This is coolbert:
"The first U-boat to spot the convoy would signal its position to U-boat headquarters, and send out homing signals to assemble the rest of the pack."
Again - - A German U-Boat, establishing contact with and shadowing an allied convoy during the Battle of the Atlantic, was able to send a "homing" signal to other U-Boats. Gather the "crowd" [U-Boats approaching the convoy] for a mass attack against mouth-watering and tempting targets vital to the war effort.
This did not happen!!
My intuitive and first impression upon reading about the "beacons" was that this was a good idea. Allowed for a mass gathering and mass attack upon an allied convoy without the gathering U-Boats having to do a lot of fancy navigation, regardless of weather, radio contact, day or night, etc.
But, then also intuitively and with some second-thought, the use of such beacons would have been fraught with great danger for the U-Boat crews.
These beacons, if actually having been available, would have operated at low-frequencies [less than 500 KHZ on the radio band!], been omni-directional, and transmitted not continuously, but at intervals? During the period, these transmissions might have been called "buzzers"?
AND BEEN SUBJECT TO INTERCEPT BY THE ALLIED VERY-LONG-RANGE-AIRCRAFT [B-24] OF NAVAL AVIATION! Beacons that would not only have attracted other German U-Boats, BUT ALSO ALLIED BOMBER AIRCRAFT SEEKING TO DESTROY GERMAN SUBMARINES!!
Furthermore, those beacons could have been subject to what is called meaconing!! The sending of false navigation and homing beacons. Allied units could have sent out their own signals to deceive the gathering U-Boats, even lead them into A TRAP!!
"Meaconing is the interception and rebroadcast of navigation signals. These signals are rebroadcast on the received frequency to confuse enemy navigation."
"Successful meaconing can cause: Aircraft to be lured into 'hot' (ambush-ready) landing zones or enemy airspace, ships to be diverted from their intended routes, bombers to expend ordnance on false targets, or ground stations to receive inaccurate bearings or position locations."
Whoa boy!!
Just too much danger with beacons of this nature!! Beacons of the sort to gather U-Boats did not exist, were not used, and if had been in existence and were used, would have been too susceptible to counter-measures to be effective.
coolbert.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Beacon I?
This is coolbert:
Concerning the Battle of the Atlantic, the German U-Boat campaign against allied shipping, and the usage of what became known as "wolf pack" tactics by Doenitz:
"The term wolf pack refers to the mass-attack tactics against convoys used by German U-boats of the KriegsMarine during the Battle of the Atlantic"
"Karl Dönitz used the term Rudel to describe his strategy of submarine warfare—Rudel translates best as 'pack' of animals and has become known in English as 'wolf pack'"
"U-boat movements were controlled by the . . . 'Commander of Submarines' . . . U-boats usually patrolled separately . . . only being ordered to congregate after one located a convoy and alerted the BdU, so a Rudel consisted of as many U-boats as could reach the scene of the attack."
"The first U-boat to spot the convoy would signal its position to U-boat headquarters, and send out homing signals to assemble the rest of the pack."
U-Boats, normally operating SEPARATELY, but massing for a CONCERTED ATTACK upon an allied convoy only on orders of the central U-Boat command of the KriegsMarine.
And that first U-Boat to make contact with and shadow a convoy:
"send out homing signals to assemble the rest of the pack"
NO! Sending out a beacon for other U-Boats to "home" in upon was not an option? NOT used by the German submariners. This is a misconception.
Here, thanks to Harry and KTB http://www.sharkhunters.com - - we have the real story!! From a U-Boat commander, a flotilla commander, one that would know!!
"I did not hear any beacon during the last war." [World War Two that is]
This thanks to JO. Again, a German U-Boat commander, "a flotilla commander, a man - -[who] was in charge of assembling the wolf packs in the Arctic Ocean........... at age 95, still mentally as sharp as ever."
If any man would know, it is JO that would know!! NO beacons to gather the U-Boats for a mass attack. Was not used!!
coolbert.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Pavel.
This is coolbert:
In previous blog entries, I have stated that in the Soviet special operations/commando/ranger units, spetsnaz, according to various sources, the standard physical fitness [PT] requirement called for a man, wearing an eight [8] kilogram armored plate strapped to the chest [a SAPI-like armor plate], to be able to do sixteen pull-ups. This was a MINIMUM!!??
[The Soviet/Russian armor plate was not ceramic, it was armor plate steel??]
According to the man who purportedly conducted and supervised the PT of the spetsnaz troops, this standard is actually too low?
Pavel Tsatsouline. Soviet, now Russian, expatriate living, working, and thriving in the U.S.? Expounds upon the PT methods and techniques used to train the spetsnaz troop to a high level of physical aptitude. Novel ideas not previously seen or appreciated in the U.S. prior to the emigration of Pavel and other ex-Soviets/Russians like him.
"consider that in Soviet Spetsnaz units the minimum standard was 18 pull-ups wearing 25lb body armor! Pavel Tsatsouline takes it a bit further (as he did with his men in Russia) stating that as an operator you should shoot for 10 reps with 54lbs of weight"
THE GOAL FOR AN "OPERATOR" [from that I take it to mean a troop actually involved in special operations, that weight consisting of all impedimenta being worn] was much greater?
Here from an interview with Pavel. Thanks to Girevnik on-line magazine [GM]:
"Exclusive Interview with the "Evil Russian" Pavel Tsatsouline"
GM: "How do you train soldiers differently than civilians? For example, how would the training of a soldier compare to the training of an athlete?"
Pavel: "Let us use strength as an example. An athlete can afford to be strong due to large muscles but a soldier or a Marine cannot. In wartime and even during exercises muscle rapidly melts away, thanks to malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and stress. A military man must gain strength by retraining his nervous system to contract his, even shrunken, muscles harder."
In the case of spetsnaz troops, we may be talking here about two distinct groupings of soldiers.
The first being the "professionals". Athletes of Olympic caliber who are full-time competitors as well as CAREER soldiers. Holding significant military rank in many cases, their development and ability at a competitive sport and their military skills be more or less intertwined as a daily routine for years!!
The second group of spetsnaz troops Pavel may have in mind is the two-year conscript, trained in a rigorous manner, BUT NOT A FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL CAREER SOLDIER.
But, as a conscript, specially screened and selected in advance for obvious physical and mental attributes, also politically correct from the-at-the-time standpoint of the Communist party, etc.
[Suvorov claims that out of every 10,000 conscripts, only TEN would be found to be adequate for duty as a special purpose troop within the Soviet scheme of things!!]
A conscript, already perhaps of imposing physical stature and ability, WHO ONLY NEEDS THE PROPER TRAINING, ENCOURAGEMENT, PUSHING AS NECESSARY, TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED MINIMUM PT GOALS AND THEN WAY BEYOND THAT IF POSSIBLE.
The raw material is already there for Pavel to train, a very high level of physical development, military oriented, achievable is relatively short order.
"In wartime and even during exercises muscle rapidly melts away, thanks to malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and stress" - - Pavel T.
That stress Pavel speaks about is primarily FEAR! Fear of being killed or wounded or captured that WEAKENS! NO AMOUNT OF PT CAN PROPERLY CONDITION THE SOLDIER TO OVERCOME THE LESSENING OF PHYSICAL ABILITY THAT OCCURS IN THE LONG-TERM PRESENCE OF FEAR!! Our bodies, involuntarily, releases adrenaline and other chemicals that provide a boost for enhanced physical activity in the short-term, but also weakens the body in the long-term.
coolbert.
In previous blog entries, I have stated that in the Soviet special operations/commando/ranger units, spetsnaz, according to various sources, the standard physical fitness [PT] requirement called for a man, wearing an eight [8] kilogram armored plate strapped to the chest [a SAPI-like armor plate], to be able to do sixteen pull-ups. This was a MINIMUM!!??
[The Soviet/Russian armor plate was not ceramic, it was armor plate steel??]
According to the man who purportedly conducted and supervised the PT of the spetsnaz troops, this standard is actually too low?
Pavel Tsatsouline. Soviet, now Russian, expatriate living, working, and thriving in the U.S.? Expounds upon the PT methods and techniques used to train the spetsnaz troop to a high level of physical aptitude. Novel ideas not previously seen or appreciated in the U.S. prior to the emigration of Pavel and other ex-Soviets/Russians like him.
"consider that in Soviet Spetsnaz units the minimum standard was 18 pull-ups wearing 25lb body armor! Pavel Tsatsouline takes it a bit further (as he did with his men in Russia) stating that as an operator you should shoot for 10 reps with 54lbs of weight"
THE GOAL FOR AN "OPERATOR" [from that I take it to mean a troop actually involved in special operations, that weight consisting of all impedimenta being worn] was much greater?
Here from an interview with Pavel. Thanks to Girevnik on-line magazine [GM]:
"Exclusive Interview with the "Evil Russian" Pavel Tsatsouline"
GM: "How do you train soldiers differently than civilians? For example, how would the training of a soldier compare to the training of an athlete?"
Pavel: "Let us use strength as an example. An athlete can afford to be strong due to large muscles but a soldier or a Marine cannot. In wartime and even during exercises muscle rapidly melts away, thanks to malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and stress. A military man must gain strength by retraining his nervous system to contract his, even shrunken, muscles harder."
In the case of spetsnaz troops, we may be talking here about two distinct groupings of soldiers.
The first being the "professionals". Athletes of Olympic caliber who are full-time competitors as well as CAREER soldiers. Holding significant military rank in many cases, their development and ability at a competitive sport and their military skills be more or less intertwined as a daily routine for years!!
The second group of spetsnaz troops Pavel may have in mind is the two-year conscript, trained in a rigorous manner, BUT NOT A FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL CAREER SOLDIER.
But, as a conscript, specially screened and selected in advance for obvious physical and mental attributes, also politically correct from the-at-the-time standpoint of the Communist party, etc.
[Suvorov claims that out of every 10,000 conscripts, only TEN would be found to be adequate for duty as a special purpose troop within the Soviet scheme of things!!]
A conscript, already perhaps of imposing physical stature and ability, WHO ONLY NEEDS THE PROPER TRAINING, ENCOURAGEMENT, PUSHING AS NECESSARY, TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED MINIMUM PT GOALS AND THEN WAY BEYOND THAT IF POSSIBLE.
The raw material is already there for Pavel to train, a very high level of physical development, military oriented, achievable is relatively short order.
"In wartime and even during exercises muscle rapidly melts away, thanks to malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and stress" - - Pavel T.
That stress Pavel speaks about is primarily FEAR! Fear of being killed or wounded or captured that WEAKENS! NO AMOUNT OF PT CAN PROPERLY CONDITION THE SOLDIER TO OVERCOME THE LESSENING OF PHYSICAL ABILITY THAT OCCURS IN THE LONG-TERM PRESENCE OF FEAR!! Our bodies, involuntarily, releases adrenaline and other chemicals that provide a boost for enhanced physical activity in the short-term, but also weakens the body in the long-term.
coolbert.
SAPI.
This is coolbert:
Here is the SAPI body armor as was strapped to the pigs for weapons experimentation.
SAPI: Small Arms Protective Insert.
Body armor, ceramic high-tech inserts, designed to protect the vital center line and the chest area of the human body from a lethal wound. Protects the lungs, heart, and spinal column from direct hit by a high-power rifle round. Protects, of course, against all other forms of shrapnel strikes too.
"A SAPI is able to stop up to three rifle bullets of a caliber up to 7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball"
That NATO round was fired from the FN FAL and the M-14 rifles. Still the current round fired by the various standard NATO machine guns. Will also stop [?] the Russian 7.62 X 54 round from the Dragunov sniper rifle and the PKM machine gun. Both of those weapons ubiquitously found throughout the world.
SAPI is used in conjunction with the tactical vest, the vest being worn over the standard uniform. Plates can be inserted into vest pockets, front and rear, as desired.
NOT light, adds poundage to the kit carried by the combat soldier, the basic fighting load now made even heavier that what is currently carried.
coolbert.
Here is the SAPI body armor as was strapped to the pigs for weapons experimentation.
SAPI: Small Arms Protective Insert.
"The Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) is a ceramic plate fielded by the US military"
Body armor, ceramic high-tech inserts, designed to protect the vital center line and the chest area of the human body from a lethal wound. Protects the lungs, heart, and spinal column from direct hit by a high-power rifle round. Protects, of course, against all other forms of shrapnel strikes too.
"A SAPI is able to stop up to three rifle bullets of a caliber up to 7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball"
That NATO round was fired from the FN FAL and the M-14 rifles. Still the current round fired by the various standard NATO machine guns. Will also stop [?] the Russian 7.62 X 54 round from the Dragunov sniper rifle and the PKM machine gun. Both of those weapons ubiquitously found throughout the world.
SAPI is used in conjunction with the tactical vest, the vest being worn over the standard uniform. Plates can be inserted into vest pockets, front and rear, as desired.
NOT light, adds poundage to the kit carried by the combat soldier, the basic fighting load now made even heavier that what is currently carried.
coolbert.
Pigs!
This is coolbert:
As you might expect, this sort of research is going to raise hackles, and has already raised hackles, in some quarters. Animal rights activists will not be happy with this.
"US military blew up pigs to test body armour"
As you might expect, this sort of research is going to raise hackles, and has already raised hackles, in some quarters. Animal rights activists will not be happy with this.
"US military blew up pigs to test body armour"
Animals - - pigs - - used for military experimentation. Pigs, having body armor strapped to them, and then being exposed to IED [improvised explosive device] detonations. To see what happens.
"American military researchers have blown up live pigs dressed in body armour in an attempt to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury."
"The research determined that body armour does not worsen brain injury"
"The military had feared body armour would deflect the force of blasts toward the head and increase the risk of brain injury."
"The research also showed that body armour protected troops' lungs and was critical to surviving blasts."
The thought was - - that the SAPI [small-arms-protective-insert] type body armor - - MIGHT ACTUALLY EXACERBATE INJURIES TO THE HEAD..
This has been determined to be NOT THE CASE! The body armor does protect that vital center line of the body from lethal injury, especially the heart and lungs. AND DOES NOT AGGREVATE INJURIES TO THE HEAD!!
"pigs were good subjects because their brains are more similar to human brains . . . Pig hearts and lungs are also similar to humans."
Pigs do make excellent subjects for weapons experimentation. Internal organs are similar in size and shape as to that of a human. Observations you make regarding damage to pigs from experimentation of this sort translates well when the human anatomy is considered?
coolbert.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Somali Pirates
This is coolbert:
"it [slave raids of the Barbary pirates] was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran"
This particular incident is being followed closely by the main-stream-media.
Thanks to the Chicago Tribune today:
“Pirates hold U.S. ship’s captain”
“The first such attack against a U.S.-flagged vessel off the coast of Africa since the days of the Barbary pirates more than 200 years ago.”
Somali pirates attacking a U.S-flagged vessel, inviting retaliation of a big sort?
Captain of the ship is a hostage, in grave peril; we are all holding our breath on this one!!
Accompanying the Tribune article, this too, from the Associated Press:
“U.S. owes much to pirates of yore”
An article - - an almost apologetic article to an extent - - justifying piracy, but in the process confusing piracy with privateering?
“When the infant country declared independence [American Revolutionary War/War of Independence] it had no navy, so battling Britain at sea was a problem.”
“The time-honored solution: Hire private warriors - - known a privateers to some, pirates to others - - to do the fighting.”
“The Second Continental Congress formalized the process in 1776. Nearly 800 vessels commissioned as privateers and are credited with capturing or destroying about 600 British ships.”
Pirates and privateers are merely different sides of the same coin? Is that the proper way to say it?
Privateers, however, were acting within the boundaries of legally constituted authority, legally empowered to carry out their activities [privateering], acting within the confines of international law as it was recognized AT THE TIME [1776]!!!
The Somali pirates are acting outside of any legally constituted authority, IN ALL OF SOMALIA THERE BEING NO LEGALLY CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY AS NORMALLY AND GENERALLY RECOGNIZED.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE HERE!!
Perhaps, also, I am wrong again. These Somali miscreants are only acting ACCORDING TO THEIR SOURCE OF LAW, LEGALLY CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY AS THEY SEE IT, KORANIC PRONOUNCEMENTS AS INTERPRETED BY THE ISLAMIC ULEMA [legal scholars]??!! Ambassador Abdul Hamid would have instantly and perfectly understood this??
coolbert.
Abu Mansoor?
This is coolbert:
Very good program yesterday on National Public Radio [NPR].
Covering the continuing story of the “missing” Somali youth. Somali immigrants in the U.S., youth, “missing”, allegedly gone to Somalia for jihad training.
Teens and young men, all of Somali origin, dozens “missing” from the Minneapolis area alone, and perhaps from other areas around the nation as well.
Youth, recruited and “secreted” out of the U.S. by persons whose identity is unknown to the authorities. This is ALL A SURPRISE TO THE PARENTS OF THESE YOUNG MEN!! NO ONE IN THE VERY CLOSE-KNIT SOMALI COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. SEEMS TO HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT IS OCCURRING HERE, OTHER THAN THESE YOUTH ARE “MISSING”!!??
Have gone somewhere and no one knows WHERE? PLEASE - - we all know better!!
Recruited, trained, and right now, as we speak, actually engaging in combat with the occupying Ethiopian military forces in Somalia?
Trained and commanded and led into combat BY THE AMERICAN TURNCOAT, ABU-MANSOOR AL AMRIKI?! [Mansoor the American!]
Acquiring combat experience, training, and a fanaticism that can be used back in the U.S. as well?
[please keep in mind that the British MI5 considers the tens of thousands of Somali refugees currently living in the U.K. to be a very serious threat. One in ten of those Somali men can field strip an AK in less than a minute BLINDFOLDED!!]
During this particular NPR broadcast, a tape with the voice of Abu Mansoor is actually heard. Abu leading his charges INTO COMBAT AGAINST ETHIOPIAN FORCES, DIRECTING THE JIHADIS AS THEY ENGAGE THE “FOE”!!
[whether this is a true tape of battlefield recordings I cannot say. Sounded real!]
ABU MANSOOR SPEAKS AMERICAN ENGLISH PERFECTLY, BUT WITH A SLIGHT HISPANIC INTONATION FROM WHAT I AM ABLE TO DISCERN!!!
[trust me on this one!!]
If indeed Abu [described as a convert to Islam] were of Hispanic origins, a particularly strong effort would have made to recruit him to the cause of jihad? Persons whose ancestors are from the Iberian peninsula [al Andalus] very well might have been Muslims at one time in the distant past, dwelling within Darb al Islam [House of Islam - - all lands under control of the Caliphate]! Such folks are referred to by the jihadi as a mujahir [emigrant]?
Abu IS a convert, A zealot, an ex-Special Forces [SF] man leading jihadi warriors in the way of the Salafist, emulating the first three generations of Muslims?
NOW, NOT ACTUALLY ONLY STUDYING AND TRAINING FOR GUERRILLA WARFARE, BUT CONDUCTING SAME, AND DOING SO WITH PERSONS THAT ARE HIS OWN FELLOW CITIZENS!!
Abu is one dangerous man and must be dealt with sooner than later. Do it now - - pronto!!
And, as for those Somali parents in Minneapolis who are wondering what has “happened” to their sons - - wake up folks, smell the coffee, identify the recruiter or recruiters, turn them over to the FBI or deal with them yourselves!! Otherwise, you might be in for a very rude awakening some day!
coolbert.
Very good program yesterday on National Public Radio [NPR].
Covering the continuing story of the “missing” Somali youth. Somali immigrants in the U.S., youth, “missing”, allegedly gone to Somalia for jihad training.
Teens and young men, all of Somali origin, dozens “missing” from the Minneapolis area alone, and perhaps from other areas around the nation as well.
Youth, recruited and “secreted” out of the U.S. by persons whose identity is unknown to the authorities. This is ALL A SURPRISE TO THE PARENTS OF THESE YOUNG MEN!! NO ONE IN THE VERY CLOSE-KNIT SOMALI COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. SEEMS TO HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT IS OCCURRING HERE, OTHER THAN THESE YOUTH ARE “MISSING”!!??
Have gone somewhere and no one knows WHERE? PLEASE - - we all know better!!
Recruited, trained, and right now, as we speak, actually engaging in combat with the occupying Ethiopian military forces in Somalia?
Trained and commanded and led into combat BY THE AMERICAN TURNCOAT, ABU-MANSOOR AL AMRIKI?! [Mansoor the American!]
Acquiring combat experience, training, and a fanaticism that can be used back in the U.S. as well?
[please keep in mind that the British MI5 considers the tens of thousands of Somali refugees currently living in the U.K. to be a very serious threat. One in ten of those Somali men can field strip an AK in less than a minute BLINDFOLDED!!]
During this particular NPR broadcast, a tape with the voice of Abu Mansoor is actually heard. Abu leading his charges INTO COMBAT AGAINST ETHIOPIAN FORCES, DIRECTING THE JIHADIS AS THEY ENGAGE THE “FOE”!!
[whether this is a true tape of battlefield recordings I cannot say. Sounded real!]
ABU MANSOOR SPEAKS AMERICAN ENGLISH PERFECTLY, BUT WITH A SLIGHT HISPANIC INTONATION FROM WHAT I AM ABLE TO DISCERN!!!
[trust me on this one!!]
If indeed Abu [described as a convert to Islam] were of Hispanic origins, a particularly strong effort would have made to recruit him to the cause of jihad? Persons whose ancestors are from the Iberian peninsula [al Andalus] very well might have been Muslims at one time in the distant past, dwelling within Darb al Islam [House of Islam - - all lands under control of the Caliphate]! Such folks are referred to by the jihadi as a mujahir [emigrant]?
Abu IS a convert, A zealot, an ex-Special Forces [SF] man leading jihadi warriors in the way of the Salafist, emulating the first three generations of Muslims?
NOW, NOT ACTUALLY ONLY STUDYING AND TRAINING FOR GUERRILLA WARFARE, BUT CONDUCTING SAME, AND DOING SO WITH PERSONS THAT ARE HIS OWN FELLOW CITIZENS!!
Abu is one dangerous man and must be dealt with sooner than later. Do it now - - pronto!!
And, as for those Somali parents in Minneapolis who are wondering what has “happened” to their sons - - wake up folks, smell the coffee, identify the recruiter or recruiters, turn them over to the FBI or deal with them yourselves!! Otherwise, you might be in for a very rude awakening some day!
coolbert.
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