Webster

The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions." --American Statesman Daniel Webster (1782-1852)


Saturday, April 29, 2023

Goings On At Casa De Garabaldi

 Sincere Apologies for not posting for a week, that was not planned.  My job changed, I am still with my employer but I went to a totally different side of my job abilities with totally different job scope than before, and I also went to Dayshift, so I became a daywalker, and I started going to the gym after work so when I got home, between the Gym and the schedule change from "Nightowl" to "DayWalker" has kicked my butt, I was getting 4 hours of sleep for the first 3 days, then learning totally new processes by the time I got home, I was wiped.  No time to blog.

     Now to what has been going on here, a few thing..

Y'all "Remember a Post I did" when I upgraded the Fog Lights on my Focus..Well They had failed..I noticed it a few weeks ago when it was foggy and I had turned it on and I noticed no increased illumination.  When I got to the storefront, I looked at the glass and noticed that they were really dim compared to my headlights, so when I got out of the car, I looked at them....and sure enough....they were dim enough to qualify as nightlight status would have been an improvement.

      So I ordered new lights from Amazon...

     After popping out the old light, I compared them... I went with "Yellow" ones this time.


I installed it.....


    It works, so I finished the installation, then did the same on the other side.   The Dumpster was here for 12 days, I blogged about it on a prior "Casa De Garabaldi"


   Installation completed on the front, then I switched to the rear of the car.  I decided to switch the Rear blinker/illuminating/brake lights 3157 bulbs with LEDS with the built in Resisters.  You have to put a resister in the circuit to simulate a load or the car will think the light is burned out and you get the "Fast blinky".   

Well I started the Installation process...

        It works, but with LED type lights, you have to check to see if they work, they are polarized..if you turn on the switch, and it don't work, unplug it..and flip it over, then it will work.   *Note*   Occasionally despite the resister, I still get the "Fast Blinky" occasionally.  Would I do this again...Meh...I already paid for it but when the lights fail and eventually they will, I will probably go back to the 3157.  nothing Ventured...Nothing Gained.


   Well I have this old shed in my backyard that I keep assorted lawn stuff, Christmas Decorations, ete,ete.  Well the door doesn't lock and I don't want my lawnmower "wandering off" or some of my Christmas Decorations go missing, ete, you get the picture  So I had to figure out a way to put a lock on it...


I went to "Ace Hardware" and bought a Hasp and an "Outside Lock",   You can see my first attempt below it it, I had inadvertently flipped the hasp the first time....*opps*


      This is the back of the door, I wanted to make it hard to rip the hasp off.  Sure they could do it, but I wanted to make it "more difficult"

   Now where the loop would go was a bit more difficult due to the design of the door and the doorframe.

    

      I could only get two bolts and washers on the bracings...but if you look behind it...


  I was able to secure all 4 of the bolts...  So it is complete.  It won't deter a determined person, but to a casual thief..it will slow them down.

    


   We had Easter and I was preparing the meal and of course "Goofy" A.K.A D.O.G Pronounced "DEEYOOGEE" was looking pitiful and hoping for something to hit the floor...Well he was sure out of luck...I didn't drop anything and he was unable to "countersurf" anything....for a 13 year old dog, when it comes to people food, he will countersurf with the best of them.


       The day I was getting ready for work and I had the garage door cracked so "Goofy" can go outside and do his business and a bird flew into the house from the garage.  She flew into the Dining room and got hung up in the window/curtain.  Well I got her out through the French doors., That was my entertainment before I went to work


I was invited to a private event in Texas and due to situations beyond my control, I had to withdraw, I was annoyed.  I was looking forward to going,  oh well next year.  Well at the last minute, I was asked to run a cub scout BB shoot at camp, and I agreed to do so,  It has been a bit since I have done a Cub Scout BB shoot but I needed to "Go to my Happy Place" after having to back out of Texas.  So I went and set up



   I used Sawhorses, Pie Pans and 6 positions..

I was by myself and 6 is the max I will run because that is the most I believe that I safely control.  Others will do more...but that is me.


   The Kids had a good time, and surprisingly so did I.

   I also did some shooting with my  .22LR I have.

  I of course shot after the kids left.

   I then went to the "BlackBird Cafe" after the event, as is tradition.

    We had our first nice weekend, and I decided to wash cars...


The Focus got it first....


   Then the Spousal units Edge, Her's Was the dirtiest...Don't ask me why...


   Then I scrubbed "The Precious",   After washing the truck, I finished a project I had started at work...

    Its my Class III Hitch Cover, I had bought it 20 years ago, it had totally faded,  So I had taken some Aviation grade black paint, repainted the black on the Ford emblems, then got 3 grades of "Scotchbright" pads to repolish it.  It is a trick I learned to make brushed aluminum using the T7075 grade aluminum from work, I am pretty good at it. :)


    I was getting ready for work, got into the Focus and the car didn't crank..

 


.I got the "Battery Saver" on the Dash and I thought "Aw Crap"  Battery.  Never seen that before, but I surmised that was the problem.   So I took the truck to work, next morning I slapped a voltmeter on the Focus battery, and it was setting on 9 volts...not enough to crank the car.  dang...I shopped around for better price and the best price was at Sams Club for $129 for a Duracell.


   Whomever designed this had to be at the "I hate mechanics" stage of life, the battery was under the cowl and it was a pain to finagle out.  I had put a charger on the connections to keep my car settings, yeah it looked funny, but it worked.....so there :P

  I can't complain....I got 6 years on a factory battery....But the pain in the ass to change...Sheesh.

    And some humor for the Helicopter fans in the audience...LOL



Saturday, April 22, 2023

French Court Clear Airbus and Air France of Involuntary manslaughter Charges of AF 447

  I remembered studying this one on "Human Factors" classes with my employer,  The long flight over the Atlantic from Rio to CDG at night, one of the "Pitot tubes" got iced over, the pilot had suffered "Spatial Disorientation" and kept the joystick pulled back and climbed the plane, but didn't increase the engine speed, he was disorientated and didn't trust his instrumentation and basically stalled his plane and splatted it belly down into the Atlantic.  The Co-Pilot has the options to hit a button and transfer the stick control to him overiding the pilot, but he didn't do that.  I surmise the noise and alarms of "Stall Warnings"  rattled the Co-pilot and he didn't realize that the pilot had a deathgrip on the joystick and pulling it backwards.  Airbus logic works that the first one that inputs into the joysticks has control of the plane and the computer will ignore input from the other stick unless you hit "The Reset Button" on the glare shield and that transfers stick control to the other.  I felt bad for the crews and the passengers, but in my mind, the plane wasn't at fault.  I am not in a hurry to blame the pilots...I hate it when I hear the words "Pilot Error" because it is the "Catchall" for a plane crash or accident.  Find out exactly what caused the accident, get to the root cause identify it and keep it from happening again.  But in this case in my mind, the pilot actually messed up.

 

AF447
The tail fin of Air France Flight AF447 is recovered from the Atlantic Ocean after a fatal crash in June, 2009.
 
 

PARIS—A French court has cleared Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter charges relating to the crash of Air France flight AF447 on June 1, 2009, while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

The Air France Airbus A330-200 plunged into the Atlantic amid stormy weather around four hours after take-off, killing all 228 passengers and crew on board.

The verdict comes nearly 14 years after the accident, and six months after the start of the trial. Lawyers representing the families of some of the 228 victims on board had called for a trial for many years before they got their wish.

The Paris Court of Justice said April 17 that while errors had been made, “no certain link of causality” could be established.

Air France acknowledges today’s Paris Court of Justice acquittal decision,” the airline said April 17 after the verdict was announced. “Deeply saddened by this terrible accident, Air France will always remember the victims and wishes to express its heartfelt sympathy to their loved ones. The company also wishes to reaffirm its continued trust in all of its pilots and flight crews and reiterates that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority.”

Airbus said: “The Paris Criminal Court has ruled that all criminal charges against Airbus have been dismissed. This decision is consistent with the dismissal of the case by the judges in charge of the investigation in 2019. We would like to express our sympathy to those who lost a family member, a loved one, a colleague and everyone touched by this tragedy... Airbus reaffirms the full commitment of the company and all its employees to keep prioritizing a safety-first culture across the company and the aviation sector.”

In July 2012, following a two-year search for the aircraft’s flight recorders, an investigation by France’s Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA) concluded the flight crew had become disorientated and reacted incorrectly to faulty readings from the aircraft’s pitot tubes, which had become blocked by ice.

 

   Video Clip from the "Smithsonian Channel" off da Tube that explains what happened.

 

Friday, April 21, 2023

Aeroflot Sents an A330 to Iran for Heavy Maintenance Check.

 I wondered how the Russians were going to get around the sanctions imposed after the invasion and knowing the French, I am not surprised that they probably have a cosy relationship with Iran, it is something that they would do.  Call me a cynic, I do know that the Iranians do have a good aviation program so it would stand to reason that they would be able to help the Russians out especially since we are the "Great Satan" and are supplying the Ukrainians heavily.

Aeroflot A330

Russia’s largest airline Aeroflot has sent one of its Airbus A330-300 widebody airliners to Iran for technical maintenance for the first time. 

According to Flightradar24 tracking service, the aircraft with registration number RA-73700 made a technical flight to Tehran on April 5. 

Russia’s RBC online media reported that the aircraft would be served by the maintenance division of Iranian carrier Mahan Air at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. Aeroflot confirmed in a statement to the media that the provider would conduct a wide range of maintenance on its A330. “The organization has the necessary capacity, certificates and huge experience. The provider performs high-quality maintenance,” the carrier said.

The Iranian provider Mahan Air Engineering and Maintenance says it offers a wide range of component support services for Airbus A340/310/300/A320s as well as for BAe 146s, Boeing 747-300/400s, and Fokker 50 aircraft. 

This is likely the first known experience of a Russian airline servicing a Western-made aircraft in Iran. Aeroflot has previously sent its A330s for maintenance to Hong Kong-based HAECO, owned by the UK-headquartered Swire Group. However, Russian carriers were banned from access to the Western maintenance services and spare parts a year ago in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Aeroflot has its own MRO subsidiary—Aeroflot Technics—which was certified by the Russian authorities to maintain foreign-made airliners. It has already replaced nose and main gears on three A330s from the airline’s fleet this year. But it does not have capacity for a full range of services.

Aeroflot now possessess 12 A330-330s, which were leased in 2008-2012. The carrier bought eight of them back from the Irish lessors in May 2022. RA-73700 was not among them. The aircraft now has a dual registration as it still carries Bermuda registry number VQ-BNS which prevents it from flying outside Russia. 

But Iran evidently turns a blind eye on the dual registration issues as the country has lived under international sanctions, including those which affect commercial aviation, for decades. Moscow has expanded its relations with Tehran in many spheres since the start of the Russian-Ukraine war because it hasn’t joined the Western sanctions. The Iranian Mehr News Agency cited a spokesman of the country’s aviation authorities in June 2022 saying that the partners were in talks about the possibility to export parts and equipment manufactured in Iran to Russia and carry out repair and maintenance services of Russian aircraft by Iran’s repair centers.

Aeroflot operates 179 aircraft which also includes 22 Boeing 777s, 37 Boeing 737s, seven A350s, 100 A320/321ceos and neos and a single Russian-made Superjet 100.

Eight of Aeroflot’s A330s are currently in service, according to Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery. An additional A330 is listed as parked, and two other A330s are stored. RA-73700 is listed as parked/reserve; the aircraft is 11.53 years old.

 

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Poland transfers more fighters to the Ukraine.

 I have had several blogpost about transfers of Mig 29's to the Ukraine from the Eastern European Countries to bolster that country defense against the Russians.  The Polish are getting updated Western based fighters.  They and the other Eastern Europeans still recognize the threat that the Russians were being under the boot of The Soviets and communism for 45+ years unlike the Western Europeans that have grown soft and kiss the boots of the same Russians.

       I got this article from a 3rd party email from my work.

Credit: Tony Osborne/Aviation Week

The German government has approved a Polish request to hand over five Mikoyan MiG-29 “Fulcrum” fighters to Ukraine that had previously been operated by the German Air Force

Warsaw needed re-export approval from Berlin to allow it to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine. Poland is in the process of transferring its entire MiG-29 fleet to Ukraine, bolstering the war-ravaged country’s air force inventory. 

The Polish government made the request for re-export on April 13, with the German government responding the same day, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. “I welcome the fact that we in the federal government have reached this decision together … that shows you can rely on Germany.” 

Germany absorbed 24 MiG-29s into its air force from the inventory of the East German Air Force when the East and West unified at the end of the Cold War.  

In 2003—after more than a decade of service in the German Air Force including operational use in the quick reaction alert mission—the remaining 22 aircraft were purchased by Poland for a symbolic €1. 

According to the German defense ministry, included in the contract with Poland was an end-user clause which stipulated that the MiG 29s may not be passed on to third parties by Poland without the written consent of Germany. 

Poland and Slovakia are transferring their MiG-29s to Ukraine, to be backfilled by deliveries of Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50 Golden Eagles for Poland and Block 70-standard F-16C/Ds for Slovakia

 

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

The Exploded View of the Mauser 98K

 I saw this from "American Rifleman".  I owned several "Mauser action rifle, a 98K Riflemen Yugoslavia and an 03A3 from The United States.  Unfortunately both have been lost on kayak Accidents...Most regrettable *Sniff*Sniff*.  The Mauser action has defined bolt action rifle actions for over a century and we loved the rifle after facing it in the Spanish American War, it was far superior to the "Krag-Jorgensen" and "Trapdoor" Springfield we had, we don despite the Spaniards having a better rifle.  We quickly developed our own rifle the "M1903 Springfield".

Mauser K98k

Few rifles have influenced firearm design and military history as much as the Mauser 98. Adopted by the German army in 1898 to replace the 1888 “Commission” rifle, the Mauser Gewehr 98 and derivatives became among the most widely produced and distributed rifles of all time. The Model 98 still represents the benchmark in bolt-action design owing to its simplicity, strength and safety, and its basic format was the starting point for most significant commercial bolt-actions that followed.

The standard “large-ring” Model 98 mechanism locks up by way of two main, horizontally opposed, lugs at the bolt body’s front that engage mating recesses in the receiver ring. A third, smaller “safety” lug at the bolt’s rear protects the shooter in the event of a catastrophic failure. A large, non-rotating claw extractor and blade-style ejector impart the “controlled-round feed” of cartridges that soldiers and sportsmen have come to value because it all but guarantees proper functioning, even in the most adverse conditions. The extractor engages the rim of a cartridge as it rises upward from the magazine and maintains control as the cartridge is pushed into the chamber and, upon opening and withdrawing the bolt, as an unfired cartridge or empty case is extracted and ejected.

Lock time of the Model 98 was improved compared to previous Mauser designs, and Mauser incorporated additional safety features—large ports in the bolt body and a flanged bolt sleeve—to direct errant propellant gases away from the shooter in the event of a pierced primer or catastrophic case failure. A three-position safety at the rear of the cocking piece allowed the bolt to be locked or unlocked while on safe. The rifle-length Gewehr 98 remained the service rifle of the German Wehrmacht until 1935, when it was replaced by the shorter Karabiner 98k. Millions of Mauser 98-pattern rifles and derivatives have been produced since its introduction in the late 19th century, and it remains a popular military arm with collectors.

Today, commercial Model 98 actions are the basis for some of the world’s finest sporting rifles. 

Exploded View: Mauser K98k

click here for enlargement

Disassembly Instructions

Fig. 1To take down the Mauser, lift the handle of the bolt (8) and pull it back to ensure the chamber is empty. Close it, depressing the magazine follower (26), if necessary, and turn the safety catch (2) to the vertical position. Open the bolt again, and pull it back until it stops. Next, pull the forward edge of the bolt stop (12) out as far as it can go (Fig. 1) while withdrawing the bolt assembly from the rifle.

To remove the bolt sleeve and firing pin assembly (1-7), push the bolt sleeve stop (5) in as shown. When the stop pin is pushed in far enough, unscrew the cocking piece (1) from the bolt (Fig. 2), pressing the stop pin again as necessary to get it past the root of the bolt handle.

To remove the extractor (10), turn the extractor until its edge is opposite the ejector cut in the bolt face. Then, using a screwdriver, pry the front end of the extractor up and out of its groove in the bolt. Revolve it a bit farther until it is in-between the locking lugs. Tap the back end of the extractor on the bench edge as shown (Fig. 3). The extractor will snap free, exposing the extractor collar (9). Do not remove the extractor collar unless necessary.

Fig. 2, Fig. 3

To disassemble the rest of the bolt, first place the point of the firing pin against a soft block of wood to prevent it from getting damaged. Late-World War I Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98k rifles, as well as a few other variants, have a hole in the stock to facilitate this stage of disassembly. For compatible rifles, place the firing-pin end of the bolt into the disassembly hole. Next, grasp the bolt sleeve as shown and press down hard until the cocking piece is clear of the bolt sleeve (3). Turn the cocking piece one-quarter turn as shown and lift it off (Fig. 4). Ease up on the pressure and remove the bolt sleeve and firing pin spring (6). Perform this operation away from your face while wearing safety glasses, as the firing pin spring is under considerable compression.

This concludes the fieldstripping procedure for most Mauser 98-type rifle actions. Further disassembly is not required or recommended for basic maintenance. For those who wish to go further, the following steps will guide owners through complete disassembly.

Fig. 4, Fig. 5

Depress the magazine latch (38) with a blunt tool, such as the tip of a bullet, and press the floorplate (36) rearward to release it (Fig. 5) along with the magazine follower spring (35) and follower (26). Unscrew the rifle’s cleaning rod (42) and remove it from its channel on the underside of the stock. Depress the band spring (22) until its detent clears the corresponding hole on the front band (21). Slide the front band toward the muzzle until it clears the stock. Remove the band spring and slide the rear band (23) off. Remove the handguard (20).

Using a flat, hollow-ground screwdriver, loosen and remove the capture screws (33) at the front and rear of the magazine and trigger guard (32), if they exist. Remove the front and rear guard screws (34, 39), and pull the magazine and trigger guard from the stock. You can now remove the barreled action from the stock. Removal of the buttplate (40) is not recommended unless absolutely necessary, as continual removal and re-insertion of the buttplate screws can damage their respective holes within the stock. Reassembly is accomplished in the reverse order.

Monday, April 17, 2023

Monday Music "Wheres The Fire" By Tim Feehan

  I am continuing my "What songs would I play if Sirius/XM let me host a segment for an hour and these are the songs that I could play over and over again 3 or 4 times before continuing to the next song

I was stationed in Germany when this movie came out and we picked up the VHS up at the local German store that rented movies including movies to us G.I's and we rented it.  Well the movie was "ok, but the sound track was pure "80's", and for some reason the title song really resonated with me.  there was a clip on the song that stated "I' don't know where I'm going...as long as I'm going fast" I adopted that song as my theme song while I was in Germany  it is a hard song to find.


In 1986, Feehan entered a songwriting contest sponsored by producer David Foster (Celine Dion, Whitney Houston) taking first place and signed with Scotti Bros/CBS in Los Angeles where he relocated later that year. The self-titled debut album Tim Feehan was released in 1987 and gained five A.R.I.A. (Alberta Recording Industry Association) awards including "Best Pop Performance" and "Producer of the Year". The first single "Where's the Fire" was chosen as the theme song for the Charlie Sheen motion picture and cult favorite The Wraith. In 1987, Tim also won the Canadian Academy of Arts & Sciences Juno Award for "Most Promising Male Vocalist"

 

The Wraith (released in the Philippines as Black Moon Rising: Part-2) is a 1986 independently made American action-fantasy film, produced by John Kemeny, written and directed by Mike Marvin, and starring Charlie Sheen, Sherilyn Fenn, Nick Cassavetes, and Randy Quaid. The film was theatrically released November 21, 1986 on just 88 screens in the United States by New Century Vista Film Company (later New Century Entertainment Corporation). 

 

The Wraith tells the story of an Arizona teen who mysteriously returns from the dead as a supernatural, or possibly alien-created, street-racer driving an invulnerable supercar. His intent is to take revenge on the gang who murdered him.

 


 

It don't take a lot to keep me moving  It's gonna take a lot to make me stop I'm racing to a fire alarm Should slow down but I just can't stop Move over if you see me coming I've got the fighter's touch I feel the heat inside me It's not enough but it's a little too much There's something out there i can hear it calling I wanna hold it but I'm moving too fast Where's the fire? Everybody's always asking me Where is it, baby? Doesn't anybody know? Where's the fire? It's burning up inside of me Where is it, baby? Open up the door and let me go I got a method to this madness I learned it on the street There's someone right behind you He's grabbing at your feet I've got no time for talking I've got no time to kill Some say I'm going nowhere But it's better than standing still There's something out there i can feel it baby It's getting closer but I'm moving away Where's the fire? Everybody's always asking me Where is it, baby? Doesn't anybody know? Where's the fire? It's burning up inside of me Where is it, baby? Open up the door and watch me go It don't take a lot to keep me moving It's gonna take a lot to make me stop I feel the heat inside me Should slow down but i just can't stop There's something out there i can hear it calling I wanna hold it but I'm moving too fast Where's the fire? Everybody's always asking me Where is it, baby? Doesn't anybody know? Wheres the fire? It's burning up inside of me Where is it, baby? Doesn't anybody know? Where's the fire? Everybody's always asking me Where is it, baby? Doesn't anybody know? Where's the fire? It's burning up inside of me Where is it, baby? Open up the door and let me go

     I snagged the lyrics off "DuckDuckgo"

 

Friday, April 14, 2023

Gov.t Study Finds "No Evidence" Face Mask Protected People from Covid-19

 I saw this and clipped it,  I already knew this.  It even said it on the box of facemask I got from work.  But the "Army of Covid-Karens" were the Harpies of the Pandemic and the Mask was the symbol of virtuousness during the pandemic.  I had total disdain for the mask, I absolutely refused to wear the mask unless I had to.

 

Govt Study Finds No Evidence Face Masks Protected People against COVID

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has found “no evidence” which proves medical-grade face masks protected vulnerable people from COVID-19, according to a new study.

The study investigated if masks such as N95, KN95, and FFP2 helped prevent vulnerable people from contracting the virus.

“The review did not identify any studies for inclusion, and so could provide no evidence to answer the research question,” the authors concluded.

“No studies matching the inclusion criteria were found, so no evidence could be presented,” they adding, admitting the study conclusively proved face masks don’t work against COVID.

So after years of being forced to wear face masks and being unable to breathe at times barely, was this all for nothing?

Professor of evidence-based medicine at the University of Oxford, Prof Carl Heneghan, said there were virtually no high-quality trials that showed face mask worked.

“I do not understand why there’s been a lack of will to do high-quality trials in this area,” he told the Telegraph.

“We have completely failed to address this issue, and I actually consider that to be an issue that the [Covid] inquiry needs to look at.”

“If there’s another pandemic around the corner, we still haven’t addressed any of these issues. We’ve not learned anything,” Prof Heneghan added.

In the absence of any conclusive evidence that face masks worked, the media and the government worked overtime in the early days of the pandemic to convince people of their effectiveness.

The government propaganda was so finely tuned it resulted in an army of Karens policing people into submission.

Those who dared to question the effectiveness of face masks were called anti-vaxxers, far-right neo-nazis, vilified across social media, and sometimes attacked physically public.

The UK government later admitted that face masks were a symbolic tool to remind people they were in a pandemic.

It did its job at the expense of the economy, common sense, and human sanity.

Even as far back as 2020, the publication of the ‘Danmask-19 trial’ was conducted in Denmark to determine if maks worked.

The study found statistical evidence which suggested maks do not prevent the contraction of Covid-19.

As The Spectator reported at the time:

But overall, there is a troubling lack of robust evidence on face masks and Covid-19. There have only been three community trials during the current pandemic comparing the use of masks with various alternatives – one in Guinea-Bissau, one in India and this latest trial in Denmark. The low number of studies into the effect different interventions have on the spread of Covid-19 – a subject of global importance – suggests there is a total lack of interest from governments in pursuing evidence-based medicine. And this starkly contrasts with the huge sums they have spent on ‘boutique relations’ consultants advising the government.

READ: Unattractive People MORE Likely to Continue Wearing Face Masks without Mandates, Study Says

 

 

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Tempting Armageddon with Russia.

 I saw this and it got me thinking,especially how much the Donks and the Xiden White House are "all In" for a confrontation with Russia and ignoring China.  They have been using the Ukraine as a slush fund to launder money for years and letting the rest of the world "go to Pot" as they used to say, the policies of this administration will have long term ramifications for this country for generations to come from loss of prestige, the loss of the petrodollar, the Dollar as no longer the reserve currency of choice of the world and China pushing the Yuan as a replacement, and the feckless spending from D.C, it is like they are really trying to crash this country.   

       This email from was a 3rd party source in my work email.

u.s. president joe biden

Russian threats of nuclear use have grown increasingly serious as Ukrainian forces, buttressed by Western support, have pressed forward against the Russian front lines in Ukraine. In his Feb. 21 address to the Russian Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin explicitly claimed “an existential threat,” citing U.S. officials’ talk of seeking Russia’s strategic defeat. Putin also suspended participation in the New START arms control treaty and directed the military to prepare to resume nuclear testing, asserting that Washington was doing the same. This may reveal his next move.

Along its present course, the Ukraine conflict likely will culminate in a U.S.-Russia standoff more serious than the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Washington contends that Putin’s nuclear threats ring hollow and that U.S. counterthreats are a sufficient deterrent. This is a grave miscalculation. Washington misconstrues Moscow’s perspective in several ways that obscure the risk of nuclear use.

First, Moscow sees the current conflict as a strategic showdown with the West that has profound implications for Russia’s global sway. Washington sees this as well, but contends that Moscow is caught in a corner without practicable exit options. This is wrong.

Second, as Moscow sees it, the advance of NATO-enabled Ukrainian forces presages the advance of NATO itself. For 30 years, Moscow has called the eastward expansion of NATO a critical security concern. For just as long, NATO leaders have denied it. What matters, however, is whether Moscow is sincere in fearing the leverage that NATO might gain by sitting forces on Russia’s long border with Ukraine.

Third, many Western observers suggest that Moscow will not risk the U.S. retaliation that a resort to nuclear weapons would bring—as though Moscow has no option for counterretaliation. Putin reasonably might wonder: Is Washington ready to sacrifice Boston for, say, the Ukrainian 92nd Mechanized Brigade? For that matter, how much risk are the NATO allies willing to assume? Their commitment to “staying the course” in Ukraine is the target of Putin’s threats.

The outcome of the Ukraine war will profoundly affect Russia’s stature and influence as a global power. It also will affect the nation’s internal stability. The conflict asks: Can Russia win even a local war against an adversary supported by the West? Does Russia’s massive nuclear arsenal count for much in the contest of powers? In this light, the conflict should count at minimum as a “near-existential” crisis for Moscow—“check,” if not quite “checkmate.”

Facing conventional defeat, Moscow would have a variety of nuclear options. The least likely of these is garnering the most attention in the West: an attack on Ukrainian forces using so-called “tactical” nuclear systems. Such weapons would not be effective enough to blunt a major Ukrainian offensive unless used in numbers that would also put Russian troops and areas at risk. Moreover, such action would earn global reprobation and invite direct U.S. intervention—Washington has pledged as much. Putin still has other, more likely options.

In the case of a decisive Ukrainian drive on the Russian border or Crimea, Moscow could signal dramatic escalation by putting its strategic nuclear forces on high alert and deploying some tactical nuclear units in an ostentatious fashion. The aim would be to break the Western consensus for war and prompt a cease-fire and negotiations. An additional step, although unlikely, would be a nuclear “warning blast” over or under Russian territory. Warning shots are entirely consonant with Russian nuclear doctrine. An underground test of a strategic weapon in violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty would suffice, and it would accord with Putin’s recent statement. This would be an attempt at extended deterrence by intimidation, which also would involve any obvious increases in nuclear force readiness.

In the case of a marked rise in Russian nuclear activity, Washington would necessarily raise the alert level of U.S. nuclear forces. The result would be a confrontation more dangerous than the 1962 Cuban missile standoff—more dangerous due to the context of the Russia-Ukraine war.

An early, deadly use of nuclear weapons remains very unlikely. Realistically, it is crisis instability that poses the greatest danger of nuclear cataclysm. Any situation that prompts a bilateral resort to peak levels of nuclear readiness—a hair-trigger standoff—greatly increases the likelihood of accidental or mistaken nuclear use.

The experience of the Cuban missile crisis remains relevant to managing the current confrontation wisely. Reflecting on the crisis, McGeorge Bundy, who was President John F. Kennedy’s national security advisor during it, estimated that the crisis had involved a rather modest one-in-100 risk of nuclear war. Nonetheless, Bundy observed: “In this apocalyptic matter, the risk can be very small indeed and still much too large for comfort.” Foremost in Washington’s planning about the Ukraine conflict should be Bundy’s observation that even a very limited nuclear exchange “would be a disaster beyond history.” 

Carl Conetta is a researcher at the Project on Defense Alternatives and author of “Tempting Armageddon: The Likelihood of Russian Nuclear Use Is Misconstrued in Western Policy.

 

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Guns of the Soviet Partisans in WWII

 This was a very good article and I with glee clipped it from "American Rifleman".  I have handled several of the weapons mentioned in this article and used to own a couple until that durn kayak accident *sniff*sniff*.    I do have a question, and this is a hypothetical question..."How Hard is it to make a PaPasha in 9mm?   They say that one can make a "Sten Gun" easily, but it is prone to failure from what I have heard and read.  This question is a hypothetical question made for entertainment value only.

Soviet Partisans Flag
Partisan bands had a rag-tag appearance at best. Note the SVT-40 (l.) semi-automatic rifle.
Author's collection

Germany’s conflict with the Soviet Union represented a level of brutality not seen in the other areas of Europe during World War II. Of all the German casualties suffered during the Second World War, nearly 65 percent came in the fight against Russia. Combat on the Eastern Front proved to be an unrelenting meat grinder of men and machines.

Just like every invader before them, the Germans found themselves swallowed up by the vastness of the Russian landscape. With every meter the Wehrmacht advanced, their supply lines seemed to grow exponentially longer. The Soviet partisan groups gained strength and efficiency; meanwhile, the Germans struggled to maintain security in their occupied territory.

Soviet partisans with a DP-27 LMG and the ubiquitous PPSh-41 SMG. Author's collectionSoviet partisans with a DP-27 LMG and the ubiquitous PPSh-41 SMG. Author's collection

Planned Partisan Resistance
Although the Soviets never expected to suffer such losses in men, equipment and territory during the German invasion of June 1941, there were still plans in place to combat the Nazi advance with irregular groups of resistance fighters in the remote areas behind German lines. The partisan bands that formed in the early days of the invasion gathered their initial supply of small arms from the edges of the massive battlefields and from the Red Army stragglers who appeared in small groups. 

In the early days of the partisan war, most Soviet units used small arms typically found in Red Army service during 1941. Automatic guns were in short supply, and ammunition was always quite limited.

The People's War: The very old and the very young served in the Soviet resistance; many carried the M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle. NARA

On some occasions, the larger partisan groups were headed by Soviet army officers. These units gained access to hidden firearms, ammunition and equipment that the Red Army had left behind. The 11th Kalinin Partisan Brigade is even said to have had several tanks that had been hidden in the forests east of the Latvian border. Heavy weapons could rarely be kept in action for long, though, as the partisans lacked fuel, spare parts and ammunition. Traditional Russian frugality meant that the partisans would dig up Soviet mines and re-use them in their intended role or strip out the explosives for other demolitions. Dud artillery rounds were also recovered and used for improvised mines.

In the first phase of the war in Russia, many of the partisan groups were simply fighting for their own survival. Almost 40 percent of the Soviet population lived in territory occupied by the Germans and, in many of these areas, the Soviet commissars had abused the local populations so badly that the people greeted the Germans as “liberators.” The German high command never understood or appreciated this early advantage. A 1956 U.S. Army study titled “The Soviet Partisan Movement 1941-1944” remarked:

… poor treatment of the Russian civilian population by German political leaders created resistance instead of maintaining and exploiting the advantage of the initial confidence displayed by many elements of the population.

Even so, during 1941-42, the eastern European population was generally unsympathetic to the Soviet partisan cause. The situation grew worse when partisans attempted to deprive locals of their limited food supplies.

German Brutality Drives Partisan Support
The Germans did not consider the Soviet partisan groups to be “military units.” Consequently, they were defined as “bandits” or “terrorists,” and no quarter was given to partisans or anyone believed to be helping them. This was an important turning point in the war in Russia. Hitler’s attitude towards the partisans, and most people in Eastern Europe, is summarized in this passage from “Primordial Violence: German War on Soviet Partisans” by Maj. Gus Costas, USMC (Ret.): “Hitler’s personal enmity and hatred were apparent when he declared that the anti-partisan effort was simply an opportunity ‘to eliminate anything that opposes us,’ and to ‘shoot dead anyone who even looks at us askance.’”

Captured firearms played an important role. Shown here, a German MG34 supports a partisan attack. The man alongside has a Mosin-Nagant Model 38 carbine. Author's collectionCaptured firearms played an important role. Shown here, a German MG34 supports a partisan attack. The man alongside has a Mosin-Nagant Model 38 carbine. Author's collection

Strength & Experience
The territory behind German lines represented a massive landmass, so the Soviets sought to create as great a disturbance as possible in the Nazi rear areas. In “The Soviet Partisan Movement 1941-1944” (DA-PAM 20-244, August 1956), Soviet “by-hook-or-by-crook” methods of recruiting members for partisan bands as war went on are described:

Manpower for the bands continued to be drawn from a variety of sources. Escaped prisoners of war still drifted into the partisan ranks, while German occupation policies caused many civilians to volunteer. But by and large, as the movement expanded, the larger proportion of the personnel was drafted from the native populace, forcibly when necessary. 

The Cen­tral Staff constantly advised the lower echelons to foster the best possible relations with the natives as a means of facilitating such recruiting. In some areas recruits were taken systematically by age groups, and at times even women were drafted.

Special attention was paid to recruiting members of the “Komsomolsk,” the communist youth organization. These young Bolsheviks were highly desirable as combat men or political activists because of their fanaticism.

In partisan-dominated areas recruits were put through a training course. Generally, they spent several weeks on probation to prevent escape or defection of those forcibly drafted and to give attached NKVD (precursor to the KGB) agents an opportunity to check their backgrounds against the possibility of infiltration of agents in German pay. Through informants within the units the commissars also kept a constant check on all personnel. Desertions of individual partisans were reported to the Central Staff, and their families, if they could be reached, were sent to labor camps in Siberia. If a defector was apprehended, the NKVD both passed and executed sentence. In a number of cases, the NKVD terrorized Ger­man collaborators into double-dealing by forcing them under threat of death to sign oaths of loyalty to the Soviet regime and then threatening to have the oath delivered to the occupation authorities should the in­dividual fail to cooperate with the partisans.

This partisan group appears to be made up of a more uniform Red Army unit. Note the Czech ZB26 LMGs (7.92x57 mm). NARAThis partisan group appears to be made up of a more uniform Red Army unit. Note the Czech ZB26 LMGs (7.92x57 mm). NARA

The Red Air Force
In 1962, the US Air Force Research Studies Historical Institute produced “Airpower and Russian Partisan Warfare” written by General der Flieger D. Karl Drum. General Drum had first-hand knowledge of the Soviets’ efforts to supply partisan bands by air. He describes the effectiveness of the Red Air Force in this role: 

Without the regular system of air transport established by the Red Air Force, the Soviet partisan bands could not have been organized, maintained, and controlled to any effective degree. 

The Germans, of course, became increasingly aware of the vital role of airpower in partisan operations. The German Air Force could not spare the necessary aircraft, nor did it possess on the Eastern Front sufficient warning and communications equipment to make its efforts effective. 

Without air transport, it would have been impossible for the Russians to supply the partisans with weapons and ammunition. Air lifting these items over the battle front was the primary mission of the air transport supply system. 

Communications was another critical component in the partisans’ success. General Drum continues: 

Along with the messenger service, radio equipment was indispensable for transmitting partisan intelligence information and orders both for intra-partisan liaison and with communication with the Central Command in Moscow. 

Electric power plants (for radios), batteries, receiving and sending equipment, and spare parts, could only be supplied in quantity from the Zone of the Interior by airlift. Often, specially trained radio operators were airlifted or parachuted into the partisan areas. 

Likely another Red Army-partisan group operating behind the lines, equipped with M1891 rifles, PPSh-41 SMGs and a DP-27 LMG. Author's collection
Likely another Red Army-partisan group operating behind the lines, equipped with M1891 rifles, PPSh-41 SMGs and a DP-27 LMG. Author's collection

Partisan Targets
Beginning in 1943, there was far more coordination in the partisans’ efforts and more strategic direction in their attacks. The Soviet Central Staff issued a directive that designated the priority of partisan targets. Primary targets were rail lines and rolling stock, as well as road bridges and German transport vehicles. Additional targets were German communication lines and supply depots. It is important to note that Soviet partisans were directed to take aggressive action in force against German units only when the resistance groups had significant superiority in numbers. The partisans rarely had enough ammunition to remain competitive in an extended firefight.

The U.S. Army study titled “Rear Area Security in Russia: The Soviet Second Front behind the German Lines” (Department of the Army Pamphlet 20-240), described the progression of the armament of their supply troops as the war in the East progressed:

At the beginning of the Russian campaign the crews of Germans supply trucks had small arms, but no machine guns. Later on, after truck convoys had been helplessly exposed to surprise fire and partisan raids, they were issued machine guns which were mounted on the platform of one-half to one-ton trucks. At a still later stage of the campaign the trucks were lightly reinforced with armor plates. Shortage of personnel, however, precluded the use of special machine gun crews and placed an additional burden on the supply troops. On every trip the relief driver had to sit behind the machine gun, ready to fire, while the rest of the convoy personnel was constantly on the alert against surprise attacks. Soldiers returning from furlough were sometimes collected at security strong points along the roads and employed as escort personnel for supply convoys moving up to the front.

Resistance units sprang up in the country, in the towns and in the factories. Here, a man on the left carries a single-shot, .22-cal. TOZ-8 Cadet Rifle. NARA
Resistance units sprang up in the country, in the towns and in the factories. Here, a man on the right carries a single-shot, .22-cal. TOZ-8 Cadet Rifle. NARA

Arms Of The Partisans
While many photographs show Soviet partisans using captured German small arms (particularly the MP40), these images were often staged propaganda tools created at the direction of the Soviet Central Staff. The use of captured guns stressed the partisans’ logistics, demanding the stockpiling of enemy ammunition and spare parts. After 1942, the expanding size of the partisan groups ultimately required the use of Soviet-made small arms. Even so, captured arms like the MP40, the MG34, the Karabiner 98k rifle, and any type of German pistol were used to supplement partisan firepower.

The German MP 40 9 mm SMG was a popular firearm in any resistance group in Europe. Author's collection
The German MP40 9 mm SMG was a popular firearm in any resistance group in Europe. Author's collection

PPSh-41
Like most resistance formations, Soviet partisans made extensive use of submachine guns (SMGs). Luckily for the Russians, they were armed with the PPSh-41 (7.62x25 mm Tokarev), easily one of the finest SMGs of the war. The fast-firing PPSh cycled at nearly 1,000 rounds per minute, providing the partisans with a distinct firepower advantage in close-range firefights. The PPSh-41, called “Papasha,” by fighters, used either a 71-round drum or a 35-round box magazine. Simple and sturdy, it became an icon of Soviet resistance in World War  II.

The partisan's best friend, the PPSh-41 SMG equipped with a 71-round drum magazine. The simple PPSh offered tremendous short-range firepower. Springfield ArmoryThe partisan's best friend, the PPSh-41 SMG equipped with a 71-round drum magazine. The simple PPSh offered tremendous short-range firepower. Springfield Armory

Mosin-Nagant Rifles
The venerable Mosin-Nagant M1891 (7.62x54 mm R) gave Soviet partisans a simple, reliable and accurate rifle for the light infantry makeup of their groups. One of the classic military bolt-action rifles, the M1891 served from before World War I, through both world wars, and even into the early years of the Cold War. From 1942, greater numbers of M91/30 sniper rifles became available, and Soviet marksmen used them to great effect. Equipped with a 3.5X PU scope, the M1891 was accurate out to nearly 900 yards, just right for a partisan sniper with his sights set on a German officer, truck driver or locomotive conductor.

Total war on the Eastern Front knew no age limit. Shown here, a youthful partisan sights his M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle. NARATotal war on the Eastern Front knew no age limit. Shown here, a youthful partisan sights his M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle. NARA

The Degtyaryov DP-27
The gas-operated DP-27 (7.62x54 mm R) gave partisan groups an effective base of mobile firepower. With just about 80 parts, the DP light machine gun (LMG) was simple enough for quickly trained partisan gunners. The DP-27 weighed 25 lbs. loaded, featured a folding bipod and a built-in flash hider. Rugged and practical, the DP-27 offered a manageable cyclic rate at 550 rounds per minute and was considered highly reliable—earning the nickname “Record Player” for its unique 47-round pan-shaped magazine.

There's plenty of firepower in this guerrilla band, with DP-27 and ZB26 LMGs to support the rifles and SMGs. Author's collection
There's plenty of firepower in this guerrilla band, with DP-27 and ZB26 LMGs to support the rifles and SMGs. Author's collection

The PTRD-41 Anti-Tank Rifle
During World War II, the Red Army made significant use of a firearm that was considered “obsolete” by the Western Allies—the anti-tank (AT) rifle. Despite Western misunderstanding, the Soviet 14.5 mm PTRD-41 (single shot) and PTRS-41 (semi-automatic) rifles proved to be effective throughout the war when used against the side/rear armor of German medium tanks, assault guns and all lightly armored vehicles. The PTRD-41 was 79 ½” long, weighed 38 lbs., and its 14.5x114 mm rounds could penetrate up to 40 mm of armor at 100 meters. It is important to note that an experienced AT rifleman could hit the most sensitive points on an enemy vehicle and often achieve a “mobility kill.” Once immobilized, the armored vehicle was often assaulted with satchel charges and Molotov cocktails. While Soviet partisans avoided encounters with German armor whenever possible, the 14.5 mm AT rifles were excellent long-range sniping arms against some of their most lucrative targets—German supply trucks and railroad transports. Also, in many areas under partisan control, the German second-line troops used lesser armored vehicles (often French tanks captured in 1940) that were more vulnerable to anti-tank rifle fire.

The Soviet PTRD-41 14.5 mm anti-tank rifle gave Soviet partisans a measure of anti-tank capability, along with powerful sniping and long-range bunker-busting ability. NARA
The Soviet PTRD-41 14.5 mm anti-tank rifle gave Soviet partisans a measure of anti-tank capability, along with powerful sniping and long-range bunker-busting ability. NARA

Mines & Explosives
The pamphlet “Rear Area Security in Russia” describes the Soviet partisans deadly use of mines and explosives:

Daily interruptions of traffic were caused by rail demolitions for which the Russians used various types of mines. Pressure and vibration-type mines were placed in the track, to be detonated by the locomotives. To destroy particularly valuable supplies, such as gasoline in tank cars, the partisans used mines with pull-type fuses which were set off by remote control. Retreating Russian forces often buried mines with long-delay fuses, under the tracks where they might blow up as much as three months later. Mines with simple delay-type fuses were also employed to avoid hitting the protective cars ahead of the locomotive. In order to escape the mine detectors, nearly all of these mines were placed in wooden containers, and their construction was of the most primitive type; some of them consisted of no more than a small package of explosives with a safety fuse. Occasionally, even magnetic mines were used. They served as means of sabotage in workshops and on standing trains and were mostly equipped with delay-type fuses.

Ultimately, using what firearms and supplies they could scrounge, the Soviet partisans played a vital role in hampering the German war machine until the Red Army could begin turning the tide on the Eastern Front. Today, most of the credit is given to the Red Army for Russia’s victory in the so-called Great Patriotic War, but the partisans did their job, too, often without the support or direction given to regular army troops.

From a German wartime painting by G. Vorhauer, in the US Army Artwork Collection, the perfect environment for ambushes: Germany’s supply lines in Russia were long, lonely and difficult to defend. NARA
From a German wartime painting by G. Vorhauer, in the US Army Artwork Collection, the perfect environment for ambushes: Germany’s supply lines in Russia were long, lonely and difficult to defend. NARA