Rheinmetall

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The right intention but in the wrong place?

"German military giant to build ammunition plant in Baltic state"

 https://www.rt.com/business |   https://tinyurl.com/4nvay4dk

"The facility will boost Lithuania’s defense sector, according to Rheinmetall"

PRODUCING 155 MM ARTILLERY ROUNDS?

"German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has struck an agreement with Lithuania’s government to build a new ammunition factory in the Baltic state, according to a statement the company released on Monday.

"Lithuania has touted the deal as another step towards strengthening its defense sector, adding that the project is of importance to the state."

LITHUANIA DOES HAVE A BATTALION PLUS UNIT OF GERMAN 155 MM HOWITZERS!

See these comments to the article:

* Alec Happy:

"Paint a Bulls Eye, not on the Plant but on that stupid pretend Nation of Losers. It is so small Russia could eat it, Burp and ask, Sir, May I have some more. I just shake my head at the hubris of idiot Politicians"

* Zorro The Fox:

"Nutty as a fruitcake. If the Germans want ammunition for themselves or others to attack Russia, the Baltic States are the last places to put a factory."

Not necessarily the same but close to my exact sentiments. Especially building an absolutely essential ammunition plant so close to the border with Russia. A more worse location could not have been chosen. What exactly is Rheinmetall thinking?

coolbert.

Marie-Agnes.

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General Rommel. You are needed. And fast too!

The Russian threatens. The German responds? All of a sudden, everyone chimes in.

1. "German Lawmaker Urges Activation Of 900,000 Reservists Over Russian Threat To Europe"

From https://www.zerohedge.com | BY TYLER DURDEN | JUN 05, 2024 |  https://tinyurl.com/2p8kynpr 

 "At a moment it is increasingly clear that there's no off-ramp for the Ukraine proxy war on the horizon in the foreseeable future, European governments have been ramping up their defense readiness amid fears of a future direct clash with Russia."

Reservists as created from an existing number of persons that have already some form military experience but are presently in the civilian sector.

2. "Germany must be ready for war – defense minister"

From https://www.rt.com/news | 6 Jun, 2024 | https://tinyurl.com/3yy5yemd

"This will require 'a new form of military service,' Boris Pistorius told lawmakers"

"Germany must prepare to wage war before the end of the decade, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has declared. However, the German military lacks basic equipment, and a parliamentary report suggests it won’t be war-ready for half a century."

See previous blog entries hardly totally inclusive German military un-readiness:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/01/g95a1.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/10/u-boats.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/12/u-boote.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/07/confidence.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/04/paper.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/12/puma-ifv.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/11/depletion.html

"you can't make bricks without straw: idiom UK saying - used to say that you cannot make something without the necessary materials"

AND YOU CANNOT MAKE WAR EITHER!

coolbert.

Barbarossa II.

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Barbarossa II. The German moves east!! But all for the better! The trip-wire permanently in place!

Tripwire: "A tripwire force . . . is a strategic approach in deterrence theory. The tripwire force is a military force smaller than that of a potential adversary, which is designed to signal the defending side's commitment to an armed response to future aggression without triggering a security spiral."

"German Troops Start First Major Foreign Deployment Since the Second World War"

From https://www.breitbart.com | BREITBART LONDON | Apr 2024.

"VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) – Lithuanian leaders hailed a 'historic event' as Germany on Monday began deploying troops in the Baltic country – a NATO member – marking the first time since World War II that German forces will be based outside the country on a long-term basis."

"About two dozen soldiers arrived in Lithuania, laying the groundwork for a further 150 to join them later this year. The deployment is expected to be up to its full strength of 5,000 by the end of 2027."

ULTIMATELY A BRIGADE SIZED UNIT I ASSUME THE TOTAL PACKAGE COMBAT ARMS  CAPABILITY AUGMENTED BY COMBAT SUPPORT AND COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT PERSONNEL!

General Rommel, wo sind Sie? Die NATO braucht Sie!

coolbert.

Blunder.

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Nearly had a disaster. That German warship Hessen now the Red Sea European combat mission almost engaging and "downing" an American surveillance/combat drone!

"German Warship Mistakes American Reaper For Houthi Drone, Shoots Missiles At It In Red Sea"

From Hindustan Times |  2/29.2024. The tip from Freeper.

"German frigate Hessen caused a blunder in the Red Sea as it led EU's anti-Houthi mission. The German warship opened fire at American MQ-9 Reaper drone as it spotted it flying in the area. The warship mistook it for being a Houthi drone, however, its missiles failed to reach the drone due to a reported 'technical defect.' RT News reported that the Reaper drone was flying in the area with its transponder shut' off."

Catastrophe averted. American led Prosperity Guardian deployment and the European analog not communicating with one another? Friendly fire not so always friendly fire.

coolbet.

Hessen (F221).

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German naval vessel the Red Sea successfully engages Hootie Tootie drones.

"Operation Aspides, led by Greece and Italy, is the latest EU counter-piracy initiative designed to protect commercial vessels navigating the south Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."

"German frigate deployed to Red Sea repels first Houthi attack"

From Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

"The German naval frigate Hessen, deployed to Red Sea as part of an EU naval mission to protect shipping, has repelled an attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen for the first time, according to DPA sources."

"The vessel successfully engaged two enemy targets Tuesday [27 February] night, sources said."

"This was the German navy's first live weapons engagement of the deployment, which began on Friday and is considered one of the German armed forces' most dangerous missions in decades."

Hessen not part of Operation Prosperity Guardian. Mission to secure the Red Sea for commercial traffic in this case an European commanded and approved naval deployment.

Gute Jagddeutsche. Gute Winde wehen in deinem Rücken.

coolbert.

Meyer.

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“No enemy bomber can reach the Ruhr. If one reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Goering. You may call me Meyer.”

Sorry old fellow. Not merely the Ruhr. Far east of the Ruhr too.

Within context of the Gazan War and the Israeli aerial bombardment thereof, consider the damage as done to German cities during WW2.

Herewith a partial listing chosen at random, those cities of Germany damaged > 50 % by the strategic allied bombing offensive WW2. 

Without regard to any sort of precedence or order:

Hamburg/ Berlin/Emden/Wilhelmshaven/ Hamm/Dusseldorf/Koln/ Ulm/Stuttgart/ Magdeburg/Osnabruck/ Kassel/ Magen/ Essen/ Wessel/ Mainz/Koblenz/Dresden/ Hanover/ Bremen/ Frankfurt 1 Main/ Frankfurt 2 Oder.

OH YA!

Gaza City alone that amount of devastation and destruction the generally accepted [?] figure of about 55 % after four months of more-or-less continuous onslaught the Israeli Air Force [IAF]!

As to call me Meyer:

"the phrase is/was a German idiom meaning 'virtually impossible' and best translated as 'you can call me a Dutchman' or 'you can call me a monkey's uncle'."

coolbert.

Beer.

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The beer test the various YouTube videos:

The gun stabilizer of a modern main battle tank, MBT, an important technological innovation, which allows the tank to fire and hit a target while on the move.

"This enables the modern tank using the current stabilization systems to hit a target moving thirty miles an hour [about 50 km/hr] while [the target] is moving at the same speed at ranges of 2,000 meters or more, as accurately as if standing still."

The gun stabilizer existed in primitive forms prior to and during the World War II, but were so ineffective as to mainly not in use. Much more advanced versions of the gun stabilizer [electro-mechanical apparatus] now exist in more or less in all MBT. Armor now engaging in a duel both vehicles able to shoot while moving and hit the target.

During WWII, a tanker while engaging an enemy tank would have to come to a complete stop before firing placing themselves in dangerous and disadvantageous position.

Gun stabilizer has greatly mitigated these difficulties.

1. "When a German Leopard 2 tank carried a beer without spilling a drop"

"A video created by the German Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) in 1986"

"Many battle tanks throughout history have become feared opponents in the theatre of war, yet not all of them can brag about the ability to balance a beer on their gun like the German Leopard 2 tank."

2. "How Can a Glass of Beer Demonstrate the Quality of a Tank?"

"A glass of beer and a gun. Ukrainian defense companies are publishing videos demonstrating the high quality of their armored vehicles with original tests."

"Using its well-crafted suspension and level turret, the tank was so stable it could balance a tankard glass of beer on the end of its 120mm gun."

The Soviet era, defector SUVOROV described the T–64 tank as a pissy tank.

"pissy: adjective - 2 slang : IRRITATING, ANNOYING"

"Gun could not hit the target. Treads fell off at an unexpected time. The engine required constant maintenance in situ by a team of factory professionals.

The Ukrainians evidently have worked out all the kinks of the T-64 and now have a much improved model to include the gun stabilizer.

3. "Leopard 1 beer test"

"As far as I [Jay Liu] know, the Leopard 1A1 was the first tank to achieve this effectively. With a good crew and even on rough terrain, it could hit a stationary target while on the move almost as well as if it were firing on a short stop."

"This was the primary selling point of the Leopard 1, thus it's huge popularity on the international market despite having no real armor, and mounting a fairly standard L7 105 rifled gun."

Before there was Leopard Two there was Leopard One. As described the main selling point of a Leopard One was the gun stabilizer. This particular tank the YouTube video has UN markings and a Danish crew.

coolbert.

G95A1.

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"The army’s [German] procurement department allowed gunmaker Heckler & Koch to test the weapon using civilian ammunition, rather than the same cartridges used by the army.

Testing was also allowed to take place at room temperature rather than at extreme temperatures."

For shame, H & K and German military procurement. You both knew better, but did not do better. For shame again and again.

CLASSIFIED!

"Germany’s new rifle ‘inaccurate in battle’"

From https://www.telegraph.co.uk | Jörg Luyken IN BERLIN 26 January 2024.

"Report finds weapon fails to meet army standards despite defense minister’s pledge to make the Bundeswehr ‘war fit’"

"The German army’s new assault rifle is not accurate enough and cannot be relied upon to work properly in battle, according to a classified report."

"military-standard ammunition, said the report, which was sent to the Bundestag by Germany’s national audit office."

“Current testing by the army in laboratory conditions shows that the weapon doesn’t meet army standards when loaded with combat ammunition,” said the review, which was first revealed by Der Spiegel news magazine."

This is a perfect instance of déjà vu all over again. As it was with the AR.-15/M -16 in Vietnam for American forces so as it is now for the German military with their most modern assault rifle?

AR-15 tested with one type of ammunition, but then issued to the troops in the field as the M-16 with a second type of ammunition that was found to be inferior!!

"The M16 and 5.56×45 mm cartridge was tested and approved with the use of a DuPont IMR8208M extruded powder, which was switched to Olin Mathieson WC846 ball powder which produced much more fouling, which quickly jammed the action of the M16 (unless the gun was cleaned well and often)."

Déjà vu all over again, but this time the Germans rather than the Americans!

And to all this General Rommel would say exactly what?

coolbert.

18 Months.

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Here begins several blog entries thanks to the English Daily Mail tabloid with exceedingly alarmist and frightening headlines perhaps even markedly so! Even causing panic in some quarters!

"Germany is preparing for Putin attack against NATO in 2025: Leaked secret plans reveal step-by-step how Russia will escalate conflict to all-out war in 18 months"

"Secret documents from German Defense ministry reveal doomsday guide"

From https://www.dailymail.co.uk | By RACHAEL BUNYAN |  15 January 2024. 

"Secret documents from the German Ministry of Defence reveal a step-by-step doomsday guide on how Russia will escalate the conflict in Ukraine to an all-out war in just 18 months."

"The leaked plans, published by German newspaper Bild, reveal in detail the path to a Third World War with Putin using Belarus as a launching pad for an invasion - as he did in February 2022 for his war in Ukraine."

"Germany is preparing for Vladimir Putin's forces to attack NATO in 2025, according to leaked secret plans."

Devoted readers to the blog I highly encourage without qualification or reservation that each and everyone of you read the entire Daily Mail article! Daily Mail you do a very good job of covering military affairs. People need to take note of this sort of stuff, even if it is alarmist and frightening they need to know.

coolbert.

Joschka.

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Atomic munitions for everyone? The Germans included?

All of a sudden everyone was atomics? All in response to the Ukraine Conflict. That threat from Putin and the Russian now recognized.

"Joschka Fischer: EU should possess nuclear weapons"

From aussiedlerbote,de ^ 12/5/2023. The tip from Freeper.

"The fight against nuclear weapons has a long tradition among the Greens. However, in view of the global situation, party icon Joschka Fischer [Green] is in favor of a nuclear arms build-up in Europe. The former foreign minister justifies his call with Russia and the USA in mind. Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has called on Europe to arm itself with its own nuclear weapons."

Joschka old fellow. Please understand for many decades two constituent members of the EU has possessed atomic weapons. England and France part and parcel of NATO and the EU also.

German missile-firing military units during the Cold War having at their readiness American warheads to be fired in case of a Soviet attack on NATO. Authority to use of course reserved to American control!

Nothing new under the sun Joschka. Both nuclear and conventional expensive. More than anything else the European social-welfare state in conflict with Euro power as expressed through the atomic bomb! Guns or butter!

coolbert.

Kvetch.

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"kvetch: intransitive verb - To complain persistently and whiningly.:

The Frenchmen of the WW2 era no longer manly and virile? The Frenchmen effeminate and woman-like? Frenchmen emasculated.

"emasculate transitive verb To castrate. To deprive of strength or vigor; weaken"

French defeat, the Battle of France 1940. Debacle explained?

1. "The Humiliation of France"

"Mythmaking and the Paradox of Retribution; Ethnic Homogeneity, Migration and Society"

https://www.kvetch.au | MISHA SAUL | AUG 27, 2022.

"In this Kvetch I dive into the fall of France, WWII mythmaking, and the paradox of retribution, as well as ethnic homogeneity and its effects."

See with particular attention to # 1. Blitzkreig and Mythology the Misha Saul article.

"In May 1940 it took the Germans 6 weeks to defeat France and evict Britain from Europe. The Germans killed 120,000 French soldiers, captured 1.2 million prisoners of war, and all of France’s artillery, tanks and trucks and industry. It was the greatest victory of WWII."

See this too a much more nuanced perspective the topic:

2. "Why did France lose to Germany in 1940?"

"The speed with which France crumbled and capitulated in the face of the May 1940 German invasion is still shocking, 80 years on. How did this catastrophe happen?"

From https://www.france24.com |  the article by Stéphanie TROUILLARD | 16/05/2020.      

"After several months of 'phony war', the German army finally attacked France and the Low Countries on May 10, 1940. In less than a fortnight [two weeks], the Wehrmacht swept through the country from the north."

[....]

"How did this happen? And why so quickly? FRANCE 24 spoke to historian Michaël Bourlet, a former professor of history at the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan military academy"

The distinguished American military historian and theoretician Trevor Dupuy of the opinion using his rough and and crude QJM criteria that the French and allied forces could have prevailed in 1940 if the French army had NOT deployed FOUR armies to defend the Maginot Line when only ONE was required.

Devoted readers to the blog also see this prior blog entry the Battle of France 1940.

coolbert.

Enduring.

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Enduring commitment lasts a single month!

"enduring: adjective - Lasting; continuing; durable."

"Jesse Kline: Trudeau cuts defense spending to fund socialist pet projects"

"Having a military capable of defending your borders is not something you want to be caught without when you need it most"

From https://nationalpost.com | Jesse Kline | Oct 02, 2023  •  

"When politicians get in a room together, are they overwhelmed by the wafting scent of bulls–t, or do they simply become immune to it after awhile?"

In July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with their NATO allies in Vilnius, Lithuania, where they pledged their 'enduring commitment to invest at least two per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP) annually on defense,' noting that, 'in many cases, expenditure beyond > two per cent of GDP will be needed in order to remedy existing shortfalls and meet the requirements across all domains arising from a more contested security order.'”

Rectify existing shortages and deficiencies of war-making BANG stuff. Increase current force structure and allow military readiness for a future conflict to flourish in a high-state of preparation.

As to not so much Canadian spending and military readiness posture but rather the German:

"This came a year and a half after Scholz, realizing the increased security threat from Russia following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, set up a 100-billion euro defense fund and promised to beat the two per cent target 'year after year.'”

"Yet less than a month after the July NATO summit in Lithuania, Scholz’s government quietly dropped a legal requirement for it to meet the two per cent target on an annual basis from its budget financing law. The government would only commit to spending two per cent on average over a five-year period. And even that might not last: according to an August 2022 report from the German Economic Institute, once Berlin’s defense fund dries up in 2027, spending will once again fall to 1.2 per cent of GDP."

As the famous Sun Tzu would have said from thousands of years ago now:  "The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds"

As with King Ho Lu twenty-five hundred years ago, so with Chancellor Scholz today!

You better believe it!

As I am fond of so much see the acerbic comments of Rabbi Dov 100 % as true to the mark NATO spending here:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2019/11/negotiate.html

coolbert.

Multinational.

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Or a NATO attack on the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad? Best defense is a good offense.

"German navy will lead drill to defend the Baltics from the sea"

 From  https://www.defensenews.com | story by Sebastian Sprenger |  Aug 30 2023.

"COLOGNE, Germany — The German navy is slated to lead a multinational drill in the Baltic Sea in September meant to help defend NATO members Estonia and Latvia against an attack, presumably from neighboring Russia."

"The annual Northern Coasts exercise series has offered Baltic Sea nations a chance to test operations as a combined force since its inception in 2007. With Russia’s attack against Ukraine as the backdrop, planners this year have made clear this year’s iteration was conceived to address the real-world possibility of an attack against NATO on the northeastern flank."

The German is up to this? Leading the war games [drill] the Baltic?

See previous blog entries German naval readiness especially with regard to submarines poor to a big zero:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/10/u-boats.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/12/u-boote.html

And to all this Admirals Raeder and Doenitz would say?

coolbert.

Lackluster.

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Rheinmetall stock value going to take a big hit? Poor performance [?] of the Leopard tank the Ukraine Conflict to blame?

"Aging Leopard Tanks 'Not Prepared' for Combat in Ukraine Hurt Rheinmetall's Reputation"

From Russian controlled media outlet https://sputnikglobe.com

"A former US Army commander told Sputnik that the lackluster performance of the Leopard tanks in Ukraine was hurting maker Rheinmetall, as the Western media has built the aging weapons up as the latest 'wunderwaffe' or 'wonder weapon' that would turn the tide against Russia."

"According to US media reports based on Ukrainian data, Ukraine has received 71 of the Leopard 2 main battle tanks promised to it, five of which have been destroyed outright and at least another 10 have suffered sufficient damage to send them back to repair stations in Poland and Germany."

 [....]

"It’s unclear how many Leopard 2s have taken part in the counteroffensive operation that began in June, but according to Earl Rasmussen, an international consultant and retired US Army lieutenant colonel, they have 'absolutely not' been the game-changers they were imagined to be."

Devoted readers to the blog will want to read the entire sputnikglobe.com article. Especially paying close attention to the comments of Colonel Rasmussen. Most informative.

coolbert.

Retreat.

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At a moment of crisis when determination and will is needed the German falls down?

Agreed upon agreement for NATO constituent states to spend yearly 2 % of GDP on military spending gone by either clever bookkeeping or accounting?

"Germany walks back plan to meet NATO spending target on annual basis"

From Reuters via Yahoo ^ | August 16th, 2023 | Holger Hansen | 8/17/2023.

"BERLIN (Reuters) -The German government has retreated from a plan to legally commit itself to meeting NATO's 2% military spending target on an annual basis, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday. A corresponding clause in a draft of the budget financing law passed by the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday was deleted at short notice, the source said. The change means that Germany will be able to stick to its current pledge of meeting the 2% target on average over a five-year period"

Those European nations NATO loathe to spend money on defense allocations. The social welfare safety-net system must be maintained by the politician. Guns or butter and butter usually comes out on top that sort of thing.

If nothing the German [and the rest of NATO for that matter] need to really fast replenish stocks of bang-stuff and bang-making stuff and do so more or less on a crash basis. The body is weak and so is the spirit however.

See recent blog entries that topic German defense and war-making budgeting:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/07/confidence.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/04/paper.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/12/herman.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/07/scholz.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/06/sloth.html

Und zu all dem würde General Rommel sagen?

coolbert.

Taurus.

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Die Deutschen treten weiterhin in ihre eigene Scheiße?

I hate to think it is so but fear it is so!

"Sure Sounds Like Germany Is Giving Ukraine the Mighty Taurus Cruise Missile"

Operational range 500 kilometers [about 300 miles]. Massive 480 kilogram warhead [about 1,000 pounds]. Described as stealthy!

From "Popular Mechanics" via   https://www.yahoo.com | article by Sébastien Roblin | August 8, 2023. 

"On Monday, a Ukrainian diplomat suggested 'key parliamentary factions'—including those in Scholz’s own SPD party—have reached a 'consensus' in support of transferring some of Germany’s KEPD-350 Taurus stealth cruise missiles to Ukraine to aid in its struggle against invading Russian forces. Ukraine first formally requested the air-launched German-Swedish weapon in May."

"Until now, the administration of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has opposed giving long-range strike weapons to Ukraine on the grounds they could be used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, potentially leading to dangerous escalation."

More than anything the German continues to deplete their own war-making bang stuff! Almost without a care it seems munitions of all types stockpiled and as needed for contingencies reduced to dangerous levels?

And to all this General Rommel would say?

coolbert.

Gleiwitz II.

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False flag the Ukraine Conflict? As it was Poland 1939 now again it will be in Poland 2023?

1. "Putin warns Poland against ‘unleashing aggression’ against Belarus"

Thanks to the "Guardian" | the article by Andrew Roth | 21 Jul 2023.

"Russian president reacts angrily after Polish defense minister sends troops to guard eastern border"

"Vladimir Putin has said Russia will use 'all means at its disposal' to defend Belarus after Poland and other EU countries voiced concerns about the deployment of Russian paramilitaries near their borders."

2. "Putin warns Poland: ‘An attack on Belarus is an attack on Russia’"

From https://uk.news.yahoo.com | the article by James Kilner | 21 July 2023. 

"Vladimir Putin has warned Poland that he will consider any attack on Belarus as an attack on Russia after Warsaw rushed extra soldiers to its border."

"Without citing any evidence, the Russian president said Poland dreamt of capturing parts of Ukraine and Belarus that have previously been under its domain."

Vlad Putin making ready with preparations for an expanded war in Eastern Europe to involve a constituent member of NATO? Using a "false flag" type of event reminiscent of the Gleiwitz Incident 1939?

"False flags are political or military actions carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it."

"The Gleiwitz incident is the best-known action of Operation Himmler, a series of special operations [false flag] undertaken by the Schutzstaffel (SS) to serve German propaganda at the outbreak of war. The operation was intended to create the appearance of a Polish aggression against Germany to justify the invasion of Poland."

The Poles are attacking us. We have no recourse but to defend ourselves!

It is not so much that I don't believe it. It is more than I don't want to believe it.

coolbert.

Prone III.

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Concluding combat aviation curiosity and oddity concluding. Another forlorn German effort of the concerted and determined attempt to counter what was deemed by the Nazi as the four-engine bomber problem.

BV 40 combat interceptor glider WW2.

"The Blohm & Voss BV 40 was a German glider fighter designed to attack Allied bomber formations during the time of the bombing raids over Nazi Germany."

"The BV 40 was the smallest glider that could accommodate an armored cockpit and two cannon [30 mm] with limited ammunition. By eliminating the engine and lying the pilot in a prone position (i.e. on his front), the cross-sectional area of the fuselage was much reduced, making the BV 40 harder for bomber gunners to hit."

"The plane was designed to use non-strategic materials and to be built in as short a time as possible by non-skilled workers. The fuselage was constructed almost entirely of wood."

BV 40 tiny indeed. Good image of a full-size mockup. Two-wheeled dolly used for take-off, "dropped once the glider was airborne. A skid under the nose was lowered for landing."

BV 40 towed by a German conventional fighter warplane [Bf 109] to an altitude above the bomber stream. Released, diving and attacking during a single-pass an allied bomber with the twin organic 30 mm cannon. Quite reminiscent if not almost identical to the attack profile of the rocket plane Me-163. Bv 40 then gliding to earth and safety.

"The BV 40 on paper had a number of positive characteristics; it was easy to make, could be available in large numbers, was cheap, well-armed and it did not need skilled pilots. But in reality, the poor performance, lack of a power plant, low ammunition count, and its vulnerability to Allied escort fighters showed that this was a flawed concept"

Bv 40 another one of many German wartime oddball aviation concepts during WW2. See the Internet web site Luft46 for details.

coolbert.

Prone II.

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Yet one more curiosity and oddity from the field of military aviation. Pilot in the prone position not sitting erect as in the normal posture.

German DFS 228 high-altitude rocket-powered reconnaissance glider WW2.

German (DFS): "had proposed a design for a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft early in the war years. A glider design would have the advantage of being silent from the ground, of having a low ground speed for good photography and potentially the ability to loiter over target."

"The DFS design, in common with many proposals which first saw the light of day in the early stages of the war was cancelled, only to be later resurrected. However, with insufficient time, the project was not completed by the war's end. Designed for cruising at altitudes of 80,000 feet [25,000 meters], the pilot was protected by a sophisticated pressurized cabin . . . a prone pilot position was adopted, with a simple, forward, armored cabin window and oblique side windows fixed into the cockpit walls."

"Taken up to launch height on the back of another aircraft, the DFS.228 would climb to high altitude for approach to target and then in common with other gliders, return to land on its ventral skid. With its rocket motor"

After launch from the mother-ship the glider able to achieve super-high altitude using the organic rocket motor. 

"the DFS.228's mission profile was to use power to climb, then glide down through its operating altitude, re-light the rocket motor to climb back again to height, glide down once more until starting the motor again, and in this manner operate a . . . flight pattern giving maximum range and maximum target"

Glide ratio of the DFS 228 not to be found anywhere on the Internet. A devoted reader to the blog who can speak with authority has a handle on this?

coolbert.

Confidence.

This is coolbert:

Courtesy here the tip from Lorenzo. 

What does this say? Not good I am afraid. Remedial measures will not come to fruition until 2025?

"Germany lacks a single combat-ready division – "

From https://www.voiceofeurope.com | Reuters | 17.07.2023.

"Currently, Berlin does not have a single combat-ready division which typically consists of over 20,000 troops, according Reuters. However, Germany plans to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second following in 2027."

"In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the evolving geopolitical landscape, Germany is making significant strides to bolster its military capabilities. Army Chief Alfons Mais has expressed confidence that Germany will possess the best equipped army division among its European NATO allies by 2025."

More is needed and now! Must it even be said! 

Comments:

* A division usually the largest unit in an army with a fixed standard structure. 20,000 troops per division sounds to be too large but perhaps considering current combat doctrine of a modern army it is not.

* To have "the best equipped army division" means a lot of money going to have to be spent. The current military industrial complex Germany will not be able to keep pace with demand? And that only for one division. Total of three such divisions ideal and the situation more precarious.

* Across the board all the NATO nations will have to proceed with rearming and fast. Goes against the current trend for no conscription, increased taxes and a diminution of social welfare programs for which the European nations are so proud of. 

And to all this General Rommel would say?

coolbert.