Feldgrau.net

CGE Mannerheim, the marshal of Finland was 6'2"(forcing poor AH to wear special boots so he didn't look short)

could speak eight languages (Swedish, Finnish, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, German, French, English and some Mando Chinese)

and was the only person to be decorated by both sides during both of the world wars. oh, and Sweden.

Ths Thread deserves a better place on Soldatenheim, so I am placing it as a "Sticky" for now.

Best,
David'

YESSSSS!!! i was going to suggest that in the first post but...

random V2 facts:

only one V2 was (reportedly) shot down, by a .50cal from a B-24 liberator that flew over the firing site as it took off. (plausible or just crap?)
http://www.cdiss.co.uk/Documents/Upload ... %20Now.pdf


the V-2 system was so small and mobile that not one meillerwagen (launching truck) was caught and destroyed by the allies.

the V2 was like Jerry's manhattan project: they cost the same and were revolutionary. but if Germany had a nuke....

for the 6000 V-2s made, they could have made 48000 (!!!!!) tanks with the funds (panzer IVs , I assume)

the Brits had a plan to make a defense system that would plaster the area that a detected v2 came in with AA fire, but the plan was called off since the estimated number of malfunctioning shells that came down would probably do more damage than the V-2 itself.

all from... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-2_rocket

and... John Garand was born in Canada! whoo!

cheers!
Dragunov

General George C. Marshall, the chief of staff of the US Army, didn't allow (through an intermediary) President Roosevelt to address him by his first name

Panzermahn

the FP 45 Liberator pistol:

1,000,000 (!) were made

it took longer to reload one than to make one (6.6 seconds to make one, 10 seconds to reload)

the cost of the instructions of the liberator are higher than the cost of the liberator itself ( for collectors)

back then, to make one cost $2.10 (2006, $26) now they cost around $2500.

http://home.pacbell.net/rlhag65/pictures.htm

http://www.nfa.ca/content/view/105/197/

Today (May 9) is V-E day... for Russia!

ah, but wasn't it yesterday? well, it was agreed between the big three that it would be May 9 but it leaked out for the western allies. Russia kept to its word and they mark the end of the war in europe on this date.

Actually was planned as a TWO-day celebration, hence W.Churchill - "Tomorrow, May 8th, is Victory in Euope Day. The day after is Victory in Europe Day also"

lots of interesting stuff on the Horst Wessel Lied here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst-Wessel-Lied

really.

lots of random stuff here, the best being intel reports from them gloomy days of WW2.

http://www.lonesentry.com/

Hey guys,

Maybe a lot of you all have seen this video already, from cnn.com's website -- but in case you have not, here is a link to an interesting bit on a "Prora:"

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living ... ourism.cnn

Not sure if it's worthy of being random, but it seemed to strike me as being such!

Matt B.

a late war k98 (usually sells for ~$400) sold for $20,000!!!!!

and guess what? IT WOULD HAVE SOLD FOR $30,000 IF the prevoius owner didn't sporterize it. DON'T DO IT!

Hi Guys,

Apparently a warship's hull is under the most stress at the moment of launch, when its stern is afloat but its bows still on the slipway. The stress on the centre of the ship is greater then than it will ever experience from sea conditions in the rest of its life time.

Cheers,

Sid.

Hitler's father , Alois, was an illegitemate child, and Alois changed his last name from Schickelgruber to Heidler at the age of 39. imagine if he hadn't done that. his infamous son would be another Schickelgruber and it's rather hard to imagine the masses raising their arms to yell 'Heil Schickelgruber!'

Schickelgruber even means 'sump digger'. my friend even commented that it sounds like some sort of German sausage.

would the world have been changed if Hitler was Adolf Schickelgruber? schickelgruber is too easy to laugh at

here comes a full dose of shock and...!

http://www.hs.fi/kuvakoosteframe/1135223079631

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 18&start=0

it's nice (but not pleasing) to get a reminder that war IS hell.