.  No idea how old the (vacuum sealed) pack is, but it almost seems a shame to open it up.
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Recognition finally for a warrior priest's heroics

US Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun stole, suffered and sacrificed his life for his fellow soldiers in a Korean prison camp. Six decades after his death, he is being considered for the Congressional Medal of Honor - and sainthood. Link
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German Firm Uses Aerial Photos to Find Bombs

A small German firm offers a unique service to the country’s construction industry: It uses historical British and American aerial photography from World War II air strikes to determine the location of unexploded bombs. Thousands of tons of bombs still lie in the soil and the duds are becoming more dangerous. Link
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Inside the US Army’s Secret Cold War Ice Base

Check out this article about a semi-secret, nuclear-powered U.S. Army base that was built under the Greenland ice cap only 800 miles from the North Pole. Link
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Panzer General - Remake

The old favourite 'Panzer General' has been remade and is available as a free download.  I've tried it very briefly myself and it seems to work fine. Just make sure to also download the InstallCCPack.msi in the addons folder as this contains all the battles and campaigns. Link
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Man v Angry Goose

To bring a smile to your face :)
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Tank Times - Feb Edition

The Bovington Tank Museum publishes an on-line magazine.  The Feb version is worth checking out. Link

Back on the move again after 70 years: A mighty Tiger 131 is put through its paces for anniversary challenge

With its huge cannon and almost impenetrable armour, the German Tiger tank struck fear into the hearts of Allied troops. Although more than 1,300 were produced during the Second World War, this is the only working example in existence. Tiger 131 has been restored to its original war time specification after a two-year restoration project costing £80,000.   Read more:  Link
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Irish Humour

Two men were sitting next to each other at a bar. After awhile, one guy looks at the other and says, 'I can't help but think, from listening to you, that you're from Ireland ...'

The other guy responds proudly, 'Yes, that I am!'

The first guy says, 'So am I! And where about from Ireland might you be'?

The other guy answers, 'I'm from Dublin , I am.'

The first guy responds, 'So am I!' 'Sure and begorra. And what street did you live on in Dublin ?

The other guy says, 'A lovely little area it was. I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town.' 

The first guy says, 'Faith and it's a small world. So did I! So did I! And to what school would you have been going'?

The other guy answers, 'Well now, I went to St. Mary's, of course.'

The first guy gets really excited and says, 'And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate'?

The other guy answers, 'Well, now, let's see. I graduated in 1964.'

The first guy exclaims, 'The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same bar tonight. Can you believe it? I graduated from St. Mary's in 1964 my own self!' 

About this time, Vicky walks into the bar, sits down and orders a beer. Brian , the bartender, walks over to Vicky, shaking his head and mutters, 'It's going to be a long night tonight.'

Vicky asks, 'Why do you say that, Brian '?

'The Murphy twins are pissed again.'

Visibility Sticks

As a modeller and gamer, over the years I have bought several vehicles that have had flimsy little sticks sticking up at the front of them, as seen on this Sdkfz251/7.
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For long enough I wondered what they were, and found that inevitably they get damaged/broken off unless real care is taken.  I have now acquired some of my own and fitted them to the truck, although in real life they are a lot more substantial being made of metal rod. Visibility sticks are used as driving aids to help you judge the size of the vehicle.  In my case especially useful because of the winch (90ft of cable) which extends the length of the front by about 20".  Sat behind the wheel you cannot see the end of the vehicle, but with the sticks I can see the white balls, and better judge clearances.
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The Falklands War: Key dates

As the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War is marked on 2 April, here are the key dates in the conflict. Link to BBC webs site. -
Comment: When I think back to the Falklands I still clearly remember the shock I felt when I heard HMS Sheffield had been hit and badly damaged.

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Stalwart Playing in Mud Shobdon

I'd like one of these Stalwarts, they look a lot of fun  :)
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Bundesarchive Photos 1933 - 1945..+ all fields of WWII

Found this site that has a simply amazing collection of WW2 photos from the Bundesarchive Photos 1933 - 1945.  The range of photos is astonishing. Definitely worth a browse.  Link
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Radio Kills: Rommel’s 621st Radio Intercept Company

There is a great article on the 621st Radio Intercept Company on the Armchair General site: Link
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Friday Humour - Thomas The Tank Engine

A mother was working in the kitchen, listening to her five-year-old son playing with his new electric train set in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son saying, 'All of You B*****ds who want off, get off now, 'cos we're in a hurry! And all of you B*****ds who are getting on, get on now, 'cos we're going down the tracks'.

The horrified mother went in and told her son, 'We don't use that kind of language in this house. Now I want you to go to your room and stay there for TWO HOURS. When you come out, you may play with your train, but I want you to use nice language.'

Two hours later, the son came out of the bedroom and resumed playing with his train. Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say, 'All passengers who are disembarking the train, please remember to take all of your belongings with you. We thank you for travelling with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one.'

She hears the little boy continue, 'For those of you just boarding, we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under your seat. Remember, there is no smoking on the train. We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today.'

As the mother began to smile, the child added.......... 'For those of you who are pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay, please see the fat controller in the kitchen'.
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Company Of Heroes - Modern Combat

A new mod for the Company of Heroes PC game has just been released. 'Modern Combat' is exactly that, modern USA forces pitted against Chinese. Tried it out this morning with little Vulture, and we are well impressed. The dedicated web site for the mod is here.
Here's the trailer for it on U-Tube:
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Anglo-Saxon Christian grave find near Cambridge 'extremely rare'

An Anglo-Saxon grave discovered near Cambridge could be one of the earliest examples of Christianity taking over from Paganism, archaeologists said. See BBC Link -

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Top Gear - Ariel Atom - BBC

An old but classic clip from Top Gear of the Ariel Atom. I really do want one of these :) - -

Alike but very different

A friend of mine from the local MVT club swung by last Sunday to say 'Hi' in his 1942 GMC.  For two trucks from the same stable, there were some big differences between his CCKW 353 and my CCKW 352b1. 

1.  The 353 is 20" longer for a start, and as it doesn't have spare wheels behind the cab, the cargo bed can extend right up to it, so the cargo bed itself is about 25% bigger.

2.  The 353 closed cab (unsurprisingly) has an entirely different feel inside to the open cab, and is considerably smaller inside both in width and and depth.  You can get three people in an open cab, but only two in a closed.

3.  Underneath the bonnet the regulator and fuse box are different, as are the horn, air filter, and brake servo breather.

4.  The suspension fixing points are different, as are all three axles, plus the transfer case was a different shape altogether.

5.  The 90ft winch on the front of the 352 changes the look considerably. 

All very interesting in a anoraky truck kind of way :)  LOL  

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Guinea Pig

A sad day here at the Vulture's Roost.  One of our guinea pigs 'Chocolate' was taken ill a few days ago, and in spite of some (expensive) meds and TLC he continued to decline, so a last trip to the vets was in order this afternoon :(
Must confess I'm slightly gutted, of the two we have (had) he was my favourite, he had such a great little personality.
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Wakefield firm restores WWII Sherman tank

A tank which fought in one of the biggest battles of the Second World War has been restored in Wakefield.  Link
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Why are adults still launching tabletop war?

Warhammer 40,000 - set in a science fantasy universe - has just turned 25. Why are grown men still launching tabletop war? Article by Samira Ahmed on the BBC Web site. Link
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Comment:  Worth a read I felt.  Touches on the thorny question with GW of value for money....   A topic I've written on in this blog before...

Humour - Men Are Just Happier People

Men Are Just Happier People

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman ..

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

M1 Abrams Tank - Stuck In the Mud

Came across this great little video of a US M1 Abrams tank stuck in the mud. The M1s gas-turbine engine certainly has a distinctive whine to it. - -

Wargaming.co

If you are into collecting Wargaming books, this is without doubt the place to visit. It supplies classic Wargaming and landmark sets of wargaming rules that have been key in the development of the hobby. Must confess I have most of the books already in my collection that I've built up over the years, but there are a couple I don't....yet.... :) Link
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MechWarrior Online Official Teaser Trailer

Hummmmmm, this game looks good :)
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Battlefront - Flames Of War

Battlefront the publishers of the well know 15mm WW2 rule set Flames of War (FoW), are about issue the latest version of the rules, Edition 3.  They have made the offer that anyone who bought a Hard copy of Edition 2 will be supplied with small A5 copy of Edition 3 if they contact them.  I took them up on this offer and E-Mail ed them a copy of me holding the last edition, and low and behold last Thursday the new little rulebook appeared in the post !  When I say little, at almost 300 pages, its actually quite chunky !  The mind boggles at how much it must be costing Battlefront to give all these books away.  Can you imagine Games Workshop doing anything like this ?  Maximum kudos to Battlefront is what I say !

MechWarrior Tactics

It's the year 3025. Hostile enemy lances are closing in all around you. As Commander of an elite mercenary company, it's up to you to ensure swift victory and make your enemies pay dearly. Your Mech Bay hosts a vast array of custom Mechs, each configured for a specific combat role. Choose wisely which Mechs to take into battle: your future as the leader of your lances depends on it.  Link
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PC Gamer has done a short review (Link) on this game which is due our sometime this year.  For Battletech enthusiasts (such as myself) this looks a much buy !  Can't wait !  :)
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Film - 'White Tiger'

This looks totally awesome ! Have no idea when its going to be released though. - -

The Scale Of The Universe

Zoom from the edge of the universe to the quantum foam of spacetime and learn the scale of things along the way! Learn the size of the Pillars of Creation and marvel at the minuscule scale of a neutrino! Link Comment: Nothing connected with the subject of this blog at all, but very interesting nonetheless.