Long-Range!

This is coolbert:

"in Nam, the majority of firefights occurred at a range of twenty meters or less!" - - Bert.

Here thanks to the Small Wars Journal, American and NATO infantry, engaging an insurgent enemy in Afghan, confronted by a situation that is the opposite of what was encountered by the American soldier in Vietnam. Gun battles, rifleman against rifleman, mano-a-mano in many cases, gun fire at extreme long-range rather than the very close.

Gun battles - - firefights, occurring at distances over which the ordinary combat infantryman is neither trained or equipped to deal with.

* "52% of the fights in Afghanistan begin at 500 meters and go out from there."

* "a majority of the fights in Helmand Province are between 500 and 900 meters."

Ranges and a situation, counter-insurgency in the "tribal" environment - - for which automatic and heavy weapons fire is proscribed, prohibited!

"Because we are fighting a counterinsurgency campaign against a tribal warrior society we have and increasingly continued to limit the use of supporting arms."

[the tribal warrior of the Pashtun society. As encountered by the British on many occasions!]

The rifleman is the man of the hour. And again - - not having the training or the equipment for the most part. Combat as fought in the open and barren terrain of Afghan requires and mandates skilled shootists to deal with a wary and very skilled enemy!

"The result is that we must rely more and more on our riflemen to engage and defeat the enemy."

The American or NATO infantryman, the common soldier equipped with a standard infantry weapon of .223 caliber, the M-16 or SA-80 rifle, NOT capable of careful aimed and accurate shooting over long ranges at a distinct disadvantage here. NOR firing a round that has adequate "stopping power" for distant targets.

Comments:

* Rifles of larger caliber are needed for accurate shooting at such extreme long distances, in excess of 500 meters! Rifles firing the 7.62 mm NATO round and such. Rifles of the type M-14 and FN FAL! Rifles of the caliber as advocated by Appleseed! EVEN THE OLD-FASHIONED BRITISH SMLE RIFLE IS PREFERABLE IN SUCH A SITUATION!

* The extent of this problem has been recognized and been addressed to some extent by the American military? I am thinking of the Designated Marksman [DM] program and the adoption by the U.S. Marines of the Designated Marksman Rifle [DMR]!

* The American military has had to buy back from foreign nations M-14 rifles to equip those troops trained as part of the DM program!

* A possible alternative here is to use Dragunov sniper rifles as captured in Iraq? The Dragunov fires the same round [7.62 X 54R] as the PKM. U.S. units standardizing on Soviet weaponry?

There is no easy fix to this problem. There has to be an entire "sea-change" here! Ever since the era of World War One and subsequent to, the machine gun has been the primary weapon of the infantry squad, riflemen firing merely in the "supporting role" relying upon VOLUME OF FIRE.

That is not the case now!

coolbert.

Hall.

This is coolbert:

"During the war, the Brenner Pass was of vital importance to the Axis powers as a supply route to the Mediterranean."

Here from the files of the CIA, thanks to the tip from Jungle Trader, the Second World War [WW2] heroics of an OSS officer, Roderick Stephen Hall.

[OSS of course the forerunner to the CIA! ]

"Remembering OSS’ Heroes: Roderick Stephen Hall and the Brenner Pass Assignment"

An officer of the OSS, most famous for a sabotage mission during WW2, Hall a man most suited for the mission.

A mission in the Italian Alps. Those alps - - the mountainous terrain and the climate historically of themselves posing a more serious threat and danger to a military force than the enemy.

A mission by Hall, the object was to interdict the German supply route through the Brenner Pass. That arterial highway connecting northern Italy with southern Germany.

Hall, a man possessing that absolutely correct combination of "skill sets" that made him perhaps uniquely qualified for the mission.

Hall combining that proper combination of:

* Military skills - - "military demolitions, mapping, reconnaissance, communications".

* A man with a high degree of intellect.

* Young, physically fit, unmarried, an "Expert rifle and pistol shot"

* Accustomed "to living in the open under all conditions".

* Adept at winter sports, mountaineering, etc.

* "Familiar with the Val Ampezzo" and the surrounding countryside. Had actually traveled, hiked, and climbed the Italian Alps - - the vicinity of the Brenner Pass.

Hall envisioned the mission as a one-man enterprise. Himself being dropped by parachute with supplies and explosives - - leave the rest to him. Sabotage to the greatest extent possible bridges, roads, tunnels, etc, vicinity of the Brenner Pass, making the life of the German as miserable as possible.

The go-it-alone approach as advocated by Hall not transpiring. Hall leading a team of saboteurs in the Italian Alps, his mission having some success.

Hall as other before him finally succumbing in part due to the mountainous terrain and severe alpine climate - - that impossible to predict conditions of cold, snow, wind, blizzard-white-out, etc. Captured by the German, finally either executed or a feigned suicide.

"Tired, frostbitten, and hungry, he was caught in a blizzard and collapsed in the snow in Campo, a suburb of Cortina". [Cortina has been the site of the Winter Olympics!!]

Again, historically - - winter warfare in the mountains of Italy and the Alps in particular being especially dangerous for all participants. Consider the case of the Dulcinian partisans - - the year is 1305!!

"The winter of 1305 was particularly cold and the pressure from the Catholic troops and the inhabitants of the valley was particularly effective so Margaret of Trento [Margharita di Trank] decided to lead another march through the mountains to escape the siege."

That combination of cold, hunger, severe deprivation causing more casualties than enemy action! What the enemy cannot do the mountains and the cold can!

coolbert.

Retreat!

This is coolbert:

"Free supplies and open retreat are two essentials to the safety of an army or a fleet" - - Rear Admiral [Alfred Thayer] Mahan"

I am glad that Admiral Mahan is thinking along the same lines as I have been!

From the Chicago Tribune yesterday more bad news regarding the main supply route [MSR] for the American military in Afghan:

"36 tankers for NATO torched in Pakistan"

"Afghan supply route stays shut after strike kills Pakistani troops"

"Karachi, Pakistan - - Suspected militants in Pakistan set fire to nearly three dozen tankers carrying fuel for NATO troops in Afghanistan on Friday, officials said, a day after three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a cross-border NATO air strike."

This "air strike" was a cross-border raid by MANNED HELICOPTERS AND NOT DRONES!! "Suspected" militants were the target but some Pakistani soldiers were killed instead!

The ire of the Pakistani is great over this. Drone strikes are OK, manned helicopters strikes are NOT!

These 36 fuel tankers had just fueled at the harbor in Karachi and were NOT EVEN EN ROUTE TO AFGHAN OR CLOSE TO THE BORDER AREA BETWEEN AFGHAN AND PAKISTAN - - NOT NEAR THE KHYBER PASS?

Ever since 2001 it has been my fear that U.S. and NATO forces could potentially find themselves in a situation - - untenable - - no retreat if required possible from the landlocked nation of Afghan, resupply becoming more or less impossible, the MSR severed!

"Free supplies and open retreat!"

Surrounded by unfriendly nations, where would the U.S. and NATO contingents go if the situation went from bad to worse? Fight their way out to where exactly?

Always keep in the back of your mind the British Christmas Day retreat from Kabul - - 1842!! 18,000 English troops and camp followers attempted a 90 mile march to the Khyber Pass - - ONLY ONE individual surviving!!

Worries and concerns about the Afghan MSR continue, and with good reason!

Post script: This attack against the tankers on Friday has been followed up by further "militant" violence directed against the Afghan MSR! Both on Saturday and today further "incidents" have occurred, with considerable damage in all cases. Three days in a row the MSR has been attacked! That cannot bode well.

coolbert.

MoH.

This is coolbert:

Here from the Chicago Tribune today info on the grumblings, the protests, the complaints - - the Medal of Honor [MoH], not being awarded as it has been in the same approximate numbers - - for acts of heroism as has been the case in previous wars.

"Pentagon pressured over few recent Medals of Honor"

"Some experts point to battlefield changes; other cite politics"

The highest award for heroism on the battlefield only having been awarded "eight Medal of Honor citations have been announced for actions in Iraq of Afghanistan." [in a ten year period now!]

Without question, the awarding of the MoH, the criteria, the back ground checks of potential recipients, has become much more exhaustive than in the past.

Even after being recommended - - criteria and background checks for potential recipients includes: [and is potentially not limited to]

* "disciplinary actions" [none allowed?]
* "messy divorces" [none allowed?]
* "questionable personal habits" [alcoholism?]
* "immigration violations" [no illegal aliens?]
* "other background issues" [?]

" 'stand-off' weapons such a drones, coupled with modern surveillance techniques, produces fewer 'individual combat actions' most likely to produce heroic actions"

I recall very well that during the Vietnam War, the criticism was THAT TOO MANY MoH WERE BEING REWARDED! DURING AN UNPOPULAR WAR THE TENDENCY WAS TO AWARD TOO MANY FOLKS FOR HEROIC ACTIONS!!

NO! The very nature of the combat in Nam produced situations, close-quarter combat [most fire fights in Nam occurred at a range of 20 meters or less], of a nature that required battlefield valor. Either you acted instantly with bravery or you died!

It is important to remember that the CRITERIA for awarding the MoH is CONSTANTLY CHANGING and has always done so. Prior to World War One [?] the MoH was the ONLY decoration for bravery on the battlefield that could be awarded. The DSC, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, did not exist.

The MoH should not be an object of politics. But politics is a component undeniably of the award process, in varying degrees, depending upon the war, the tenor of the times, the criteria, the protocols. Always has been and perhaps always will be to some degree!

coolbert.

Lippisch.

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From the history section of the wiki entry for Ground Effect Vehicles we find:

"By the 1960s, the technology started to improve, in large part due to the independent contributions of Rostislav Alexeev in the Soviet Union and German Alexander Lippisch, working in the United States."

"Alexander Lippisch, working in the United States."

Alexader Lippisch, one of the most significant aircraft designers of the Twentieth [20th] Century!

Lippisch aircraft designs of which were to include:

* Gliders.
* Tail-less aircraft.
* Rocket planes.
* Ground-effect vehicles [GEV].

"Alexander Martin Lippisch (November 2, 1894 – February 11, 1976) was a German pioneer of aerodynamics. He made important contributions to the understanding of flying wings, delta wings and the ground effect. His most famous design is the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket-powered interceptor."

"Like many German scientists, Lippisch was taken to the United States after the war under Operation Paperclip."

That number of German scientists, engineers, etc., brought to the U.S. in the aftermath of the Second World War is MUCH MORE extensive that what is normally realized. Lippisch included.

Here thanks to the web site Luft46 the entire catalog of Lippisch experimental designs from the World War Two era. Most if not all NOT coming to fruition. Too advanced for the period.

See here the entire range of gliders as originally designed by Lippisch.

See here the Me-163 rocket plane design of Lippisch. Very far advanced for the period. Too far advanced - - was NOT effective!

And finally, of course, post-war, experimentation, and interest in, and the design of, various ground-effect vehicles of ever increasing complexity and sophistication, the projects not venturing far beyond the prototype stage, regrettably!!

Gliders, tail-less aircraft, rocket planes, ground-effect vehicles, etc. Lippisch did it all.

coolbert.

Pinnacle Islands.

This is coolbert:

Those itty-bitty specks of rock [Senkaku & Diaoyu] that are currently a point of contention between Japan and China do have a history to them.

In English, called the Pinnacle Islands [eight of them].

NOT merely objects appearing above the water during certain tidal conditions. Pretty substantial island formations, NOT attractive to human settlement however.




These islands:

* Are not fit for human habitation? NO source of fresh water?

* Have never had even limited or periodic settlement of any kind?

* Were under the administration of the U.S. military during the occupation and military governance of Okinawa, from 1945 until 1972. Were seen by the U.S. as legitimately an extension of the Ryukyu Island chain.

* Both Japan [more modern times] and China [rather more older times] seem to have claims to the islands that are valid or at least debatable?

Of course, it is not the islands of themselves that are at stake here. Access to the surrounding seabed and the natural gas deposits that are alleged to exist underneath are the motivation for the duelling parties here.

And here with some long-winded and typical ambiguous pronouncements on the subject:

"The Basic View on the Sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands" [Japanese]

"Clinton urges dialogue to resolve China-Japan row" [American]

"We do believe that, because the Senkaku islands are under Japanese jurisdiction, that it is covered by the US-Japan security treaty. That said, we also stressed that we don't take a position on the sovereignty of the Senkaku islands." - - Clinton spokesman Philip Crowley

The U.S. recognizes Japanese jurisdiction, but not necessarily sovereignty! Typical diplomatic double-speak!

And too - - the U.S.-Japan security accord is mentioned. A veiled threat to the Chinese?

This problem is not intractable? Unless someone gets it into their head to establish a permanent presence on one of the islands, fly the flag, a military outpost, etc.! Then it can get rough! Conflicts and disagreements over disputed land have traditionally been a casus belli! A reason to go to war!

coolbert.

Senkaku & Diaoyu

This is coolbert:

"when China rules the world - - obey tremble-ing-ly!!" - - Bert.

Let me tell you about the story of Captain Zhan.

Thanks to the Asian Times:

"Asia's New Cold War"

A point-of-contention, a point-of-honor now, little "out-croppings" of rock sticking above the water, called "islands", disputed territory between Japan and China, now a potential source of conflict. Chinese fishing vessel captain held prisoner of the Japanese for over a month, released, the Chinese retaliating and making veiled threats with economic leverage!

"the captain [Zhan], 41 . . . returned from 18 days in detention in Japan after his trawler collided with Japanese Coast Guard boats patrolling waters near rocky isles claimed by both China and Japan. Called the Diaoyu Islands by the Chinese and the Senkaku by the Japanese, the tiny outcroppings in the East China Sea have been administered by Japan for decades, but China (and Taiwan) assert historic claims over them."

Most interestingly, the Chinese showing their displeasure, their anger, their fury, by restricting the continual flow [at least temporarily suspending] of rare earths vital to advanced manufacturing and fabrication of high technology items. The life-blood of Japan's export market put on hold [again, merely temporarily!].

"Beijing reacted with percussive fury, severing many diplomatic ties, slowing down Japanese cargo shipments and even briefly suspending exports of rare-earth minerals that Japan needs to manufacture everything from hybrid cars to superconductors."

Consider the world-wide demand and SOURCE for rare earths. Thanks to Steve the natural resource man for the tip:

"rare earth elements — the 17 chemical elements that include scandium, yttrium and the 15 lanthanides — are a crucial component in such things as high-tech electronic gadgets, hybrid automobiles, wind turbines and the catalysts used in oil refining. They also have a wide range of military applications."

"that nation [China] produces more than 97 percent of the world’s rare earth elements"

Repeat - - 97 %!

[rare earths are obtainable from other nations other than China. China has merely driven almost everyone else out of business by pricing their rare earths for export at such a low price!!]

And here is the whole problem in the proverbial nutshell:

"The Diaoyu/Senkaku islands may be uninhabited rocks, but they are thought to be surrounded by major underwater deposits of natural gas"

Thought! Thought! Thought! Disputed territory historically has been a source of friction between nations that leads to WAR!

coolbert.