http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=15803
the main guy in the thread is posting a lot of photos, excerpts, and recollections - many of which are included in an new book on the Rhodesian Light Infantry (we're trying to get a copy to review).
This is not a political thread, but one that discusses a lot of tactics, operations, and 'slice of life' stories that are a fantastic read.
Here's one hell of a story:
Quote'I was in my left-hand attack orbit, and then I woke up to hear Finch Bellringer shouting, "Are you all right; are you all right?" By then, we were in a right- hand orbit. We must have flipped over into a right turn during the moment I was unconscious, or at least stunned, and Finch didn't know what the hell was going on. He must have thought his pilot was dead.'
A bullet had entered the front of McLean's helmet just above his right eye, smashing the visor and exiting above and behind his right ear, grazing his right temple. The bullet brought the total number of holes in the helicopter to 13, excluding the two holes in the pilot's helmet. McLean recovered his wits enough to stabilise the helicopter; 'It felt like I had been smacked by a prizefighter. I can only think that the resistance of the fibre in the helmet must have snapped my head to the right. It certainly gave me a savage headache, which lasted for the rest of the day. I remember the headache being worse the next morning, but that was probably more to do with the amount of beer I drank at Grand Reef that night.'
Mark McLean, sporting a huge AK-47—induced lump over his right eye, and his recently wounded technician, Finch Bellringer, bravely continued with the task of eliminating ZANLA resistance without any thought for their own discomfort or safety. McLean carried on flying his K-car, clocking a total of six hours, 40 minutes in the air that day
Dude took a fucking bullet
through the helmet and kept flying air cover for the raid on Chimoio
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8454%2F7893917612_5718b88678_b.jpg&hash=816323bc440714d393d3fa172caffcbac1a11c21)
Quote from: bayonetbrant on September 13, 2012, 08:57:34 AM
QuoteMcLean carried on flying his K-car, clocking a total of six hours, 40 minutes in the air that day
Dude took a fucking bullet through the helmet and kept flying air cover for the raid on Chimoio
Even more impressive when you consider he was at the wheel of possibly the worst vehicle Chrysler ever made...
(J/K Those RLI guys were some hardcore mofos!)
Bullet trajectories can be utterly amazing.
Max Hastings, in his book Mailed Fist, relates a story of a street fight between his Churchill tank and a Tiger in the streets of Caen.
Both turned into a sidestreet at the same time. And both were so flabbergasted/shocked that no one fired for what seemed an eternity.
In the stress, Hastings whispered to his gunner, "Shoot" and he did.
They watched two or three rounds bounce off the front glacis of the Tiger. Then the germans stopped laughing and fired.
The round went through the front armor and exited in the back of the turret, killing the driver.
In the dark, the rest of the crew were able to get away.
Going back the next day, they were shocked at how the shell seemed to just pass through without doing any physical damage except for the entry and exit holes. Then the gunner pulled out some twine and stretched it from the two holes.
The twine went right through the commander's seat.
As Hastings was okay and had no wounds, they were just amazed. He had been in his seat the entire time, the string showed it should have gone right through his navel, and there wasn't a lot of room around his shoulders for the shell to move through.
Interesting story, thanks for posting it here. Mailed Fist is a hard book to find, sadly, so I've never read it.
Quote from: Staggerwing on September 16, 2012, 08:08:39 AM
Interesting story, thanks for posting it here. Mailed Fist is a hard book to find, sadly, so I've never read it.
I can't find it on Amazon. Or Barnes & Noble.
I don't think it was a Hastings book. Hastings was only born after WW2 had ended. His dad was a correspondent during the war.
The only book entitled Mailed Fist that I saw on Amazon was by John Foley. According to the description, Foley served in Normandy as part of the 107th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, of the independent 34th Tank Brigade.
This is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Mailed-Fist-John-Foley/dp/0583124917
Still, it's an interesting story. Thanks to Belisarius for mentioning it.
Well, ain't that a kick in the head! That's a book I ordered about three weeks ago and still haven't gotten. I'd forgotten the title in the meantime. Thanks for reminding me- I need to fire of an angry 'WTF?' missive to the reseller.
Feel free to start ribbing me... :-\
^ Us, take the pi**? No way Stagger!
It is actually a very good book, although it was a quite while ago since I read it.
Quote from: Staggerwing on September 16, 2012, 01:56:33 PM
Well, ain't that a kick in the head! That's a book I ordered about three weeks ago and still haven't gotten. I'd forgotten the title in the meantime. Thanks for reminding me- I need to fire of an angry 'WTF?' missive to the reseller.
Feel free to start ribbing me... :-\
That is pretty funny Stagger! Be sure to let us know what you think of the book when it finally arrives.
GAAAHH!!
A true senior moment. The author was Major Max Foley. Not Hastings.
http://www.amazon.com/Mailed-Fist-John-Foley/dp/0583124917
I've ordered my copy of the RLI book today as a late birthday present to myself